Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 712

Chapter 712

Chapter 712: The Trial

“Alright . ” Lan Qing’s reply was simple . He shut his eyes and proceeded to meditate .

A faint smile painted the Terminator’s face, then he turned his eyes toward Lan Jue . “Do you have an interest in participating?”

The Jewelry Master smiled back . “Absolutely, the more the merrier right? But it wouldn’t be just me, I have a partner . ”

“Fine, both of you together are fine,” the Terminator assured him .

But Lan Jue chuckled . “No, you misunderstand . Lan Qing is Lan Qing, I am me . My partner is not him . You can have your spar with Lan Qing first, then we can test our skills . ”

Lan Jue wouldn’t dare pass up an opportunity to test himself against the strongest Adept in the North . He knew it would be an interesting match, and beneficial to feel how the flows of protogenia changed around such a powerful adversary .

He and Lan Qing were brothers, and thus were prone to pulling punches . What’s more, Lan Jue knew his brother’s abilities almost as well as his own . The pressure of not knowing didn’t exist . However, it was different with the Terminator . The pressure from a famed Paragon would be great, which in turn would deepen his protogenic understanding even further . He was also reasonably sure the Terminator wouldn’t do anything untoward after approaching them in public .

In the end Lan Jue trusted Jun’er’s assessment of the man – he was a good person . He believed it without a shadow of a doubt . Maybe she wasn’t as adept in her prognostications as the Clairvoyant, but she had a natural acuity which he trusted . In fact the Wine Master had told him that the natural visions that came to Jun’er before she began cultivating would be clearer than a focused try, and truer . What she gained from the Clairvoyant was the ability to see farther .

Lan Jue shut his eyes and began to meditate as well, modulating his Discipline for the fight ahead . In a spar against the Terminator he wouldn’t dare to overestimate his chances .

The Terminator looked at these two brothers who looked so similar . A small smile spread across his face, then he shut his eyes as well . These two men were more important to the Terminator than they would imagine .

After half an hour the bus began to slow and descend to the ground . The roof of a building below slowly separated, just wide enough for the bus to pass through .

Lan Jue and Lan Qing opened their eyes . In Lan Qing’s there was a crystal clear light, and a strange sense of kindness . Lan Jue’s eyes were sharp, and a crackling blue power flickered intermittently .

The Terminator opened his eyes only once the bus touched down .

“Come . ” He disembarked and began to walk .

He led them through a set of large doors and into a long metallic hallway . For reasons unknown, Lan Jue felt somehow repressed in here . Although he couldn’t pinpoint where it came from, for this sense to pervade it had to be from something strong .

Lan Qing also seemed to sense something, judging by the slight surprise in his eyes . His sights darted to the walls slipping past them .

The Terminator’s deep voice reverberated of those walls . “This place is part of the Great Conclave . In a way it is an extension of myself . About twenty years ago I came across a strange metal that was derived from the collision of two comets . In the vastness of the universe it’s common for asteroids to collide, but an event like two comets crashing into each other is exceptionally rare . Complicated influences from gravitational fields must line up perfectly for this to occur . ”

“We can’t know what the original composition of those comets were, but after their collision this metal was left behind . It was strangely complex and incomplete . When the Northern patrols found it they brought it to me because of the strange power it emitted . I was shocked to discover pulses of protogenic energy coming from it . ”

Protogenia? Lan Jue looked at the Terminator in shock .

He went on . “I was startled, there had never been a case of inanimate metal possessing protogenia . Certainly the power couldn’t have come from the metal itself, but was somehow injected into it after their impact . No one knew how, precisely, but I could feel it . I began to study it in depth . ”

“As time went on I discovered that the protogenia was in a constant state of flux, becoming stronger by the day . I was a Paragon by then, ascended through the transformation of my body . I always knew that life and protogenia were inexorably tied together, but I never expected a lump of metal to change my future . The more I understood the material, the faster my cultivation became . As it changed, so too did I . After ten years I became a Reflection of Heaven and Earth .

“I thought it might continue to assist my perfection . However, I discovered its pulses weakening shortly after breaking through . Its protogenia was coalescing, stratifying, strengthening . As it began to settle the changes in it stabilized and its benefit to me diminished . I have had people scouring the sky for another chunk of metal like this, but to this day I’ve had no luck . ”

“I took the heart of this metal and turned it into my Astrum . The remaining impurities were mixed with other metals and used to create this building . It was constructed as a place for Paragons to cultivate, as well as a place for Paragons to spar . ”

Every Paragon had their own origin story, Lan Jue and Lan Qing knew . Such power never came easily to anyone . In all the history of mankind no one had been born a Paragon . However, they didn’t expect the Terminator to be so forthcoming with his tory . It was frankly unbelievable considering the strained relationship between their two Alliances, not to mention the Conclave’s contention with Skyfire Avenue .

Over the course of his story the three of them had traversed the hall and passed through a set of thick metal doors . They entered into a spacious empty room .

Here the pressure was even clearer . After the Terminator’s explanation and careful concentration, Lan Jue could feel the flows of protogenia flooding this place . All of this using only the impure shell of metal, while the core had lifted the Terminator from the Realm of Protogenia . Its strength was undisputable .

“Welcome, guests . ” An electronic voice greeted them, followed by the appearance of a flickering image .

Lan Jue’s keen perception had noted that the Terminator seemed much more relaxed after they’d entered . Like returning home . Clearly this was an important room for the Terminator, like his secret place .

“Ah, Noah . Raise the shields to full strength . ” The Terminator said .

The projected image was a large man, who after careful examination looked remarkably like the Terminator only younger .

“I have no children, nor am I capable of producing any . So, I had Noah created . I had models created using how I looked in my youth with the image of the woman I liked the most . I sort of tribute, I suppose . ” The Terminator grinningly described Noah’s history .

“We’re going to fight here, Your Majesty?” Lan Jue asked .

“Indeed,” he replied . “Then we’ll talk after . Are you sure you won’t be fighting together?”

Lan Jue nodded his head without hesitation . “So long as you don’t mind fighting a war of attrition . ”

A booming chuckle issued from the Paragon . “You know good opponents are hard to find . When Huan Xue was here we sparred often . Though if I’m being honest, I didn’t like her fighting style . Changing the flow of time was very uncomfortable for me . Really, my greatest honor would be to one day face off against Jue Di . ”

Lan Jue shrugged . “That shouldn’t be too hard . Beat Lan Qing bad enough and I’m fairly sure Jue Di will make an appearance . ”

The Terminator’s eyes lit up . “Really?”

“You’d have to beat us both pretty bad, more like . ” Lan Qing chimed in .

The Terminator grinned . “Let’s give it a try . Peerless Light Emperor of Middle Heaven… that’s quite a long name, but I won’t hold it against you . Shall we begin?”

When he heard his Paragon title Lan Qing’s face twitched . It was only a passing moment, though .

Lan Jue swayed for a moment, then disappeared in a bolt of lightning . He was conveyed to a far corner where his body was surrounded by a shell of blue energy that his everything within . A figure joined him within the orb .

After cultivating for so long with Zhou Qianlin, both of their Disciplines had grown exponentially . He’d been long eager to find someone to really test his skills against, and see just how much he’d improved . Things had been so busy he hadn’t found the opportunity, so the Terminator’s offer and this special ring of his couldn’t have come at a better time .

With a smile on his dusky features, the Terminator looked at Lan Qing . “After you!”

Without standing on any further ceremony, the battle begun!