First Cultivator of the Philippines

Lightning cracked overhead, illuminating the chaotic scene on Lightning Island. From every direction, people and creatures emerged. Foreigners armed with concealed weapons, mythical beings like beastmen with furred limbs and sharp claws, sirens whose haunting voices sent chills through the air, and even aswangs leading armies of tiktiks and tiyanaks.

Among them, I spotted familiar faces. Some of my professors, usually calm and composed, now wore expressions of steely determination. Their once-hidden auras flared to life, betraying their supernatural abilities. Strangest of all, a contingent of finely dressed foreigners stood apart, clearly from England, their crest-decorated cloaks marking them as knights or sorcerers. Several of them seemed to recognize Emilia.

"Emilia Pendragon," a silver-haired knight called out, his voice carrying authority. "What are you doing here? Your mission was not to involve yourself directly!"

"I'm doing what I must," Emilia replied, her tone cold but resolute. "The hilt of Excalibur is here, and I won't let it fall into the wrong hands."

Their exchange was cut short by a thunderous growl that seemed to shake the island to its core. Emerging from the thick mist was a giant serpent-like creature with claws, its body shimmering with black and silver scales. Its head resembled that of a dragon, but its elongated body and glowing red eyes made it unmistakable and it was the Bakunawa, the moon-eating serpent of Filipino myth.

The Bakunawa let out a deafening roar and raised its head, releasing a shimmering barrier around the entire island. The force of it sent a pulse through the air, causing weaker creatures and humans to stagger.

The pedestal that held the sword's hilt trembled violently. Cracks formed around it, and the ground split apart, revealing an enormous stone structure beneath. Slowly, a massive ancient ruin emerged from the earth, its spires and carvings glowing faintly with energy. The hilt of Excalibur, once visible, was swallowed into the depths of the structure.

"The ruins… it's a dungeon," Jose muttered, his sharp gaze scanning the scene.

Tension rippled through the gathered parties. Everyone seemed ready to strike, their eyes locked on the ruins. From the shadowed distance, an aswang of high bloodline strode forward, his pale skin glistening in the dim light. He was flanked by a horde of tiktiks and tiyanaks, their grotesque forms creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Jose stepped closer, his voice calm but firm. "Jiro, Emilia, we're at the center of a power struggle far beyond what we expected. If we fall back now, we lose any chance to retrieve the hilt."

I hesitated, glancing at the gathering forces. Beastmen sharpened their claws, sirens sang haunting tunes to bolster their allies, and even our professors stood at the ready, their stances betraying hidden skills. The foreigners from England whispered among themselves, their hands subtly moving as if casting spells.

"We're outnumbered," I said, my voice tight. "And outmatched."

"Not necessarily," Emilia countered. "We've come this far. I won't back down."

Before I could argue, the Bakunawa's glowing eyes locked onto me. It stared with an intensity that made my skin crawl, and for a moment, everything around me blurred. My forehead burned, as if something inside me was trying to emerge. I stumbled, clutching my head.

"Jiro!" Emilia exclaimed, rushing to support me.

"I'm fine," I gasped, though the pain was overwhelming. But deep within, I felt a surge of energy, a force breaking through barriers I hadn't realized existed.

"You're breaking through," Jose observed, his voice tinged with amazement.

As the pain subsided, I felt my qi surge to new heights. My body hummed with power, and I realized I had skipped several minor realms, reaching the peak of the Body Tempering Realm. But something was still missing and I couldn't yet step into the Qi Gathering Realm.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, a group of cultivators observed the scene unfolding on Lightning Island. They were dressed in flowing robes embroidered with intricate dragon motifs, their presence exuding authority and power.

"The energy from that boy…" one of them murmured, his sharp eyes fixed on me through a pair of enchanted binoculars.

"He possesses the scroll's energy," another added, his voice laced with intrigue.

These cultivators were elite disciples of Elder Yu, sent from China to track down the stolen cultivation scroll. By a twist of fate, they had found not only me but also the ruins housing the hilt of Excalibur.

"This is an opportunity," their leader said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "The boy may lead us to the scroll, and the sword's hilt is an artifact of immense power. If we act now, we can claim both."

"What's the plan?" one of the disciples asked.

The leader smiled coldly. "We'll let the chaos on the island play out. When the ruins open, we'll strike. The boy will have no choice but to surrender to us."

Back on the island, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. As the ruins settled into place, the barriers surrounding the hilt pulsed rhythmically, reacting to the power surges from the island's inhabitants.

"We don't have much time," Jose said. "Once the ruins open, it'll be a free-for-all."

"Then we'll need to be faster," Emilia said, her voice resolute.

I nodded, steeling myself. The odds were against us, but if we wanted to retrieve the hilt and uncover the truth behind this conflict, we had no choice but to face whatever lay ahead.

The ground beneath us trembled again, signaling the impending opening of the ruins. I clenched my fists, feeling the renewed power coursing through me. This was the moment of truth.

The tension on Lightning Island was palpable, thick as the storm clouds swirling overhead. As more parties arrived cultivators, foreigners, mythical creatures, and entities from various mythologies the atmosphere became suffused with barely restrained hostility. The ruins, glowing faintly with ancient energy, stood at the center of it all like a silent arbiter, its secrets locked away behind the shimmering barrier.

While chaos brewed, Jose, Emilia, and I huddled behind a cluster of boulders, observing the growing crowd. The power surges from the island were causing the tension between factions to bubble dangerously close to violence.

"We're not strong enough to face everyone here head-on," Jose began, his tone calm but urgent. "But we can use their greed against them."

"You mean to play the oriole?" Emilia asked, her brow furrowed.

Jose nodded. "Exactly. Let the factions fight among themselves, expend their strength, and once the ruins open and they're distracted, we strike."

"The mantis stalks the cicada," Emilia murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "But the oriole watches from the shadows. Clever."

"And risky," I added, glancing at the writhing hordes of tiktiks and tiyanaks flanking Clint, the high-bloodline aswang. He was clearly one of the most dangerous players in this gathering. His aura was suffocating, and his presence commanded fear even among his own kind.

"We don't have much of a choice," Jose replied, his gaze steely. "We stick to the shadows, wait for the right moment, and strike fast."

Across the battlefield, Clint surveyed the scene with a predator's gaze. Despite the numerous factions vying for the hilt, he remained calm, confident in his superiority.

"Time to thin the herd," he muttered.

From a cut on his palm, he let a single drop of blood fall to the ground. The droplet writhed and expanded, morphing into a grotesque creature, a blood minion unlike any of the tiktiks or tiyanaks. It was a hulking, crimson monstrosity with elongated limbs and jagged claws, its body pulsating with unholy energy.

Clint smirked. "Let them entertain themselves with this while I claim what's mine."

The blood minion let out an ear-splitting shriek, drawing the attention of the gathered parties. As it charged into the fray, Clint's tiktiks and tiyanaks surged forward, their grotesque forms moving with inhuman speed.

As the first skirmishes broke out, more groups arrived on the island. A group of heavily armed foreigners, their weapons shimmering faintly as if enchanted, approached the ruins cautiously. Among them, I recognized the man I'd seen the night before at the hotel, a tall, sharp-eyed figure whose presence exuded authority.

From the east, a squad of Chinese cultivators, their robes bearing intricate dragon motifs, emerged from the forest. Their leader, a stern man with a long white beard, exchanged tense glances with Clint.

Even the beastmen and sirens seemed to form uneasy alliances, their leaders snarling or singing commands to their respective factions.

"It's a powder keg," Emilia muttered, watching the factions jostle for dominance.

"And the match is lit," I added, my eyes darting to the glowing ruins.

The barrier around the ruins began to flicker, its once-steady hum now erratic. The energy pulses grew more frequent, signaling the imminent collapse of the protective field.

"They're all waiting for the same thing," Jose said, his eyes narrowing. "Once that barrier drops, it's going to be chaos."

I nodded, my gaze lingering on Clint. He stood apart from the fray, his expression unreadable. His strategy was clear and it was to let his minions stall and weaken the others while he waited for the ruins to fully open.

Suddenly, the barrier shattered with a deafening crack, sending a shockwave across the island. The factions erupted into motion, their leaders barking orders as chaos descended.

The blood minion roared, swatting aside a group of cultivators with terrifying ease. Sirens sang melodies that disoriented their enemies, while beastmen charged into battle with primal ferocity.

Clint watched it all with a satisfied smirk. "Let them kill each other," he murmured.

Meanwhile, Jose, Emilia, and I stuck to the shadows, weaving through the chaos. Despite our best efforts to avoid conflict, a group of tiyanaks intercepted us, their grotesque forms cackling with malicious glee.

The tiyanaks came at us in a flurry of claws and teeth. Emilia moved first, her blade flashing as she cut down two of the creatures with precise strikes. Jose followed, his movements fluid as he used his qi to enhance his speed, delivering powerful blows that sent the tiyanaks reeling.

I focused on the largest one, its twisted face contorted into a malicious grin. It lunged at me, its claws aiming for my throat. I sidestepped, channeling my qi into my fists, and struck it square in the chest. The force of the blow sent it crashing into a nearby tree.

Despite our efforts, more of the creatures kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.

"Jiro, behind you!" Emilia shouted.

I turned just in time to see another tiyanak leaping toward me. Before it could reach me, Jose intercepted it with a powerful kick, sending it flying into the fray.

"We can't keep this up," Emilia said, her breathing heavy.

"Just a little longer," Jose replied. "The ruins are open now. We need to move!"

As the dust settled from the initial chaos, the ruins revealed their true form and a massive underground structure that seemed to pulse with an ancient, otherworldly energy.

Clint made his move, leaping into the ruins with inhuman speed, his blood minion following close behind. Other factions followed suit, their leaders barking orders as they fought to be the first to claim the hilt.

"We go now," Jose said firmly.

Emilia nodded, her grip tightening on her blade. "Stay close. This isn't over yet."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead. The battle for the hilt of Excalibur had only just begun, and the stakes had never been higher.