To Walk The Mist 66 Entering the Astral roots

By the time Ed emerged from his cave, the entire great spill was in chaos. He was alerted to come out from training as all will be entering the astral roots today. Looking at the rushed nature of cultivators, Ed frowned. According to Ku Nam, they still had some time before the Astral roots opened. They would at least enter the battleground once more before astral roots open. Why was it opening ahead of schedule?

He was not the only one worried, out the great spills in the cities, the guests from outside the demon lands were frowning too. How could the roots open before schedule? The doorway to the great spill was not crowded before time, as many made camp outside, sat and waited for the cultivators to emerge from the astral roots. The inns near the entrance were filled too. In one of the rooms in an inn with a direct view of the great spill door way, sat Tie Nse, Old Iba and a young man. The young man sat by the corner quietly while, the other two watched the crowd by the great spill doorway from their window.

"What are the odds that the astral roots open ahead of time time while your disciple is inside?" Old Iba asked.

"It may not be his fault." Tie Nse picked on his nails leisurely.

"Do you really believe that? With his capabilities, you should expect everything."

"True. But that place is not simple either. All that is known of that place is the myth." Tie Nse said.

"Godeaters? Is it even possible?" Old Iba asked.

"Who knows?"

"Still, your disciple could still be responsible for this. After all, he too is basically a myth." Old Iba said.

"Still, we have to wait till he comes out to find out. Using that pill you made will have to wait till he comes out." Tie Nse said.

"Who would have thought he would join the fight for treasures too." Old Iba asked.

"Him? That boy does not care for treasures. Now that I think about it, I don't know what he wants." Tie Nse said thoughtfully.

"What kind of master are you? If you don't even know what he wants, how can you help him reach his goal?" Old Iba mocked.

"The boy barely talks. When he comes, you ask him yourself." Tie Nse scuffed.

Back in the great spill, Ed joined the rest of the cultivators as they moved towards the same direction. It took a while of running before they entered a large pavilion. Ed entered and noticed that the pavilion seemed as though it was endlessly long. Many continued to run yet the pavilion continued. He noticed that the floor tilted slightly, almost as though they were slowly running underground. Soon, they all stood before a large pond. He was now sure they were underground, as they air smelled of earth and the light from outside did not reach them. On the other side of the pond stood seven people. This must be the elusive council, as he recognized the first section elder at the middle. They waited as many continued to arrive. They all looked down at the pale pink liquid in the pond.

"The astral roots have opened. You step into a world completely different from our own. The rules you must comply, different to ours. You go for glory, you go alone." the first elder said, looking round the crowd. Determination filled their eyes as they heard her say, "Enter." some hesitated, but other jumped in immediately. Soon, many were jumping into the pond.

Ed decided to wait till many had entered, before going through. He was not sure what was beyond the pink liquid, so he took his time. After he jumped in, he was first worried about breathing, but discovered that there was no liquid on the other side. He had passed through the pink liquid as though it was a barrier. On the other side was a large round hall. He noticed that there were more people than were inside the great spill. He figured they were from the other great spills. Ignoring the people around him, he looked round the hall.

The walls of the hall were not walls at all; they had round passage ways and Ed was not the only to notice it. The thought of trying out a passage way crossed his mind, before an energy swept by like a wave and picked up spirit picking cultivators. Ed suddenly found himself elevated into the air then drawn into a passage way. It happened so quickly, he suddenly found himself as well as other spirit picking cultivators in another hall. This hall was much different from the first. The walls had not passage way and it seemed to sing a hum that vibrated through his body.

"You came." he heard in his heard and spun round looking for the person who spoke.

"Who?.." he started to ask.

"Come." the voice said and Ed immediately felt disoriented. The hall seemed to spin and his vision went dark.

"Wake up." the voice came again.

"Who are you?" Ed asked.

"Quest taker, you are a long way from home." the voice said.

"How do you know that name?"

"The Yhenxia sword sings through the blood of a quest taker. Your blood found it's way here from one of my ponds."

"Your ponds? You are the Godeater of myth?" Ed felt his heart rate increase.

"He has long been gone. I am the spirit of the astral roots. The residual energy he left behind here over years formed me."

"You know I am a quest taker. Then you know I must return home. Do you know the way?"

"I am beyond time, beyond space. I am." his words did nothing to clear Ed's anxiety.

"Then you know how I can leave the mist?"

"Some millennia from now, when I further transcend to have a form. When is protect the Emperor's shed. A certain young boy leaves me a request; a message for you."

"What?" Ed frowned. He had always known that The Mist was woven between many time lines and places, but had never found a time that intersected with his original home. Is it possible this spirit knew how to cross it?

"He said; 'boy, I have found the pods of being. I have left it for you in the Valley of memory.'" the way these words were said were quite familiar.

"Who was he? This valley of memories, is it my way home?" Ed asked.

"The valley of memory is back home." the voice said and Ed sent out a growl in frustration.

"So you bring be here for something that makes no sense."

"This boy went to a lot of trouble to bring you this message. I am told it will be of use to you in the future."

"Your message aside, you must pay your dues."

"What?"

"He paid to have the message sent to you. You must pay for receiving it." Ed had a bad feeling about this.

"A quest taker can upgrade my consciousness beyond my years. Since you have come, don't leave." Ed suddenly felt a wave descend on him. This was a trap. Who ever sent that message knew he would enter the astral roots at this time. Therefore, this spirit also knew he was coming. An opportunity to absorb Ed, a quest taker, was one the spirit could not pass up.

Ed crashed to the ground, spiting out a mouthful of blood. This spirit was far more powerful than he was. Dread coursed through his veins. He was going to die here. He pried open his eye to see a black and white face imprinted in the second wave crashing down. It felt like he had just been hit by ten thousand seas.

"A young inexperienced quest taker, is a quest taker never the less." the spirit said. Ed pulled the Yhenxia sword swiftly out of his space the moment the pressure lifted slightly.

He coursed some of his energy through the sword, and it hummed through the air, then sent out a screech, which sounded excited to Ed's ears. This was the first time the sword had reacted since he had received it from that oracle.

"You... why do you have that?" the spirit retreated rapidly.

"What kind of quest taker goes around without his Yhenxia sword?" Ed sneered. He was angry now. There was no way he was letting this spirit free.

The spirit felt Ed's energy through the sword as Ed readied to swing and screamed. "What are you?!" the spirit could feel darkness like no other envelope him from Ed's sword. If that energy touched him, he would seize to exist! Pulling all his strength, the spirit winked away. It was fast, but Ed sword still grazed him before he could vanish. Ed heard his baleful scream before it vanished and anger took over him. That thing escaped after wanting to make him food? His anger seemed to resonate through the Yhenxia sword, causing it to screech louder. Ed looked up at it and noticed it's soft blue glow; the writings on the sword glowing brighter than the rest of the sword.

He could feel that the sword was excited and refused to be put back in. it's screeching resonated through the astral roots, it was almost as though it was calling out to something. Ed was too curious to put it back in. the sword responded for the first time, he wanted to know what it was up to. He wanted to understand it.

Unknown to him, this screeching was heard through out the astral roots, causing all the treasures to misbehave. All hell had broken loose in the astral roots.

Chapter end