A redheaded cultivator finally reached the destination he spent a good chunk of time preparing for. He honed his martial prowess as the training he received from a senior didn't allow him to be complacent in the slightest. There was no way to know if Chang was truly ready to take on the Qiguai Clan's little playpen, but death shouldn't be something to fear.
Why should he fear nature? In fact, Chang welcomes it. Life and death are equal in his eyes, but since a clingy taint loves life more than anything, the redheaded, suicidal cultivator will choose to love and embrace death in spite of it all.
For Chang, wouldn't that mean hope lies in death for him? It's truly unknown whether or not he would feel the same way toward death if he didn't possess his naturally unnatural inclinations.
Through his teeth, he let out a breath of air, his cheeks were pulled taught by the grin on his face and his eyes were half-lidded like he was still trying to wake up from a deep slumber.
An individual's path can only be seized by a single person.
The proper road can only be stepped on by a single person.
'Honestly…' Chang thought to himself. His Dao was beginning to take shape and coalesce alongside his ridiculous ego to take shape as the true part of him that could no longer be restrained. There's just a little something that's missing.
Or maybe it's the fact that there is something, but it's holding him back. Could this hesitation be doubt in his path?
Chang wants to utterly destroy everything including himself. Burning out himself in a crusade to just destroy even the heavens sounds completely natural to his aberrant sensibilities.
But he can't reach his true self as long as the tumor on his soul continues to exist, so is that truly what he desires?
Chang did the rare occasion of looking inwards. Not just introspection, but inspecting his own soul and looking at the tumor with something other than unmitigated hostility.
Chang received help; the assistance was a mixture of good and bad, but he received it nonetheless. As a measly cultivator in the paltry Qi Condensation realm, the rest is up to him. That is one of the reasons why he chose to enter the Qiguai Secret Realm.
Another reason is the redheaded man's natural death-seeking desires that can't be pushed down no matter how hard he tries. Frankly speaking, he doesn't even feel like pushing them away anymore. He'll embrace them in full, accepting this part of him while pushing away the cancerous fragment that clings to his soul like taint.
So, as he found himself standing in front of the entrance to the secret realm along with more cultivators than he expected, his expectations were sidestepped. He believed the secret realm to be more closely guarded with a bunch of majesty surrounding the place, but it's almost like a hangout spot where cultivators are stossing insults at each other in preparation to jump into a new world.
Naturally, the reason for that is that Chang and the regular Qi Cultivators aren't allowed inside of the nice big building containing nothing but extravagance limited for the truly powerful and established.
Since Chang has neither status nor power, he can't go in and enjoy himself or relax properly. The sun's fully out and glaring down at him with a lack of strong winds providing a comforting chill.
Tents were set up, but Chang doesn't feel like hanging out with his fellow Golden Devil buddies. Acknowledging their existence and giving them more than just disrespect is the furthest he can go.
As a result, he's relaxing outside, standing up and waiting for the fun stuff to begin. He'll stand all day if he has to.
Beating up somebody and sitting on their head is feeling more and more appealing to him as time passes. The redhead's brow was twitching in annoyance from the cacophony around him.
The redhead is forced to listen to bitching and all sorts of other stuff from cultivators all over. He needs to stay away from some of them, lest they feel like picking a fight. Chang doesn't wish to expend energy putting people into the ground and he doesn't wish to waste money paying for their funerals either.
"Enough…"
He tuned out the white noise and focused on sharpening his resolve. Either he'll gain more power or he dies. Those are the only routes left to him here.
Damn he's feeling exhausted already for some reason.
"Come one come all! Get your free guidebook to special pills and herbs you may find in the secret realm. None of you want to consume a poison and perish like a fool by accident, right?"
The feminine voice was annoyingly loud, the irritation factor being boosted by the fact that it was a yell of a harlot. Chang sighed and reluctantly turned his head to look at what was all the buzzing only to see people congregating around a lady waving around a bunch of notebooks that seemed to be for sale.
The book was being waved so fast that Chang only believed people lined up to get a proper look at what the hell she was talking about.
Chang thought to himself for a moment before going to stand in a line himself. He had nothing better to do. The exchanged words between the merchant and her customers were nothing more than a blur to the man practicing solipsism. Time passed until Chang reached the front and the woman greeted him with a smile, two dimples on full display.
Before she spoke, Chang slurred first. "How much is it?"
"How much do you think?" she asked like it was obvious. The girl demanded the same price of spirit crystals for the extremely valuable information. Newbies to this secret realm would love this info, but rocking up the prices too high would leave dissatisfaction and she obviously doesn't want that.
She carefully set the prices so that anyone who was here would have enough money to buy it, but not too much that they would feel it was a robbery. Since most cultivators carry a good chunk of the good stuff on them, it should've been a good business deal.
Naturally, everyone in the line should be aware of the price because she repeated it multiple times. What she didn't realize was that she was dealing with a man whose ego was so enlarged, it could block out the sun.
What that means is that Chang didn't pay any attention to what she or anyone else said at all until now. The words just didn't register to him. So, the redhead's response was perfectly sound to him. The woman had no curves of which to speak of, something that reminded him of Qinglong. Even ignoring that fact, he wasn't keen on showing courtesy to anyone right now.
"It's worth nothing, thanks." He snatched the book from her hand, leaving her and the line of people behind Chang dumbfounded.
Somebody took offense immediately.
"Hey, why didn't he have to pay for that?!"
Chang immediately went to tuning out the outside noise and inside noise pulsing from his soul while intaking the information in the book. In this strange state, He was basically blankly staring into space while turning pages. His eyes were barely able to read the words, but he could understand it enough.
"Hey!" Of course, his important studies were interrupted by a tight grip on his shoulder. Chang turned his head and saw the lady who kindly donated the book to him give him an odd stare.
"Hm?"
He just now noticed that her eyes were the same color as his, but with a darker shade. The color of blood even. Chang frowned. Something's off about her.
"What? Are you planning on getting in my way or disturbing me? Then take out your weapon and let's go right now."
Chang's boldness and arrogance was completely unrestrained as he wasn't talking to anyone from the Golden Devil Clan. There was no need to hold back his ego when dealing to people outside of those he's supposed to show a modicum of decorum toward.
He wasn't interested in flirting with any woman right now. That's secondary compared to his deathly desires.
The brunette cultivator's gaze became completely blank. Chang couldn't read her emotions, but he frankly wasn't good at reading that kind of stuff in the first place. He did feel something odd from her, but her cultivation wouldn't allow him to be endangered by his merchant in the slightest.
"Ahaha, it's no big deal. Yeah, that's on the house from me."
'What?'
That cheery laughter was the last thing he expected as a response. He was prepared to brain the woman the instant she showed hostility, but he was the one who got brained instead.
"Don't worry everyone! Since he was my thousandth customer, I thought he deserved to get something for his fortune! Here, I'll cut the prices in half to celebrate!"
Chang couldn't prevent himself from feeling the emotion known as schadenfreude directed toward those who paid the full price. If he took the time to look he would've spotted people with black lines on their foreheads. Their anger mounted and almost pushed them to do something.
Unfortunately for them, all they can do is swallow their anger and wait until after the portal stuff is done. Guards are still here after all.
Chang shrugged and went back to reading the notebook containing notes on all sorts of herbs and pills. The ways to identify and separate poisonous herbs from beneficial herbs to bolster cultivation was contained here.
"Good." The redhead began smiling to himself.
Maybe he should've tipped the lady, but what's done is done. He'll need all the spirit stones in his possession for his stone gauntlets. He can just feel that he's gonna push his body past its limits here.
Chang sat down on a sizable boulder and waited for the portal to open, his eyes roving over the carefully inked pages. The detail lying in this seems weird…
"This information feels like it was gained secondhand," he noted after a bit of reading.
There was a great amount of detail, but it seemed to lack the experience from a person who truly went into the Qiguai Secret Realm.
A fraud?
Chang shook his head. He would identify if the information is fraudulent when he goes into the realm and tries out a pill or a herb himself. If the comparable information is wrong, then he'll know for sure.
Hopefully he won't get instantly killed by poison though. Death is nice, but a joke of a death like that would be laughably disappointing.
Chang frowned to himself.
'I'm getting too crazy about death.' It's only now he realizes how his lunatic nature has only gotten worse over the years. The frequency of his thoughts about death are increasing.
Fuck, his sanity is starting to go. The redhead took meditative breaths to calm himself down, but from finally understanding that his mind is fraying, it seemed to only deteriorate his mental state. Just how is he gonna calm himself down? He doesn't even know the cause behind this.
At this rate, he'll lose his mind halfway in the Foundation Establishment Realm. He clicked his tongue and walked over to the book donor. The portal hasn't been opened yet, so there's still time to kill.
"Verify the truth of this book." Chang didn't ask, he demanded. Since she completely sold out, it was easier to speak with her.
"Huh? What do you mean to verify the truth of it? All of it's true." The last time he trusted a female merchant, he nearly got conned out of everything including the clothes on his back. Bitches are crazy.
"Prove it's true then."
"How do I prove it without going in? Since I'm not going in, you'll just have to take my word for it or ask some of the veterans who have gone in as a cross-reference." She does make a good point.
'Wait, she's not going in?'
Chang saw the brunette pack her bags and sling them over her shoulder. She had a slight twinkle in her eyes when she looked at the half-open book in Chang's hand. "I expect you to pay me back in interest later if you make it out of that boring secret realm alive."
Chang deemed further words pointless and let out a sigh while halfheartedly waving her away. He turned around before she left and went back to his rock, keen on closing his eyes and meditating until it was time.
What he meditated on was the book. He couldn't allow himself to get lost in his own thoughts. He'd start scratching himself and lose valuable blood; he'll need each and every drop of it to survive what's in store…at least, that's how he feels.
There's a certain kind of dread emanating from this secret realm that the redhead just feels clinging to him at all times.
It's exciting.
Chang lost track of time, but he forgot when the secret realm would begin anyway. He was lost in his notebook when an explosive echoing sound rang in the entire area, utterly shaking everyone's ears to the insides.
If it stopped at that then it would've been a mere annoyance.
"Alright get ready!!" a man roared with impatience and strength, his voices seemingly even louder than the gong he banged on. Yes, voices. It somehow echoed and repeated itself from a single mouth, which annoyed him greatly. Chang stood to his feet. "Those who want to enter our Secret Realm need to form lines to receive your instructions and a number!!"
Is this why the merchant left? So she wouldn't have to hear this trash yelling and spitting his garbage everywhere? He could've toned his voice down.
"What are you waiting for?! We don't have all day, so move!!" The screaming man spoke up once again, his booming voices crashing into everyone's ears just because there were a few stragglers taking their time.
Chang sighed.
'I'm gonna kill that shit.'
He slapped both of his cheeks and got his head in the game. He put that man out of his mind and lined up while going over the information in the book and his training. He needed to remember his goal. He's couldn't seek death. Chang sought power.
He can't allow his instincts to override rational thought and trade deathblows with a man just because of his own ego. No matter what, he's going to survive and increase his power, so his dreams of death can be worth something.
'Wait, something's off. Is that really how I feel?'
The man in front of Chang was wearing some expensive robes. He was shorter than the redhead, but he carried himself with a far more nobler air while he kept his hand on a sword strapped to his waist. He seemed to be extremely tense.
Chang contrasted him by holding back a yawn while digging wax out of his ear. Energy was wasted from being out in the sun all day and he doesn't feel like wasting anymore by getting all tense before jumping into the secret realm.
He looked at the piece of wax he pulled from his ear and wiped it on the man's expensive robes. He immediately turned around with a questioning look on his face.
Chang gave kind advice. "I saw how tense you were and just gave you a little pat on the back so you could unwind. We're not in yet, so don't stretch yourself too tight that you snap alright?"
"Um, which clan or sect do you hail from?" The redhead smiled at the fact that his bullshit was bought. The man in front still had his suspicions, but he did calm down just a slight amount.
"Where I'm from doesn't really matter. Inside the realm and outside the realm, we're all equal and the same."
"Hm…you do make a fair point. Good luck, fellow cultivator." And just like that, Chang was able to get away with rubbing his ear wax on a random stranger in front while making the man think the redhead was just a neighborly guy with good intentions.
Chang craned his head backwards and shot a smirk at the utterly deadpan expression plastered on the cultivator behind him. Expressions speak louder than words and the man's expression spoke an essay on how full of shit Chang was. The man behind didn't speak up though because it'd just start a commotion and he might get swept up in it.
Well, more than that, he just doesn't really care.
Most people are focused on themselves and the secret realm and Chang and the cultivator behind him aren't really any different.
What Chang can do though is spare some mental energy to screw around for the sake of relaxing before he needs to stress himself past a breaking point.
In the end, the redhead is just stalling. The passing time was a temporary ally to Chang until he reached the front of the line.
There was a simple woman, most likely from the Qiguai clan that recited something he completely tuned out. It would only be important when he exited the secret realm, thus it's pointless words.
The redheaded cultivator got a badge that led him into another line. The process was beginning to get tedious in an annoying way pretty quickly. Chang contemplated the process.
It was obvious that things would be faster if they just let everyone pile into the gate to the secret realm. However, that would also make things a lot more chaotic and a lot less boring and tedious. To Chang that was nothing but positives all around, but he can recognize that people usually dislike what he likes and he likes what people usually dislike.
In spite of that, he would force his likes on people if he had the power and if it was convenient enough.
He sighed as time swapped from ally to enemy. It'd be a good time to smoke a pipe right now, but he willingly broke his last one for the sake of his primary addiction that not even being fulfilled right now.
"This needs to hurry the hell up already."
When it was finally Chang's turn to enter the portal, he could not contain himself.
The widening of his eyes and the stretching of his lips conveyed an undeniable excitement and joy. There was more than a mere trace of jubilation when he stepped through the portal and was blasted with the view of a dark tunnel, a light at the end that called for Chang.
There was zero hesitation in the redheaded cultivator's steps.
The feeling of entering a different world through means of basically teleportation was indescribable. Chang felt odd for a moment, a fleeting disorientation making him stumble just a slight bit as a minor pulse of his soul made his mood dip for just a moment.
The insides of the Qiguai Secret Realm blew away that minor trace of negativity. There were a lot of plants that resembled drawings found in his little notebook. The ecosystem was completely chaotic: there was a mesh of different types of forests sprawled in all directions, like some powerful being did a patchwork job of making a world.
All in all it was pretty…
"How bland."
Even the dark hole of the portal leading here was more exciting, though not because of the view itself, but the anticipation. That was also slightly bland.
He really expected something out of expectations. A secret realm should have been more... To him it should have be indescribable. Words were supposed to fail him.
Chang looked in all four directions and each spot in his eyes possessed a different environment. He jumbled them all up in his head, spun an imaginary pipe, and walked toward the direction the pen stopped closest to.
Chang was going into the jungle where he would probably find some annoying monkeys if he remembers his ecosystems right. He could amuse himself with the fact that he was going west.
He escaped his family by going west and he's choosing to go west in this secret realm.
"Let's see if the luck that led me to the Golden Devils will work again here." He didn't bother to wait at the entrance for anyone else. Even if there were Golden Devil cultivators he could team up with, the idea of teamwork just doesn't mesh well with him. He'll go solo and continue to go solo until something makes him forcibly choose otherwise or if his mindset changes.
Since the redhead very much doubts the latter will happen, there's nothing to worry about. He can remain himself no matter what.
But who exactly is he?
He shook his head and found comfort from the monotonous sound of his footwear stepping over dirt and grass. The hypnotic and soothing sound of wading through an environment dense with foliage brought solace to Chang's chaotic mind. There were no hostile beasts or cultivators he could feel in the area, so the young cultivator could take his sweet ass time exploring the place while matching plants to his notebook.
The jungle plants look harmless, so it seems like the safest way to test the veracity of the merchant who sold this thing.
"According to the book, this plant makes you itch when you touch it." Chang touched the harmless thing and felt the immediate urge to rapidly scratch all over his body. It wasn't so simple as touching it would make the part you touched it with feel itchy. Chang resisted the urge, but it was annoying.
Not as annoying as a certain other pervasive itch that he's forced to deal with.
At least it was harmless to verify the truth of the notebook. He wouldn't trust all of it as that would be a fool's errand, but a good majority of it is probably true. He'll have to identify what seems to have less information and what seems to have more information, but for now, he can truly explore this place.
Chang looked up to get a feel for where he was, an attempt to use the sky as a compass to understand his directions and locations, but that was a fool's errand.
The sun and sky looked extremely odd and if he strained his eyes to look further, the stars were even odder. The redhead let out a helpless laugh.
"Guess it's just wandering aimlessly and getting into fights while trying to find some of the goodies. I'll have to cultivate in between as well. Can't let myself fall behind even if I'm in a dangerous place."
When the barest signs of hunger began to set in, Chang quickly swiftly pulled a pouch from his robes and opened. In his hands was a small pill he pulled out. It was nothing more than a simple pill used to fill up one's stomach. He made sure to stock up on a bunch of these for his trip to the secret realm.
The roar of a beast was the next thing Chang heard after the rumbling of his stomach. It was louder than any noise he could make and it carried an aura of power. Chang could tell from the noise that the tiger that screamed in the jungle could definitely kill him, so he swiftly dashed in a direction away from it.
After the roar of a tiger, he heard the howls of monkeys. After the howls of monkeys he ran into snakes that he barely avoided getting bitten by. Chang didn't feel like testing if they were venomous or not, so he fled from them as well.
Six hours passed and Chang was running around in the jungle, his body haggard. His clothes were ruffled and wrinkled from all the running and jumping he did while avoiding beasts that would slow him down and fighting against ones that wouldn't let him go. The redhead didn't go unharmed as there were minor scratches that piled up.
He took the time to sit down near a tree and begin cultivating, the diligence of gaining power and training being instilled in him from birth. The Ninth Prince's training came in handy as he learned how to read his environment and dodge better.
Overall, his movement abilities soared even if he didn't pick up a movement technique. What Chang needed was life-and-death battles to further hone himself with true experience. He didn't flee the animals because he feared them.
He ran to train himself. Running in a jungle was ridiculously hard with vines hanging from trees and bushes getting in the way. He had to time his jumps and make sure he didn't trip over even the smallest animal that could kill him with its venom. These were no piranhas, but they're just as deadly.
Insects were truly the most dangerous type of creature in this environment. Thankfully, Chang's senses were finely honed from that damn montage training he did, so he can spot them with his eyes and either step on them or stay away from them if they're the flying types.
Only thing worse than bugs are flying bugs. That's something the redhead must keep in mind.
All in all though, he was having quite the time of his life. He was running around and being chased all over the jungle, only have some few breaks of less than ten minutes, but being pushed like this was invigorating in a certain way.
If it wasn't for his soul tumor irritating him all the while, this would practically be a vacation.
Chang can't get complacent though. This isn't a vacation and he didn't come here to have fun. If he's having fun then that means he's not pushing himself enough. Until his body breaks and until he's cursing his past self, he can't let up the self-torturous training he plans on going through.
"Woah!" Chang leapt over a strange jungle reptilian he's never seen in his life. He was about to fall on a pile of snakes, but he grabbed onto a vine and swung himself across a large river, jumping on another vine when he was about to fall in. He passed over the body of water and continued onward, making sure everything was still on his person.
The redhead had the slight thought of removing his stone gauntlets to train himself more, but that would only make it harder to train. He can't fight against stronger opponents without them.
"Actually, I need to go pick a fight with another cultivator. They have techniques and skills while beasts usually rely on their bodies… Yeah, I need to build more experience dealing with sapient fighters." Chang had the bad habit of talking to himself like a crazy person, but it's not like there was anyone else around to judge him.
"This day's about to end though."
Chang allowed a hint of concern to seep through his expression. He cupped his chin in thought. It'll be harder to find another person during nighttime. Especially in this enormous secret realm. Chang needs to plan on finding a place to rest now that the sun is beginning to set.
He traveled a desert, but he wasn't really all that experienced in traveling through a jungle. There was the obvious common sense of avoiding trees because of the insects and snakes, and making sure there's a water source nearby, but Chang's in the dark of anything other than that.
He stretched his left arm and prepared to waste a large amount of time in this secret realm; his cultivation will improve, but his experiences might make him exhausted by the time he's done with this place.
…
The redhead didn't bother counting hours and days. Keeping track of the time was ultimately meaningless as a cultivator. Chang engorged himself on the natural food of the wildlife, taking care to not provoke any beast that would render him a bloody smear on the dirt.
He had pills to stave off hunger, but that's no fun for the energetic redhead. Striving to survive through hunting beasts and taking their lives to sustain his own just felt right to him. He explored a large amount of the jungle and found some dangerous parts even he didn't want to get involved with
There was an odd mist that had a solid quality to it. Chang was unable to pass through it yet there were some life forms that could pass through it like it was actual mist. There was also a deep ravine with a cave system lining the walls. Chang didn't explore that yet because the jungle had more fun and it had more light.
There were beasts he sustained injuries from while achieving a victory, beasts he had to run from because he couldn't damage them in the slightest, and beasts he had to run from for a different reason. He was surrounded by deadliness on all sides and he was living it up in style. Chang felt right at home in this hostile jungle.
Ultimately, he had a lot of fun, but even that fun couldn't last.
There was a frown on Chang's face as the once exciting period of survival in the secret realm finally became monotonous and bland. The insipid pattern didn't have anything broken up and the young cultivator felt his progress stall. He's not going to tackle the ravine yet because there's still something else he needs to do.
"I need to pick a fight with somebody if I'm gonna continue onward." Since he hasn't seen any other human cultivator drop in the ravine, there's probably none there.
He also needs to search for some of the goodies that people naturally find here. If he's fortunate enough, which he knows he isn't, he'll stumble across a nice plant that'll make his cultivation soar.
He sighed.
He'll have to beat somebody up and rob them, won't he.
Well, that's better than having to search for stuff himself. He can knock out three birds with one stone: his boredom will abate, he'll find a nice cultivation booster, and he'll gain more combat experience.
Chang continued his path into the jungle, the environment growing slightly more barren with broken up sections of ground appearing into view. The redhead raised a brow in amazement at what seemed like a large fight that took place.
The trace of Qi in the air and the pressure told him that the fighters were all above at least sixth Heavenstage and there were over five individuals that duked it out. There were even some beasts that got involved.
Chang could tell due to the stench of blood in the air and the bodies strewn everywhere.
'This was recent.'
The young cultivator marched onwards with steps more cautious than they were previously. He donned a cat's grace, a rare sign of wariness and acknowledgement that he needs to watch for anything that can kill him.
He needs to keep telling himself that gaining power is the goal and death isn't. He needs to actively go against the inclinations that constituted the whole of his life.
The fact that his little soul tumor isn't acting up means that the two existences are unanimously in agreement for once. That just irritates Chang. And that small irritation was enough to trigger the tumor—nothing more than a small vibration made itself apparent in the redhead's mind.
He sighed and gave up any sign of caution and dashed forward, igniting more internal pulses of concern. He felt the rush of Qi within his body speed up.
Exhilarating. He hates to admit it, but there's a certain rush to having his soul make his Qi run at full force outside of his control.
Chang's swift flight took him to a spot of the jungle that was barren of the usual cluster of trees with vines and other plantlife clinging to them and choking their roots. The sight of people up ahead being alarmed by his encroaching presence forced him to a stop before they pulled their weapons out and skewered him.
He looked at all of them, cultivations ranging from fifth Heavenstage to seventh Heavenstage. Chang pointed at the strongest of them all, a short, burly man who developed a beard, but unfortunately went bald early.
"Who are you?" The strongest of them pierced Chang with his gaze. He had a warhammer strapped to his back and he seemed like he knew how to use it.
Perfect. An opponent who possesses skill with a weapon and one who's of a higher cultivation than him. His wariness has no arrogance born from being stronger, which means he has a wellspring of experience as well.
All in all, this is a good opponent for the redhead to test his mettle.
The rest of the man's comrades were keen on standing back. Their stances were relaxed and their hands weren't making anything close to movements nearing their weapons.
Chang looked over them all and exclaimed: "Wow, looks like we got a bit of a festival here! I wish there were more people, but you're enough." He pointed at the bald man in the middle. "You, let's exchange pointers. My motivation is battle experience to sharpen myself."
You heard a scoff. It came from a person who didn't matter. "Why should we waste our time entertaining a weak pissant like you? We're busy if you couldn't tell earlier."
Chang didn't even look at the man. "I'm not talking to you, dumb bastard. Gouge your eyes out if you can't see who I'm speaking to or cut your tongue out if you could and decided to run your retarded mouth anyways."
All with a grin on his face, he hurled abuses toward somebody who dared to act arrogant in his presence. Chang is the only one who can sling verbal abuses with arrogance and boldness unless somebody wants to trade barbs with him. He wouldn't mind doing that actually, but there's something more important right now.
"You!"
"'You' what? You wanna kill yourself for the sake of everyone here, so they don't need to listen to anymore barking?"
He kept his gaze focused on the baldy, ignoring the fuming and killing intent aimed at him. He's felt more threatened by brats than that. A snake-eyed one, but still a brat nonetheless.
"Hahaha, Feng Li are you really gonna take that from a mere upstart?"
"Brat, I'll kill you!"
Chang sighed. THe fact that one of the comrades incited the other one tells him that their relationship isn't as close as it seems on the surface. If the man calmed down, then they would be pretty good buddies at least, but he instead got even angrier enough to draw a weapon.
Chang didn't see the weapon he drew because he wasn't even looking at the man. His gaze was only focused on the most dangerous person in the group. That bald, burly man let out an almost imperceptible sigh before turning around.
"That's enough." Those words were enough to calm even the furious man down. He was extremely unwilling, but he seemed even more unwilling to contest the group leader's words.
Probably due to his strength.
The man turned back around, his taciturn mood giving way to a small amount of curiosity. "Tell me boy, what reason do I have to exchange pointers with you? I get nothing out of it."
A light sound of stone tapping against stone rang out through the jungle's clearing. Chang drew attention to his special gauntlets. "I'll give you these. They run on spirit stones and they'll allow you to hit above your level if you're wearing them. I'm sure you'll find a great use for them as long as you're in here."
Chang left out the information that they cost an annoying amount of spirit stones. Its upkeep was almost not worth it, but the redhead needed the power boost to keep up with some things here.
Two cultivators stared each other down until one of them closed their eyes in acceptance. "You're correct. As a blacksmith, I can find a good use for those things."
Chang now knew where the muscles came from. He also smiled at the fact that this deal was looking like it was gonna go through just fine.
When the blacksmith opened his eyes, he swiftly untied the warhammer from his back and held it diagonally from him. "I accept your terms. For this battle, I will hold nothing back. Fists and weapons have no eyes, so no hard feelings if anyone dies."
"Boss, are you serious?!" It wasn't just the previously fuming man, the rest of the group was fretting, clearly worrying over something.
"Don't worry, I'll make this quick." Ah, they were worried about attracting more dangerous monsters. Well, that would be annoying, so Chang would have to finish this quickly.
The redheaded cultivator's devilish smirk told a tale that the man was unaware of. The bald man viewed it as nothing more than the cockiness of a newbie who didn't know the difference between heaven and earth, but Chang had a nasty ploy in mind.
While he was rushing over toward their direction, his eyes barely caught a trace of the blacksmith slipping a pill into his robes. His eyes were burning a hole through his hand before he concealed it at lightning speed, later believing that Chang didn't see it.
If the redhead put up an offer for that pill, the man might've pulled some dirty trickery halfway through the fight in order to keep his victory secured. So Chang talked about some bullshit like he merely wanted to gain battle experience.
It's not like that was a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
The redhead settled into a medium stance, his knees bent more than usual. He was forcing pressure on his knees to kick off with his maximum strength. The instant the man moved, Chang would move too.
For a moment, it was a simple stalemate between two opponents.
The next moment, the warhammer-wielding blacksmith moved, intent on defeating his opponent quickly. He neither underestimated Chang nor overestimated him, so he swung his heavy weapon with eighty percent of his strength, keeping some power in reserve so he wouldn't overextend and leave himself open.
Chang kicked off the ground and threw a punch backed with all of his strength into the hardest part of the hammer. He left the ground toward the blacksmith and then he was blown away a dozen meters in the opposite direction from the force of the impact. The hand underneath the stone gauntlet was shaking down to the bone.
His insides churned and he held his body stable. At least he wasn't completely floored and coughing up blood already.
'Those muscles aren't for show and he was still holding power in reserve. He should've been able to injure me internally with a single strike if he used his full power.'
It was only by the grace of the stone's defensive properties and the Ninth Prince's training that Chang didn't have his hand broken. The redhead acknowledged this and activated the spirit stones embedded into it.
There was no visible external difference in the gauntlets, but there was an extremely low thrum humming. It was barely audible to Chang, but his opponent's superior ears were able to hear it as well. He became even more wary.
The two cultivators began circling around each other.
Chang recalled the cursed montage. Not only did his trained body become even more trained and hardened, but he also learned how to move his body with greater grace and agility. He previously applied it to the environment of the jungle to cover more ground, but he applied it to this fight, something it was meant for the most.
He read his opponent's fighting style and judged him to be the cautious type that always keeps his strength in reserve so he can react to any surprises without being caught too flatfooted.
It was the complete opposite of Chang's fighting style – a berserk rush that eschewed most defensive maneuvers – thus, it was something Chang could deal with. The Ninth Prince taught him observation and patience, but he was born with instincts and a frenzied spirit.
He combined the two and leapt forward. Chang threw a flurry of fists, the impact of the blows bolstered by the spirit stones being burned away in the stone gauntlets. The gusts of wind were the harbinger of the redheaded cultivator's furious assault.
The stronger man possessed enough speed and experience to block the attacks, but Chang held the speed advantage. He wasn't wielding a heavy warhammer even if he did have a lower cultivation.
Those burly muscles also didn't lend credence to the idea that his opponent relied on speed either.
The match took a slight turn and it seemed like the advantage was with the faster fighter. Chang threw punch after punch with every bit of his power. He held nothing back, he couldn't afford to hold anything back, unlike his opponent. Chang's body was filled with openings, even vital ones that would render him defeated immediately if the warhammer struck those spots.
The blacksmith was observing his opponent with calmness.
Chang wasn't the one with the advantage.
The bald, burly man sweated, but he kept his demeanor as tranquil as a still lake. He could fend off all of his spirited opponent's attacks. All he needed to do was wait for the all-out assault to wane just the slightest and he could take advantage of his superior skill to land a crippling blow on the redhead.
The blacksmith continued to block, block, block, and block. The powerful gauntlets exhausted his stamina slightly with each block, but he did everything he could to give the appearance that he barely parried them.
This was how he could deceive Chang into thinking that he had the advantage.
There's a large difference between parrying attacks and blocking them head on, and it was this difference that gave Chang the confidence that he would eventually overwhelm his opponent.
The two opponents were reading each other, trying to even read ahead of each other.
The one sided assault progressed, a raging river beat down on a boulder in the center. Either the flow would slow or the rock would erode. The intensity increased until…
"Hu…!"
An infinitesimal disruption in the timing between Chang's attacks; the increasing flow of the barrage stopped increasing for just the smallest moment.
That was all it took for the blacksmith to use more of his power. His cautious nature still meant he kept some in reserve, but he parried one of Chang's attacks.
With Chang always attacking with max power, even if his stance was stable, there would naturally be openings occurring. Especially since he wasn't even bothering to put a guard up.
The blacksmith's warhammer swung at Chang's side. It neared his ribs with frightful intensity and haste.
The attack would fracture all of the ribs it landed on at best and utterly render them shattered at worst.
The blacksmith read ahead successfully.
Chang smiled savagely like a reckless madman and launched a suicidal attack directed toward the blacksmith's throat, which surprised even him.
If Chang strained his hardest, he should've been able to at least shift his body to avoid severe damage. This was also just a match for him to increase his battle experience… Or so he said to the bald man.
The older man didn't expect a vicious knife hand strike to cut through the air. With those stone gauntlets active and running at full force, the blacksmith would have his neck grievously injured. Hell, he could even die from the attack if it lands on a certain spot.
He cursed internally and pulled the shaft of his warhammer, putting it in the way of Chang's strike. He never put all his power into his attacks, so he could turn an offensive maneuver into a defensive one quicker than others.
The one who truly read ahead in the fight…was Chang.
The promised strike never impacted the hammer. Before the blacksmith realized he was tricked, it was all too late.
"Oooooooooh…" A low howl that sounded like it came from the living dead itself ripped itself from the blacksmith's throat. He was attacked viciously and with great trickery and deception. His eyes were bulged and were bloodshot, and his pupils rolled up in great agony. He felt nauseous and the pain that assaulted his lower regions couldn't be described with mere words.
He couldn't even shout with all of his might because of the fierce attack.
Due to an expertly timed kick to the nether region Chang was able to win the fight in just one attack.
The blacksmith fell over, his bow legged stance doing nothing to support his body.
The man's subordinates were shocked silly, like chickens finding themselves face to face with a starving wolf. Cheap shots were expected in battles and even celebrated in a place such as this. To survive, pretty much anything goes as long.
However, Chang merely said he wanted to exchange pointers. As a result, nobody, not even the man who was afflicted with vile pain, expected the atrocious blow to the groin. His ability to reproduce may be hampered if he doesn't get treated.
"Youuuuuuuuuuuuuu…!" Chang wasted no time posturing or taunting his opponent. He rummaged through his clothes and pockets with a prodigious speed. It matched the experience of a bandit or a robber looting a person's body.
Chang found the pill and popped it in his mouth with no regrets.
He then ran back where he came from.
The blacksmith felt like spitting blood. He was kicked in the nuts, had a pill that he and his allies fought for stolen, and now those so-called allies of his were content standing around like mannequins.
"What the fuck…are you idiots doing?! Stop standing…around! We've been fucking had!!" His voice wasn't quiet in the slightest.
Monkeys howled in response to his shouts, seemingly treating the screaming man as one of them. His yell shook his standing comrades out of their fugue with one of them taking the time to make an inappropriate comment.
"You really lost an exchange of pointers like that?"
"I see…someone doesn't want their equipment repaired again!"
He was the first to chase after Chang. Those words held a deep meaning for him because he had the tendency to break his gear a lot. The chainmail he's wearing right now is slightly cracked because of his limited ability to dodge attacks.
The blacksmith's other comrades were slightly better hunters as they were able to dodge relatively quick attacks. With their speed, they were able to easily catch up to the man running like his tail was stepped on.
They conversed to themselves once they judged their distance to be far enough from the struggling blacksmith.
"Is it really worth chasing this guy? I mean he already took the Glorious Qi Pill."
"Bastard, are you serious?! If we don't catch him, the boss'll skin us alive and never make a piece of equipment for us again. Did your busted up head forget how good he is at holding grudges?"
Another man scoffed. "What do you mean he'll never make more equipment for us? You mean he'll never make more shit for you, dumbass. If you didn't provoke him, would you be in such a desperate situation like now?"
"Fuck off! How about this: if it's known that a mere junior of the Third Heavenstage is able to get away from us, then we'll be fucking jokes. We are hunters. What would happen to our income if this gets out? I'm sure you know the answer."
The other men sighed. They didn't really want to go turn this forest over. The dangers of the secret realm weren't forgotten by them at all. Honestly, the best outcome for them would be if they returned with the pill, but the blacksmith somehow died by the time they returned.
With those men employing their searching methods, Chang was running through at full speeds with zero hesitation. He spent a decent chunk of time getting to learn this area and made sure not to step into any bodies of water. He has no idea where they could lead.
The foggy areas would also lead to him getting lost as well, so that's a no go as well. Crossing out those two paths, Chang decided to take a fork in the beaten path and dash to a part of the jungle he's most familiar with.
Chang recalled many stories about the Qiguai Secret Realm from other clansmen. He never went to hear them out of his own accord as there was enough information that floated around as it was. Eavesdropping wasn't a hobby of his, yet he couldn't help the fact that information dropped into his lap.
The above is dangerous, the below is dangerous, the center is dangerous, everywhere is dangerous.
Sorting through all that information, Chang's breath became heavy.
He felt like laughing to himself when everyone basically implied that literally everything about and everywhere in the secret realm was dangerous. If he laughed though, he might accidentally swallow the pill still in his mouth. He needs to find a good place to eat this thing, so he can boost his capabilities and maybe fight off those guys chasing him.
'Aren't there some ravines around here somewhere? I think I stumbled over some?' Chang followed his hazy memories.
He held a hand to his chest when he felt a pressure building up inside. The familiar pressure. Merely thinking about it is a redundant act, yet it's one that Chang can't help but bitch about and sigh.
"Just fucking calm down already." He'll make it through this. He always has much to his consternation and he always will.
Chang took a large leap off a tree and finally found a large ravine that came into view. He didn't hesitate before jumping off the foliage and into the divided area.
He caught a piece of rock before leaping into a cave system that housed god only knows. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to stay at the front because he'll get spotted by his last opponent's allies.
Chang went deeper into the caves, a reckless action, but he really has no other choice. He has no clue what lives here, so he can only get lucky and pray he doesn't run into a monster or a group of monsters that live here.
The redhead sat down next to a wall. Chang lit a small fire from his finger to illuminate his dark surroundings. To fill up the soundless cave, all he needed to do was breathe. It felt as if he was the only person in the world.
It was comforting.
Of course, it was ruined instantly by the sensation of the other existence that latched onto Chang's life. The young cultivator sighed.
It'll never go away unless he dies or if he somehow removes it from his soul.
He shook his head before he could go into another spiral about the sanctity of death and how annoying living is. Even that can get old and annoying to Chang.
"This pill has lots of Qi in it. I should thank him and his buds for the gift when I get out." The safety of his current location was unknown, but his decision was to swallow the pill anyway. He felt the round and small sphere go down his throat and into his stomach before a sensation, both hot and cool, well up within his body.
The redhead concentrated on the flow of Qi and felt the amount increase within his body. He controlled it and made sure it didn't aggressively overflow and destroy his meridians unchecked.
Chang felt undiluted power well up in his body, the intoxicating sensation overriding even the irritating sensation of the cancer on his soul. He stood up and cracked his fingers, back hunched over. His shadow on the wall seemed to look more like a beast than a human.
"Hahaha…" The lit up flame on his fingertip granted the cave greater brightness. Chang could now see much more of the cave than before and Chang spotted a strange plant as a result. He pulled the flower off the wall while running through the notebook got from that shady merchant.
"Pretty sure I've seen this somewhere in here…ah, here it is. A Yellow Meridian Expanding Phoenix Fireflower? And the description…?" Chang sat down again, bringing the small flame closer to the book so he could read the text.
The flower laid his lap as Chang trailed through the text with a growing light in his eyes. "...Expand and strengthen the flow of Qi through a person's meridians. Fuck yeah!"
He swore in excitement. It was another thing he could use to boost his cultivation. It seems like lady luck is smiling upon him this fortunate day, though he doesn't remember putting the moves on her. Maybe she just finally fell for his natural charms instead of cursing him his entire life?
Chang didn't think twice before using the flower to enhance his cultivation.
By the time he was done building his strength in the cave, his stamina recovered as well. Chang was ready to take on his pursuers and give them the what for.
"Stronger…I'm getting stronger, but it's still too slow." His good mood dropped immediately.
It's always like this. When Chang gets lucky, he's reminded of this tumor on his soul, pulsing and writhing like it's alive. Like it has a right to be alive. The redhead can't stand it. It's always reacting when he's in danger. If there's a threat to his life, the soul would prefer to flee.
And now, there was a change in the tumor that was bothering Chang even more than before. He didn't notice back when he increased his prowess from a cultivator of the First Heavenstage to the Third, but now that he reached greater heights, he can feel the difference in the soul's pressure.
As he increases in cultivation, the tumultuous pounding of his other increases, it's vigor skyrocketing to new heights while irritating the redhead. Chang gripped his hair in agony.
He's dealt with this all his life and it's getting worse and worse. The man was finally starting to give in. He doesn't know if he can continue to deal with this if his cultivation continues to increase and increase and increase. If this thing will only get worse, then…
"It's always like this," The redhead muttered. Blood roared in his ears, his incandescent rage increased in potency and rivaled the song of survival being hummed by the tumor.
'Always, always, always, always…'
Chang strolled out of the caves like a zombie and ran into some gargantuan ants in the process. He smashed them to pieces and maintained his pace. They were nothing more than a footnote. The previous him would have struggled, but they're worth nothing now.
'Always, always, always, always…'
His walk became an amble, a type of aimless wandering by those who are lost on what to do with their lives. Chang became one of these people.
Should he continue to cultivate and gain greater power for fame, so he could just go out in a blaze of glory like he initially wanted or should he just end it all and reincarnate in some better circumstances?
It feels like he even forgot what he wanted in the first place.
By the time his mind snapped back to reality, he found himself back in the jungle again. His stone gauntlets were covered in the blood of beasts.
"Damn! Finally found this asshole!" A voice prompted him to turn around. There were a group of people who looked both annoyed and tired and their weapons were drawn. Chang doesn't know why they're seemingly hostile to him…wait, was this the group he stole the pill from?
Now that he looks back on it, there is kind of a resemblance? Chang has to narrow his eyes, but he can see it.
The extension on his soul thumped like a heartbeat. It sensed the threat to Chang's life and merely reacted like it always does.
"...Oh." It was a sound birthed by a realization.
"Hey, can you hand over that pill? We promise to only beat you up a little—"
"Look at his cultivation base. It's obvious he got a nice little deal out of that pill."
"So, we gotta deliver his dead body to the boss then?"
"Yep."
Their words failed to enter Chang's ears.
If the tumor is going to react to anything that's a threat, then there's a simple solution to this life-long issue. Chang never thought about it in this unique way, but if he gets rid of anything that could pose a threat to his life, then he'll never have to worry about any more reactions. With that peace, he could then cultivate without an issue and finally cut that tumor loose from him once and for all.
That means…
"Alright, let's go." He finally heard words.
—It just means he needs to kill everything.
…
Chang successfully fled from the blacksmith's allies when he stole the pill and afterwards, he was able to increase his cultivation base with the assistance of the pill and a nice little herb he serendipitously happened upon.
That was good luck.
Chang was born in a rich family with an overbearing father and an odd mother, but they loved him nonetheless. He had good siblings as well and the guards were friendly. Despite his issues, he was a loved child.
That was bad luck.
Chang was born wrong. It would've been better for him not to be born ever. Because of the tumor on his soul driving him to insanity, he nearly killed some people in the past as a kid. They were truly innocent people who never cultivated a day in their lives. Chang had a lot less control back then.
With age came wisdom and Chang gained some self-control. However, when he cultivated to new heights, that control meant nothing in the face of Chang's little issue growing to become a bigger issue.
"If it was raining, I could get this blood off me." The redhead stared above at the gray skies. There were bodies around him, bloodied and beaten. Their status is a given with dark blood spilling from their lips and bones shattered.
Chang fled from them before and now they're dead.
"You!"
The maddened cultivator brought his eyes back down and spotted the short, burly man.
He was shaking in anger from seeing his comrades slaughtered like cattle. Chang welcomed him with a smile.
"I recognize that 'you.' Buddy blacksmith right? I gotta thank you for handing over the pill to me. Wanna exchange pointers again?"
Chang's meaning of exchange pointers set the blacksmith off. He was still stronger than Chang, but now he was holding nothing back. Rage and envy filled his body from seeing a junior younger than him benefit from the pill he worked so hard to acquire. The talented redhead also defeated his comrades from the newfound power he gained as well.
How could he not be seething?
The bald man charged with his hammer. He slammed down on Chang's head and crashed his hammer into the ground. His target barely evaded the attack he launched with all his might. Chang sought to activate his stone gauntlets, but then he realized he was out of usable spirit stones. He cursed and dodged the next swing that aimed to smash his head like a grape.
Either Chang will kill this man or he'll get killed.
Both endings are satisfactory for him. Why would he hesitate walking into a single road where he can't even turn back from? He never chose this, but he doesn't begrudge it. He only despises the thing that forced him onto the path, not the path itself.
It's an addicting anger. A drug far more potent than nicotine.
It filled Chang's veins alongside adrenaline and he charged forward with a roar. The blacksmith refused to shy away from the contest of blows. Though the stone gauntlets lacked the added power behind them, Chang gained some power of his own through his increased cultivation. Qi flowed through his body with unprecedented speeds, both his soul and the tumor supported his strength. He met the attack head on and his arm trembled.
Good, it's still usable.
"Go die for daddy!" Chang smirked at those words.
"What a suicidal son I have," was his response.
The blacksmith brought out a second hammer and smacked the head of the first with it. The sound shook Chang's body and made his body involuntarily freeze up. The whites of the bald man's eyes were lined with red veins. It was clearly bloodshot.
'Must've driven him over the edge, so he brought out the special weapon.'
Oh well. He got too cocky and now he's gonna die for it. Both hammers were swinging horizontally at both of his temples. He might've done some good training with the Ninth Prince, but he won't survive those heavy weapons smashing into the fragile parts of his skull.
He had a nice run, but if this is how he dies, then he doesn't really mind.
At that instant, though Chang's Qi was frozen, it moved outside of his own control. The sound of the hammers clanging froze not only Chang's body, but his control over his own Qi, yet it moved nonetheless.
The only thing that could've been responsible for this was naturally the outgrowth on the redhead's soul.
'Goddamnit, go to hell already!!' Chang wanted to shout in refusal. He felt his own Qi activate his life-saving treasure, something he actually forgot he had. He wouldn't have activated it anyways in this situation, but his life wasn't just his own.
Why couldn't his life just be solely his?! This tumor was an eyesore!
Chang's rage-filled eyes mirrored his opponent's rage-filled eyes. Both of them despised the outcome they received. Just before the hammers were about to kill Chang, he was surrounded by a flash of light that carried him to a distant location.
Chang noted the lessening thumping, interpreting that as the satisfaction his other is feeling. A satisfaction that the redhead can never grasp.
All of a sudden, the flow of emotions for both parties halted as the rushing of wind halted as well. Chang was no longer moving at ridiculous speeds away from the threat. He felt his body get stuck and when he opened his mouth, something akin to water flowed in.
It was like he was caught in a spiderweb and that web was bouncing and flowing like jelly. Pressure began to build inside his body. He knows this feeling.
'I'm drowning? Wait, of course! This is my lucky break!'
The man was unable to form a smile, but he took spiteful satisfaction in the hastening drumbeat of his soul. He couldn't move and he was about to die. He longed for this.
Only dying in a blaze of glory? A need to be famous first before dying? An excuse due to his own hesitation. He doesn't need to lie to himself now that death is being forced upon him. He didn't fear death, but he always tried to think of the what ifs.
What if he could cultivate and reach a stage where he could sever the irritation from his soul once and for all? Wouldn't that be the ultimate outcome? Unfortunately, somebody as abnormal as him would've longed for death even afterward.
What's even the point of living? People are supposed to naturally gravitate toward life, yet Chang doesn't feel that natural inclination? What's wrong with him? Why was he even born?
He doesn't need to worry about these what ifs anymore though.
Nobody will save him and that's the way things should've been.
There's no such thing as a person who truly wishes to die. What they wish for is a better outcome and sometimes death is a better outcome than life. If people could live on in better circumstances, they would always choose that without a doubt.
Chang wholeheartedly believes that because he is no different. Even a person like him who longs for death more than anyone in the world would state without a doubt that he would prefer life if he could remove all the misfortune from his life. The living are supposed to live and the dead are supposed to die.
Since he's not dead, then he should live. That simple truth was irrevocably crushed when Chang acquired consciousness from the very moment of his birth. He was...always irritated by life.
His parents really didn't deserve a menace like him. If nothing else, then he could spare some sentiments for the people who raised him and had to deal with his craziness firsthand.
He cultivated, but it was finally revealed to him that it wouldn't bring him happiness. Then death visited him like a close lover and he welcomed it with open arms.
His lungs were crumpling from the pressure of the sea. The feeling of the thumping was fading.
Chang's vision began to grow dark. His arm reached for the sky above and he felt a smile on his face. There was but a single thought on his mind as his life finally reached its long-overdue expiration date.
'Serves…you…right.'
The last pieces of emotions were spite for his other self that refused to die and joy for himself that was finally going to be free from this agony.
…
Chang woke up. The suicidal redhead who achieved his long-cherished goal had his eyes blearily and reluctantly open before he instinctively realized that his achievement was nothing more than a fakeout. He could feel his soul and the lingering attachment to it. He could feel the relief in it.
"No. No, no, no, no, no! You can't be serious!" Widening eyes accompanied a storm of emotions.
"No, you can't fucking do this to me! After so long I finally had it and there was nothing that could interfere, not even myself! Give it back, you son of a bitch, goddammit!!" Chang hyperventilated in anger. His rapid pants were accompanied by the feeling of pain when he tried to tear the hair from his scalp.
He doesn't think he's ever been so furious in his life. Around him was nothing but sand, but he was still alive.
He dropped his fist onto that sand.
On a lonely island in the sky, a cultivator roared in despair.
. Clearly this is the peak of his life thus far, being able to be the master plotter and making people check his words for double and triple meanings after constantly having to watch for ours!
