Earth's Core 066

Eden Formation’s princ.i.p.al frowned at Zax’s threat. “Don’t overreach, boy, accept my invitation. Let’s go to my office”.

“Fifty seconds!” Zax growled. Reminiscing over the scar on Anet’s back, it was not about killing Binjo and his brother anymore, he wanted to inflict pain on all who should have taken responsibility instead of letting Anet suffer at home.

“Princ.i.p.al Ram, is that truly a human boy?” The vice princ.i.p.al asked behind her back. With the appearance of the school’s head and the short time that pa.s.sed he managed to hone himself up to the frightening killing intent. He felt it, he was wary of it, but he rose up with his pride as a Core Master of Eden Formation.

“Vice princ.i.p.al Mizuri, this one is very special. My Soul Sense detected his level of cultivation… this boy’s Qi channels are clogged, but his body fitness level is even superior to my own!”

“You are saying…”

“This boy is following a bodily refinement technique!”

As the school princ.i.p.al and vice princ.i.p.al of the number one first rate Martial school, Eden Formation, regardless of their level of cultivation, the two knew perfectly well what sort of rarity are bodily refinement techniques and how formidable the pract.i.tioners that train in them.

For one to suddenly come by their school, moreover a child, was an unprecedented opportunity to roll in a legendary refinement technique and put themselves ahead of the other two number one first rate schools of Tongguo and s.h.i.+tou!

Who the boy was, currently was not on their mind, how to appease him without losing face and the support of the Derneldar family at the same time was the school princ.i.p.al’s and vice princ.i.p.al’s main struggle.

“Let’s have it your way”, the school princ.i.p.al said and Zax curiously halted counting mid way to forty. “Your grudge is with a Derneldar family member. Say that you get your hands on him, do you know what will happen next even if our school let it slide? The Derneldar family will seek revenge on you, sending their top experts to kill you. And if those experts won’t be enough, sooner or later, you’ll ignite the wrath of the Derneldar founder…” The school princ.i.p.al’s eyes narrowed. “To get to my point let me first ask, are you the Tal of a Mor or the apprentice of a Master?” With that question not only could the school princ.i.p.al deduce if Zax had a human or a beast behind his back, she could also discern which bodily cultivation technique he followed.

Of the three recognized bodily refinement techniques in New Earth, two originated in Valgarel and one in Kingdom Earth. If Zax was taught by a Tal, than the school princ.i.p.al would be able to tell right away his background, which in this case the Derneldar family and founder will be powerless against his Mor. But if Zax was taught by a Master, although the school princ.i.p.al would not be able to tell which exactly bodily refinement technique he follows, the Derneldar family could act according to their whim and with no concern. The reason for that was an agreement between Kingdom Earth and Valgarel that any expert in the second realm of cultivation is forbidden from harming a core family or a core tribe in the other species’ territory. With this, the balance of powers can remain intact and if it would be shaken by a member of the same species, the other would not be blamed.

“Forty seconds, I am an apprentice of a Master”. Zax answered, oblivious to the repercussions of his response.

The school princ.i.p.al sighed. Although it will hurt the reputation of the school if a student would be a.s.saulted on school’s ground and even more so, by a non school’s personal, she could still find an angle to work around it if behind the youth that barged into her school was that bodily cultivator of Kingdom Earth…

“Then allow me to proceed to my point”, the school princ.i.p.al said mildly. “If the founder of the Derneldar family will come after you, other than running to your Master, you’ll be powerless to do anything else. And if you have bonds in Kingdom Earth, they would bear the consequences of your doings”.

“Hmph…” Zax snorted in disdain.

It’s true that against Core Masters above the first level he will not stand a chance, but how many of them were in New Earth? Even if the founder of the Derneldar family was in the second level, Zax was confidence that if he will implement the Kinetic Force competently, then he would not need to break through the sixth gate of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement to contend against Core Masters in the second level.

Although at the moment Zax did not care, if calamity will befall on him, it would only be in the form of a Core Master in the third level.

“Why are you so sure that I can’t handle the Derneldar founder?” Zax shot back.

A small smile adorned the bright face of the school princ.i.p.al. “That is simple, he and I both equal in terms of cultivation, and you are weaker than me”. She said.

‘Weaker? Is she…’ Zax pondered, but for Anet he was not willing to back down. “That b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Binjo, and his elder brother deserve to die! They will die by my hands and anyone who’ll shelter them will not be treated lightly!” Zax bellowed. “Ten seconds!”

“I don’t want to fight with an extraordinary young talent like you, but you don’t leave me any choice!” The school princ.i.p.al said heatedly, an azure aura exploded from her body, her fine suit suddenly looking like a battle uniforms.

The students and teacher that watched from the surrounding buildings gasped. An unknown youth made their repute princ.i.p.al draw her combat spirit out! Even if their eyes could not follow, just being in the sidelines and seeing flashes was worth the school’s annual fee!

Zax saw the school princ.i.p.al of the best Martial school in El-Eden coming at him in a speed not that much inferior to his own.

Heading toward him, the school princ.i.p.al formed several hands’ signs and shapes with her mist energy. Completing the complicated formation, the aura of the school princ.i.p.al condensed around her body into a transparent azure armor ornamented with runes that elucidated the true meaning of the hands’ signs and mist’s shapes.

Zax threw a fist toward the school princ.i.p.al, his movement, his body, his rhythm in flawless unity. However, he could not summon the power of the Kinetic Force like when he practices the bodily maneuvers. Zax did not have time to think what was amiss in his execution.

The school princ.i.p.al deflected Zax’s punch; simultaneously a foreign energy entered his body.

‘A soul attack!’ Zax realized. His soul energy instantly met with the foreign power that flowed in his sea of consciousness. The two energies collided. The school princ.i.p.al soul attack was a basic infiltration to momentarily halt the opponent rather than harming him. The shock from the collision dispersed the school princ.i.p.al soul attack whilst Zax became a bit disoriented.

SLAP!

The school princ.i.p.al actually struck Zax with an opened palm instead of a fist.

SLAP!

Another slap hit his other cheek and his tongue tasted a hint of blood.

The pain brought Zax back to his senses, yet was too piercing, worse than any punch he could remember, almost as painful as the times his Master destroyed his limbs during a spar! It spread across his face like fire that burned under his skin.

Zax clenched his jaw. ‘Second level!’ He determined the level of the school princ.i.p.al.

It meant that in body fitness level she was about the same as a regular partic.i.p.ant at the sixth gate of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement. In addition to her strong body was her stronger mist energy, which alone was enough to boost her speed and strength beyond what Zax could endure. To top it all, she even used a weird formation to solidify her defense and spared him a serious soul attack.

Zax’s desire to take vengeance on Binjo and his big brother was raging in his heart and soul, but it did not obstruct clarity from his current situation. With a kick to the ground he escaped a straight palm to his face. ‘Without summoning the Kinetic Force I’ll lose terribly!’ He understood and could not allow himself to even entertain the notion. ‘I am still holding myself back!’

He reached fifty meters from the plaza of the Intermediate grade building and away from the school princ.i.p.al and turned to her. She was right behind him, fast, but not as fast. Her technique concentrated more on frontal attack and defense than speed.

“Grrr!” Zax moved his body with all his might to greet her with a kick. Nevertheless, the kinetic energy did not manifest in its purer abundant from as the Kinetic Force.

BANG!

The kick landed cleanly on the school princ.i.p.al. She was pushed back, but the armor was undamaged.

“That’s not enough, boy!” She yelled at Zax and launched herself at him.

BANG!

The school princ.i.p.al met his second kick with a kick and both of them were thrown backwards.

Zax was aware that his attacks were only prolonging the inevitable. His soul energy formed a s.h.i.+elding wall around his soul, but it was experimental means. His body throbbed after each collision with the school princ.i.p.al and he was not sure if she suffered the same.

‘Let loose! Let loose! Let loose! Let loose!’ Zax bellowed at himself.

The two clashed furiously. The expression on Zax face betrayed his state of mind, which hanged on the revenge that should be paid in Anet’s name and deserved no one but him to uphold.

On the contrary to Zax, the school princ.i.p.al kept a solid expression on her face. The youth she dealt with instigated constant wonder in her. ‘How old is he? In all of our Kingdom Earth how many of the same age and level of power can be found? There are more cultivators in the second realm than geniuses like him. How come he appears just now?!’ She wondered while also weighing how to conduct with him. ‘He seems bound on killing the Derneldar student. That child is indeed troublesome, but his family is contribution to the school is too good. How can I soothe his rage without losing the funds of the Derneldar family?’

The saying “Eating the cake while leaving it whole” was what the school princ.i.p.al strived for. Any other option was to hand over the Derneldar student and deal with his family while attracting an unprecedented talent and technique, or breaking the young talent for the sake of old relations.

The school princ.i.p.al not once considered making an enemy out of Zax, simply because of who was the founder of the school. Returning in later date to take revenge for the school’s faculty intervention? The question in itself was so redundant no one ever had the need to think up an answer.

“My offer still stands. We can end it and see how I can help you in my office”. The school princ.i.p.al said after blocking Zax’s kick.

Though the power behind his attacks was huge, he kept repeating the same move over and over. Even if he was fast and could maneuver that kick to any direction, the school princ.i.p.al by now learned what to expect and adequately react.

The fight led the two to a flat cement court far from the three grades buildings. After the last a.s.sault they were at a distance of two meters from each other and Zax was breathing heavily.

‘His kicks are getting stronger!’ The school princ.i.p.al scowled. The heated exchange reached a terrifying display of strength and instead of tiring himself, the force behind each of Zax kick was multiplying.

‘More! More! Release it all!’ Zax method to utilize the Kinetic Force was a stopgap that a gut feeling warned him of its dire implications. Nevertheless, he had no other solution.

BANG!

The strikes of the school princ.i.p.al also got feistier. To top her advantages in attack and defense, although her control of the body was not at the same level as Zax’s, her close quarters combat technique was able to counter his flow of elementary kicks and punches.

‘That’s it! Gather it!’ Little by little, Zax began to sense the Kinetic Force spurting with each movement. However, the acc.u.mulating kinetic energy was bl.u.s.terier in comparison to when it materialized while he practiced the bodily maneuvers. Consequently, it was very difficult for Zax to handle the enlivening Kinetic Force.

CRACK!

The sound resonated from Zax left arm, where he directed the current of kinetic energy. It was the sound of bones cracking, but more than that, beneath his skin, Zax’s vascular and muscles were being torn by the Kinetic Force.

With a swift throw of hand, Zax left hand sliced the air toward the school principle crossed block.

Sensing the wild fluctuations in the air, which were caused by the force that the fist carried, the school princ.i.p.al had a bad premonition. She wanted to parry the strike and respond accordingly with a palm strike to Zax’s temple to break his balance, but her experience alerted her to block with all she had!

BANG!

Just before the fist landed, the runes on the azure armor wavered and their placement on the armor changed.

Receiving the full force of the punch, the azure armor reacted differently to the impact than in the previous collisions. Zax felt his left hand sinking a few millimeters into the azure armor, but against his exaptation, it was not because he bended it or was about to break it. With the runes in different places, the armor became elastic. Its function changed solely to defend. It absorbed the impact and like the surface of a lake, the force spread in circular ripples.

“Tsk!” Zax lurched ten meters back, annoyed. Not only did he fail again to release the full power of the Kinetic Force, what little he did manage to let out nearly blew the tips of his fingers. As a result, only the nails on his left hand were missing.

‘Not enough!’ Zax clenched his left hand into a b.l.o.o.d.y, throbbing fist. He still felt the kinetic energy swirling inside of him, converging to Kinetic Force and knew that to release its full destructive potential, even if at great consequences, he has to make a sacrifice.

‘That right now was a bit dangerous’. Though her azure armor protected her, the school princ.i.p.al still was forced two steps back. ‘If it was the Ruler Is Perfect formation, the armor would have been broken by the strike… To turn a kid into such a monster, what cultivation technique, in the name of the Supreme Rulers, is he following?!’ She wanted it, she wanted him. ‘Luckily, it seems that the Ruler’s Fort formation can withstand his attack and the same move cannot be repeated multiple times’. She gauged by looking at the exhausted and injured state Zax was in, but to her surprise, the belligerent brilliance in his eyes only intensified. ‘He is coming!’

Zax kicked the ground, raising his left fist for a punch. It already acc.u.mulated most of the kinetic energy that he managed to generate and to stream it to another limb would have been too laborious and impossible after in converged to Kinetic Force.

‘One after the other they try to obstruct me… So be it!’ In his mind, Anet’s back and the manner in which she was scarred, both physically and mentally, were engraved as a constant reminder that in this world he will not find peace until Binjo and his big brother will pay with their life and anyone who will stand in his way, might as well, pay an equal price!

The school princ.i.p.al’s eyebrows tightly wrinkled. She raised her right hand, intending to block and in the moment the force behind the fist will disperse, she will call forth, once more, the Ruler Is Perfect formation and subdue the weakened Zax.

BANG!

The fist and the palm collided. Surges of kinetic energy streamed from every corner of Zax’s body to his fist and exploded as Kinetic Force. The durability of the Ruler’s Fort formation, shockingly, held up as circular ripples spread the force of the impact.

“Grrr!” Zax growled. The pain in his left arm was immeasurable. ‘Break! Break! Break! Break!’ He closed his eyes and pushed and pushed and pushed. “BREAK!!!” A discharge of Kinetic Force burst forth in great explosion.

“Princ.i.p.al Ram!” Vice princ.i.p.al Mizuri, which followed the two and watched from afar, stepped into the battle ground and caught the school princ.i.p.al which was flung away. Her azure armor Ruler’s Fort completely decimated.

“I am fine, Mizuri”. The school princ.i.p.al said and steadied herself. A long tear adorned her previously fabulous golden white suit. “So close!” She said with more admiration than astonishment. “He actually broke grandfather’s Ruler’s Fort defensive formation!” Saying so aloud, even the expression of the vice principle could not help but show commendation.

As the only two that were able to perform the formation in the whole school, they knew all too well what level of power was required in order to break it.

“But at what expense…” Vice princ.i.p.al Mizuri, turned his head to Zax and said faintly.

Zax stood exactly where he met the school princ.i.p.al, but his facial expression was ugly to behold. He looked deathly pale, his stature was barely holding on his two feet and worse of all, his left arm utterly blown into tiny pieces.