"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
"This group has been chasing me for the last six months. I need to hold on until I get to the mansion."
"We can't let him escape. He must die." The leader of the group yelled.
This cultivator ran through many different terrains, like dense forests, ragged mountain ranges, small villages, and small cities.
This lone cultivator has been on the run for the last year and a half. At first the pursuing group was easy to handle, but over time each new group was stronger and more cunning than the last.
Even as he ventured into the territory of the Midnight Clan and made his way to their main city, he was certain that his body couldn't endure that long. It was certain that his body couldn't last that long. It was only a matter of time if the young cultivator could get to the mansion where he could find some comfort and rest.
After several more hours running through various streets and hiding in different alleys, he finally made it to the mansion of the Midnight clan.
"I am here! Wait until I recover, and all of you will die. Every single group will pay the price for hunting me down like a dog."
This young cultivator barely makes it to the gates of the lavish mansion. Badly injured, he could barely hold his body together. He endured numerous battles, fled and escaped from pursuers, and learned how to conceal his tracks in a city or a forest, all while confronting numerous challenges. He somehow returned to a place of peace, even while fleeing.
"Hurry!!!" One guard yelled."Call the patriarch and matriarch; the young master has returned!!!!
"Hurry! We're running out of time!" One of the guards at the gate yelled the warning.
From the outskirts of the mansion perimeter, a group of cultivators looks from a distance and stares coldly at that lone cultivator who barely escapes from them.
One cultivator asks, "Leader, what are we going to do?"
The leader of the group responded frostily. "He will die if he leaves, or he will die from those injuries. Place a few sentries outside of that mansion."
"Now, come. Let's leave before they spot us." The group of cultivators vanished from their spot.
--
The scene unfolded in a dimly lit room that was deep within the mansion. Several figures were standing over that same young cultivator who had been found half-dead outside the mansion gate. The atmosphere was dark and grim, and the patriarch, who had been called over, wore a heavy expression.
"What is the situation?"
"Sigh. Patriarch Murda, this young cultivator has a fractured core. The strain on his meridians is extreme. His body has a little bit of life force left. It is a miracle for him to make it back in one piece."
"What are the options?"
"There are a few options, but none of them are great." The lead medic expressed this with a frown.
Many things weigh on Mudra's mind besides this. He was the former patriarch of the Midnight Clan. An accident forced him to retake this position. His son who had a very promising future that was cut short. This was the life of a cultivator; both blessings and calamities were always within reach. Only heaven knows when misfortune and blessing will happen.
The current Midnight clan was not as it once was and had fallen on hard times.
"What is your opinion on this, Loaded?"
This figure with a slim build was a cultivator who looked in his mid-forties with a hint of gray hair. He dressed in simple clothing, wore beaded bracelets on his left hand, and wore meditation beads around his neck. However, the aura that he was giving off was overwhelming and pressured anyone who dared to look his way. This was Loaded, the patriarch of Night Clan.
A slight frown found its way onto Loaded's face.
"Hard to tell. One cannot predict what the heavens will bestow upon us and what the heavens will take. Listen here, handsome, what I am more concerned about is why he is the last one to return from that mission the Elder gave. Before he came back, the last one came back over a year ago."
"We know there are people in the background playing a sinister game. What I want to know is why wasn't he properly trained over at your estate?"
Tension rose from these two patriarchs and their clan members as well. The long history between these two clans runs deep. And there is no love lost between the Midnight and Night clans, either. Even though Murda's words were not said with kindness. There was some truth to those words. Even if people didn't say anything. That was on people's minds as well.
"Real cute there, Patriarch Murda. You're trying to lay the blame on us. If I recall right, he accepted the Elder mission from your estate!"
"Beloved, If it weren't for your thieving son. Taking my daughter and having this child who is currently lying on his deathbed. I would love to end his existence myself. However, he is the only remaining member of the main branch of my Night clan. As much as I would love to engage in more pointless banter with you, let's get to the main point of this matter. What is our current plan?"
Loaded words were laced with thick killing intent, and he was a very decisive person. How could he not be? He definitely would not have lived as long if he was wishy-washy.
"Enough!"
A mature figure that usually oozes a wild scent of seduction and charm had a frosty expression on her face. This was Glory. She was the wife of Murda and current matriarch of the Midnight clan. Sayaro Night, the current matriarch of the Night Clan, sat next to her. In the Liger power structure, the males had the authority to decide when to use their military might. The female held control over the day-to-day functions of the clan. Therefore, the matriarch herself could determine the life and death of any individual who did not hold significance to the clan.
"What matters most is that Sifir is back. Once he recovers from these injuries, we can proceed to develop plans. Then we can make our moves. Until that time comes, we will buy our time."
-
In between these conversations, a remarkable event occurred. There was something marvelous happening to Sifir.
"Who are you? And what is the purpose of me doing what you're telling me to do?"
The voice was mysterious and spoke in a lazy manner. "Haha. If it weren't for me, you would have fallen back there. It was you who woke me from my slumber. Your cultivation level is low and unimpressive. I am ashamed that I have to save a pitiful ant like yourself."
"How much strength do you possess to exact your revenge on that Elder? You sound very laughable! Simply, this IS the fastest and most prudent course of action. What are the other choices?"
Sifir went silent. Waiting for the mysterious voice to continue. Knowing that a few words that have been spoken were indeed true.
"If you want to rebuild your foundation that you barely have. Rebuilding your foundation will take at least 15 years. Do you know what that means? You will need to begin the process anew. And that is without any setbacks or sneak attacks in the darkness."
"If you follow me with my plan, Sifir, you will have a stronger foundation, your body will go beyond what you thought it could even in the same realm, and your fighting prowess will be honed to a greater degree."
"It will take 7 years with my plan. The first year for recovery and body tempering, this is a must, and you have no other choice!"
"The second year, you will have to work on your fundamentals in Midnight Clan basic technique and skills. From what I saw of your fighting prowess, you are only able to execute about 40% of those moves effectively. In the third year, you will focus on improving your fundamentals in Night Clan basic technique and skills, as your current execution is poor and sloppy."
"In the fourth year, you will begin your new cultivation method that can be found in the Midnight clan. It's known as the Nine Noble Truths. I don't care how you attain it; you must have it. In the fifth year, you will begin learning a new cultivation method. You can find this cultivation method in the Night Clan. It goes by the name Sincerity of No Truth, I believe. Again, I don't care how you get it. You must have it to make this work."
"It is in the sixth and seventh years that you will alternate between both cultivation methods. This period is where the real magic will happen, as your cultivation levels will rise rapidly until you break into the Heaven Realm."
Sifir wore a serious expression on his face after hearing this. Sifir was deep in thought. 'I have no idea even if I could get my hands on those two cultivation methods, and why is this mysterious person helping me?'
It had to be known that there were many other cultivation methods and formations as well. Sifir holds some significant importance to both the Midnight and Night clans. That doesn't mean they are willing to hand over those cultivating methods to him. What's worse is that he could be setting himself up for an early death anniversary.
"I will try it your way. It is indeed true that you have assisted me. I have one question. How does this benefit you?"
Mysterious voices communicate in a chilly manner. "At least you are aware that nothing in this world is free," he said.
"I do have a purpose for doing this. At this moment, in order for you to be of any help to me, you need to be at least in the True Emperor Realm. At that moment, I will be able to supply additional information and communicate my what I want. For the time being, consider this path to power to be a fresh start, and believe that I am making a significant investment in your future."
This slight revelation sent a huge shockwave through Sifir's body. Sifir let out a soft groan as a result of this revelation.
The sound causes these powerful figures to turn in shock and look at Sifir. They thought it would be at least take several days until Sifir woke up and not a mere few hours.
"Sifir!!!!" Murda yells out.
"Lower your voice, Patriarch Murda. Can you see, he barely awakens." Sneer coldly from Sayaro Night.
"Sorry for my rudeness, Matriarch Sayaro."
"Now, Sifir, can you tell us anything?"
"Give me seven years to recover my cultivation level. And I will become the sharpest blade in the house of Midnight and the house of Night. I just need seven years and two cultivation methods."
Everyone looks at Sifir with seriousness. Because in seven years anything can happen. It was hard for them to even fathom what Sifir was even talking about. However, Loaded and Murda pay close attention to the keen look in Sifir's eyes, full of vengeance and hungry for mayhem.
"We cannot promise you anything. Furthermore, we have no obligation from the Night Clan to give you any time to recover. However, you are my beloved daughter's son. What I can do is end your misery." There was a cold gleam in Loaded's eyes.
Mudra fell into deep thoughts. 'Our Midnight clan has only a few options outside of this. Out of those options, who has the potential to rise quickly? This might be a blessing out of misfortune.' He gazes at Sifir, a slight frown on his face.
"I, Murda Midnight, cannot promise you anything. However, I will personally start training you. In the younger generation, we have a few options. If I feel you are not putting in all your effort. I will personally end you. Patriarch Loaded, I cannot let you kill Sifir. Even if you are slightly stronger than me, I am prepared to risk my life for you, Sifir."
"Hahaha! Patriarch Murda. You are definitely not one to gamble. Unlike me, who sees things differently. Even though our Night clan boasts more promising talents in the younger generation, I still believe in giving you a chance because you are my beloved daughter's son."
"I will give you a year to recover. Prepare for this hellish training" voiced Patriarch Murda.
"I am making the same pledge as Patriarch Murda. Don't let his good faith in you goes down in flames. I will let your body recover for a year. Make your preparation in that 1 year of recovery."
Everyone left the small, dim room, leaving Sifir there by himself."I, Sifir Midnight, will rise again, and I will kill those who need to be killed. Let's begin again, on the road of cultivation." After a few moments, Sifir fell back into a dreamlike state.
--
The patriarchs and matriarchs of the Night and Midnight clans stood in the hallway, calling over the same lead medic to explain what was about to happen to Sifir.
"I think the young cultivator already knows he will have to disperse his cultivation because he has a crack in his core. Fortunately, the crack in his core isn't large enough to prevent him from restarting his cultivation."
"At least that is some good news. It is better than the worst-case situation." Glory let out a heavy breath.
"Beloved, is Sifir talking about seven years in human or years in ligers?"
"Don't know. We will have to wait and see."
"What about Sifir's battle prowess?"
"I am unaware of this information. Battle prowess involves tempering the body, honing the senses, and mastering techniques and skills. There is a high chance that he will have to start over."
"So a total reset?"
"The short answer is yes. The long answer is no. He won't need to recultivate many things as long his cultivation is smooth."
Patriarch Murda had a grim expression. Placing one of his hands on his face. "He will have to break into the Awakening Plane, which consists of nine levels."
The lead medic nodded.
"We will focus our effort on the Awakening Plane and set up the best foundation. We all we can do for now."
"We don't agree much, Patriarch Murda. At least we agree on this."
After this short conversation with each other, the leaders of the Midnight and Night clans went to make preparations.