Chapter 30. Bloodline

"Can't you go a little easy on me?" Calista asked. Not even her brothers beat her up this abruptly and would give her some time to spar with them. But for Athan...

At the moment, he had her pinned on the ground with his knee on her back and her hands held together by his single hand behind her back. This scene was similar and she did not want to recall the details.

Athan leaned forward and spoke close to her ears.

"You might or not know but with this level of training, I am not sure that any of you will survive what is coming next. How many of you can bring themselves to kill humans? I am not trying to scare you here but you will all die," Athan said as he stood up.

Calista was not sure what he was talking about. What was coming next? Why did he say that they would not survive? She rolled and faced up as she saw him looking up in the sky.

"What is coming next?" She asked after catching her breath. Athan glanced at her and smiled.

"If you were strong, then this information would not have been hidden from you. So it will do you more harm if I were to even tell you anything," that was his reply.

"Not strong? Everyone knows that I am the second strongest female and will be the strongest in a few years," she said with a hurt expression.

"If strength was measured by level of cultivation, then you and your friends might have attempted to run. If you had run in different directions, four of you might have survived or even all of you had you encountered me," Athan replied honestly.

Calista was not expecting his answer. She could not deny it that she was strong but she was weak willed. She was the second strongest female in the younger generation but she was unable to even save one of her friends or run away.

"Just picture this, in a war, 90% you will have the same reaction as you did if they saw their comrades die. But do you think the enemy will not take advantage of this? What else will happen if you all fall on your knees with fear? Won't we have lost?" Athan's question was like thunder in her ears.

They had forgotten why they had been training this hard. It was because of the impeding danger of the demons. But they had forgotten it. Battle was going to be the final result and what Athan had said was true.

Many would lose their lives due to their indecisiveness. She had a similar experience and she almost died after making a silly mistake. She sat up and looked up at him.

He was still gazing in the sky. His look showed some emotion she could not describe. But it appeared like a plain face. She could not help but wonder once again what he had gone through.

"I know some information that even the old Patriarchs do not have. And I know all that awaits humanity is its complete annihilation. Just getting stronger is not enough. You need to temper you mind and heart," Athan's voice came again.

He was really disappointed. Just why were they doing it the wrong way? He sighed and looked at her and she was still gazing at him.

"Could you tell me what happened to you in those years you were in that danger zone?" She asked curiously. Athan chuckled.

"What I said has nothing to do with demons. If demons had a better rule than you humans, I would not hesitate to stay there. Only time will tell," Athan said and his words shocked her.

"You mean you will betray humanity?"

"I never said so but you can interpret it as you wish. If you are tired, we can call it a day."

"I am not. Could you please go easy on me? Giving pointers will not hurt at all," she said as she reached her sword and stood up.

"But you promise to tell me some of those stories after the battle," she tried to probe. Athan just chuckled not giving a reply. "I will take that as a yes." She said and he still did not reply.

Swords clashed and produced sparks on collision. It was difficult to believe that this was a battle between a Blossom Plane cultivator and a Master Plane cultivator. They pressed their swords and their faces were close to each other.

"Your eyes," Athan started. "You will never make much progress if you just keep fighting like you are training. I need to see it in your eyes. You should know why you are fighting and I should see it. Why are you training?" He continued.

This question was tough for her and she took a few seconds. She stared into his eyes and deep down, she could two sparks which threatened to ignite. It was then it struck her. She was doing it the wrong way.

"I want to kill the demons," she replied and and her eyes changed.

"I need to feel your intent in your attacks. Plain attacks will are useless," Athan said and he pushed her away and she landed meters away.

Calista recalled when she attacked the high orc. She wanted nothing more than to kill it when she had lost her mind. That emotion that she felt at that time was what she was supposed to bring out.

She recalled when she butchered the demons. All she wanted to do was to kill the demons. If she could tap into that emotion and use it as a fuel, she was sure that she was going to awaken some of her bloodline.

She held her sword with both hands as she closed her eyes and when she opened them again, her hair was fluttering and wind was surging from her in every direction almost like a tornado.

When she locked on to Athan, her eyes were like those of a peregrine falcon having spotted its prey. She could feel her breathing slow down but her blood was surging uncontrollably in her vessels.

She could feel that she could easily reach her prey if she made her move. Her grip on her sword tightened and in an instant, she was able to create a technique of her own and after comprehending it from her bloodline.

When Athan saw the change in her eyes, he was sure that he had fulfilled his purpose of the first training. He was sure that it was going to get more fun from now on. Suddenly she disappeared and he smiled though he felt a shiver. Bloodlines could be terrifying.

Calista disappeared from his eyes but she was almost 200 meters in the sky. From what she could feel from her bloodline, this was it. Up in the sky, she glanced at him and she could easily make out his features. Like he was a just a blink away from her reach.

She then dived downwards and instantly appeared a meter above him and unleashed a very powerful attack with a slice of her sword. She was sure she caught him offguard and even though he was able to block in time, she was able to send him flying backwards.

Athan was caught by surprise with her speed. He was sure unless he Energy cultivated, he was never going to reach that speed soon. What shocked him most was that he was sent flying. Could this be the true power of bloodlines?

Athan thinking that she had unleashed her ace attack was shocked when she followed up with another attack. This was more lethal than even the first attack. He could read the attack but he was slightly late to attack.

The sword appeared instantly before him aiming to pierce through his forehead. Had it been anyone else, they would not have survived.

Athan was able to divert the sword but it was able to slice his cheek and some of his hair. Blood droplets hit the ground and the hair fell last. He could not believe that he had sensed some danger from her. Bloodlines...

After fending off her attack, he was sure that she was vulnerable. Even if she was able to use some of her bloodline, it was her first time and she was not familiar with this attack.

She was standing there in front of him and he could tell that she was exhausted. He easily knocked her sword away and his sword rested on her neck.

"I lose," she said but she was not discouraged at all. Instead her eyes were full of fighting spirit. If she could fight him again, she was sure that ahe could unlock some of her bloodline power.

"Ha! You are really interesting, you really manages to leave a wound on me," Athan said as she fell forward to his direction. She was completely exhausted and the energy she had could only keep her concious. She just hoped that he would not evade and let her hit the ground.

She fell on his chest her knees gave in but Athan was quick and raised her hand and wrapped it on his shoulder.

"Thank you." Though she could not speak, that was what her eyes were saying. Athan helped her sit on the ground and he stood before her.

She swallowed a pill and looked up at him as he looked down to her.

"That was an attack from your Bloodline but I know that you do not know about the Bloodline attack you unleashed. Just from looking at how you attacked, I have an inkling about what that attack was," Athan said and she looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" She asked.

"That attack, probably only you can unleash it. A peregrine falcon..."