Dungeons of the Divine: Forsaken Immortals, #2

By Tinalynge

In the world where strength is what determines the future accomplishements of people and magical beasts roam the lands, Hui Yue and his friends finds themselves on the road of cultivation which brings them to the Dungeons of the Divine.

But just what are these dungeons and what will they meet deep within. Join Hui Yue and his friends on an epic adventure through the world where only the strong survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tinalynge
• Release date: Mar 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215944769

Book preview

Chapter 2 – The Maze

Hui Yue stood up but did not rush towards the exit to start searching for Wang Ju Long and Sha Yun. Instead, he quietly observed his surroundings with an alert expression on his face.

The cave was as barren as he had expected, but a few types of mushrooms grew in the darkest corners. As soon as Hui Yue activated a light stone, the mushrooms started to disintegrate as though sunlight was toxic.

The light stone was truthfully a low-grade storage stone which contained a seed of light. The storage stone was of such poor quality that the interior was exposed, allowing for the rays of sunshine to illuminate everything around it.

The seed of light was not an actual plant. Instead, it was a small pearl refined from the sun’s rays of light. Creating one seed of light required more than a year, and the price was extravagant, as both plant and pearl were very important. Seeds of light were not something just anyone could buy.

That name was given because it could be planted in the ground and a tree of sunshine would grow. A tree would absorb the light shining down upon it, bearing fruit that contained more seeds of light.

Although this sounded like an easy process, it was vital that the trees had a constant supply of sunshine so it could refine its seeds. If not, the trees would be unable to create seeds. Within the whole Taiyang Kingdom, only one place lived up to the harsh requirements needed for farming seeds of light.

Hui Yue only brought two seeds of light on this trip, yet both were with him. He could not help but feel worried about Wang Ju Long and Sha Yun, who were stuck in this dark maze with no light at hand.

The room that the stone lit up was dark and damp. It was completely closed off from the world with no windows and only one pathway they could follow, leaving behind all discussion about which direction to take.

Thinking the situation through, Hui Yue handed over the light stone to Deng Wu before he quickly sat down in meditational position.

Seeing this, Deng Wu furrowed his brow in confusion as he did not think now was the best time for cultivating, but he said nothing and just waited patiently for the younger man to finish whatever he was doing.

Hui Yue became merged with the earth, but he had yet to reach the level that would give full control over the surrounding earth. Even when perfectly merged, because the young boy still needed to hone his affinity, he was not able to command larger masses of earth.

Hui Yue was seated down in meditation, yet, unlike what Deng Wu thought, he was not cultivating; instead, he was manipulating his earth elemental affinity to scan as much of the entire mountain as his ability would allow him to.

Hui Yue was one with the earth. One with the walls of the maze as they twisted and turned inside the mountain. Unfortunately, Hui Yue’s control over earth only allowed for him to thoroughly scan up to a few kilometers away from his location, and no matter how he searched it was impossible for him to find any trace of Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long.

Frowning, Hui Yue opened his eyes and stood up, patting his robe to remove the dust that gathered while he was seated on the floor.

I did not feel the presence of any living beings, nor signs that any had ever been here, Hui Yue said aloud explaining what he had seen. The maze continues for much further than I can scan. It goes upwards and downwards, left and right, and has many different levels. It is quite complicated. I am sure that this maze fills up quite a significant amount of space, so our biggest question is which way we should walk to find those two.

Deng Wu nodded. Although he was unable to sync with his element, he was still able to use it. He quickly found a carving knife after which he engraved an inscription at the front of the room they ended up in.

This was a safety inscription which had multiple benefits. Deng Wu wrote it because he could leave behind a message in the inscription, and he would instantly know if any living being got close to it.

Should Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long happen to stumble upon the inscription, an illusionary Deng Wu would appear, telling them to stay in the room. At the same time, Deng Wu would be informed about the two’s arrival.

As an inscriber, there was no limit to how far away he could be to sense it. As long as the inscription was created by him, it would inform him even if he were to leave the plane. An inscription was something which one created by pouring their cultivation base into.

Seeing Deng Wu create an inscription, Hui Yue nodded in approval before he slowly started to make his way down the only path with Deng Wu following behind.

Although these roads were obviously millennia old, it was easy to see that they had been created with perfect attention to detail. The now moldy and damp stone walls had once been dry and were adorned with light stones every fifteenth meter.

Such extravagance shocked Hui Yue deeply, as he had personally investigated the size of the maze and he knew how rare seeds of light were. These seeds had long since withered up, unfortunately, leaving no light on the now deserted hallways, causing Hui Yue to feel slight regret.

Walking through the maze was done in a world of darkness with only a little light from the light stones. It was impossible for the two men to keep track of the days. When they got hungry, they would sit down and eat some rations. When their energy was nearly depleted, they would sit down and cultivate.

In another room, days before, Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long had woken up, just as Hui Yue and Deng Wu had done, only to find that they were separated from their friends.

Unlike the calm and collected Hui Yue, Sha Yun instantly panicked. She was about to charge out of the stone chamber to look for her master, only to be forcefully held back by Wang Ju Long.

The two women were of quite similar strength, yet currently, Wang Ju Long had the advantage. She only needed to use her full strength and Sha Yun would have to give up.

What do you expect us to do then? the snake-woman hissed at the girl she was stuck with, hate evident within her eyes. Sha Yun had been unhappy when Wang Ju Long followed along on the trip, but since it was Hui Yue’s wish, she would not oppose his decision. It was, however, quite obvious that Sha Yun would do anything in her power to ensure that the other knew she was unwelcome.

Wang Ju Long was an aloof kind of person. She was the complete opposite of Sha Yun, and although she did feel that Hui Yue was special, she never once paired that emotion with love. Not even when her face flushed red and her heart beat rapidly. Wang Ju Long was only capable of seeing these symptoms as a sign of lacking food or rest.

Currently, within the room, Sha Yun was fuming with rage because she was held back by Wang Ju Long, who was searching through her different storage stones only to break into a smile finally. She fished out two light stones, tossing one to the snake-woman.

Wang Ju Long’s elemental affinity was that of wood. She had a special connection with the seed of light because she used it while practicing her elemental affinity. Due to this, a dazzling light emanated out from within the transparent memory stone.

Looking at the moist stone which was surrounding them a frown could be seen on Wang Ju Long’s usually very tranquil face before she turned around, looking at Sha Yun for a moment, clearly deep in thought.

Sha Yun could not help but cross her arms when she noticed Wang Ju Long staring at her, and she backed away slightly. She had no idea what the other was thinking, but it seemed to have something to do with her, and that alone caused her to be cautious.

An eerie silence was slowly creeping up on Sha Yun, causing the snake-woman to involuntary shiver. Her eyes were flickering between the contemplating Wang Ju Long and the black world outside the cave.

Finally, just as Sha Yun thought that she could not take the silence anymore, Wang Ju Long opened her mouth, a friendly voice sounding out, Your affinity is earth, right?

Sha Yun was startled, yet listening to the question she nodded her head. She did indeed have an affinity for earth. An affinity she had since birth that she had honed to the best of her ability.

Looking at Sha Yun and Hui Yue, both of them had an earth elemental affinity, but, even so, their abilities were quite far from each other. While Hui Yue could merge with the earthen element, he was still improving. Although he was now capable of becoming one with the earth, it was limited. After all, he could currently only fuse with the earth so much.

Since Sha Yun was born with her earth affinity, she had a much stronger relationship with the earth, making her attacks more powerful and allowing her to control a much larger mass of earth.

However, even though Sha Yun was born with the affinity, she was not truly able to become one with earth. If a magical beast, or human cultivator, actually became one with the earth or any other element for that matter then they would lose their original bodies and it would afterward be impossible for them to return to their former state. Due to this phenomena, the beast core set a limit to how much a magical beast could merge with their element.

This was a limit not present in humans and gave them the chance to increase their affinity constantly. That being said, trying to increase one’s affinity as a human was no easy task. Only one out of ten thousand would have the talent to increase it to the point where they could completely become one with their element.

Let’s try and scan the area, Wang Ju Long said with a sigh as she gently knocked on the stone wall in front of them, and Sha Yun nodded her head.

Sha Yun sat down and allowed for her body to become one with the earth. Within the silence of the room, creaking sounds could be heard as the stones around Sha Yun seemed to come alive.

The small gravel on the ground started climbing up her, and within a few moments, her entire tail was covered by stone. Beneath the gravel, Wang Ju Long saw how the body itself had turned to stone.

Suddenly, Sha Yun opened her eyes causing Wang Ju Long to become startled as she looked at the snake-woman.

Those idiots, she hissed as she shattered the layer of stone that had condensed on top of her tail before a yellow hue reappeared on her body. She then started to break every single wall between her and her unknown destination.

Wang Ju Long raised an eyebrow at her sudden action but said nothing as she quickly followed the swearing snake-woman.

Those idiots... Why would they move AWAY from us! Sha Yun grumbled, as she upped her speed and crashed straight through the maze. An option which Deng Wu and Hui Yue had never even considered.

Chapter 3 – Entering Another World

Moving through the maze, Deng Wu and Hui Yue often stopped to scan the surrounding area, looking for Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long. Unfortunately, no matter how hard Hui Yue stretched himself he was still unable to pick up even the slightest trace of living beings.

On the seventh day, Hui Yue finally noticed something which caused him to feel great dread. He had been seated on the ground merged with the earth of the maze as shock suddenly appeared on his face. He felt how one stone wall after another was crumbling down as though they were destroyed by an impact.

Hui Yue quickly left his trance-like meditation. The abrupt cancellation of his merger caused Hui Yue to spit out blood, as his being which previously had been earth now was forced back into shape.

The young boy had no time for surveying his injuries; instead, he stumbled to his legs and gestured to Deng Wu that the two had to run. For someone to destroy the maze, one had to be at least as strong as the two of them, most likely stronger to be forcefully making their way through these walls.

Another option was that the one responsible for demolishing these walls had an affinity with earth, yet looking at the ease with which it was done Hui Yue could easily see that their affinity was much higher than his own. This caused the teen to become extra cautious.

Hui Yue could not help but swear inwardly as Lan Feng ignored these events, acting as if it did not matter. The white-haired boy decided to enter the Dungeons of the Divine for the sake of increasing his cultivation in a place where he would not be found. The damned bird refused to give even one hint as to what this place was exactly.

Looking around, Hui Yue saw that there was some extravagance over the use of this many light stones. Although it looked extravagant, the walls were, in the end, just regular stone and so far Hui Yue had seen nothing which he would consider divine.

He previously had picked some Shadow Mushrooms because Lan Feng said that they were valuable, yet after filling a whole storage stone with them Hui Yue paid no more attention to the mushrooms which were as numerous as stars in the sky.

This way! Hui Yue barked as he ran through a side path, Deng Wu following right behind him. Whatever it is, it seems to go a specific way. We better get out of the way, or we will most likely get crushed together with the wall. Hui Yue was slightly flustered as Lan Feng was completely silent and his scanning had not shown him any life forms. This was making it hard for him to know what it could be that was after them.

Dashing through the side path, Hui Yue was certain that they could get out of the way, yet as soon as they moved whatever was smashing walls behind them also changed destinations. There was no longer any question about where it was headed, whatever was crashing through walls was aimed at them. Hui Yue gritted his teeth as he stood up again.

Get ready, he said as Black Blood appeared within his hand along with a tint of red within his ice-blue eyes. His demeanor changed, and the air around him seemed to grow colder. So cold that even Deng Wu next to him started shivering.

Hui Yue allowed for his consciousness to enter the stone below, and with that, he could see everything that was happening, even on the other side of the walls.

Waiting patiently, Hui Yue quickly noticed that it was not just one person who was on their trail; it was, in fact, two. As the revelation dawned upon Hui Yue, a smirk appeared on his meditating face, and the frozen atmosphere quickly returned to being humid and stale like before.

Deng Wu was surprised to see that Hui Yue withdrew his senses from the stone floor and once more returned to his body as he had expected the younger male to get ready for a fight. Instead, he leisurely walked to the opposite wall and leaned against it.

Loud thunderous sounds could be heard, and it felt as though the entire mountain was shaking, as walls were broken down, one by one before finally only one wall separated the two groups.

Deng Wu was slightly nervous, yet he trusted Hui Yue completely. After a moment he moved next to the white-haired boy where he sat down on the chilled, moist stones, waiting to see what could explain these thunderous sounds.

Just as the sounds reached the final wall, they stopped. Although there was now only one wall between the two groups, it was impossible to break it the same way as Sha Yun had done previously, as she was likely to injure her friends in the process.

Instead, she sat down and began meditating, allowing her tail to cut out a doorway within the wall, a doorway which allowed for the two groups to see each other again.

As soon as Deng Wu saw the culprits, relief flooded his senses, and a big smile appeared on his face as he quickly assisted Sha Yun in removing the wall. Looking at the group, Hui Yue could not help but feel that they were slightly unbalanced.

First was Deng Wu, who managed to specialize within a very frowned upon road of cultivation as a necromancer, yet his abilities as an inscriber were truly astounding. Hui Yue saw how he could create almost anything as long as he had enough materials. Deng Wu was a metal affinity Master just like Hui Yue, yet Hui Yue had not spent much time on that particular element.

Sha Yun was someone who had the same elemental affinity as Hui Yue, yet she still managed to outshine him when it came to merging with the earth. In spite of that, Hui Yue’s future when it came to the earth element was limitless, and he could already feel his power growing day by day, within this stone maze.

Wang Ju Long was the only one, apart from Hui Yue, who had a dual elemental affinity. Although her second affinity was limited, so for now she focused solely on the wood element.

Wang Ju Long was the kind of girl who wished to perfect whatever she was working on, and she had decided to walk two paths at the same time. Her first wish was to become a healer, and her abilities as such were astonishing, yet her healing abilities were further developed into weapons of destruction. Wang Ju Long was the perfect assassin, and her training caused her to entwine the two roads of cultivation she chose to walk.

Her second elemental affinity was water, yet her affinity was so low that she had almost no contact with the element. This caused her to focus her entire attention on the wood element. Once she managed to reach the pinnacle, then she would start her arduous training in water.

Hui Yue was the one with the most affinities. Both his metal and earth elements were used by Sha Yun and Deng Wu, and both of them were superior to him in regards to their usage. That was, however, only because they had gotten a head start. Hui Yue was perfectly well aware that he would soon catch up to them.

One thing Hui Yue had which the others did not was an affinity with fire, which was the most destructive of all affinities.

Deng Wu finally managed to create a perfect opening from where Wang Ju Long and Sha Yun appeared. Both looked miserable with dirty skin and clothes. Hui Yue could not help but laugh, yet after looking at himself, the laughter increased as he saw how he, too, looked like something the cat dragged in. There was nothing clean about him at all.

We are almost out of the maze, Sha Yun commented, and Hui Yue allowed her to take the lead while all four friends chatted about what had happened the last few days together, along with their expectations of these messy dungeons.

I would like to know how soon is almost, Deng Wu complained after having walked for another half day, but as soon as the words escaped his lips, a heavy door appeared in front of them.

Unlike the rest of the maze, this door was created from gold and had carvings of only dragons. Some big and others small yet in the middle was a gigantic dragon. Its eyes were emeralds, and its body was filled with thousands upon thousands of scales carved from sapphires.

‘Welcome to the entrance of the Dungeons of the Divine,’ Lan Feng said softly from within Hui Yue’s dantian, and the white-haired boy quickly shared the information with everyone.

So this is the entrance? Deng Wu asked, astonished. I guess this has something to do with the Azure Dragon? Once again neither Little Dragon nor Lan Feng answered any of their questions. Hui Yue could not help but feel slightly confused as to why that was.

Sighing over Lan Feng’s sudden change in character, Hui Yue moved towards the heavy door where he slowly used his entire strength to open the door just enough for the four of them to enter together.

Upon entering into the world beyond the gate, all four youngsters stopped in their tracks as their jaws almost fell to the ground. The sight which awaited them was nothing compared to what they had expected, and shock was evident on all faces, even the usually calm Wang Ju Long.

The four of them felt as though they had been dropped into another world as they saw a sun shining high above them, yet above this sun was neither a sky or clouds; instead, there was a stone roof.

The entire ground which was opened up to them was full of beautiful green lush grass, and only a few hundred meters away was the outskirts of a forest.

In front of the four youths was a lake, yet this lake was not made from simple water; instead, it undulated significantly from fluctuations of spiritual energy which gave the water a slight silvery color.

Looking at this lake, Hui Yue instantly went towards it, and he felt how his cultivation technique was working at a speed he had never experienced before. The essence in the surroundings was being absorbed into Hui Yue’s body, and he gladly accepted it all.

Gesturing to his friends to join him, Hui Yue quickly stripped off all his clothes before he slowly made his way into the water.

Deng Wu and Sha Yun followed not many seconds behind, both stripping completely as they rushed into the water only to feel a sudden tranquillity envelope them. The lake made them completely relaxed, as they laid down in the water and allowed their bodies to soak in the spiritual energy which their cultivation techniques worked hard to refine.

After a while of consideration, Wang Ju Long followed suit and also jumped into the water. Her face was as red as a boiled lobster, and she quickly hid underneath the silvery water, yet even she could not let go of such an immense treasure.

‘Ah this spiritual spring has far more spiritual energy stored than I remembered,’ Lan Feng commented from within the dantian, a satisfied, happy expression was present on his face. ‘You four should stay here until there is no more spiritual energy left within the lake. After that, we will visit the nearby village.’

‘Village?’ Hui Yue was shocked upon hearing that there was an actual village living here in the underground, and he had a hard time understanding how they would ever go out. Before Hui Yue had time to think it all through, he felt the calming waters submerge his confusion and he once more focused entirely on cultivating.

‘Welcome to a whole new world.’ Lan Feng smiled, as he leaned back and attentively observed how the qi swirl within the dantian cave was circling with a speed never before seen.

Chapter 4 – The Children

W e’ll camp here until there is no more spiritual energy within the pond, Hui Yue relayed the orders from Lan Feng, and no one questioned him. Instead, they stayed in the spiritual spring for a long period of time until it felt like their bodies were bursting with energy.

Sha Yun was the first to leave the pond, after which she instantly entered meditation to assist refining the spiritual energy into the type of energy used for magical beasts. This allowed for it to merge with the other energy she had within her beast core.

Wang Ju Long was the next person who left the pond, and her very first move was to get dressed. Afterwards, she, too, sat down and meditated, assisting her qi spiral and the spiritual energy sea within her to refine the sudden influx of spiritual energy.

Another hour after, both Hui Yue and Deng Wu left the spiritual pond and sat down to refine the energy they had absorbed. Although there was still an immense amount of energy left in the pond, the color was far more transparent now compared to the thick silver it was previously.

This evening no one went out to hunt, instead, they all lived off rations they had packed in advance. No one spent energy on setting up tents either. Hui Yue only started a small fire by using his elemental affinity.

The four youngsters were all completely focused on refining the spiritual energy they had obtained. The first day Hui Yue managed to refine enough spiritual energy for him to reach the fourth star of the Master rank while Deng Wu managed to reach the ninth star. Wang Ju Long broke into the third star, and Sha Yun was also around the third star with her beastly cultivation base.

The night was spent using various spiritual arts to merge the new spiritual energy into the old, and then cultivate in an attempt to balance the sudden boost in strength. The following morning once more saw four naked youths floating within the pond that gave off a silvery hue.

The same events transpired for four days straight before they finally absorbed the last drop of spiritual energy. There were no more breakthroughs after the first night, despite this all of the youngsters, apart from Deng Wu, were now at the peak of their star and ready to break through at any moment.

After the final drop of spiritual energy was soaked up, Hui Yue stayed still for a long time contemplating their options. He was very curious about the village which Lan Feng mentioned, but although he was curious, he also knew that right now his spiritual energy was quite unstable after having been increased such a significant amount within such a short time.

Making his decision Hui Yue nodded to his friends, and they all followed behind him being as quiet as possible. On their way towards the Dungeons of the Divine, they were able to play and chat with each other while traveling, but their situation was different now.

Hui Yue was unaware what kind of creatures lived within the forest they were entering, nor did he know if there were any humans around who would be enemies. If there were humans around these areas, it was quite likely that Hui Yue and his friends had just robbed them of their greatest treasure by soaking within the spiritual spring. No one would be kind to them for doing that.

Looking towards the road which Lan Feng said led to the village, Hui Yue shook his head and went the other way. He found a small stream which brought water to the pond and decided to follow it.

There was one thing which Hui Yue learned from Lan Feng that he stressed the most, and that was to be on guard. Hui Yue had friends with him whom he could rely on, yet the four of them were only Master ranked cultivators, and their ability to survive was mediocre at best.

Now that they had gained more strength, if it was not integrated into their spiritual energy sea correctly, then it was likely to cause a backlash and injure them instead of supporting them. Following the small stream, Hui Yue saw a clearing up ahead. This caused him to stop in his tracks, and he gestured for the others to stop as well.

Smoke rose from the clearing, and Hui Yue felt his hair stand on end as he looked around. Although there were no movements, he had the feeling that they were being watched. Hui Yue lifted his hands up above his head as he cleared his throat while looking at the forest with vigilance.

Come out, Hui Yue called with a gentle voice. We have no intention of harming you.

Having said that rustling could be heard, but unexpectedly it was not a horde of fierce warriors, nor was it a dangerous wild magical beast. Instead, it was a little boy who could not be much older than seven, yet his eyes seemed to hold time itself within them. They were completely black with thousands of glittering stars inside. A chill ran down Hui Yue’s spine as he noticed his peculiar eyes.

What are you doing in my forest? the young child asked. His voice sounded mature with no hint of threat or enmity, only pure curiosity.

Looking at the child, although he seemed innocent Hui Yue had a hard time shaking off the feeling of danger that lurked within his heart. He showed the utmost respect as he answered the question. We are travelers from the outside. We are currently looking for a quiet place where we can stabilize our cultivation.

Looking at Hui Yue with a quizzical expression, the young boy stepped closer as he asked, What is this outside? Is it a new village? I don’t know a village named Outside. Is it a new one? Are the four of you the only humans there? That girl looks weird. Why does she have a tail? Is it a place with humans like her?

Hearing so many questions, Hui Yue could not help but laugh a little. He squatted down so that he was eye to eye with the young child that seemed human, but yet oddly not.

The outside is a vast place with no ceiling over the sun, no walls to hold you in. It is the place where you can wander day in and day out, yet never see the end of the road, each word Hui Yue spoke caused the black starry eyes to grow larger and larger, causing the child to pant in excitement.

Come home with me! he said jubilantly. I want to know more about this outside place. Following the young child, Hui Yue and the rest were dragged the opposite way from where Lan Feng said the village would be. It seemed as though even this world beneath the ground had changed throughout the many years it had been left alone.

Following the child, the four friends were led through the forest. They were stunned as they saw how the trees, although seemingly the same as the ones up on the surface, were different from what they were used to. Some of these trees even seemed as though they had a will of their own. Their branches moved away making space for the child and his guests to travel through.

Hui Yue was shocked to find that the clearing, which he had seen earlier, was no longer just ahead of him, but instead, a mirage confusing anyone who looked upon it. Despite this, he followed the young child without asking any questions.

Their journey through the pathway which opened up by the trees went on for only a few minutes before Hui Yue and the rest ended up within a clearing where a small wooden cabin was.

The cabin was made of very high-quality wood, nothing like the shack which Hui Yue lived in for ten years. Even the village elder’s house would seem rundown next to this beautiful cabin.

This house was built with wood from the forest, and a chimney could be seen on its roof. Smoke was coming out, making Hui Yue furrow his brow confused about who would live with this star-child.

Getting closer, the door opened and a small girl exited the house. This little girl was around the same age as the boy, and her eyes were the exact opposite of the boy’s. A bright golden light shone from within.

Xingye! the girl called happily as she saw the boy arriving. The smile on her small face grew larger as she saw that he brought friends. Her little body was jumping up and down from sheer excitement.

Xiaji! the boy called back, and upon hearing his voice, three other children appeared behind the first; two boys and one girl.

The young boy who invited Hui Yue and the others was shocked when he saw the children, but he also felt a sense of relief as no adults were near.

Arriving at the cabin, the children all came up to the boy and he patted their heads while saying their names.

Qiuji was the little girl. Her eyes shone with a hazel brown color. Her hair and even her skin were also brown.

Dongji was one of the boys, and he seemed even paler than Hui Yue. His hair was as white as the older boy’s and he had ice-blue eyes. Looking at him, one would think that Hui Yue and Dongji were brothers.

The last boy was very energetic. He had green eyes and golden hair. His name was Tanhuang.

Tell us about the outside!

Do all humans look as weird as you do?

Will we also grow a tail one day?

Why are your eyes not shining?

The questions flooded in as soon as Xingye introduced the four newcomers, and a tranquil atmosphere descended over the small cabin.

Hui Yue sat down, and the children instantly gathered around him. May we stay here a few days? he asked politely, and the children all nodded their heads with such force it caused laughter to escape from all the older ones present.

I’ll tell you about the world outside, Deng Wu said as he, too, sat down. His words caused all the children who had previously grouped up around Hui Yue to move to Deng Wu instantly.

A smile appeared on his face as he started describing with elaborate words the world which he came from.

You feel familiar, Xingye suddenly said as he sat next to Deng Wu. It’s something I have not felt for thousands of years.

The words greatly shocked everyone present as none of them expected the small child to be vastly older than all of them, yet suddenly his starry eyes shone with excitement as all the children looked at Deng Wu with great admiration.

Father is that you? Dongji suddenly asked, his icy eyes gleaming with excitement.

It feels like father! Xingye agreed and within seconds all the children were sniffing Deng Wu, touching him, and hugging him. Tears started sprouting within their eyes as happiness seemed to fill them all.

Father finally returned to us! Xiaji exclaimed and threw herself into Deng Wu’s embrace like a lost child finally finding his father.

Seated with four children in his arms, Deng Wu was genuinely shocked, and his face was filling with dread. The whole scene was so unexpected yet, knowing Deng Wu and his womanizing ways no one seemed more suitable for the situation than he did.

Laughter suddenly rang through the clearing, as Wang Ju Long no longer could hold back. Her bright voice broke the stunned silence, causing the others to laugh together with her. Laughter which contained both shock and confusion.

‘Oh right,’ Lan Feng finally spoke from within the dantian cave after having been silent for days on end. ‘The seasons were supposed to live in this part of the dungeon. I see Xingye here, but I wonder what happened to Sun. She should be here to look after the kids.’

Chapter 5 – Laws

‘S un?’ Hui Yue asked curiously as he heard Lan Feng’s comments, and the phoenix finally started speaking. ‘When our forefathers created this plane they created a sun and moon. Those two split the year in half, with each taking responsibility for half a year. This was how the seasons were born.’

‘Sun would enter meditation where she would meditate for half a year. Meditation allows for her to become one with the world, and through her care flowers bloom and spring arrives. During the half year she is meditating her cultivation soars, and the world feels her presence more and more as the days go by. This is why spring is not as warm as summer.’

Lan Feng paused slightly to see if Hui Yue understood. With a nod from the white-haired boy, the phoenix continued, "When Sun manages to merge with the world fully, her powers are at their strongest. At this time, the sun is at its most radiant, sending her warmth to the surface.’

‘As soon as she reaches the apex, then Moon will come and take over. He will enter isolated meditation, and when he reaches his peak winter will be upon us. It is autumn now so Moon should be meditating, but that means Sun should be here to look after their children, the seasons.’

‘If Sun has four children then who is Xingye?’ Hui Yue asked curiously. He was not a season but instead the night sky.

‘Xingye was created by our forefathers along with sun and moon. As long as he lives, the stars will always be shining.’

Upon pausing slightly, Lan Feng’s brows were furrowed. He pondered how to explain something as profound as what they were currently talking about.

‘Are you sure she is not just somewhere else?’ Hui Yue asked quizzically, yet upon seeing the phoenix shake his head. A frown appeared on his forehead as he observed the five children who were all playing with Deng Wu, happiness evident in their eyes as they remembered a time long gone.

Xingye, Hui Yue called out, and the child instantly turned around. His face beaming with happiness as the many stars within his eyes shone brightly. Where is Sun? Hui Yue asked curiously. Yet as soon as he asked a tense atmosphere appeared in the clearing.

Looking at Hui Yue, hope seemed to flourish within the eyes of the small child. Mother was taken away, the small boy said with a depressed voice as he shook his head in despair, but moments later he no longer seemed sad. It was as though he could not stay depressed for long.

‘I did not plan for you to deal with something this serious just yet...’ Lan Feng complained, but Hui Yue could feel excitement bubbling up within the phoenix, and he instantly understood that this had turned into training for him and his friends.

Hui Yue was slightly daunted by the thought of having to save Sun. Sun was the one who granted summer and spring to the world alongside allowing humans to survive. Sun had to be incredibly strong, yet even she was caught. How could Hui Yue possibly help?

Yet no matter how worried and unsure Hui Yue was, he felt more and more excitement and determination within Lan Feng’s soul which caused Hui Yue to sigh. Although he felt he was not ready for the task just yet, Hui Yue had promised the phoenix that he would follow any orders given when it came to training. Making Hui Yue strong would definitely benefit Lan Feng on his road for revenge.

Hui Yue said nothing as he stood to the side and started looking for tents within his storage stones, which he then set up in the clearing. After setting up the tents, he started a bonfire where he began cooking food for the children and his friends.

Sha Yun quickly understood that they were planning to stay for a bit, but Hui Yue had not told her his plans yet causing the snake-woman to be slightly confused. She looked at Hui Yue with tender eyes before she slithered into the forest where she picked up branches to use for the bonfire. Although she would have preferred cooking, she knew that Hui Yue would decline her offer.

Soon the smell of stew drifted out from the pot, and the season’s stomachs growled as drool dripped from the corners of their mouths.

Seeing how the children finally released Deng Wu, the friends laughed. Within a short while, everyone was eating their stew while chatting with each other. Hui Yue intentionally placed himself next to Xingye.

Can you tell me what happened when your mother was taken? Hui Yue asked gently as he filled the boy’s plate with plenty of meat. The boy’s face only showed a trace of depression before it became excited from seeing the glistening, tender meat on his plate. Coercing a child was something Hui Yue felt capable of doing, even if that child was thousands of years old.

She had just come out of meditation, Xingye said while stuffing his face with stew, expertly avoiding the vegetables and only eating the meat. Mother says that we are not allowed to fight with the nearby villages unless they do something very bad. Mother had absorbed the energy from the heavens and earth then they took her away.

Why would they take her? Hui Yue asked quietly while trying to get as much information as possible from the small friend next to him.

He already learned that Sun was taken away as soon as she left her isolated cultivation and that she followed without putting up too much of a fight.

They want her for the sake of increasing their harvest, Xingye said with a sad expression on his face. Though as soon as his eyes fell on the pot which had been used to cook the stew his smile resurfaced.

‘Don’t be so shocked,’ Lan Feng commented when he felt how Hui Yue was quite astonished. Their mother has disappeared yet the children have done nothing about it this whole time.

‘They’re not children,’ Lan Feng continued, ‘They are the laws which this world is built upon. They are the laws which the four divine beasts created at the same time they created the continent itself. We will meet many of these laws on our travels. They are laws created by the Gods. To be created by a God makes it impossible for one to go against them. To go against a law is the same as going against this world. Imagine what would happen, should the sun die and fall from the sky. Should the moon never again raise the tides, should the seasons never change.’

‘These laws are far older than us. They are as ancient as the first rock in this world. The laws are all around us. It is the law that binds the world together, allowing for it to exist. When you become an upper dantian user, I will tell you far more about them as you will begin to sense them.’

Hui Yue nodded his head. Right now he did not need to know more about the laws, what he did need to know about was what kind of people kidnapped Sun.

‘They should be from the closest village so that we will go there after a few days of rest. Make sure that you train properly during these next few days; we cannot waste too much time on this.’ Getting her back here was of utmost importance before the four of them could move on to the next dungeon.

Looking at their surroundings, Hui Yue could not help but wonder why this place was referred to as dungeons. It was obviously a whole new world which was spread out under the entire continent, but it did not look dead. Quite to the contrary, it was filled with living beings, trees, and plants. Even a sun and moon were present within the underworld kingdom they now traveled through.

Having put all the kids to bed, Hui Yue was seated with his friends in front of the bonfire where they warmed themselves. Being beneath the earth and inside this cave, the stone walls which surrounded them sucked all the warmth which the sun had produced during the day.

The moment the sun vanished, the warmth was slowly absorbed by the cave walls, and the previous comfortable temperature changed. At night the cave would be filled with chilled humid air, much like how the weather felt on an autumn night on the surface.

We need to rescue her, or if she hasn’t been captured then at least we need to bring her back here, Hui Yue said, as he finished passing on Lan Feng’s words from earlier.

Seated at the back, Hui Yue was contemplating the laws which had been mentioned earlier. Truthfully, Hui Yue understood that it was something which he should not encounter until he reached the upper dantian. He felt as though it was impossible to comprehend such things before his upper dantian was opened, yet at the same time, there were these thoughts just out of reach. Thoughts that made Hui Yue feel as though he would understand some of it at least if he were to think just a little more.

But no matter how much time Hui Yue spent thinking, that feeling remained. He never caught hold of what exactly the laws were. With a sigh, he stood up and decided to think about it when he had more time.

Let’s go, Hui Yue said with a low voice before he turned around and gestured for the friends to follow him. Silent as a shadow, the four young cultivators made their way through the forest and moved towards the village which had taken Sun.

Following the path set down by Lan Feng, Hui Yue quickly passed on information which he was being given on the way.

The village was not a big one as approximately a hundred people lived in it. They all earned their living through agriculture, and Lan Feng assumed that Sun had been caught for the sake of increasing their harvest by a noticeable margin.

Having gained every bit of information, Hui Yue and the others nodded their heads. They felt like they were much more prepared now than they had been before. Rushing towards the village, they hoped to get into contact with Sun without anyone noticing them and then they would convince her to return to the cabin to once more look after the seasons.

The forest they traveled through was dense and only allowed one to see a few meters in front of them, yet suddenly all the trees vanished. Looking around, one could tell they were clearly removed to clear land for agriculture.

As soon as Hui Yue saw this, he raised his hand and gestured at the others to stop. Slowly Hui Yue and his friends snuck closer and closer, and as they expected, a small village appeared outside the forest.

However as soon as the four of them broke through to the open clearing, they expected to see a village, but what they saw caused them all to stop in their tracks. They stood there, staring agape at fields which went on as far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance, a city rose with pagodas reaching towards the dungeon’s ceiling.

Well... Hui Yue said while looking at the city in the distance and sighed deeply. It seems that even things within this closed off area have managed to evolve quite a bit in four thousand years.

Upon hearing this, the three others solemnly nodded their heads. A blank look was present in their eyes as all the plans they had prepared beforehand had become completely useless.

We won’t get anything done by standing here, Hui Yue said after a short while, and he started walking towards the city. Let us change our plans slightly. Our first goal is to locate Sun, having said that, Hui Yue walked with steady steps towards the city in the distance; his friends quickly caught up to him as they walked on in silence.

Chapter 6 – Village Turned City

Leaving the forest , Hui Yue maintained his silence. His vigilant blue eyes narrowed slightly as they observed everything which was happening around him, shining out in the dim light the moon cascaded down upon them.

The fields were empty. Tools were stacked up at the corner of each field. The farmers had left them there before they had retreated back into the city itself at dusk.

The city was shining with light that was visible from far away. No wall was surrounding this place; instead, there were many farmhouses on the outskirts of the city with animals resting inside the small barns.

The eerie silence would occasionally be interrupted by the sound of weak and domesticated demon beasts growling or howling into the air in response to the scent and sounds of the young people who were making their way along the dusty streets.

The houses all seemed to be built from high-quality wood, and they all were well looked after. None of them were worn down nor were they destroyed by attacks of demon beasts. By the look of the houses alone, one could tell that this city had a very safe environment when it came to magical beast attacks.

Walking on the streets, Hui Yue noticed that although light was streaming out the windows, no one was walking on the streets, leaving them completely deserted. Happy voices could be heard from within the houses, causing a frown to appear on Hui Yue’s face. Everyone seemed happy, yet no one left their homes. The white-haired young man grew increasingly alert.

A tense atmosphere was growing between them as the four friends slowly made their way past the farmhouses and towards the urban areas of the city, all aiming to find an inn.

Walking further into the town caused them to become even more vigilant in their observation of their surroundings. Even in the town, no one was walking on the streets. Only the light and laughter from within the houses streamed into the empty world where Hui Yue and his friends quickly passed by.

Making a swift decision, Hui Yue made a gesture with his hand, and all four turned around. None of them said a word. They were all as quiet as shadows while they retreated out of the city once more.

The sun was rising in the sky by the time the four once more made it back to the forest where they gathered behind the trees. They were hiding for the sake of not allowing any citizens to see them waiting.

As the sun rose in the sky, Hui Yue was seated quietly in the shadows of the forest. There he observed how the workers appeared under the rising sun which allowed for few rays of light to shine down upon them. The weather was exactly like a usual autumn day, and the workers seemed to plow the soil and plant the seeds with a routine that long since had been ingrained into them.

There was absolutely no sign of additional sunshine or amazing energy ripples which one would have expected from having Sun, one of the strongest laws, held captive.

From what he had been told, Sun should have been taken to this city. He had expected that this would result in the city being filled with sunshine, radiating boundless heat. Yet looking at the city and the fields, one would not be able to tell this place was any different from any other city during autumn.

Having waited a couple of hours, Hui Yue finally rose to his feet and stretched his stiff body before a splendid smile appeared upon his face.

Let us see how they welcome visitors, he said as he turned around and with steady and confident steps walked towards the fields and the citizens.

Walking out from the forest, not many of the farmers noticed them initially. However, with each step they took, more and more farmers would stop in their tracks as they stared at Hui Yue and the others, their mouths agape as though they had seen a ghost.

Seeing that the farmers had such a reaction but did nothing to stop them. Hui Yue just kept smiling his blinding smile and nodded or winked now and then to the pretty girls who were walking in the fields.

The calm and carefree expression which Hui Yue showed was impossible to be mirrored by any of the others. Seeing Hui Yue walk at the front with the three others behind, especially someone as exotic as Sha Yun, the farmers instantly took Hui Yue to be someone they should not mess with. Instead, the girls to whom he nodded got red cheeks and felt their hearts flutter as this esteemed person had shown them favor.

Great curiosity as to who this person was, and from where his entourage appeared caused many of the farmers to follow them. As they made their way to the city at a leisurely pace, Hui Yue attentively showed interest in everything around him.

From the very start, only a few farmers had seen them, yet by the time they made it to the farmhouses they had an entourage of over two hundred farmers following them.  Yet even while so many were following behind him, Hui Yue still walked at a leisurely pace as though he was used to having this many followers.

Respect grew within the three friends as his demeanor changed completely into that of a young master. Even the aloof Wang Ju Long had to admit that she was slightly uncomfortable with showing her back to this many unknown farmers and some strains of displeasure were visible on her face. This, in turn, further fueled the theory of Hui Yue being a young master who was traveling with his magical beast and two retainers.

Although Hui Yue was moving slowly to assume the posture of a young master who feared nothing, he also walked slowly to observe everything around them in the daylight.

These farmers clearly belonged in the farmhouses. People from within the houses quickly gathered along with their families, whispering to one another, causing the many voices to group together into the loudest murmurs Hui Yue had ever heard before.

The farmers’ houses were of good quality, but even so, Hui Yue was able to tell that these were the lowest ranked within the city, information he made sure to note down.

Looking around, Hui Yue frowned as he quickly exited the areas where animals were held, and his speed once more slowed down as he entered a paved road with smaller, yet clearly better houses.

Entering this area, they now came as far as they had the night before, yet everything was the complete opposite of what it had been, causing Hui Yue to chuckle slightly. The chuckle was, however, quickly changed to a frown as he looked around but could not locate an inn.

Walking further the houses were replaced with mansions. Eventually, Hui Yue and the entourage were in the middle of town, looking at an astonishing pagoda. There was no expression of amazement on Hui Yue’s face. Instead, a look of annoyance could be seen, as though he had not even noticed the beautiful pagoda.

Bringing up all his courage, a young man stepped forward and cleared his throat. Hui Yue intentionally ignored it a few times before he finally turned around and looked at the youth with a noble but gentle expression in his face.

Can I help you? Hui Yue’s voice broke through the air like a sharp sword through a body, cutting right into the bone, deadly yet so beautiful and alluring, such that everyone would gladly listen just to hear it once more.

Swallowing a few times the youngster opened his mouth and stuttered, Mi... milord, is there anything I can do for you?

Looking at the young man, Hui Yue noticed how he cowered in front of what he thought to be a young master, and the white-haired young man almost pitied him. Yet in his world, the ones who mattered to him were his friends and himself. He had already learned that within this world, mercy was a luxury he could not afford.

I am looking for an inn, Hui Yue said, his voice floating over every peasant who had followed him so far, yet the square no longer only contained farmers. It included every kind of citizen within the small city, but as soon as they heard the word inn, a collective gasp sounded out followed by loud murmurs.

Hui Yue frowned as he saw that, and the man he had spoken with earlier was looking at Hui Yue with veneration equal to that of a dog to its master. From within the crowd sentences such as he is from a city with inns and he is used to resting in an inn could be heard.

Deep inside, Hui Yue could not help but be fairly shocked when he saw such a strong reaction to something as small as an inn, but outside he showed nothing in his facial expression. Instead, he looked around impatiently as multiple citizens had gained the courage to appear in front of him.

Perhaps your lordship would consider staying at my humble abode? a man asked very politely, yet before Hui Yue had the time to answer another person pushed his way in front and asked the same question.

Within a few moments, a fight had broken out. This caused even the guards of the city to force their way into the middle of the horde, to try to break the fight up, yet little did it help. Hui Yue looked at the Disciple ranked guards and sighed.

Take care of it, Hui Yue said, his voice seemingly arrogant and ordering. But as soon as they heard the order, Deng Wu, Wang Ju Long, and Sha Yun all moved forward ready to do just that.

It was not that Hui Yue usually spoke to his friends in such an arrogant way, but the fact was all three had fallen into the roles which the audience had assumed for them.

The surrounding audience quickly retreated as they saw the three walking towards the fighting people.

Sha Yun let out a low hiss in displeasure as she had to work. With a sweep of her tail, three men were instantly blown out of the bundle of fighting men. One of the three was thrown so far back that he landed on top of two other citizens who were watching the fight. All three of them crashed to the ground, blood sprayed everywhere and the white from broken bones was visible in the cluster of flesh and clothes the poor spectators had turned into.

The two others were not as lucky, but the audience was