Eventually, Elder Meng called an end to the battle, before either of them were injured. Song Lu Tian was brand new to this level of power, but he was still at a higher level than Elder Meng. The longer they fought, the more Song Lu Tian would start to counter the older man’s vast experience.

After the battle was complete, Elder Zhong brought out his kitchen and dining room set again and they celebrated. Even though he’d been taking a beating from the younger generation, Elder Meng was smiling proudly and patting Song Lu Tian on the back, “To think you’d form your Sword Soul with the Heaven Destroying Sword Formation, and not the Jade Sky Sword Style. Only our young genius would be so bold!”

“Sword Soul?”

Elder Zhong was happy to step in and answer Sage’s question with a smug smile on his face, “Haha. This is a secret of our Mount Song Sword Sect, but you are nearly a Guest Elder already so we can make an exception. The Five Mountain Sword Sect Alliance was initially formed by five disciples of the same great master. The Sword Soul is formed by a secret art passed down from that great ancestor.”

Elder Zhong held his smug smile, “That is all I can say, any more details would get me in trouble. You’ll just have to guess about the rest. Unless you wish to officially become a Guest Elder of the Mount Song Sword Sect. If you can pass the tests once we return, you’ll be qualified to learn a few more secrets.”

Sage cupped his fist and saluted Elder Zhong. Bowing his head and letting the matter pass. They returned to drinking as he pondered on what was said. The formation of a sword shaped soul doesn’t seem to have been an accident. They seem to have a technique to ensure it. That means there must be some benefits to it. Hmm. Does that mean I can use my tree shaped soul somehow?

The next day they walked back into the icy parthenon and stopped in front of the pool of swirling red and blue motes. It was still much diminished from Song Lu Tian’s time in it. Elder Zhong looked anxious to leap in, but Elder Meng held up a hand to stop him.

“As you can see, Song Lu Tian already absorbed the majority of the energy in the Pool of Eternal Tears. Since he was the reason for coming here, it was necessary to let him go first. The pool’s energy is limited and takes many years to recover. As such, it would be unfair if the three of us were to take turns and would no doubt cause some animosity. We should all step into the pool at the same time and let our aptitude determine who gets to absorb more.”

Easy for you to say. You two are both probably former geniuses, aren’t you?

Sage kept his sour thoughts to himself and merely nodded. While he would likely get the short end of this stick, it really didn’t matter to him. If he were to receive anything here it would be a bonus. He’d only come because his friend had asked him to, and the gains he was hoping to receive in the poison miasma later should be considerable. He thought he’d only get a few dregs from this place, but now he would get an equal opportunity as the two Elders? He had no trouble accepting this deal at all.

Song Lu Tian was now the strongest of them, so with him to guard them, they had no worries at all. The three of them walked into the pool of two colored water and took a seat. They each closed their eyes and then felt a presence enter their minds.

Just as there was a duality to the colors of the water, there was also suddenly a duality in their minds. The water that had felt lukewarm to the touch suddenly changed to a scathing hot temperature. Sage felt as if his whole body was burning, and burning in such a way that it completely ignored the compartment in his mind where he stored the Pain Demon. Yet, while he was experiencing the boiling of his body, he was also transported to another place and time.

He found himself experiencing the world from another’s point of view. In fact it was two points of view. He threw flames from his hands and dodged the flames that came from an opponent. His body flipped through the air, twisting in mid-air to avoid a fist and rotating at the waist to bring his leg down upon his enemies neck. Then he heard loud cheering.

“The champion has been decided!” the man lowered his voice and waved him over, “Come up to get your prize,” then he raised his voice again and yelled to the crowd, “greet our young champion, Hong Ri!”

Even as he experienced walking onto the stage and receiving a bottle of precious pills and loud cheers of adoration, his body had also experienced a terrifying chill. He was plunged into icy coldness, chilling him to the bone.

There was also a second life that he experienced. An upbringing that could be described with one word: cold. Those around him showed no care or compassion. A life raised in a lonely ice cave where all contact with others was strictly discouraged. A life of harsh rules and restrictions, duty was the only thing that mattered. Harsh as it was, the coldness was its own sort of company. The harder he worked, the more he would be rewarded. Beautiful trinkets, delicious foods, and music to listen to.

His body burned again, searing him from the inside out. The greatest genius of the Hong Clan did not have an easy time. He started training before the sun rose and continued until well after it fell every night. The thousands of other young members of the clan set him as their target and they challenged him at every possible opportunity. Only strength would allow him to maintain his position. Every year there was a violent trial for all the young clan members, and dozens of them would never return each time. The Hong Clan tempered their members through deadly competition, and only the strongest and most ruthless would make it to adulthood.

Hong Ri knew only battle. The battle to stay on top. The strong get stronger, while the weak struggle to survive. That is until he saw her.

Sage felt the burning heat instantly being smothered, like he was plunged into the icy seas. His lungs seized up and he couldn’t take a breath.

In the world of cold, he finally progressed far enough and fast enough to receive an opportunity. The chance to see the outside world. To satisfy his curiosity. He had trained so long and hard to control his emotions. To show not a shred of them to the world. To freeze his features and harden his heart. Seeing such wide open and warm spaces for the first time had challenged his training, but he did not shame the Hei Clan.

He was here to represent the Hei Clan, to show the world the strength of the younger generation. The better he did, the more of the outside world he would be allowed to see. The other competitors were nothing in his eyes, merely interesting decorations like the illustrations in the book. They were just like the other Demonic Beasts he’d read about, something to study. Learn their weaknesses and they could easily be killed. These beasts merely wore clothing and spoke words. How could they compare to the majesty of the great blue sky above or the sea of grass and trees.

The inside of Sage’s body started to hiss, a cloud of steam poured from his lips, the sudden change in temperature causing some of the fluids in his body to boil.

She was a vision. A dream. Her long black robes hid every speck of skin from the neck down, but somehow her magnificent figure was too amazing to hide. He felt a burning desire that completely overwhelmed his entire being. In the youth tournament he destroyed everyone who came up against him. He took a pose of absolute dominance after every battle and his eyes flickered over to where she sat in the crowd. She treated everyone around her like nothing more than the wind. Ignoring them completely with her eyes turned to the sky, admiring the clouds. When a battle began she would watch it intently, but once a victor was decided, she turned her gaze back to the sky. He had to catch her attention!