Birth of Xings

Within a majestic and vast scenery filled with vegetation, mountains, rivers and an endless blue sky spreading out for hundreds of thousands of miles, a young man stood in front of two young children bowing at him with respect.

"Would you like to finally go out?" asked the young man smiling at the two young children.

"We will follow the master wherever he goes!" exclaimed the young boy as the young girl besides him shyly nodded.

"En, what of both of your revenge? Will you still find the culprit that destroyed your clan?" added the young man nodding in approval.

"Yes!" exclaimed both siblings in vigor. The determination to settle their revenge shone brightly, they would stop at nothing to have their injustice meted out.

The young man chuckled, approving of their determination to get stronger to avenge their clan. It is best not to have any lingering regrets when one cultivates to the top. If they could not clear their heart and mind, they would have a heart demon that would continue to grow and fester within them.

Future tribulations can become harder, if not impossible, if one allows unresolved feelings or goals to go unchecked. In the world of cultivation, anything goes, there was no need to cut mortal ties nor become abstinent of your worldly desires. You must be able to grasp every chance to obtain strength while cutting loose ends, only then would someone give you respect as you tread along your own path of cultivation.

Every choice you make, there are those who will oppose it and stop you in any form they deem necessary. Like a cultivator who follows the just path, always thwarting demonic cultivators and slaying them for the sake of justice and righteousness. Without power, many types of cultivators will trample you down, turning you into their steppingstone.

"The world is cruel, so we cultivators must defy heaven and be just as cruel to ourselves. Never feel complacent. Even at the top, someone will try to take you down," responded the young man in seriousness.

"Every decision you make can create many outcomes, so it's best to be cautious and follow the path you most desire. There are only winners in the tides of history, whereas the loser becomes the forgotten thief. When the time is ripe, you'll know when to avenge your clan but right now, both of you are weak. You'll continue your study outside once I finish my tasks."

"Yes, master!"

"Good, good. What I have given you two will help you along your path."

"Master, you haven't given us names yet," informed the young boy staring at the master before him.

"What were your names back then?"

"I am Soba of the Ithyu Clan! Ithyu is our surname," replied Ithyu Soba bowing in respect to the young man.

"I am twelve years old, turning thirteen this year!"

"I am Ithyu Mei. I will be turning sixteen this year" added Ithyu Mei following the same gesture as her younger brother.

Although the two were three years apart, her little brother had always been overprotective of her. She was always bullied by the other children for her shyness and lack of battle prowess. Since then, she was always saved by her little brother many times including the destruction of their clan. Had he not grabbed her while she sat there frozen in fear, she would have been through something worse than death.

"Thirteen is a good age to start cultivating but sixteen isn't too late," answered the young man as two manuals appeared from thin air into his hands.

"I want you to memorize everything in this manual within a day, then I will then burn it right after. You will remember what you can retain. How far you will go with these methods concerns how astute you are in becoming strong. Contained within are unique breathing exercises you cannot tell anyone about! We will form a contract right here to ensure you can never speak of it. This will automatically end your life if you leak it willingly or not."

The two teenagers stood there and nodded their head as they formed the contract with the young man without hesitation. To them, they were willing to risk everything for the sake of revenge and power. After making the pact, they began studying the breathing exercise manual and committed it into their brain. Luckily, they were from a cultivating clan and cultivated a bit, so their memories were better than a person who just started cultivating.

A day had passed, and the young man destroyed the manuals. From here, the two siblings will be on their own.

"You can continue to bear the Ithyu Clan's name or take on a new surname. What would it be?" asked the young man watching the two glanced at each other for a few minutes without a word.

"We will bear a new surname, a new life," answered Ithyu Soba staring at the young man with a newfound resolution.

"Good, good. I am known as Master Kong Xing. From here on, your new names will be Xing Soba and Xing Mei. Both of you will live a brand-new life, but do not forget to complete your unfinished business. If one string is riddled with knots, how can you continue further?" informed Silver bringing out a black mask and placing it on his face.

On the forehead of the mask laid a mysterious violet symbol, like a vertical eye. He then brought out two other masks, green and orange, both inlaid with a black four-pointed star. Next, he handed Xing Soba the orange mask with the four-pointed star on the left cheek. Then, he handed Xing green mask where the four-pointed star appeared above the right eye hole.

"Begin practicing the breathing technique I gave you while wearing these masks. These masks will mark you as my disciple as they are made from a special material with intricate runes inscribed onto them. It will be beneficial for the start of building your foundation, laying down the path of a cultivator for you. These masks will not only hide your cultivation, but you will be able to alter your appearance at ease. Excluding the color and the placement of the four-pointed star, you can shape the mask as you wish. Begin cultivating until I am back."

During his free time, he inspected the box Patriarch Dimsum had gifted him through Jing Yam. Inside the wooden boxed covered in complex arrays, is the current mask he is wearing. The material it was made from was not of this universe but from another. It came from the Stardust Continent, a mask made of an extremely rare kuta comet crystal which is harder to find than a phoenix feather or a qilin horn.

The crystal itself was pure white without any impurity, and not much material could be fused to it. Such a mask, made from a scarce and rare material, utilized a powerful and mysterious property to hide your cultivation simultaneously blocking all divine sense and intensifying any intent you release.

Luckily, Patriarch Dimsum was unaware of such a useful treasure due to his lack of experience and knowledge on other universes.

Luckily, this mask came from somewhere he was familiar with and despite it's flimsy appearance, the kuta comet crystal was extraordinarily resilient. Only a certain type of flame can mold or destroy it and the same kuta comet crystal can scratch another kuta comet crystal. Although he was unsure if there was even rarer material that could scratch or even destroy his mask.

However, Silver had many questions about the mask and how it got here as it slightly reminded him of the first void being, Xyen. Whenever they meet again, he would ask about the mask. If not, he'll solve all the mysteries of the mask and its peculiar uses. He continued to inspect the pair of siblings as they struggle with circulating their qi, matching the rhythm of their breathing exercise. Sadly, their masks were made of a less rare material that could only be found in the Isle of Wisdom.

'It seems someone purposely sealed parts of their meridians and acupoints since they were born,' thought Silver as he peered inside the sibling's internal structure leisurely walking behind them. Each step he took, Silver poked at various spots of their acupoints and meridians while infusing his qi into his index fingers. As he finished unblocking their acupoints and meridians, the atmosphere changed between the siblings as their potential became unsealed over a small period of time. Qi began to gather around them at a rapid rate as they continued to circulate it in correspondence to the cycle of the breathing exercise.

'Now the rest would be on you two.'

Silver glanced at the sunless blue sky, reminiscing about his past. The breathing exercise he gave them once belonged to his two disciples from his past life. They were his only disciples from the beginning and the end of his life as a powerful cultivator.

Xing Soba and Mei had similar constitutions like his past disciples, so in a way, he was making up for his little bit of regrets he had left.

A week had passed as he watched over the siblings cultivate fervently, before he left, he told them to relax and become acclimated to their newfound abilities. Afterwards, Silver left and transformed to his other identity, Kong Xing, returning to Blue Dream City.

It was time to enact his plan.

. . .

Nine silhouettes could be seen standing in a circle in a large room without any lighting.

"We've attacked many places, yet we cannot find the person or group who is exciting the will of this world!" shouted a male voice shrouded within an icy fog.

"What about everyone here?"

"Hmph. If that wench didn't get in our way and injured us with that weird flame, we'd find this group or person or thing!" complained a high-pitched female voice.

"I still can't find those three souls in the Eternal Crossing River! It seems like they've been consumed by other treacherous souls or soul devourers within. They're lucky to have died for good or I would of made sure they'll have never ending torture!"

"Torture this! Torture that! Is that all you think about, Aries? I almost died since I got the brunt of that wench's attack! Your face is back to normal now, quit complaining. My true body is still recovering while I possess this useless body," chastised a childish male voice standing within the circle, shaking their head in grievance.

"I have no leads either."

"Quit your childish whining, Weiss! Oh wait? HAHAHA!" cackled Aries as she pointed at Weiss's child appearance.

"I sent a beast tide in all of the nine continents with the demons commanding them. Oddly enough, a strong commander of mine had died in your continent, Arctic Emperor. I think Blue Dream City is the name of where they died at. I can't find the culprit but the city is now in ruins," responded a deep, husky voice ignoring Aries mocking words towards Weiss.

"I imagine that a group of the hidden powerhouses have finally come out from hiding, taking him out. It seems the small cracks on the seal are reawakening them. I might actually have someone worthy to fight."

"Heh. A fighting maniac like you, Melik, is too impractical! Stealing the virginity and cultivation of young women, eating the finest of food, enjoying and living a luxurious emperor life is where it's at," sneered an evil sounding male voice from across Melik.

"Oddly enough, the flames that I was ready to refine have suddenly disappeared. The pocket dimension it was in is no longer there. Seems like someone got it before I, Vilden! I like them to try and use the flames without me detecting it."

The other exiles exchange the news on their side, except for one who stayed quiet during the trade of information. Arctic Emperor had noticed this, as did the others, and stared at the female silhouette across from him. Even though it was a dark room, everyone could see each other clearly as if they were in the daylight.

Once a cultivator breaks into the internal realm, the darkness wouldn't affect their vision.

Everyone stared at the quiet female, waiting for her to answer. Noticing the glares, she was getting, waking her from the idle thoughts, she took a glimpse at everyone.

"I have nothing," responded the female with a soft, yet cold tone. Turning her body away, taking a single step, she vanished from the dark room.

"Such arrogance that woman! We never forced her to join, she came with us willingly," complained Aries frowning at the spot where they disappeared.

"You'd think her owning and controlling the Gold Spring Merchant Association, she'd side with us. But she has stayed neutral and we must pay an astronomical fee just to obtain a piece of information! Such a cold-hearted woman."

"Leave Autumn alone," chided the Arctic Emperor shaking his head lightly. He could never understand why she would betray her master, Lian, joining their exile group.

Every member had a strong desire, acting upon it with veneration. They could never stop it; their desire was slowly consuming them whole. Whatever motive they had didn't concerned him. Unless it clashed with his desire, then he would have no choice but to duke it out with whomever went against him.

"She has helped us many times, but she has helped those fools too. It has given us some form of entertainment for quite some time now. So, we'll let her be neutral until the time comes, then she will be forced to make a decision."

"Hehehe. I look forward to that day," Vilden chimed in. To him, Autumn was a delicacy he had to save for last. His skill allowed him to detect female virgins and she was the main course. If Autumn chose to side with the world's will, she would become a free for all. Taking her cultivation would give him a boost, if he was able to snatch her before the others, the number one strongest would be him.

Autumn was the strongest of all the nine with Arctic Emperor being the second, Aries third, Melik fourth and so on. He was weakest of the nine but sooner or later he'll overcome them and turn them into his slaves.

After a few minutes the discussion room became quiet, everyone had parted, leaving the Arctic Emperor alone to his thoughts. Slowly, the icy fog began to dissipate, leaving an empty dark room. A silhouette of a woman stepped out from the darkness, deep in thought as she stood in the middle. None of the other eight had noticed her presence, since she never left in the first place.

"Silver…" mumbled Autumn stuck in her thoughts, disappearing once more.

"Master…."