(Author: Hello! Shu successfully made his totem! Now he needs to pass the final trial to return to the real world. How will he fare? What is his Practitioner weapon? Last regular release before college. Enjoy.)

---------Chapter 18: One Against a Thousand----------------

Shu stared around the crystals began to crack. He cried out as his body was pulled, by an invisible hand, toward the third clearing. He held his stomach due to the extremely fast velocity. As he recovered he looked up and saw a giant tiger paw appear before him. It was so large, he could not even see the body the paw belonged to as a large leg extended beyond his sight. However, the ground and wall behind him were still made of crystal. He imagined that, if he could see the tiger in its entirety, they were still in the crystal cavern. It was a black-furred tiger. The color of its stripes, Shu could not see.

"Summon thy sword," a voice said, shaking the floor beneath him as Shu desperately covered his ears. Was this the Tiger the chief spoke of? Not daring to make it angry, Shu closed his eyes and imagined his sword appearing.

"You wield the Practitioner sword of a Sword Immortal cultivator," the voice said, no earthquake or sonic boom appeared this time as it spoke. He stared at a long sword that seemed to float in front of him.

The blade of the sword was made of a shiny, white silver metal that released the same celestial aura that emitted fear. The sword had a small gold cross-guard, about two inches longer than the blade, with vein-like grooves made of emerald crystal. The grip was also made of a soft, black leather that seemed to look like the fur from the giant tiger's body. At the base of the grip, an emerald jewel encased in the holy of a shiny, white silver metal identical to the sword. The entire sword, as it was a Practitioner's weapon, was indestructible and reeked of power and majesty.

"What you wield is the sword called Nether Tiger Sword. As you absorbed the essence of a guardian lion type Holy Spirit Beast, you were supposed to be able to use your flame element to a superior level. However, you only have an ice flame that is really ice but shaped like flames. The Nether Tiger Sword is able to create dark purple nether flames. These flames are like poison to the living as it burns not just the physical but the spiritual as well," the voice of the tiger behemoth said. Through your Holy Spirit Beast, you now control three elements, and nether fire. Your ice will no longer appear as flames. All this is because of the guardian lion's influence in your body, changing your Practitioner weapon as it is tied to your soul. You achieved inner peace as you came to accept the fact that millions died due to your data."

"What?" Shu spouted. "I tried so hard to shape it as flames!"

"Ice is not fire! Ice chills and freezes. Even if it burns, it is only the sensation of burning as skin and flesh crack as it freezes! Do not attempt to change an element's nature!" the Tiger roared, blasting Shu against the wall. "Worry not. You can use the nether flames of your sword to become an Archon Phoenix. It is now time for your final trial. As you know, others travel to Spirit Road," the Tiger began. "Your trial is to kill them. People from other worlds will have this same trial as you called One Against a Thousand! The trial consists of a thousand different tribes sending a representative. In the end, only one can survive. Live, and you pass the trial. Your Holy Spirit Beast can feed on their bodies and grow to its juvenile state. That is the reward the trial gives. No one can use spirit techniques here. The only thing you can use is the abilities of your body and your weapon. In your case, your Old God Eyes, vermillion wings to fly, and your nether flames. If you succeed, a tassel of my black fur will appear on the bottom of the pommel of your sword. It is symbolic but all tigers and tiger magical beasts will recognize you and obey you without question. I am known as Tiger for I am the Creator God of tigers. I am the First. Show those tribes my glory!"

Shu's eyes widened as he disappeared from the cavern and entered a valley surrounded by several mountains. On the mountain behind him, Shu stepped back in surprise as he saw the chief of the Tiger Tribe, the eight elite warriors, Meng Wan, and other members of the tribe. It seemed that the white roads leading to each tribe at the foot of a mountain really led to the foot of a mountain valley as wide as infinity itself. Before him were one thousand other Practitioners. The trial ended when one tribe's representative killed and survived the onslaught of a thousand other tribe representatives. Hence, One Against a Thousand.

All the tribes and people not participating bowed on their knees as the sky shined a white halo that said, "All will hear and obey! I, the Immortal God overseeing this segment of tribes will listen. Today, one tribe will show its dominance. The winning tribe will have a thousand souls added to its reincarnation cycle. The winning representative earns the right to feed the corpses of the thousand dead to his or her Spirit Beast! Let the final trial, of those gathered today, begin!"

Shu grit his teeth as all the people went into a frenzy as he sprouted his wings and took to the sky. It was no small wonder the chief talked about surviving the third trial. The chief was talking about the trial: One Against a Thousand! Meng Wan must not have been chosen and given a different trial. Seeing as she succeeded, Shu felt a warmth in his heart and was glad she survived. She knew more about him from others and he could trust someone from Tiger Tribe, based on the chief's actions. Shu narrowed his eyes as about one hundred others were also capable of flight.

"Congratulations, Meng Wan," the chief said as the participants of the large-scale trial took to the skies as most began fighting below. "You were not chosen to participate. Honestly, you are much too weak compared to Lu Shu."

"Will he be able to survive?" Meng Wan asked, hoping he would.

"He has killed before. He won't hesitate. However, his chances.....Wait! Those are nether flames! He wields the power to manipulate nether flames?" the chief cried as dark purple flames streaked across the sky from Shu's sword, the members of the tribe shocked as nether flames were flames of demons from the Nether Immortal Realm, the immortal realm where only demons lived.

Shu narrowed his eyes as he surrounded his eyes in a frosty mist. Those who flew in would instantly freeze and pieces of their body would burst from the mist as Shu shattered them as they were blinded. True, he could not use spirit techniques; but it did not mean he could not control the elements! He would throw spears of darkness at the people below as he dodged through those who flew in the skies above. If he saw someone about to kill another, he would target that person with a spear of lightning as they struck the final blow. If someone flew too close, he would hug his knees, folding his wings, and burst out, sending a shockwave as his limbs and wings released blasts of lightning.

As he fought, he realized that everyone's overall stage of cultivation, or something similar in another world, were more or less the same. The only factors that decided their fate was their intelligence, cunning, weapons, experience, and the elements they wielded. As he killed the people in the sky, blood rained down as death cries resounded over the valley. He made sure to target those who hesitated before a kill. He had to kill them before they resolved themselves to kill to survive. If he got outnumbered, he would make his wings disappear and focus his spirit energy into his legs to dodge and weave through the crowd, forcing his pursuers to fight others to get to him.

Shu would wince from the pain as some hits drilled holes in his body or severed entire arms and legs. However, as a true Archon and the benefits of the guardian lion's physique, Shu was able to regenerate at the expense of spirit energy. The battlefield became more chaotic as soon as only a hundred of the best survived. As many fought amongst themselves, eight of them joined forces to kill Shu as they isolated him from the fighting. Shu could no longer afford to fly in the sky as one of the people pursuing him would shoot arrows whenever he tried to take to the skies.

"Fucker! Just stay on the ground," one of them yelled as Shu flew three feet above the ground but moved too fast for them.

He howled in pain as an arrow of fire pierced through his chest, missing his spine as he crashed into the ground. The wound healed and the fire dissipated as he submerged himself in a ball of water. He stared back, his wings disappearing as the sphere burst while the hole healed. His eyes widened as three of them had weapons different than before.

"Ha! You realize your predicament!" one laughed. "We wield Divine Weapons! So long as we have a connection to our soul, the energy the Divine Weapon granted us can be used to summon them!"

"MUAHAHAHAHAHA!" Shu laughed manically as his head bent back while a palm covered his face. "Ooooh. How could I have forgotten? Divine Weapon? I have one too! The Sentinel Bow!"

Shu shouted as the Nether Tiger Sword fell onto the ground, vermillion energy bursting from his body like fire. It consolidated in his left hand to reveal the Sentinel Bow. His pursuers cried out in shock and some began to flee as Shu pulled an arrow of vermillion, the mere power caused by the concentration of the energy causing the ground beneath him to quake. Shu roared as he released the arrow, a large tornado of energy swirling outwards, destroying any trapped within. Shu frowned, but guessed that the Divine Weapon also changed.

Four of the eight died and Shu raised his Divine Weapon up at the Heavens, as he released another arrow, this one reached about three thousand feet before falling down, fragmenting into a thousand arrows that rained vermillion from the sky. Two fools who sought to hide among the other people fighting all died. Soon, only Shu and two who also had Divine Weapons were left. Taking advantage, Shu flew into the sky. He summoned all the vermillion energy he had to shoot an arrow at the man who was shooting at him. His vermillion wings disappeared as the last of the energy formed a thousand foot crater as the vermillion tornado arrow killed the man.

"Hmph," the last man sneered as Shu shook his head while picking up his Nether Tiger Sword. "Not facing people directly and ambushing them, only to finish them off now. How cowardly!"

"I'm still alive," Shu scoffed as dark purple flames burned across his sword as a white aura permeated from the sword, causing the other man to feel fear.

"As if I will lose to some teenage brat! In one hand I wield my Spirit Weapon! In the other, my Divine Weapon! You only have your Spirit Weapon left!" the man laughed as he brandished two two-handed swords as if they were as light as daggers. "You think you can beat me? I am a dual-sword wielder! You're puny long sword is a toothpick compared to my swords! Just let me cut off your head and I promise my Spirit Beast won't eat your head!"

"Come and try," Shu scoffed as he entered a stance.

Shu wielded the elements in his left hand as he wielded Nether Tiger Sword in his right. After feeling so much pain, Shu knew this was his first true life-or-death match. He could have died from blood loss without his enhanced physique. The wounds he suffered were due to the Eclipse Indestructible Body technique temporarily gone from his body. It had fused with him but still counted as a spirit technique. Shu felt his left eye burn ever since being hit with countless energies. As his wounds healed, the foreign energies which harmed his body were drained into his left eye.

He grit his teeth as he tried to fend off the other man. His sword strokes were as smooth as water, each hit transitioning into another. He parried and deflected each strike but was unable to get past the range of the longer swords and enter his ideal ranged. He would throw daggers of darkness only to watch the wounds heal by the divine energy of one of the swords. His lighting could only stun for half a second before the other man recovered. Shu stomped on the ground, turning it into mud. With a shout, he stabbed his sword into the ground, spikes of ice piercing the other man's feet multiple times. He swirled and a rising wave of nether fire burst toward the man.

However, the other man could not be underestimated. He severed his own legs, re-growing them as he entered a front roll. He threw his Divine Weapon, the two-handed sword cutting through the fire as it was covered in a holy energy. Shu's balance was off after the swirl and spat blood as he frantically blocked the sword. The Nether Tiger Sword flew from his grasp as he crashed onto the ground. As he got up, he saw the man moving toward him, his remaining two-handed weapon ready to pierce through Shu's body.

"I will not fall here!" Shu roared, his left eye glistening a radiant orange as a cross of white appeared before the eye. Laozi the Undying, sleeping within his Soul Realm, stirred as the Old God felt a portion of its spiritual energy drain. However, it was not in the Spirit Road so how could it know what happened before its sleep took hold and slept again.

Shu's eye burned as the man froze in his tracks. Multiple blades of infinite colors slashed at him, the shape of crescent moons. The man coughed blood, as his legs and arms were cut multiple times as he was blasted back. He fell onto the ground, wet by his own pool of blood. His eyes dilated, his breathing quickening, before his skin turned pale as he died. She fell on his left knees as he held his burning eye as the white cross faded. The chief of the Tiger Tribe laughed as Meng Wan and the other members of the Tiger Tribe stared at him.

"That brat, after so many years, finally awakened the power of Laozi the Undying: the Eye of Execution," the chief laughed. "He had the eyes of the Old God but not the energy. However, the energy of another Old God runs in his veins and soul: the energy of Tralagafa the Magnificent. Even if he can only use one Eye of the Old God, it is better than none at all."

"What is the Eye of Execution?" Meng Wan asked, curious as the guardian lion appeared out of its own will and began feasting on the dead bodies.

"Laozi the Undying is the Old God of Stars. He was the judge, jury, and executioner of the Mortal Realm. All that changed when the 'Gods' took over while he became an Old God," the chief began. "Laozi the Undying could see the strands of spirit energy and other energy. With his left eye, he could sever the strand, killing whatever it belonged to. That is how he killed two of the Forgotten Old Gods that killed Borgan the Almighty, an Old God you might not have heard of. The Eye of Execution could see the weak points of what it gazed upon and cut them. However, this second ability could be dodged or blocked. Lu Shu seems to be able to use the latter ability, even though he can see energy strands. If my guess is right, he might even be able to use a power of Tralagafa the Almighty as he has the Old God's energy."

"What is that ability?" Meng Wan asked, relieved as she saw Shu sit and begin meditating to recover his spent energy.

"Brilliant Star Fall," the chief murmured, fear and awe in his voice. "Think of it as meteors raining down from the heavens. However, it is not a spell or technique that can be blocked. If you are in its striking range, you either pray to the Heavens you dodge them all or die in vain. I suspect that Lu Shu will be able to do it if he is an Archon Dragon, peak Archon Phoenix if he is lucky."

"Have you ever seen it used?" Meng Wan asked.

"Yes," the chief murmured. "A descendant of the Tiger Tribe saw, from a few miles away, countless meteors fall from the sky when Tralagafa the Magnificence was still alive eons ago. Although Lu Shu cannot use the same technique on that scale, he can reduce an entire canyon or battlefield into countless craters on the ground with no trace of what used to be there left behind. The Old God could destroy entire nations. Lu Shu can only destroy a valley, martial sect, magic academy, or army of Practitioners and mages. No one survives Brilliant Star Fall. No one. You can hope and pray to dodge, but it never happens."

As the guardian lion appeared, the way it ate was peculiar. As soon as it opened its mouth, the corpse would disintegrate into tiny particles that zipped into the mouth. Once the guardian lion ate the last corpse, it was still a cub at a foot in height. Shu frowned as the happy cub disappeared. Shu scratched his neck as white dragon scales appeared. They looked like the same scales Laozi the Undying had. On the plus side, Shu did not have to worry about his head getting cut off. Members of the Tiger Tribe celebrated as they returned to their village with Meng Wan and Lu Shu. Lu Shu was told about the Eye of Execution and Brilliant Star Fall. Naturally, he was surprised and was elated to find out that it would become more powerful as he did, forever being his ultimate trump cards besides his totem transformation. As the First Tiger said before, a black tassel of its fur appeared at the bottom of the Nether Tiger Sword. All members of the Tiger Tribe bowed as it appeared.

"After centuries of being unable to compete in the One Against a Thousand trial, we won!" the chief cried, the tribe cheering as they hugged and congratulated each other and Lu Shu.

"It happens often?" Shu asked.

"If there are enough people. There are countless universes and galaxies in the Mortal Realm. You can think of it as the largest in existence. After all, there are seven Immortal Realms and only one Mortal Realm. Usually, it's the daily One Against a Hundred. However, some planets have been growing in power and trials like today happen at least once a month, your real world time. By the time you get back, only a few hours will have passed," the chief grinned. "Congratulations to you both. You are both true Archons with totems infused with Spirit Beasts. You will also be at the tenth stage!"

"How will I ascend to the Archon Phoenix tier?" Shu asked.

"You need flames. Other than that, no one really knows. It just happens. The Path of Fiend Cultivation is different. There is no norm for advancing. You just know when it comes and what to do. No one knows, why or when, but you'll know. Every true Archon does. You're not false Archons. Your power can't be measured by normal means," the chief smiled.

"Why is my guardian lion still a cub?" Shu asked.

"You have five spirit reactors. Thus, it takes five times the norm for your Holy Spirit Beast to grow. However, your totem's abilities are five times more powerful than the norm. It is a win-loss situation," the Chief nodded as he stared at Meng Wan. "Yours is unaffected as they are eight pieces of one. Now, I will present you both with your small gifts. Meng Wan, you've been here long enough. You will return to your world as soon as you are given your gift. Lu Shu, you will leave tomorrow to allow your body to accustom to the many changes in your body."

"Yes, chief," the duo said.

"I call it Tiger's Shield Bracelet," the chief said as he presented Shu and Meng Wan with different bracelets. "When you need them, they will become white silver hexagon shields with an image of a black tiger with stripes the color of bones. Yes, it is the face of the First Tiger. Fighting with swords and shields is useful, especially if you are surrounded or attacked with projectiles. Meng Wan, you use a short sword with a blade similar to a katana. Your bracelet is capable of summoning knives that disappear after piercing on contact. In Shu's world, the Japanese called them kunai knives. Speed is your forte and a shield would deter your fighting prowess. I call your bracelet Kunai Tiger Bracelet."

"Names are not the chief's forte," a warrior whispered, the others snickering until the chief glared at them.

"Goodbye Shu," Meng Wan said as she disappeared in a pillar of white light.

Shu waved goodbye and spent the night in the tent, his spirit energy returning. He was surprised to feel that only a fifth of his spirit energy returned even after his vermillion energy replenished. His left eye no longer burned, but he knew his ability could still be used. Now that the trials were over, he could think about what happened. At morning, he decided to exercise to calm his mind. He accepted the actions of his past life and wanted to be distracted to no longer think about it.

"You will be leaving us soon, son of Tiger," the chief said as he appeared. "Your past life's memories must still weigh on your mind. If you truly wish for it, I can return it to you. No more memories will come."

"No," Shu said as he stared up at the sky. "It's better this way. All I could think about was what I did to kill millions of people. How else could I make my killing intent into a visible aura? Now that I know the truth, I just want to accept it and move on."

"In my opinion, the best distraction is a woman. It is both pleasing and exhilarating," the chief laughed mischievously. "You're a prince, not married, so you can easily take one of the palace's maids and fuck her. They would want you to anyway."

"I might do that. Did I ever have a family in my past life? I don't think I did, but I don't have all my memories," Shu asked.

"No. You weren't a virgin though as some assistants seduced you and you happily complied, even though you knew their intentions. You had a single relative left, a nephew. He was one of the children you sacrificed your life for to save. He also became the leader of those kids when they left for Mars and started a colony. Through him, the future generations knew you as their savior and not the devil the government made you out to be," the chief answered.

"All I wanted was to live a new life, free from escaping from the Keeper of the Dead that chased me. I don't know what to do with this life," Shu said.

"You don't have any dreams?" the chief asked.

"No. I might wonder about the Pantheon of Devils and where my map leads to, but that's it. I only cultivate to become strong enough that I can protect what is mine and live my own way," Shu answered.

"That is also considered a dream," the chief said as the familiar white light pillar shined on Shu. "You are one of the Chosen of the Tiger. You have his mark and a tassel of his fur. You might not know it, but you are destined for great things. Give yourself some time and take things one step at a time. We, of the Tiger Tribe, will be watching. You have abilities you haven't even unlocked. Each tiger stripe represents an ability. It is a shame you don't have six or eight, but four is more than enough. Good luck, Shu of the Lu Clan."

"Goodbye," Shu said as he vanished from Spirit Road.

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(Author: This is my last daily release. Life goes on and college begins Monday. I will release chapters on Wednesday and Saturday around noon, Pacific Coast Time. This series will continue. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you all enjoy my story. Some may wonder when Book 2 ends.....What I can tell you is that the third book is more on exploration, fighting, and military exploits as Shu....well chapter 20 (ending paragraphs) and chapter 21 will explain. Thank you for reading and good luck at school, college, work, etc.)