Stranger: Back Home

January 2, 3038

Xenos: "I have looked into your sister's condition. Physically, she is healthy, thanks to your first aid."

Maximo: "But, Master—"

Xenos raised his hand, cutting Maximo off. "I said physically. The problem lies with her soul. It is no longer within her body."

The revelation left Maximo and the other disciples stunned. Misaki, wide-eyed, asked, "What do you mean, Master? Are you saying such a thing as a soul truly exists?"

Maximo remained silent, allowing Xenos to explain.

Xenos: "Yes, every living being possesses a soul. For mortals, understanding this concept can be challenging. The soul, or what we call the 'True Soul,' resides within the glabella—a tiny spark that is present when a human is born.

"This spark releases energy, enabling the brain to function and giving you the essence of life. However, as you age, the energy diminishes, causing you to grow old. When it is entirely depleted, that is when natural death occurs.

"In short, the soul is essential for the body's functionality."

Maximo: "Master, are you saying my sister Emma... she doesn't have a True Soul?"

Xenos nodded solemnly. "Yes."

Maximo: "How is that possible?"

Xenos: "It is connected to your ancestors."

Maximo's rage surged, but he suppressed it, his clenched fists trembling. With controlled anger, he asked, "Master, can I save her?"

Xenos nodded, impressed by Maximo's restraint. "Yes. I suspect the Hidden Apostles of the Negative Realm are involved. They likely provided your ancestor with a soul-capturing technique. I suspect Emma isn't the only one who has suffered from this."

Kori: "Master, what is this soul-capturing technique?"

Xenos: "It is a common skill in the Negative Realm. This technique extracts the soul while leaving the physical body unharmed, preserving the soul in a vessel.

"Your sister is safe—for now."

Maximo: "What do you mean by 'for now,' Master?"

Xenos: "The soul-capturing technique is typically used to extract souls for sacrifices or to refine them into pure soul energy. What puzzles me is why they targeted your sister. If they needed souls, they could have taken those of commoners. Why her?"

Xenos paused, his gaze distant. "I conducted a divination and discovered that 11 other individuals from the 12 Hidden Families have also had their souls captured."

Kori: "Eleven others?"

Xenos: "Yes. From each family, one soul was taken. Since Emma is your sister and you are well-known, it caused a stir."

Valdir: "Master, is there something special about these 12 souls?"

Xenos: "I attempted to divine the answer, but something is obstructing my vision. However, I did see one thing clearly: the souls are destined to be sacrificed. Your sister will be sacrificed in seven Negative Realm days."

Maximo: "Seven Negative Realm days?"

Xenos: "Yes. One Negative Realm day is equivalent to a month in Earth time. This gives us seven months to act. Maximo, you must reach the peak of the Mortal Realm as soon as possible."

Maximo: "I will, Master!"

Xenos turned to the others. "Valdir, Misaki, Kori, I ask you to accompany Maximo to the Negative Realm. If you choose not to, I will not hold it against you."

Valdir, Misaki, and Kori: "No, Master. We will stand by our senior brother, through thick and thin."

Xenos nodded approvingly. Maximo looked at them, his gratitude unspoken but deeply felt.

Xenos: "Before you depart, I have a task for you. Find out which members of the other families entered a vegetative state around the same time as Emma. And Maximo, take this."

He handed Maximo a token. "This is an Outer Disciple token for your sister. A drop of her blood on this will recognize her as a disciple of our sect. This sect, created by me, is bound by providence, fate, and karma. Once she becomes a disciple, she will be under its protection. You can bring her here to live safely within the sect."

Maximo, puzzled but grateful, said, "Thank you, Master."

Xenos smiled. "A grown man crying, eh? Remember, a Master-Disciple bond is like that of a father and son. There is no need to thank me."

Maximo, Valdir, Misaki, and Kori smiled warmly at his words.

January 5, 3038

Valdir approached Xenos, his expression grim. "Master, as you said, there are 11 other individuals from the Hidden Families who fell comatose around the same time as Emma."

Xenos nodded, his gaze sharp. "Do you know how it happened?"

Valdir shook his head. "No, Master. However, of the 11, six fell into a comatose state while still within their families, while the remaining five were outside their families' protection when it occurred."

Xenos stroked his beard thoughtfully. After a moment, he conjured 11 identical tokens in his hand. Each token bore the word OUTER engraved in shimmering script. He handed them to Valdir. "If you can, bring them to the sect after making them disciples. If that's not possible, ensure they become disciples and allow them to remain with their families."

Valdir's lips curled into a determined smile. "Master, we can bring them all to the sect. None of the 11 belong to the main branches of their families, so it won't cause significant trouble."

Xenos nodded approvingly. "Good. Proceed as planned."

January 9, 3038

Kori stepped forward, her voice steady yet concerned. "Master, we've brought all 11 individuals to the sect. The males are staying in Maximo and Valdir's house, while the females are in mine and Misaki's."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "But their condition is peculiar. Their bodies are perfectly healthy, unlike Emma's."

Xenos inclined his head, his tone calm yet instructive. "That's to be expected. The soul-capturing technique is typically stealthy. It extracts the soul without leaving a trace on the physical body. In Emma's case, she resisted, which caused damage to her body."

Kori frowned, confusion evident on her face. "But Master, Emma was a mortal back then. She hadn't even begun cultivating. How could she resist something so subtle, something most people can't even sense?"

Xenos's eyes softened slightly as he explained, "It depends on the individual's soul. Some people are born with extraordinary souls. Emma is one of them."

He paused, allowing the words to sink in before continuing. "While most people possess a True Soul, situated in the glabella, a select few have souls that evolve into something more. These evolved souls manifest as a small soul-body surrounding the True Soul.

"Such individuals can perceive dangers that ordinary people cannot. Their soul strength grants them the ability to fight back, even if they lack physical strength or cultivation. Emma's soul was extraordinary, but because she was a mortal, her resistance was ultimately futile."

Kori nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "Master, if we manage to retrieve the souls, can we save them?"

Xenos's expression grew resolute. "Yes. Although their True Souls are currently housed in soul vessels, they remain connected to their physical bodies. As long as that connection exists, they can be saved."

A flicker of relief passed over Kori's face as she absorbed his words. "Understood, Master."

January 11, 3038 (Evening)

Maximo, recalling everything they had discussed, nodded and said, "Yes, Master."

Xenos: "Good. I think I may know why they have taken your sister's and 11 others' souls."

Maximo, Misaki, Valdir, and Kori's eyes widened as they looked at him.

Xenos then looked at Aerum and said, "The 12 may be related to you."

Aerum, shocked: "What do you mean? I have never met them in my life."

Xenos: "When you took the imperial path, you were in deep meditation, so you don't know what was happening outside."

"During the creation of the Fate Dragon, 12 constellations—13 if you add the one legacy still to be found—helped you perfect the Fate Dragon."

"Not just the 12 constellations—the four auspicious beasts burned themselves to form imperial energy, which later helped evolve the snake into the dragon."

"I always had doubts about the 12 hidden families, and now the four pavilions. It seems something is happening under the unseen guidance of fate."

"When I saw the creation of the Merit Fate Dragon, I knew they were related to you."

Aerum: "But I don't know them."

Xenos: "When I say they are related, I mean your sister. I feel like they are the backup your sister's father or ancestor—whoever it was—created for the sake of humanity."

"Since the defect in ancient times, I don't think they would have given up. There must be a grand conspiracy or plan set in motion in case of their defeat."

Aerum was lost in thought.

Maximo, Misaki, Valdir, and Kori looked confused. They understood the words but were still clueless about the full meaning.

Xenos looked at them and said, "Forget about it. It doesn't matter to you now. You are still too weak. According to me, all 12 people are legacy inheritors—legacies given to their ancestors."

"All legacy inheritors have unique souls. Such souls are very valuable to many. So, work harder if you want to save them."

Maximo, Misaki, Valdir, and Kori nodded.

Xenos looked at them, still processing the information, and said, "Go and rest. From tomorrow onwards, I will personally train you guys."

All the disciples nodded.

Xenos then looked at Aerum. "If you have anything to do in the outside world, do it now. I will personally train you, along with my disciples."

Aerum nodded. She still remembered the fatty manager's face who had sent her to Hazel Mountain. She still had unfinished business now.

Aerum asked, "How do I go back to Earth?"

Xenos replied, "The token of the elder has the function of a teleportation formation to leave the sect for Earth and return. Just will it, and you can leave."

Aerum nodded and looked at her right hand, where the token mark was engraved. She willed to leave for Earth, and then she vanished.

Xenos looked at her. He knew where she was going but didn't stop her. Revenge should be taken when the time is right, or else it will leave a shadow in your heart.

From the Author:

A huge thank you to dada4 and ReadMyBook2023 for the power stones! You guys are amazing, and your support means the world to me! I really hope you and all the readers enjoy the chapter. If you do, please leave a comment and share your ideas—I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you think could happen next! It truly means so much! 🙏💖

I'll be taking a short 2-day break, but don't worry, the next chapter will be out on 19-12-2024! Thanks again for your incredible support! 😊