Author’s note- As you can see with the pendant, I am trying to incorporate elements of legend of zelda into my story. And before anyone asks, No, the pendant is not a repeat of Navi. It just may look like her at times. As you all may know from my name, I am a hardcore zelda fan. From when I was a baby who wanted to play the game (my earliest memory lol), to a seasoned veteran who has played and beaten every zelda franchise 100%, I am a lifetime zelda addict. So it needs to be somewhere in my life, even when the new zelda game hasn’t come out. Whether it be in my story, my profile pic, or my computer background, Zelda has to be somewhere. (Or everywhere! He he he…)

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Fire (part 3)

According to my dad’s instructions, I went over and recited the technique exactly how it appeared on the tablet and explained what it meant until he was satisfied. Then he grasped the pendant, and took it off his neck. Handing it to me, he said quietly,

Dad- “It is yours now. May our ancestors protect you as they have me with this pendant.”

Again I marveled at the exquisite detail of the pendant, where no flaws could be seen. The four clear, crystal wings had a lifelike detail, and could be simply described as perfect. The orb seemed to have endless crystal clear seas within, where one could look for 100 years, and still never be tired of the beautiful sight! And the orb was not limited to just this! If you looked at the orb at a different angle, you could also see another mini-world within. Everything on the outside of the orb was reflected within, and I would not be surprised if the mini-me came alive, if not for the bluish tint that separated its reality from ours.

Reluctantly taking my eyes off the pendant that seemed to contain endless mysteries within, I looked to dad for further instruction.

Dad- “You’ll get used to the orb eventually. Believe me, when I first got it all I would do was stare at it. But eventually I became somewhat immune to its wonders, especially after being exposed to the world of cultivation. After all, there is a whole world out there, full of peculiarities like this pendant.”

I was extremely sceptical to his words; hadn’t I been in the world as well? But then I thought again. Wasn’t I also surrounded by pelicularities? The wooden sword, the ancient tablet, the recent surge of weird dreams, even the pendant were all things that seemed to surround me, especially since I did one fundamental thing. I moved out alone, without my clan being there to shoulder the danger for me. But that ‘woman’ almost killed me. Wait, what happened after I slashed her?

Me- “Yeah I guess. But now that it comes to mind, what happened to that, woman? After I slashed her...”

An incomparably cold expression appeared on his face.

Dad- “That demoness got what she deserved. She will serve as a living example for those who think of crossing our paths in the future.”

His face drew into a savage grin,

Dad- “And your cut? Don’t worry about it. I made sure it stays there as well. Permanently.”

I smiled savagely as well, unconsciously imitating his grin.

Me- “How deep was it?”

Dad- “Bone deep!”

We both laughed at the same time, not knowing why. It was just one of those moments with true family, where an inseparable connection is formed. But ruining the moment, Dad took on a worried expression.

Dad- “Daniel. I originally didn’t plan to let you to cultivate until you were 12, like the rest of the kids. But after a situation like this, everyone will know you have awakened to your aura. It would be best if you could reach the basic realm as fast as possible, even if it is dangerous as you have not matured in body nor mind yet. I am doing this because I believe in you, and I believe in our heritage. Others may call me foolish, but when have I not been treated this way? It will just add another item to the list of things I get disapproved of for, even if they don’t dare to say it to my face.”

Dad took a swig of water from the gourd of alcohol that hung eternally at his waist, and handed it to me.

Dad- “But you. You’re different. By choosing to cultivate at this age, not only will you be hated by your peers for their jealousy, they will not stay hidden in their groups. You will have confrontations, direct ones, where they will not only try and take the righteous ground while masking their envy! They will also get at you in secret, disturbing you even at your most private times. However, at the end of this path is the mantle of a genius, who can compete with peers over 5 years older than him! Will you take this path with me; a path riddled with thorns for a greater future?”

I stared dad straight in the eye, trying to convey that this was never even a question for me. I decisively took a swig of the gourd1, sealing our covenant.

(1: This gourd is the same Jack uses to pretend he is drunk all the time to others. He uses it as an excuse to stay within seclusion, and protect Daniel.)

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A lone figure sat cross legged in a dark room, the only illumination in the room coming from a small trace of flame that occasionally flickered across the skin. But this fire was akin to the calm before the storm. For suddenly, the flame exploded out from the skin burning red with a passion. In the next moment, the flame resembled a giant whirlpool as it receded back into the figure in a spherical fashion. If spectating cultivators could observe the figure’s cultivation, they would be incomparably shocked! The flame had drawn in a trace of natural energy as it receded, and this was coming into a seven year old boy!

Me- “Hmm. So I have finally managed to draw in some natural energy. Unexpectedly, the technique to draw in the natural energy is harder than the tablet made it seem. I suppose he failed to put it on the tablet, as it seemed self-explanatory.”

At first, I had followed the method to circulate my aura sphere and compress it. The process was relatively simple, as it only took a simple intention from my mind. But when I reversed the ‘seed’ and sent the outer layer aura exploding out, it pushed away all the energy I gathered on my skin! Only traces of it remained, and all of that got refined within my skin before it even reached within my body.

Disappointedly, I tried again, following the instructions on the tablet to every single detail. But the same thing happened again, even though this time I made no mistakes. So instead, I thought to do something a little different. Why don’t I split the aura off into needles after it exits my body, and then form a sphere again? After all, the technique doesn’t specify how to draw the natural energy into your body after making the energy into a human shaped mold, right?

Without a moment of hesitation I put my plan in action. Accelerating the circulation of my aura sphere as fast as I could, I drew the energy in closer and closer. After an unknown period of time, the natural energy had coated my skin like the grass is covered in morning dew. It was time!

I suddenly reversed the aura seed, and the outer sphere exploded out in all directions. When it reached my skin, the flame separated into a sea of needles that penetrated through the natural energy quicker than a knife cuts through butter. Then I allowed my aura to be affected by the seed’s influence, and it suddenly pooled out into a bubble of flame. It receded inwards quickly, and for the first time in my life, natural energy entered within my body.

Me- “Ah!!!”

Spreading quickly within my body, the natural energy seemed to want to destroy everything it came across. My body was also diametrically opposed to it, as it wanted to refine all my hard earned energy that I had just gotten. But the thing is that neither my body nor the energy won out. The energy was destroying parts of my body, making it incredibly painful if I may add, but my body was using the energy to build the parts it had destroyed anew, stronger than ever. In contrast to the other feeling, it felt soothing. But altogether it felt like a dull ache that prevaded throughout my body.

They were at a stalemate for the period of time that the energy went to my core, but thankfully there was at least half of the energy left that I could use for my cultivation. The energy drawn into my core accelerated more and more as it got closer to my seed, and I suddenly realized that my work just now was currently in peril. But the only thing I could do was to continue to circulate my seed as fast as I could, as I didn’t want to lose the momentum so essential to the technique.

The natural energy smashed into my seed, and this almost caused it to go out of control. The only thing that kept it from doing so was the fact that it was spinning so fast that some of the force got deflected by the pure rotational prowess of my seed. This dissipated force was added onto the momentum of my seed, driving the spinning speed outside the limits of what I could do on my own. It was still within my control though, so I continued with the technique.

In a matter of time, the natural energy separated into two respective components: one, the immaterial energy, and two, the material energy. They gradually moved into their respective places while I was maintaining the aura sphere’s speed. Now it was time to divide and conquer.

I started to slowly compress my seed onto the immaterial energy that had ended up in the center of my seed. At the same time, I split the outer layer into needles which penetrated through the material energy and compressed the material energy onto the rotational ‘shell’ of the seed. Then I manipulated all or my aura into chains, and had them borrow from the rotational force to compress the energy even further, which would result in a more thorough imprinting.

Once I could feel my own unique flame chain pattern mark on the energies, I created makeshift pathways by manipulating the flow of the aura while it was rotating. However, this method took up too much of my control, and the rotational speed regressed to normal. After this was completed, I sent the

immaterial energy out through the tunnels so they could recombine with their counterparts to make natural energy. I chain compressed this natural energy to the limit finally making it completely my own. The conquering was successful!

Next, I lined up my tunnels with the imprinted natural energy, according to the Revolutions of the Perfect Foundation, and waited for a while letting my aura sphere spin without complications. After the tunnels seemed solid, and the imprinted natural energy had stabilized, I sent wisps of immaterial energy through the tunnels.

They went through without complications, so I tested them with material energy. Interestingly enough, the material energy seemed to cause the tunnel to ripple as it passed through. Obviously, that meant the tunnels weren’t stable enough, so I continued to condense the natural energy of the tunnels and then tried again. They passed through without a hitch.

Now was the hardest part, and the beginning of true cultivation with this method. I had to condense the energy like a shell outside my aura sphere, and explode it out just like the first time. But unlike before, the energy is not only coming from the outside; it is coming from the inside as well. The significance of this is that the pain will be double, no triple that of the previous refinement.

The energy that I explode out from my core will wreak havoc within my body like the last time, but that is only the start. Once it bounces off my skin, my aura will start being drawn in, bringing in the unimprinted natural energy with it. The unimprinted energy will then collide with the imprinted, and the energies will both flood back to my core. But not before going agonizingly slowly in parts. It was like holding your finger to a flame. If your finger went in and out quickly, it would not be burned.

But imagine if you let that finger roast in the fire before pulling it out. The pain would be unimaginable! And when you finally got your finger out, you would have a well done human finger, ready for consumption.

Thinking of this made me hesitate, and feel a powerful unwillingness to continue with the technique. I held off at a stalemate with my body, one side wanting to hold off until the other dull ache faded, and then indefinitely until it was ready. The other side was my mind, and it wanted to go now because it knew that the longer I waited, the greater the hesitation would be. I spoke to myself out loud, encouragingly,

Me- “Daniel, are you kidding me? We need to do this for our dad, for our promise!”

A resolve welled up within me, founded upon my promises, and the love I had for my father. I would not disappoint myself, nor my father!

Immediately, I reversed the seed within me, and it exploded outwards! The energy within me reignited the dull ache that was slowly fading, and it flared up to an intensity that made my cry out.

With teardrops of pain running down my cheeks, I split the aura into needles that penetrated through the natural energy. And now it was time!

Me- “Come! I do not fear Fire!”

I attracted all the aura to come back to me, and the flame pooled out and rushed inside me.

And the pain was unimaginable! It felt like I was being roasted from the outside, and from within! The sharp stabs of pain kept sending tremors throughout my body, and the tears now came down like a flood.

A low animalistic growl came from deep within, in defiance of all the pain I was going through. And right as I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer, the energy finally finished going inside my core. The deed was done, leaving my body in tatters.

With the last trace of consciousness I had, I refined the energy that I gained and reinforced the tunnels. After that, I could hold on no longer, and fell into the familiar world of blackness

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The Universe Catalog

Author’s note 2- Wow. I did not expect the time to finish this chapter to be so short! I had another one of those pesky writer's blocks while writing this chapter, so I was thinking it would be another few days before it was done. However, the translated chapters were coming in at a very slow pace, so with nothing better to do, I could surprisingly just start writing and finish the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, cause I’m joining all three of these parts together now.