Pathway

Chapter 97: Springflame [1]

Wth a happy smile, Ju Feng took a deep breath of the fresh air. Ahh, the snowy plain, he thought. What a welcome sight to behold after a journey to a place that was truly a keeper of death,. He slowly exhaled the air as a relief sensation washed over him. He bent down and scooped up a handful of snow. The feel of the snow gave him assurance that he was truly back to the snowy plain.

He looked around and found a moundy spot to sit. He looked around and smiled mildly, as he patted his spatial sac. The mystical order was safe and sound in his spatial sac.

Nevertheless, he opened his sac to check, just to be sure. He brought out the golden colour stone and his smile broadened. The mystical order. That was the only thing he knew about the crystal. He didn't even know what power the crystal held and what it was used for. Even the demigods had thought he had gone mad for asking Liu Luoyang to exchange the stones. They didn't waste any time in agreeing to the trade. The alpha death-eater's Crystal was the ultimate sacredcrest stone any demigod could get in the death-Keep. Maybe, the demigod could even get an extra divine gift.

The grey tree had said the Mystical Order was a heavenly treasure. But was it truly a heavenly treasure? And not simply a worldly treasure or no treasure at all? Liu Luoyang had easily accepted the exchange of the two stones, despite not knowing what he had. True, his group still needed one more Sacredcrest stone. Also, maybe because the heavenly seals he had on him, could only be used three times. His grandfather had used it once before, and he too had used it again recently. It only had one use left. So, he had decided not to waste the seals if they would come across another primal death-eater?

That was the question he had asked Jufeng while they were exchanging the stones. That could be the reason he hadn't even worried much about the crystal he had found. No demigod would pass the oportunity of having an extra divine ability like that. 

Divine evasion, divine projection, divine emission, divine sight, divine craft, many divine abilities they could receive in exchange too. The advantages of being a true demigod. It was a good thing that only one stone could follow any demigod out of the Deathkeep. He was fairly sure that if not for that, some demigods could attempt more Sacredcrest stones. More Sacredcrest stones would have meant more divine abilities. Even when they knew looking for more sacredcrest would mean facing more death-eaters.

By the way, one divine ability for one stone? How was that fair to mortal like himself?

Ju Feng shook his head as he contemplated what he could do with a divine ability. Divine evasion. Before enemies could look for him, he was already gone. Or a divine craft. Like a divine soulforger or a divine farmer. Something like that?

He sighed as he recollected that his fate was already sealed as a human mortal. There was no need for him to think about the benefits of being a demigod. He would never be a demigod. The Asuran bloodline had already overlooked him. He continued shaking his head as he remembered watching them bid their farewells, looking at them disappeared in an instant white flash. They would be returning to the Lumence dimensional plane while he, human mortal, would be returning to the mortal plane. They were from different planes. No matter how they might look, half gods or not, he knew he was only fortunate to have been among them. He had no reason to question the fairness in the ways of the universe.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at the crystal again. With a sudden strange feeling, he knew the grey tree was telling the truth. It could only be a heavenly treasure.  He would only have to ask the tree about the crystal's power when they would meet again. His mind returned to his peaceful state after the thoughts. He looked at himself and his torn robe. Only his robe was torn in many places but knew he could've died many times in there. Somehow, he had managed to survive them all. Probably, death was allowing him to enjoy a little more of his strange life.

He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. He freed his mind as he began to meditate. He needed some inner peace. After meditating for a time, he decided to proceed to the next entry point. What he would be searching for? The soul ring. Just like the Mystical Order, he couldn't remember why he chose it. But, he knew his mind was totally with him choosing them.

Reaching the place, he took out another dream stone and put it in his mouth. Also, he removed his sword from his spatial sac and held it ready. He would be prepared going in. He didn't want to be looking at his body with the eyes on his cut-off head. He had learnt that every first step into the unknown was of the utmost importance. The memory of Deathkeep was still fresh.

After confirming his readiness, he stepped into the space.

Upon entering, he found himself in the woods, staring at two yellow eyes. Instinctly, he raised his sword as he quickly recovered from the shocking surprise of staring into two yellow eyes. Swiftly, he took in the shape of the creature. Serpent-like heads and a whip-like tail. They were not of heavily builds like the dragonns, but were still of considerable might in stature. Their red and black scale of spotted patterns could not be mistaken. 

Scavens!

Ultimate scroungers of dimensional planes. Far descendants of the black dragon, Heilong. One of the four ancestors of the dragonblood. They were creatures driven by their lust for the blood of the living. Even the sacred ones among them could be hard to reason with. Anywhere Scavens appeared, death would follow. From the records in the book of sacreds, Ju Feng had learned about them. 

Slowly, he raised his left hand with his palm facing the creature. He didn't know if the scaven could reason and understand him, but he had to try and diffuse the situation.

"Easy. You go your way, and I go my way."

Maybe, due to it being surprised or the sight of the sword or both, the scavens sent out a big roar as he, speedily, charged at Ju Feng. Definitely, that scaven was not a sentient one. It could neither reason nor talk. Using the flash-steps technique, he moved out of the way as the scaven sped by, lashing out with his tail. If it was only that one, Ju Feng knew it couldn't do anything to him. But, where there was one Scavens, there would be several others.

He knew the direction he had to take to find the soul ring. The words of the tree were still ringing in his ears. He changed to the swift-steps technique, and left the area in a blur. He was in no mood to be having a fight with the Scavens when he could simply leave.

Although he was avoiding the main road, he stayed close to it nonetheless. It was the main road which would lead to the place and made him avoid more scaven. He continued moving in high speed towards the intended direction. The Scavens could follow scents to a great distant. But with this, they should have lost the scent by now.

After swift stepping for several minutes, he came to a place full of large shrubs. From there, he could see a small town in the distance. Dropping the steps, he slowed down and moved onto the road. He decided he would stop by the town. Since his journey would take him pass the front of the town, he wanted to find out more about the place. Any information he could learn was important to him.

From its appearance, it was a human city despite its worn-out look. It must have been a remarkable city before. But now, it was a ghost of its former glory. Ju Feng noticed a number of guards at the entrance, along with two white-robed cultivators. One of them was holding a scrying orb.

Ju Feng wondered why there would be an arrangement like that there, but then remembered the scaven he saw earlier. Yea, it had to be because of them. As he neared the entrance, one of the guards called out to him.

"Halt!"

He stopped as he saw the scrying orb flying towards him. The orb circled him before returning to the cultivator who said some words to the guards.

"Approach!"

As he passed them, he heard the white-robed cultivator.

"Go and report to the council of elders."

Report? What was he to report? Without another word or  look from them, Ju Feng proceeded into the town. After walking for few minutes, he quickly veered off the main road onto a more quieter street. Some of the buildings had been abandoned. It looked like a place that had suffered attacks over many years.