Critical: Ages Below Critical Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4: Birth of the Soul (Part 2)
 

Qi Ling closes his eyes, thinking; if I die then I die.

However, not only did Qi Ling not die, he tuts many times as if seeing a treasure. After a loud bang has erupted in the air, he’s been turning this way and that seeing the magnificent lion a head taller than him what appeared before him, while turning he says: “So cool! I feel so proud now!” And this grand lion with a body of pure silver-white fur seems to be able to understand Qi Ling’s words, puffing out its chest and raising its chin, looking prideful, even going as far as shaking its body as if showing off, following an ear-shattering howl, a pair of silver-white wings extend themselves from its shoulders; it’s as if a magical beast from the legends has appeared, shining in all its splendor.

Cang Xue Zhi Ya closes its eyes with its head raised high, lifting its large paw and extend it towards Qi Ling, as if an arrogant prince. Qi Ling quickly reaches out with both hands to shake its thick, and furry paw, “Very happy to meet you!”

“But do soul beasts have genders?” Qi Ling turns back to look at Yin Chen in confusion before turning back to look at Cang Xue Zhi Ya, “Are you male or fema……da-ge*! I was wrong, let’s talk it out and not use our claws……” Qi Ling’s chin is raised, his eyeb.a.l.l.s rolling down to look at the dagger-like clawCang Xue Zhi Ya has held against his throat.

Cang Xue Zhi Ya retracts its claw before grunting and turning away, lightly jumping onto a large boulder before howling into the sky under the moonlight; it turns back and looks at Qi Ling with disdain and contempt, its expression as if saying “now do you know if master I am male or female”.

Qi Ling rubs his throat and mumbles, “What the h.e.l.l, why is it like a human, even knowing how to raise its middle finger?!” After saying that, he turns and yells at Yin Chen: “It has the same bad habit as you, always holding sharp things against other people’s throats for no reason.”

Cang Xue Zhi Ya leaps down to stand beside Qi Ling again. Qi Ling caresses the authoritative silver mane around its neck before turning to ask Yin Chen: “When I saw it last time, it had been a lot bigger than now, one foot was as large as a tree, how come it’s like this now?”

“What you saw was it in battle mode, all soul beasts will transform into their most powerful state when in battle mode.”

“Ah……” Qi Ling nods, “Then how does your Xue Ci look like normally? ……Hey don’t let it out; I don’t want to see it in battle mode like just now, so scary! I just want to see how it looks like normally……”

Yin Chen hums before unfolding his hand and extending it towards Qi Ling, in his palm is a small silver-white scorpion which currently has a small pincer raised in the air, moving it left and right, as if waving h.e.l.lo at Qi Ling……

“We’ll be setting off soon. Before that, I need to go somewhere to get some things done, you should wait for me here, do you want to head back to Fauser? It’s just that……there’s nothing much left there.”

“Then I’ll head back to the town of Fauser……I still have to look at it……when will you be back?” Qi Ling looks at Yin Chen, a feeling of not wanting him to leave appearing in his heart. He feels nauseas at his own feelings and dry heaves.

Of course Yin Chen knows what he’s thinking and chooses to ignore him completely before turning away, “If I’m quick, I’ll be back this afternoon. Wait for me at Fauser, don’t run around.”

The word ‘around’ is still echoing in the air when Yin Chen disappears, leaving behind turbulent air, causing countless golden leaves to be blown from tree branches.

[West of Aslan Empire – Fortified Points of the West and South Tiange]

The imperial capital Gelanerte has planted countless fortified points in the territory of the Aslan Empire. These fortified points are for lords and disciples, along with the soul masters of the royal family, for information communication and to receive messages. These fortified points envelop the territory of the imperial empire under a grand web, this ma.s.sive information network is known the ‘Tiange’.

This is the Tiange nearest to Fauser.

Yin Chen walks into the depths of the ground through an ancient looking stone door resembling a gravestone. The stone steps beneath his feet have been rubbed raw; it is obvious that this place is an underground building from ages ago. This lengthy tunnel that leads underground has a wall light placed in a stone holder on both sides. They are not lighted by fire; instead they are maintained by the brightness of soul powers. However, every single stone lamp is dim, hence, one get a general idea of what is going on in the tunnel; the end of the tunnel is still shrouded in dead silent darkness. The more Yin Chen walks, the more he feels as if he’s walking towards a grave. He really doesn’t understand why they constructed this tian-ge to be so eerie.

Gradually, intricate patterns start appearing continuously on the walls on both sides of the tunnel; a very typical decorative pattern of the Aslan water source.

He walks some more and reaches the end of the steps. The stone room appears to be quite spa.r.s.ely decorated, no additional décor, only a stone table is raised in it. A soul master cladded in long black robes and a black hood stands behind it. His face is shrouded in the shadow of the hood; only his lips can be seen. His lips are thin and pale, looking like a patient that has lost too much blood.

“Lord to the Seventh Degree, Yin Chen. I’m here for some information, I hope you can provide them.” Yin Chen says pa.s.sively to the black-robed person.

“Lord, always willing to serve you.” The black-robed person’s hoa.r.s.e voice echoes in the dim cave, it sounds unpleasant, as if an icy cold snake is crawling up one’s spine.

“Last night, in the forest outside of the town of Fauser, had there been any high-leveled soul beasts? When I say high-leveled, I’m referring to……the ones at the level of the Four Grand Soul Beasts of Ancient Times……”

“……” The black-robed person remains slightly. It is obvious that he had not expected such a question to come from Yin Chen.

“Was it the Ragnarok?” As if Yin Chen’s irises are frozen, they emit a cold gleam.

“Outside the town of Fauser last there, there had been a very high-leveled soul beast, from its soul powers, I concur that it is many times above that of the lord, so according to this, I can conclude that it is one of the Four Grand Soul Beasts of Ancient Times…… but whether or not it had been Ragnarok, I dare not confirm……” The black-robed person replies Yin Chen’s question with his eerie and hoa.r.s.e voice.

“I can affirm that. There are no other soul beasts that can howl to the point where all the soul powers will be activated and boiling in a person, under that kind of sound, any person, as long as there are using the slightest bit of soul power, or if it caught on to the slightest movement of soul powers, it will use its howl to attack the soul powers in a person until they reach breaking pint, the soul powers will be like an uncontrollable tidal wave in one’s body, attacking the return circuits until they are almost completely destroyed, resulting in great harm to the soul master……” Yin Chen says evenly as he gauges the expression on the black-robed person’s face.

The black-robed person says nothing to Yin Chen’s words. His expression is shrouded under the shadow of the hood; one cannot decipher his thoughts at this exact moment.

The corners of Yin Chen’s lips curve up, he smiles and says: “I have one last question, are there any other lords nearby? If there are, what tasks are they carrying out?”

“There are other lords nearby. They are carrying out other tasks.”

“Who is it? What are they doing?” Yin Chen stares intently at the person’s face.

“I apologise, the access authority of this information is above your level, you do not have permission to receive this information.” The black-robed person replies politely but coldly.

[West of Aslan Empire – Forest outside town of Fauser]

The gradually thickening colour of the night shrouds the borderless forest in a deep layer of grey, making it look quiet and gentle.

Qi Ling who has been waiting for a long time only realizes then that the sky has dimed. He lifts his head, not seeing Yin Chen. Surrounding him is the empty forest, no one else is around aside from himself, and countless towering ancient trees are like dark giants, stationed around him, looking down in pity at the lonely him.

At that moment, Qi Ling feels a sense of loneliness he’s never felt before.

There aren’t many people left in the town of Fauser. The entire inn has collapsed, only wooden pillars and debris remain. Other parts of the town have more or less been destroyed completely, many people chose to leave Fauser, only lonely elderly remain because they have nowhere else to go.

It’s as if the whole town has been through great calamity. At this moment, only a suffocating defeat and silence remain.
 

“I’m back.” Yin Chen’s voice suddenly sounds before him.

Qi Ling leaps up and hugs Yin Chen, the smile on his face sincere; one can tell that his happiness is genuine.

“I was worried that you……” Qi Ling stops himself mid-sentence.

“Worried that I’d leave you behind?” Yin Chen asks.

“Something like that……”

“Then you can have a peace of mind. Once a lord bestows the lord’s seal to his disciple, it is reality that cannot be reversed, the seal can’t be bestowed to others either, which means that, I only have you as a disciple, hence I won’t abandon you.” Yin Chen explains seriously.

Qi Ling nods with force before smiling.

“Are you hungry? Light a bonfire and roast something for yourself and make yourself warm in the process. It will be cold later on in the night, I’m too lazy to build a house for you since I’d have to maintain it with soul powers through the night, it’s a very tiresome job.”
 

When the sky darkens completely, the moon appears from within the clouds.

The forest under the colour of the moon seems tender and silent, like a graceful young girl.

Cang Xue Zhi Ya is still strolling around Qi Ling with its chest held high, and Qi Ling matches it by praising it constantly. It lifts its furry paw, “Aiya, your claws are as sharp as a double-edged sword, so cool!” It releases its broad wings from its shoulders, “Woah, they are like wings of an angel!” Its tell sways, the three dagger like thorns on its tail easily snaps a tree trunk the circ.u.mference of one’s waist, “Goodness, is this the legendary double-edged sword that rids the world of evil?”

The two master and servant matches each other, never ending, both enjoying……
 

Yin Chen rolls his eyes in disdain, turning his back to them. He sits on a rock underneath a tree, tearing the bread in his hand into small pieces before feeding them to Xue Ci. Xue Ci’s tiny mouth chews on them happily, never closing, its shining small eyes perched atop its head, its two pincers waving wildly, looking like a satisfied dog shaking its head happily.

“Screech——” Xue Ci finishes eating and bounces to and fro on Yin Chen’s shoulders.

“I’m not hungry.” Yin Chen shakes his head tenderly, using his pinky to knock on the sh.e.l.l of its back.

Xue Ci jumps off his shoulder and disappears agilely into the dense gra.s.s.

“You understand it?” Qi Ling moves in from a distance and asks in confusion.

“Of course, when you’ve interacted for a long time, you’d understand it naturally.” Yin Chen replies expressionlessly.

Just as Qi Ling opens his mouth, a deep gurgling sound is heard, following that, a few dozen wild fruits fly out from the darkness of the distant gra.s.s patch, dropping by Yin Chen’s feet like rain, the tiny Xue Ci bounces over after that before leaping onto Yin Chen’s shoulders, having its tiny pincers and chattering.

Qi Ling bends down and picks a fruit up before biting into it, the sour and sweet juice flows into his mouth, “Xue Ci you’re so great……” Before he finishes his sentence, a dull roar can be heard from behind him, turning around, he sees Cang Xue Zhi Ya disappearing into the darkness with a wave of his tail. A few seconds later, an earth-shattering roar can be heard. Qi Ling’s chests, he rubs his chest as he watches Cang Xue Zhi Ya walk out from between the dark trees, its silver body glowing in the darkness, it extends its wings with force, countless birds fall to the ground beside Qi Ling’s feet, every single one of them has blood stains at the corners of their beaks, it is obvious they died from the impact of the roar.

Cang Xue Zhi Ya holds its head high as if the world cannot touch it, but at the same time it glances at Qi Ling sneakily from his narrowed eyes, expression proud but seeking praise. Qi Ling runs over and rubs its head while saying: “You’re the best, you’re the best, you’re the greatest……” It swings its tail left and right with pride, Qi Ling stares at the three daggers at the tip of its tail, he panics in his heart, “Be careful with that, don’t swing it at me……”

Xue Ci turns its tiny head away from them, choosing to ignore them completely. After a while, Xue Ci leaps from Yin Chen’s shoulders with a whoosh before running with scattered steps to the thick and meaty paw of Cang Xue Zhi Ya, he stills and lifts its head to stare at this ma.s.sive creature.

Cang Xue Zhi Ya looks at Xue Ci with disdain, the tiny scorpion the size of its toenail.

And hence Xue Ci turns around slowly, lifts its tail, and jabs its stinger into Cang Xue Zhi Ya’s meaty paw……

Cang Xue Zhi Ya shoots to the sky with a whoosh, grabbing onto the crown of a tree and lays there, a shocked expression on its face, half of its tongue hangs out and its eyes opens extremely widely.

And the tiny Xue Ci standing beneath the tree has a pincer inserted into the ground to support its tiny body, the other pincher clutching its chest, it is bent at the waist and vibrating, from the looks of it, it looks as if it’s laughing so hard it’s going to suffocate soon……

Yin Chen and Qi Ling looks at each other with matching expressions of awkwardness on their faces.

Qi Ling looks at the ground filled with avian, it’s just nice that he’s hungry, hence he picks some dead branches from the forest before taking out the firestone from his clothes and lighting a fire. He plucks the feathers from the avian and skewers them onto branches before holding them over the fire. After a while, as if not satisfied with the roasting, he turns and grabs some fragrant gra.s.s from the forest and a few wild fruits. He mashes the gra.s.s and smears the meat with their juices before pushing the wild fruits into the stomachs of the avian and setting them over the fire again. A short while later, the skin of the avian meat is covered with oil and a thick and savoury scent drifts through the air.

The fire burning in the night seems warm and bright.

The firewood burns continuously, spluttering with consistent sparks, carried by the wind and floating among the darkness of trees like fireflies.

After the fire has been ignited, Xue Ci returns to Yin Chen’s lord’s seal. And Cang Xue Zhi Ya jumps onto rock far from the fire, slouching dispiritedly.

Yin Chen tells Qi Ling: “You should call it back into your lord’s seal.”

Qi Ling c.o.c.ks his head and thinks before saying: “Oh……yeah, why do you keep Xue Ci in your seal normally? Isn’t it quite good if you let it out? I think that, to have such a magnificent lion following me around is such an honour.”

“Once a soul beast has been subdued, they are no longer able to hunt and rest to regain their soul powers like when they were free. They can only regain energy if they’re in our lord’s seal. If they are constantly in a physical state or battle mode, then their soul powers are consistently being used,” Yin Chen lifts a finger, “There, look at Cang Xue Zhi Ya, if you don’t let it return to your lord’s seal, I’m pretty sure it won’t be able to move by tomorrow morning.”

Qi Ling stands in fright before jogging to Cang Xue Zhi Ya, waving at it and points to his b.u.t.t. Cang Xue Zhi Ya stands lethargically before rounding over to his back. It stands in a daze with its head low, looking at him.

Qi Ling turns and asks Yin Chen: “How am I supposed to withdraw it back to my lord’s seal?”

“Gather your soul powers towards your lord’s seal, and then let it sense its soul powers, it’s pretty simple.”

Qi Ling understood nothing, but Yin Chen has already closed his eyes to rest so he can only clench his teeth. Looking at the sleepy Cang Xue Zhi Ya behind him, he closes his eyes and feels his soul powers flow through his bodu.

A soft explosion sounds in the air, the ma.s.sive silver-white lion flows smoothly into Qi Ling’s body like a cloud of white smoke.

Qi Ling stares wide-eyed, “This is so……brilliant.”
 

Qi Ling returns to Yin Chen’s side, sitting by his feet, he nudges his leg, “Yin Chen, tell me more about your world. My favourite thing before bed when I was younger was to listen to stories……”

Yin Chen lowers his eyes, a look of disdain appears on his face, “Who is telling stories, everything I said is true.”

Qi Ling nods immediately, “Yes yes, tell me more, I want to listen. Think about it, I’m your disciple, next time when I meet other lords, I can’t be like a fool who knows nothing right, I have to bring you honour. Although you’re just a minor Lord to the Seventh Degree……master! Please put away your icicles, I didn’t mean that! Okay, what I’m saying is, next time if I ever meet others, I should at least seem like a disciple in case I lose face for you……”

Yin Chen looks at the serious face of Qi Ling, under the light of the fire, the naivety of youth is still there, but he can see how handsome and righteous he will become in the future. He changes his posture before facing Qi Ling: “Lords rarely interact with each other. Lords have always been alone with only their disciple accompanying them. Unless the Silver Priests a.s.signed a very important mission that requires that the lord a.s.sist one another, if not, the lords do not meet at all. That is because the soul powers for one single lord is already astonishing, hence it’s very rare that something requires more than one lord to solve……” Yin Chen moves back and leans against the rock, “And you won’t lose face for me.” He thinks back to the vast ocean-like soul powers he first sensed within Qi Ling’s body.

“Is it? But I understand nothing, Yin Chen, your other disciples must be really powerful?” Qi Ling hangs his head in despair while lifting his eyes to look at Yin Chen occasionally.

“I’ve already told you, one lord can only have one disciple, unless the disciple dies, if not the lord cannot bestow the seal onto the second person. And before you, I never had a disciple.” Yin Chen says softly with his eyes closed.

“So that’s it……turns out I’m your first……” Qi Ling spreads his hands and lets out a sigh of relief.

Yin Chen maintains his quiet and n.o.ble sleeping posture, but the angry throbbing of the vein at his temple is still difficult to mask.

Qi Ling scratches his head, seeming happy for no reason, “Speaking of which, what do disciples do? Do they serve the lord? Or are we like, your a.s.sistant?”

Yin Chen opens his eyes to gaze at Qi Ling, the moonlight shines on his youthful and handsome face, his gaze resembles a black ocean, the sharpness of his brows compliments his handsome beauty, “Disciples……they are the next generation of lords, when I die, you will be the Seventh Lord.”

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!” Qi Ling stills for three seconds before shrieking while clutching his own head —— of course, halfway through his yelling, his mouth becomes filled with ice shards. He gurgles them out.
 

After spiting out all the ice shards from his mouth, Qi Ling doesn’t give up, “Yin Chen, your soul bending is so awesome. How many years must I train to be like you? Teach me how to let an icicle erupt from the ground too! So awesome! Or at least teach me how to wash clothes like that? This way as your a.s.sistant I’d be clean, and you’d have face!”

“These things can’t be taught, they can only be learned from constant battles and practice. The only thing lords can teach their disciples are their unique way of bending their soul powers. As to how strong the impact is, that is completely reliant on the training of the person. To put it simply, the basis of soul bending is using one’s own soul powers within the body and inducing them with the elements of the outside world, a ‘miracle’ that a normal person won’t be able to reach with their physical bodies can be completed. As for the soul masters in the territory of Aslan Empire, they are all born with water-based soul powers, hence to things like water, ice, mist and water vapour, we have better control. The control of elements is like basic instincts such as drinking water, blinking or lifting our heads. Just like when you were born, no one taught you how to blink, but you were born known how to; no one taught you how to jump, but you were born with that ability. Soul bending is the same thing. You’d understand gradually.”

Qi Ling lowers his head and ponders over Yin Chen’s words.

“Also, as soul masters have constant control, cycle and surging of soul powers within the body, the physical body has more potential than the average human. For example, our strength, impact and ability to revive ourselves is far greater than that of humans, which is to say —— your chicken is burnt.” Yin Chen looks behind Qi Ling and says expressionlessly.

“What? ……Wah!!” Qi Ling leaps over to grab the branch, but as it is too late, he stares at the charcoal like thing in his hand and cries……

[West of Aslan Empire – Abyss Corridor]

The tall and dark mountains rising on the sides squeeze the blue sky into a tiny crevice.

At the mouth of the valley, the air is impregnated with thick ivory-coloured fog. The thick fog hides the depth of the valley; nothing can be seen.  Occasionally, an eerie howl can be heard echoing faintly in the air.

An explosion of b.l.o.o.d.y chunks of flesh, amputated limbs surrounds the place, along with disfigured and mutated skulls, some crushed, murky mush of brains splatter on the black rock walls, some skulls are empty, the bone marrow in them gone. Eyeb.a.l.l.s of varying sizes are scattered across the ground, as if countless disgruntled eyes of ghouls, staring grudgingly at souls in the mortal world.

Soundless innards and intestines, covered with b.l.o.o.d.y slime hang on cliffs, on branches, in streams between the rocks, occasionally guts drift pa.s.s on the surface of the water, the whole valley is engulfed in sticky and murky stench.

A place as silent as a purgatory on earth.

The eye cannot see the end of the vast stomach of the valley engulfed in fog.

One cannot be sure of what happened here and how this peaceful and silent land in the valley became such a horrifying purgatory.
 

On this spread of land filled with skeletons, two small figures move out slowly from the carca.s.ses.

Guishan Fenghun looks at the delicate and fragile face in deep slumber on his back; in his heart are feelings he cannot express.

“We……we made it out alive……” A smile finally appears on Guishan Fenghun’s blood-splattered face, a layer of shining tears covering his stardust like eyes.

The youth cladded in silver-white robes on his back opens his amber-like eyes of shaking beauty, his soft and long lashes framing him like a G.o.d in its youth. His intricate feature, flawless skin, makes his face seem as pale as the fog, weak and lifeless.

Just as they are about to leave the Abyss Corridor, a ghoul like figure is reflected in the youth’s irises.
 

Guishan Fenghun looks at the silent ghoul-like figure that has appeared in the distance and paused his footsteps. A layer of blood thirst clouds his persistent face.

He rests the youth lightly against a rock. On the youth’s face is fear; it seems like a gust of wind can knock him out.
 

“’Lord to the Fifth Degree’ Guishan Fenghun, is that you?” The ghoul asks in the thick fog.

“Who are you?” Countless golden patterns appear on Fenghun’s body.

In the thick fog, the ghoul moves slowly over, his silhouette can be seen, as if a dead soul rising from the waters. Pitch-black roves, a hood covering his face, no life can be sensed flowing from his cold body at all.

“I am Nether.” The black shadow says.

“Nether? ……’Lord to the Second Degree’…… Lord to the Second Degree Nether? ……” A bone-chilling sharpness fills Guishan Fenghun’s voice, even he himself does not realize that his voice has became hoa.r.s.e and high due to fear.

The fear creeps up Fenghun’s chest like a dense army of ants. When he attempts to withdraw his soul weapon from his body, he realizes that he cannot move at all.

“Don’t waste your energy,” the voice has no emotions or tone, as if a voice coming from h.e.l.l in the fog, “Before I kill you instantly, do you have anything to say?”

“Is this the…… actual strength of the Second Lord……” He has exhausted most of his soul powers when he was rescuing the youth from the Abyss Corridor, hence he is in a situation where he cannot use any of his soul powers and can be killed instantly……despite that, even if he is not exhausted, facing Nether……an immeasurable monster. Fenghun feels the immobile soul powers that the opposite has pushed down, facing the ghoul that does not emit an ounce of soul powers, in his irises is overwhelming despair. He stiffly turns to look at the weak youth staring at him with wide and innocent eyes; bitter tears start to fall from his eyes.

“Nether……listen to me……you can kill me, but you cannot kill him, he is……he is……” Fenghun’s voice cuts off harshly in the air, the sound as crisp as a branch being broken.

A small and delicate icicle pierces from Feng Hun’s throat.

Following that, from his shoulders, his chest, his abdomen, icicle after icicle start to erupt from his body. The blood covers the floor.

“Impossible……you can control the water within my body……your soul powers are so strong that you can break through the barrier of my body……this is impossible……”

Nether pulls out his pale and long fingers from his robes and waves them lightly, Fenghun’s body taking air and crashes towards the cliff, with a loud bang, his body falls to the ground.

Once again, Nether’s body seems to be afloat in the air, weightless, even with no thickness, his black ghoul-like silhouette turns and appears before the youth.
 

Nether bends down and takes off his hood gently, the ivory light from the valley covers his incomparably handsomely beautiful face, his evil smirk resembles a flash of light deep in the ocean, the deep eyes like the long valley of the mountains, his brow bones high on his forehead, matching his tall nose. His emerald irises are like vast oceans. The robe surrounding his body moves with his soul powers, lightly flowing around him like black smoke, enveloping his lean and strong body.

“You better tell me……who you are……” Nether leans closer to the weak youth on the ground, watching his pale face, asking in a deep and magnetic voice, he rubs his strong fingers on the youth’s light skin, as if caressing a fresh blossom.

The youth fearfully raises his hand, his thin and pale fingers resting on Nether’s forearm lightly, shivering as if he dare not touch him, filled with fear.

“I am……” The youth’s voice is weak, his words hard to decipher in the fog, as if losing all his strength, he opens and closes his mouth.

Before Nether realizes what has happened, the youth’s cold fingers has turned into intersecting sharp knives of ice, with an invincible flash, they crawl up the length of Nether’s arm, moving upwards like wild iron vines.

In an instant, Nether’s right arm and his right shoulder have evaporated into the air like a scatter of dust.

The blood bubbles and splatters all around, a gush of sweet stench of blood appearing in the fog.

*da-ge means older brother, or how you’d refer to someone of higher status on certain occasions.