(Author: Hello! Heat waves are.....draining. The Shu has entered the barrier and is living in the illusion as Yao. However, the illusion is one of tragedy and Shu must relive the fall of a sect. How will Shu fare? Will he escape and retain the skill that Yao had made, or will he die and fail the second round when he leaves the illusory formation? Enjoy.)

---------Chapter 12: The Truth of the Fall----------------

"I didn't think I would be called," Yao muttered as he walked onto the stage, Freezing Tail still in its scabbard.

"Not going to draw your sword?" the outsider spat. "I'll at least give you the honor of knowing who killed you. My name is Liang. Die, like your junior."

"That fool should not have fought at all," Yao sighed as he walked toward Liang. "His weapon was inadequate for the task, much like yours."

"You bastard!" Liang roared and burst toward Yao, his scimitars crossed to behead Yao. Everyone watched, eyes widening, as Yao made no movement at all. Everyone cried out and averted their eyes, thinking Yao to be dead. However, they heard the cry of an older male and looked back. Yao had actually caught the scimitars with his bare hands.

"What?" Liang cried.

"Yeah. My body is strange. I can't be cut my ordinary weapons and trinkets. Don't know why, but I'm not complaining," Yao shrugged as he crushed the scimitars with his tyrannical strength and punched Liang's throat. Liang choked as Yao kicked the back of Liang's left knee. As Liang fell on his knees, Yao grabbed his head and smashed it on the ground. He stomped on the back of Liang several times before the opponent lost consciousness.

"Yao?" the Overseer said, narrowing his eyes.

"What? I'm not one for finesse. I like gazing at the clouds and not wasting movement, Overseer," Yao bowed and kicked the unconscious Liang back to his sect. "He can keep his life. I need to make a report to the grandmaster."

"You're leaving?" one of the disciples cried.

"I kicked his ass. I don't need to be here further. I have other duties to the sect," Yao snarled at the disciple. "You would bar my way? On my way to the grandmaster?"

"Of course not, Senior Yao," the disciples cried as the Overseer glared at him.

Yao walked over to the Overseer and whispered, "Their numbers are too many and it is clear they are not here for a friendly competition. I must do my duty and warn the grandmaster and his wards."

"Do it," the Overseer nodded. "I'll keep these ones at bay. None are a match for me as all they complied to the sect's rules. If the core disciples fall, they will strike me down. You have until then."

Yao made sure to walk as normally as possible. He did not want to gain the attention of the others more than he already had. Yao left the inner sect area and returned to the outer sect area. Yao paused as he entered a crossroad to two paths. One lead to the mountain where the core of the sect had while the other led to an abandoned mountain that contained various magical beasts that roamed its grounds. He entered right road and stopped before a forest of a group of peach trees that were planted all over the foot of the mountain. Yao went toward one that he had visited many times before, the same one where he had been atop on of its branches to gaze at the clouds.

Most people did not know why Yao was allowed to stay at that tree in peace. it was as mysterious as the inner sect and outer sect not being built near the core of their sect. They didn't know it, but the core of the sect was built there at the advice of the grandmaster, the Great Lion Turtle, itself. It wanted outsiders to believe it lived on that mountain and even had the headmaster deceive the sect's disciples. Only truly talented disciples, who passed its test, were able to visit the grandmaster when the Great Lion Turtle visited the core sect.

Three years ago, it had been a year since Yao had entered the sect. That same year, he had visited the Great Lion Turtle as it had wanted to meet the one who evolved its Great Serpent Strike technique. When it gazed upon him, it deemed him worthy of knowing where it truly lived and had him guard one of the entrances to its home. However, he had never been inside. The benefit was that the opening, at the bottom of the tree's roots, had dense quantities of spirit energy.

It was there that he had cultivated. He always wondered about why his Mystic Stone was different than others. Just this morning, a few hours before Han went to find him, Yao Wu had a breakthrough and discovered why he was different. As Yao entered the hill where the tree lay, Yao felt the planet's life force stir within him, as if something was blocking his connection and could no longer be contained. His Mystic Stone shattered, replaced by the Mystic Crystal. With it, his memories returned. He was not Yao Wu. He was Shu of the Lu Clan.

"Ugh, shit," Shu moaned as he fell to his knees. "Is this the illusory formation? If so, why did I regain my memories? Why am I Shu when I am still Yao?"

"This petty formation cannot block our connection forever," the Great Spirit within him said, its voice echoing in his mind. You blocking the scimitar with your bare hands was the key. Your body is weak, but your soul is strong. It allowed you to remember your strange demon body technique. It had fused with your skin long ago. It is not a technique you practice anymore, as it has become one with your body. Same with my own physical body. How can this formation seal your soul from me? No spirit is more powerful than that of a Great Spirit. If they were mages, it would have worked as they are not Practitioners. The illusory formation has lost its hold on you. Quickly run out of here and pass its test."

"I can't. I have to do Yao's task. I feel as if the task is vital for my escape," Shu said, entering the bottom of the tree. Shu quickly used his dark spirit technique, Phantasmal Sky, to move ten times his speed, going deeper inside the tunnel he had entered. He could feel the pull of a foreign influence, as if it tried to stop him from executing his technique. All he could hear was the echoes of the Dragon Fox's laughter in his mind as he accelerated his speed.

Shu smiled as he saw light at the end of the tunnel. He slowed his speed as he entered a bright, underground sanctuary. His eyes widened as he saw bright green crystals lightened the sanctuary, like stars in the sky, as he had entered a place similar to a grand garden. At the back of the sanctuary was an ancient being. He wore a simple white cloak over his body with a crown of antlers on his head. Shu cried out as he felt something akin to an invisible hand grab him, pulling him toward the ancient elder.

"Hello, Shu. You are the descendant of the one known as Lu Feng. No one is watching you right now. I have stopped your scene and switched to one of the other nine who are trapped in the same illusion as you. As you might have guessed, you have broken the illusion's hold on you. People will believe you have made your escape as you walked toward the peach tree," the ancient one said. "I am more ancient than Lu Feng. He never heard of my sect before he was bron or went into hiding."

"Can it be? Are you the Great Lion Turtle magical beast I met as Yao Wu? If you are human in this illusory formation, than you are a magical beast that reached the Spirit Sage tier, not a human Spirit Sage!" Shu gasped. "Does anyone know of your origin?"

"None, save the Bone Demon, the Overseer of the Planet. I spiked his intrigue as it is rare for a magical beast to reach the Spirit Sage tier in my day. Perhaps you have met him. Perhaps not. As a magical beast, I can sense a being most holy and powerful in your Mystic Crystal. It must be the Dragon Fox. Otherwise, why would a drake bow to you. No doubt, your ancestor must have figured something out. He never came out before. You and he must have a connection of sorts," the ancient elder said.

"What happens now?" Shu asked.

"Yao made it to this sanctuary. He died a few years later, trying to get revenge for his sect. Han and Ling left the Rokkam Kingdom. They died of old age as they did not reach the Spirit Knight tier. The next tier in cultivation rids the possibility of death by the expiration of lifespans. In other words, you can live for eternity if you are not killed first. I had a son. He was the one Yao had met, not me. He believed he met me. My son died, betrayed by one of the core disciples who revealed his location. He lived in the other mountain, masquerading as me," the Spirit Sage sighed. "I ask that you live as Yao a little longer and escape as he did. That way, no one suspects what you did here today. I also request a meeting with you and your ancestor tonight. I must share some news with him."

"That means I cannot use my techniques," Shu nodded. "How will I return?"

"I will send you back to the cross roads, as I did to the real Yao long ago. You must head back into the array you told Han about. That is how you will succeed in this game. You cannot die. Even I cannot fake your death here as the people will watch you once more. Can you accept my request?" the Great Lion Turtle asked.

"I will accept. I get to learn this variation of the ten spirit techniques. It is a superior version fit for me," Shu nodded, while a purple light surrounded him as he closed his eyes.

"Everyone run! We're under attack!" voices shouted as buildings burned and death cries filled the sky with grief and regret.

Shu rushed to the inner sect, pausing as he saw the Black Mantis Sect members make their move. He drew Freezing Tail and cut the man in front of him as he raced to the square. Shu narrowed his eyes as the man he beat up before raced toward him, brandishing a two-handed scimitar with rage in his eyes.

"Yao Wu!" Liang roared as he raced toward him. Shu shifted his body to the side, narrowly dodging Liang's downward slash. As Liang lost his balance from the strike, Shu swirled and beheaded him in a flash. Everyone in the square paused as they felt the ground quake. They lost their footing as the quakes grew stronger and more frequent. Then the winds grew fierce and they could hear a loud growl.

"What's happening?" the Overseer frowned as he noticed all the Black Mantis Sect members bow and plant their backs against the wall of the square.

"Dragon!" the disciples cried as a black dragon appeared from over the mountain where Shu had been as Yao, gazing at the clouds earlier that day.

"What kind of dragon is that?" the disciples cried as they stared at the black dragon, trembling with fear in their legs and shock in their hearts. The dragon's front arms had its wings on the back of the arms. it's hind legs had large spikes on the sides. Like a mantis, it had four wings, each of them blasting the air with tremendous gusts with every flap of the wings. Its eyes were also like a mantis, compound with no eye lids. Its eyes were oval and extended from its eyes sockets to the side. It had horns extending to the back of its head with spikes from its brow to the end of its tail. It was an abomination. That is what humans called magical beasts that were the only ones of its kind. They always feared the mutations among magical beasts.

Get out of the square!" the Overseer shouted, seeing fire gather in its mouth with his superior eyesight. Everyone ran, screaming as fire burned the skies and burned the land. The smell of burnt meat and ash filled the sky as the dragon flew over the inner and outer sect, burning rivers of fire on the land on anyone not wearing black robes. The Black Mantis Sect members ignored the screaming disciples and headed toward the main building of the inner sect, greed in their hearts as they sought to loot its treasures. The Overseer and the inner sect masters retreated into the building as they tried to fight them off.

Everyone was to left to fend for themselves. Shu was pushed to the sides by the Practitioners of the seventh and eight stage as they tried to retreat to the outer sect area and out of the sect's land. They knew, as all did, that the time for their sect's end had come. Only members of the fourth through the sixth stage ran the other way, toward the mountain where Yao had watched the cloud. They would rather try their luck against the mountains in the magical beast and retreat to civilization beyond the mountain. Shu paled as he saw the building burn, focusing spirit energy into his feet as he rushed to the building. A Practitioner of the seventh stage, and member of the Black Mantis Sect, stopped before Shu and blocking his way to the building.

"Where do you think you're going? You defeated my brother and even cut off his head. I will not allow your escape!" the man roared, brandishing a large-two handed blade that was curved toward its point. Shu grit his teeth as he gripped Freezing Tail harder. Their weapons clashed but neither were blown back, surprising the man. Shu really had strength beyond his cultivation. Metal clanged against metal as both fighters tried to kill the other.

Shu growled angrily as he saw more of the building burn as the dragon continued its rain of fire upon the sect. Shu roared with rage and used all his strength to blast the other man back, the man crashing on the steps before the building. White wisps of spirit energy radiated from his body as three snow-white serpents rose from Shu's body. They had dragon teeth and scales, similar to a dragon, all over their body. Their eyes were entirely black and wisps of black darkness glowed around their eyes The serpents looked so real, but were just dark and ice spirit energy manifested into a physical form. This was the technique Yao had learned. This was Ghost Serpent Strike.

The man paled as the three serpents roared as they flew toward him like spears. They slithered in the sky and were the size of great white sharks. Two heads struck from the flanks as the third serpent struck from the front. The serpents poisoned Liang's elder brother as they struck him. The blood froze as the chilling effect spread from the point of impact. A black poison spread, devouring the spirit energy and penetrating the Mystic Stone, eating at the man's soul lake.

"Die like your brother!" Shu roared as he pushed against the ground with his feet, his spirit energy empowering his leap as he sped forward. The man couldn't move and could only watch as Shu's sword was raised high and fell between his neck and shoulder. The man gasped and fell to his knees as he let go of his two-handed weapon. His head rolled as he gasped for breath, his vision unfocused as the eyes looked to the sky. Shu withdrew his sword, blood spraying to the sky as the man fell on the ground, dead at last.

Shu brandished his sword, shaking the blood off Freezing Tail before returning it in its scabbard at his back. Shu rushed to the second floor, dodging a floorboard that fell from the ceiling. He dodged and weaved through the fire as he burst into Yao's room. He took out two jade talisman as he grabbed another sect member who fainted from too much exposure to the ash and heavy air.

The teleportation array lit as he carried the other disciple through, his eyes narrowing as he saw a green hare on the center of a medallion. It was a fellow competitor. He had thoughts of leaving the person, but brought him anyway as he felt a pain in his heart that Yao would have felt if he left his fellow sect member for dead when he could have saved him without cost. Shu gazed once outside the window in the room, seeing the sect burn, before he and the fellow sect member disappeared.

--------------Return to Reality--------------------

Shu gasped as he and a boy burst through the formation. He fell onto his knees, panting heavily as the crowd cheered. The gold knight he met before helped him to his feet, approving of his actions as he signaled other knights to carry the unconscious Practitioner to the infirmary.

"You and that other boy have passed the second game. You and he are the second and third to pass. Congratulations. Please wait at the sides until all the Practitioners have completed the second game," the gold knight said as he dipped his head with respect and praise.

"Good job, Shu," Lu Feng grinned as he appeared before him in a flash. "Come with me."

They vanished from the area. Appearing in the VIP box. Lu Feng and Shu sat in the far corner of the area, everyone respectfully avoiding from disturbing them. Shu pulled out Freezing Tail, as the sheath for Arctic Emperor had burst at the bottom from the change. Freezing Tail was a long sword, but it was not as long as a katana and was double-edged.

"Are you alright, Shu?" Lu Feng asked as he gave Shu a scabbard for him. Shu nodded as he replaced Arctic Emperor's sheath with Freezing Tail's scabbard.

"I feel different," Shu said silently while Lu Feng nodded.

"You have lost some of that cold-heartedness that was the demon blood's influence. You still rage like a beast, but your temper is more tolerable. It seems your personality has improved, somewhat," Lu Feng said. "It is good to be cold-hearted, but only to those who wrong you and your enemies. Behind cold-hearted all the time will only make more enemies. No doubt, the Green Hare Tower is thankful to you. Only one of their sixth stage Practitioners passed and it was the very same boy you brought with you. Rest. I will tell you the results later."

"The Great Lion Turtle is a Spirit Sage. The same Spirit Sage who is said to be the oldest of the Rokkam Empire. He asks to speak with us tonight," Shu said before his fatigue took over as the adrenaline left his body.

Lu Feng nodded sat next to Prince Trent and Liao Hong, who said, "You were right, Ancestor Feng. He is full of surprises. He learned a great technique and defeated someone above his cultivation in a body not of his own."

"He passed the second game and also helped another pass as well. Even if he did not have his memory, he helped another member of his sect escape when he could have left him for dead," the crown prince agreed. "It seems the second game is concluded. Only nine have passed. I will let the eighth and ninth to fight each other to see who will make it to the elimination tournament. An extra round if you will, as the top eight will fight each other at random."

"Let's enjoy the elimination tournament of the seventh stage Practitioners," Liao laughed. "I can only hope my nieces get one of the top three ranks. Both would be asking too much. HAHAHAHA!"

The day turned into night as the top three ranks were decided. In the first round, Rian defeated Elizabeth, Miguel defeated a Steel Horn Temple student, the Green Hare Tower true Archon defeated a Steel Horn Temple student, Isabella defeated Hinako. In the second round and semi-finals, Isabella defeated Rian and the Green Hare Tower true Archon defeated Miguel. A separate fight began two hours later, in which Rian narrowly defeated Miguel and received third place. Isabella shocked everyone by defeating the true Archon of Green Hare Tower. However, she was also a true Archon and came from one of the ancient clans. Thus, she had experiencing in fighting abnormally powerful people and got first place in the seventh stage division. Steel Horn Temple was infuriated as they had lost any chance to place third overall.

Lu Shu and Lu Feng waited at the west wing of the palace as a familiar ancient elder opened the door to his rather large room. It was about as big as a small auditorium. The Spirit Sage placed some tea on the table as he sat across from them on the lavish, red couches. The room was rich with many antiques and portraits and paintings. All the paintings had the image of several magical beasts. Bahamut rested on the arm of the couch while Supaku nestled against Shu.

"Thank you both for coming. It has been a rather long day, but I cannot delay in telling you some news of note," the Spirit Sage began. "When I reached the Spirit Sage tier, I gained a human form and needed a name. I go by the name Light. My son and I used to watch the rising and setting sun together. He was such a young cub. Barely at the level of Spirit Master when he died."

"It is quite rare for a magical beast to be free in human lands. At least he did not die by human hands, like an animal," Lu Feng nodded his head.

"Your descendant is also part magical beast," Light noted, his eyes directing toward Shu's horn and ears. "It's funny really. Some human Archon techniques make some humans part magical beast while magical beasts gain a human form upon reaching the Spirit Sage tier. Although that horn is similar to a demon's horn. Now, I must tell you some news. What do you know about Hyperion?"

"They lie in the eastern part of human maps of this planet," Lu Feng said. "It is said they were a race of angelic creatures that fell from the grace of the Heavens. They were cursed with bestial forms while some still had human forms with wings. They tried to gain the power of the Creator Gods, kidnapping some holy creature and intended to do something with it, but were stopped. The Creator god must have been either a human immortal, human god, magical beast immortal, or magical beast god. Demons care little as power is everything. An Immortal Emperor and Immortal God would punish those who defy their commands while Feral Emperors and Feral Gods would devour any weak magical beast that dared trespass into their territory. Only such entities can create planets and call themselves Creator Gods."

"Yes. That is correct. The Hyperion have made their move. Even now, they send espionage groups into the lands to the south, north, and west. They are searching for artifacts to aid in some goal of theirs. I snuck into their lands a few years ago, interrogating and killing humanoid Hyperion," Light said, his expression darkening. "They are looking for the entrance to a hidden dimension. It is said that an ancient tree, billions of years old, exists in this world. Taller than any mountain or volcano. Only someone with connection to the planet could find the tree, provided they have a map. The Hyperion have not found the map and are desperately searching for it."

"Could it be?" Shu thought, thinking of the map he had found underneath the largest tree in the swamp a few years ago. "I knew it was important."

"The map is said to be written in the ancient language of the dragons. That ancient linguistic language was lost, separate from the modern day language of dragons with roars and growls. It is the written form of that language. No dragon alive can decipher it. There have been some texts found, all describing the tree and a very powerful dragon guarding it. I don't know what connection that ancient tree has to the Hyperion's plans, but it must be very important for them to move so aggressively," Light said silently.

"How were you able to decipher the texts?" Lu Feng asked.

"Some records of how to decipher them were found in the ruins within Hyperion lands. I almost died when hoards of Hyperion at the Spirit Master tier discovered my presence in the ruins. They're getting tired with the espionage and are gathering their forces. No doubt to start a war and use it as a distraction to sneak in more troops to search further. Their new leader is said to be a Fiend Immortal at the peak stage," Light growled. "They've been experimenting on all races they can catch, changing and twisting their anatomy through their experiments. They're like those human wizards and chaotic Practitioners, doing all sorts of heinous acts all in the pursuit of a higher power. Here is a copy of the dictionary I made to decipher the language. The Imperial Lu Clan is closer to Hyperion land that have been occupied far longer than the land close to the Jokkam Empire. Perhaps you might find some texts in their ruins. It should serve you well. Whatever happens, we cannot let the Hyperion become powerful. The four forces of humanity, demons and magical beasts have no choice but to recognize the Hyperion as a leading, separate power. They might also find something in the Pantheon of Devils."

"Thank you," Lu Feng said as he placed a stone tablet into his storage bag. Shu was also given a dictionary. As he put the dictionary away, Shu positioned his right hand over his storage bag. It looked like the tablet went into it in a flash of white light, but it went into Spook.

"I also have further news. The dragons have banded together and have begun fighting the Hyperion. They believe the ancient dragon guarding the tree of legend to be a dragon immortal magical beast. Dragons revere and follow dragons superior to themselves, like betas following alpha. The demons are also rising to fight the Hyperion, as they have lost much of their land already. War over the globe will begin soon. You must prepare the armies of the Yan Dynasty. Gather all your soldiers beneath the Spirit Knight tier to fight the Hyperion forces," Light warned.

"Thank you. I will inform my descendant, Emperor Lu Yi. Perhaps Lu Shu will fight in the army, before the Pantheon of Devils opens. He'll join the army once he graduates," Lu Feng bowed and led Shu toward his tent.

"Something tells me you already have the map Light spoke of," Lu Feng said as they walked out of the palace.

"It is currently within Spook," Lu Shu nodded.

"It is best to wait until you become an Archon Phoenix first. After you survive the Pantheon of Devils, you can investigate that map. Until then, keep it a closely guarded secret. Don't even mention it after this. Does it have to do with the bead on your neck? It is a magical item to be sure, but I sense no power in it," Lu Feng observed.

"I found it with the map. It was a part of a five star-point formation array. I took one, hid another in the root wall, and arranged the remaining beads in a triangular formation. I also found the strange, huge demonic core that eventually became my first spirit reactor under the influence of the bead. I did not take the Practitioner weapon and mage staff so as to avoid suspicion of only the three beads being hidden there," Lu Shu explained.

"So that's it. I see," Lu Feng said as they arrived in front of the tent for Black lotus Academy's sixth stage Practitioner participants. "Tomorrow is the elimination tournament. I expect nothing but first place from my bloodline. Keep Wraith a secret, no matter what. You can't fight with Bahamut but keeping his presence by the stadium at its full size will intimidate your foes. Fight with Supaiku, if they fight with their magical beasts. I'll be watching your fights. Good luck."

"Goodbye and thank you," Shu bowed as Lu Feng disappeared. Shu's armored tiger spirit was still an Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit, but had the same dragon-scaled and toothed serpent that was on Freezing Tail. Same with the Sentinel Bow. The Dragon Fox told him it was the influence of the spirit energy of the ancient magical beast that ascended to the Spirit Sage. Shu sighed as he walked into his tent, seeing only Ivy in there.

"What happened? Are we the only two from Black Lotus Academy among the nine that passed?" Shu asked.

"Yes. Besides the guy you rescued in the illusory formation, three are members of Blue Phoenix Palace and Red Dragon Temple has two competitors. The last of the nine competitors are from Gold Crow Palace. It seems Steel Horn Temple has truly lost to the six rival academies," Ivy said. "Tomorrow will be a very competitive tournament as Blue Phoenix Palace and Red Dragon Temple have a shot of gaining a higher rank and possibly overtaking Steel Horn Temple. In their rage, I heard Steel Horn Temple have begun packing. I believe they'll be leaving before dawn."

"It's almost over," Shu said as the two eagerly waited for the last day of the games.