Chapter 7 Shadows Beneath

Above the pool, an ancient sword lay suspended in the air. The sword was three feet long and dark purple in color. Its blade was covered in mysterious runes, and the hilt extended half a foot. The entire sword looked like a priceless artifact, as if it had been carved from a massive purple diamond.

Presumably, the sharp pressure from earlier had come from this very sword. Thinking of this, Silas Thorne's heart burned with excitement. The appearance of the sword was far from ordinary. He couldn't begin to guess what level it might be... Was it a spirit weapon? A treasure? Beyond that, Silas didn't dare to imagine. Even treasures were rare enough that only the strongest inner disciples of the Azurelight Order had one. Some elders didn't even possess one.

"Buzz..." A low hum echoed as the sword began to tremble. "Excited?" Silas blinked, unsure. For a moment, he actually felt as though the sword was... excited.

"No... that's impossible," he muttered, shaking his head. "I must be imagining things. A sword can't feel excitement."

"Hiss-!" A sudden whistling sound tore through the air. The ancient sword streaked straight toward him like a bolt of lightning. Silas's eyes widened. There was no time to dodge.

"This is it... I'm dead," he thought as the blade closed in.

...

"I'm not dead?" Silas blinked, stunned. The sword had struck him, and yet he felt no pain. Then he saw it: the blade had disappeared into the center of his forehead, dissolving little by little into his body.

He let out a breath, realizing how close he had been to death. "Lucky... I must be really lucky."

He frowned. "Don't tell me... it entered my body?"

His consciousness slowly sank inward.

Within the space known as the Sea of Mind-the area where all energy gathered and where a cultivator's strength was rooted-Silas found a familiar inner world. This was where Primordial Energy was stored and controlled. It was the core of every cultivator's power.

Silas had not yet reached the innate realm, so there was no Primordial Energy in his Sea of Mind. Instead, what he had was Life Force. Threads of that Life Force hovered in the space like rippling water. Floating silently on the surface was a miniature version of the dark purple sword.

Staring at it, Silas could only smile bitterly. Now, an uninvited guest had taken up residence inside his Sea of Mind. Worse still, it was slowly absorbing his Life Force!

He attempted to drive it out, willing it to leave. But no matter what he tried, the sword didn't budge.

"Well," he sighed, "if nothing else, I'm good at absorbing energy. If I have to support this little glutton, then so be it." He tried to reassure himself. At least, the rate at which the sword consumed his Life Force was still tolerable.

...

Outside, the black clouds that had loomed overhead began to drift apart. A faint light appeared on the distant horizon. The air outside the cave was crisp and cool as a gentle breeze blew through.

Silas took a deep breath. The dizziness from the night's events faded somewhat as his mind cleared.

"It's time to go back," he said, glancing once more at the hidden cave. There were too many mysterious things here-the strange pool and the ancient sword now dwelling inside him. All of it waited to be explored. But for now, he had to return to the Ironwood Forest.

...

Silas moved quickly through the terrain, familiar with the route.

Even though the sky was slowly brightening, the Ironwood Forest remained dim beneath the dense canopy. As he approached the edge of the forest, a strange feeling crept into his heart. His instincts screamed danger, like a deer sensing a predator.

He froze.

Just as he was about to back away, a sharp, piercing sound sliced through the air. A deadly arrow shot out from the darkness, aimed straight at his chest. The angle was perfect-too perfect. There was no room to dodge!

Silas's expression changed. At the last second, he gathered his Life Force and struck out with his hand. His palm smacked the arrow's shaft, redirecting its path. It still scraped along his left arm, drawing blood, but he had avoided a fatal hit.

The arrow buried itself in the ground, still trembling.

Silas hissed as pain flared in his arm. His eyes narrowed. If that arrow had struck him head-on, he might already be dead.

Energy surged around him, ready to explode at any moment. "Who just tried to kill me?" he muttered under his breath.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.

Smack.

Silas's face darkened as the sound of someone slapping their hand echoed through the forest. From the dark woods stepped a figure he recognized.

"Vincent Hale!"

It really was him. From the first time they had met, Vincent had clearly been targeting him. And now he had gone so far as to try and kill him. Silas couldn't figure out why.

"Well, well," Vincent said with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Not bad. You actually dodged my steel arrow." His smile carried the edge of something sinister-greed, perhaps, or jealousy. He hadn't expected Silas to survive.

But that didn't matter. In Vincent's mind, the outcome was already set. With enough power, nothing else mattered.

"Why are you doing this?" Silas demanded. "What do you have against me?"

Vincent laughed, a crazed edge in his voice. "Oh, I'll tell you, since you're about to die anyway. It's because you have something you shouldn't."

Silas frowned in confusion.

Vincent smirked. "You still want to act like you don't know? Fine. I'll explain it to you. That night in the cave, I saw how quickly the aura around you was gathering. You have some kind of treasure-something that accelerates the drawing of energy from the world. A treasure like that... it's not something someone like you should have."

As he spoke, Vincent's eyes gleamed with hunger.

Silas's mouth twitched. He didn't have any treasure. None at all. How could he explain that the sword had chosen him-and even that had happened without warning?

He sighed inwardly. Even if he told the truth, Vincent wouldn't believe him. So what was the point?

And besides, hadn't Vincent just tried to murder him?

Silas's eyes grew cold. He wouldn't let someone like this walk away.

Vincent misread his silence as guilt. "So I was right," he said with a dark chuckle. "Hand over the treasure, and I'll make your death quick."

"The sect forbids killing fellow disciples," Silas said sharply. "If they find out, you'll be executed."

Vincent scoffed. "Why do you think I lured you all the way out here? You'll just be another unlucky guy eaten by a beast in the Ironwood Forest. No one will ever know."

Silas drew a long breath, then exhaled slowly. He raised his head, calm returning to his expression.

Then, without warning, he charged.

"You think you can just take my life? You're not nearly strong enough!"