‡※‡Half Crippled!‡※‡

...

At the top of the mountain, Cyrus slumped down forward creating a dull *thud* on the ground which is covered by a pool of blood that came out from him.

Despite he had already lost his consciousness his eyes were wide open filled with whiteness, his eyes were crying blood and his mouth are gaped open as bubbles of blood continued to ooze from his mouth.

If someone saw him, they might think that he is completely dead.

Although his grave appearance would make people assume like that, if one observed closely, he was not dead because he was breathing faintly. Unable to move his body and unable to stop his blood coming out from his body if he continues to lose so much blood he would really die.

On his body, his wounds are the most terrifying; there are small and large wounds. His skin had cracked like roots, and his body is emitting sparks of electricity.

He had lost consciousness, but his life is still clinging.

On his chest, the Yinyang tattoo had a great change on its appearance, it was now emitting dim light, but what attractive the most is that there is another symbol next beside to the field of scarlet roses.

It has now two purple lightning-like trees sprouting next beside to the field scarlet roses, covering the top of Yinyang tattoo with its spreading canopy of purple lightning.

***

Night had passed, in the morning, there is a man carrying a basket bag on its back hiking on the mountain, this man is one of the human villagers below. He always came here to this mountain to gather medicinal herbs and even cooking herbs.

When he hiked all the way to the top and gather a plentiful of herbs, he took to take a rest atop of the mountain.

"This mountain is really steep!" The man exclaimed trying to reach the last rock before pulling himself above the rock.

When he finally got there, he wiped his sweat on his face, "Finally!" he said with a sigh.

"Hmm? What's this smell?"

Suddenly he smelled a stench of blood around, and droplets of blood are dropping on his head.

Touching his head then looked at his hands. He was terrified!

"B-Blood!?" The man stuttered in fear.

When he looked above, a young man was looking at him with his red eyes, his face had dried blood on it not only that, his hair was also have been dried with blood making it stick together, but what terrified the man the most is that this youth is crying with blood!

"I-IYAAAAA!!!" The man screamed at his highest pitch, as he was extremely terrified.

Who would not be terrified when someone who is most likely dead staring at him and had been crying blood with his dishevelled hair?

"H-help..." The young man stretched his left hand towards him asking for help; suddenly his body fell to the ground.

*Thud*

His body had slumped down in the front of the man and had finally lost his consciousness, not moving anymore.

The man was terrified when he saw the body of the young man, but when he had heard him asking for help, the man stared at the young man.

"W-What to do...?" The man stuttered in fear...

"Argh! Fuck it!" The man gritted his teeth and pushing his confidence; he walked towards to the young man and tried to identify him.

At first glance, he hardly identified this young man. But now, when he got close, he finally noticed who this young man is. With another shock and was taken back to what he had seen, he shouted, "Young master!"

He quickly tried to help this 'young master'.

Because in the village, there is the only one called young master by the villagers, and that is Cyrus!

He hurriedly pulled Cyrus and helped him to get down to the mountain; the appearance of the man is unsightly to look at as if he were frustrated by something.

"This is terribly bad; I don't know what to say to James and Shane! Holy fucking shit, this is bad!" He shouted bitterly while carrying Cyrus on his back leaving his basket full of herbs on the mountaintop.

He quickly ran to the village gate.

"Help! Someone, please help! Quickly!" The man shouted as he entered the village.

When the villagers had noticed him and saw a dead-like body on his back, all of them were terrified!

None of them quickly helped him but, the villagers who are close to the gates and when one of the girls stares at the young man on his back, she was terrified, because she recognizes this person!

"I-It's the young master!" She screamed.

When the villagers had heard her scream, all of them were blatantly shocked! He is a demi-human, yet he receives such wounds! What terrifying thing happened to him!

All of the human villagers quickly ran towards the man and tried to help him. Some young girls quickly ran towards Cyrus' home to notify his parents.

...

James and Shane who had just arrived at the village early morning, they had just thought that Cyrus had gone to train again by the time they arrived. So, both of them are completely relaxed completely oblivious to what had happened.

I wonder where that kid goes, I have been waiting for him all night, yet he is still not home yet... However, what is the weird feeling I had? Shane was frowning due to uneasiness she felt while she caresses James' hair which reminds him of Cyrus' soft hair.

James was lying on Shane's lap, giving him a lap pillow and discussing a few things. But the two were suddenly disturbed by someone knocking the door maniacally!

This made the two slightly unhappy for interrupting them but they still opened the door, and what they have seen is a group of young girls crying, telling them that Cyrus had a grave wound and he was on the death door.

"What did you say!?"

Hearing this, James and Shane were terrified in instant and shocked in fear as their skin quickly turned pale!

The couple suddenly vanished on the door, leaving the group of girls.

Shane and James instantly appeared on the village gates they saw a commotion of villagers on the front of the gate.

When one of the villagers saw the two, she was terrified when she saw the grave expression of the couple she shouted, "Make a way! Shane and James are here!"

Hearing this had all terrified the human villagers and quickly dispersed away from Cyrus.

When a path had opened for the couple, they instantly saw a dead-like body on the ground being helped by the shamans of the village trying to stop his blood.

"Son!!!" Shane had instantly recognized Cyrus and leapt fast as if she had teleported next beside to Cyrus.

She looked to the bloody man who had carried Cyrus, "You, what happened and where did you find my son!?" She furiously asked the man and with a single hand of her, she lifted the man into the air as if his weight is nothing.

In addition, a burst of terrifying aura exploded out of her body, although humans could not actually sense this, they could sense that the atmosphere had turned extremely cold!

Killing intent!

The man was quickly terrified of Shane, making him scream out of fear, "Eek!"

He had expected that this would happen to him, but he quickly replied to Shane, "I-I don't know madame! I saw him on that mountain and asked for help!" He said with full of honesty while pointing at the near mountain.

He continued, "I-I was just harvesting herbs and when I took a break, the young master was there in bloody appearance asking for help, So I have come here quickly for madame and sir can see young master's condition!" He said as he closed his eyes not daring to look at Shane's death glare.

Shane turned her gaze towards the mountain where the man is pointing.

"Mountain?" She was lost. She had never thought that Cyrus would go up to the mountain but thinking about the grassland and she told him that nature's essence in the surrounding had almost depleted. Her son would surely go find a place to cultivate.

However, to think he would go to the mountain to absorb high concentration of essence is an actually ideal place for cultivators to cultivate.

But returning here unconscious and gravely injured to the point of almost dying...

Is there a powerful cultivator powerful than him cultivating on that mountain? Then her son most likely to be attacked by it.

Thinking about this, Shane gaze suddenly went sharp.

"I can sense an extreme lightning element anima on that mountain... A supreme element cultivator?" Shane muttered silently. In this place, she could sense a residual high concentration of a lightning element on that mountain.

"James, quickly transfer your anima to our son and heal him, carry him at our house immediately! I'll go to check something." She said seriously, as she turned her gaze to her husband next to her who is also staring at the mountain.

James clearly had also noticed it.

"Okay..." With that, James suddenly appeared carrying Cyrus in instant before vanishing again leaving Shane and the villagers in the gate.

*Swoosh*

Soon, Shane had also vanished on her place shocking the villagers.

"H-Huh? Where did Madame go?" The terrified chief of village wondered as he looked around.

"There she is! Oh… My…. Ghad!" The girl shouted while pointing at the skies.

When villagers looked at the sky, their eyes bulge out from amazement while their jaw had fallen almost hitting the ground.

A figure was floating in the skies staring at the mountain, villagers could instantly tell who this person is is! She was standing around with them earlier, and it was their Madame, Shane!

"S-S-She's floating!"

"Amazing! So this is what cultivators could do!"

"Is that a bird? No! An airship? No! It's Madame Shane!" Amazed, the child who has weak eyesight had taken him a couple of seconds before finally recognizing that person.

The faces of villagers are full of, shock, amazement, fear, jealousy, and joy!

...

On the skies, Shane had been sensing the traces of lightning anima residue as she traced where it came from. After scanning the whole mountain, she had not found a person, this finding had baffled her.

Soon she had seen a pool of blood atop the mountain. She flew towards it and landed.

Seeing this blood, she could faintly sense that this blood had come from her son, Cyrus.

"Sigh..." She had finally realized what happened.

She stretched her hand forward and flames had ignited.

*Swoosh*

Not long after, the blood had been evaporated. After that, Shane once again had vanished from her place where she stood earlier.

Cyrus blood loss was terrible, that even his blood essence had come out. This is actually bad. If one had obtained this blood, it could cause future problems.

Because a cultivator's blood essence could make a mortal transform to a demi-human granting a capability to cultivate, and not only that, allowing him/her to use the Baumgartner family cultivation technique.

Which is a very powerful cultivation technique that is why Shane burnt Cyrus' blood along with its essence.

...

On Baumgartner household, James had appeared on the front door and the group of girls had already left earlier.

James quickly entered the house and on the dining room, James threw that tablewares on the table before carefully laid Cyrus on top of the table as soon as he did that, he quickly transferred his anima to Cyrus and heal him quickly because his condition is absolutely terrible and he was on the verge of death.

He might die if did not treat him immediately!

*Swish*

Shane appeared next right beside James and quickly looked at her son, "How's Cyrus?" she asked worriedly.

"It's terrible! He lost too much blood and blood essence! And-!!! What... The... Shane, try to check Cyrus profound veins." James' heart shook when he had sensed something terrible on Cyrus body.

Not knowing what surprised her husband, Shane immediately checks Cyrus' profound veins.

When she finally able to sense what made James shocked, her eyes enlarge with fear and pain...

N-No... my son...

Shane painfully retracted her hands away because what she had sensed is that, her son's cultivation is half-broken, his blood veins and profound veins had almost 50% burnt...

He was half-crippled!

Tears began to flow on Shane's cheeks as it drops on Cyrus' face.

He had such amazing talent, yet it was destroyed quickly.

His future achievements had been reduced to dust.

"Shane..." Seeing his wife in tears, he felt pain when he discovered that. He had never expected that in this peaceful village, where his family is safe would destroy his son's future achievement...

"..." Shane did not speak as she bitterly smiled at her son.

She slowly placed her palm on Cyrus' forehead and chest, not knowing the changes in the yin-yang tattoo as it is not important for now than saving her son's life.

She immediately but softly flowed her anima to Cyrus.

Soon, Cyrus glowed on white light and his miserable wound and burnt blood veins slowly healed, reattaching once again, creating new veins connecting to all parts of his body.

Having cultivation base half-destroyed, this would make Cyrus cultivating very hard by 40%, his strength would be reduced to half, unable to use 100% of the strength. Although the good news is that he can still use 100% raw strength, his mahika would be difficult to maintain, James had estimated that Cyrus could only use mahika for only five minutes.

His mahika strength right now is below the average of demi-humans; previously, his strength before on mahika is monstrous and vastly superior to royal princes or princesses and Top clan's young masters and young mistresses.

...

His cultivation might be half destroyed, but it does not mean that it cannot be healed as it is only half-destroyed not completely destroyed.

However, the price it needed to heal is extremely high and expensive, that even healing them would be considered a waste of efforts, time, and resources.

Meaning, using other people to surpass the previous glory of a disabled person and improve is much better than healing a half-disabled person that could take a massive amount of fortunes and efforts.

The healing method...

The method is simple, one should have the same cultivation technique, the same type of blood and bloodline. The same user will spend their life force and blood essence to heal the person's cultivation base.

(Similar to blood transfusion.)

But, to cultivators who spend their time almost entirely on their cultivation to reach the apex. And to reach the apex, they had to live longer and maintain their strength to 100%. That is why to cultivators healing such thing is the extremely high price!

Cyrus cultivates the Heavenly Sun cultivation technique and in this world only one person who cultivate the same cultivation... It was his father, James!

Knowing how to heal his son, James stared at Shane and Cyrus before putting his hands on Cyrus.

Seeing his actions startled Shane while healing Cyrus. She looked at him and asked, "What ar-"

But he was suddenly cut off short by James, as he suddenly said, "I'm going to transfer my blood essence and life force to our son so that in 15 years from now on, his half-destroyed cultivation base will be completely healed."

"B-blood essence and life force? Y-you... Are serious?" Shane stared at him seriously and meeting up with her stare, James looked at her meaningfully and smiled, "I don't want to see my son's life to become miserable and left behind, such a little amount of life force and blood essence wouldn't kill me, and I could still remain my life for half a thousand years," he continued, "And I've lived far too long, it's time for my son to take my place in the future." He said as he focused on transferring his life force and blood essence on Cyrus.

"James..." Shane felt bitter but smiled, she was happy that she had a partner like him beside her during her entire years, having a dao companion like him. She was blessed by the heavens for having able to meet up with him.

Cultivators never marry, they form bonds for eternal life, as for they are almost immortal. On their deaths, and rebirth, they would remain bonded together, and each rebirth they are destined to love each together, and that is what a dao companion.

...

James life force and blood essence transferred to Cyrus body.

His half-destroyed cultivation base that had been shattered moved slowly attaching to the other shattered fragments. His body didn't reject James' life force and blood essence.

Soon, his life force and blood essence combined forming a new substance filling the cracks between the shattered fragments of the cultivation base.

It was as if, a bad cement road had a bad edge, holes, and cracks has been filled with another cement and when it was hard enough it would be layered with asphalt to make it hard and better... The process is similar to a road renovation.

...

After a long while, James had finally finished and when he moved away. He started to sway back and forth before falling on the floor sitting on his butt, he was dizzy, his face had turned pale, not only that he was breathing hard.

"James!"

Shane also had finished healing Cyrus completely returning his complexion back to normal, he is once again a handsome young man, but he was still unconscious.

She quickly ran towards James and supported him, "Are you okay?!" She cried in fear.

"Of course, I'm fine... I'm not going to die, silly. I only need to take a rest and I'll be fine." He smiled as he pinched Shane's perfect nose.

"Fifteen years, it'll take him fifteen years to completely be healed." He gasped with a sigh.

While supporting James, Shane stood up and went towards their son.

Soon, they had finally seen the changes in the tattoo on Cyrus's chest, or to be more specific, the changes in the yin-yang tattoo. This change had startled both Shane and James.

"So, it was all because of this tattoo... Back on the mountain, I did not find any cultivator nor even aura of it. What I had sensed is clearly lightning from heavens, the probable cause of this is that this tattoo forcefully absorbs the divine punishment..." Shane muttered seriously

"Heavens... Is this thing really a curse?" Shane sighed not knowing what to do next. She had never seen such strange thing such as this, it was as if a mortal realm cannot comprehend the secrets of this tattoo.

"Son..." murmured silently when she looked at her unconscious son.

...