《The Treasure King》34. Space
Advertisement
In another part of the plains, far away from the bandits, Amin Baba's trade caravan continued southward. Now openly protected by the guard captain, they suffered no more mishaps and the journey was smooth and uneventful. At the peak of the Strengthening Realm, Harsh Patel was a peerless existence across the Dangerous Region.
Gray was rewarded for his contributions during the bandit attack with a spare carriage just for him. He didn't have to share it with anyone which allowed him the privacy to rest and recover from the brutal battle.
The wounds on his body were numerous but no longer life-threatening. The culprit was not the Tome of Glorious Fortune but his strange physique gifted by the heavenly citrine. By the first day, minor cuts and bruises were healed. By the third day, large gashes caused by bandit swords had closed up without complication. No scars were left over to mar his smooth, suntanned skin. Even the red welts where sword wounds used to be would go away completely with time. There was no need to mention internal injuries as those went away even faster.
Gray didn't find much time to marvel at his healing ability. His thoughts were still plagued by the disastrous duel with Tang Duanmu. Those searing moments of helplessness refused to be forgotten. It was his greatest defeat ever; against the strongest opponent he had ever faced.
The countless fights he had against miners and farmers in the King's Mountains seemed asinine in comparison. Even the brawl with several common bandits seemed meaningless. Unlike them, Tang was the real deal, a true cultivator, someone who was not only strong but also had technique and experience.
There were so many times during the brief duel where he was in real danger. One wrong move, one small blunder, could have resulted in heavy injuries or even death. If he had not achieved a timely breakthrough in the Golden Body of the Bodhi, he would have surely died. His dream of seeing Xueling again would have ended, just like that.
Advertisement
It wasn’t a good feeling, the feeling of utter defeat. Xueling’s warnings had come true the moment he stepped out of the mountains. He had been totally unprepared and he barely managed to survive. His powerful physique which he was proud of and his special eyes gifted by the heavens were all useless against an overwhelming opponent.
His eyes…
He remembered something. It was the one thing he still could not comprehend, just how exactly he had dodged Tang’s final sword. Because it wasn’t Harsh Patel who saved him, he definitely dodged that sword himself, somehow.
In the last instant before Tang’s attack reached him, he had felt something inexplicable. There had been a surge of black spiritual energy that caused his body to shift sideways, out of the path of danger. That energy definitely came from him but he didn't know how.
Was it his eyes?
---
Gray sat cross-legged, staring in awe, as Xueling brought out one item after another out of seemingly nowhere. There were blankets, pillows, candles, clothes, mirrors, bottles, combs, it was simply endless. He half expected her to reach into her sleeves and pull out a plate of freshly made red braised pork!
“Fairy sister… can you teach me how to do that?” He finally asked.
She laughed, her eyes turning into stunning crescent moons. “Don’t be silly. This is just my spatial bag.”
“Huh?”
“A spatial bag. It is something created by a spiritual treasure that utilizes the laws of space. It is a separate dimension where I can store anything I want.” She pulled up her sleeve, revealing a jeweled bracelet that adorned her alabaster skin. “Yes, see the gems. They are onyx, a black elemental gem containing the attributes of darkness and space. Among elemental gems, it is one of the rarest. It is what allows the bracelet to create a small storage space that is as wide as this bed.”
Advertisement
“Wow, amazing!”
He was mesmerized. He could see the spiritual energy of the onyx leaking out, surrounding the bracelet with a shimmering black glow. There was also something else, a comforting and familiar sensation that left him wanting more as if he couldn't get enough of the onyx.
“Can I touch it?”
“No!” She pulled down her sleeve and glared at him, “Such cheap tricks won’t work on me!”
She turned around and covered herself in blankets, hiding from his view.
"Come on, woman!" He exclaimed, "I wasn't trying to touch you, I just wanted to see your bracelet!"
But there was no response.
---
The memory provided a hint of a possibility, that his eyes had something to do with space and darkness attribute spiritual energy. The more he thought about it, the more it excited him.
He could see in the dark. What could explain that besides an affinity with darkness...
He could see through solid objects under certain conditions. Perhaps that had something to do with space...
Gray strained his eyes, pumping spiritual energy into them. He stared at the floor of the carriage, then the ceiling, hoping that he could somehow see through them. He willed himself to move without moving, to create a tear in space, to do anything weird and inexplicable.
He tried and tried until his spiritual sea was depleted but nothing happened. He could not summon the same power that had saved his life. There was no black-colored spiritual energy at all.
He wished he had another chance to study the onyx bracelet and the features of the spatial bag. There was no onyx in the King's Mountains. There probably wasn't any in the Jade Plains. It was a rare gem that cultivators many realms higher than him would fight to the death over. Xueling never did let him see it again after that one time. Perhaps she had her reasons or perhaps she was just being stingy.
Gray sighed and gave up on the matter. He had no idea. He didn't even have a starting point. The only thing he could do was practice the Tome of Glorious Fortune, improve his Golden Body of the Bodhi, and get stronger so that he wouldn't lose to someone like Tang Duanmu ever again.
Advertisement
Kind’s Kiss
MAGIC DOESN'T KILL, NOT BY ITSELF. IT NEEDS A LITTLE HELP. Jessica DeRidder is a substitute teacher and mage in hiding, her daughter Ellen a killer on the run. Their next job lands the mother-daughter team in Hellhole, a small town in the middle of nowhere. All they need to do is their job. For Mom to identify the problem, and for Ellen to... fix it. Easy. Simple. But not this time. The pair find themselves caught in the struggle between the Man-in-White and the Wicked Witch of the West. A mysterious image and the theft of a deadly flower lead the pair to a score of dead prisoners, magical drug dealers, and red-eyed assassins falling from the sky. And somehow it all seems to be related to Ellen's murky past. All Ellen wants to do is do her homework, eat ice cream, and protect her newfound friends (not necessarily in that order). She'll go all-in, guns blazing. But when the smoke clears there may be nothing left but a stranger's past and a lonely future. --- 'Kind's Kiss' is a light, modern-day fantasy, easy on the magic, heavy on the snark. Though complete it is still a work in progress. One reviewer described it as 'Buffy meets Sabrina, as done by Tarantino'. I'm still not sure if I should consider that a compliment or hire a hitman :-)
8 123Magic Empireum: Blood Coin
After a prolonged war between the militarized state of Nauler and the great Kingdom of Altarcia, mediation from the Vindean Empire finally bears fruit. To prevent mass starvation in the eastern Kingdom, Vindeans lifts its customs on the border and funds every merchant willing to supply Altarcians with food and other basic necessities. This opportunity will open a way for quick-witted traders to build their fortunes on common folk ill fate! Where the sword can't reach, the spy will deal a fatal hit. Never in modern history has the world seen such a ridiculous situation, where two enemies can control each other with their intelligence network while failing to govern their own lands for the same reason. Every event taking place has at least three sides looking for their faction profit. As the western continent falls deeper and deeper into a quagmire of schemes and infighting, beyond the great continental wall a mass of barbarians is venturing north in search for a better way to invade these damn knights. Unbeknownst to them, an army trained in the blaze of endless conflict sets forth to foil their plans. If only the eastern frontline didn't require over a million man strong force to be maintained! When everyone is aiming at everyone's throat, great schemes are changing the power balance between the powerhouses, one can only look to improve his own situation. When rulers are sending fathers and sons to battles, daughters and mothers whore themselves to afford another handful of wheat. Only the strong can prevail? All of them either died in the past battles or are enjoying the benefits of the jungle law. In this harsh reality, to win means to survive. To survive means to end other people's lives. To live means to exploit others. How can one reach for greatness, when this world is nothing but a toy in the hands of so-called 'God'?
8 608Hide and Aizawa
"Please forgive your foolish brother… My unfortunate Lil Sis." This is a story of regret from an older brother, who in his previous life became the greatest source of sadness for her half-sister. And in this life, he would dedicate himself to ensure that his half-sister is able to walk and shine brightly in this gloomy world. *****
8 122The Mythfits - Books 1 & 2
The key was never supposed to be seen again. It was destroyed after a group of mythical warriors locked away the embodiment of darkness. So, when the key reemerges in present-day New Orleans to an easy-going college student named Aidan, a group of what goes "bump in the night" comes seeking it intent on condemning the city to a “Purge” style curse. As if supernatural slammers, malevolent monsters, and hellish hexes weren't enough, Aidan discovers he and his friends are reincarnated from the original group of mythical warriors. Is history repeating itself or are ancient and deadly secrets from the past ready to reveal themselves? A pinch of primordial evil mixed with a fist full of Fat Tuesday and it's a recipe for one hell of a party.
8 187Snow White & the Six Dwarfs | Kookv
(HIATUS/ON-HOLD)what would happen when a lost princess fell in love with a cocky dwarf who acted like a real prince owning the world but smiled as adorably as a bunny?Snow White AUstarted; Oct 2017ended;©-breataeking
8 74The WereLionesses Mate
She was running out of breath, but that didn't matter, all that mattered was getting away from him and proving him wrong. Branches scraped her face and her arms, her body burning hot; but cold from her sweat as the wind blew over her skin. Her pants soaked from running through the streams, her shirt ripped to shreds around her stomach from very low hanging branches. Her hair, a tumbling fiery mess of tangles, and waves slipping through the ponytail she had quickly fastened trying to tame her wild hair. Running and crawling on the ground through the forest floor, trying to get back to the camp grounds so Whhooossshhhh! All of a sudden a giant gust of wind flew past her nearly lifting her off the ground and throwing her into a tree. Where in the world did that wind come from? She thought, but she kept running like it had never happened. She jumped over a fallen log, ignoring the fact that she almost fell in the process. She zoomed past all the trees and sprinted over the roots coming out of the ground. She rounded another tree coming to a sudden halt at seeing him standing there with a drink in his hand laughing and joking. She stood there wondering how in the world he could have beaten her here; He looked at her then, He looked, well, handsome, his faced was clean shaven and his button up shirt was all unbuttoned minus the three at the bottom. She could still visibly see his bronze chest and the top of his ripped-hard abs. He walked over to her and smiled, showing all of his teeth, the smile reaching his eyes. His eyes were dark and stormy, their color was usually a nice honey brown but now his eyes looked mid-night black. They looked like they could kill a man at eighty paces, but could sweep a woman off her feet at the same time.
8 155