'Were those... Karma Threads?' Wu Rou asked herself.

She then remembered that, unlike the others, Cheng Hao's threads were golden and shining with golden light. She smiled.

'For you to be blessed even by the Heavens, I have no feelings of regret! I am happy to have lived enough to see you!'

At that time, Wu Rou didn't know, but she had just had an insight on Fate, what she had just seen were not Karma Threads... It was Fate.

If she had known this she would have been stunned, people would be unable to see the invisible hand of fate, they would be unable to look into the past, present and future... But she had not only done that. She had seen something more, something greater even though she did not realize.

'Is my family doing fine back home? My brothers, sisters... I wonder if mum and dad are still alive..." She pondered but then shook her head "Cultivation doesn't allow for love... But I wonder if that man is doing fine? I wonder if I should visit him later, I miss his voice and the warm feeling of his hands...'

Her face grew red but she shook her head once again 'For cultivation, I tossed him away and refused his love. He looked very much like the man in that scene... Could that have been the future? I wonder... Would he accept me now, that I am old and ugly?'

She smiled remembering the old days, of the man with a scar on his lip, azure eyes as azure as the brightest diamond and the softest gaze...

The encounter with Cheng Hao changed her whole life and discarded any Karma that had been attached to her, rearranging them. Without even knowing, Cheng Hao had changed her own destiny! Not only hers, many of the people on the scene would have had different endings, but now, with him there, everything has changed!

...

Mu Gu smiled. He stretched his waist and the robes fluttered, the words Mu Gu - Ancient Tree flashed with the glint of gold. Beside him, Fang Lu followed.

The two approached Cheng Hao and bowed. The old protector smiled "I have never seen talent such as yours before! Such power at such a young age, and what's more such courage to go against powerful foes and the kindness to save those in trouble... You have my admiration and support!"

He nodded at the child "I hope you will not forget to aid both me and my disciple! That old devil Lao told me you are quite knowledgeable! I have had a bit of trouble in my breakthrough, I wonder if you could help me with that" He winked.

Cheng Hao smiled and scratched his head "Protector Mu Gu is just too kind! I simply repay kindness with kindness and favor with favor! Of course though" his eyes glinted "I show no mercy towards those who take from me!"

...

Wu Row bit her beautiful lips once as she remembered the scene she saw before and sighed looking at the resting Sou Rou...

She inhaled and then her eyes burned with determination!

"As I said before, your position is that of a disciple no longer! Sect Head, that is your title!" She knelt on the ground. Mu Gu, Lu Fang and Lao Jianghu all knelt down as well, the other protectors and their disciples also followed and soon, seven Protectors and six disciples, all except for the already imprisoned Shui Jing, Yin Hei, Zhao Bu and the unconscious Sou Rou were kneeling in front of Cheng Hao.

"Sect Head Cheng Hao! We pledge allegiance to the new Sect Head! May your meditation be full of enlightening, your strength summon the rain, your voice call down lighting!"

...

The crowd was silent...

Did that happen for real?

For the Ancient Tree Mu Gu it would be no problem as he had always been an ally and a close friend with Lao Jianghu. The other Protectors also wouldn't have too many qualms as they didn't have too many thought about becoming the head, but Wu Rou had fought for a great amount of time for it.

In the crowd, Bi Liang smiled 'Brother... You did it! You captured the hearts and the souls of so many! First it was one girl, Xiao Wu, your power but also your kindness made your figure shine in her heart like a true blood sibling!

'After that came the members of the All But In Blood Alliance! You gave your all to help them and your knowledge gave them the opportunity to rise to great heights! Unfortunately, because of our wishes, you had to leave, without a cultivation and alone, no friends were by your side... And even then, you mesmerized us of the Golden Tiger Faction as well!

'Now, you have the eyes of the whole Sect on you! They do not know of the hardships you had to go through, but they respect you nonetheless! They love you and they admire you! This that I am about to do is no repayment, how could I ever repay you in this lifetime for all the help you have given us? For the Hope you poured into our empty hearts?'

'Still, if this can help you in the slightest, then I will gladly do it! Not because you are my brother, not because you are my friend, but because of all the effort and time you have given up for this Sect, its Disciples and its Elders!'

The blonde-haired, brown-eyed man smiled and lifted his head, his will fiery and his eyes burning with determination.

Bi Liang stood up, stepped forward and then also knelt on the ground. Those who saw him were stunned at first but then also nodded and fire burned into their eyes as well.

Such a young child has shown such strength and knowledge, that cannot be acquired by being a genius, it was all through hard work! They all knelt down in acknowledgement and even more people noticed them and knelt down as well.

Even more, and more, and more, and more! All the people present in the stalls of the Arena were kneeling. Bi Liang breathed in and led the way, shouting before anybody else with all his might:

"Sect Head Cheng Hao! I pledge allegiance to the new Sect Head! May your meditation be full of enlightening, your strength summon the rain, your voice call down lighting!"

Bi Liang smiled and proudly raised his head and looked with passion at the people surrounding him. They couldn't help but feel their blood boil as they also followed in:

"Sect Head Cheng Hao! We pledge allegiance to the new Sect Head! May your meditation be full of enlightening, your strength summon the rain, your voice call down lighting!"

The members of the Golden Tiger Faction shouted louder than everybody else, their voices powerful and their chest filling with pride: they had been taught by the Sect Head in person, how many in the Sect beside them could say that? What's more, that Sect Head was the greatest genius that this world has ever seen!

"Sect Head Cheng Hao! We pledge allegiance to the new Sect Head! May your meditation be full of enlightening, your strength summon the rain, your voice call down lighting!"

Then came the members of the Moon Goddess faction who respectfully shouted, grateful to Cheng Hao for saving their Lord's disciple and also following their Leader's wishes.

Many shouts came from everywhere in the Arena, but the loudest one could be one, and one only...

A beast's roar came out as a gigantic figure made out of black smoke clapped his fists in the sky. Fu Yin floated in midair and the gigantic black phantom behind him copied his moves like a gigantic shadow. Xiao Wu flew beside him with her mask and Blue Robed Night Challenger clothes on.

"SECT HEAD CHENG HAO! WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE NEW SECT HEAD! MAY YOUR MEDITATION BE FULL OF ENLIGHTENING, YOUR STRENGTH SUMMON THE RAIN, YOUR VOICE CALL DOWN LIGHTING!"

The roar was so loud that even people in the Vacant Sect could hear it and they all looked at each other: did something happen? A new Sect Head, was that true? And he was called Cheng Hao? They had never heard of him before, who was he?

...

Cheng Hao lifted his head and saw Xiao Wu and Fu Yin grinning at him. His expression grew soft and he smiled seeing that, after all, even if distant, the two of them had been by his side all along!

He disappeared to reappear in front of them soon after: he had no cultivation so he could not fly, so he threw himself in their arms, grabbing and hugging the young boy and girl "Brother! Sister! I have missed you guys!"

The three hugged each other and laughed loudly. The other Sect members were shocked for a while and then some recognized the two: the rising genius, 'summoner', Fu Yin and other remembered about the powerful yet mysterious Blue Robed Night Challenger. They soon connected the dots and began to understand a bit of the situation.

So many of the Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect's most talented disciples tend to band together! They find and help each other, right? Wrong. It is a single person that they all gather around, their one and only big brother, their master, the greatest prodigy of them all!

He is now no longer a disciple, he is none other than the new Sect Head, he is Cheng Hao!

...

"Shut Up!" The loud yell made everyone on the scene shiver. They all turned to look at the plateau where the sound came from. There, they found Yin Hei gritting his teeth and viciously staring at the three young children in the sky.

He stomped on the ground and the stony arena crumbled into pieces!

Every person on top of it had to jump on the stalls and counter the shockwaves of the blow.

Above the barren land that previously was the majestic Arena of the Core Sect, Long Yin Hei floated, a strange black smoke came out of his seven apertures and made him look like a demon.

He pointed at Cheng Hao and shouted "I refuse to accept this! I refuse to let a child like him lead our sect! Everyone, wake up, they have all been brainwashed! Pick up your arms and fight with me!"

The crowd was stunned: what was the First Protector thinking? Take up arms? Fight? Why would they battle their own Sect Members? Cheng Hao had showed his abilities as a genius in both his great power and sharp wits, isn't he the best candidate?

What's more, didn't the First Protector already agree before to the terms?

Lao Jianghu sighed and turned to look at the Black Robed Protector "I knew this would happen. Everyone, we owe you an apology on behalf of the Protectors for we let First Protector become like this.

"Long Yin Hei is from now on a Protector no longer! He has shown greed and placed himself above the Sect!" Lao Jianghu scoffed and then waved his sleeve, releasing his powerful pressure upon Long Yin Hei.

Fa Guan also stepped forward, his arms crossed and his grey robes fluttering behind him "On behalf of the Sect Head, I shall now repeat his words and the rule imposed on us Protectors of each generation by the Ancestor: 'Once a Protector shows not the will to protect and puts personal feelings above the well being of the Sect he is to be stripped of the title and kicked away from the Sect!' The time has come, Long Yin Hei, leave this instant!"

The Eight Protector waved his thin hand and a stone flashed into his palm. He clenched his fist and crushed the stone which burst into countless small shards.

At the same time, the words Long Yin Hei - Shadow Dragon disappeared from the previous First Protector's robes.

Yin Hei widened his eyes at that and gritted his teeth "You all! You dare do something like this! That kid has toyed with your minds and you can't see it? I'm the best decision for the Sect Head! I am! I AM! I AAAAAAAAM!"

He yelled at the sky and the whole world began to darken, black clouds appeared in the previously completely clear sky. The man then pointed a finger towards the ground.

Invisible attacks appeared and many began to pale and cough up blood as pressure was imposed on their bodies and their cultivation bases began to crack dangerously. Cheng Hao gritted his teeth and stared hatefully at the figure in the sky 'So this was the reason that old man was so reluctant to fight head on!'

Lao Jianghu's eyes widened. He stepped forward and did a hand seal, he fought against the powerful strands of pressure not daring to let any slip by: if he allowed it to attack those on the ground, many people would die!

With a loud yell, he waved his sleeve and the attack was repelled. He let himself fall on the ground, his golden robes fluttering and his back as straight as a spear.

The Golden Tiger Faction that had been silent until then stepped out and gathered around the golden robed Protector. Bi Liang also appeared by Lao Jianghu's side and looked up at Long Yin Hei in both fear and determination.

All the other Elders and Disciples also looked up and at Yin Hei scared out of their wits: was that truly the power a human could hold? To summon the clouds and block the light of the sun as he wished was nothing short than a god's power!

The disowned Protector's body began to glow and following that black smoke churned out of his body and rotated around him at high speeds.

The black robes got shredded by the dark vortex and his skin began to turn black, as if it was being burned. Long Yin Hei's face contorted into a mask of pain and cracks began to appear on his now charred black skin. Red light came out of the cracks and it made his whole appearance look monstrous.

The man's eyes turned even more golden and his hair fluttered behind him, messily waving around like black flames, his golden eyes were wide, showing the two snake-like thin pupils in them, his mouth opened and his teeth growled and turned sharper. His whole figure was enveloped by the black smoke, which made him look like some kind of ferocious devil.

"ALL SHALL DIE!!!" An inhuman shout came out of the monstrosity's mouth.

He was no longer human. Would a being with such charred skin, sharp fangs and claws, black blood and yellow, snake-like eyes be considered a man? Would a man that growls and yells like a beast still be a person?

The monster suddenly pointed once again at the group of people below and the gases surrounding him turned into countless small snake heads. They were completely black except for flaming red eyes and countless red eyes glanced at the countless terrified cultivators below.

"Die" He coldly muttered under his breath.

When he said that, the countless Black Smoke Snakes shrieked and then sped towards the people below, their jaws wide open and their red eyes glinting with hunger and excitement. Their speed was such that they would not be able to escape and their jaws looked like they would be able to bite through the toughest armor.

Wu Rou stepped back "How... How could we possibly stop this? Am I going to die here... No! I want to live! I have someone I want to see and live together with!" She trembled, her breathing rugged and her eyes blinking nonstop, she couldn't believe what she was seeing! She began to tremble and began to cry from the terror and the unwillingness she was feeling...

A single tear fell on the ground "I... Don't want to die..."

"And while I am still here, you won't!" Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder. She looked up and saw Lao Jianghu firmly standing on the ground, his golden robes fluttering and his expression one of determination. He waved his sleeve and an imposing golden light began to emit from the old man's body.

"An overgrown snake wishes to make trouble into my Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect? Dream on!" A massive golden seal appeared, it soon enveloped all the people present like a golden shield. It was not affected by the darkness outside and shined with bright light. As soon as the snakes saw the shield, they tried their best to steer aside but they couldn't stop.

Countless shrieks rang out as they exploded as soon as they made contact with the golden surface. Yin Hei's eyes corners twitched and he frowned "What? How... Nevermind, that tiny shield won't be enough!" He roared and even more black snakes appeared

"Let's see you stop a never ending amount of these babies!"

Although it looked really thin, the shield was in reality really sturdy: it was a magical seal, just like the one Cheng Hao had used to block the entrance to his room when he cultivated, or the one Lao Jianghu had used to block his cultivation. They were all types of seals, but this right now was many times stronger than the other ones, it was simply the difference between heaven and earth. It made Cheng Hao pale: if the old man had bound his cultivation with that, he would be absolutely unable to fight back with his current strength. This power was way past that of a mortal and approached the realm of the gods...

... And even that seal would not hold much longer against the barrage of the dark flaming smoke of the Demonic Yin Hei!

Everybody noticed that, but when they saw Lao Jianghu's power, they felt like they still had some hope left!

Wu Rou gulped me asked "W-What happened to Yin Hei?"

Lao Jianghu turned to look at Wu Rou and smiled "Long Yin Hei is no more. He has never been. What you see, is just his true form. It is an ancient monster sealed long ago in here by another being, or more accurately, a portion of his will. Fortunately, his true self lies dormant, sealed deep beneath this Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect..."

He turned to look at Cheng Hao whom was still floating in midair, not panicking in the bit. He sensed the old man's gaze and his eyes brightened and smiled in admiration as he finally put the pieces together and completed the picture.

The young child opened his mouth and muttered "Interesting..."

The old man smiled noticing that but explained nonetheless "He is called the Shadow Dragon. The bearer of the night, he was sealed here a long time ago. This Sect is rich in spiritual essence and Qi because two mighty beasts have been sealed here. Your Sect's founder noticed this, and made a pact with one of the beasts to protect the Sect in case the other being freed itself in exchange for possessing the body of the first Sect Head, and those who came after him, to watch over the seal with a physical body..."

A look of remembrance appeared on the old man's face "It seemed that all would go well, the contract was signed but, unknown to them, the other being, the Shadow Dragon had also awakened and made a similar pact with another person... The rival of that same founder!" Lao Jianghu gritted his teeth.

"You must know that the Shadow Dragon is a being who specializes in chaos and destruction, the Shadow of the Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect! On the other hand, the other was the order and creation, the Light of The Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect! Light and Shadow, those two beings have fought countless battles and in these last thousand years, unknown to everybody, they have kept battling"

Lao Jianghu waved his hand making a golden longsword appeared in midair and float behind him. It was completely golden and didn't have a single scratch on it. It was beautiful and deadly at the same time, it resembled the weapon only a god should wield, so perfect it was.

"Each few generations for a thousand years, they would possess a new body and would try to surpass each other in cultivation... And for a thousand years, the Light has always won. But..."

His eyes flashed and his expression darkened.

"In the last awakening something happened: the Shadow woke up much faster than the Light could. While the Shadow awakened more than forty years ago, the Light only revived ten years ago. This was a fatal mistake on the Light's part... And a chance for his enemy to prevail!"

He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with hatred towards the enemy and... Himself. Wu Rou was long rendered speechless, all those around him now couldn't help but shiver as they realized that this had all been happening without anybody noticing... And that such a frightening power was being released!

Wu Rou stared shocked at the man with a long white beard, sharp golden eyes and fluttering golden robes "How... How do you know all of this?

Cheng Hao fell on the ground beside Bi Liang and looked at Lao Jianghu expressionlessly "That was the reason... Why the... 'Light' disappeared for ten years to train, isn't it? And to gather allies..."

Lao Jianghu smiled kindly and looked at the woman "Wu Rou... I can see your destiny has been changed. This battle is not for you to take part in, it is better if you go away, lest fate shall change once again... And this time it might be for the worst!" He then turned towards one other person he owned more than a favor to...

Cheng Hao crossed his arms and sighed "Bi Liang... You better brace yourself for this... I think our... Third Protector has something important to say to you too..."

Bi Liang frowned and turned to look at the figure he treated like a father "Father? What does he mean?" He clenched his fist "Is it something important? Tell me!" A bad feeling swelled up in his heart.

Lao Jianghu sighed "When this generation's reincarnation of the Light was about to revive, the Shadow attacked the new Sect Head and injured him badly, rendering him nothing less than a cripple... To live in a body like that would be suicide and, due to the agreement, the Shadow would be free to do whatever it wanted during that time..." His eyes softened as he bowed to Bi Liang.

The man shook his head in disbelief, his eyes widening and his breathing growing rugged "No... No! It can't be! This isn't right! You must be joking, Father!"

Lao Jianghu bowed even more "I am sorry, I had no choice. The Light ended up breaking the agreement between the Founder and himself... It did not occupy the body of the Head only. And since it was only compatible with the body of a man, it could only occupy the body of your Father, Third Protector Jianghu... The most powerful male in the Sect aside from Yin Hei and the crippled Sect Head"

He kowtowed on the ground "I apologize... Your father... Is no longer. This is all my fault because I didn't take into consideration the fact that the Shadow Dragon might have had an accomplice that helped him prepare the body in advance and wake up earlier... A man called Chu Sai and a person at the low level Reverend stage"

He looked down ashamed but then his voice grew firm "I am sorry... I am not your father anymore, I haven't been for the past ten years!"