CH10: Vault 10

With the anchor's descent, all fire chi was snuffed out and replaced with ice and snow. Within a hidden world where time moved at 100th, the mudguard speed, snowflakes fell over a vast mountainside where a single fire remained lit despite the anchor and the lightning tribulation. Flames cast shadows under the falling blizzard as ice sheets rolled down from the mountainside. Terrible ice wraiths with skulls for faces and long, sharp limps patrolled the inner space, feeding off the plentiful ice and yin chi blanketing the land. A vast blue moon hung overhead, ripe from the chaos in this place. Symbols half destroyed by the tribulation remained, holding the realm together as chi radiated from the mountain and moon above. Only the flame in the cave high on the mountain remained a single thread of fire chi among the endless expanse of ice.Through the snow, men marched cultivators away from body tempering, establishing a base camp in the core realm. Men dug out the mountain to make way for his base. An attendant rushed to put a cold beer in George's hand."We have a survivor." Jun Lee said.The dark-skinned woman with massive boobs, a wide mouth fit for smiling, a pretty face, and a wide rear that drew the eye. It is not precisely a jade beauty but more like what hentai artists drew. She waited patiently for him to assess the situation with her pretty smile in place. She was a gift from Far Ling and a way of saying sorry we can't be together. Jun Lee didn't have the softness of youth. She was more of a MILF. She was a core expert who might never reach the mortal severing realm. He enjoyed looking at her, and she knew when he needed a beer.Using her for sex was one of his most embarrassing vices.Far Ling expected him to pull through with a beast worthy of the Frozen Wolves—not because she demanded it but because he made a bold claim. He felt so emotional seeing the place they would call home that he couldn't help himself. So, he would have to take his few resources and make something that wasn't embarrassing."At least the realm has stabilized. What do the formations masters say?""Half want to abandon the land. There are too many hidden realms, and the dimension may be unstable. The other half think this is the best place to experiment with dimensional spaces and alternate dimensions."George nodded, noting that the formation masters always disagreed. If they agreed on something, then the world would end."What kind of chi are we looking at.""The sensor specialists claim it's all foundation chi, but there is more of it than should be possible. The former owners must have drained tens of thousands and more mid-grade spirit stones to do it. We have more ice chi than we know what to do with after the anchor did its work here," Jun Lee said.The severing realm man from earth rubbed the stubble on his chin. Too much time in hidden realms had aged him until he looked like he was in his 20s. Jun Lee liked it but wanted Far Ling to pay attention to him. He wanted her, and the next step in his 3000-step plan was building a monster worthy of the Frozen Wolves."Anything else I need to know about? George asked."We found the body of a young girl, most likely a Dao seedling. She was alive, if barely until we dropped the anchor."George winced, "How old," George asked."11, but her body was well preserved, and her soul remains in her body thanks to some quick work from the formation specialists." Jun Lee said.He drank heavily from his beer until it was empty. They must expect him to use her as the base for the monster. It made sense to kill her with ice chi and preserve her, as she would make an excellent vessel. A young girl would still have plenty of potential for fragments. He mulled it over as he drew plans and felt the icy chi in the air. This place would be drained, but he could make something special, a true monster in the service of the people.Once, he would refuse to use her until his first severing. He learned that one of his mortal chains was his inhibitions. He needed to give up on decency and work with what was at hand to advance his craft. From within his soul space, where a vast forest lay under an icy storm, a hardy seed was hanging from a massive tree that held up the sky. George held the seed in his hand and marveled at the fragments within. There were laws of his soul space within fully realized into a single sage art. Fimbulwinter had already unlocked the way to immortality, and he was hoping he could cut the remaining chains holding him back. With the rejection of Far Ling, the light in his soul space died, giving way to the twilight of the gods. He had the power to create and control monsters with the seeds of his world tree.The child's body was laid before him, clothed in white and cleaned. His formation specialists worked tirelessly to form a great construct to gather the icy chi in the air and deliver it to the child. Once his seed was planted, it would need vast amounts of chi to take root and grow.Ice wraiths screamed and struggled as the waves of chi took them into the mountain's inner depths. From his soul space, George removed the blood of an ice wyvern, an icebird feather, fangs from various monstrous wolves, a pelt from a bear, and numerous other treasures. A small pile of high-grade spirit stones glistened in the moon's light as the chi in the hidden world was dragged inside the mountain. A puzzle box containing moonlight similar to the moon above was added to the pile. It would be days or longer before their preparations were completed.…The creature Atom Newman, the man she led on and betrayed, wasn't as dead as she believed. Nothing should have been able to defeat the almost fully formed Horus Zeus. The creature didn't have Atom's face; its body was a roaring pit of darkness in a human shape more akin to a living shadow than a person. It stood before the Djinn, a nascent soul realm monster as if they were equal.Amoz swelled to a massive size, quickly towering over Atom, and swung a fist. Doom radiated from the blow as it fell like the sword of a public executioner.The blow grew larger until the room itself became a target. Lui Fang reached for a treasure that might save her, but the blow stopped. Atom had moved, crossing the distance and delivering an Eagle Claw strike to the Djinn's neck."An opponent is never more off guard than when they believe they've won." Atom said.The Djinn moved its scrawny neck, unaffected by the blow. Instead, it cackled. "Do you think you hit me because you were faster?" They traded blows back and forth, moving like storms battering each other, but neither used a proper technique.When they broke apart, Amoz Mahatma sported a grin completely undamaged, while Atom looked to be flagging. His shoulders were smaller, and his body looked like it was moments away from crumbling."I am a soul creature but not a Psyren. I haven't seen you like this before. What are you? What can I call you when the Djinn women ask about my triumphs?" Amoz said.Atom stood straighter, his body reinflated. "What victory! We can fight until the sun burns out if this is all you've got."She felt a shiver run down her spine as this being spoke. The words weren't from a throat; they were created by mashing opposing forces.Atom seemed to shift and move a foot forward. Parts of him sagged before hardening until he looked slightly more human and uncanny. It was like looking at something almost human to disguise itself and prey upon the unaware.The Djinn rubbed the turban atop its head. "You have not been this creature for long. Tell me how you deal with hungry ghosts?""I crush them. How else." Atom said.Her eyes widened in realization. This was a bluff. Atom was human until the botched tribulation. He was also a poor fighter. There was no way he would win. While the Djinn was distracted, she began edging away and focused on the hourglass where Elder Yu battled copies of Amoz within.She waited until they fought again and neared the hourglass.Atom fought tooth and nail against Amoz, but it was a losing battle. The unskilled foundation cultivator couldn't hope to match the skills of an expert like the Djinn. Their only hope was to break Elder Yu out. Well, her only hope was that Elder Yu would not tolerate used ingredients going to waste. He would likely force Atom into a new form for Lui Fang to absorb.When it appeared Atom was done, the fight kept going. Amoz couldn't seem to pin Atom down and keep him down.…The blue-skinned Djinn was leading me into a trap, and we both knew Lui Fang was sneaking toward the hourglass. The Djinn had an item up his sleeve and was waiting for something. He saw how I continued to defend Lui Fang despite knowing it would do me no good. Some part of me still loved her, or no, it was the pill. Something about it was affecting me.Every exchange altered the composition of my pressure body. My dragon body spirit art was filled with the chi in my soul space and used laws to make me stronger, tougher, and faster. While every exchange was a loss, the losses were getting less brutal. With every 100 blows, I might get one in, and the Djinn didn't like that at all.He was so much stronger than me, and if I hadn't been defending Lui Fang, then I might have had a better chance."It must be frustrating loving someone who doesn't love you."No matter how prepared I was for it, hearing that wasn't any easier. Knowing that she didn't know about the money I gave her and that it really wouldn't have mattered pissed me off. When she said she had done those things with Elder Yu, I was furious because I had wasted so much time and resources. The sect was gone, and my business and contacts were gone."I don't want to hear it, Amoz Mahatma. You don't get to speak about us.""Did I hit something soft? You came from her. What are you? Did she use you as pill ingredients?" I cringed. "It's all over your face, and you still protect her."He made a move, and I took a blow to the face. A spear of blue chi ripped through my stomach, and more blows rained. A piller appeared in the air and fell atop me. More heavy objects landed atop it, weighing me down as I lifted it above Lui Fang's head. She looked up at me, only recognizing her predicament moments after I saved her. She was too slow for this fight. I didn't know how I kept up."I haven't forgiven you for what you did to me." I groaned as more heavy objects fell upon the pillar, weighing it down more as the Djinn cackled."Is this where you have the heart-to-heart and get back together with the woman who killed you?""Don't let him get in your head. If you get mad, you'll play into his hand." Lui Fang said."I'm tired of listening to you, of helping you for nothing in return, and of thinking you were better than me. You didn't deserve my love, you traitor." I said and kicked her hard."I liked the speech, but too bad this is the end." The Djinn held up a black glass box filled with tiny lights. "This is the box of dreams where countless souls were stored until their dreams could be realized. All of them became hungry ghosts." Chains flew from the box and wrapped around my waist, wrists, and ankles.The weight above me vanished as the Amoz Mahatma grinned, showing off a few missing teeth."Maybe if you had been trained better, I would have had something to worry about. Too bad I'll have fun with the woman you like instead. Maybe I'll put the box under us so you can see while you're eating."The chains pulled, and I turned to see Elder Yu dusting black sand off his robes instead of lifting a finger to assist me. I raised a middle finger to the bastard as I was sucked into the box.…Lui Fang came to and saw Elder Yu standing like a hero after shattering the hourglass from the inside. Atom was sucked into the box, and she felt like he deserved it. He was a mark, a sucker, and a tool whose only purpose was to take her further. The fact he thought he might deserve her was pure delusion. His fantasy wasn't her responsibility."Thank you for helping me, Lui Fang. Let me return the favor. It seems your fool had one more use before he was dusted."The Djin jumped back, clutching the cube to his chest. "Why would he release you, my enemies?"She saw a light flicker on the box and assumed Atom had met his end."This is your chance to bow to me and grant us wishes or die here." Elder Yu said.His words sounded tough and important to her ears. Some wishes would help them out, but Djinn rarely granted them somewhat.The Djinn tossed the box aside and pulled a spear from his soul space. "I will not bow to a human," Amoz said.Elder Yu drew his black Dao blade, a soul-bound weapon with immense power. A single slash from it unleashed howling winds and a suctioning force, making it impossible for moment techniques that relied on wing, water, and lightning laws to work.The Djinn blocked the blow and fell to a knee."You look close to bowing to me. What's wrong with that? Bend the other one, and you can give us wishes before departing. I promise not to use the last one to imprison you," Elder Yu said.A slash cut Amoz across the chest, and another spun the spear away. "What poor technique," Elder Yu said.The man brushed his hair back until his beautiful ebony locks spiked up, giving him a dangerous look.The black blade rested against Amoz Mahatma's neck."Give them to me. I won't ask again. Call me master, and I will let you keep your pathetic life.""I've been a slave a long time. Never again, I will die on my feet a free Djinn."Elder Yu slashed, taking the Djinn's head.The Djinn's body fell, and treasure of all kinds poured out of his soul space. Only she couldn't find the box. The head rolled on the ground with a big grin on its face."The box could be anywhere by now. I guess we're not making any soul-space-expanding pills for you now. It's unfortunate, but we have better treasures ahead of us." Elder Yu waved his hand, and the treasures vanished from around the Djinn.