Chapter 8: Abducted and A Shocking Revelation

Upon hearing the voice and recognizing who's its owner is, a shiver run down the spine of Neonero and cold beads of sweat started to appear all over his body.

Then a huge beast appeared and landed in front of Neonero. Facing the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger now Neonero is a hundred percent sure that there is room for escape and he will certainly have to die today.

Grrrrrr.

"Hmmmm. Interesting just a month ago I am sure that you were just a weakling human. Yet now you have already reached the late stage of body refining. And I'm even sensing from you that within your body there is already a trace of heaven and earth energy. You sure are a weird human being."

"I've been here for half an hour already and been watching your battle against that Red Face Agile Gibbon. You seem to like fighting that much and even want a stronger opponent. So I decided to reveal myself and be your next opponent. How about that kid, it's a great idea right? You can experience a real battle from a real expert." Then the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger pursed its mouth with a smirk.

Hearing what the beast said Neonero replied with a quivered voice.

"Se-Senior Crimson Flaming Fang Liger must be joking with this junior. Ho-how can I be your opponent a lowly late stage body refining stage cultivator?"

ROAR!

The Crimson Flaming Fang Liger issued a deafening roar!

"You wanted a stronger opponent right, I can just suppress my strength into a higher grade wild beast. But before that let's leave this place first; I don't want someone disturbing me while I'm toying with you."

Upon hearing this Neonero's heart tightened and a just after the last word was said by the beast it leaped towards Neonero and grabbed him with its tail. Then the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger with Neonero on its tail leaped to the sky and vanished. The beast's flight speed is extremely fast that they were already a kilometer away in just a few seconds. While they were flying above the clouds Neonero saw clearly how wide is the Hundred Blades Forest. There really are a hundred of gigantic trees towering into the sky that looks like blades piercing the heavens.

After flying for a little over of two hours, a dense part of the forest entered Neonero's view. The part of the forest is covered in mists of clouds which look like a protective shield from a far. After arriving at the top of the area, the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger suddenly dived straight at the mist of clouds.

Shwish zooom...…

Ta tak! Crack..

They landed on a huge rock about twenty-nine meters wide and twelve meters thick. The force of the landing created a leaved a few cracks on that huge rock.

"We're here this area will be our battle ground. Isn't it the perfect place for a battle?" the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger said with a beaming smile showing its huge fangs covered in flames.

"Do you know where this place is?" it then added a question.

"Se-senior, i-is this the deepest part of the forest?" Neonero asked in state of fear.

"Yes, you are correct. This the deepest part of the forest. So you might have already guessed that there is no way for you to escape from here with an intact body." The beast said it a smirk.

"But I promise you that in this place no wild beast will be daring enough to disturb us or will have the guts to hunt you! In this deepest part of the forest I am the king!" Crimson Flaming Fang Liger said in a loud voice while its head held up high.

"And also I will let you leave this place but in two conditions!"

"Wha-what might be the conditions senior? I'm a just a weakling and I don't have any treasures in me." Neonero asked.

"Simple, First is if you are able to unlock the hidden stage of the Early Warrior stage and second is if you make a blood oath with me that you will have to help me in the future if I needed your assistance. But that second condition will only be achieved if you will be able to carry out the first condition."

Shocked from what the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger's first condition, Neonero exclaimed "There's a hidden stage at the Early Warrior stage?"

According to the book given by elder Zen to Neonero, there are only two stages of the Early Warrior Stage namely Body Refining stage and Energy Condensation stage. The book did not mention that there is a hidden stage on the Early Warrior Stage. But according to the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger there is a hidden stage.

"Yes there is a hidden stage. Only the gifted and extraordinary cultivators have the ability to unlock that stage in cultivation. As to which comes first the hidden stage or the Energy Condensation stage, that I don't have a bit of idea. All I know that it is true and some cultivators have unlocked it."

The Crimson Flaming Fang Liger has already doubts the first time it saw Neonero might have the ability to unlock the hidden stage. He sensed a different kind of energy is within this kid's body. And after meeting him today his doubts have only increased. He can sense a hint primordial energy from Neonero but something is suppressing it. If Neonero will be able to unlock the hidden stage, he will surely become the greatest cultivator of this world in the future.

Neonero still could not bring his self to believe what the beast said. So he asked in a skeptical way.

"But according to the book I have read there are only two stages in the Early Warrior Stage?"

"Hah! Those puny humans from this small world have no idea how vast the universe is! To tell you honestly, I am not from this world. I only ended in this world due to a mishap while I was trying to make a breakthrough in my cultivation. Also I can sense that you are not from this world either, am I correct?" said the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger in a high tone.

Another shocking revelation again came from the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger. And to Neonero's surprise it even said that he also know that he is not person of this world.

"Shocked right?" the beast smirked after witnessing Neonero looking in shock.

The real reason of the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger behind taking Neonero with him is first to tell him these information. Second, to measure Neonero's talent and to personally train Neonero to have a higher chance of him achieving in unlocking the hidden stage and third if he successfully unlocks the hidden stage the two will have to enter a blood oath.

After a while, Neonero asked the beast about the other world but the beast only answered.

"Right now you don't need to know much about the other world. You don't have to think too much about it. What you need to do is to train yourself and become stronger and try to unlock the hidden stage. So let's stop the chit chat right now and start the training program."

"Be ready, here I go!" the two figures one of a human and the other of a huge beast started to exchange attacks.

The battle continued for two days. As for Neonero who was just at the body refining stage his limit is just two days of continuous battle. Every time the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger notices Neonero's strength and speed is decreasing it would stop the attack and let Neonero rest for half a day to replenish his strength. While Neonero is resting the beast sometimes hunt some animals and give it to Neonero to eat.

Seven months later, Neonero and the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger with its suppressed strength is evenly matched right now. In this past six months the battle experience that Neonero gained from battling with the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger has shown its full effect. During their first three months of battle Neonero was always sent flying to either the surrounding trees or huge rocks. At the fourth month Neonero was able to dodge some attacks from the beast but still majority of the attacks was successful in hitting him. On the fifth month Neonero can dodge eighty percent of the attacks. And on the sixth month Neonero can dodge and block all the attacks thrown by the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger.

ROAR!

The beast roared wildly.

"The training we shall end it here. You have already gained the battle experience you needed at this level. As for this whole month you try to unlock the hidden stage or advance to Energy condensation stage. I wish you luck kid." the Crimson Flaming Fang Liger said.

Then Neonero said. "Thank you senior Crimson Flaming Fang Liger."

The beast just said. "It's not yet time for you thank me. Remember you still have to unlock the hidden stage. Only after achieving it will you be able to leave this forest! And I have a name kid, it is Homa."

After seven months only did this prideful beast revealed its name to Neonero like it has deemed Neonero worthy of knowing its name.

"I understand senior Homa. I will start now to cultivate and try to unlock the hidden stage." said smiling bitterly

Neonero sat cross leg and began his cultivation. He started to feel the energy of heaven and earth. Actually the energy of heaven and earth in this area is pure and thick since not a single cultivator dares to enter to cultivate in the deepest part of the Hundred Blades Forest.

After a several minutes the heaven and earth energy in the surroundings started to gather around Neonero in an amazing speed.

Witnessing the scene unfolding in front of Homa's eye he was startled a little. "What a monster speed of absorbing heaven and earth energy." Homa said in a low voice.

Neonero started to feel that his strength is slowly increasing and there is a warm feeling entering through his pores and running to his veins then to his meridians and rushing to his energy centers located at the head, chest and abdomen. Right now he focused his awareness to the direction of where the most of energy is rushing to his lower energy center.

"What a refreshing feeling. I can't help but enjoy this feeling right now." Then a light rushed from his lower energy center to the energy center at his chest. Out of curiosity Neonero sent a wisp of his awareness to his energy center at his chest. There he saw something familiar sealed in his middle energy center.

"You finally advanced to the Energy Condensation Stage. I have been waiting for this moment to have a chance to meet you and hear my voice."

A majestic voice resounded in Neonero's head.

The crouched and sleeping Heavenly Beast named Homa suddenly opened one of its eyes that seemed to notice an anomaly was happening to Neonero right now.

"Did I scare you? Don't worry I have no bad intentions at you. Actually we are one. I'm you and you're me. Though I was the one who brought you into this world but it was purely of good intentions. Let me tell you good news."

"Wait you said you brought me into this world and it was of good intentions? What do you mean by that?" Neonero asked the voice.

"Yes, I brought you here to save you and also to save your planet called Earth. If I haven't done that then you would have disappeared along with your planet a long time ago due to that mass of energy right there. Doesn't it look familiar to you? Earth is perfectly fine right now so you don't have to worry about it. I have sealed the energy with a powerful sealing technique so you also don't have to worry about exploding your body because of it."

Still in a state of shock Neonero tried to calm his awareness then asked about the good news.

"So what is the good news you're talking about?"

"Oh right, the good news is you can leave this place safely and I'm a hundred percent sure of it. I know all the deal you have made with that Heavenly Beast."

"How can you be sure that I'm able to leave this place? I don't have any idea on how to unlock the hidden stage senior Homa is talking about. I don't if it is even true." Neonero interjected a question.

"Oh, I'm a hundred percent sure because I am that hidden stage. The Akashic Realm and I hold the Akashic Record!" the majestic voice last sentence echoed in Neonero's head.