Chapter 54
Chen Zhen searched around thru the carriages but couldn't find any antidotes anywhere. Shanggu Feng told him to take possession of the spatial ring the middle-aged man was wearing, but after doing so he found there wasn't any antidote in there either. The only thing Chen Zhen saw was the slaves that were being transported to the market. Just as Chen Zhen was feeling exasperated and didn't know what to do someone called out behind him.
"You seem like you could use a hand there my young friend"
Chen Zhen turned around and found a short, wise looking old man standing behind him. Chen Zhen was surprised the old man was able to sneak up on him without his bloodline or spiritual sense reacting to him. When Chen Zhen looked closely at his face his was surprised to see that his eyes had no pupils, they were all white. The old man was used to his appearance startling people, so he laughed off Chen Zhen's scrutiny.
"My name is Chenglong Ers.h.i.+'er* but you can just call me Jackie."
"Can I help you with something?" Chen Zhen asked looking cautiously at Jackie.
"Well, in fact I'm actually here to lend you a hand if you'll let me." Jackie said smiling merrily at Chen Zhen
Chen Zhen look at Jackie skeptically, as much as he tried he couldn't figure out his motive.
"I would love to stand here and chat with you, but I have some people I really must get back to as soon as possible. Their lives are in danger." Chen Zhen said trying to politely excuse himself.
"I'm actually here about them. They have been poisoned with a neuro-toxin correct?" Jackie asked.
Chen Zhen jumped about twenty-feet back from Jackie and started circulated his energy, "Are you with the caravan too?"
"No, no, no. I promise you I mean you no harm what-so-ever. How about this, I promise to heal your friends as long as you listen to a little story I have to tell you." Jackie said chuckling at Chen Zhen's reaction to him.
"Listen to him. I think I know who he is. If I'm right this is a great fortune for us." Lou Tian said feeling excited.
"Who is he?" Chen Zhen asked curious of Lou Tian's response to Jackie's ident.i.ty.
"No cheating. If you want to know who I am you can just ask me." Jackie smiled at Chen Zhen, his eyes looked like to crescents.
Chen Zhen and the others were startled by this, apparently Jackie knew of the other souls inside of Chen Zhen's body. Not only that but he could even hear them communicating with each other. This fact alone blew they minds. At some point Jackie appeared in front Chen Zhen and used a walking stick that was taller than him to shut Chen Zhen's mouth.
"To formally introduce myself my name is Jackie and I'm a Soul Sage." Jackie said bowing slightly to Chen Zhen.
Chen Zhen bowed deeply to Jackie in return. He had no Idea what a Soul Sage was but the aura he felt coming off of Jackie was majestic and ancient.
"The story I'm going to tell
Mankind took heavy losses but they eventually manager to kill some of these spirit beast. They learned from the animals of the forest and the natural cycles of the energies of the world. Cultivation had been born. Soon mankind learned to fight on equal terms with the spirit beast. A balance was soon formed between the beast of the forest and fields, and mankind.
Mankind began to prosper in this time, and clans began to form around the world. Inside of these clans warriors were able to create and perfect martial arts. As mankind cultivated to higher and higher realms, their understanding of the Martial Dao progressed to knew heights. It was during this time of continuous grow that the first demon horde broke thru the void.
The demons were much stronger then anyone could have imagined. They laid waste to man and beast alike. They were driven for the need to destroy, nothing else. They became a scourge on our world. The strongest clans all banded together but they still couldn't stop this horde, the most they were able to do was slow its advance down.
During a meeting of all the clan heads, spirit beast of the Immortal Rank showed up offering their a.s.sistance in protecting their world along with the mankind. Mankind had been working on an idea that would allow certain select warriors to become exceptionally powerful. Powerful enough to face off against the demons directly. When the Immortal Rank spirit beast offered their a.s.sistance all the pieces finally fell into place.
The final outcome were known as Soul Warriors. These Soul warriors had three souls that occupied the same body. All of the clan heads and Immortal Rank spirit beast combined together to create these Soul Warriors. These warriors all fought together against the demon horde. At first it didn't seem as if their plan worked out. But the more these warriors fought and risked their lives together the more completely the three souls merged together. Once the first Soul Warrior completed his merger the most incredible thing happened. His power level raised to the point he broke thru the Immortal Stage. With a wave of his hand he changed the landscape of the world. He single handedly changed the fate of mankind.
Following his example all the other Soul Warriors completed their merger. The group of warriors fought day and night destroying the demon horde and sending them back into the void were they came from. The people and beast of this world were safe once again. The clan heads all returned to their homes and for a while their was peace in our world.
Mankind soon found that they had gained an unexpected blessing from the merger of their souls with the Immortal spirit beast. Their descendants carried the bloodline of the spirit beast from then on.
But the peace was soon broken by the demon horde once again. But since mankind now had an answer for them, the clans created their own Soul Warriors. These soul warriors were not as power as their predecessors, but they could easy repel the demon horde. This cycle continued for a couple thousand years before the demon horde just stopped showing up. We don't know why this happened, but we few guardians have always been on watch for when they might appear once again.
You my young friend are the first Soul Warrior to be made in the last 500,000-years. Your appearance is quite auspicious in itself. So I came to offer you some advice. Learn to trust each other as you would your own self. Learn to rely upon each other as you would your own brother. Be of one mind, body, and soul when you fight. And never lose the love and compa.s.sion you carry in your heart. If you can do all these things you will become the most powerful warrior ever seen in the last million years."
Chen Zhen, Shanggu Feng, and Lou Tian all sat there and pondered Jackie's words for a while. After a long while they suddenly had a spark of enlightenment. This enlightenment allowed their souls to overlap a little more, bringing them closer together. Jackie smiled seeing that he was right to come here and talk to them, they didn't waste his words and truly took them to heart.
"Now as I promised to help with the neuro-toxin your friends were suffering from. It doesn't require and antidote, it leaves the body on its own given enough time. I believe that if you head to them now you will find that they have already awoken and should show no after-effects of the poison."
"Really? It's just that simple?" Chen Zhen asked excitedly
"Yes, they should be fine. Now get, get. Shoo!!" Jackie laughed as he saw Chen Zhen running away.
Chen Zhen made it to the tree-line before he stopped and turned around. He bowed deeply to Jackie one last before he turned around and headed to the Specter Monkeys with a huge grin on his face.
*(Chenglong Ers.h.i.+'er literally means Jackie22 in Mandarin)