Hmmph... this junior is a good seed [Cultivation Management Quest]

[copperheed]

Nascent Nightmares

Error! Error! Possible Non-Canonical Contaminate Approaching!

Trigger Warning: Forced against will (non-sexual) and Gore. I wasn't intending to get as graphic, but thought it helped the dreadful situation.

Ai was immobilized with fear; sitting there in her great grandfather's glorious throne room. She didn't worry that the throne room looked like a dining hall, she loathed it all the same. He said that only family was important enough to attend him here and so she, her sisters, her brother, her cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant family relations all sat in immobilizing fear at the enormous dining table in Kinslayer's throne room.

Said demon sat at the head of the table "leading the family discussion" she thought bitterly as he casually savored one of her mother's toes, languorously licking his granddaughter's blood off his finger; he always started with the feet. She wished she could at least reach over and hug her younger, and last remaining, brother to her chest and try to calm him and dry his tears since her Reviled Elder thought weakness of spirit ruined the flavor of his progeny's flesh.

She'd learned first hand that he could cause mind breaking pain without injuring the body. Unlike her oldest brother and sister who tried to take the blame for younger siblings, she never stood up or the younger ones because her fear out weighed her love for them; seeing her braver older siblings being broken and eaten before in a riot of carnage when Reviled Elder lost his temper over their "righteousness". It was little consolation that he hadn't ravaged a family member in more than 50 years.

So, as much as Ai's heart broke when little Hua'er couldn't fight the tears of grief at seeing their mother laid out on Kinslayer's feasting table, her fear and self loathing at the fear held her back. She did her best to disassociate herself from the here and now by staring straight ahead over the shoulder of her granduncle (half brother of her grandparents), who was younger than her.

Adrenaline spiked as she noticed the conversation had come to a frightening silence. Everyone was staring at her! Then her mother turned her head, agony written on her features as she spoke in most controlled tone she used when things were dire but she didn't want Ai to fear, "Ai'er dear, your Honored Elder … asked you … a question. Apologize … to him for being … for being … absent minded dear one."

Shit! Don't cry! Don't lose it! Don't end up on the table … next to … STOP! Do your manners and don't throw up! Ai thought wildly. She stumbled her way through her abject apologies, which she truthfully meant. The embarrassment over fumbling the forms didn't even register over the fear.

"You're forgiven young Ai'er," the Reviled Elder magnanimously intoned. "I simply asked if you if you would care for some refreshment?" he asked, holding up a goblet. Her thoughts spun wildly to figure out what he was talking about. He never offers anyone anything. We sit here for hours while he eats and there's no food … !!! In the goblet … that's …

Barely preventing herself from vomiting, Ai apologized again, "Mighty Elder, I couldn't possibly … interrupt yourself during your most valued time."

"And I realize the great honor I'm doing you little Ai'er, so please drink up," he offered, the cup directly in front of her now, his unnatural speed unnerving her now that it was directed at her for the first time ever. As she started to make poor excuses, her head was thrown back and hot thick liquid poured into her mouth and throat. Her coughs and struggling gagging splashed some of the blood on her face and her nostrils burned with the scent of it as most of it forced it's way slimyly down her ineffectively resisting throat.

The Reviled Elder started to say something and was interrupted by Ai's stomach revolting at the leaden lump inside of her. When she'd finished vomiting on the table, he made an annoyed sound and then forced her to eat her own vomit! If she'd thought the blood was awful, this was magnitudes worse! As her stomach started to rebel again, he laughed at her and forced her to hold it in.

With a chuckle, he offered her one of his fingers. "And now an appetizer, young Ai'er?"

In confusion and ingrained terror, she jerked back from him. He calmly offered her his pinkie finger. When she continued to be stricken with indecision and fear, he sighed and placed it in her trembling hand. He then casually placed a hand on Huaban's, her younger brother, throat. "Eat it." he said calmly, with a blatant threat behind it.

It wasn't sausage like she was expecting; it had the more solid texture of shrimp. She was And as much as she wanted to gag on it, she was surprised she could even chew a cultivator's finger. When she got to the bone, she thought her teeth might break, but it actress more like a hard candy. It took long enough that the disgust and fear turned to embarrassment to be making sucking noises in front of her whole family. It sounded so lewd and her mother was right there!

"Very good," he smiled at her, offering her another digit. She took this with a very wary hand and slowly placed it in her mouth, watching and waiting for the backhand blow she knew she had no chance of avoiding. Instead he watched with a weird patronizing smile on his face the entire time she fearfully ate his own finger.

"And the next," he said to her. "And this time savor it. Feel the juices in your mouth, the texture of the flesh, and feel for the Qi. By now you'll be able to sense it. Feel for its taste and texture just like normal food. When you can sense that, you'll start to see that it's better than sweets or wine or any other of your favorite dishes. Even when you taste someone, this will still be the best of Qi you'll ever have."

Ai was only half listening to him talk about the importance of Qi in the body and she knew he was giving her the secrets of cultivation, but she'd found the secret of the Qi and it just tasted so good! It was sugar, sweets, her favorite fish, grandfather's hand made buns, and all of her other foods all rolled into one, yet even more scrumptious. She happily ate and made the disgusting sucking noises to get the bones down as fast as possible.

She was halted as she'd bitten into his thumb of her own accord! A fearful spike of adrenaline shot through her, but he continued smiling. This smile was less patronizing to a child and now more condescending to someone he was debating with. "While you enjoy my thumb, listen well to my words on Blood. Alter Lord is an ass and doesn't understand the true nature of what we do."

She didn't know anyone named Alter Lord. But she did? But if he let her keep nibbling on his thumb if she listened, she would pay more attention for the chance at the delicious taste of him! "It is labeled Bloodpath by heaven itself. He is a fool to ignore the implications! It is why I'm the strongest of his disciples, as much as he ignores my genius, but I cultivate and consume in iterations of my own Blood!" He announces with a sweeping gesture at her many relatives; not that she cares what they think as she latches onto his wrist with both hands so that she can finish eating the last part of his thumb!

Having finished all of his fingers on that hand, she looked hungrily up at him, daring to think that she'd keep going even if he told her to stop. Instead he gave a simple nod of consent for her to continue. She tore at him, relishing and consuming. It took her hours but each deliciously savored moment was gone faster than the next and soon she just gulped him down, crunching bone and tearing flesh as fast as possible to fuel more of the rush of power and pleasure.

When only his head remained, he smiled cruelly at her. Any fear she had of him was gone as she was drunk with the power he'd given her. "You cursed me once, but now that you can feel my teaching to your core, you know I'm right! You can feel the power of my Righteous Truth! You can …" And he finally shut up when she swallowed his entire head into her gullet.

"Now look at the feast before you on the table," he mockingly teased her from inside her belly. She looked and he'd been stupid enough to leave an even better feast lying on the table for her! The gluttonous assholes had taken some of it, but it was hers now and it was all hers!

"Ai'er, You've become Honored Hu Ai now …" her mother trailed off seeing the look in her daughter's eyes and opened her mouth to scream!

-----------------------------------------------

Hu Ai woke up out of her meditation trance screaming and covered in debris and stone dust. The cave she'd been cultivating in, annihilated by her nascent strength. Flailing into the air, she got hold of herself while a cold rain blew down around her. She was numb, not from the cold rain or mountain height which didn't bother her anymore but from the desire she'd felt in the … dream. The hunger, the desire, it was always there whispering, prodding, demanding. Demanding, often in Kinslayer's voice, that she become a monster just like him. And she was slowly losing the fight. She kept it to direct fights and the worst people in the Sect, but it grew louder as she grew stronger. Don't dwell on it. Take it one day at a time.

She didn't sleep anymore, but when she meditated her mind would occasionally wander into dreams. Something ((Old Cannibal. What does she call him? Teacher?)) punished her for, though lightly for him since he admitted she needed a lot of training being the youngest Nascent Soul ever. Poison woman had offered her something for that. Even though Old Cannibal had confirmed that it wasn't poison, she couldn't trust anyone here and she lived with the nightmares rather than take something from someone when there were an infinite number of ways, all of them she knew nothing about, to hurt by someone with a gift.

Curse Heaven she hated her life! She still lived in fear, she was so inept compared to her "peers", and even ((Old Cannibal. What does she call him? Teacher?)) saying she was by far the best student, she always had to be looking two and three layers deep with what he did and said with her because being the best student meant that he wanted to impart over a thousand years of malicious cunning into every lesson! The pain and especially the fear would never end!

No. No. This was infinitely better. She was still scared, living with horrible monsters, and there wasn't even the small solace of family, but she had power now. Even if it was a small fraction, she'd learn and grow strong enough to smite anyone that threatened her family, including and especially Heaven.

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Already found some mistakes! I beg your forgiveness!

I made this because Hu Ai seems to be the least invested in Bloodpath, for Bloodbath sake. She's been in awful condition her whole life and if living meant becoming an "evil" cultivator without any true understanding of what it does, doesn't make her as bad as the rest of them. Especially since we have the excerpt about her doing her best to avoid the desire the Bloodpath pushes on her.

She hits me as a possible vampire protagonist.

And this omake doesn't make her my Good Seed in any sense, but I felt inspired to write it and felt that if nothing else could show a possible person behind the horror like Occipitallobe has down so well with so many other characters.

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

Hou siren​

Pin on Mmm (something like this would look like, but a bit taller and with clothes that are not modern...)


I'm sorry, I'm not used to putting images so I put it like this.

---

son of a forgotten lineage, his ancestors lacked any birth advantage and were almost equal to ordinary people in cultivation talent but they compensated for that with their ability to absorb a fragment of the soul of all the beings they killed and with this they would acquire a fragment of their power and instincts... and even in very rare cases also the abilities of the slain...

but these also had the frequency to go mad and become berserkers who killed without stopping until they were killed or died of natural causes...

due to this fact they ended up being massacred, leaving only their young newborn master who was frozen in time until everyone would forget their clan, all in the hope that he would kill all those responsible for the massacre.

This young master would be found many millennia later by an old hunter of a small village and then named Hou Siren.

over time hou siren grew up as a handsome but very wild and free-spirited boy who was very overprotected.

on his 12th birthday a cultivator came to his village who claimed to stay near the area to say hello, something the cultivator noticed was that huo might have talent and therefore decided to take him as a temporary disciple...after the first training there were 3 things that were clear...huo in everything involving the brain was a useless concern, on the other hand in everything involving the fight was a genius of those who only appear once in history..and finally, he has a very large will.

after a month of training, his master jealous of his talent decided to use an ancient dark ritual that supposedly allows you to steal someone's talent and give it to yourself.

While the ritual was being performed due to huo's bloodline and great compatibility with the ritual, it goes wrong and boosts his soul absorption, killing everything 200 km around huo...

unbeknownst to anyone, a siren relic that huo always used is activated and is used as a seal to prevent huo from falling into madness due to the large amount of memories and instincts that fused in his soul...but as a side effect it sealed the memories of everything that had happened that night.

---

Overall High Concept: the archetypal goku or shonen protagonist..someone who has no common sense and is only interested in fighting and having fun.

starting perk: berserker's soul: allows him to absorb the soul of whatever he kills, which gives him a part of the power, instinct, abilities and a tiny fragment of potential and life expectancy.

Cultivation Goal:13th Heavenstage

omakes:
introduction of backstory (416 words,life save treasure)
a old hunter and a baby (880 words)
Sǐzhě rìjì 1 (100 words)
The first death, death of the heart (1400 words)
the legend of werewolf (570)

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

Huo siren is a young orphan of a common small village, until a cultivator for some reason decided to live in the village, the whole village was happy for that fact, especially huo who had his talent recognized by the cultivator and was very excited about that fact and that he could be like the protagonists of the stories they told him (a relatively ordinary young man acquires a treasure, technique, etc. and begins his journey to be the strongest in existence and on the way having all his dreams fulfilled).
The fact of being the first in the village with the possibility of promotion, made him decide to do his best to live up to the expectations...

But everything changed when one night he was called by his master to teach him a "secret technique", but to his surprise when he went to see him he found a ritual.

His master explained to him that it was a ritual to "awaken his hidden talent", to which Huo Siren, ecstatic, performed everything that his master had taught him.
After a couple of hours, once the ritual was underway, he began to feel bad and as if he was getting weaker, worried he asked his master if it was normal and a good sign, to which to his surprise, between laughter and mockery, his master replied that he was a fool and that he was about to have his soul consumed.

In panic huo tried to do everything he could to escape, which at some point proved successful as his panicked former master began to shout things like "what did you do" or "just die you don't know the disaster you just caused by altering the ritual", while at the same time he saw how countless white balls (souls) flew to him (huo) and were introduced into his body..at the same time almost imperceptibly a small stone of countless colors and at the same time none of them merged with huo.

the next morning, huo wakes up, not knowing where he is and why he is not in his bed...when he goes to the village he sees that there is no one, when he looks for his master he can't find him either...totally lost and alone for the first time he decides to start his journey with the objective of finding out what happened to his village and why not on the way to be like one of the protagonists he admires.

---

ehhh, it's my first time participating in something like this...so...is this ok?

sorry in advance if I made any mistakes.

words:416

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

chi yung, an old hunter from an unimportant village was currently hunting near the complex of madness, this was an ancient complex of what is believed to have been a small clan in the past, at first its discovery caused many growers to come in search of their possible treasures, but quickly became a place of hardship, this was because all who entered ended up falling into a madness where they would wander aimlessly through the complex looking to kill anything that crossed their sight ... all this until they died.


This fact and the fact that apparently it did not have great treasures caused all the cultivators to quickly lose interest.

As he went down looking for his next prey and at the same time reviewing the history of one of the few interesting things that could be found in the surroundings, he began to hear a small cry that apparently came from the complex.

Intrigued and worried about what was crying in the chi yung complex, against his instincts, he decided to go inside the complex...

The first thing he noticed as soon as he entered the compound was that everything was full of what looked like blood stains and a strong odor that he could not identify.

He carefully made his way to the source of the weeping, on the way he saw houses and all those things that cultivators usually have...

But as he approached the weeping fountain he found to his immense surprise not an injured child but a baby, something that seemed as illogical as the fact that he had not yet suffered any of the rumored effects that he was told in ancient times were suffered by all those who dared to enter the complex...

but ignoring that his concern took the lead and ignoring the illogicality of the baby's existence in this place, he took him in his arms and tried to calm him down...as he did so he noticed that on his neck there was a small stone that seemed to change colors constantly...intrigued by the stone he began to bring his hand to it, but a second before he touched it he heard a roar nearby.

He immediately cut off almost all rational thought and the instinct cultivated over the years took the lead, tying the baby to his chest so that it would not occupy his hands, firmly took his spear and began to flee the village...after all, although normally he would go to fight this time he was carrying the weight of a life other than his own.

---

As he fled to the village, the beast came closer and closer to chi yung...until the time came when he could no longer run away and was forced to fight the beast.

When chi yung turned around and saw the beast, it was a large bear, about 5 feet tall, with a fur color similar to blood and claws so dark that they seemed to absorb the light.

When he saw the thing up close, the first thing chi yung thought was that he would die at that very moment, which filled him with fear and made him cower and think of the many things he was afraid of, but all that was erased from his mind when he saw the baby...he could not cower, a life that had not even begun and was full of potential for either good or evil depended on him, he could not afford to die.

Full of determination he tightened his grip on his spear and ran towards the beast with all his strength, when he was almost face to face with the bear he slid backwards passing between the bear's legs and thrusting his spear into its face, while at the same time he pulled out his skinning knife and slid it cutting the lower part of the bear.

After finishing his momentum he quickly stood up and kept his distance from the bear, hoping that it would have died.

But to his surprise the bear was fine despite having a spear stuck in its face.

which confirmed his theory that it wasn't just a Rarity with red fur.

He quickly drew his bow from his back and from his qajaq a blue arrow that emanated a mystical aura.

He quickly put the arrow in the bow and with all his strength he shot it, immediately the arrow flew towards the bear, leaving a blue trail in its path and upon impact out of nowhere it disintegrated the bear and in turn the arrow itself disintegrated.

relieved that the arrow had killed the bear, but somewhat saddened that both the arrow and the bear disintegrated.

quickly but somewhat calmer he continued to the village.

And so ended a small story, one of no importance in the grand scheme of things, but of great importance to all involved.

---

Since that day, that baby, now named huo siren, has lived in relative peace in the village, living in blissful ignorance.

although his peculiar way of being has caused him to have several problems, those little stories are for another time.

---

I felt bad about my very bad first omake so I wrote this one which represents my horrible writing skills somewhat better.

words:880

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

Sǐzhě rìjì 1​

---

hou siren was currently very happy,no that was an understatement,ecstatic would fit more with his current mood,he always heard the stories of cultivators who did amazing things and most importantly...they fought with super-strong people,from what little he remembers one legend says that a super-strong old man cut down a mountain easily,how amazing, all those stories made him want to escape from the village to fight with people as strong as they say that old man was...but, if he left, sister Yi would be sad and old chi too...besides the small detail that since he slapped that guy that everyone called young master and then there was a super cool fight with all his companions...they didn't leave him without supervision almost never after that...he still wonders why.

anyway, time is running out and I have to go to the master now....

I hope he's super-strong and makes me super-strong to have super-cool and fun fights.

---

words:100

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

The first death, death of the heart​

He was currently confused, he didn't know whether to feel sad, angry or what.

the first thing he remembers of the day is waking up, confused as to why he is in a cave...that worry was almost immediately alleviated by remembering that since he started cultivating it was not unusual for him to fall asleep cultivating or faint after overexerting himself fighting the master.

ignoring that,he quickly heads towards town after all,for even though the fact that he had started walking the path of a cultivator didn't mean he would no longer help out in town,after all he vowed to be different from all those stories that say cultivators quickly forget that they were once mortal and quickly abuse their new pow-

When he reached the door, something interrupted his reflection (something he had never done before, but which, according to his teacher in cultivation, is a good thing and something he should start doing).

ignoring the innumerable signs that give the beginning of what really happened, he makes excuses like that it must be a surprise party to deceive himself.

with visible desperation he searches the whole town for someone, anyone.

first he enters a house, Mrs. Chen's house, desperately shouting her name all over the house...there is no sign of her.

He enters a second house, the house of Mrs. Feng and little Jie, calling out to them...nothing back.

then there is a third, a fourth, a fifth, a forest, a sixth.... in a process that seems endless and at the same time instantaneous this continues and the more time passes, the slower and less he can evade reality...when he arrives in front of big sister Yi's house he can no longer evade reality, the strength leaves his legs, his eyes become watery and while he whispers names in a childish attempt to magically appear, memories of all the precious moments he had in his short 12 years begin to come back...

---

chi yung is seen teaching a little huo how to walk and talk.
"come on you can do it little huo"

to which Mrs. Chen comes up to him and chuckles "jujuju, who knew that the tough yung would become so soft with a baby".

to which an embarrassed chi yung quickly turns around and tries to excuse himself.
in the distraction the little huo slips away and climbs up to the top.

when they both look for huo after their little pranks, they quickly realize he's gone and in terror run to look for him.

once they finally have him in their arms, chi says with a chuckle, "seriously, it's like he's looking for danger".

after that comment they both burst out laughing, which is followed by a little huo joining in with his innocent little giggles.

---

huo and other children can be seen being guided by Yi yuung and other adults in the city.

Yi yuung was giving them warnings about walking in the city,when she notices that huo is not there,to which she with the most innocent voice she can do asks the children "little ones,couldn't you tell cute big sister Yi where huo went this time?"

to which in what seems like almost unanimous agreement they all point in one direction....en where you could see a bunch of children in a circle.

Yi in panic remembering what usually happens when huo is left alone runs with the children to the circle...where what she feared the most was happening

in the middle was huo fighting with all the children who came in groups to fight him...and in the distance a little farther away you see a young man who looks like he got punched in the face shouting "attack him, make him pay for not recognizing the tai amount, whoever hits him the hardest gets a gold coin!"


and although he was doing very well...actually being a bit too brutal, there were still too many of them and he was inevitably overwhelmed by the superior number .

Luckily even though he was stubborn he still knew when a fight was lost and when to retreat...so when he saw Yi and the children he quickly slunk towards them, while laughing and sneering, he ran as fast as he could to where they had left the horses.....
Yi and the others had no choice but to also run and escape since it seemed that as (to Yi's despair) became usual, every time huo went to a city he ended up angering someone of a higher status.

after that incident huo was punished by not being allowed to leave his room or do anything for a whole week.

---

you can see huo and a little boy who was little jie.

huo was somewhat embarrassed with a hand on the back of his head while laughing, in front of him was little jie, his eyes shining with admiration and idolizing huo "big brother huo, when I am old enough you will teach me to cultivate, won't you?"

Huo didn't know how to answer such a question, after all he was just about to start cultivating, so he just gave a chuckle.

which the little boy obviously took as a yes, to which he practically jumped with excitement and said "that's a yes? obviously it's a yes jie", then jie took a second to think and as if he had been enlightened said "we'll be an invincible duo big brother...I can't wait to tell mom".

after saying that, the little boy ran off as fast as he could to his house.
behind huo laughed as he shook his head.

---

as countless memories flashed through his head, much like what they say it's like to be on the verge of death, huo siren for the first time felt like his name 活死人 (dead in life)....

hehehe,how indicated,after all he is someone who was born with death,he lived in what many say looking for death...and a part of him died that day,with the disappearance of everyone he loved..the only thing left for him was to find the reason for the disappearance (and probable death of all the people) and seek an honorable death to hopefully reunite with them in the next life....

But out of nowhere came a memory, one that he had forgotten, one that he considered unimportant, but one that would make all the difference at this moment for him.

---

a chi yung can be seen with a blank stare next to huo

when out of nowhere he begins to speak "you know something, huo, death is inevitable, it will eventually catch up with everyone.

puzzled by that depressing comment huo looks at chi strangely..while thinking of an argument to break the old man's comment,after all,the discussion is just a battle of minds..one that is much more boring than fighting,but still a battle...to which he came up with something,after all,it is said that cultivators can attain immortality..to which making an innocent face he asked " what about cultivators?"


"hehe, ah, yes they, you know I may be a mortal and for many of them I may be a child, but age does not determine experience..and something I have realized is that cultivators are just people like us, they can be bad or good, talented or not, cruel or kind..but in the end they are just people who fear death like everyone else, but decided to escape it, gaining time, some gain more some less, but in the end they will end up succumbing.

After all, death is the perfect hunter, it is the most patient, the most skillful, the one who set the most traps, the one who has the most information ...

hou more intrigued by what the old man says, he asks with genuine interest, "What's up with that, old man?"

"hehe nothing small,just the hesitations of an old man,but in conclusion remember in the face of death we are all equally vulnerable,so don't be a coward and do what you want to do,who knows you might be the prey that managed to beat the hunter or not ...but then you can at least say that you died with no regrets."​

---

that little memory, normally unimportant, made a big change, as the old man said, death is a hunter...and if everyone is its potential prey...it means that living is a battle and it is not said that whoever retires from a battle without even trying once.

---

words:1400

this is the first chapter of the "deaths" series.

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

Hou had grown up being told that cultivators went to dangerous places to grow strong, and so he was looking for danger. When he'd been told (well, not told. He'd overheard a few seniors discussing it but if they didn't want him to hear it, then they would have been quieter!) that there was a Senior Sister Yingzi going on an expedition to something called the Cloud Caves and was taking her juniors, he definitely wanted to go!


Well, he didn't know all the details (he got bored of listening) but he definitely heard that there would be lots of strong people or maybe it was monsters and traps… still, it was dangerous and something he could fight so he definitely decided to sign up for it!


Well, he couldn't really find a place to sign up but when he asked about her, they pointed him to some creepy mansion outside the training fortress. It was definitely the kind of place someone who was looking for danger would be living in. When he didn't see any obvious signs or instructions, he did the normal thing and walked right up to the door!


The senior sister was supposed to be very kind and helpful, so he had high hopes! He heard that the last time she went to a dangerous place, she brought more than a hundred people with her! She was supposed to be very strong, but also very kind and so he was really looking forward to meeting her.


When the door opened, it was a bronze woman who looked at him curiously. "Hello, who are you and how can I help you?"


"Senior Sister Yingzi, I really wanted to join you on your trip to the cloud place." He said, bowing down to show respect like he was supposed to. "Please take me with you!"


"How do you even know about that?" She whispered to herself and Hou suddenly began to panic. He wasn't supposed to know this? "First of all, I am not the centurion. Second of all, she's not going to take just anyone who shows up."


Straightening up, he narrowed his eyes at her. "If you aren't Senior Sister Yingzi, then how can you decide whether I can come or not?"


She gave him a once over. "How old are you even? Aren't you just an Aspirant?" She asked, shaking her head. "You need to at least be somewhat strong before you ask to come."


"I'm strong!" Hou claimed defensively.


"Well then," She said, turning away. "Get even stronger. Maybe she'll see you then."


With that said, she closed the door on his face.


Huo frowned as he stood there, thinking of what to do next. He was hoping to at least meet the Senior Sister, he didn't want to leave like this… then his face brightened as he remembered something. If you make enough mess the leader will come out to show his face, he remembered someone saying. Or was it alpha? Eh, who cares. The important thing was that beating up enough people meant that the person at the top had to show themselves.


Heh.


That sounded cool. Who cares if a saying was well-said, it was cooler to make up new ones!


Heh.


That sounded cool too.


Grinning, he kicked the door down like the strong cultivator in the stories did against his enemies… and then frowned again when it didn't budge. Luckily the sound was enough for someone to open the door and see what was going on. As soon as the lady from before opened the door, he grinned again and jumped inside.


"Oi!"


"Fight me!" He said, bursting past the woman to step inside. It was a large room with a wooden table in the center. There were a bunch of people sitting on the table, some strong and some weak and a bunch of spooky lights shining all around them.


A man with goggles over his head looked up from some papers and then stared at him in utter confusion. "I'm sorry, who are you?"


"It's an aspirant who somehow found out about our planned visit to the Cloud Caves and wants to join in, sir." The woman who opened the door reported unhappily. "I thought I sent him away but he forced his way inside."


He looked at Huo who stared right back into his eyes without blinking. "An aspirant?" The man repeated, looking away from him. "No, no. That's absolutely impossible. We can't let an aspirant come with us."


Huo stamped his foot to get their attention. "I'm strong enough to come!" He exclaimed. "Fight me and I'll show you all!"


When the man looked at him as if he had grown a second head, Huo couldn't help but frown. "I'm very sorry, sir." The woman said, suddenly grasping his shoulders and bowing. "I will get him out immediately."


He slipped from her grasp and turned towards her. "Send out your weakest!" He demanded from her. "I will beat them, then those who are stronger until I am facing your strongest! Senior Sister Yingzi will show up and know that I am strong!"

The woman opened her mouth for a second, then she closed it, unable to form any words from the sheer awe she felt from his master plan! Then he heard another man's voice from behind him and he whirled to face the speaker. "Why not humor him, Christa?" A weak smirking man with the aura of a mortal said to the woman behind him. "Your new spirit needed some training as well, didn't he?"


"Titus, I really don't think we should." The woman said from behind him.


There was a sigh from the goggled man who took his papers and got up. "Do whatever you want, I'm going inside."


As he turned to go, Huo realized that they were all ignoring him. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He said, but the goggled man walked off without waiting and just as Huo was just thinking of what to do, he heard the woman sigh behind him.


"You know what? Fine." She called out. "I'll teach you a lesson to respect your seniors."


Huo whirled towards her, grinning fiercely with the retreating man completely forgotten. Raising a fist, he nodded at her. "Come at me!"


She just rolled her eyes and placed her palms together. A ball of white light appeared there, then as if it were a seed, it bloomed into a floating lotus. Lightly as if carried by the wind, it flew down to the ground and floated there in front of him. "Luna, teach him a lesson." The woman said, and Huo looked at her then back at the lotus of light.


When it didn't move or do anything, he took a careful step forward and poked at one of its petals. It felt weird like he was pushing against a very strong stream of water. It wasn't a solid shape but it still pushed his finger back. He grinned and pulled his fist back to punch it when it suddenly flew straight into his gut.


Eyes wide, he found that same invisible force sending him flying and he landed on the table with a thud. "Ooof, that's gotta hurt." The moral man - Titus - said, looking down at him while upside-down. Huo just grinned back at him and then jumped back on his feet, rushing at the white ball without stopping.


Before anyone could react, he slammed on top of the ball of light with his belly and smashed it into the ground. He felt it try to push back, but like water if you push hard enough, he felt it give way and it dissolved right under him - spreading out in pieces of light that quickly disappeared.


Grinning, he stepped back up and smirked at the woman who had released the spirit and then at the weak man behind him. Maybe he should fight the woman first? He'd beaten her pet after all and though the man seemed weak, maybe he was some hidden master type who hid his power, which would make him stronger than the woman.


He needed to do this in the proper order, but he knew enough to know that he knew nothing. Better to allow them to pick when to come at him, then to make a mistake and challenge someone stronger first."Who's next?" He bragged, feeling more confident after his first victory.


The woman looked at him in horror and even the man behind him no longer had any words to say. That was when he realized that she wasn't looking at him. Turning around to look, he saw a woman standing at the entrance to the room, looking at all of them with curiosity.


"Centurion, I apologize for this." The woman at the door exclaimed, bowing her head. "Please, I will take full responsibility for all of this. Punish me, no one else."


The woman who was the centurion raised an eyebrow. "These things happen." She said, waving her hand. "Return to your duties. I will handle this."


The woman at the door bowed and retreated deeper into the house, pulling the man at the table with her but he resisted her, far too interested in watching how all of this played out. They settled for standing on the way deeper in, the man observing him with glee and the woman with worry.


Huo on the other hand grinned widely, finally standing in front of the senior sister he had been looking for. He opened his mouth to challenge her, but the words died on his lips as soon as she turned to him.


He could immediately tell that this woman was genuinely strong.


He knew that among mortals it was commonly thought that women were weaker and it was known that this is not so with the cultivators... but it was one thing to hear it and another to really see it, feel it. Her aura of strength seemed to fill the room, demanding respect…


It only made him want to fight her more.


His blood was heating up far more than before and now he could hear his own heart pounding through his ears. He grinned at her, fingers curling into fists. His soul began to go mad, eager to consume a soul stronger than all those who he had consumed so far…


And then, suddenly the senior sister was in front of him.


It wasn't an attack. It was more like she had only gotten closer to examine him, but he hadn't seen her move and there was no change in her demeanor. It was he who stumbled back, suddenly feeling tense and uncertain.


A duel was supposed to be a clash of hot-blooded will, the victor carrying the hopes and grudges of the loser to the future. All he felt from this senior sister was a cold intensity that made it hard for him to fight her properly!


He looked at her, equal parts defiant and enthralled. He had heard cultivators in the stories talking about frogs in their wells, but if this was what he could expect from the ocean… unbidden his fists rose and feet parted, taking a proper fighting stance. He knew he would lose, but if he faltered here then he would not be Huo Siren!


"Senior Sister," He said, looking up at her. "Please grant this Huo Siren some pointers!"


"Holy shit."


"He's really going to die."

"Well, he brought this on himself."


But he ignored them all, concentrating on Senior Sister Yingzi's response, waiting for affirmation before acting immediately. And to his delight, she nodded. "Very well," Saying exactly the words that he had hoped for. "Let this kind big sister teach you some manners."


Though the will behind those words were cold, variety was the spice of life.


With a roar, he stepped forward… and found his punch stopped cold by her palm. Then her fingers closed, as if trapping his fist between jaws of metal. "The first thing to remember: Never shit where you eat."


The sudden crudeness from this sophisticated senior sister threw him off for a second, allowing her to lift him up in the air. "Lots of applications for that rule, but the one relevant today is this: Do not barge into the home of your allies as if you are storming an enemy stronghold."


He had nowhere to stand in the air, but he used the senior's own immovable grip to try and kick at her but she caught his leg as well. "The second thing to remember: Even the carp can kill the phoenix in water. Do not disrespect the strength of others if you do not understand it."


He tried to strike with his free limbs, hoping to get a hit while she was occupied but she shook him in the air before tossing him into the ground. "And I suppose you deserve a commendation for your courage. Even an ant can slay a sleeping tiger, but remember well: Not all tigers are sleeping and an ant is far stronger with his colony."


"Before you seek strength, learn well the reasons for it, junior." She told him towering over him with a stern expression. Then as he forced himself to rise, she gave him a smile. "For your determination, misguided though it may be, I will give you a gift - useless now, but one you may appreciate in time."


She held up a hand like a blade and he settled into a stance to defend himself against her. "There is pressure point behind the neck that immediately disables most opponents, though difficult to hit without an incredible advantage - "


Knowing where she was to strike, he moved his hand to defend and suddenly she was gone. "But it is useful when disciplining juniors like yourself." She whispered from behind him and he felt a sharp pain in his neck.


Then darkness took him.

---

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Yingzi mused, as she stood over the unconscious junior.


"What do you want us to do with him, ma'am?" Christa asked, stepping forward and bowing. "I can return him to his home and lodge a complaint with his Optio."


Centurion Yingzi considered that for a moment. "Yes, do that and recommend tossing him into the Beast-Raising Forest as punishment. Seeing his techniques and temperament - he will likely grow strong if he survives."


"If he survive?" Titus notes.


"I don't doubt he will." She told him, shaking her head. "However, he will live strong or die quickly - either shall aid the clan."


"It will be done, Senior Sister." Christa said, bowing. Then with a sigh, she picked up the unconscious body of Huo Siren and began to take him away.




colab omake
words:2500

 

[Fluffy_serpent]

The legend of the werewolf​

since he arrived in the forest he had to learn several things from how to avoid animals attacking him while he sleeps to discovering the best place to sleep and take shelter from the rain...

but if there was one thing he liked to do to entertain himself while he wasn't fighting it was to cover himself in wolf skins, put on a wolf head mask (which took him a long time to figure out how to make) and scare the poor fools who wandered into the forest looking for their first animal to tame...although for some reason most of them decided to give offerings instead of fighting....something that while it was good as it meant I could be stronger and fight stronger things was kind of boring...seriously they lacked the flames of youth, the courage to face almost certain death with their heads held high and proud of it...when you become their senior you will be sure to fan THE FLAMES OF YOUTH in them.

---

Wan Zhen had heard a recent myth that in beast-rising forest there existed a werewolf, it is said that he wanders in search of his former friend who betrayed him and threw him to demonic wolves for power
they say that to appease him you must deliver a treasure and that if the treasure satisfies him he will grant you his bloodline...although some say that if you kill him and use his blood in a ritual at full moon you can obtain the bloodline of the werewolf-alpha, which would empower all your physical abilities plus you can control normal wolves and at full moon transform into one which is said to multiply your power in every way in a great way...

And for him, someone with just enough talent to be considered as a member of the golden devil clan, that was his only chance to be somebody and not just a nobody who will die for a random bandit in a random mission without importance...

As he reflected on what led him to this, he found what he was looking for...and what he feared.

a hair-covered bipedal being crouched on its back over the dead and disemboweled body of a pig.

Seeing such a sight Zhen instinctively held his breath and had to restrain himself from turning and running guided by primordial instincts, remnants of when humans were the prey of countless beings and predators of few.

that being seemed to sense his fear or breath and slowly turned around...what he could dazzle was a doggy face with eerie human eyes and teeth with red spots that upon closer inspection was a mixture of clotted and fresh blood.

At such a sight his rasocinio could no longer contain his instinct and he started to run while listening to a disturbing laughter in the background that haunted him.

The more he ran for his life, the more the laughter slowly faded until it disappeared, although in his panic he did not realize this fact and did not stop until he tripped over a stone and stumbled, which was followed by several rolls down the hill and ended with a big fall into a hole that seemed, ironically enough, the mouth of the wolf...this without him knowing it would be his chance to change his destiny or the place that would make him lose everything.

 

[Molyneux]

Well, this'll be my Good Seed contribution

Ilias Barallis

If there was one word that could be used to accurately encapsulate every aspect that is Ilias Barallis it would be large. He's a large man who is a head taller then most and an equally large build, possessing large hips, shoulders and a large gut. Its not just his imposing figure that makes him so large, he also has a large smile and a large booming laugh to match. To find Ilias laughing and entertaining others is a common occurrence, for he a jolly man by nature. He possesses a talent to make others feel at easy in his presence in a way such large men often are unable to do.

Ilias is a man born of two worlds, possessing the bronze lineage of the clan but with the appearance of one of this lands original inhabitants. He couldn't trace his lineage back unbroken to the time the clan first came to this land like others, indeed his blood ties to the core clan family's were faint. Even so, his blood was strong enough to ensure he received the strength of bronze just like those with an undiluted lineages. It's also affected the clans curse of ill fortune, as he has often been blessed with good luck. As such he is an avid gambler.

What his family lacked in a prestigious history he could make up for in diversity in his bloodline. He was not only the descendent of a prince of an desert spanning empire, but also of wagon drivers, cobbler, merchant, a general and one particularly adventurous traveling cultivator who was said to have stolen the hearts of so many maidens throughout the lands that if he'd gather all his children together he'd be able to rival the largest sects. Ilias' has even heard that this cultivator is still around and up to the same old tricks.

With his large build Ilias was first though to make an excellent body cultivator of the clans bronze techniques, despite his lack of pure clan heritage. And indeed he was capable enough in learning the clans techniques, however he never took to the strict discipline and regimented lifestyle expected of him. Ilias much preferred good food, sweet wine and sweeter women to hard work and hitting people in the face. He was a natural charmer with a silver tongue and was often able to sway people to his way of thinking with but a few we'll chosen words, a drink and a laugh.

What Ilias truly excelled at was singing and playing the ruan. Often he'd be found traveling throughout the clans territory or beyond, stopping at cities and towns to play his songs. In his many travels Ilias has made many friends who are happy to share stories and tales of what's happening with him. Naturally he'd relay any good stories back to his family and friends in the clan. He has also been known to drop the odd bit of information to his friends which has helped them out of their own problems. It's only what a good friend would do.

Due to Ilias, or Lian as he's otherwise know while touring, not looking like the typical clansman he's able to pass throughout the lands without others knowing his true identity and lineage. This allows his to travel and be welcomed in areas where others of his clansmen wouldn't dare to go. He is a talented spy with a thriving network of informants that he has built and regularly maintains.

With his voice and ruan Ilias is a skilled demonic tuner, being able to weave his melodies and control whole battles. Given his natural strength and acceptable skills in the clan techniques he doesn't suffer the weakness of other demonic tuners of fearing physical confrontations.

Ilias is a 28 year old 3rd Heavenstage Qi condensation stage cultivator.

 

[no.]

Iskander Pallikari

Backstory: When he was a little boy, Iskander lived in the town of Little Creek. When a swarm of wild Devil Bees attacked the town, it was saved by a passing wandering Cultivator. Iskander never got that person's name, but he was entranced by the looks on the faces of his neighbors when they were saved. On that day, the boy decided that he wanted to make people look like that, and got his wish a few years later when he was discovered to have the spark of cultivation within him.

Just one problem: with no wealth, no exceptional talent and no support structure, Iskander found himself graduating the Dawn Fortress academy firmly in the middle of his class and entering a life of drudgery as a Junior Aspirant. Day in and day out, he did chores and menial tasks at the behest of his betters, making just enough points to push his cultivation forward at a snail's pace. But after about a year of this, something changed.

When the Golden Devils took over the Jingshen Clan's land, they found a number of old battlefields that had been abandoned entirely. Devils, being deeply pragmatic folk, would not let such a thing slide, and to this day the scap from those battlefields is still being shipped back to the Dawn Fortress and melted down to sift out usable Spirit Steel. When working with a load of scrap, Iskander found among the junk something peculiar: an old, broken sword hilt that seemed to call out to him.

Iskander took the hilt back to his domicile and examined it, but found nothing of value. Later that night, a spirit appeared to him in his dream: the ghost of an ancient Nascent Soul named Lai Bohai, bound to the sorry remains of his signature weapon, the Wailing Conqueror. When he asked the Junior Aspirant why he had felt the urge to save the weapon, Iskander simply replied that it felt like someone was calling out for help. Now, he knew for certain, and he would rescue the ghost from his prison.

Lai Bohai was so thoroughly amused that a young man of no worth would make such a bold and arrogant proclamation, and so moved at the purity of the boy's intentions, that he agreed to help him in what tiny ways he could.

High Concept: An optimistic, straightforward and bullheaded young nobody who stumbled upon a possessed treasure of immense worth. Iskander approaches situations with a firm sense of honesty and desire to resolve situations in a way that helps out everyone. Can he keep that big heart in the face of cruel reality?

Cool Thing: The Hilt of the Wailing Conqueror. Once an immensely powerful enchanted sword, this wrecked, useless piece of scrap metal has only one special quality: it is the resting place for the Nascent Soul Lai Bohai, who was sealed inside upon being killed to prevent his reincarnation. Lai Bohai has greatly diminished over the thousands of years of imprisonment, and in his current state can only talk, and spends all but one day a month sleeping. Still, one tutoring session a month from a Nascent Soul can turn a weakling into a legend.

Age: 15

Cultivation: First Heavenstage

Impact: None

Cultivation Goals: Twelfth Heavenstage, then Eighth Pillar, then Twin Core