From the crack in the barrier came out several thousand people. At least eight-thousand. Immortal beings of all shapes and description. Jian looked on in awe.

Eventually they all filtered through and floated in mid-air surrounding the white building. Silent except for their clothes floating in the wind.

The eight-thousand eventually split themselves into eight groups. Each distinct and different from the other. They were the big sects of the plane of existence which Jian lived on, but he had no idea.

Instead all he felt was a suppression. The suppression of a higher level being onto a lower one. A powerful aura crushing onto his body. Pushing him down. Forcing him to kneel. To bow.

But in his dantian the golden teardrop flashed and the suppression vanished. He panted in relief.

Finally from those eight groups came eight identically dressed people. They all landed on a cloud that popped into existence in the centre of the sky directly above the white bubble. They all wore blue robes with white clouds all across them.

The first of the eight was an old man. He was dirty and looked like a beggar. He tapped across the cloud on an iron crutch. He came from the group dressed in red with red red-pupils. He looked harmless. Ordinary. That made him all the more terrifying considering the company that he kept.

The second was a fat bald old man. He had a long black beard. He rode a donkey from which he fed, pulling out carrots from his robe. He wore dirty orange robes underneath the sky blue robes.

The third was a tall man hard faced scarred man with a flying sword. He wore grey taoist robes underneath his sky robe.

The fourth was a petite looking androgynous being. They looked like either a young boy or girl. The figure was beautiful. The androgynous figure was carrying a flower basket. They wore pink robes underneath their sky robe as well.

The fifth was a beautiful woman who radiated sexuality. She wore black short robes underneath those sky robes. Her large white breasts stuck out from her robe. She wore heavy makeup. She floated to the cloud sitting on a lotus petal.

The sixth was another young boy. The boy sat on a winged white tiger. He carried a long black wooden flute in hand. He was a red gi underneath his sky robe. He also wore a striped coat with long strips of color and things jingling off it on top of the Sky robe.

The seventh was a warrior. He was a giant in comparison to the others. At least twice the size of the others. He wore plain grey armour underneath his sky robe. His skin was also grey. He looked like he was made of stone.

The last was an old looking man dressed in wizard robes. He had a long grey beard. Carrying a jade tablet.

“How many thousands has it been since we were all together like this?” said the beggar to the others.

“At least ten-thousand, since the opening of the Emperors tomb.”

“Enough chatter” said the sultry woman. She opened and closed her fan to emphasise her words. “Where is Yun Yu?”

The man on the donkey stirred at her words. He leaned forwards to whisper something to the donkey.

The donkey looked around. First left. Then right. Then twirling in a circle as if chasing it’s own circle. The others watched this happen tensely.

The donkey finally stopped facing a away from the building. The donkey brayed loudly.

The fat man on the donkey laughed. “He’s here.”

He made several gestures his hands turning into a blur. Then he reached into thin air. His hands vanishing from the elbow up.

He moved his hand around as if trying to catch something. He finally grabbed it. His hand still and ripped his hands downwards.

With a flash of light the golden man appeared from thin air. He landed on kneeling on one leg floating a metre above the bubble surrounding the building. Encircled by thousands of men.

The eight reacted. The old man on the donkey held his hands ready. The woman held her fan in hand and got into position. The tall man pulled out a sword from his waist. The woman pulled out a flower on her basket.

He looked up at everyone. His eyes fierce. He hadn’t expected his enemies to pursue him so far. He was bloody and injured. The ten thousand had chased him across the universe. All the way to this hub. To this hidden level deep in the planets core.

He was bloody. Blood dripped out of his mouth. He was more tattered than Jian had seen him earlier. His once pristine armour shredded. He only wore one boot. The armoured lamellar skirts had divots missing. His chest had a large bite mark and scratches. As if a giant had reached out and scratched across his chest. The pieces of overlapping armour were no longer whole form the shoulder guard, to the forearm guards, to the thigh covers and shin covers.

“Yian Yu,” said the fat man on the donkey. His hands were folded calmly in front of him but his eyes burned with rage.

Ten thousand other eyes coldly stared at him as well.

The androgynous girl with the flowers spoke: “Saint Yu” she said. Her voice sounded like a breeze. It sounded like the nature itself was speaking. Like a configuration of bees, the air, the wind in the trees all aligned to form words. “It is truly unfortunate for the events that have transpired, even the destruction of your sect. We had no choice. We require the key.”

The boy on the tiger interrupted his eyes gleaming with greed “Remember our dreams Yu. To become immortals. Emperors. Just hand over the key. It would all have gone easier if you had done it from the beginning.”

The fat man spoke with a smile — but the smile never extended to his rage filled eyes “Hand over the key and we can study it together. We can cultivate together. Just give it here and come help us and all will be forgiven. You have a chance to live.”

Yian Yu, the golden man’s dantian began to spin. His power level rising. He began to glow golden and softly. “Don’t waste your time. If you want the key you’ll have to kill me first.”

The eight reacted at that statements. Hands closing around their magic tools. The fat man spoke: “That can be arranged.” He sounded disinterested.

He waved his hands. He floated into the air. The donkey vanished from underneath him and transformed into a circular beam of light that floated into the hand. The donkey transformed into a small golden ancient pagoda.

The pagoda in his hand was a terrifying treasure. It was the Wild-Goose pagoda. A 13-storey octagonal golden pagoda. The grave of the first Emperor of the realm which they resided in. The emperor who was originally a goose was said to have achieved enlightenment after sitting upon the same tree underneath which a famous bodhisattva had achieved enlightenment. The pagoda was left to his future heirs and it had travelled through time through the buddhist sect which the fat man had came from until it arrived in his hands. It was the signature treasure of their sect. It could also transform into a donkey.

That pagoda had an epic history. It was famous for slaying gods and binding demons. It was a vessel within which thousands could be imprisoned and thousands had been. It had destroyed worlds.

The fat man threw it into the air and exploded in size. Golden light sparkled outwards towards the ten-thousand already floating in the air. It was powering them up.

Saint Yian Yu smiled bitterly. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

He was the last one left alive. The last of the Golden Serpent Clan. He in his mind could see end of the clan. He could see the flaming signals in the sky calling for help. He saw the priests and protectors of of his clan falling from the sky. He saw relatives falling. He saw people he knew. Their hearts stabbed through. Blood spurting from the blades of the attackers. Their forms writhing in agony. He heard the agonising cries. He remembered the smell of burnt flesh.

For them it had been a simple business-like calculation. Their sect was too powerful so they had to be eliminated. Nine became eight.

But it was endless agony for him. They haunted him. The memories haunted him. I will bury them here. He thought to himself.