Meeting the Sage

I had to get dressed before leaving to see the clan Sage.

I stepped towards my wardrobe and opened it, revealing multiple crimson and raven robes.

'I need to change this colour scheme,' I thought to myself.

In my past life, I preferred to wear crimson coloured robes as that was the colour symbolic of my clan.

While my background is mighty it can be a double-edged sword.

It can place a target on your back solely due to your family, it could be a grudge or just simple envy.

Yet, it can also be a great tool. Most people wouldn't slight someone knowing their monstrous background, but if you don't expose that background and they do offend you, and then you choose to reveal your background, then you will acquire a little worker bee who will be grateful for each day they get to go on living their life.

"I hate red at this point" I couldn't help but frown thinking this was it, only to spot a non-crimson robe in the corner of the wardrobe.

I decided to try them on, looking at myself in the mirror they fit me quite well.

The robes were black with imperial purple accents, numerous red spider lilies adorned the bottom half of the robes.

I couldn't remember where I had gotten these robes from, especially when they looked and felt to be very high quality.

At this point in time, I definitely wouldn't have been able to afford these. So they must have been a gift but from who...

Deciding to throw this thought to the back of my mind I proceeded to check the date and leave my residence and seek the wisdom of the Sage.

I only had two months to prepare for the night I leave for the lower heavens and get poisoned.

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After walking for some time I reached the grand library where the Sage resides.

Making my way inside I could see the grandeur of the grand library. Countless books adorned the myriad of bookshelves.

They ranged from simple children's stories and legends to cultivation techniques and whatever other written knowledge you may desire.

Anyone within the clan was allowed to browse the grand library and while there were levels based on your standing in the clan and cultivation, nothing was strictly forbidden.

On the other hand, only direct bloodline descendants of the main clan were allowed to seek the wisdom of the sage.

This was to give direct bloodline descendants an edge in the competition for the future clan head position as knowledge and information can be something priceless.

If only I had learned this in my first life instead of just relying on pure power and fear.

They're good tools but with only them, you will only get so far.

I took a handful of steps into the library before out of nowhere the library seemed to have darkened considerably.

Then out of nowhere, a voice thundered and said [I see you've arrived, come and visit me in my meditation chamber.]

After the short message, my vision returned to normal. I glanced around the library but from what I could see, no one else had heard the voice.

I swiftly concluded that the voice belonged to the Sage and he must have been speaking to me.

The Sage is an odd entity within the clan. It is the only position that has never changed since the clan's founding.

It is said that the Sage is all-knowing and all-seeing, they've been around since the creation of all the heavens.

The Sage's only goal in life is to consume knowledge but that doesn't mean they don't do their duty to the clan.

Any clan member that comes from the head branch bloodline has the right to speak with the Sage, although if the Sage will entertain them is another matter.

Despite helping all the possible heirs, the Sage doesn't take sides. You will never gain information that will reveal another person's scheme, plan or anything else.

The only time the Sage may get directly involved is if the clan is facing an event that could end the clan's long history.

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Standing in front of Sage's meditation chamber were twin guards dressed in dark metallic silver robes, various pieces of the body were covered in armour including the shoulders, legs and chest.

Their faces were hidden by a mask that looked to have no eye holes and was covered by intricate carvings.

They held spears that were crossed in front of the majestic door. The doors were over 7 meters tall and 3 meters wide.

They were black with silver trim around the edge, the door frame itself had countless constellations painted on it.

Out of nowhere, the two guards stood at attention as still as stone. With a large rumble, the doors swung open inwardly.

[Come in] The Sage spoke into my mind once again.

With his permission, I walked into the room. The room was so dark that I couldn't see my hand if I extended it forward.

I kept walking forward, as soon as I walked just past the range of the door, they shut with a large bang that echoed throughout.

I turned around out of fright but could no longer see the door. Then out of nowhere multiple orbs of fire lit up.

Some were suspended in the air while others were floating on a remarkably reflective surface.

Looking down I saw my reflection, I took a step onwards to see ripples appear.

Taking another look around I was in the middle of nowhere standing atop an expanse of water.

Looking in the sky I spotted the most magnificent looking moon I've seen in my life.

A beam of light seemed to be illuminating a hunched over figure in large tattered raven coloured robes.

They looked to be floating in the air but at closer inspection, they seemed to be holding themselves up cross-legged with the odd-looking crooked sane in his hands.

[Come forward] The voice sounded once again, after paying closer attention to it, I still couldn't tell anything about the Sage.

Out of nowhere, I found myself right in front of the sage, I couldn't tell what happened if he moved or I moved but all I knew is that I was standing right in front of the renowned Asura clan Sage.

Reflecting on his voice, it sounded robotic yet human, feminine yet masculine, loud yet quiet and the list could go on.

It was as if someone was live editing the voice but knew nothing of what they were doing.

The Sage almost sounded demonic yet gave away no such feeling.

I couldn't quite place it, but I felt perfectly secure around the Sage as if I were meeting a close family member.

Having a closer look at the sage, I couldn't make out any features, the Sage's face and features looked to be obscured by an unknown force.

It was slightly uncomfortable to look at as if I got seriously drunk and couldn't make heads or tails of anything.

I quickly bowed to the Sage and thanked him for gracing me with a chance to see him.

[I already know why you've come...]

[I will give you the answer which you seek on a single condition...]

The voice continued to echo within my head, I was tempted to try and sense the cultivation level of the Sage but knocked that idea out of my head.

"I will accept any condition as long as it is within my ability" I answered calmly while avoiding looking at the sage. The blurry features were making me feel nauseous.

[You are the same, yet different... Tell me why]

I kept a calm expression on my face but I couldn't help but frown inwardly. How did the Sage already know that something is different?

I've sought the knowledge of the Sage in the past so this wasn't the reason.

While the robes were different to what I wore on a regular day, they still shouldn't be the reason.

Could the Sage be all-knowing and all-seeing? But then why would they question me right now?

The Sage knowing I've been reborn shouldn't be a problem as all they want is knowledge, but if they heard I was born in another world I'm not sure I'd be able to leave...

I will have to do my best to bend the truth a bit, hopefully, the Sage won't be able to see through my deceit.

I cleared my throat and started lying through my teeth without a change to my expression or bodily functions in the slightest. Even the most practised liars in the world wouldn't have such control.

But after living two lifetimes and experiencing plenty of lying, scheming and deceit I became a practised liar that even the devil would trust like a saint.

"Last night when I meditated I fell into a trance, in that trance I lived entire lifetimes only to open my eyes back in my room the following morning."

I paused for a moment before continuing "A person can change countless times throughout a single lifetime, let alone multiple" I smiled, praying on the inside that the Sage bought my explanation.

I knew I couldn't fool him with something completely made up, I had to leave in a few snippets of truth.

[Hmm...]

*Tap*

The Sage lifted his cane in the air and remained floating, then he tapped it into the endless expanse of water.

The water rippled and sent me backwards a couple of meters. I felt as if I didn't move an inch from where I stood. It was as if the ground extended and contracted at will.

A chill went down my spine thinking about this possibility. At my current level, I would never even be a threat to the Sage.

Right now I believe I could try and kill the Sage and the Sage could go around his day as if nothing was happening. At most I'd be like a speck of dust, not even visible to him.

*Tap*

The Sage tapped his cane once again, an illusion appeared in the space between us.

It showcased an ambiguous human-looking dummy.

[There are plenty of ways of gaining resistance and even immunity to poisons.]

[The primary way to do this is to slowly ingest various poisons, as you build up your immunity you will ingest higher level poisons and so on]

[This way you will be able to gain a poison physique]

[While one can be born with it, it is quite rare, the physique comes in various levels. They are 100 poison physique, 1,000 poison physique, 10,000 poison physique, 100,000 poison physique, 1,000,000 poison physique and the Immortal poison physique.]

[The highest ever recorder level achieved through ingesting poisons was the 100,000 poison physique, this was achieved by the Poison clan Grand Sage.]

[There is however another way of getting the physique, you can take it from a maiden]

[As long as they were naturally born with a poison physique and remain pure, you can gain a weaker version of their physique through dual cultivation.]

'Hmm, I only have two months before I will get poisoned, I have no time to temper my physique to gain it through hard work...'

"Is there any way of gaining the same level as of the physique as the original holder? Or if not the same then at least higher than through usual methods?"

[I have already answered all you originally desired, for this answer you should seek your guardian]

*BANG*

The Sage banged his cane, I felt the world zooming past me as I found myself at the entrance to the Sage's chamber.

The door was firmly shut and the two guards were once again blocking it with their spears.

'I should seek my guardian...' I stroked my chin thinking about who the Sage meant.

The only one that came to mind was my dear mother who I haven't seen since I descended to the lower realms all those years ago.