The Black Lotus That Defies Fate

With the ceremony of majority of age just two days away and the subsequent possibility of becoming disciples of the mighty Blue Star Clan, the vast majority of the young people of the White Brook Clan practiced with enthusiasm and without rest. Particularly at the center of the great practice courtyard of the Clan, a young girl with light brown hair, pink skin, slim figure and childish face, features that together could only describe her as adorable, fiercely poured her spiritual energy on a thin wooden staff five feet long.

That simple wooden stick was be shaken with force and speed from one side to the other between the hands of the young woman, while she made clumsy movements with her legs, as if she was trying to perform some kind of dance. The wooden staff was wet and some crystalline water dripped on the floor. The White Brook Clan specialized in spiritual arts and techniques based on the element water, so all of its members were be affinity to this element.

"Hey, your technique is still as poor as ever, Nelua" –the familiarity with which the young woman's name was it pronounced was not due to a close relationship, much less a difference in hierarchy. There was only contempt and mockery in that voice, and a total lack of the slightest respect required by civilized people.

The young woman stopped her movements and looked up at that voice, a pair of young women of similar ages of her observed her with a mocking expression on their faces.

"You must have a lot of free time if you can afford to worry about me," –Lankareto Nelua replied in a mocking tone.

"You might see it that way because we are both sure that we will pass the test and end up becoming spiritual practitioners of the Clan. As for the privilege of becoming a disciple of the Blue Star Clan, that is something that will inevitably fall upon it the most talented of our generation, the grandson of the fourth great elder. So, in reality if we are worried about your future, with your null talent, your chances of ceasing to be a simple woman, are really very low" –the mocking expressions on the faces of both girls did nothing but become even cruder.

For women in any clan, the ceremony of coming of age carried much more weight than for men. For men, the talent they showed be would determine the focus the clan would place on their training, which would inevitably affect their future position within the clan hierarchy. As for women, they the result would not be so simple. A talented woman would officially become a spiritual practitioner, thereby receiving equal treatment that the men. On the other hand, an untalented woman, depending on the regulations of her clan, she could falling as low as becoming an incubator for the most talented members of her clan. The disparity between the two possibilities was little more than appalling.

"Ah, but you should not worry since you will end up warming the bed of the grandson of the fourth great elder, a true genius, which does something not so bad, right? It will certainly be as close you can be to the talent. Ha ha"– Observing the frustration on the face of Lankareto Nelua, both young girl intensified their attacks. "Now that I think about it, you shouldn't feel too lonely, the deformed daughter of the third great elder will keep you company. What a great combination, the daughters of two great elders warming the bed of the grandson of the fourth great elder!" –laughing loudly, both young men turned and left with total impunity.

Lankareto Nelua was unable to respond to those provocations, she herself was more than clear that her talent was poor. What filled her with frustration was not her bleak future, but the shame it would bring to her father, one of the great elders of the clan.

"I... mother, why am I so useless?" –Nelua's eyes filled with moisture.

Despite the great enthusiasm created by the promise of the Blue Star Clan, the vast majority of the young people who would participate in the coming of age ceremony were quite clear about their own possibilities. Those who aspired to become the number one genius of their generation within the White Brook Clan were actually only a few, with Lankareto Ronevara, the grandson of the fourth great elder who standing it out most.

Considered a genius among not only his peers within the clan, the name of Lankareto Ronevara it known for the Gray Willow and Cold Rock Clans. Full of pride in his own grandson, the fourth great elder had even gone so far as to claim that his grandson was the most remarkable promise in several generations of the White Brook Clan. Of course, such assertions had caused him several friction even with the clan leader.

Aware of his talent, of the envy he provoked in others and of the high probabilities of becoming a disciple of the Blue Star Clan, Lankareto Ronevara was meditating in his private courtyard.

"Lua Rilua is truly a beauty, once in the Blue Star Clan and with my talent, it will not be difficult for me to get her" –remembering the figure of Luatelo Rilua, Lankareto Ronevara could not avoid licking his lips while bowing them to form a despicable smile full of lust.

In front of others, Lankareto Ronevara acted humble and complacent, but this was only because his grandfather had ordered it. In reality, the so-called young genius without equal was in truth extremely arrogant and despicable, and the worst of his personality, was his perverse lust.

'The word of the strong is law, and the actions of the strong will never be wrong. If you get to the top, you can take whatever you want without anyone stopping you, but as you climb towards it, you will have to contain your desires' –knowing about the personality of his grandson, the fourth great old man used those words to suppress his darkness.

These words could be petty and atrocious, but they were actually an undeniable truth. Those at the top of the spiritual path could not be it forced by anyone to bend their heads, and the only ones who could judge their actions would be the gods themselves.

Taking his grandfather's words as absolute, Lankareto Ronevara's desire for power only grew disproportionately. In contrast, feeling that his growth was much better than that of others, his dark and secret personality did nothing but become even more perverse.

With the preparations for the ceremony of majority of age, and the hustle and bustle caused by the promise of the Blue Star Clan, the days passed quickly, and finally the long-awaited day arrived.

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On the hill behind the main mansion of the White Brook, there was a small mansion guarded by an endless number of spiritual seals in a radius of thousand yards, and who is only safe access was through three spiritual formulas. Those robust and almost insane security measures had been placed precisely by the third great elder of the clan, Lankareto Atro. What the third great elder guarded behind those excessive security measures was no secret to anyone in every Cold Brook City. Rumors about the existence of a deformed daughter had been on everyone's lips for more than ten years.

With the sun dyeing the skies with the red of the sunset, the figure of a man was slowly advancing towards that mansion on the hill.

"Inora... the time to test our efforts is near..." –as he extended his right hand towards the first spiritual formula, Lankareto Atro directed those sorrowful words towards the sky.

Feeling the presence of the only spiritual energy to which it could allow passage, the first spiritual formula flashed and then opened.

With his head full of thoughts, Lankareto Atro passed through the spiritual formula that looked like a fully blooming luminous flower.

"It has been fourteen years since we chose to challenge destiny, only the tomorrow will be able to show if our efforts have been worth it... but even if it all seems a failure... I will continue to oppose the heavens until the end, just as you did, Inora" –with the image of his late wife in mind, Lankareto Atro continued to advance.

Only one thousand six hundred feet away from the first spiritual formula, a complex image made up of faintly brilliant blue lines, appeared floating in front of Lankareto Atro, the second spiritual formula!

"The highest natural law... the one that judges gods and men alike... karma..."

Lankareto Atro extended his hand towards the second spiritual formula. Feeling the spiritual energy of Lankareto Atro, like the outline of a rose vividly blooming in a faint blue glow, the second spiritual formula opened.

With his thoughts fixed on the impending ceremony of majority of age and the sudden situation of the Blue Star Clan, Lankareto Atro's footsteps were heavy, yet the speed with which he traveled the only way to the mansion on the hill was his usual speed.

"Karma, that the gods may not desire it, that the heavens may reject her, that men may bear in mind the weight of their actions, that karma may ignore it" –as it advanced, Lankareto Atro murmured those words with a faint smile full of nostalgia over His lips. "Those were your words when you chose your name, Inora" –his gaze became wet.

Sixteen hundred feet later, the last and most complex of the spiritual formulas appeared in front of Lankareto Atro. The last spiritual formula was different from the two previous ones, the complex pattern of lines that conformed it, they were in movement, changing continuously its form and its color was a red blood.

Faced with that complex spiritual formula, Lankareto Atro stretched out his right hand as he swiftly waved his left hand over it. A thin thread of water emerged from his left hand producing a slight cut over his right hand. With a few drops of blood on her right hand, Lankareto Atro brought her closer to the spiritual formula. In contact with the blood and spiritual energy of Lankareto Atro, the spiritual formula began to blink and immediately began to open.

The first two spiritual formula had it been created using the spiritual arts of the White Brook Clan. As for the last formula, it was completely different from the spiritual arts of the White Brook Clan, and this was to such an extent that, if any of the other three great elders or the clan leader saw it, they would be shocked. 'Spiritual Blood Formula', a spiritual formula created using forbidden spiritual arts, not only in the Kingdom of Fire Sunflowers, but also all over the world!

The first two spiritual formulas could be broken using force, the third could be broken, but the consequence would be the immediate death of the one who broke it! A spiritual formula created by employing half of a person's lifetime, they terrifying effect of death on those who dare to break it regardless of their spiritual realm, well justified the cost of its creation. However, in a world where the strong rule over the weak, spiritual techniques and arts that allow the weak to defeat the strong, they are be branded as heresy regardless of their nature!

"At some point it will be my turn, Inora..." –after directing those words towards the sky, Lankareto Atro crossed the last spiritual formula.

For some unknown reason and involved in rumors, Lankareto Atro and Lankareto Inora had spared neither effort nor expense so much to obtain the mansion on the hill, as well as the enormous amount of spiritual seals that guarded it. However, no one in the world could imagine that her efforts had gone beyond the human, being Lankareto Inora herself who had used half of her lifetime to create the third spiritual formula!

After advancing for two minutes, Lankareto Atro was able to see a slender figure dressed in black standing in front of the mansion door.

"The time to defy fate, has come" –after a short pause, Lankareto Atro murmured those words to himself.