piratefiction Chapter 49: Sword Controlling Peak
Chapter 49: Sword Controlling Peak
Chapter 49: Sword Controlling Peak
Later that evening.
You should have been there, Auslen. Senior Brother Victor was so cool! Nathaniel was still reeling from the excitement of the Preliminaries as he followed Auslen outside the cave abode, towards the iron fire pit Vincent was kneeling beside.
Was he? Auslen replied as he beckoned Nathaniel over to the cushions surrounding the fire pit. It smells great, Vincent.
Vincent scratched his head, a bit embarrassed as he replied, Thanks, Auslen.
Yeah, it does smell great! Nathaniel exclaimed as he plopped down onto one of the cushions, crossing his legs while the bright flame reflected in his eyes. Feverishly, he waved his hands and continued illustrating, Also, Victor had this big sword! And when he swung it, the blade would turn bright red! And then
Auslen listened quietly, saying a few words here and there as he smiled once in a while. During that time, he was helping Vincent flip some of the skewered meats.
Although he was only half listening, Auslen didnt reveal any impatience, allowing his cousin to let out his enthusiasm fully.
By the way, Auslen began during one of Nathaniels rare pauses. Did you happen to see or talk to anyone interesting today?
Not really. Nathaniel shook his head while wiping the saliva from the corner of his mouth. The skewered beef and pork chops sizzling on the fire pit rack were glistening with fat, releasing a delicious aroma into the air.
Although the strange man he talked to did flash through his mind for a second, he couldnt even remember the guy's face, let alone find him particularly interesting.
Oh! Nathaniel shouted, the thought jogging his memory. Look what I got!
Auslen was not expecting what Nathaniel proudly presented.
A chess board? Vincent glanced over and asked.
Chess? They have that here too?
Perhaps its not what Im thinking of. It looks a little different...
Yeah! Have you played before Vincent?
Plenty of times. Vincent picked up a skewer and passed it to the eagerly awaiting Nathaniel while continuing. We played a lot of board games back in the orphanage.
Nathaniels eyes sparkled as he bit into the succulent piece of beef.
He finished the beef in just a few bites before tossing the skewer. Two small boxes suddenly appeared in his hands. Then lets play!
Compared to the Outer Sect mountains, this mountain bore much less vegetation. Trees were sparse, leaving a barren scenery, full of rocks and rugged terrain. There were numerous caves peppered underneath the peak, with cave mouths so smooth they must have been carved out by a sharp object. Lower down, the stone walls were as sleek as mirrors, obviously unscalable. And yet, there were signs that people resided there.
The steep peak had multiple sharp protrusions jutting into patches of thick and heavy clouds, appearing similar to dual-edged blades.
This was one of the Inner Sect Peaks of the Five Profound Elements Sect, known as the Sword Controlling Peak. And upon this peak, the profiles of Inner Sect Disciples could be seen practicing diligently and flying atop resplendent swords.New novel chapters are published on
However, the atmosphere on the Peak was much less lively than the Outer Sect. Where tens of thousands could be seen at any point on the Outer Sect mountains, perhaps barely a thousand were visible here. Leisurely chatter was almost nonexistent. Besides those who could be seen training in whatever space they could find, the rest were walking silently and with a purpose.
Suddenly, the clouds above the Sword Controlling Peak split. A metallic sword light descended towards the Peak cliffs like a bolt of lightning, dissipating to reveal Samuels stern figure. His eyes emitted a piercing presence, and in his arms was the same injured and unconscious woman he left the Outer Sect with.
The Inner Sect Disciples near the location of his descent trembled a little at his cutting presence, hurriedly backing away before realizing who was walking in front of them.
Whispers broke through the focused silence, and many of the surrounding disciples backed away even further.
One of them looked confused after realizing that most others recognized the young man. Who is he?
Thats Senior Brother Samuel, a disciple nearest to him silently replied. Hes one of the few Personal Disciples of the Peak Master! He was extremely famous a long while back, before you became an Inner Sect Disciple. Back then, he was among the top 20 Foundation Establishment talents in our generation of disciples, even taking the 6th place spot on the Inner Sects Battle-Roll!
Really? Then why havent I heard of him if hes that famous?
The teenager whirled around, only to be surprised by the distinctive youth standing before him.
His distraught expression partially gave way to a tint of respect. He backed away before bowing. My apologies, Senior Brother Artorius. I just wanted some answers, and um... My anxiety got the best of me.
Artorius nodded reassuringly. No worries, Junior Brother. Thats the very reason Im here.
How is my disciple? A silky feminine voice resonated close by, attracting Artorius attention.
Greetings, Elder. Artorius bowed towards the petite blonde woman approaching with a restrained pace. He glanced back inside the medical room and said, Your Personal Disciple will be fine with time. Senior Brother Samuel managed to feed her a Tier 3 Life Rejuvenating Pill in time, greatly relieving her damaged vitality, which was the most serious threat to her well being. There shouldnt be any permanent injuries, however itll be some time before she awakens, sadly.
I see. The Elder nodded, shifting her turquoise eyes to glance inside the room before turning away.
Come, Rami. Were leaving. She didn't question why her disciple was injured so terribly, nor did she mention her other disciples who failed to return. She just walked away.
Rami, the young brown-skinned boy, looked upset that they were leaving so soon, but he did not contradict her orders. After nodding gratefully towards Artorius, he hurried to catch up with the Elder.
As he had successfully relayed the information, Artorius original duties were complete.
What a pity, he thought, glancing one last time at the unresponsive Rosalind. Sighing softly with regret, he turned to make his departure.
What he found regrettable was unknown.
The sun was beginning to set on this beautiful summer evening. In the cooling air, fireflies were emerging from their hiding places, flying around the mountain forest like fairies in an old folk tale.
Auslen sat cross-legged across from Nathaniel, each of them taking turns fiddling with the pieces on the plain looking chess board in front of them. Soft clacking sounds rang from the board at times, but the sounds began gradually slowing until coming to a near standstill.
Nathaniel groaned and scratched his forehead, thinking hard about his next move.
Auslen smiled, sipping some cool water whilst casually conversing with Vincent.
Naturally, Auslen was familiar with chess from his time on Earth. After watching Vincent slowly guide Nathaniel through the game with some curiosity, Auslen found himself surprised that the rules were nearly the same as he remembered! There were only two major differences.
The board was over twice the size of what he was used to, altering the gameplay to accommodate the increased number of spaces and chess pieces. In addition the actual chess pieces themselves were different, featuring many varieties of mythical existences.
The few black and red chess pieces left were spread across the chess board, as though they were illustrating an epic final battle between Immortals and Demons, giving the silent ambience surrounding them a grandiose feel.
Admittedly, Auslen was not particularly good at chess. It was merely a game played with company every now and again. But against an overly eager child brand new to the game, he may as well have been a grandmaster. And from how the game was currently proceeding and the wrinkles on Nathaniels forehead, it was easy to see whose favor the match was currently in.
With visible hesitation, Nathaniel carefully slid a piece into place, only retracting his hand after five full seconds of confirming silence.
Internally chuckling, Auslen finally felt that he had enough fun bullying the child.
Auslens right hand reached for a piece, sliding it forward to capture one of Nathaniels, accidentally providing his young opponent with an opening in the process.
Nathaniel seemed more and more aggrieved as seconds ticked past, until suddenly, his eyes widened exaggeratedly. Soon, a triumphant grin took over his previously gloomy expression.
I won! Nathaniel stood, childish laughter erupting from his mouth as he waved Auslen's captured black dragon proudly. I beat you, Auslen!
Yeah, you did, Nathan, Auslen concurred with a chuckle, even clapping a little for the ecstatic boy, as he found himself in a rare generous mood,
The most surprised over the games outcome was Vincent, whose brows were raised high while staring at the board. But Auslen didnt give him much of an opportunity to catch his act of throwing the game, quickly cleaning off the board so they could get ready to go inside.
He would have a busy day tomorrow. Well, hed have a busy few years, to be accurate.
Taking the chess set from Auslen, Nathaniel was still giddy over the first win he managed to achieve over Auslen! It didnt affect their bet, because it was just a game that had nothing to do with their cultivation. But the exultant feeling of defeating the undefeatable was undeniable. He was already thinking of when they could play again!
Suddenly, he covered his mouth to hide his foolish grin. Maybe... Does Mia likes this chess game? I wonder if we could play together...