Chapter 23: Purple Man

The first month of the new year came, and Wong Yazhu turned seven. Nothing much happened except a large celebration, with most of the villagers coming to the birthday party, still trying to get closer to the Wong family in hopes of getting money.

Last year, the Awakening ceremony had happened one month after Wong Yazhu's 6th, but this was because their village was one of the first few visited by the Spirit Hall attendant in charge of the awakening. Though there are multiple attendants, they need to awaken all the commoners in the Douluo Continent in the two great empires, so, starting from January of a new year, it normally takes four months for every village, town, and city to be visited, one month before the Primary Spirit Master Academy starts. 

If your birthday falls after this four-month period, you will have to wait for next year, and if you don't awaken your martial soul before your tenth birthday, on the day of your tenth birthday, it will be forcefully awakened, and you are guaranteed not to have any soul power. That's why it's important to awaken it as early as possible.

This year, however, it seemed like the person in charge of the Awakening would be visiting their village last, as April approached—one month before the new year of the Primary Spirit Master Academy—and the man hadn't arrived yet. But Wong Yazhu didn't care. Shee wasn't even concerned about attending the academy in a month because of something more important. 

Floating in the sky were two figures. One was Tang Hao, dressed in his trusty ragged cloak, and the other was Wong Yazhu, who now stood at 138 cm, her slender build displaying toned muscle contours across her body, devoid of any excess fat. Her smooth skin had developed to be medium-brown with golden undertones due to hours spent in the sun. Much to her mother's dismay, she had cut her hair right above her ear due to long hair being a hindrance, giving her a more boyish appearance, something her mother didn't like. She was dressed in her nightgown, a milk-white ankle-length one-piece that fluttered in the wind.

Before them stood the God Tree, which, after almost seven months, now towered over 175 meters tall, a giant in a forest of children. It seemed to touch the clouds, standing high above the average tree height in the forest, which was about 15 meters, with the top being about 8 meters in diameter, while the bottom exceeded 35 meters, akin to a castle's wall. The roots of the tree extended like giant snakes, growing so high off the ground that one could walk under them and so thick that one could traverse them like bridges. There were nine main roots, each connecting to one of the nine twists in the trunk, and these roots divided into thousands, spreading out more than five miles in all directions, a behemoth in the forest.

All the smaller trees it had once been connected to were now completely absorbed by the God Tree as it no longer required them and sought only to extend its roots, absorbing any plants in its path. Atop the colossal tree was a massive flower as big as a house, now a vibrant purple instead of red, the main attention of the tree.

"Any difference?" Tang Hao asked, staring at the tree.

"We have been here for two hours," Wong Yazhu groaned. "Mother or father will soon come and check on me. I should return."

Tang Hao said nothing. Activating his Byakugan and then her soul sight, Wong Yazhu sighed, "No." The only difference was the massive whirlwind of rainbow Qi circling around the God Tree and being absorbed by the flower that spanned about a mile, engulfing them. Looking down, she could see its massive roots absorbing a vast amount of Qi from the earth. 

Unlike about a year ago, when she couldn't see inside the God Tree or anything about it with the Byakugan, now she could see a bit about it, 'well, only the flower.' Her eyes moved to the flower, which only had a yellow aura around it, signifying the flower was 100+ years old. 'I guess what Tang Hao said about this being a spirit beast is true,' he yawned.

Having not slept for half a year and doing open-eye cultivation instead might be catching up to her. 'Can my martial soul create life?' she wondered, staring at the flower. 'Should that even be possible?'

Suddenly, she saw something, followed by a pulse of energy that rushed past her. "You felt that?" Wong Yazhu asked, with Tang Hao saying nothing. Of course, he felt it. "Holy, shit..." 

The storm grew from a one-mile radius, now surpassing six miles, enveloping the entire sky in a storm of worldly energy that spun and kept being absorbed by the flower, and as quickly as it started, it ended. Just like that, everything stopped, and then Wong Yazhu saw it.

"A thousand." The aura around the flower turned purple, and soon there was a tear. 'It's blooming!' The tear grew louder as the flower slowly bloomed, its massive petals unfolding. Multiple layers of petals slowly twisted and opened up, thunder seeming to roar as they did. The duo watched in silence, and after about five minutes, it finished blooming.

"..." There was silence, no disturbance to the world's energy, nothing. "That's anti-climactic," Wong Yazhu mumbled as they suddenly appeared above the blossomed flower.

Within the blossomed flower, in the middle, was a large black area. The pistil. Tang Hao floated the two down as they landed on the flower, the massive petals seeming like high walls around them, with the moon oddly directly above them.

"It's dead." Tang Hao uttered as he bent down to touch the tree with his bare palm. 

Wong Yazhu wasn't shocked by this statement because of what she saw. In the middle of this area was her martial soul, the small god tree, and above it floated a purple seed the size of a small marble, and through the eyes of soul sight, she saw a purple aura.

"It died creating a smaller version of itself and a spirit beast?" She asked, confused.

"Like a child," Tang Hao added as he walked towards the smaller god tree that was about 15 cm long, its small roots embedded into the much more massive, dead God Tree. "So this smaller tree can be planted to regrow, creating another thousand-year-old spirit beast before dying."

"Like a farm," Wong Yazhu said.

Tang Hao thought, 'Is this the world's insurance for the rapidly hunted spirit beasts?' He grabbed the seed, looking at it. 'It is indeed a spirit beast. Are there more trees like this out there, or is this the only one?'

"Let me see," Wong Yazhu said, holding up her small hands. Tang Hao dropped it in her palm, and, deactivating her Byakugan, she stared at the seed. It was plain and purple—no design, just an orb. "Hmm..." and then he threw it inside her mouth, surprising Tang Hao with his boldness.

"WHAT!?" Tang Hao roared, and then it hit him.

"GAAAH!"

As soon as the purple orb entered Wong Yazhu's stomach, she roared out in pain, her body convulsing as if being torn apart from the inside. It felt as though her organs were being crushed, her bones ground into powder, and her flesh torn piece by piece—an excruciating agony that paralyzed her mind. The pain seized her voice, choking her, as her eyes rolled back to show only white.

In that instant, a massive purple ring suddenly appeared behind her, sending out a gust of breeze that rustled Tang Hao's cloak, glowing with an eerie, purple sheen, illuminating the entire area. Shadows from the purple glow danced on the tall flower petals and Tang Hao's face, who could only watch in dismay, understanding that in the process of absorbing a spirit ring, any external assistance was futile. The bearer had to rely solely on their own physique, spiritual power, and willpower.

Suddenly, the ring disappeared, and Wong Yazhu collapsed to the ground. Tang Hao stood in silence, hesitating to touch the girl. As he reached out, Wong Yazhu's eyes snapped open—pure white, a beastly growl escaping her lips. 

"Possession!?" Tang Hao exclaimed, recoiling as Wong Yazhu got on all fours, growling menacingly.

'Was the seed a living creature? Has she consumed a live spirit beast? Is it attempting to take over her body?' Tang Hao had never heard of such an occurrence and was unsure of how to proceed. Suddenly, Wong Yazhu lunged at him, her jaws agape, massive drools falling heavily to the pistil. He easily sidestepped to evade, his cloak following his swift movement. 

'Kill it?' he pondered internally. 'Or wait?' Despite effortlessly dodging another attack, he was taken aback by the creature's speed, far exceeding that of any normal Spirit Scholar. 'Let's wait.'

Meanwhile, Wong Yazhu, or rather, Noah, snapped open his eyes. He shot up into a sitting position, finding himself in a white room that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. He looked down at his hands—they were thick and bulky, just like back on Earth, but they were all white, like a white silhouette of his former self.

"Hmm..." he muttered as his 6'7" frame stood up. "Eating the seed now seems like a questionable decision." He mumbled as he took a step forward, and the ground rippled like water beneath him. "Do I have to face one of my fears?" he mused aloud. "Or a trial—"

Suddenly, a fist slammed into his jaw so hard that it lifted him off the ground, sending him flying like a cannonball. He arched in the sky, landing on the white ground and bouncing off it several times, sending out a ripple each time. After a few bounce, he regained control in midair, flipping gracefully to land on his feet. However, a purple fist covered in a glowing aura appeared in front of his face again, and this time Noah was ready. 

With a simple move of his head, the first flew past his face, a gust of wind following it. Taking the chance, he inspected the man. "Me?" The opponent was him, just a purple silhouette with a purple aura. "Well, time to die---"

The creature, not giving Noah a chance to think, punched forward with his other hand. Noah brought his arms in an 'X' in front of his face, intercepting the attack, but the hit sent him flying. Noah quickly landed, sliding back a few meters, his guard momentarily dropping.

Without a moment to catch himself, a right hook struck him on the face. Pain exploded across his cheek as his head snapped to the side, teeth rattling from the impact. He jumped back, but the purple man lunged once more. He anticipated a jab to his face, so he quickly brought his arms up in a defensive stance while jumping, but was caught off guard when the creature's punch veered low into a right hook aimed at his ribs. 

The punch landed solidly, causing him to grimace from the impact, the force causing him to stumble slightly to the side, his balance momentarily disrupted. Before he could regain his footing, the creature was on him again, its next move a lightning-fast straight jab aimed directly at his face. Noah brought his arms up in an attempt to block, but the creature's first was faster, landing squarely on his nose. 

Pain and blood exploded in Noah's nose, his vision momentarily blurring. White blood trickled down from his nostrils as he tried to shake off the disorientation while running backward; however, the purple man wasted no time and lunged forward again, launching another straight jab. 

Noah instinctively raised his arm to block, but the punch was a feint. Instead of attacking his arm, the purple figure pivoted into a powerful right hook that landed on his jaw. Seeing this hook coming, Noah had managed to partially block it with his forearm, but the force of the blow still rattled him. He staggered to the side, his head still spinning, and the creature pressed its advantage.

In the real world, Wong Yazhu released an ear-piercing scream as a purple aura exploded out of her body, cloaking her, and then she disappeared, reappearing floating behind Tang Hao with a burst of speed, launching her legs like a whip towards Tang Hao's head. With a blur, he was across the pistil, but Wong Yazhu's two knees were in front of his face again. He easily dodged it by sidestepping so fast that it looked like he teleported to the side.

"I will give you an hour." He uttered as he continued evading, the attacking creature posing no threat even if its attack landed on him. 

Within the white realm, through blurry vision, Noah punched forward with devastating speed and power, but the purple man skillfully ducked under his arm, punishing him with an uppercut to the jaw that caught him off guard. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth, and lunged forward for a grab, but the purple man pivoted on his right heel, moving to his right, and avoided his grab. 

Using that chance, Noah quickly performed a handspring forward, and once he landed with his back facing the purple man, he immediately spun to the right, using the spin to send his left leg to the man's head, who had dashed forward. 

Quick to react, the purple man bent back, allowing Noah's leg to fly past his face. He tried to use this chance to attack, but in a fluid motion, Noah brought his left leg to the ground, spinning once more, his right foot lifting off the ground, the sole striking the purple man squarely on the side of his face just as he had leaned forward in an attempt to counterattack. 

The force of the impact staggered the man to the side, disrupting his balance and giving Noah a brief advantage as this exchange of back and forth continued, with the purple man seeming to have superior stats, holding the advantage, striking and punishing Noah who kept pressing every little advantage he got. 

Punches and kicks flew, blood splattered, bones cracked, flips and back steps were performed, and even headbutts weren't out of the question. They continued fighting with the intent to kill, each attack aimed at vital points, the ground below them rippling with every movement. The sounds of their battle were like thunder, each impact reverberating through the air.

However, Noah was losing ground and as he was losing, Wong Yazhu was becoming more beastly, her eyes now black, with her skin turning purple. Through gritted teeth and bloodied lips, Noah fought on, but as the purple man's superior strength and speed pressed on, Noah knew he needed a new strategy if he hoped to turn the tide of this relentless battle.

However, there was nothing Noah could do. He didn't know how long he had been fighting, but he was on his last legs. Stumbling back from a powerful punch to his nose, white blood dripping, he fell to his knees, defeated. The purple man stood above him, seemingly uninjured, as he reached to grab Noah's head. But at that moment, Noah pushed off his tiptoes, springing up, the top of his head slamming into the purple man's face with a resounding sound followed by the cracking of his nose.

The purple man stumbled back, and Noah landed on his feet, immediately springing into action and dashing forward, his two hands wrapping around the purple man's head with a firm grip, pulling it forward. Using the man's head as leverage, with a powerful motion, he jumped up and drove his right knee forward like an arrow, striking precisely on the man's jaw. The force cracked his jaw with an audible sound, forcing the purple man's head to snap back from the impact, but Noah was unrelenting.

He landed from the strike and, without missing a beat, pulled the purple man's head forward again, this time raising his left knee and delivering another, more forceful knee kick to his jaw, shattering it and causing it to hang on only by purple flesh and muscles, purple blood dripping on the ground. This second blow caused the purple man to stumble, losing his footing, and Noah pulled the head forward once more, delivering a third devastating knee strike straight to the purple man's nose with his right knee, crushing it completely.

Pulling the purple man's head forward again, Noah launched his left knee for a fourth hit, his right for a fifth, and his left for a sixth, each hit seemingly harder than the last, crushing the bones on the man's face. He then landed after his sixth knee kick and performed multiple backflips to gain distance between him and the purple man before dashing forward with all the might his weekend body could allow, lifting off the ground with his knees placed together and leading his forward momentum. 

Like a bullet, his knees slammed into the purple man's face, the force so devastating that there was an audible crack, and all of a sudden, the purple man shattered into millions of floating pieces of light.

Once Noah landed, the purple light immediately shot into his body like iron drawn to a magnet. There was a moment of stillness, and then he felt as if his entire body was invaded by sharp blades, cutting and ripping him from the inside out. 

"GAHHK!" He roared, falling to his knees as he hugged his abdomen as drool fell from his opened mouth. The Tang San Cultivation Method immediately seemed to activate by itself, something he didn't have when he was fighting the purple man. It seemed to mend all the cuts and damage made inside his body, heat following like an iron being melded by a blowtorch. 

The pain was excruciating, with Wong Yazhu in real life roaring on the ground, tossing and turning, having returned to normal with all the purple aura now within her. Tears flowed down her eyes as she continued to struggle on the pistil floor, flesh sticking below her fingers as she clawed at her face, her arm, and her body like she was trying to rip off her burning flesh, with Tang Hao standing beside the young god tree, watching in silence.

Then there was a heat, a roasting hot energy frenziedly rushing out from her Dantian and spiritual sea, through her meridians, and heading towards her opened eyes. She held her throat, choking himself, seemingly trying to stop the heat from her dantian from going up toward her eyes.

However, it didn't reduce; instead, against his will, the Sharingan activated, the single tomoe on each eye's spinning rapidly as a second tomoe seemed to form. Just then, the veins on his temple bulged, imprinting themselves on the skin as the Sharingan seamlessly transformed into the Byakugan. A blue pupil filled with what resembled overlapping white flower patterns began to form in the center of the featureless eyes, and then the veins disappeared as the eyes changed once more to an eye Tang Hao had never seen, a solid purple with one dot in the middle representing his pupil.

Wong Yazhu got on her back, arching as she continued choking herself even harder, and then the massive purple ring appeared above her, much bigger than her body, illuminating the entire area. The purple ring split into two smaller ones like a cell, and then they both shrank, now floating above Wong Yazhu's eyes that stared blankly at the full moon. The rings then slammed into her purple eyes, a pitch black ring appearing around the pupil. 

Then, everything stopped; she went limp, her arms falling to the side, with her eyes closing. Tang Hao watched as a few strands of her black hair slowly became white, with a black dot fading onto her forehead.

"..." Tang Hao appeared beside her and took her in a princess carry, immediately appearing within her room, tucking her into her bed, and disappearing just as her mother stepped in.

Tang Hao reappeared within the dead God Tree's pistil, standing in front of the small God Tree. Without thinking, he pulled the small God Tree, its roots connecting to the pistil disconnecting, causing the massive God Tree to start trembling. "It's about to collapse?" Tang Hao wondered, sensing the instability. 

If such a massive tree collapses... 'I can't let that happen.' Using his authority as a Titled Douluo, he stabilized the trembling God Tree, holding it firmly in place with his soul power.

"I need to move this," Tang Hao thought aloud, glancing around the vast pistil. He looked at the small God Tree, which had already started greedily absorbing his soul power. "And plant it somewhere else."