Pathway

Chapter 88: Death Keep [3]

"I noticed your sword was shattered. Take this sword. It was forged by my father's own hands.  Athough it has no core, there's are sharpness runes embedded in it. Consider this a small gift."

He appeared to be in thought for a few seconds before continuing.

"Fang Zedong, that's my name."

"Thank you, Fang Zedong."

Jufeng cupped his hands and gave a curt nod.

"Be watchful of the armored critters. Remember, demigods do die. Farewell, Asuran Ju Feng."

"Farewell, Lakshan Fang Zedong."

Ju Feng watched Fang Zedong blurred towards the arena before turning his attention towards the longsword he just recieved. The sword was no small gift. He had seen steel swords in the Last-Sages stalls before, but he hadn't seen one like that longsword. Despite not having any mystical core, the sword was made from the finest thorne steel. But the best part was The craftsmanship. The craft work on the sword could only be made by a master Swordsmith. The runes of sharpness also indicated a master Soulforger. He couldn't contained his joy knowing the sword now belonged to him. To him, it was a perfect sword.

He heaved it in his hand and performed some sword moves. It was of the right feel. He smiled broadly as he headed off to the scattered mountains, in order to find the mystic order. As he headed towards the mountain, he noticed many blurred afterimages streaking past him, heading towards the opened tunnels. Those were the after images of the demigods who had been eliminated from the arena, but were now going for the tunnels. He could only observe and shook his head in silence. He knew that some of them wouldn't even return from their cursed search. Oh, how happy he was that he wasn't heading in the same direction as them.

After the figures of the demigods were gone, Ju Feng looked at the scattered mountains at the far distance. Hoping to reach them on time, he decided to make haste. Ju Feng started using the quicksteps as he made his way to the first of the scattered mountains. Nearing the base of the mountain, he slowed down and approached cautiously. He saw what looked like a loose boulder with bright glitters on it at the other side of the rocky mountain. He was trying to examine it with a strained eyes, when a voice sounded near him.

"That's a mountain critter."

A young human girl materialized out of the thin air beside him and streaked off towards the tunnels before he could say anything. Going by what he had recently learned, she must be an Asura demigod.

"Thanks."

Ju Feng shouted to her disapperaing back. He hadn't seen a critter before, so he took his time to examine it. He switched to his spiritual sight and saw the death aura coming from the critter. Not wanting to attract unwanted attention to himself, he quickly adjusted his steps. He went round the other side of the mountain towards the white patterned mountain at the far distance.

As he finally arrived near the patterned mountain, he approached it cautiously, wary of any lurking danger.

After waiting for few minutes at the base of the mountain, and didn't hear or notice anything out of place, he proceeded forward. He reached the place at the base of the mountain where the sealed rift was located. He put the talisman given to him by the tree on the rift. Immediately, there was a silent breeze and a visible entrance appeared. His passage into the mountain and to the Mystical Order.

Watching carefully to make sure no one and no critter was following him, he made his way inside. As a zhuji cultivator, his eyes were fairly sharper than before and he could see more clearer in darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ju Feng saw a dark narrow passage with various runic inscriptions, in front of him. He touched the walls of the dark passage and inspected it more closely.

"Obsidian black diamond."

Ju Feng muttered to himself. Although it was one of the hardest rock stones in the universe and extremely precious, its true value lied in its ability to contain defensive runes. Obsidian black diamond was one of the two known types of rock stones that could take the Total-Fortress runic inscriptions without dissipating. The other being the emerald-cloud stone. Extremely rich cultivators used it to build safe rooms containing their treasure vaults.

For it to be used here with runic inscriptions, which he suspected to be defensive runes, made the situation clearer to him. Whoever made the extreme measures, was either trying to keep something much more larger and stronger from getting out, or going in. But he had the notion it must be to keep something big from getting out. This was an ancient mountain without a shadow of a doubt. It could contain something powerful. So, he had to be exceedingly careful.

The passage between the walls was about big enough for him to squeeze through. He managed to drag himself forward, though slowly, for a few yards before he finally exited into an open space,  facing a large tunnel. From the look of the it, it appeared the tunnel was leading downward in a spiralling pattern. 

He removed the new silver sword that the demigod, Fang Zedong, gave him and inspected the tunnel. Then, he stopped and stared at the darker path which winded downward to the unknown. He was beginning to think the place was no illusion of reality, but a true reality. Even if it was a reality of illusion, the illusion was already proving to be a danger to his life. He had nearly died inside the heavens' forsaken arena. He wondered what would have happened to his soul if he had died. His mind told him he would've entered the samsara cycle for reincarnation. 

And now, he was having a sense of a danger alarm. Of him walking in the shadows of death. He had been doing that lately, and he didn't like the idea of him getting used to it. If he continued living that way, one day, he could die without him knowing he was already dead.

"From the shadows of death, straight to the light of reincarnation."

How could that be a good life. He was only ten years of age. He only joined a sect recently, and yet to achieve any meaningful thing in his life. He shook his head and contemplated turning back now when he was still alive. Life was too precious to throw away, reincarnation could burn in the nether flames for all he cared. As he turned back towards the passage way, realization dawned on him all of a sudden. 

He couldn't turn back.

The tree was right. The adventurous spirit in him, of knowing the unknown, was simply too much for him to ignore. The reason why he agreed to come on the adventure with the others. The free life to explore the wider expanse. He knew the immensely inevitable darkness and shadows who were seeking his death, right from the time of his birth. He knew the dangers of looking for the hidden things. But, he couldn't stop. He was simply who he was.

An adventurer.

A soft sigh of resignation escaped from him. He looked at himself and the sword he was holding, and smiled.

"At least, I have a better sword."

In that knowledge, there was comfort. But he needed to be extra careful all the same. He entered the more darker tunnel and paused in order for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. A source of light would have been a welcome sight, but it could also put him in the spotlight. Slowly and steadily, he continued to follow the downward path of the tunnel. It was much better in navigating the darkness.

Some meters downward, the spiralling tunnels stopped. Ju Feng saw an open area which led to another three tunnels. Scattered all over the place were lunar bugs which were giving off a faint light. Those were delicacies. Though they were not magical, they were of excellent taste as lunar grubs. On a different day, Ju Feng could have taken a handful, but that particular day was no mild day. That could be a terrible idea in a place like that.

Thinking, he was beginning to notice that the layouts inside the mountain were more than that of average tunnels. He could easily get lost while looking for the mystic order talkless of getting killed by whatever monster was down there. 

Still, better than the Eternal-legacy tunnels. What did they called the spiders and critters in those tunnels again? Yes, nephilias. It wouldn't be nice to be eaten by one of those. What about the ancient killers, the Death-Eaters. How many demigods had they killed in those tunnels. He could only imagine. No, even thinking about was already making his heart palpitate.

Ju Feng entered the first tunnel and found himself inside a dense black mist. Realizing he was beginning to loose consciousness, he quickly retraced his steps, back to the lunar-bug lighted area. That was a scary experience. He wouldn't be going back inside that one for sure.

The second tunnel, he would try. He entered it slowly and after walking for several minutes, he found himself looking at a wide area of chanels of water streams. Walking cautiously along a channel of stream, he found a radiance coming from one area of the stream. Upon closer look, he discovered it was coming from a small orb-like source in the shallow stream.

"Waterglade."