Zhuo Fan goes through a second door, Head Zhu treading behind into an adjacent room, near identical to the previous one; the only difference being is that it is filled to the brim with black energy, with the ominous dragon at its epicenter, sprawled across a stone slab three times the size of the human bed, was the black dragon.
The door's hinges groan like a dying beast, symbolising the dragon's condition. The air beyond was thick—seething with ink-black energy.
Its massive body was a ruin of shattered scales and exposed muscle, **ribs jutted through scaled flesh like broken spears. No breath stirred its chest—yet its veins twitched, fed by a grotesque apparatus of pulsating tubes and a simple pump forcing blood through necrotic tissue and the giant body—Acting both as it's heart and lungs.
Zhuo Fan’s gaze flicked to the door behind them—back toward the golden cultivator’s chamber. **His fingers traced a gash where golden claws had ripped away scales. The black energy recoiled—then lashed at his hand like a whip before he jerked back. "The dragon's demonic qi and the 'cultivator's' golden attribute........ These energies are diametric, opposing eachother."
Zhuo Fan stepped forward, his boots clicking against the stone and added on in a stronger tone- "But the fact that his cultivation foundation is ruined could also be a blessing in disguise!"
Head Zhu's staff clattered against stone. The elder muttered- "They say two wrongs never make a right. Yet what you taught me is that right and wrong have no fundamental, inherent meaning or importance with respect to actions."
"Continue on" said Zhuo Fan. He had a feeling Head Zhu wasn't spewing random nonsense like he previously did most of the times. His fingers danced over the dragon’s flank, tracing the jagged wound where scales had been ripped away. **He pressed a palm to the dragon's chest. The black qi *shrieked*, swirling around his wrist like a shackle.** He was analysing the way the cultivator attacked it while simultaneously paying attention to Head Zhu.
The elder straightened—back stiff, chin raised—mimicking Zhuo Fan; his old arching back though, still as obvious- ""A knife doesn’t kill. The hand that wields it does." And thus in the same logic, actions aren't wrong or right, there are just actions with different context. To get to the point, there are some diametric actions, actions which negate eachother or empower eachother to a neutral standpoint."
Head Zhu met Zhuo Fan's gaze- "Even if you change the context of one of those actions, the action with inherent opposition to that action, will still remain opposing. And if you change the context of both those actions, both wcould be negative. And as a result a wrong and a wrong will make a right."
Zhuo Fan nodded, "There may be surface level exceptions, yet at the most fundamental level, this holds true.
And regardless of the level you look at it with, judging actions in superficial ideas like Right and Wrong or Righteous and Demonic will not yield fairness."
"Coming back to point, even though his new arms would Spiritually destroy eachother, now that immunology isn't a problem, the added negative effect of the destroyed cultivation foundation, makes it possible to actually make the demonic energy settle into the vacuum created.", declared Zhuo Fan.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"And there are comparatively tons of Martial arts for making opposite attributes coexist or even enhance eachother, it will be a cake walk compared to repairing his Nascent Soul realm cultivation base with mortal or 2-3rd grade resources."
The door burst open. Six figures spilled into the chamber—five Qi Refiners in plain coloured uniforms, and one in navy blue robes threaded with silver—the Foundation Establishment Venerable.
Zhuo Fan didn't turn. "So you are the team that took on my Emergency quest. So late! This is an incredibly time bound activity you know? Every 15 breaths that Nascent Soul uses up 1% of our Alliance treasury's total Spiritual stones! It may not sound like a lot, but that means every hour you can waste a third of our Alliance's total resources! Not to mention how I am anyway going to use up a third of the resources to completely heal him."
The Qi Refiners' thoughts were in sync,
[We were just a few minutes late! You are about the same age as us yet you have no respect for us Martial Seniors who are half a major realm ahead of your meager 5th stage Body tempering realm cultivation? We will be surprised if you show even the 2nd rate sects having disciples' progress comparable with our speed.]
Only the Foundation Establishment realm Venerables knew of Zhuo Yi-Fan's true background, once being the most talented Young master of Lin Clan in the Capital city, not to mention how he is a benefactor for him, teaching him to mend and strengthen his meridians by using Body temperering realm techniques before directly starting Qi Refining.
"Line up in increasing order of your cultivation!", ordered Zhuo Fan, sensing their disdain.
A girl in white—her robes stark against black bracelets—bounced forward. She resembled finely cut Jade, her skin fair white—almost transparent. Her every subconscious body language jerk and flair merged and worked in conjunction with each other to create an accurate description of her carefree personality in the fortunate viewers' mind. She jumped around in joy in a trance-like state that any righteous cultivator would sell his own sect and allies to protect.
She screamed enthusiastically- "Expert in Righteous arts and demonic healing arts! Also the combinati"
"Combination techniques partner with him, yes," Zhuo Fan interrupted, pointing to her black-robed counterpart without looking. His fingers never stopped moving, adjusting dials on the dragon's funky life-support apparatus.
A boy, wearing deep black robes with white highlights and a white necklace stepped forward next. He could be considered handsome. He announced enthusiastically- "Qi Refining realm 1st stage! Expert in demonic cultivation but can use all kinds of arts. The combination art partner of the last girl."
A girl, wearing bright blue robes came forward, the blue was more vibrant than the Venerable's, yet the latter's robes and it's navy blue colour spoke of higher quality, "Qi Refining realm 2nd stage. Expert in water Cultivation arts."
Another girl appeared, wearing a grey and black dress. The dress contained simple patterns, not intricate but rather bold and thick. She said in rather obvious disdain- "Qi Refining 3rd realm, Expertise include metal Cultivation arts."
The last boy, came wearing gold and black robes, said with arrogance yet a slight amount of respect- "I specialise in duality Cultivation arts. Though my expertise is mostly in Yin-Yang, or Righteous-Demonic arts, I am able to use any two attributes, may they be complimentary or opposing eachother, however not more than two. I am also among the outer disciples of 5 Myriad Colours Conjunction Righteous Sect."
The Venerable stepped forward—
"No!" the Qi Refiners chorused. "No! Venerable Sire! You do not need to expose your strengths and weaknesses to this lowly physician! Everybody knows your tales of greatness!"
"—physician?" The Venerable's voice cracked like thunder. "This Body tempering realm cultivator is no ordinary layman! He hides a great background and an even greater plans for the futur—"
"They're right," Zhuo Fan cut in. "Your tales precede you, Flood Dragon Venerable. You bypassed initial Qi Refining, jumping straight to the second stage. Reached peak within three weeks despite having no elemental affinity—or rather, because you had equal mastery over all. Then during your first Foundation layer condensation..." A cold smile crept beneath his mask. "...that dormant flood dragon bloodline from your 'fateful encounter' awoke. The backlash should have killed you. Instead, you rebuilt your meridians and emerged at Foundation Establishment's fifth layer—three empty, two water, one air. Now—"
A snap of his fingers.
"Uhhhh.......—Bright Blue, Gloomy Gray, and the Venerable. Step forward."
The girls preened. The Venerable paled.
Zhuo Fan's next words fell like a headsman's axe:
"Cripple yourselves now!"
Silence.
The Venerable was baffled. His face drooped down. The girls were too distracted to understand.
"...What?" the Venerable choked
"Sir what?"
"You should cripple yourselves now, you too Sir Venerable."
What should the Venerable be called in the future?
