So, you have returned, the boa said, her tongue flickering. I suppose you want to enter my mountain, where you’ll be able to trample upon me with impunity after you’ve breached this preliminary line of defense?
Huxian raised an eyebrow, but she continued.
Don’t take me for a fool. I won’t let you in no matter what you say.
You foxes are all alike: tricky, and annoying. But out there, you’re just another sovereign. You can only stay outside and lament as I stand here and… Her voice trailed off.
Huxian, who’d grown bored with her antics, directly entered the Pure Jade Defensive Formation.
I meant all this only in jest, of course, the Geomantic Sovereign said, recovering quickly. Though he didn’t think it was physically possible, he could swear she was sweating. I wanted you to witness my superior taunting skills, which I unleash each and every time an enemy tries to enter the mountains. I’ll kindly accept any constructive feedback. Please follow me. I’ve kept your cave warm.
No need, Huxian said, yawning. Rather than beat her up like he normally did, he decided to cut deeply into her honor instead. It’s beneath me to stay on this mountain. A belly-dragger like you would never understand how lofty I am, so I won’t waste my time. Is the True Seer Great Owl around?
The Geomantic Sovereign swallowed the insult and flicked her tail toward the center of her mountain. He is in the center, as usual. He barely ever sees us, and he only comes out if something important is afoot. As she spoke, fluttering wings announced the True Seer Great Owl’s arrival. Which your arrival most certainly is, given his timely arrival.
To Huxian’s surprise, the True Seer Great Owl had advanced greatly in strength over the past few years. He was now a middle-core-formation demon beast. As far as demon advancement went, he’d grown by leaps and bounds. He still looked rather daft, but within his eyes, there was a glimmer of something special. Something not of this world.
Hoot! the True Seer Great Owl said. I knew you would come today. I came as quickly as possible, out of fear that you’d slay the python and impale her corpse on the mountain in a fit of rage.
Nope, I got over it, Huxian said. Do I need to slap a fly every time I see one?
Spoken like a true powerhouse, my lord, the True Seer Great Owl said. Though to be fair, I eat my fair share of flies, even though I know it won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things. I like the taste. Now come, let us journey to the center of the mountain range. Huxian nodded and left the Geomantic Boa behind. She’d been deprived of every shred of her dignity, which was what she deserved, given that she’d tried to kill him many times in the past.
How did you know I would come? Huxian asked as they walked down the mountain’s rocky slope. The woods thinned as they reached the base of the valley, which was covered in nothing but dust and dead trees.
The same way my ancestor knew you would come, the True Seer Great Owl said. Fate weaves a tapestry, and while specific details are difficult to define for important characters, it’s possible to track the currents they create and predict their behavior. I take it you’ve come seeking an initiation mark?
Yeah, Huxian said, looking around the dusty, desolate forest as they approached the central plate and the stone stele. The place really did look a lot different than before. Where he’d previously only seen a single jade plate at the center, he now saw five surrounding it. Each one was nine feet wide and made of a special colored jade. There was one for each of the five elements, and each surface contained a circular depression with various lines coming out from it. Did you do anything new to the place?
Nothing, the True Seer Great Owl said with a hoot. Now that you’ve reached new heights, you can now see farther than before. Compared to your future vision, you’re essentially blind, fumbling around like a newborn child.
Riiiiight, Huxian said. Despite the wisdom in his words, it was very strange to hear it from a tiny owl that looked like he had more than a few screws loose. About my initiation. My friends have all found good locations to obtain their marks. One each for swamp, lightning, wind, and mountain. But I’m at a loss. Where can I find a place with both light and darkness? It would be a piece of cake to find one on a transcendent plane, but here in the middle of nowhere? You can see why a lofty being like myself would prefer to die of old age trying to obtain the initiation of time rather than obtain a mediocre initiation.
Though it might sound silly, many demons had tried this method and failed. It was now jokingly referred to as the kingly way of demonic cultivation. Many demons wasted centuries trying it before a concerned relative broke the news to them that they’d been tricked. A great joke with terrible consequences.
A conundrum, to be sure, the True Seer Great Owl said, his unusually large eyes glittering. I am guessing you came here because of the stone stele where you obtained your Demon-Subduing Eyes?
I figured there might be hints? Huxian said uncertainly.
The True Seer Great Owl shook his large head, and Huxian could swear he saw the puff in the little bird’s feathers diminish substantially. The stone stele only contained a hint of true essence of light and darkness. The source of power was left behind by an ancient being. A portion of it was repurposed by my ancestor to craft the stele.
If it was a portion of
