Ancestor

The rhythmic noise of dripping echoed throughout the massive hall, sending chills down the spines of anyone who dared to enter.

Puddles of crimson blood were scattered around, and the once decorated, beautiful hall was now dilapidated and held an ominous atmosphere.

Light suddenly flooded in, illuminating the darkness somewhat, and a man hurried into the hall.

He sweat profusely all over, and his body shook violently as he made his way through the hall and fell to his knees.

The man slammed his forehead against the floor and didn't dare to look up at the individual who sat upon the bloodied throne.

"Speak," a cold, deep voice came from the throne.

"Ancestor, we have rounded up every survivor and forced out any information they had. We discovered nothing useful about what you were looking for, nor about the second son."

The Ancestor clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the arm rest of the throne.

This sent a ripple of energy roaring across the hall, creating a deep rumbling noise that made the man on the floor tremble even more and shook the foundations of the building.

"What about the elders of the Li family?" The Ancestor questioned.

"We took three of them prisoner- one of them was the younger sister of the patriarch, so we planned on torturing her for information, however she killed herself in defiance. The other two followed shortly after, revealing nothing," his voice quavered as he spoke.

The Ancestor frowned and stood up.

His gaze turned upwards, towards the countless corpses that hung from the ceiling, their blood dripping down to the floor.

Suddenly the Ancestor coughed violently and covered his mouth his hand.

The man on the floor was in confusion at this sudden coughing fit, and when he looked up, he noticed blood dribbling from the ancestor's mouth and nose.

"That old man… His deity spell contained a unique type of cursed qi. It's spreading through my body rapidly…" The Ancestor cursed quietly.

Suddenly violent flames erupted all over the ancestor's body, forming metallic, golden thick armour all over him, with pauldrons shaped like dragon heads and a helmet that covered up all his features, revealing only two holes from which his fiery eyes could be seen through.

A red cape billowed out from behind him, and the Ancestor marched out of the hall.

He pushed open the doors and appeared in the sky immediately after stepping outside.

The Ancestor looked down upon the ruined city of the Li family and released his divine sense.

It spread onwards for dozens of kilometres, rapidly expanding, but he got no result.

"The Second Son has left the area… But where would he be going?" The Ancestor thought for a while, and then he waved his hand, summoning a giant scroll in the air.

The scroll unrolled, revealing a detailed map of the continent. He pointed his finger, and the map expanded to reveal the Redsky Empire.

"Ah, of course, that's the only place he can go. Devil Wyrm," he called out, and suddenly a man appeared behind him, kneeling down in the air.

This man was draped in long ebony black robes detailed with red ancient symbols woven into the fabric of the robe.

He had silver hair that fell gracefully down his back, and inky black eyes that led to a deep void.

Two horns jutted out of his head, and he had an aura of dominance.

But, despite having such a powerful aura, he was completely suppressed by the Ancestor.

"Yes, Ancestor?" The Devil Wyrm asked.

"Head to the Skyward sect. Don't act carelessly, we don't want to attract the old man's attention. Search for the first and second son, try to find out anything you can about the Transcending Gem."

"Understood, Ancestor. I shall follow your orders."

Suddenly the Devil Wyrm vanished into thin air, and the Ancestor made an ugly smile beneath his golden helmet.

"I shall become the first one to transcend the tribulation… The opportunity is so close, yet so far. I must be patient; I shall get results soon."

The Ancestor vanished, and the wind howled quietly in his place.

--

In the far distance from the Li family compound, a simple wooden carriage was being drawn by two horses. Surrounding the carriage were a few cloaked men with swords hanging on their hips.

And inside this carriage sat Li Zian, cultivating patiently. He opened his eyes, and pulled apart the cloth that covered the carriage, looking up at the blue sky, far in the distance.

'I felt a strong divine sense nearby… It didn't reach me, but its imposing aura gave me goosebumps. And that direction…'

He clenched his fist. "Feng family… I'll remember all that you've done. I don't know what grudge you had against my Li family, but I'll repay your kindness a hundred times over."

He closed the cloth curtain and sat back down, continuing his cultivation quietly as the carriage was drawn down the dirt road, towards a giant valley in the far distance.

In that valley, man and women stood on flying swords, clouds twisted and transformed into the shapes of beasts and dragons, and spiritual energy was abundant.

A boy, thirteen years old, sat on his bed cultivating diligently, when he felt a pain in his chest.

Violent aura burst out, and the potted plant nearby instantly withered away. The boy let out a cry, and then the aura faded.

He panted and wiped the sweat from his face which held a troubled expression. "Dammit… I don't have much longer."