Chapter 16: Dark Forest

Yao Zi stroked his chin, looking at the phantom crane. It would be usual for a phantom to appear when somebody managed to break through to unity stage in a technique, but it was strange.

Somehow Wang Zhu had managed to channel his icy energies into the technique, causing the phantom crane to appear with icicles hanging from its wings and beak.

His oldest brother Yao Du had studied several peak earth ranked techniques, and over the years had slowly merged these techniques with his element of choice - Thunder!

The sight of Yao Du executing the famed Void Wolf Technique of the Yao Clan merged with his Nine Fall Thunder Cultivation Method was incredible, not only incredible but miraculous.

It had to be known that Yao Du was a genius the likes of which graced the world once in a millennium! The Yao Clan had poured endless resources into Yao Du, which had alienated the rest of his brothers, but increased his chance of inheriting the mantle of Clan Patriarch from his father.

Currently he was unmatched in Sky Shattering Academy, the greatest hub of cultivation on the entire planet! Yet he'd only just managed to blend thunder into his Qi, converting it to elemental Qi in the past three years!

The gap in age was huge!

Yao Du was 27, whereas Wang Zhu was only 13!

Yao Du had been cultivating every day since the age of 6, whereas Wang Zhu had been cultivating for less than a week!

Just thinking about this gave Yao Zi a headache. He rubbed his head, thinking what his brothers would think of this revelation, and what would Wang Zhu be able to achieve given the proper opportunity to grow?

Through this headache though, another though prevailed - he must do whatever is necessary to bind Wang Zhu to the Yao Clan! His thoughts started to stir and they immediately went towards the idea of marriage. If this Wang Zhu could be bound to one of his sisters he would be family by marriage.

The only problem was would his father, let alone his sisters accept? The boy was only 13, he was short and skinny. Compared to what his sisters have seen Wang Zhu was at best livestock. Although the boy could be called handsome of sorts he didn't have the natural gravitas of a peerless young man.

Slowly plans started to formulate in Yao Zi's head. He'd first need to make Wang Zhu peerless among his generation if he wanted his sisters to have any attraction towards him. He'd also need to work on how he looks... currently he looks like a skinny scholar! What woman could be attracted to that?

"Especially compared with the likes of me." He mumbled to himself, whilst smiling and looking in a small hand-held mirror.

Giving him the Veracious Giant Technique wasn't the worst of ideas... was it? Although it was strictly prohibited to only the core members of the Yao Clan, Wang Zhu would become one soon enough.

Yao Zi had a cunning smirk across his face.

But the Veracious Giant Technique needed multiple resources to cultivate, even in its beginning stages and Yao Zi knew he couldn't just supply Wang Zhu with an endless stream of resources.

Perhaps a trip was in order. The Dark Forest was an option, it would be a good first step in Wang Zhu's training as well, teaching him survival instincts.