Kalzara
patreon
Chapter 66: Hey, I'm Zack
🕑 Added 2023-12-31 02:32:43 +0000 UTC"I..." Hughie faltered, dropping his gaze. "I haven't been fully honest with you, Master. There are things I've kept hidden."
Is this what I think it is? Slifer raised an eyebrow.
"Back when you were in closed door cultivation, Oliviare gave me this…ring as a parting gift," Hughie confessed. "I didn't think much of it at first, but then I realized there was an immortal spirit trapped inside."
Li Fenghao let loose a string of expletives, cursing the boy's foolish honesty. Hughie winced but pressed on.
"His name is Li Fenghao. Apparently, he is some kind of Greater Immortal..."
Hughie kept his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, unable to meet his master's eyes. Would Slifer be angry? Would he punish Hughie?
For a long moment, Slifer simply looked at Hughie with an unfathomable expression. Then, he threw back his head and laughed.
"Yes, yes, I've known about your ghostly roommate for a while now."
"You...you did?"
Seeing Hughie's dumbfounded expression, Slifer chuckled. "Did you really think anything could escape my notice?"
Relief washed over Hughie in a great wave. Of course his master had already known. Slifer's abilities were beyond comprehension. Hughie silently berated himself for doubting him.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Master. After everything with the treasures...I was worried you might take the ring for yourself." Hughie's cheeks reddened. "But you've...changed a lot recently. I should have trusted you."
Slifer waved off Hughie’s concern. The Original hadtaken advantage of Hughie on more than one occasion. He couldn't blame the boy for being reluctant.
"It’s fine. I am just glad you felt comfortable enough to open up to me now."
Now I just need to check this Li Fenghao out myself and find out if he is a threat. Can't have parasitic grandpas leeching off my disciples.
With no cards that could protect him, Slifer had been reluctant to interact directly with the immortal spirit. However, now that Hughie had opened up to him, Slifer had to basically do a ‘security check’ if he didn’t want to come off as suspicious.
Even if he is evil, if I only send my spirit sense into the ring, the worst that could happen is it gets destroyed. And then, I’ll stock up credits until I can get a card powerful enough to kill the old man…
"I'd like to have a chat with this...grandpa of yours," Slifer said lightly. "Just to make sure he isn’t up to any funny business.”
Hughie shifted his feet awkwardly. "Actually Master, I can't sense his presence right now. I think he's hiding..."
Hiding? Wait a minute…is the immortal grandpa scared of me?
This was unexpected.
An indignant squawk sounded from the ring. "Hiding? This old man hides from no one!"
"Oh wait, never mind!” Hughie laughed. “He’s back.”
"Great. Let him know I only want to chat.”
The last thing I need is for this grandpa to go all kamikaze on me...
Hughie nodded. "Just...go easy on him, okay? He's very…proud, but I don't think he means any real harm."
Slifer held back an eye roll at Hughie's naivety. Clearly the boy had gotten attached to the ring spirit. Doesn’t matter – I’ll just assess the situation myself.
Closing his eyes, Slifer sent a wisp of spiritual sense into the ring. When he opened them again, Slifer found himself standing in an endless white void.
Strange, he thought. He had expected at least some attempt at a pocket dimension illusion. This 'Greater Immortal' was either incredibly weak or astronomically lazy.
Perhaps a bit of both, Slifer amended, catching sight of a robed figure floating towards him.
Despite not having a physical form, the weight of Li Fenghao's aura was immense, causing Slifer's spiritual projection to tremble.
This guy…he isn’t simple, Slifer thought, keeping a tight grip on his spiritual form.
"You are not what I expected," Li Fenghao said, brow furrowing. "The boy thinks you’re only an Ascendant cultivator, yet your abilities far exceed any mortal cultivator. In fact, some of your skills should be impossible even in the Immortal Realm..."
The old man drifted closer, scrutinizing Slifer intently. “Even standing before me now, you seem like a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator!”
Slifer remained silent, allowing Li Fenghao's monologue to continue. No need to interrupt an immortal fond of hearing his own voice.
From his experience in this world, the greatest lesson Slifer learned was that the more he talked, the greater the chance that he would slip up.
"Just…what are you? Have you surpassed the Great Immortal Realm?" Li Fenghao’s eyes widened.
Interesting. The old man thinks I'm hiding my strength. Guess it’s time to pretend to be something that can scare even a Greater Immortal.
Slifer adopted a mysterious air. "The mortal realm, the immortal realm - such things are beneath my notice. The world is far more vast than you know."
He let that hang in the air for a moment.
Nothing Slifer had said was a lie, this whole Xianxia world was just one of many worlds, another being Earth. Even if the immortal had an ability that could catch out lies, it didn't matter.
Li Fenghao looked vaguely offended but also intrigued.
It’s working! Time to reel him in.
"In fact, with your limited perspective, I doubt you could understand even if I explained it to you."
It was just vague and mystical enough to reinforce Li Fenghao's assumptions without making any definitive claims. Hah! Eat your heart out, Gandalf.
The Immortal spirit bristled, pride stung. But he could not refute Slifer's words. He’d witnessed the mysterious cultivator's inexplicable power many times.
After a lengthy pause, Li Fenghao rubbed his beard. "I see...I apologize…senior."
Phew, it worked. Now I can get some answers of my own.
“What do you want from Hughie?”
“I…I just wanted his help getting a new body.”
"Hmm, is that so? Then you haven't been secretly plotting to make Hughie your disciple the moment you escape this prison?" Slifer replied, one brow raised.
"I - well - that is - " Li Fenghao spluttered, indignant denials dying on his tongue. With a scowl, he switched tactics. "The boy shows promise. I didn’t want you demonic sc-"
Insight!
Name: Li Fenghao
Realm: Peak Greater Immortal (Sealed)
Known Techniques: N/A
Known Affiliations: N/A
Disposition: N/A
Comprehension: 8
Luck: 7
Talent: 9
Will: 8
As expected from a Greater Immortal, he’s got protagonist-level stats.
Slifer wasn’t too bothered with the grandpa’s stats, the only reason he used the insight skill was to give the grandpa a little scare. The higher the cultivation, the more aware a person was of their soul, Slifer assumed a Greater Immortal would feel an uncomfortable sensation, especially since Slifer activated it so blatantly.
It’s…it’s that look again. A bead of spectral sweat trickled down the old man's brow as he snapped his mouth shut.
Slifer's gaze felt like it was peering through his soul, compared to the previous time, this was twice as intense, he felt like he was laid out utterly bare. He felt insignificant. As a Greater Immortal, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this.
“I’m s-sorry,” Li Fenghao coughed. “I won’t try to steal your disciple.”
Li Fenghao also couldn’t remember the last time those words left his mouth. It galled Li Fenghao to humble himself this way. But the life essence technique weighed heavily on his mind. He could not risk provoking this man’s wrath.
Satisfied that his scare tactic had succeeded, Slifer inclined his head. "Take good care of my Hughie. And don’t try to turn him against me. It would be...unwise."
With that, Slifer’s projection faded away.
The Immortal spirit sagged in relief. Dealing with beings of higher cultivation was always stressful, even for someone at his realm. And this Slifer unnerved him more than most.
"Still, perhaps I can use this to my advantage," Li Fenghao mused aloud. "The boy has gotten closer to me. If I help him out more, I might be able to curry more favour from his master..."
The opportunity to gain a few words of advice from a being who had surpassed the Greater Immortal Realm was too great to pass up. Even if Li Fenghao escaped the ring, he didn’t have the confidence to succeed in breaking through. His only hope was this mysterious immortal.
Yes, that should work nicely.
***
Back in the courtyard, Slifer, unaware of the old man’s plan to kiss up to him, withdrew his spiritual sense and turned to Hughie with a reassuring smile.
"The grandpa won’t be any trouble. In fact, you could learn a thing or two from him. Just be careful if he tries turning you against your master." Slifer's expression turned sly. "Not that he could hide such a thing from me, of course."
Allowing Hughie to keep the ring was a calculated risk. The boy's loyalty was high, but prolonged exposure to Li Fenghao's influence could become a problem.
I'll need to monitor the situation closely. At the first sign of wavering loyalty, the ring goes.
“Thank you, Master,” Hughie shoulders relaxed. He felt a bit guilty for revealing Li Fenghao's presence without permission. But it seemed things had worked out for the best. Neither Slifer nor the Immortal spirit had come to blows at least.
"Oh, there is one more thing before you go," Slifer added casually.
Hughie looked at him quizzically. "Yes, Master?"
"It’s time for you to walk the righteous path."
Hughie's eyes bulged. Had he heard that right? His demonic master, suggesting he become a righteous cultivator? It was the last thing he would have ever expected.
"But why?" he asked uncertainly. "You've always followed the demonic dao..."
Slifer smiled. "My own path doesn’t matter - what is important is helping my disciples reach their full potential. Your heart has turned to the light, even if you remain afraid to show it."
He cast a meaningful glance at where Oliviare still slept peacefully on the courtyard bench. A small smile tugged Hughie's lips as understanding washed over him.
Slifer nodded sagely. "Love is the light that guides us through the dark."
Wow, that one gave me goosebumps. I really need to write these down!
"Master, I...” Hughie faltered, overcome with emotion. “You’re right. After meeting Oliviare, I have felt conflicted about being a demonic cultivator. I don't want her to see me as a…monster."
"Haha. There’s no need to suppress your righteous urges anymore. Follow your heart from now on!" Slifer clasped his shoulder.
"Thank you, Master! I will be a better man!"
Ding!
Hughie Is Now A Righteous Cultivator
Ding!
Name: Hughie Card
Description: Once a day, you can activate any of your loyal disciple’s techniques
Warning: If your disciple’s loyalty goes below 100%, you will lose access to this card
Phew, just three left…
***
Over the next few weeks, Slifer spent many hours trying to convert Leah.
While their relationship had grown less hostile, the brooding girl remained sceptical of Slifer's intentions.
Looks like converting her will take more than just a few heart-to-heart chats with her father’s killer, Slifer mused wryly. Still, the occasional playful smirk or snippy comment gave him hope she would come around eventually.
The girl just needed more time. But with the Sect Tournament looming, time was in short supply right now.
Slifer sighed. He could only do so much. The rest was up to Leah and the mysterious workings of karma.
***
As the Intersect Tournament approached, Slifer spent more time training.
I hope it’s enough to win the tournament, Slifer, sitting in his courtyard, bit into an apple.
His disciples, who sat in a circle around him, glanced at each other in confusion before resting their gaze on their master. This was the first time they had seen him even touch a fruit.
I’ve not checked my status in a while, it wouldn’t hurt to have a look.
Name: Slifer
Race: Human
Alignment: Demonic
Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment
Lifespan Remaining: 100 years
Karmic Credits: 11,570
Skills: Firebreath, Insight (Intermediate), Mirror Mastery (Level 2), Nascent Soul Armor (Level 2), Phase Ability (Level 1), Void Being Aura (Level 1)
Items: Reversal Cards, Peak Slifer Card
Affinities: Light: 25% Fire: 15% Space: 20%
Abilities: Mirror Mastery: Level 2
Techniques: Sunrise Slash: Level 3, Stellar Nova Strike: Level 2, Dimensional Slide: Level 2, Nascent Soul Armour: Level 1
Weapon Mastery: Sword: 15%
Over 10,000 Karmic Credits…finally. Slifer smiled. The credits were all thanks to the tasks completed by the Disciplinary Hall members, his new farming system had played out perfectly. It’s mainly due to that Dentos fella, he’s always number 1 on the leaderboard…
Slifer then took a look at his skills.
Levelling up the Sunrise Slash and Stellar Nova Strike was the right call, both techniques will let Zack finish fights quickly.
Slifer’s gameplan was for his avatar to show as little of his arsenal as possible. The similarity between their techniques could be explained through their master-disciple relationship but some of the other Ascendant’s may grow suspicious and suspect that Zack was a clone.
The armour will be my trump card, Slifer nodded to himself as he looked at the Level 2 Nascent Soul Armour technique.
Through gruelling practicing, Slifer was able to increase the duration to thirty seconds if he activated it through the System. Without the System’s aid, he was only able to use it for ten seconds. It still wasn't much, but a few seconds could make all the difference in the tournament.
Ptui, Slifer spat out the apple. Never again.
He had noticed quite a few disciples in the sect eating apples, he had to admit they did look juicy, he couldn’t resist trying one for himself. He had thought that maybe they tasted different in this world but no, he was wrong. It tasted just like a regular apple.
Nothing could compare to the satisfaction of real food, like, uh, dumplings!
"You have all trained hard these past weeks," Slifer began, wiping his mouth with the edge of his sleeve. "Well, for the next two days you can relax!"
The disciples all nodded enthusiastically; the Intersect Tournament was starting in three days. Their master had warned them that they needed to give their bodies a few days rest, participating in the tournament when injured or tired could ruin what was likely their one and only chance to enter the Sealed Realm.
"I’m sure we’ll dominate the tournament and secure the most spots for the Sealed Realm," Slifer went on. "But it’s not just you four I’m relying on..."
Here he paused for dramatic effect. His disciples leaned forward, wondering what or who their master was referring to.
"Allow me to explain," Slifer chuckled.
With a flourish, Slifer gestured towards the entrance to his quarters. All eyes turned. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a figure emerged into the courtyard.
It was a young man who looked to be in his late teens, with artfully tousled brown hair and chiselled features that would make the statues of celestial immortals weep with envy. He had the sort of ridiculous physique that could only be achieved through years of cultivator training - wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, with muscular arms that looked as though they would burst through the thin robes at any moment.
The disciples gaped. Just who was this absurdly handsome newcomer?
“Hey, I’m Zack.”
