Chapter 5.

Taeyang stared back at the creature that had burst out of the ground. Its long, segmented, large body had dozens of legs on both sides. It had a pair of antennas above its eyes and before its mouth it had forcipules. Surprisingly, Taeyang didn’t feel the slightest bit of fear.

Taeyang - I never knew a centipede could be a beast. How strong is it?

Manager Xi - Are you foolish? We need to run!

Taeyang - Why should I run from a worm? No matter how big it is, its still a w…

The centipede charged down at them cutting Taeyang’s words. Dust rose high in all directions and Manager Xi was sent flying out of the dust. Luckily, he had moved away before the centipede launched itself at them and was sent flying by the force. He stood up to run but halted when he heard the clanking of metal on a hard surface.

Manager Xi - Is he fighting with it?

He couldn’t believe Taeyang had decided to fight the centipede. A loud cry startled him, manager Xi didn’t dare remain, he ran as fast as he could.

Taeyang ran out of the dust and the centipede followed after him. The pickaxe in his hand had black liquid on one end and at the other end it was broken. He didn’t imagine the centipede’s body would be so hard. Although his weapon was one reason, he could not leave a dent on its body. Luckily, he got the chance to blind of its eyes.

The centipede chased after Taeyang who in turn chased after manager Xi. Filled with fear, manager Xi ran and dared not look back. He needed to get as far as possible.

Manager Xi - What the hell is going on?

The more he ran the further the distance should be but reality disappointed him. The cry of the centipede didn’t get further rather it seemed to have gotten closer. He took a turn and entered a cave room with a very small entrance. He hid behind at a corner, hopefully the centipede would continue its charge forward. Manager Xi took the chance to catch his breath but his eyes widened only after fifteen breaths.

Taeyang - This would work.

Taeyang had rushed into the room with his pickaxe in hand. Manager Xi finally realized why the centipede kept its distance. ‘Please don’t find me. Please don’t find me,’ manager Xi repeated in his head.

Taeyang hid by the wall of the entrance. Instantly, the centipede rushed halfway in. The small entrance had prevented it from completely getting in. Taeyang knew the entrance couldn’t stop it for long. However, the short pause was enough for him. He rushed to the centipede’s head and with a large swing he stabbed its eyes.

The centipede cried out and wriggled it’s body left and right. Taeyang had one plan now, rush out as soon as it rush in and run to the mine entrance as fast as he could.

Taeyang - Come on, get in.

As if it obeyed his word, the centipede forced itself into the cave room. However, the force caused Taeyang to fall down.

Taeyang - Ah!!!

He let out a scream. One of the centipede’s leg penetrated his leg and as it ran rampant, it pulled Taeyang along. Manager Xi watched as the centipede burrowed into the ground and left. It took Taeyang away as he screamed.

*****

Bright light followed by blurry vision, Taeyang exhaled sharply as he regained consciousness. Pain greeted him immediately after his vision cleared up. His entire nerve system cried out, letting him know his body had wounds all over and that…

Taeyang - Ah, I’m alive?

He looked to his left and to his right and couldn’t find the centipede. To his right a large wall with Qi stone stuck on it. To his left a large opening. He gave a sigh of relief and dug his hand into his chest pocket. Luckily, he still had his pouch bag with him. He didn’t care which pill he took out, he swallowed whatever pill his hand grabbed.

After all, he didn’t know which pill was which. Before Yang Li mentioned the name foundation establishment pills, he had thought all the pills were healing pills.

Taeyang - Should I really be happy I survived? Tch, forget it. I’m alive and that’s a good thing. Most importantly, I…

His expression changed. According to manager Qi he needed to circulate his Qi to resist the cold but to his surprise he couldn’t feel any bit of the cold. It felt warm here. Like an oasis in the desert this place was different from other places.

Taeyang - What’s going on?

He struggled up to a seated position and rested his back on the wall. A faint red light shone behind him. Taeyang turned around. The wall had a strange inscription on it. At a closer look it looked like runes of some such gathered together to form…

Taeyang - A gate? Is there something sealed in this wall.

The runes formed a large gate on the wall. He could only wonder what was sealed inside the gate.

Taeyang - Well it doesn’t matter what is inside. I need to heal up and head back.

He took some more pills, inhaled and exhaled then closed his eyes to cultivate. It was his fortune that he didn’t need to fight the cold. He could absorb the Qi from the Qi stones and help facilitate the healing process.

??? - Is someone there?

Taeyang heard a voice asked. The voice came from behind him. It sounded melodious and feminine. Startled he choked on his saliva but quickly covered his mouth. ‘As expected there really was someone sealed in it,’ he thought.

??? - Is anyone there?

The voice came again, this time it sounded closer than before. Taeyang kept quiet and continued to cultivate. He planned on healing himself, perhaps also advancing to the next realm then quietly leaving. He had no gain in getting involved with a someone that had been sealed up in a strange gate.

??? - I guess not. I’m just hearing things again.

Taeyang heard the voice said. The owner of the voice cried out behind him. He swear he heard the sound of water dropping to the ground. Nevertheless, Taeyang remained quiet and cultivated. The tears of an unknown being would not get him involved in unsteady waters.

*****

Hours later, the voice had stopped crying. Though Taeyang could feel the presence of someone behind him, he didn’t care. The pills he took had a great effect on his wounds. They had healed up and even though scars remained he had achieved his first goal.

Taeyang - Huh?

Just before he got back to cultivating he noticed something strange. His healed up wounds opened up and his blood flowed into the gate.

Taeyang - What the hell?

He tried to get up but he couldn’t. His body had become fixed in place. The red glow behind him had become more pronounced.

??? - Is someone there?

Taeyang - What did you do to me?!

The voice sounded again and Taeyang replied with a yell. His voice echoed and sounded like a lion’s roar. Terrifying, intimidating, and earth shaking. Taeyang was furious and responded without thinking.

??? - I didn’t do anything. It’s the gate, I wanted to warn you not to get close.

Taeyang eyes widened when he heard that. If only he had responded then he wouldn’t be in this messed up situation.

Taeyang - What’s happening?

??? - I don’t know really. The last person said the gate was taking her vitality to strengthen itself.

Taeyang - Shit. By chance did that person survive?

??? - No, she died.

Taeyang could hear the sadness in her voice. Even though he felt pity for her he couldn’t bother about her now. He urged his Qi at full force and did his best to resist.

However, it didn’t get better in the slightest rather it got worse. The speed at which his blood flowed out of his body increased.

??? - Struggling only makes it faster.

Taeyang - Tch, so I can only wait to die?

??? - Yes, I’m sorry. I should have warned you.

Taeyang - Who are you?

??? - I don’t know. The last person called me Ghostie, but I didn’t like it.

Taeyang - Ghostie.

He frowned as he thought. ‘Who the hell gave such a name? Couldn’t they come up with something better?’

Taeyang - How come you don’t know who you are?

Ghostie - I’ve been in this dark space for too long, I don’t even know what I looked like.

Taeyang - And you don’t know why you were locked up?

Ghostie - I didn’t know I had been locked up until the last person informed me.

‘That’s a pity,’ Taeyang thought. ‘I should bother about myself though. Sooner or later I’ll loose all my vitality.’

Ghostie - What about you?

Taeyang - What?

Ghostie - Who are you?

Taeyang - Oh, that’s what you are asking. I’m Taeyang, just Taeyang.

He let out a sigh and then circulated his energy. The result of both choice was death, so Taeyang decided to die trying to escape. He couldn’t die here, definitely not.

The force that pulled his blood increased manyfold. He felt his blood flow out much faster than before but he didn’t stop. He resisted with all his might, perhaps by a slight twist of fate he could escape.

Taeyang - Ah, ah.

He gasped and stopped the circulation of his Qi. Reality gave him a big blow in the eye. Escaping from this predicament could not be achieved with his strength.

Ghostie - I told you it was futile.

Taeyang - You can tell I tried?

Ghostie - Yeah, this place vibrates when you resist.

Taeyang - I’m still going to try.

Ghostie - You’ll only die quicker but that’s up to you.

Taeyang swallowed several pills, took a deep breath and tried again. ‘It isn’t time to meet Su Yan yet, I won’t be able to face her,’ he thought. He needed to live, he needed leave this place, he needed to get stronger because he had a goal he needed to complete.

He didn’t know why but standing in front of death’s door he only thought about that goal. It had become his life goal. Facing Su Yan without completing his goal was not allowed.

Taeyang - Come on!

The force increased again and showed no sign of diminishing. Nevertheless, he didn’t care. ‘Even if I fail at anything, I can’t fail Su Yan,’ he thought.

What would he tell her when he met her in the afterlife? I had failed to revenge your death. No, he couldn’t tell her that, that was why he couldn’t go meet her.

His blood boiled, his wounds got worse and widened under the intense pull of the force. He bit his lower lips because he knew how futile his effort looked like.

Still, his effort had its worth. If he succeeded he get to live and fulfill his promise. If he failed Su Yan wouldn’t blame him for not trying.

Taeyang - Ah.

He coughed blood and his eyes bled. The force had become a hundred times stronger than its initial strength.

Taeyang - Come on! Let go!

As soon as he screamed, a golden phantom appeared above. The phantom faced the gate and released a ferocious roar. One so great, the cave room shook violently. Cracks appeared on the gate and the surrounding walls of the cave room.

The phantom flew into the gate and a mix of red and golden blinding light filled the cave room as it collapsed.