The Martial Master - 86 Flaw.

Su Min didn’t speak as he just gazed at the thing in front of him. The black figure rubbed his chin, then gazing back and forth from the ‘thing’ and Su Min, he asked with that same grin.

“Is Demon One a bit much?”

Su Min’s pupils seemed to be unreactive as he replied with a long breath.

“No, no…”

A strange light brewed in his eyes as he spoke, examing this truly enlightening spectacle.

He wasn’t that scared of it, nor was he gobsmacked at some sort of horrifying monster. No, it was just because the thing in front of him resembled the black figure way too much…

It was pitch black and fogged like a ghost, but still carried a humanoid disposition. Though, it wasn’t lanky like the figure; it was more thick and bulky.

However, what truly made him gasp was that the things face was near identical to the figures. It was just that it wasn’t smiling, staring on with a placid expression.

What’s more, a massive almost disproportionate blade hung on its back. This was black as well, even carrying the same foggy and almost spectre-like shine.

Su Min didn’t really know what to think.

‘I would expect some sort of horrifying demon by the way the creepy guy acts, but he just made an exact replica of himself…’

*Thud*

With a yawn and a glance at the motionless thing that didn’t seem to respond to outside stimuli, Su Min hunkered onto the floor and eyed the world he was in.

His gaze lingered on a strange hut in the distance and the numerous black blades of wind that cried in the sky, ignoring him. He could tell that the place seemed to be more of an illusion than a real world right now, as everything was semi-transparent and incomplete.

In fact, from his memory of this terrifying world, he could somewhat guess that it has reverted to a state of near emptiness after his bloodline scattered. Nothing was this fogged, and he could tell even with his pained memories of this goddamn hell hole.

The black figure watched Su Min’s somewhat nostalgic gaze with a little annoyance. He took a deep breath, then roared.

“Hey, do you even understand the shit I had to go through to make this beast?! Don’t just dawdle in this broken world! I just hope that once you’re done with this useless errand that you’ll return to the Heaven’s Section, otherwise some crazy shit will take place in that plague-ridden shit hole!”

The world rumbled a little as the figure’s voice turned hoarse, though Su Min stared on with the same narrowed eyes. He got up, and with a sigh, gestured towards the clone of the figure that was just more muscular; almost as if it was an upgraded version of the original…

His dull eyes stared right at the thing, where he spoke.

“Hey, do you speak?”

The thing remained unchanged as it just stood there with an absent face. Su Min frowned whilst the black figure broadened its smirk and strolled to the side with a hum.

“There’s one rule pertaining to these warriors, and that’s that they won’t awaken if their master isn’t strong enough. But, you being injured is a bit annoying… Eh, I guess this is the right time for me to introduce these things.”

Su Min paused as he felt a strange disturbance around the black figure. His eyes lit up as, with a thump, a strange black crystal appeared in front of the figure, glistening with a pulse of martial energy.

The figure grasped the finger-sized crystal and laughed with a gloating expression.

“Su Min, your ideas about cultivation and the mind is a bit skewed! It pisses me off whenever you come to these strange conclusions, and as I have the opportunity I might as well lecture you a bit!”

A strange light brewed in the figure’s eyes as a seat formed beneath him, which he rested on. He twirled the crystal for a while, then with a mocking stare at Su Min, he spoke.

“Alas, cultivation for you is a tad strange considering that you use the Ancient One’s method! But, now that you are entering my town, I’d like to tell you some common laws in this world.”

He took a deep breath, then continued.

“One, cultivation normally involves forming a store of energy in your body in one way or another. Two! When you cultivate you don’t magically become a God at understanding the fucking energy your using. Three!! Your Ancient One race has a fatal weakness that you’re experiencing right now!”

His eyes glowed a dark light as he tapped the chair. Su Min seemed to want to say something, but the figure didn’t let that happen as he laughed.

“Eh? I guess you must be itching to tell me! Well, let me tell you! It’s because your recovering time in the soul is SHITE! It’s laughable how your bloodline is ranked 5th with this issue, but I guess it goes to show how fucking unfair your others abilities are. I’d explain why, but it’s a long ass story that you’d probably find out anyway.”

The crystal in figures hand glistened a tantalising glare in Su Min’s eyes as his black eye twitched. Then, with a ravenous bellow, a striking hunger that almost made him stagger thrashed his mind.

‘Why do I feel the need to eat it?!’

Su Min’s thoughts became a bit messy as he attempted to regain his composure from the sudden relapse.

The figure’s grin seemed to become that little more chilling as he continued to twirl the crystal in his hand, eyeing Su Min’s sudden change. He spoke whilst doing so, and in a manner that seemed to be of enjoyment.

“Your soul is fueled by the body, so wouldn’t you find it strange that you can’t just use a shit load of energy to revitalise your soul? This is the issue with your race, as one of the drawbacks to your unique cultivation is in the way it evolves the soul! No matter how much energy you consume your soul will remain unchanged to it all, and sleeping is the only way to recover! I find it funny regarding your race that doesn’t even store energy as cultivation, so your soul is your literal holy grail. Without it you would be weak shits with a nice body.”

Su Min didn’t seem to hear this, instead, he clenched his teeth as his eye began to throb with that intense need, but the figure didn’t even speed up as he continued to talk.

“Slumbering God’s was your race’s nickname, as whenever they had a battle all of the fuckers would go and hibernate like beasts for years on end! Pfft! The world is fair in a way I guess.”

The feeling didn’t slow as that crystal seemed to transform into the most amazing thing in Su Min’s eyes.

“But if you cultivate martial energy this issue becomes nothing of the sort! Your body and soul are linked with normal methods, where the state of your cultivation is the same as your soul! Heh, considering you think your Martial Bloodline has no apparent ‘use’, I might as well show you one of them.”

The figure’s eyes sparkled with playfulness as he grabbed the crystal that was in mid-flight. Su Min continued to suppress the unrelenting allure that came from this crystal, but he soon found that the figure was aiming it right at his black eye.

He staggered backwards as he spoke with a little alarm.

“What are you doing?”

The figure didn’t respond as he went and just flicked it. A spew of dark starlight pierced the air, and in an instant later, Su Min felt pain stab his black eye. Yet, at this moment, that feeling of deep need subsided as a pleasing sensation blasted itself from his eye.

*mmmm*

A low hum resounded, and in a surreal tremor, Su Min felt a dense force emerge from his eye. His mind shook, and before he could react, this force smothered said mind. A refreshing feeling came from this, and Su Min couldn’t help but gasp. His soul was recovering!

The figure seemed to expect to this as he sighed and spoke with a little nostalgia.

“What I just gave you was a first realm spirit stone, and a peak tier grade one at that! Your bloodline knows a little about you, otherwise it would normally shove this energy into your cultivation. But as you have no real cultivation, it is transforming it into that strange mental stuff. If you had real cultivation then this ability wouldn’t be needed, as you would recover when your fucking cultivation recovers! Blah, the word is becoming annoying to say…”

His white orb-like eyes narrowed as he stared at Su Min who was beginning to calm down. Su Min loosened his fists as his gaze changed a little, where that deep fatigue began to loosen.

Though, a certain thought was trailing in his mind.

‘So I can absorb martial energy? I don’t really see anything special with that… Maybe because it is fast?’

He seemed to get the general gist with Martial Cultivation. He needs it so that he can recover his soul without sleeping, but if he can do it anyway with these crystals then doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

‘No, I shouldn’t rely on crystals to recover.It would be better if I could just mediate my fatigue off.’

Su Min decided that going against this black figure’s wishes wasn’t of the best ideas. Though, he wouldn’t do that anyway as he has nothing he can progress on except Martial Cultivation. He just needs to, well, start.

‘Shouldn’t I just leave and break out? Why do I need to fight this goddamn thing…’

He could feel that his mind was somewhat healed. Though, the figure seemed to recognise Su Min’s thoughts as he added something on.

“Hehe, do you really think I would give you enough energy to break out of the void you’re stuck in? Am I an idiot?! I don’t give a shit about that slut, so go and fight my fucking creation!”

Su Min thoughts froze as the figure’s words threw him out of that scheme. He sighed, then redirecting himself towards the more ‘handsome’ clone of the snarly figure, he clenched his fists.

“Sure…”

…

…

…

In front of a portal that glistened a mystical atmosphere, a tremor ran through it. A petite pop resounded, then in a blast of air, a girl got thrown out of it.

She settled onto the ground; her hair was a little messy and her clothes torn, but she still had a bright gaze. The people nearby noticed this, and as they saw the girl, someone couldn’t help but gasp.

“It’s Wen Mian!”

More and more people emerged as they stared at Wen Mian, who was a little apprehensive.

‘He’s still not out?’

She looked around but couldn’t find that certain figure that has been with her for a day or so. She felt a little bit insecure as she realised this, but she quickly threw this chilling feeling out as she firmed her grip.

‘It’s not like I need him… I just need to become stronger, as I have been relying on strong people all my life!’

Her thoughts raced as she clenched her teeth and strode forward. A white-haired man emerged soon after, catching up to her with a laugh.

“Aye, you look a bit rough! But, you must see that this place isn’t ordinary. I bet the Overseer doesn’t have such a great treasure for you to train with!”

Wen Mian didn’t say anything as she found the exit. The man’s eyes changed a tad as he spoke once more, just a little more hurried.

“You must want to see where you are on the leaderboard, eh?”

*Ste-*

The man grinned as he pointed at a massive pillar not too far away. Wen Mian took a glimpse at this, and seeing nothing wrong with doing so, she let her curiosity get the better of her and spoke with a low voice.

“Show me then…”

The man nodded as he leapt towards the pillar, where a brimming crowd had formed. A small altar stood next to the piece of stone with multiple engraving on it, and some people would step on it after getting walloped out of the portal.

“The sect doesn’t have an actual method to record your achievements in real time, so we have this altar that scans your jade and yourself to form a score! This score bases itself off of talent, and is out of a hundred!”

He spoke as he appeared before the altar and shoved the crowd back. Everyone was silent as they gazed at Wen Mian who was walking up to the altar, eyes feverish with either lust, worship or a commingling mix of both.

“Mhm, alright.”

Wen Mian nodded as she spoke and arrived before the small altar. It was designed in a similar way to the talent one from before, but she didn’t feel anything disconcerting exuding out of it. Thus, with a light step and a held breath, she appeared atop the altar with a jade held tight in her hand.

*MMMMM*