Ashes Of Heaven Book 1 : Solar Calamity

The materials used in crafting the top floor proved to be more than just exquisite, because it took six 'Shooting Star Smashes' from Tun Shi Tian to fully break down the glass window. The bird put his heart and soul into the attacks, hooting as loudly as an owl could.

By the fifth smash, the tower was awake, and many unknown, older faces popped open windows on various floors to take a look at this daring miscreant. These men and women were presumably the Elders of Stardust Sect. By the time Tun Shi Tian executed his sixth smash right under their wide eyes, some of them, the quicker ones, were ready to teach Han Xuhan and his minion a harsh lesson. One of them made a grabbing gesture at Tun Shi Tian and the owl suddenly disappeared from the top of the tower, materializing inside the man's grasp.

Down below on the disc-shaped floor, Han Xuhan and Ning Xueshi were surrounded by a mob of seniors who looked furious and intrigued at the same time. Questions and aggression came hand-in-hand at Xuhan.

"Does this boy not know about the rules of invasion? Why is he attacking our tower?"

"This kid... Did he think attacking the living quarters of the Elders is permitted?"

"Hey, lad! Do you know how much that window costs? We can lawfully keep you here for ransom, you know?"

"Child, which sect do you hail from?" One of the older Elders stepped forward before everyone and cast an oppressive shadow over Xuhan. This was a move borne of experience and caution, because they were probably under the Impression that someone so gutsy would be a disciple of a powerful sect, in which case they could not dish out too severe a punishment.

So Han Xuhan simply ignored the question. Even as his heart beat like a drum, he kept his face placid and spoke coldly.

"Don't block my way. I have a message for the person inside."

The old man did a great job at suppressing his rising fury. "And what message might this be?" he asked, chewing on each word. "Are you not aware that our sect master is in a critical phase of his cultivation? He's not seeing outsiders. We Elders are responsible for his safety and the decisions of the sect."

Han Xuhan put his calm gaze on the Elder's eyes, trying to generate as much apathy as possible on his countenance.

"That reply didn't stop my master, now, did it? No reason for it to stop me," he said. The confusion his reply created was evident on everyone's face. Even Ning Xueshi, standing beside him in a meek posture, turned to look at him, bewildered.

"Who is your master?" The old man voiced the question that had formed in everyone's mind.

"Who my master is... is not something you're qualified to know. Perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse of him, perhaps not. Those among you who are powerful enough probably should have come across a black silhouette here a couple of times. Hell, Master Mo was messing around on your sect even two days ago."

"Who?"

"What happened two days ago?"

"What is this boy talking about?"

"Mr Mo... doesn't quite sound familiar."

Such responses stirred up a clamor inside the crowd of Elders. Almost all of them looked confused... almost.

The senior Elder whose aura had been pressing down on Xuhan from all sides suddenly took a step back, and his hands, which he had held behind him in a domineering fashion until now, quickly came in front of him to form a polite salute. His overbearing countenance disappeared, replaced by an ingratiating look as he beckoned Han Xuhan inside.

"Oh, ho, ho, so it's the disciple of Senior Mo! No wonder, no wonder! Only he could teach a disciple like you, so outstanding that even I cannot fathom your cultivation! In fact, I couldn’t even sense any aura of cultivation on you! Quite remarkable, indeed. Just like your teacher!"

"...." Han Xuhan deemed it better not to speak here. There was no need to explain that senior Mo's method of hiding his cultivation was vastly different from his 'method' of hiding his cultivation. Senior Mo must have put a lot of time and effort into his cloaking ability. But for Xuhan... he didn't need to hide what he didn't have.

As he silently stepped forward to enter the tower, he felt his body freeze up, as if someone had restrained his muscles with telekinesis. A voice came from behind, revealing the culprit.

"Elder Tong, I believe some of us would appreciate an explanation. Who the hell is this Senior Mo? Even if he's the ancestor of a top sect, how could he be allowed to enter? Let alone his disciple-"

"Elder Meng," The old man interrupted him midway. "It's not that we allowed Senior Mo to enter, but that Senior Mo allowed us to sense him when he felt like entering the sect master's cultivation chamber."

The sheer expression of helplessness coating that explanation stunned the complaining Elder. His telekinetic grip on Han Xuhan slowly loosened up. Smiling coldly, Han Xuhan stepped forward again, but his foot was forced to stop once more right at the grand doorsill.

"How can we verify that this Elder Mo, or whoever this kid is, has good intentions? They could very well be elusive demonic cultivators. Just because they are more powerful, it doesn’t mean we must lower our heads and let them treat our sect like their backyard!"

This time, before Elder Tong could speak in his defense, Han Xuhan turned around and faced the woman who had stopped him.

"What is this esteemed Elder's name?"

"I am Xue Hua. May I know which sect you represent?" She asked, refusing to back down.

Han Xuhan stared at her for a moment before replying. "Elder Hua, I represent a sect of demonic cultivators. We specialize in a certain art called Soul-Shattering Puppet Refinement technique. Some of you have heard of it, I'm sure."

"...."

Silence. Absolute, deafening silence. Every heartbeat in the floating island seemed to stop for a moment. Eyes gradually widened, pupils shrinking, as the weight of his confession set in. A wave of indignant fury overtook the crowd of Elders.

"Wretch, how dare you?"

"A demonic cultivator! Catch him alive!"

"Seal off the island!"

"Block every subspace gateway!"

The very air around the gargantuan white tower recoiled as energy, qi, light, and sound, all erupted in a frenzied tsunami, their focus on one target standing at the door of the tower. Time seemed to slow down for Han Xuhan. Contrary to what these Elders must have expected, he did not move a muscle. In fact, he wasn’t even paying attention to the onslaught of attacks headed his way.

His eyes were on a certain portion of the crowd, smiling at the anger on some Elders' faces. This anger was not born out of indignation, but from terror.

He, Han Xuhan, was no longer an existence anyone here could lay a finger on.