Main Chapter: Hint of the Calamity

The Barakis began to transform its skin turning steel like. Its form becoming more like an exoskeleton. The rot beginning to look like bare bone marrow. Its hands turning to thin claws and its head looking more like an elongated skull. The spikes on its back turning into long metallic whips and its feet resembled hooves. Its eyes a glowing mixture of red sclera and white pupils.

It had switched to its 3rd form.

Even if he used Qi to defend himself any strike from the 3rd form Barakis was enough to kill him. Cutting through any spell with ease. At this point, it was faster, stronger and more durable.

At this point there was little Xuan Yu could do. Even that final spell he used could be shaken off by this 3rd form. And none of his casting would be fast enough anyway. He had little choice now. Use his Dao or…

"Temptation of the Lightning Born Tree."

Xuan Yu's cold voice rang out. Small bolts of lightning crackled around the Barakis and a branch sprouted beneath its feet wrapping around it. The Barakis broke it off but even quicker another appeared grabbing it.

Branch after branch started sprouting pulling the Barakis to the ground but it kept moving slowly breaking and straining them as it moved to Xuan Yu. But despite its fierce resistance, it was losing.

Its feet sinking into the ground it began to transform. Meat grew on its frame, muscles, blood vessels and then skin. It grew to 12 meters and two bull horns sprouted from its head. The long whip-like tendrils that came from it back turned into a long thick tail. Its eyes grew clear and they seemed intelligent. Long grey hair sprouted from its pale and splotchy skin. Its mouth was lipless and cheek-less once more revealing its fangs. Its armor was the same, but its chains had fallen off.

It stepped out of the ground and through the vines grabbed at it over and over. All it did was slow it to a walking pace.

Xuan Yu didn't move, he was exhausted. So, he closed his eyes and stilled himself using a breathing exercise to center himself faster.

Every heavy step thundered out until Xuan Yu could smell its stench.

"********** (Desecrator)."

With those words, the sound of the Barakis knee hitting the floor rang out. It Struggled against its binding, but it was being dragged back even fiercer. With half of its body wrapped up, it slashed out at Xuan Yu, but that was the last of its struggle. Its entire body was quickly bound and then dragged through the ground back to the original spot where lightning still flickered. Then a withered tree sprouted with the Barakis deep inside it. The lightning fading into the dark.

Ever since the battle began Xuan Yu had been dual casting. Chanting to perform that formation and when he needed to use the Grand Moon Blaze, he would switch to hand signs.

He never intended to kill the Barakis only seal it away. After all, he had future plans for it.

'I did kind of wanted to see its 6th and Final Form but guessing it didn't activate it. This one probably isn't capable of it.'

As Xuan Yu, guessed right, he moved to check whether he had burnt up his robes or not.

Seeing they were fine. Using his spells, he created a bath in the cavern and got rid of all the dirt on him. Finished he altered the land again. And breezed out the cave and his clothes. The Qi concentration in this area was extremely high. So, Xuan Yu could cast spells as he pleased.

Walking by the imprisoned Barakis he moved toward the reason why.

Deeper into the cave the crystals grew more plentiful and it all led to a cavern.

There were three things of import in the cavern. First, an upward channel that a winged creature had left behind. The second a large cocoon outer casing filled with overgrowth floating in a pool. Third a 30-meter crater, almost completely full of concentrated Qi.

Moving toward the Qi, undaunted by anything within the cavern. Using one hand to conjure and hold a sign. He reached out with the other and an illusionary hand stretched out and grabbed the cocoon. Pulling it out he set it ablaze with the Moon Fire. The wild growth on it quickly burned up but the cocoon itself took time.

Ignoring it Xuan Yu began to draw a formation identically to the one from District 13. The Qi from the pool rising out to move at his command.

When the world was ending. The Undaunted Cloud had gathered, stolen and dug up information from all over the world. All in the hopes of finding something to help them in the final war.

By this time the Qing Mountains had long fallen to its calamity. As such the Undaunted Cloud was unable to gather as much as it would like.

Though they were able to great quantities of information and secrets of Qing Ruo. Many treasures were long destroyed. And Xuan Yu, who was possessing Xuan Yi had full access to all that information and much, much more.

The problem was Xuan Yu couldn't remember it all. There were many minor things that were firmly cemented in his mind. And many major things that he could not remember no matter how he tried. So, he found himself relying on her at times. Or going over his memories to relog them.

The formation complete, Xuan Yu did his final hand signs and both the one before him and the one in District 13 turned to stone. Three colors began to flash on both formations. Then stilled to black as the complex formation turned to a flat circle with three tri-colored dots in its center.

Finished, Xuan Yu stepped on it and he appeared in District 13. Where Baskerville, in his human form, remained guarding since the other night. For 3 seconds Xuan Yu remained unmoving. Completely vulnerable from using the formation.

"Protecting this is your priority but you have leave to lead the attacks."

Baskerville nodded, even though he could speak now. He chose not to.

"Follow me back, I have a task for you."

Together they went back through the formation. Producing pen and paper from his inner robes Xuan Yu, wrote a note in the cave. Then handed it to Baskerville.

"Sneak into the Xuan Estate kill the guards on duty. Sneak deep into the Estate and enter the Servant Hall. Set it on fire and make your way down to the dungeon. There will be a disfigured girl. Bring her here and leave the note there."

Turning his heel Baskerville sprinted out of the cave to complete his task. While he waited, Xuan Yu, did what he was unable to do since he returned. Practice his original martial arts. Though technically he could when his parents were alive his body was too young. Then growing up under Ong Zhou he was forced to enter the limelight and showing off a strange martial art too early would bring complications.

This unique martial art was one he invented that was divided into two stances.

The first was reflexive and focused on counters, known as Unholy Erosion. As he practiced it, he smiled to himself remembering beating up his disciples. All in the name of teaching them to dodge. The stance, however, wasn't just focused on dodging but reading an opponent then countering using offense against offense.

The stance was fluid and designed for combatting stronger opponents. With different techniques depending on how stronger or faster the opponent was.

The second stance was called Unholy Rampage and it was oppressive focusing on causing pain to an opponent. Shattering and rupturing all while causing the most pain possible. Designed for weaker opponents.

Xuan Yu practiced his two stances. Baskerville returned with the girl covered in a white blanket. Stopping Xuan Yu, casted a spell to ensure that the girl wouldn't wake without his action and then left the cave with Baskerville.

Draining the life from the carriage driver. Xuan Yu let Baskerville devour the corpse and then jumped inside the carriage himself.

He didn't worry that anyone would look for the missing driver. The people who sign up for the jobs were those that wouldn't be missed. And it wasn't rare for them to die because of earning some Upper Ring person's ire.

Despite the dangers, the job paid well and there was always a chance one could be employed into the Upper Ring. So, there was no shortage of these carriages at night.

Hopping into the driver seat Baskerville was able to drive up to the Major Family Ring without incident.

***

Despite a fire breaking out in the Servants Quarter the Xuan Estate was relatively calm. The fire hadn't destroyed much and none of the common servants knew someone had gone missing.

The Lustrous Golden Domain, however, was in turmoil. Ong Zhou was venting his rage on everything he could find. The Head Butler who was by his side kept trying to calm him, but it was to no avail.

Ong Zhou stilled exhausted and held his hand out to the Head Butler. With shaky hands, the butler took out a note. Every side of it was neatly cut and the words on it, looked as if they had been typed out instead of written on.

'Qing Ai Hir Zhou, to you a servant life's probably means nothing. After all, your family's life meant nothing to you. But even though you're a long-winded traitor. I'm sure you can recognize a basic fact. If I can get to her, I can get to others. So, let me ask you this. Hir-Zhou, who will I go after next?'

Ong Zhou's hand was trembling. Now he fully believed he was being targeted and even though sweat was beading from his forehead. He was at a loss.

"Where is that woman?"

"Reporting, Lady Jun is currently monopolizing the servants as she has been scared by the fire."

"Useless!"

Ong Zhou tore up the paper in his hands and then pressed his hands on his forehead.

He had taken pills to hide the effects of the "stroke." But the side effect he was now facing was intense headaches. Venting his pain, once more he started destroying whatever he could get his hands on. But a sudden relapse laid him out.