The embrace was soothing. Oasis felt his body relax, the tension melting away as he allowed himself to lean into the warmth of her embrace.It was a simple gesture, but it was exactly what he needed. The tightness in his chest eased, replaced by a sense of calm and comfort.After a moment, she pulled away slightly, looking him at him."Don’t keep it all to yourself," she said softly.Then, with a gentle smile, she left him, closing the door quietly behind her.Oasis stood there for a moment, still feeling the warmth of her embrace.He wanted to thank her, to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.Instead, he just watched as the door clicked shut, feeling at peace.He took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his body dissipate.The air in the room felt lighter, the weight on his shoulders slightly lifted.With a newfound sense of clarity, Oasis sat down in the lotus position on the floor and began to meditate, focusing the flow of energy within him.The events of the day still l
The camp was alive with grim activity as the first light of dawn cast a dim, eerie glow over the valley.Guards moved about with stern expressions, dragging a line of boys and grown men from their tents.Their hands were bound, and their faces were etched with hopelessness as they were herded towards the nearby mine.The camp, it seemed, was not just a hideout for the bandits but a hub for forced labor, where the strong preyed on the weak to extract the valley's riches.The guards pushed and prodded the prisoners, who stumbled forward, their bodies already weakened from previous days of grueling work.The sound of chains clinking and the shuffling of feet filled the air, mingling with the distant clang of pickaxes striking rock from the depths of the mine.The mine's entrance loomed like a mouth ready to swallow them whole, its darkness a stark contrast to the cold morning light.In his tent, Vakar, the Vulture of the Valley, was engaged in a hushed conversation with a man dressed ent
As the man’s hand inched closer to the hilt of his sword, Oasis’s demeanor shifted.The air around him seemed to grow colder, and a faint, ominous aura began to radiate from him, a stark contrast to the calm exterior he had maintained moments ago.The intensity in his eyes pierced through the man, who suddenly felt a chill run down his spine."Is that for threatening or for killing?" Oasis asked, his voice now icy and devoid of any warmth.The man hesitated, his bravado faltering under the weight of Oasis’s aura."We just want the gold, no blood must be spilled, kid," he stammered, his tone now softer, almost pleading, as if he himself wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to back down.Oasis observed the man, noting his sudden change in demeanor."So these people make their earnings by robbing others," Oasis thought, his disdain for the group growing."Don’t even think of screaming. The moment you scream, you die," the man threatened, but there was a noticeable tremor in his voice.His e
As he spoke, something remarkable began to happen. The frailty in his voice started to fade, replaced by a strength that seemed to grow with every word.His posture straightened, his hands steadied, and his eyes, once dull, now gleamed with a sharp vitality.It was as if the very act of speaking his name had breathed new life into him.Before Oasis’s eyes, Cedric transformed from a decrepit beggar into a robust man, his appearance now that of someone in their early forties.His once ragged clothes now seemed almost out of place on his revitalized frame.Oasis, caught off guard by Cedric's name and sudden transformation, felt his heart race and his body tremble.The name "Cedric Sandborn" echoed in his mind like a thunderclap—Cedric Sandborn, known as the Sandstorm, "The Disaster of the East."The realization hit Oasis hard, causing him to choke on his food, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. Memories and teachings flashed through Oasis’s mind as he tried to process what was ha
The room was left in a serene stillness, with only the faint traces of sand as evidence that Cedric had been there at all.Oasis stood alone, holding the two small boxes, the legacy of his father and a gift from a powerful ally, both now entrusted to him.Then he went back to the inn directly to his room.Oasis sat on the edge of the bed, the two small boxes before him.The weight of their significance was heavy on his mind, but he knew he couldn’t delay any longer.He needed to see what his father had left behind. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out and opened the box that had belonged to his father.The lid creaked slightly as it lifted, revealing the contents within. Oasis’s breath caught as he peered inside.The first thing he noticed was a bracelet, intricately designed and shimmering faintly with a light that seemed to pulse with hidden energy.It was a storage bracelet, similar to the one he already possessed but far more refined, a relic from his father, now his.B
As Oasis reviewed the materials, his mind drifted to the intense process that awaited him.“I have a feeling this is going to be more painful than when I started the Phoenix cultivation,” he thought, recalling the agony he had endured during that initial transformation.The words from the manual, with their poetic promise of strength and ascension, still echoed in his mind, tempting him with the power that lay within reach.Despite the allure, Oasis decided against starting the process immediately.“Nah, I won’t be doing it now. I’ll do it sometime later,” he reassured himself, pushing the materials and the manual aside for the time being.Yet, as he tried to settle his thoughts about his father, the verses from the manual kept replaying in his mind, like a haunting melody that refused to be forgotten.Oasis, after placing the first box’s contents back into his storage bracelet, turned his attention to the second box—the gift Cedric had given him.With a deep breath, he opened it, his
He gazed out at the mountains, his newly acquired sight transforming the world before him.He could see the flow of mana in the air, swirling like invisible currents, connecting everything in the world.It was as if a hidden layer of reality had been revealed to him. He looked down at his own arm, watching as the blue-cyan aura of his mana flowed within him, pulsing with life.The energy felt more vibrant, more alive than ever before, a testament to the divine gift he had just refined.“This is truly a heavenly gift,” Oasis thought, marveling at the sight. Yet, as he continued to gaze at his aura, a realization struck him.“Mmh… but my cultivation did not increase after all that,” he pondered, a slight furrow forming on his brow.Despite the incredible power he now held in his eyes, his overall cultivation level had remained unchanged.“Ohh, these eyes use my spiritual energy more than my mana,” Oasis thought, as he began to feel the extent of his newfound abilities.The realization w
“Damn, I can't shake him off,” Oasis thought, gritting his teeth as he felt the figure gaining on him. His heart pounded with adrenaline. “Damn it!”Without a second thought, Oasis spun around just as he leaped onto a rock in the valley.His body radiated with blue flames as he reversed direction, heading straight back toward his pursuer.The flames danced around him, the embodiment of the Dancing Phoenix technique, a fiery aura that surged with power.As he moved, he reached into his storage bracelet, pulling out his sword, Kaze no Kagutsuchi. The blade, imbued with his fiery mana, gleamed with a menacing light.“Huh, fascinating,” the shadowy figure smirked, a dark smile spreading across his concealed face as he noticed Oasis’s sudden change in tactic.The figure was also moving at high speed, a blur of motion through the rocky terrain.The shadow's form seemed to meld with the darkness of the valley, swift and fluid, as if he were part of the shadows themselves.In one fluid motion