Nine Paths of Asura-Original Wuxia

Chapter 34- The First Path

"Man, my luck is terrible, every time I meet some sect in any city, I end up running. I miss the wilderness!" Lineir gasped. He was flying through the streets, trying to make his way out of Dracherus City. Compared to the him in Brackenrock City, he was practically a different species. Houses shot by his eyes incredibly fast but didn't blur out of vision. Instead his eyes could make out little details as he passed by as if he was a bird soaring through the skies. Mei was laughing, she really enjoyed the trick they'd played,

"I'm sure that with the Nero Sect elders off on a crazy dragon chase, nobody else in that arena will dare chase an expert with such a domineering aura. Keep running, but stop once we get to the gates and flip up your hood. The guards will never expect that some youth was actually the crazy expert who dared disrupt an important bargain between the Nero Sect and the king."

"Say Mei, who's voice was that anyway, that didn't sound anything like you." Lineir was leisurely chatting in his mind despite huffing for breath, he was in an incredible mood, the weight of the gold and mythical core tucked into the back of his clothes just made him want to smile. He'd never dreamed of having this kind of wealth in his entire life.

"Oh that voice? When I found the sword containing Madraeyal's teachings, that voice appeared when deciphering the runes. It's possible that it's the voice of Madraeyal himself. While only my best imitation, I'm sure its enough to scare those fools ****less." Lineir came to the gate, and joined the small stream of people leaving the city, flipping his hood off and revealing his young boyish face. The guards didn't even give him a second look, a youth passing through the gates looking for adventure was hardly worth noting. After he passed, blending into the people leaving the city, he sighed and smiled. 

"Safe!"

"Alright disciple, go find a quiet place away from these people. I promised you something good with this core, and I will keep my word!" Lineir slowly branched off from the mainstream travelers on the road. He carefully headed in the opposite direction of the wilderness, to the other side of the city and hid in the woods. 

"Better not risk going near that particular section of wilderness, that dragon girl seemed to live there, she might think to look for me there."

Mei started to explain as Linier sat down in a training position in the hollow of a tree, 

"Alright disciple, that core you have is only fourth tier. In my plane that wouldn't even be worth chump change to an expert like myself. However, it's not from an ordinary beast. Not even a peak fourth tier beast could match a mythical beast core. It is in essence, a rarity in a class of its own. A mythical beast is a legendary spirit which has reincarnated throughout the ages. Thus this Three Headed Hydra core can be compared to the cores of other mythical beasts such as the phoenix, holy mountain bear, and even lesser dragons. Mythical beasts such as these, go through a cycle of rebirth in accordance with the will of the Heavens and Buddha. In each reincarnation, their power level will change. This Three Headed Hydra core is extremely weak for a mythical beast core at only fourth tier. That's the only way it could be caught here on this plane. In my plane, anything so weak has long since been hunted or reincarnated eons ago. Even the most ordinary mythical core is at least above tenth tier magical beast level. However, the fact that this core is so weak is actually a great blessing for you, that means you can absorb it and the Three Headed Hydra's mystical power of reincarnation and its spirit will become yours. As you grow stronger, so too will this power, until one day, if you reach the heights of power, you will be able to call upon the spirit of a Nine Headed Hydra or beyond. Now listen closely, no mistakes, you only have this one chance!"

For three days and three nights Lineir carefully cultivated with the originally melon sized core sitting in his lap. As time passed, golden mist slowly flowed in a spiraling stream through his nostrils and entered him. Carefully, he began to spin it into his Second Heart. Little by little, as it entered, his Second Heart increased in speed from its normally mellow tug. By the second day, it had become a tidal force and a second spiraling stream of golden mist spilled out from the core which had shrunk to the size of a plum. At the end of the second night, the golden mist began to stream in of its own accord, like water pulled through a tube, following itself into Lineir. A third stream formed so that three twisting flows of golden mist flowed in. At the end of the third day, the core had shrunk to the size of a cherry.

"Eat the core!" Lineir popped the core into his mouth immediately at Mei's urging. 

"No don't chew you idiot, swallow it whole!" With a horribly large gulp, it went down and Lineir found himself sitting straight up. After a few tense moments,

"So... is something supposed to happen?"

Mei answered lightly. 

"Yea... you were supposed to start screaming. You sure you don't feel indescribable pain or something?"

Lineir carefully assessed himself again. 

"Nope nothing."

"Maybe you're just an M...."

As Lineir opened his mouth to deny Mei, he retched as an invasive presence fled from his throat. 

"BLAARRRGGH!" A crimson snake's head several finger lengths thick spilled out from his mouth, meter after meter shooting out. Lineir tried to grasp it but the scaly thing was too slippery and it escaped. As the last meter left his mouth, he suddenly felt strange, as if the world had flip flopped upside down. In his Second Heart, he could feel that the spinning tug, had actually reversed and switched directions! Now it was spinning in reverse! A dark red energy which made the crimson snake appear light and colorful coalesced from Lineir's gaping mouth and formed a terrifying clawed hand. This hand was a meter long and seized the snake and dragged it back down Lineir's throat before disappearing. Lineir clamped his hand over his mouth, terrified that something even more horrifying would come out next. 

"Owww... well that did hurt. Was THAT normal?" Mei wasn't laughing however,

"That... was not supposed to happen."

Suddenly Lineir's vision went red, and on his eyes demonic characters made of blood wrote themselves. It was as if the world had turned into hell and was filled with only blood. The characters formed words and Lineir could almost hear a raging voice read.

"The Heavens' will is held above mortals, but by what right? Need mortals listen to words they do not understand? Does this one dare walk the path to defy Heavens' will and Fate herself? The first path of the Nine Paths opens to you Asura! Do you dare to deny your destiny and walk it?"

Lineir didn't know what else to say. However, suddenly, the blood red haze on his eyes formed images on his eyes. Every injustice he had ever suffered flashed by, he remembered the way he had to bow under the strong when he was weak. That those who had been gifted more than him from birth were held above him. He realized that he was bound in the chains of fate since his very birth!

With a voice full of silent anger he declared,

"I will walk the path." The characters stopped violently forming in his eyes and the world gradually returned to normal. Before they completely faded away, the characters reformed once again, and Lineir swore he could just barely hear a distinct murmur,

"You don't understand now. But none who walk the first path have. The first path is the beginning... walk the path of...."