Due to an internet issue the chapter was updated a little late
______________________________
Seconds after arriving in an empty white room through the left door Nero felt wrapped up in pure energy. Nero knew that it was space energy because of Yamato. In the next moment, Nero found himself in a completely different place.It was a dark blue room made up of Dark blue stalagmite and stalactite crystals.
"Identity confirmed. Eastsea's Little Zhangkong."
"Test level: Ultimate prototype. Participants: One Commencing in ten seconds."
"Ten.."
"Nine.."
....
"There.."
"Two.."
"One.."
" Begin! "
Nero again felt a wave of space energy wrapping and teleporting him somewhere. [ I am gonna scan the area and the coordinates of the space where we are teleporting. The build frame of Hall of heroes might come handy in future] " You do that i can handle this, Do you need me to specifically contact something in the test " Nero inwardly asked Aria. [Not really Just have fun] Nero nodded hearing Aria's reply.
Nero found himself falling in a pure white space with no sky and boundaries. Nero immediately stabilised himself using his Demon wings and landed safely on the ground. Just after Nero landed a beam of light appeared in front of him, revealing a black haired young boy with a technical and cyberpunk mask covering his face which only showed the boy's purple tinted golden eyes. The boy wore a white themed clothes and a belt embedded with 24 jade stones.
Nero raised his eyebrows at the sight of his opponent, he had a guess about the boy by looking at the familiar golden eyes and storage belt but still needed a fight to verify that guess.
"3..2.." seeing that the countdown was starting Nero summoned Yamato and surrounded himself with a ring made up of Mirage blades.
"1..Begin "
With the end of the countdown, The boy put his hands on his storage belt and fired a plethora of needle-like weapons. The ring of mirage blades automatically blocked the hidden weapons fired by the boy and Nero also felt a spiritual attack directed towards him which didn't even manage to breach his demon eyes defense.
' Just like i thought, this guy is a mashup of Tang san and Huo yuhao. So this is what Wu Zhangkong meant by prototype. Whoever is in charge of the hall of heroes probably wanted to create an all mighty opponent with advantages of Tang San and Huo yuhao. Well i will just call him Prototype-∆' Nero thought as he observed Prototype-∆.
Seeing that the hidden weapons were useless to Nero Prototype-∆ summoned a lightning carrying black hammer with 3 purple and 2 black soul rings surrounding it. Prototype-∆ used ghost-like tracks to quickly approach and attack Nero with his hammer. The hammer passed right through Nero as it was an afterimage and the real Nero appeared behind Prototype-∆ attacking him with the sheath of Yamato. Prototype-∆ sensed the attack as if having eyes on the back and ducked to avoid it. Nero without showing any surprise at Prototype-∆ evade used his other hand to unsheathe Yamato and perform a quick under slash.
Nero knew that Prototype-∆ would be able to dodge most of his basic attacks as Huo Yuhao's spirit sense ability provided a third dimensional view of the area. The slash sent Prototype-∆ slithering backwards with an obvious wound on the shoulder.
" Why am i not surprised, obviously he would have Tang san's leg spirit bone" Nero muttered as he watched a green light lit up on Prototype-∆'s leg healing the wound that he just gave to Prototype-∆.
' Well let's see how much they were able to replicate previous children of luck ' Nero thought and dashed straight toward Prototype-∆ attacking with fast consecutive slashes. Prototype-∆ spins and hurls his hammer to block Nero's attacks while also sending out discharges of lightning. Nero tried to avoid the lightning by changing his position but the attack also changed its trajectory to follow him.
Understanding the tracking nature of the attack Nero used his movement technique to send out countless afterimages making the lightning trail all over the place. " Whoosh! " Using his afterimages as distraction Nero used his Demon eyes to find the weak point of Prototype-∆'s hammer spin and threw a mirage blade to disarm him.
Without giving Prototype-∆ a chance to call back the clear sky hammer again Nero equipped Beowulf and sent lightning fast kicks and punches launching him into air. A clone afterimage also immediately appeared in the air executing a spinning kick and finishing up with a heel kick embedding Prototype-∆ into ground.
Nero disappeared from his original position as Prototype-∆ called back his clear sky hammer with Nero in its trajectory. Prototype-∆ resummoned the spirit eyes and distanced himself from Nero using Ghost shadow track while attacking Nero with different kinds of hidden weapons at different angles. " Ting..ting .ting..ting..." only afterimages were seen as Nero used Yamato to deflect all the hidden weapons. " Boom !" Nero's demon wings automatically emerged and blocked the explosion made by Prototype-∆'s surprise soul guide attack.
As the smoke cleared Prototype-∆ once again attacked Nero with a clear sky hammer. While defending himself using Yamato's handle and sheath Nero sensed that every attack was becoming much more powerful than the previous one although Nero realised that Prototype-∆ was using the Clear sky clan's famous technique but revealed no intention of stopping it.
Superimposing his final attack Prototype-∆ activated all his spirit abilities and performed an overhead attack on Nero. Nero watched the hammer closing in without any panic on his face. Just when the hammer was about to make contact, Nero disappeared after a slash like afterimage leaving behind a ring of mirage blades. "Boom! Boooom! " After hammering the ground with his final attack Prototype-∆ was stunned at the place by the after effect of it, taking advantage of the right timing all the mirage blades stabbed Prototype-∆ and exploded in unison.
' Although the clear sky clan hammer technique can superimpose attacks but there is also the shortcoming that the user can't forcefully change the momentum of his final attack ' Nero thought of the obvious weakness of Disorder splitting wind hammer technique and used Prototype-∆'s own attack to prepare a trap from him. He knew that Prototype-∆ would be able to dodge most of his mirage blades with Ghost shadow track and due to the difference of spirit level Yamato's max attack power wouldn't be able to bypass clear sky hammer's defense and kill Prototype-∆ especially with Blue silver emperor's spirit bone so Nero decided to use himself as a bait, while Prototype-∆ was superimposing his attacks Nero was gathering his demonic-spirit energy to teleport immediately to a different position using Yamato.
Just as the explosion ended, Nero instantly appeared in front of Prototype-∆ and without giving the possibility to use soul bone beheaded him.
" Participant defeated the prototype, Test passed"
" Teleporting back "
The electronic voice also declared the result and Nero found himself back at the empty white room " You can come out the test is finished " Wu Zhangkong voice sounded from the surrounding walls. Nero went back to the hallway where the bracelets were distributed. Wu Zhangkong was telling Tang wulin, Xie Xie and Gu yue about the hall of heroes. Just by looking at them Nero could tell that Tang wulin and Xie Xie were beaten like a sand bag and Gu yue looked better probably because of her space ability.
" How did it feel " Wu Zhangkong asked Nero after seeing that he had no obvious injuries. " Didn't you see from here " Nero asked in confusion as Wu Zhangkong should have seen his fight like Tang wulin and others. Wu Zhangkong shook his head and clarified " Prototype level does not have a function for recording or watching as all of the processing units are reserved to simulate your opponent ". " It was certainly a unique experience, I fought with a prototype who had some of the abilities of Huo yuhao and Sea God Tang San. He was an all rounder with no obvious weakness. I was only able to defeat him using myself as bait in the trap " Nero narrated his experience. " It is a victory even if you used a trap to defeat the prototype, in a fight only victory matters not the circumstances " Wu Zhangkong just patted Nero's shoulder and perhaps consoled him.
Nero watched Wu Zhangkong take Tang wulin, Gu yue and Xie Xie away to probably introduce them to the Tang sect. [ I think Wu Zhangkong misunderstood your definition of Bait and Trap. He probably thinks you used yourself as bait in a very desperate situation] Aria stated Wu Zhangkong's obvious misunderstanding of Nero's explanation. " It's not my headache, I explained everything perfectly as for what he understood It's not my responsibility " Nero shrugged his shoulders and said.
" So what did you get out of scanning the hall of heroes " seeing that it would take time for Wu Zhangkong and others to come out Nero asked Aria.
[ One thing is sure that Hall of heroes was created using the records Huo yuhao left in the Tang sect as it is very similar to the Spirit ascension platform. So far i can say that the birth of spirit ascension platform was pure luck. Spirit ascension platform and Hall of heroes are like a basic code of a small space and Tang sect and Spirit pagoda only have the basic commands to add something to that code. My guess is that Huo yuhao was able to make Spirit ascension platform by replicating some rules of the necromancer realm. I can only do anything to that basic code after scanning and gaining knowledge of the related documents]. " Don't humble yourself you were able to figure out something that Tang sect and Spirit pagoda couldn't in the last 10,000 years and it's not like we have an urgent situation regarding this knowledge " Nero shook his head at Aria's understatement of her value and praised her efforts.
_______________________
The end of semester was a joyous occasion for all students as it marked the start of the one month long vacation. They could finally relax and forget about studying or cultivating during this time. Despite their status as prestigious Soul Masters, in the end, they were only children.
Nero's first plan was to go back to Jade city but after knowing the truth about his father and his identity, he decided to practice with Grandpa Zhou as advice of a Titled Douluo would benefit him a lot. After saying Goodbye to Xie Xie and Tang wulin Nero headed towards the location where he first met Leng Yaozhu.
______________________________
If you guys have any advice regarding my writing style do comment as i am new to writing and stuff.
' It sure is a peaceful place ' this was Nero's thought as he observed the slightly hazy verdant surroundings while walking on the stone pathway leading towards the place where Nero and Zhou Hongbuo agreed to meet.
After walking for a few more minutes Nero finally arrived at a miraculous place. It was a small island surrounded by a crystal clear lake. Everything on the island looked like it was made out of air and water. The ground looked like an air platform with water flowing vessels in it and the plants and trees were shaped like water flowing upwards defying the very law of gravity.
Nero found Zhou Hongbuo drinking tea while sitting on a chair purely made out of air flow. " It is breathtaking isn't it " Zhou Hongbuo said sensing Nero's arrival. " It sure is, How did this place come to be " Nero asked with pure curiosity as a scenery like that didn't seem natural. " This island was your mother's creation. You should already be aware that her martial soul was space energy, She fabricated this place using the water and air in the surroundings. Aurora was a prodigy when it came to manipulation of space. She used to say that space is like a brush and the world is like a canvas, the more experienced we are in handling that brush the more we can edit the reality of this world. Although this scenery doesn't look natural, this place will always recreate itself even if Gods come to destroy it because Aurora aligned the space of this island with the laws of the universe." Zhou Hongbuo recited the creation of the island with nostalgia in his eyes.
[ Your mother was so cool!, I mean she was able to create something like this with just knowledge and usage of her martial soul] Aria exclaimed in fascination as she scanned the island. Nero wasn't surprised at Aria's excitement, he himself was amazed at how his mother was able to think so differently than the rest of the world. She was probably the first person who delved into understanding the usage of martial soul rather than blindly focusing on Spirit rank and attaining God-hood. Nero knew that if he had his mother's martial soul then he would have focused on using space as a weapon of attack not creation.
" Well let's focus on starting your training, we would have plenty of time later to talk about your parents " Zhou Hongbuo's voice brought nero back to his senses. Nero nodded and sat down on another air chair. " If i am not wrong you should be specializing in Iaijutsu and Iaido style to maximize the full potential of your martial soul's sharpness " Nero nodded affirming Zhou Hongbuo's reasoning. Zhou Hongbuo stood up and continued " Now i can't train you in swordplay as that isn't my specialization but there is one trait you would need to enhance your combat style and i happen to be a master in it ".
" What is it Grandpa Zhou " Nero asked Zhou Hongbuo as he himself had no idea what that necessary trait was. Zhou Hongbuo instead of explaining asked Nero to attack him using long-range attacks. "Woosh...Woosh...Woosh..." Nero fired as many mirage blades as he could conjure at Zhou Hongbuo but strangely all of them missed at the very last second. Seeing this phenomenon Nero knew that there was something he couldn't see so he unfolded his demon eyes.
Nero's face became one of a surprise as he observed what was happening, The air around Zhou Hongbuo became extremely resistive as soon as his mirage blades appeared within a certain radius and became normal air flow at an extreme speed. " You see this is the trait I was talking about 'Concentration'. My martial soul allows me to control the airflow around me but if I control every miniscule of air surrounding me then I wouldn't last long in battle so that's why I focused on concentrating my full control on a specific area. The trait 'Concentration' is for us to subconsciously focus our full attention in our next strike making it precise and eliminating all the excess action. This is the reason air became extremely resistive as soon as your energy blade approached me " Zhou Hongbuo explained making Nero astonished. { Now don't start calling this Autonomous ultra instinct or something. Concentration just focuses on using attacks and abilities in an instant not your body automatically fucking dodging everything that comes at you when even your subconscious didn't make a decision }
' I see now, although I can swing Yamato at a fast and precise speed but every time doing that I spend a great deal of my attention which extends the time required to attack even if it in milliseconds while Grandpa Zhou actions are like instinct making his every action short, effective and timely ' seeing that Nero has understood his explanation Zhou Hongbuo continued " Now everyday I will train you to make your actions an instinct and you won't be using spirit energy, bloodline and your martial soul during that. You would be blindfolded 24 hours even if you're doing your regular activities ".
Nero swallowed a gulp of saliva and asked hesitantly " Even when I am going in washroom ". Zhou Hongbuo put his hands on Nero's shoulder and replied with an innocent looking smile " Yes, even then ". " Sigh! " Nero sighed in defeat understanding that the next 10 days would be an unforgettable experience.
" So, where are we going to train " Nero quickly brought out the main topic to stop himself from thinking about his upcoming hellish daily life. " You think this place is for only sightseeing " Zhou Hongbuo smirked and said while tossing a wooden sword and a blindfold to Nero. Nero caught the things and stared at his adoptive grandpa in confusion not understanding how he could train here.
The air and water in the surroundings tremored and formed a dome surrounding the island as Zhou Hongbuo put his hands on the ground. Nero wanted to ask what was happening but found out that he couldn't hear his own voice without using Demonic-spirit energy. " This is a special field where you won't hear anything without spirit energy usage and the water will fire projectiles towards you at various complex angles with a speed that you could only deflect when you use your instincts " Zhou Hongbuo explained by directly speaking in Nero's ear using his spirit energy.
Putting on the blindfold Nero took a classic sword drawing stance. " Bang! " a projectile hit Nero on the shoulder and he couldn't even notice it until the contact. [ Nero should i..] " No! I have to master this myself " Aria wanted to help Nero but he refused as the training would be meaningless.
Nero kept trying to predict and slash the projectiles but ultimately failed. ' Ok let's calm down if I keep doing this then i wouldn't be able to slash a single projectile. I have to find a way to slash them as soon as they get close to me but how? ' Nero kept thinking about a way to even slash one projectile.
The projectiles kept firing and hitting Nero although they weren't hard enough to injure but the impact force did exert some pain. " Whoosh! " Nero accidentally felt a projectile coming and that's when realization hit him ' Yes that's right instead of focusing on slashing them I should first concentrate on sensing and defending them using the sword but how should I sense them, what is it that can help me sense. Yes, skin my skin can detect the airflow of the projectiles when they launch i just have to concentrate on them subconsciously '. Nero took a deep breath and focused on acquiring the projectile's trajectory through his skin. " Bang! " Nero didn't succeed in the first try but still kept trying.
*Night time*
It was already night but Nero was still training to hone his instincts. " Slash! " an afterimage appeared and Nero who couldn't dodge any projectile finally managed to slash a projectile without him even realizing that. After slashing the projectile Nero didn't say anything and fell unconscious as he was already tired and only his determination was what kept him going. Zhou Hongbuo caught Nero before he could hit the ground and sighed while taking the wooden sword out of Nero's hand " He is as stubborn as his parents ".
_____________________________
The day dawned crisp and clear as a slight stream of wind soothed everything. The birds were chirping and flying as if dancing in a melody.
" Woosh..Woosh..Woosh " a 10 year old white haired boy who was blindfolded was slashing water like projectiles with utmost precision. The projectiles were attacking him from various angles but the boy as if having eyes everywhere tore them just before they could hit him. The boy was none other than Nero who has almost completed his concentration training in the last week of his vacation.
" Huu! finally did it " Nero heaved a sigh of relief and muttered after slashing the last projectile. It took Nero almost 3 weeks of constant training to initially master the 'concentration' trait. [ It is already very fast considering the difficulty of the trait. Usually it would take someone half a year to initially master the trait ] Aria also stated reflecting Nero's hard work.
Nero was about to put the wooden knife in its sheath but suddenly he put the sheath around his back blocking a wind knife. " Hahahaha it looks like you have got the hang of it but keep training when you go back, you are still far from mastering it " Zhou Hongbuo voice came as he descended from air giving Nero a water bottle.Nero took off his blindfold and nodded at Zhou Hongbuo's advice showing that he understood.
Nero and Zhou Hongbuo were now laying down on the island enjoying the cool breeze coming from the lake surrounding them. " Grandpa Zhou how did you get the idea of using solidified Air as your spare hand " Nero sat up and asked Zhou Hongbuo in curiosity. " If you are thinking that having an air hand was my idea then you are very wrong Nero " Zhou Hongbuo also sat up and replied looking at his hand.
" After losing my hand i spent eight years using only my one hand. It was your mother who first made a space energy hand for me when we first met. I still remember what she said to me at that time. ' The power we have can bring both destruction and happiness if we know the right way to use it ' that's how i started using an air solidified hand " Zhou Hongbuo looked up at the sky as he explained the origin of his hand.
Nero was fascinated hearing what his mother told Zhou Hongbuo as he never thought about his power that way ' Perhaps..'. " Well you should get ready we are going to meet your Aunt Yaozhu in 1 hour" Zhou Hongbuo voice brought Nero out of his thoughts.
__________________________________________________________
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT