The First Peak of the Force

by Yuri Ajin

  The Heavenly Throne

  The First Peak of the Force

  Yuri Ajin

  Lit Orange

  Copyright © 2019 Yuri Ajin

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Introduced by Lit Orange

  Translated by Nevena Markovich

  Edited by Sanja Gajin

  The Heavenly Throne 3

  The First Peak of the Force

  Those who follow the noble art of cultivation know that there’s no place for evil in their craft and that all that matters is reaching the Heavens. But to do that, one must unlock their Force.

  The Fallen Star Sect’s expedition to the mysterious cave ended in tragedy: hundreds of their most talented students lost their lives in the dark tunnels. No less horrible was the fate of those who had found themselves at the imperial palace at the time.

  Nobody could’ve predicted such a turn of events.

  The empire is on the brink of collapse. The moment of civil war draws nearer.

  But Kai won’t participate in any of it. That’s all behind him.

  Instead, he has set off on a new adventure that’ll lead him far east, where he’ll have to find a way to heal, become stronger, and finally find his place in this merciless and cruel world.

  Chapter 1

  THE JOURNEY ON A SKYSHIP

  The skyship Kai and his friends had embarked on had left Rivertoon twenty-four hours ago. Moving at an incredible speed — according to the standards of Alkea’s citizens — it was now approaching the eastern border of the empire.

  Standing at the edge of the deck, Kai looked down at the sea of snow-white clouds stretching before him. What altitude had they reached? Since he had once lived on Earth, a planet with advanced technology, it was easier for him to accept the existence of flying ships than it was for most of the other passengers. This was probably the reason why so many of them chose to stay in their cabins. He couldn’t blame them; even someone at the Exorcist Stage would hardly be able to do something in case they fell from such a height.

  The ship carrying them was by no means a passenger ship. There were basically no residential cabins. Five hundred people (not counting the members of the clan) were settled in spacious compartments, clearly not intended for accommodations. Fortunately, the members of the Wayat family had not gotten separated.

  There were no beds or any other furniture. There weren’t even any windows, and the only light source was an artifact that provided them with a sickly-pale glow. Those who had strengthened their minds or at least their bodies could relatively easily stay in such a room for weeks. But the same couldn’t be said for those who lived ordinary lives. Especially children. And the fact that there were only two bathrooms on the ship caused quite a stir among the passengers.

  On the bright side, there weren’t many people who hadn’t reached at least the Muscle Endurance level. After fully strengthening their bodies, they practically didn’t need to wash and relieve themselves. Energy dissolved any food in their stomachs and cleansed their skin. Consequently, their clothes got less dirty.

  Turning his head, Kai saw three dark dots in the distance. Those were other ships on the same course, but many miles apart. Even with his upgraded vision, he still couldn’t even make out the outlines of the nearest one.

  I wonder how they communicate with each other, he thought. And if they communicate at all...

  Protected by the barrier the ship was enveloped in, he could continue to admire the beauties of the world from above without having to worry about low atmospheric pressure or violent gusts of wind. These barriers, he remembered, were a common thing on skyships and were powered by Wind Forces.

  More wondrous than this were the three Heavenly Cores that allowed the ship to fly. These were also Gold-rank artifacts, only much more valuable than the barrier one because they contained the symbolic techniques of the Space Force.

  As with everything else, he had learned about them from the instructions given to the passengers. Although it remained a mystery to him why it was necessary for them to know any of this. Still, to him, it proved quite useful, as this was the first time he had heard about such Forces. They were probably incredibly complex since only the head of the expedition and the official ambassador of the Thunder Serpent Clan, an initial-level Elementalist, knew about them.

  “The sky’s beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice behind him asked.

  Kai flinched in surprise, turned around sharply, and came face-to-face with a short-haired man of about fifty. There was no aura emanating from him, so Kai took him for an ordinary man. That also explained why he was unable to sense his presence in advance. Though he couldn’t understand why his improved hearing didn’t pick up the stranger’s footsteps.

  He’s not from Alkea. Is he a clan member? he wondered, eyeing the man’s dark blue robes with embroidery depicting a snake shooting lightning out of its mouth.

  “Yeah, it is,” he replied.

  “Look ahead.” The stranger nodded to the east, where the ship was heading.

  With a shrug, Kai did as he was asked. Looking into the distance, he saw huge, dark clouds. However, as the ship came closer to them, it became clear that what he was looking at weren’t clouds, but a mountain range stretching all the way from north to south and extending far beyond the horizon. It was not only its length that was striking, but also its height.

  “See the bluish glow, young man? That’s the Azure Ridge. It separates your country from the rest of the world. Without the help of the Elementalists, even ships like this one wouldn’t be able to fly over these mountains. And flying all the way around them is too expensive. Frankly, if it weren’t for Jiang Dao, I doubt that any clan would’ve chosen to undertake this journey.”

  “Jiang Dao?”

  “The man who attacked your country.”

  On his own? Or did he orchestrate all this? Kai was surprised, but he tried to hide his amazement. But no one saw any ships that day. He had to have been alone... What kind of power does this Jiang Dao possess? Just how strong are the Elementalists?

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “I’m not really sure, to tell you the truth. I just wanted to talk, I suppose. There aren’t many people around, as you can see,” the man said calmly. “But, I think I’ve bothered you enough, young man. Have a good day.”

  Clasping his palms behind his back, the stranger slowly walked to the door that led inside the ship. And no matter how hard Kai tried, he still didn’t manage to hear the man’s footsteps.

  “Who is he?” he muttered to himself as he stared at him leave.

  A passing crew member overheard his question.

  “…you really have no clue to whom you were just talking?” he asked.

  Kai turned to him and shook his head.

  “Seriously?! You were chatting with the clan’s ambassador himself!”

  “What?” Kai asked in confusion. “But...”

  “His aura?” Grinning, the man interrupted him. “He’s an Elementalist! They know how to hide them. Or did you really think that an ordinary person could be a part of the crew?” The man suddenly turned his head as if something had attracted his attention. “It seems they’re approaching. You’d better go inside now. It might become dangerous here soon.”

  Having said that, he left in a hurry. Looking toward the horizon, Kai sa
w the second ship of the Thunder Serpent Clan approaching them very quickly. But before the two ships collided, the other one slowed down and continued to fly next to theirs. Kai felt a powerful force spreading everywhere, enveloping both ships. The next moment, both vessels shook noticeably, after which they began rising sharply.

  “Fuck!” he swore, noticing the dome thinning. He could feel the wind begin to blow on the deck.

  Without wasting a second, he hurried to hide inside the ship. They appeared to have started crossing the Azure Ridge.

  ***

  Having learned that their trip would last more than four months, Kai decided to use this time as best as possible. Not so long ago, he’d reached a new level and learned a lot of new Forces. Now he needed to put all of that knowledge together and create a solid foundation for his further development. To do that, he needed to meditate and cultivate.

  He also learned why it was important to open all the acupuncture points. Sooner or later, he’d reach Spinal Cord Endurance and then Brain Endurance levels. After that, the moment would come for him to strengthen his soul — as soon as he found the necessary Spirit Fruit.

  According to Rune’Tan, the total number of soul nodes and open acupuncture points directly affected the quality of one’s cultivating, as well as the possibility of further progress. For example, the smallest number of points needed to reach the Soul Stage was two hundred and seventy, which corresponded to forty-five soul nodes. If you opened less than that, it’d bring your development to a halt by permanently blocking the points and nodes. To put it mildly, you had only one attempt to get it right; otherwise, you risked remaining at the Mind Stage forever.

  With only two hundred and seventy points opened, you had the weakest possible foundation and the smallest number of possible improvements. In addition, you wouldn’t be able to go past the last level of the Soul Stage. But if the number of points reached three hundred, then your limit would be the final level of the Exorcist Stage. To reach its peak, you needed thirty more points. With this in mind, Kai concluded that Grandmaster Mayo Zu and Emperor Sigurd had to have known that there were more than three hundred points in one’s body, but decided not to share this information for some reason.

  If one managed to open all three hundred and sixty points, both their body and mind would reach their peak and they’d be considered true cultivators. That was the only way to become an Elementalist.

  However, there was another problem besides misinformation about the true number of points, and that was the complexity of the process.

  First, you needed a meditation technique that explained how to open the acupuncture points and untie the nodes. Without it, there was no way to reach the Exorcist Stage.

  Second, one Spirit Fruit, even if it was Gold rank, wouldn’t be enough. You’d need many more sources of energy

  Third, this process was as dangerous as it was long. If someone interfered with the practitioner during their cultivation, the whole process would fail.

  And, fourth, the points needed to not only be opened one after another, but also kept active until the process was completed, which meant there’d be an increase in difficulty with each new point.

  All of this had to be reached within a certain time period. If one failed to meet all the requirements until then, well, that’d be the end of the road.

  Therefore, reaching the Opening of the Acupuncture Points level was a crucial transition, on which the future achievements of the cultivator depended. Not to mention that it was a very important test of one’s strength and character.

  With all this in mind, Kai would need to carefully prepare for his transition.

  If he did that, there was no doubt he’d manage to heal his damaged nodes.

  Chapter 2

  LOWLANDS, NAMESH

  The ships continued their journey over different lands and countries. They flew over seas, vast forests, and even a desert. Finally, after eighteen weeks and three days, they reached their destination.

  Climbing onto the deck with the other passengers, Kai watched the ship descend, approaching a huge city. In size, it was a couple of times larger than the capital of Alkea. Not far from the center towered several dozen buildings, to which twenty-five other skyships had already moored. It was a sky port, and all the ships were heading there, carrying passengers from one very distant and little-known empire.

  “Well, here we are. We’re now in the Lowlands, and this is the city of our clan, Namesh,” announced the woman in charge of the passengers.

  “Where are the other two ships?” Lily asked.

  “The Flame Salamanders have their own city.”

  For about twenty minutes, the passengers who got out on the deck watched the huge skyship be moored to a special tower. Having lowered the platform, the crew prepared to disembark.

  “The barrier will be removed soon,” the woman announced. “Prepare yourselves.”

  “For what?” someone asked. “We aren’t that high―”

  There was a strange sound, like a soap bubble bursting. As soon as the barrier and gravity artifacts were deactivated, prana immediately poured inside, making it difficult for many residents of Alkea to breathe. Even Kai was affected. He couldn’t catch his breath for a few seconds.

  This place... The Lowlands were full of prana. The power here was at least fifteen times denser than in their empire. Their bodies weren’t ready for such a sudden change. Even the energy spectrum was different. Kai used to see everything as if through a thin layer of purple fog, but now it was as if he were underwater.

  “What’s happening?” Julie asked worriedly, looking at everyone in confusion, while the crew members, born and raised in such conditions, laughed at them.

  As Kai started to get used to it, he glanced at his sister.

  I hope she’s okay… She has never dealt with energy, so she’s probably unaware of the local density of prana, he thought. I suppose that those at the Soul Stage have it worst. It must be difficult for Lily as well. With her level of sensitivity, she’s probably sick to her stomach.

  After reassuring Julie that everything was alright and explaining to her that this was only a temporary reaction to an unfamiliar environment, Kai went with her to the platform. He was still adjusting to the atmosphere.

  It feels like I’m covered in something sticky… The density makes it harder for me to withdraw ki from my body. In Alkea, I could send sword energy seven hundred feet far, but here, the best I can do is probably hundred and fifty. Everyone looks a bit out of it. But have we really become weaker? We’re probably just used to different conditions... he concluded. But there are certain advantages to this place... I can only imagine how much easier it is to develop here… The air alone is a replacement for the Tiny and Small Energy Crystals. People here — and probably monsters too — must reach new levels and stages faster than we do. And if this energy affects monsters, I’m pretty sure that it has the same effect on rare plants that grow here, too, as well as people’s talents. It’s no wonder that their martial artists are so strong, then...

  Having gone down the ramp, Kai waited for Lily and Ash, and almost gasped in surprise when he saw them. Ash must’ve been working hard on his development during their journey as he was already at the Spinal Cord Endurance level. Although deprived of talent and resources, he worked harder than anyone, literally torturing himself just so he wouldn’t stay far behind Lily and Kai.

  After all the passengers had disembarked, they were greeted by one of the clan members, a rather polite and pleasant man, and led to an array-based elevator. When nearly a thousand people entered the city, several more members of the clan approached the elevators to welcome them. They had been given information about the guests long before their arrival so families who were going to become vassals were already separated from the potential clan members.

  Kai was given information about where to spend the night. He was also told that he should be at the main square tomorrow before dawn. And since he had free time, he decided t
o accompany the Wayats to their lodgings. After all, Julie had to stay with them, and he wanted to know where he could find her in case of an emergency.

  It took them almost three hours to get to the southern part of the city. While three hundred people were being shown their temporary lodgings, another representative of the clan gathered all of the senior members of the families and had them sign a special contract in which it was stated that their families would become vassals to the Thunder Serpent Clan. In the near future, they’d be relocated to the edge of Namesh, not far from the special zones where they grew rare herbs. There, they’d be provided with all the commodities and, of course, work.

  While negotiations were going on, Kai, Julie, Lily, and Ash decided to take a walk around the city.

  Namesh looked lively, beautiful, and very expensive. The locals were polite and welcoming, and it was difficult to find ordinary people among them. There were Exorcists on practically every corner. The group got the impression that the local craftsmen had advanced much further than their colleagues from Alkea. In general, everything emphasized how advanced Namesh was...

  Stumbling into one of the market streets, Kai, attracted by the miscellaneous goods displayed on the stalls, couldn’t just walk past. After a few minutes, all of their glances (except for Julie’s) were sliding across the shop windows and vendor stalls. Peak-quality, Silver-rank items were being sold at every corner, and the choice was enormous. Rarely, a low-quality, Gold-rank item could be found here too.

  However, Imperial coins weren’t accepted here and they knew nothing about the local currency. So, they decided to go to an alchemy shop to inquire about it.

  The bell at the entrance rang as the door swung open. Hearing its faint chime, which announced the arrival of visitors, the smiling salesman turned around. One professional glance at the cheap clothes of his customers was enough to sour his mood.