[[[AWAKE]]]

Cruden suddenly opened his eyes but above him stood an unknown man dressed in weird white attire. Cruden quickly jumped up and went on the defense. His last memory was the fight with the evil icy woman but now here he was in an unknown room with an unknown man.

"Have I been captured?" That was the first thought in his mind, but he immediately threw the thought away. He was not constrained or in a cell. He did not see any bars although the room was not very well lit except for the center of the room.

"Who are you and where am I? "Cruden asked threateningly. Cruden's powers were instinctively released and the entire room began to shake. He looked around the room and didn't feel anything off nor did he sense any maliciousness from the man, but he did not relax. The man on the other hand was scared shitless.

At the beginning of his care, what was brought before him was a half-dead young man with a withered tree-like right arm. In his first analysis, he thought the young man had escaped the grasp of a strange beast but as he began treatment, he realized a few particulars about the boy. His skin was hard, normal tools could not pierce his skin. In addition, spirit medicines had no effect on his body.

The doctor was at his wit's end. Especially with the withered arm, the arm was severely damaged and without any blood flow. The doctor had tried a spirit technique to try probing the wound, but his qi would be violently expelled upon contact with the arm. The doctor wanted to have the arm amputated, he believed the boy would wake up if the arm was removed but strangely the warden had strongly disagreed. He had given the warden daily updates but there Was nothing he could do but care for the boy's body and nutrients.

He had come every day to check on his patient who had not reacted to any of his medicines and techniques in the past 19 days. Somedays, if it was not for the slight movement of the young man's chest. He would have thought the warden was taking him for a fool. He wanted to stop his treatment, but he knew how dangerous the warden was so decided to press on.

Who would have known today would be different, the young man was now standing before him. The doctor was in awe. How could someone in a state of stasis be so lively immediately after waking up? He thought, but he quickly gathered himself. " Please calm down. "I am Ace Jiroshi, the doctor hired by the warden to take care of you". When Cruden heard the man speak of the warden, his body relaxed and the room slowly stopped shaking.

"I'm in a hospital?"

"No, you are in the warden's mansion", the doctor responded. The doctor was composed on the surface, but his eyes were stuck on Cruden, to be exact on Cruden's arm that was once withered. The arm was slowly regaining its color and flesh and blood wiggled into place right before his very eyes. HE now knew why the warden was not inclined to remove the arm. He had many questions but he knows not to ask.

In the next moment, the warden walked in. "Ah, you're finally awake? you gave us quite a scare" the warden looked Cruden up and down before nodding to the doctor. The doctor knew the wardens' intentions so he quickly gathered his tools and left.

"Why don't you have a seat, tell me, how do you feel?" the warden asked

Cruden was a little caught off guard. This was his second interaction with the warden, even though they had a relationship, he did not belie they were friends, so Cruden was a little confused. but the warden seemed genuinely concerned but he nodded nonetheless

Th warden smiled and proceeded. "Good, first let me congratulate you on a successful mission. The target has been successfully brought back to her father and they are very grateful for your help. The warden's smile brightened and said cheerily. "He even paid extra!"

"He paid extra. What about the damages to her brain, does that mean she made it back safely? Cruden's voice had a hint of confusion. He could not recall anything after the fight and naturally, he was worried about his comrades.

"I did hear about the awful experiences that poor girl went through". The warden tried to sound sad. "But When she was brought home and she woke up. The girl was completely fine. She could not stop herself from crying given all she witnessed but after she was walking and talking just fine albeit a little Androphobia"

In truth, the warden had put her under 24-hour surveillance for a week after the girl arrived. But nothing changed. Everything about the mission report was too good to believe. Even with crow and her new cultivation standing before his very eyes. Initially, he had thought someone had come to kill him. He felt an enormous pressure fall on him and he nearly collapsed but that was only because crow had just integrated with the nascent soul and could not retain its pressure.

Sweat formed on his back remembering that day

Cruden blew a sigh of relief then he remembered. Where are Valencia and Crow? And what happened to that evil woman.

Cruden couldn't tell but there was a hidden glint in the warden's eyes. The warden raised his hand and out walked Crow from the shadows as silent as ever. Cruden was so happy to see crow but then his eyes changed to the image above Crow's head.

The warden noticed the change in Cruden's expression, but he kept quiet. Cruden could see words floating above crow's head. he stretched out his hands and tried to touch it and the strangest thing happened.

Blue swirls on icy energy began to leave Crow's body and gather into Cruden's palm forming a blue bead. This was the nascent soul that Valencia had given Crow. Cruden had subconsciously De-equip it.

Crow felt his body weakening but did not react. Compare to the pain he felt that day when it was being integrated. He felt a bit weird, even though he was a bit accustomed to that power. It was not originally his power.

The temperature in the room quickly dropped and ice formed on the walls. Luckily there was no Yin Qi emission, aside from the coldness no energy was leaked out.

Everyone was speechless for different reasons but mainly Cruden, While the energy was rushing to Cruden's palm. He felt the same sensation from the evil woman. He stared and the blue bead then at crow and asked with all seriousness

"What is a nascent soul and why does it remind him so strongly of that woman?" Cruden didn't hide his shock in his voice

Crow did not answer, so he looked at the warden whose smile was to his ears. Cruden did not know what was going on, but he was sure he would find out soon

"Interesting, very interesting. The warden laughed hysterically. He quickly adjusted his glasses.

"The nascent soul in your hand is the spoil of war from the battle between you and that ice celestial that day. It is the essence of all the years of her cultivation. It is a nascent soul, which is developed in the body of a cultivator when they reach the nascent soul stage"

The warden could still see that Cruden was lost so he explained further.

"On the steps of cultivation, above the core formation cultivator is soul cultivation. They are monster with long life spans and terrifying strengths. If a soul cultivator wanted to destroy this city, they could easily do it at the wave of the hand"

Cruden thought back when the woman had turned the entire forest into an icy wasteland. So, he had an idea

"The nascent soul is powerful, but it cannot last outside of the cultivator's body for too long. It has to be continuously nurtured by the owner's body" the warden took a deep breath and focused his gaze on Cruden. "These are only rumors of course. Many people have never met a nascent soul cultivator in their lives and neither have I"

"But one thing for sure, while there are secret arts for possession and snatch souls. There are none for cultivation snatch or transferring. If that was the case, Cultivation would be passed down from the old to the new. It could be like that, but the heavens are fair and would be a very pricey process with many restrictions" The warden's voice slightly increased at the end.

Cruden now understood what the warden was getting it, but he had no clue how it happened. He was unconscious at the time. It must be one of the effects of the secret skill, but he could not say for sure until he tried it out.

He looked at the warden who was waiting for an answer, but Cruden just raised his shoulders. The warden was a tad bit disappointed, but he knew the longer he spent around Cruden. The more he would find out and the more he thought about the unknown the more excited he got but he quickly gathered himself.

"Based on the information reported, the nascent soul in your hands was given from the spirit that had inhabited the body of the girl after destroying the nascent soul of the ice celestial. I presume her name is Valencia"

When Cruden heard the warden call out Valencia's name he was a bit worried. He did not see her anywhere. His emotions started to run wild, and his darkness started to seep out.

The warden was not afraid, he knew Cruden wore his emotions on his sleeve.

"Calm down, she is safe. She returned to wherever she came from". The warden was alarmed, Cruden's presence was way stronger than before and it had only been less than a month.

Cruden sighed in relief when he heard the warden's response but if everything was okay, why did he sense that something was off from the two.

He looked at the warden. "Is there something wrong?"

The warden was not surprised. He knew Cruden was new to cultivation. Well, you did kill the clone of a very powerful woman, do you think she would not be any consequences?

Cruden finally understood. He had offended that woman, but it was only after she offended him and his master. Rage started to swell up in him once more.

"I am not afraid of that woman and for her offense, a million clones are not enough. She better pray I don't see her. Her blood will be used to paint the yellow brick road red!"

His killing intent soared catching the warden off guard. He thought Cruden would be afraid, but Cruden's reaction excited him.

Such killing intent the warden thought, Wasn't this a 13-year-old boy?

The warden stepped forward and placed his hand on Cruden to calm him down. "Let's not get in a hurry to war the ice celestial. We need to analyze the situation as well as figure out a course of action. You are way too rash young man". The warden's voice then changed to one of anger. "Your past actions nearly caused us this mission as well as your comrades' life. So, think heavily about that!"

In all his rage, Cruden knew the warden was right, so he had no way to respond but he concealed his killing intent.

"First, is it possible for you to insert the nascent soul back into Crow?" the warden wanted to analyze the bead, but he dares not touch it. Cruden didn't know if he could, but if he could take it out then the other way should be possible.

As soon as it was raised up to crow with the intention of putting it back. It flew away from his hand and melted into Crow's body just like before. The only difference was there was no pain this time. Crow's body had already been transformed from the initial merging. His cultivation rose until it reached the early nascent stage again, but he quickly tucked it away.

If Cruden couldn't see it was crow standing in front of him. He would have thought it was the evil woman.