Chapter 342 - World Awakens (I)
Volume 5
Flames and Ashes
Chapter 342
World Awakens (I)
Water dripped rhythmically, almost like a song.
One by one, like notes of a melody weaving together a symphony--one that never stopped.
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue and slashed sideways with the sword; an invisible current of the air streamed to the right and cut through something, ending the song.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, disturbed from meditation, and looked over at the center of the massive hall--the vortex of energy and light weaving together had once again grown larger. Just about a year ago, it was barely the size of a toddler--now, it was the size of a house.
She frowned at the sound of the approaching footsteps; how many did this one make? Just shy of a thousand, now? Even as a shadow blurred past her and jumped over the railing toward the center of the room, she remained unmoving. The figure cackled and threw themselves at the vortex, screaming, "Finally! My fate will change!"
Those were the last words they ever spoke as the vortex did not suck them into the paradise they expected but cut through them like a handsaw, violently ripping them apart. Before the spraying blood and viscera could stain the ground below, however, the sheer magnitude of gravity pulled them all up, sucking them into the vortex.
It grew a bit from it--but so imperceptibly little that even she had to check thrice just to make sure.
"Pathetic bastard," she mumbled. "None of the last few were good enough..."
She tried closing her eyes and meditating again, but she was too agitated, eventually grunting and standing up, leaping over the stone railing of the overlooking terrace and onto the main ground floor. It spanned nearly five hundred yards in all directions, with a large, carved-out hole in the ceiling above.
The vortex's energy was rather cutting; if she got within even fifty yards of it, it would tear into her skin and make her bleed. At least, it was a good way to see her progress--the last time it opened, she could only get within two hundred yards.
"Young Lady, it is dangerous; please come back up," a somewhat annoyingly sweet voice came from above, causing her muscles to flex involuntarily. She glanced back and up, where that disgusting face was leaning against the railing. "Hello~" he waved at her with a large smile, but all she could do was hold herself back from vomiting.
"You certainly don't cherish your life, ugly toad," she cursed, though she did come back up to the terrace, where she noticed that his figure was teetering on the edge of collapse. "Hah. An Avatar? Your Ancestors are turning over in their graves."
"Ha ha, ever as cruel," he said. "But... can you blame me? The last time I came in person, you nearly crippled my martial arts."
"... why are you here?" she asked impatiently.
"Just to check the progress," he said, looking down at the vortex. "It should be about a year now, no?"
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"What of it? Do you think I will let you enter?"
"Ha ha. Are you certain I can't coax you into it? Besides, I'm fairly certain it is not up to you who gets to go in," he added with a rather peculiar grin. "Not with the appearance of Young Lady Zhelan, anyway."
"... the Mountain sure has gotten loose-tongued," she said. "Perhaps it is my ancestors that are turning over in their graves."
"Harsh words," he said. "Why would you need to hide the rise of another Sword Maiden? Are you not confident? I did hear, though, that Eternal Sword still hasn't made a decision. For someone who is known to be decisive, this is rather... unprecedented."
"Xing Da," her tone chilled slightly.
"Yes, my Lady?" he replied with a smile.
"Do you know why that old relic still can't decide?"
"Why?"
"Because, per him, I am simply too volatile. Too mad."
"Oh? Quite interesting!"
"Is it?" she grinned, turning over toward him. "Perhaps I ought to live up to it a bit more."
"Oh? What do you mean, my Lady?"
"I wonder... what would happen if I carved a giant hole in the earth where the Eternal Wheel is?"
"... mind your words, Xinya." The man's tone chilled, too, his expression growing angered. "Threatening to destroy an entire Sect, even if spoken in anger, are not the words you can take back."
"... haah," she sighed, letting go of the rancid breath and drawing out her sword. "You all tire me. Old shit-for-brains who've been entombed in their ways for so long they forgot there's a road ahead, little shits like you who think their pathetic lineage means anything in the face of Dao, all the cretins coming here thinking they can change their fate by swallowing some divine fruit... you all tire me so, so much."
"And what--" the words were never finished as she simply swung her sword and annihilated the shoddy Avatar. It wasn't even of his own make--he'd likely used the Soul-Forging Pill to make one. So, how could it possibly withstand even the most casual of her attacks?
The figure dissipated in the flutter of smoke and light, disappearing just as she sat back down, sighing.
She wasn't lying--she truly was tired. Of everything.
She inherited the seat of the Sword Maiden when she was nine years old--nobody asked her whether she wanted it, nobody for a moment considered her desires... they simply gave her the crown and the blade and made her a Maiden.
What little fleeting pride that moment gave her had long since disappeared, in its place only dwindling excitement for... anything.
The Eternal Mountain, the name that shook the world beyond these peaks... she loathed it with every fiber of her being. All she wanted to do was flatten them and leave.
... but where would she go? Even here, among the greatly blessed lands of cultivation, it was almost impossible to become an Empress. In the past ten thousand years, there had only been two who even tried... and only one who succeeded.
And however much they praised her talent, she knew well enough she had no hopes of becoming an Empress. His parting words, after all, were a direct warning--Imperial Realm wasn't about hard work, it wasn't about dedication, it wasn't about anything other than something that could not be changed: innate chance. Some people could become, and some people couldn't.
It was as simple as that.
Either one had a trace of Imperial Root within them, or they didn't. There was not a divine fruit in the cosmos that could change that fate.
She was cursed to forever lumber about these wastelands, among these brainless things emboldened by their ignorance.
Being a Sword Maiden? She couldn't care less about that forsaken title--the day they announced that little brat also had the potential of a Sword Maiden, rather than cursing it, she drank a whole barrel of wine in joy. For the past month, all she did outside of meditating here was guiding that kid.
If she could become unshackled from this hell... at least she could live out her mundane days on her own accord.
"Maiden," a voice from the shadow spoke, cold and emotionless.
"What is it now?"
"Miss Pànqiū has sent a letter, saying she will attend this year's ceremony."
"E-eh?! Grandma Pàn will come?!!" the dreary and dull atmosphere around her lightened abruptly, almost like a child. "Give me the letter!"
"A-ah..."
"Hm? Don't tell me those old bastards took it?"
"... it's, it's inappropriate, Maiden--"
"Was it addressed to me?"
"..."
"Shadow. Tell me. Was it addressed to me?" she asked in a tone as frosty as the depths of Anu'vah, the Eternal Lake of Ice.
"Y-yes, Maiden. It... was addressed to you."
"Hah," she grinned, feeling the fury in her heart ignite yet again. "It truly seems they are planning on digging out my core and tossing me into some random cave to die. Very well, you old shits. If I must die... you will all die with me."