Nine Paths of Asura-Original Wuxia

Chapter 125 Star Stream Lake Pt.14:Breaking Free!

Hi guys. It's been a bit of a rough time for me since the holidays. Been on a plane, bus, or car for most of it, friend broke his collarbone on the first run down the mountain had to drive him to the hospital and stuff. Having a lot of problems with my housing and job and have no time to really do anything except eat sleep and work at the moment. But I've blocked out all of Saturday for writing so there's that. Hope the holiday festivities went well!

*******************************

Shhhhhhhhhh...

The fearsome wind continued to howl around Lineir as he walked inevitably forwards. Though the trial did not state any goal except survive and he could have just as easily stood still or even sat down to meditate, he felt better mentally when he was walking. At least it gave him the impression that he was moving towards something rather than simply enduring. Humans after all prefer to feel that they are pursuing a goal, if one was left in a poor condition with nothing else to do, that would be the worst kind of torture for many.

"Can't...stay...awake..." Lineir's consciousness itself had begun to slow down. This was the beginning of the end for those who suffered from hypothermia. Lineir kept his flame Qi constantly revolving around his vitals, mind, and ribcage preserving an extremely small amount of their function. His heartbeat slowed yet continued to pulse at the same strength regardless of the rate. His thoughts likewise began to freeze like water congealing into solid ice. The river of his consciousness seemed to freeze on the outside, but on the inside continued to slowly pulse and flow.

"Ha ha ha....I....just...need...to....never...stop..." He said in his mind, not daring to open his mouth and let the cold in. Tiny ice crystals covered his skin as the tiny moisture in his cells froze as well and over time he realized that with the exception of his legs which were constantly walking forward, everything else was frozen and incapable of movement! His joints had become harder than steel, his muscles more inflexible than brittle diamond. The blood in his veins tried to flow back to his chest and protect his vital organs, but froze midway. The functions of a mortal ceased and soon the only thing keeping him alive was the cultivator way. Pure Qi nourished him and forcefully kept him "alive". However, if it wasn't for the fact that he was still inexorably walking...there were no signs of life! He might as well be an ice sculpture gracefully capturing the end of one's struggle against the elements.

"I....need....to.....FOCUS! I..haven't..finished..what..needs..to..be..done..!" He thought. At this point it was too late for him to realize that he had made a fatal mistake. At this point he did not even remember that he wasn't really trying to beat this trial! At this point he didn't even remember he was in a trial! His thoughts had reduced to their base function. To the very core of him. His entire essence was focused on survival. As the chill finally penetrated his legs,

"I...can't...go...down...have...to...protect...sister...and...master..." He thought and his frozen legs began to creep forward slightly again. However, after that brief effort the pain of moving managed to sear its way through frozen nerves and he stumbled. Even the thoughts of protecting others began to leave his body as its primal urge to survive erased everything else. This was the natural urge of any mortal body. It wished to survive no matter what the mind thought the body was king! 

"SURVIVE!!! I need to SURVI---!" Lineir's mind faded away from his body as the cold invaded his body.

********

"Mmmmm...I don't believe this kid's talent. It's been more than a day since that kid entered the Second Trial. Even the greatest disciples of the old Ice Elemental Sect never lasted past 3 hours. I need to see this!" The Estate Spirit finally decided to see what was going on in the Trial, but was shocked at what he saw! A frozen figure, blackened by frost and death stood tall amidst a swirling blizzard. 

"Did he die? How can this be? Why would he let the cold invade his body? Any ice cultivator should have been able to sense that that would be suicide! Unless he isn't an ice cultivator and didn't know this was True Hoarfrost, one of the 36 True Winds. **** I need to save him before he dies or all my waiting will have been for nothing!" The Estate Spirit reached in to the snowy Pocket Dimension and clasped his hands around Lineir's inert form. However as he did, he noticed something exceptional.

"He's still walking??!!" The Estate Spirit continued to retrieve Lineir, now absolutely sure that such an excellent talent was still alive after 12 hours in the Second Trial! He had to save his life! However, as his giant phantasmal hands came into contact with Lineir's body there was a change.

Crack....

Lineir's frozen face began to experience a split, like a valley forming amidst a rocky mountain face. Shards of ice as well as the large amount of snow which had lodged on top of his head and over his shoulders fell off and were carried away in the ever present wind. A great red bubble of some strange aura formed around Lineir like a shield against the wind. Even the giant hand of the Estate Spirit was forced back. 

"He's breaking through to the Divine Realm? In this state? He's mad!!" The Estate Spirit was shocked as the red bubble expanded and eroded his hand made of Qi! He quickly withdrew his hand but he could sense he had actually suffered damage simply from  being in the presence of this bubble.

"It's a Domain. But how can it erode my hands which were personally formed by the Estate Lord? In this place I should be invincible to anyone under the level of the old elders. How can he harm me with a mere Domain!?" Soon however, the Estate Spirit only grew more shocked.

KACHA!!

The bubble of red expanded so far into the swirling snow that it pierced the edges of the Pocket Dimension. With a great noise the entire Pocket Dimension shattered and Lineir's body was returned into the monastery like courtyard.

From the clear sky lightning came which would terrify Gods and suppress Devils! Now that Lineir had reentered the Higher Realms, the suppression of the Heavens had returned!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!