---
< Implants damaged >
< Core destabilized >
Yuanchen sighed. Whenever he tried to close his eyes, he either got the warning in regards to his damaged implants or a vision of a world basking in flames and mythical creatures. He looked at the ceiling and his lips thinned — the no-sleep situation was annoying.
Shaking his head, Yuanchen sat upright on the bed, and his eyes landed on Lia and Damon on the opposite side of the bed. His eyes softened. The two siblings cared for each other in a way that made him remember his sister — whenever he would get scraped, his sister would be there like the overbearing mother hen she was and dote on him. When his brothers bullied him, she would stand up for him and beat them silly.
Despite having a grim and sad childhood, Yuanchen found little memories like that treasure-worthy — but now, his situation had changed. He was a murderer and a thief of the highest treason.
Thinking of the events that had led him to this point, Yuanchen could not comprehend one thing:
Why? Why did Elder Juin frame him?
As much as he had not a single answer to that, Yuanchen knew that he had to get stronger.
The fight with Yakeen showed that he was weaker than most. Despite having physical body training, his reactions were slow; his Neuro-Qi was next to nonexistent, and recently, his implants were damaged by the influx of Qi from the soul within him.
Speaking about Shengyuan, Yuanchen decided to pay him a visit.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breather.
---
His mindscape had changed yet again. In addition to the tree in the center, a large house with red tiles was present; a lake surrounded the house and a bridge connected the porch to the tree. At the foot of the porch sat Shengyuan.
Yuanchen's gaze settled on Shengyuan, and he looked mortal — regal, yes, but very much mortal, unlike the powerful being that he was.
"So this is where you've gone to hide?" Yuanchen broke the silence as he walked over the bridge toward Shengyuan.
Shengyuan looked at him from under his bangs. "Listening to your thoughts can get annoying."
Yuanchen's eyebrow twitched at the jab Shengyuan threw his way. "Well, Mr. All-Powerful, sorry that my human thoughts are too much for you to bear."
A smile appeared on Shengyuan's face, and he quickly masked it. Sitting within Yuanchen's mind was starting to rub off on him; he knew so much about his host that he found himself relating slightly.
"What do you want?"
"Gee…" Yuanchen sat down on the porch and stared at the water, seeing a dragon swirl underneath the surface. "Why have you not taken over my body? I can feel that my soul is no longer the same, my thoughts and dreams change between mine and yours, and I gave you permission to take my body, so why haven't you?"
Shengyuan chuckled, causing the wind to pick up. "This body of yours keeps rejecting my control. As much as it is annoying, it is also beneficial to you because you are developing a path that is neither of both worlds — you can't see it yet, but your destiny is a combination of my ambition and what fate had in store for you."
Yuanchen nodded. "I see. But what do you mean, developing a path of neither world? Does that mean I don't belong anywhere?"
Shengyuan got up and opened his palm. Qi swirled around the open palm, and a small creature appeared. "No, that's not the case. You belong to both worlds, but you do not at the same time."
Yuanchen heaved a sigh of frustration at the cryptic words Shengyuan was using. He looked at the creature and raised his eyebrow, wondering what that was, and he made his thoughts known. "What is that?"
For my master's successor, you are dumb, the creature spoke as it jumped from Shengyuan's palm and levitated beside him.
"Why you little…"
"Enough, Jinx." Shengyuan's powerful voice interrupted the two as they were beginning to quarrel. He could feel a headache coming, and that sensation made him pause a bit. Human feelings? Shengyuan shrugged and looked at Yuanchen.
"This is Jinx, an administrator of my power. Currently, I am unable to take over your body as my Qi has done untold amounts of damage to your implants and core. Also, your body is rejecting me — in any case, Jinx will be what I call your familiar and administrator to guide you to use my power."
---
"So Yakeen was beaten? That's a first."
"Hahaha! I told him — he has gotten complacent in these times. And what did he say?"
"If there's someone strong enough to beat Yakeen, the Sect Leader must be mad."
Voices echoed throughout an empty room that was covered by shadows, the light bulb above being the only source of ambience. Within the room were three people: two females and one male.
They were the Six Masters of the Red Clad Sect.
"That's without a doubt," a woman with short blue hair said, her blue eyes staring at the other two with concern.
She was Escliffe, the Sixth Master of Light.
Next to Escliffe, chuckling like a madwoman, was a woman with yellow and red eyes — she had long red hair tied into a ponytail. "Well, Escliffe, it was his fault for underestimating his opponent."
The only man of the group, with wild brown hair and sideburns, laughed boisterously, his laughter rattling the room with its intensity. "Indeed, Clive. He underestimated his opponent and paid the price. Now he's wounded and weak. Pitiful! And to think he's considered the strongest in the Sect? Utter bullshit! It is I, Duval, who is the strongest!"
Escliffe rolled her eyes at the pompous nature Duval had, while Clive just chuckled, finding the banter amusing.
The doors swung open, and heavy footsteps entered the room. The light bulb blinked once...twice and shattered in a rain of glass, bringing the room to darkness, and the three members of the Six Masters went to their knees, showing respect to the hulking figure with glowing red eyes.
"My lord," they all said in unison.
The figure huffed, visible puffs of smoke escaping out of his nostrils, and he nodded before walking between the group. The man sat down and observed the kneeling members. "You may stand!"
Escliffe, Clive, and Duval nodded. They got up and turned to look at their leader.
The Red Clad Sect leader smashed his hand on the table in frustration, resulting in the room being split into two. The roof flung open, revealing the moon in the sky.
"Yakeen failed to retrieve the item — and the head of the thief. One of my Six Masters came battered and bruised by someone we did not anticipate."
Escliffe raised her hand. "Pardon me, sir, but do we have a physical description of the person who defeated Yakeen?"
"From what Yakeen told the disciples that found him, the man has short, messy dark hair and cyan eyes. The disciples said his name was Yuanchen — and I want him FOUND! TURN OVER SUNDERFALL FOR ALL I CARE — BRING HIS HEAD!"
"Understood!" The three members of the Six Masters saluted, and their bodies were absorbed by the shadows as they left the ruined building — leaving the man they called Master behind in the glory of the moon, which was scared to even shine its light on him.