As always, thank you to all who read and vote and comment! In the New Year expect many new chapters! Current release schedule is 2-3 days!
"It should be about time." Lineir looked back into the icy darkness of the tunnels as if he could pierce through their walls with his cultivator eyes. A strange shimmer came as a piercing light was refracted through many kilometers of ice tunnels in a brilliant natural kaleidoscope.
KACHA KACHA KACHA
"Success!" Lineir crowed as the thousands of Lightning Qi charges he had sown with every step detonated as the soft monstrous beast sinew string he had left behind was caught by a careless elder.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!
Even louder but more distant explosions sounded as the larger Lightning Slashes he had carved into several key ice pillars suddenly imploded as well and several kilometers of tunnels simultaneously collapsed. A deep roar shook the land and even far away Lineir could hear it.
"BAAAAAAASSSSSSTAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRD!!!!!!!"
Lineir's face curved into a wicked grin. He had no illusions that his traps had accomplished much. Indeed, he would be surprised if there were even any casualties as most of the force pursuing him consisted of the true force of the Jin Clan, ancestors, patriarchs, and elders. It would be a complete joke if they perished to a mere cave in. However, without the tunnels to guide them Lineir's trail would be much more difficult to follow. They would have to try to track him from the surface which would obscure his tracks, or tunnel through the collapsed rubble which would be an arduous process considering a fair amount of the ice was Nine Yin True Ice! Lifting tons and tons of it would prove a painful task for even the strongest of their ranks.
"I've bought enough time with that I think. According to the general direction of this tunnel I'm not far from the waterfall room." Lineir said as he disappeared down a corner.
"Kiddo, are you planning on hiding in the Proving Grounds? It should be strong enough to easily resist this aboriginal clan." Mei asked curious. However, Lineir shook his head,
"I could hide there, but I'm not scared of the Jin Clan. Just you wait, I'll deal with them without utilizing the assistance of the Estate Spirit." He said with great fervor.
"Hahaha, I'm looking forward to it. Just remember, this is the Higher Realms kiddo. Not everything you do will always go the way you are used to. The strong are as common as clouds and the thunderstorms of Heavenly Calamities are the norm here. You will die without even leaving behind a tombstone if you are careless or just plain unlucky!" Mei warned.
Shua Shua Shua!!!
The merry trickling of babbling brooks and countless starlit streams invaded Lineir's mind once more as he shattered the peace of the perfect scene.
"It's here." He looked at the majestic and deadly shadow filled waterfall but instead of walking through, turned his gaze to the tunnel he had once came from on the advice of the Snow God's Empress.
Swoooosh!!
He vanished down it with a speed many times that which he had come through last time.
"Kiddo... isn't this the tunnel you accidentally collapsed? Why are you going this way? It's completely flooded! Even if you have technically entered the realm of the Divine, those serpents are not something anyone below the Celestial level would be able to comfortably deal with in the water! Even those ancestors chasing you would just be fish food...!" Mei's voice trailed off as she suddenly had a sneaking suspicion about this eccentric disciple of hers.
"Don't tell me you're going to...?" She said and Lineir nodded.
"Just watch the show master. Of course, I'll require your assistance to control the black blade when the time comes."
"Hahaha, my one and only disciple already planning to slay those of the Divine Way. Who would have thought the scrawny boy I picked up would turn into a bloodthirsty warrior who would recklessly slay those who could be considered gods. I will assist as always, I can't say no to a good bloodbath. What would you do without me kiddo?" Mei joked. This was all purely symbolic banter. Even if Mei didn't help Lineir, he could probably control the black blade with his own knowledge of the path of Madness at this point.
Tac Tac Tac
Lineir's feet crunched to a stop on the clear ice. In front of him, the tunnel dipped down into a murky wet pool. His Divine Sense was unable to penetrate it but his Madness Eyes could already detect faint red outlines of unseen dangers. This pool contained horrors and led to a far deeper body of water underground.
"Based on what I can sense with my Madness Eyes and my memories, if I'm right, than straight ahead is the tunnel I once came from and that will lead to a certain place in the mountains. However, slightly to the left, is the direction of Starstream Lake. I dare not traverse under the water but if I go up the Jin Clan will probably detect me at some point or another." Lineir mused as he hefted his blade. He had already planned this out beforehand.
"What's it gonna be kiddo? The beasts below or the ones above?" Mei asked and Lineir replied as he held the blade pointing towards the ceiling of the tunnel and knelt down.
"The less powerful ones of course. Let the real race begin! It's a shame the Jin Clan don't know they are racing to their doom!"
SHUUUAAAAA!!!!
Lineir jumped straight up while twisting his body to spin in a circle. Arcing Lightning and bounding fire combined on his blade to form small flowing dragons as his phoenix wings propelled him into the ceiling like a drill!
SSSSSIIIIIZZZZZLE!!
The blade melted through the ice, Nine Yin's True Water or not, and Lineir rocketed through many meters of ice to the surface! As he passed through the thick layers of thousands of years of snowfall, he closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
KACHA!!!!
Breaking through a final sheet of ice, Lineir erupted out of the small man sized hole he had cut into a raging blizzard.
Shua Shua Shua~!
As the flakes swirled around his bony Phoenix Wings, he turned his head orienting himself after his spin, and blasted off towards Star Stream Lake!
*****
"Something's up, our diviners have stopped." An elder reported to the three ancestors who had come out for this manhunt. One of the ancestors was a wizened old man sporting a cane with a glowing red stone on the handle. Another maintained the appearance of a strongman, despite his white hair and clear age, he bulged with unconcealed muscle and strength beneath red armor. The last, was a man wearing a winter parka coat with a furry red ruff. About his neck was a thick red python whose eyes were like red embers. You could stare into its eyes endlessly and lose yourself in their ruby depths. It was this one that answered the elder.
"He's gone above ground hasn't he? Jisha says she detects his scent on the wind." He said as he stroked the red python. The elder was shocked but quickly remembered that this particular ancestor, Hanji Jin had once been a legendary assassin before becoming an ancestor! His tracking techniques were incredibly deep and second to none in the region, even capable of keeping up with or possibly surpassing Diviners with special compasses and tools.
"Yes, we believe he is heading to the West. We don't know where he is going though. Surely he didn't expect to avoid our detection once above ground?" The elder said questioningly, however Hanji Jin cut him off.
"Who knows what goes through the mind of a rogue cultivator crazy enough to attack our city gates. Jisha believes he is headed towards Star Stream Lake, we should catch up with him there. I'm interested to know what technique he used to destroy the walls of Snowfall Citadel so easily. Even the Snowgod would have struggled in such a feat, I wonder how and why a rogue cultivator could do it." The red coated man said with greed glinting in his eyes. Nowhere in his bearing was fear however. After all, Lineir had fled immediately, and was almost certainly a rogue cultivator passing through the region. As the one chasing, the Jin Clan believed themselves to stronger!
"I would like to see how you escape us..." Hanji Jin said. "I wonder...if you're related to that detestable Snow God!"