Di Qian's feet felt alive again as he stepped on the sandy shores of his homeland. Behind him, the red seawater rippled vigorously, spanning as far as his eyes could track.
Today was one of the calmer days in the poison sea, something Di Qian was thankful for. He and his soulbeast little Hei were at their very limits after travelling through its mucky waters for so long.
With a splashing sound, the large black fish jumped out from a weak wave and landed on the basket on his back. Its relief after finally getting to dip lazily in normal water was apparent from its movement inside, making Di Qian smile.
"Get some rest, girl. You've done well."
Through the black and white sands that spanned several miles, Di Qian's speed got faster and faster. The familiar landmarks he noticed on the distant horizon took out all the tension from his body.
Soon, he reached the first sign of human civilization at the shore of the poison sea– a iron-wrought slope that led to the majestic gates of the Beasthaven Sect.
Behind the gates glittered enormous towers made with rocks from the seabed, gargantuan sculptures sculpted from black sand, construction projects that went as high as hundreds of feet above and thousands of feet below; a sight impactful enough to stun even the members of the sect from time to time. Dozens of miles across the sands, the Beasthaven Sect's territory was a visage that even the most colorful imaginations couldn't capture.
Six gatekeepers, dressed in golden uniforms, stood side by side with their soulbeasts behind them, watching Di Qian intently. As he got nearer, all six of them performed the standard salute.
"Greetings, elder Qian. The sect master has been very worried these days. It is a relief to see you unscathed," the head of the gatekeepers, a young lady said after a curt bow. The other five followed suit.
"Is everybody in?" Di Qian asked with a nod, impatience seeping into his tone.
"Yes, elder. The rest who went out have all returned. Many were injured, including your grandson. But they've recovered for the most part," the head of the gatekeepers answered.
"That's good, that's good. Send someone to ring the fourth-level alarm throughout the sect."
Di Qian entered the gates immediately and vanished out of their sight. The head gatekeeper stood still for a few seconds, seemingly stunned, before rushing in another direction inside the sect grounds.
On his way, Di Qian put little Hei inside one of the Body Nurturing Lakes. The poison sea had taken a great toll on its health. A dip inside the lakes with its own kind would do the fish some good. The sect ground was flourishing with artificially created animal habitats that utilized natural resources to the limit to nurture animals. Thousands of disciples were constantly rushing to and fro with their soulbeasts, busy with their own concerns. Di Qian felt a faint pain in his heart as the realization dawned on him that the peace and tranquillity here wouldn't last for long; not with the news he had brought.
Qing Shi, the master of the Beasthaven sect, was standing outside his luxurious palace, absent-mindedly gazing at the faraway sea. Di Qian's footsteps brought him out of his thoughts.
"Elder Qian!" He exclaimed, surprise and relief evident in his voice.
"Now, this is worth celebrating over! I was about to assume the worst possibility! Your family has been worried sick for your news."
Di Qian bowed curtly, a warm feeling suffusing his heart.
"My apologies, sect master. A couple of bastards snatched my soul signature pulser away while I was recuperating from a grievous injury. I imagine those brats have been misusing it since then, huh?"
"...Not exactly, elder. It only sent one pulse in the last two months. That's why we became even more worried!"
"That's strange," Di Qian muttered as he recalled the two mischievous children who had 'confiscated' the soul signature pulser. They knew what it was and how to use it. Did the brats die after entering Pine Town? That shouldn't be...
"But are you alright right now? How much have you recovered, elder? Let's walk towards the infirmary, we can talk on the way. You look like you've lost a lot of weight. That's not a good thing at your age..."
Eyes twitching, Di Qian followed Qing Shi as the younger man fussed over him. It was common knowledge in the sect that Qing Shi wasn't exactly a reserved person, much less being the sort who could be passed off as someone as lofty as the master of the Beasthaven sect, arguably the most powerful sect on this planet.
"As much as I'd like to get my injuries treated, sect master, I cannot currently muster the peace of mind that would allow me to sit and recuperate. I have some...bad news."
Qing Shi's smile faded. "Did something happen to our sacred seedlings?"
"Not them, they're fine. But they won't be for long when the prophecy comes true, would they?"
Qing Shi froze, his pupils shrinking into tiny dots.
"Which prophecy are we talking about, here?" he asked.
"The worst one." Di Qian's answer was simple.
A long moment of silence passed between the two of them as they stood together in the middle of the road, busy disciples and their soulbeasts passing by them carefully, sending greetings from a distance.
"Please tell me that was a joke," Qing Shi finally said in a weak voice.
"I could do that, but that doesn't make it one," Di Qian said.
"I'm quite scared myself, so I wouldn't blame you. The prophecy is about the destruction of our sect, our lineage, maybe even our entire planet, after all. We've been in denial for long enough."
"...."
"Yes, sect master. The prophecy really is coming true, if my suspicions are correct. And I'm not senile enough yet to make a mistake on an issue so grave that'll bury us."
"Tell me," Qing Shi replied in a grim tone.
The fourth-level alarm began ringing through the sect soon, causing great confusion among the disciples of the Beasthaven sect. They had never heard this particular alarm before. But from the way the elders dropped what they had been doing and rushed toward the sect master's residence, they figured it was something of significant importance.
........ ........... .............................
The evening wind would have been soothing had Qing Shi not been worried for the future of his sect, his family, and himself.
Standing at the seashore, his thoughts came scattered, diajointed, chaotically. Try as he might, he failed to find a choice that could save the countless lives he was in charge of from the impending doom.
Escape from the planet? That was the only possible solution. Except he could only take a small number of people with him if he chose to leave. But what about the rest of the sect? Abandon them?
Impossible.
Qing Shi would have never risen to his current position in life if he had a mindset that selfish. Many would call him foolish for not attempting to save those he could and flee. But Qing Shi didn't care. Either he would find a way to save even the chickens and dogs his sect had nurtured, or go down with this planet facing its end.
It would be a pretty cool way to die, Qing Shi felt. Much better than dying amidst the territorial scuffles in higher-level worlds.
"Hello there, fellow cultivator. You look preoccupied."
An unfamiliar voice came from behind, jerking his thoughts to a standstill as Qing Shi turned around instantly.
How the hell did somebody sneak up on him? Who?
A black void, shaped like the silhouette of a tall human, stood casually in front of him, just a few meters away. Qing Shi spread his astral senses and repeatedly scanned the area the silhouette was standing in, yet he couldn't sense any signs of life there.
Without waiting for the silhouette to speak again, Qing Shi closed in on him instantly and poked a finger toward its throat. The silhouette made no move to counter him.
As if touching air, Qing Shi's finger passed through the void and appeared behind it, affecting nothing, being affected by nothing.
"If you're done confirming your suspicions, let's have a more civilized discussion, shall we?" said the silhouette.
"I'm not quite sure I should trust anything that comes out of your mouth when you don't trust me enough to reveal your identity, fellow cultivator," Qing Shi said after retracting his hand.
"Good point there. But I'm sure you'll be quite interested in what I have to say to you."
Masking his qi, Qing Shi sent a secret signal to the sect to surround this place and block all types of arrays, formations, and qi-fuelled mechanisms. Then he sat down on the sand and gestured at the silhouette, "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"Soul of a dragon, broken and scattered
Soul of a human, twisted, unfettered
Heavens forbid, should they touch
Scholars of laws– they left but a grudge
Rulers of stone– throne unforged
Shepherds of sands, torn and scorched
The crimson worlds– ripped, besieged
The leaf of a god, it's burnt to bits
The sturdiest sword– it's cracked, it sits
Scrolls of the wise– buried in lies
Everyone rots, no wreaths."
In a singsong voice, the silhouette finished the rhyme and chuckled, seemingly enjoying how Qing Shi's expression was changing.
"...Where did you hear that from?" Qing Shi asked, his voice trembling. "And why is it different from the one we've received?"
The silhouette paused for a second. "Different? How much does it resemble the older version?"
"Older version?! You're saying the prophecy in our hand was reiterated and changed?" Qing Shi yelped.
"Yes. Answer the question. Which part doesn't resemble yours?"
"The 'Rulers of Stone' part, I'm hearing it for the first time! And the bit about the 'Scrolls of the Wise' was supposed to be: 'Scrolls of the wise, a thought's the price' !
Who do these lines refer to? Scrolls of the wise could possibly be the Library of the last Monarch...."
Qing Shi began to mutter wildly to himself, half excited, half panicked.
The silhouette appeared to have fallen deep in thoughts as well, and Qing Shi's sudden shout after a minute made it jerk its head up.
"Where did you get this new version of the prophecy?"
"Not from those in your sect who know about the prophecy, that much you can assure yourself. Let's just say that you're not the only one who has obtained this warning. But you are the one still in denial."
Qing Shi's brows furrowed in confusion. "Then why are you telling me this ?"
"Because I can offer you a solution. The salvation that you seek, to protect your family and sect, to protect what you treasure, I can show you 'shepherds of sands' a way."
"How can I tell if you're lying or not?" Qing Shi said in disbelief. "You're being awfully helpful, fellow cultivator...a bit too helpful, I'd say."
The silhouette laughed upon hearing his question.
Raising a finger toward the sky, it shouted, "By the heavens, if I spoke a single sentence while harboring ill intent toward the Beasthaven sect, may the heavens punish me!"
Glancing at the calm sky, Qing Shi wasn't particularly reassured. It would be foolish to believe a person who makes such oaths so easily. Almost every law had its loopholes. It wasn't exactly difficult to twist one's words to fool an unsuspecting opponent. But Qing Shi had no choice but to listen to what this mysterious stranger had to say. If the way he offered was viable, why not consider it?
...... ......... ..........................................
The peaceful night in Crimson Snow Sect was broken by a thunderous hissing sound, rousing all disciples and elders from their sleepy cultivation sessions.
Han Xuhan and his minions tumbled out of their hut and stared at the sight in the sky with their eyes and jaws wide open.
"Fucking....fuck," was the best response his awestruck brain could come up with.
A gargantuan serpent had wrapped itself around the largest mountains of the sect, its head hovering over Xuan Zi's mountain peak. By rough estimations, Han Xuhan realized that the snake was at least a few miles in length and wide enough to store a mountain in its stomach.
How it had snuck into the sect without causing an hour long earthquake was a question with one simple answer– cultivation magic.
Whether it was about to go on a rampage and devour everything on this mountain-cluster was also a question with a simple answer– he couldn’t do anything either way.
"Is this how I will die? Me and my entire sect will be eaten up? After all I've gone through...this feels so random that it almost makes sense. This IS a world of cultivation..."
Turning toward his hut, Xuhan's eyes fell on the tiny rattlesnake spine on the table. The comparison was heartbreaking.
Perhaps the entire sect had been struck dumb at the sudden, terrifying advent of death's serrated tongue. No screams, no chaos, nothing could be heard amidst the dark mountains.
"Sect master Xuan Zi, this lowly envoy greets you," the serpent suddenly said between its heavy, dull hisses.
"Oh. It talks too, I guess. That makes sense, sure," Han Xuhan concurred in a defeated tone.
Due to the distance between their mountain peaks and the serpent's body blocking their way, Xuhan couldn't tell what was happening on Xuan Zi's mountain peak. But a few minutes later, the enormous serpent disappeared like smoke in the wind.
Confused, jubilant, but mostly frightened, Han Xuhan, as well as every other living being inside the sect rushed toward the sect master's mountain to know what had happened just then.
Soon, word spread across the mountain peaks like wildfire. The Beasthaven sect had announced the cross-continental decennary tournament ahead of time. As one of the most powerful sects on the planet, it sort of had the right to do so, apparently.
And all other sects of similar caliber had actually agreed to it. The greeting method they had used might have had something to do with that...
Crimson flags rose with the sun the next morning in the Crimson Snow sect as a festive mood wrapped itself all around the mountain peaks.
Amidst the excited celebration and preparations, no one knew of a certain young man with two skeletal minions wailing inside his hut.
"Good heavens, give me a fucking break! A tournament, on top of all things? No wonder things were advancing way too smoothly for me these days! Fuck, I'm not gonna get crippled by some asshole. Nonono, I can't participate. NEVER!"
Di Qian's feet felt alive again as he stepped on the sandy shores of his homeland. Behind him, the red seawater rippled vigorously, spanning as far as his eyes could track.
Today was one of the calmer days in the poison sea, something Di Qian was thankful for. He and his soulbeast little Hei were at their very limits after travelling through its mucky waters for so long.
With a splashing sound, the large black fish jumped out from a weak wave and landed on the basket on his back. Its relief after finally getting to dip lazily in normal water was apparent from its movement inside, making Di Qian smile.
"Get some rest, girl. You've done well."
Through the black and white sands that spanned several miles, Di Qian's speed got faster and faster. The familiar landmarks he noticed on the distant horizon took out all the tension from his body.
Soon, he reached the first sign of human civilization at the shore of the poison sea– a iron-wrought slope that led to the majestic gates of the Beasthaven Sect.
Behind the gates glittered enormous towers made with rocks from the seabed, gargantuan sculptures sculpted from black sand, construction projects that went as high as hundreds of feet above and thousands of feet below; a sight impactful enough to stun even the members of the sect from time to time. Dozens of miles across the sands, the Beasthaven Sect's territory was a visage that even the most colorful imaginations couldn't capture.
Six gatekeepers, dressed in golden uniforms, stood side by side with their soulbeasts behind them, watching Di Qian intently. As he got nearer, all six of them performed the standard salute.
"Greetings, elder Qian. The sect master has been very worried these days. It is a relief to see you unscathed," the head of the gatekeepers, a young lady said after a curt bow. The other five followed suit.
"Is everybody in?" Di Qian asked with a nod, impatience seeping into his tone.
"Yes, elder. The rest who went out have all returned. Many were injured, including your grandson. But they've recovered for the most part," the head of the gatekeepers answered.
"That's good, that's good. Send someone to ring the fourth-level alarm throughout the sect."
Di Qian entered the gates immediately and vanished out of their sight. The head gatekeeper stood still for a few seconds, seemingly stunned, before rushing in another direction inside the sect grounds.
On his way, Di Qian put little Hei inside one of the Body Nurturing Lakes. The poison sea had taken a great toll on its health. A dip inside the lakes with its own kind would do the fish some good. The sect ground was flourishing with artificially created animal habitats that utilized natural resources to the limit to nurture animals. Thousands of disciples were constantly rushing to and fro with their soulbeasts, busy with their own concerns. Di Qian felt a faint pain in his heart as the realization dawned on him that the peace and tranquillity here wouldn't last for long; not with the news he had brought.
Qing Shi, the master of the Beasthaven sect, was standing outside his luxurious palace, absent-mindedly gazing at the faraway sea. Di Qian's footsteps brought him out of his thoughts.
"Elder Qian!" He exclaimed, surprise and relief evident in his voice.
"Now, this is worth celebrating over! I was about to assume the worst possibility! Your family has been worried sick for your news."
Di Qian bowed curtly, a warm feeling suffusing his heart.
"My apologies, sect master. A couple of bastards snatched my soul signature pulser away while I was recuperating from a grievous injury. I imagine those brats have been misusing it since then, huh?"
"...Not exactly, elder. It only sent one pulse in the last two months. That's why we became even more worried!"
"That's strange," Di Qian muttered as he recalled the two mischievous children who had 'confiscated' the soul signature pulser. They knew what it was and how to use it. Did the brats die after entering Pine Town? That shouldn't be...
"But are you alright right now? How much have you recovered, elder? Let's walk towards the infirmary, we can talk on the way. You look like you've lost a lot of weight. That's not a good thing at your age..."
Eyes twitching, Di Qian followed Qing Shi as the younger man fussed over him. It was common knowledge in the sect that Qing Shi wasn't exactly a reserved person, much less being the sort who could be passed off as someone as lofty as the master of the Beasthaven sect, arguably the most powerful sect on this planet.
"As much as I'd like to get my injuries treated, sect master, I cannot currently muster the peace of mind that would allow me to sit and recuperate. I have some...bad news."
Qing Shi's smile faded. "Did something happen to our sacred seedlings?"
"Not them, they're fine. But they won't be for long when the prophecy comes true, would they?"
Qing Shi froze, his pupils shrinking into tiny dots.
"Which prophecy are we talking about, here?" he asked.
"The worst one." Di Qian's answer was simple.
A long moment of silence passed between the two of them as they stood together in the middle of the road, busy disciples and their soulbeasts passing by them carefully, sending greetings from a distance.
"Please tell me that was a joke," Qing Shi finally said in a weak voice.
"I could do that, but that doesn't make it one," Di Qian said.
"I'm quite scared myself, so I wouldn't blame you. The prophecy is about the destruction of our sect, our lineage, maybe even our entire planet, after all. We've been in denial for long enough."
"...."
"Yes, sect master. The prophecy really is coming true, if my suspicions are correct. And I'm not senile enough yet to make a mistake on an issue so grave that'll bury us."
"Tell me," Qing Shi replied in a grim tone.
The fourth-level alarm began ringing through the sect soon, causing great confusion among the disciples of the Beasthaven sect. They had never heard this particular alarm before. But from the way the elders dropped what they had been doing and rushed toward the sect master's residence, they figured it was something of significant importance.
........ ........... .............................
The evening wind would have been soothing had Qing Shi not been worried for the future of his sect, his family, and himself.
Standing at the seashore, his thoughts came scattered, diajointed, chaotically. Try as he might, he failed to find a choice that could save the countless lives he was in charge of from the impending doom.
Escape from the planet? That was the only possible solution. Except he could only take a small number of people with him if he chose to leave. But what about the rest of the sect? Abandon them?
Impossible.
Qing Shi would have never risen to his current position in life if he had a mindset that selfish. Many would call him foolish for not attempting to save those he could and flee. But Qing Shi didn't care. Either he would find a way to save even the chickens and dogs his sect had nurtured, or go down with this planet facing its end.
It would be a pretty cool way to die, Qing Shi felt. Much better than dying amidst the territorial scuffles in higher-level worlds.
"Hello there, fellow cultivator. You look preoccupied."
An unfamiliar voice came from behind, jerking his thoughts to a standstill as Qing Shi turned around instantly.
How the hell did somebody sneak up on him? Who?
A black void, shaped like the silhouette of a tall human, stood casually in front of him, just a few meters away. Qing Shi spread his astral senses and repeatedly scanned the area the silhouette was standing in, yet he couldn't sense any signs of life there.
Without waiting for the silhouette to speak again, Qing Shi closed in on him instantly and poked a finger toward its throat. The silhouette made no move to counter him.
As if touching air, Qing Shi's finger passed through the void and appeared behind it, affecting nothing, being affected by nothing.
"If you're done confirming your suspicions, let's have a more civilized discussion, shall we?" said the silhouette.
"I'm not quite sure I should trust anything that comes out of your mouth when you don't trust me enough to reveal your identity, fellow cultivator," Qing Shi said after retracting his hand.
"Good point there. But I'm sure you'll be quite interested in what I have to say to you."
Masking his qi, Qing Shi sent a secret signal to the sect to surround this place and block all types of arrays, formations, and qi-fuelled mechanisms. Then he sat down on the sand and gestured at the silhouette, "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"Soul of a dragon, broken and scattered
Soul of a human, twisted, unfettered
Heavens forbid, should they touch
Scholars of laws– they left but a grudge
Rulers of stone– throne unforged
Shepherds of sands, torn and scorched
The crimson worlds– ripped, besieged
The leaf of a god, it's burnt to bits
The sturdiest sword– it's cracked, it sits
Scrolls of the wise– buried in lies
Everyone rots, no wreaths."
In a singsong voice, the silhouette finished the rhyme and chuckled, seemingly enjoying how Qing Shi's expression was changing.
"...Where did you hear that from?" Qing Shi asked, his voice trembling. "And why is it different from the one we've received?"
The silhouette paused for a second. "Different? How much does it resemble the older version?"
"Older version?! You're saying the prophecy in our hand was reiterated and changed?" Qing Shi yelped.
"Yes. Answer the question. Which part doesn't resemble yours?"
"The 'Rulers of Stone' part, I'm hearing it for the first time! And the bit about the 'Scrolls of the Wise' was supposed to be: 'Scrolls of the wise, a thought's the price' !
Who do these lines refer to? Scrolls of the wise could possibly be the Library of the last Monarch...."
Qing Shi began to mutter wildly to himself, half excited, half panicked.
The silhouette appeared to have fallen deep in thoughts as well, and Qing Shi's sudden shout after a minute made it jerk its head up.
"Where did you get this new version of the prophecy?"
"Not from those in your sect who know about the prophecy, that much you can assure yourself. Let's just say that you're not the only one who has obtained this warning. But you are the one still in denial."
Qing Shi's brows furrowed in confusion. "Then why are you telling me this ?"
"Because I can offer you a solution. The salvation that you seek, to protect your family and sect, to protect what you treasure, I can show you 'shepherds of sands' a way."
"How can I tell if you're lying or not?" Qing Shi said in disbelief. "You're being awfully helpful, fellow cultivator...a bit too helpful, I'd say."
The silhouette laughed upon hearing his question.
Raising a finger toward the sky, it shouted, "By the heavens, if I spoke a single sentence while harboring ill intent toward the Beasthaven sect, may the heavens punish me!"
Glancing at the calm sky, Qing Shi wasn't particularly reassured. It would be foolish to believe a person who makes such oaths so easily. Almost every law had its loopholes. It wasn't exactly difficult to twist one's words to fool an unsuspecting opponent. But Qing Shi had no choice but to listen to what this mysterious stranger had to say. If the way he offered was viable, why not consider it?
...... ......... ..........................................
The peaceful night in Crimson Snow Sect was broken by a thunderous hissing sound, rousing all disciples and elders from their sleepy cultivation sessions.
Han Xuhan and his minions tumbled out of their hut and stared at the sight in the sky with their eyes and jaws wide open.
"Fucking....fuck," was the best response his awestruck brain could come up with.
A gargantuan serpent had wrapped itself around the largest mountains of the sect, its head hovering over Xuan Zi's mountain peak. By rough estimations, Han Xuhan realized that the snake was at least a few miles in length and wide enough to store a mountain in its stomach.
How it had snuck into the sect without causing an hour long earthquake was a question with one simple answer– cultivation magic.
Whether it was about to go on a rampage and devour everything on this mountain-cluster was also a question with a simple answer– he couldn’t do anything either way.
"Is this how I will die? Me and my entire sect will be eaten up? After all I've gone through...this feels so random that it almost makes sense. This IS a world of cultivation..."
Turning toward his hut, Xuhan's eyes fell on the tiny rattlesnake spine on the table. The comparison was heartbreaking.
Perhaps the entire sect had been struck dumb at the sudden, terrifying advent of death's serrated tongue. No screams, no chaos, nothing could be heard amidst the dark mountains.
"Sect master Xuan Zi, this lowly envoy greets you," the serpent suddenly said between its heavy, dull hisses.
"Oh. It talks too, I guess. That makes sense, sure," Han Xuhan concurred in a defeated tone.
Due to the distance between their mountain peaks and the serpent's body blocking their way, Xuhan couldn't tell what was happening on Xuan Zi's mountain peak. But a few minutes later, the enormous serpent disappeared like smoke in the wind.
Confused, jubilant, but mostly frightened, Han Xuhan, as well as every other living being inside the sect rushed toward the sect master's mountain to know what had happened just then.
Soon, word spread across the mountain peaks like wildfire. The Beasthaven sect had announced the cross-continental decennary tournament ahead of time. As one of the most powerful sects on the planet, it sort of had the right to do so, apparently.
And all other sects of similar caliber had actually agreed to it. The greeting method they had used might have had something to do with that...
Crimson flags rose with the sun the next morning in the Crimson Snow sect as a festive mood wrapped itself all around the mountain peaks.
Amidst the excited celebration and preparations, no one knew of a certain young man with two skeletal minions wailing inside his hut.
"Good heavens, give me a fucking break! A tournament, on top of all things? No wonder things were advancing way too smoothly for me these days! Fuck, I'm not gonna get crippled by some asshole. Nonono, I can't participate. NEVER!"
