NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21 - Jun's crushed heart
Jun snapped her hand back. A freezing cold seeped into her palms and down the bones of her arms. Nearly freezing her meridians. Damaging her very cultivation in an attempt to understand her potential. But it was okay. It was normal.
A real Orb of Dao and Telling rested on the ground before her.
Not the fake replacements all the clans and sects used in their day and time. Not the replicas that were nowhere as accurate or telling as what this was in just a few seconds. They took hours. Some of the weaker ones, days. Just to give half baked lies mixed in with truths.
It was just another thing that proved to her that he was truly her Ancestor. Only during his time had there been orb's of this stature. Common among the newer sects and ancient hegemons no one would recognize today.
Her body began to tremble. Jun tried to fight the exhaustion and searching need for more air but failed and shamed herself before her master. Her shoulder heaving up and down. Teeth chattering. Vision swimming. Drops of sweat dripping from her forehead and onto her robes.
She refused to show weakness. Even if his image had been wavering back and forth.
It took long moments of concentration before everything settled down. She could finally see him clearly. The stoic face. Long beard. The youthful visage that hid the ancient power that filled her predecessor's limbs. A mask just like the one of strength and courage she wore.
Deep eyes with stark black irises. Jun's gaze locked on to them. She could see the stars and galaxies and distant things that moved in the vast void of darkness above their heads. It would consume her. Shatter her soul and will to survive—
He looked away from her.
Jun snapped out of the trance. His eyes stayed on the Orb of Dao and Telling, reading the ancient words she could not figure heads from tail. Each one vibrated with power. Glowing with unrelenting Qi that made her skin crawl. An uncomfortable feeling filling her chest.
The words finally appeared on it. Staying still for the world to witness her potential. The fear that she was trash. It filled her being. Thoughts of how he would throw her away and search for better disciples and family members filled her mind. Maybe she could grab onto Hu Shui's robe ends and hope to be taken along the ride.
Wood - Immortal Peak Rank Four
Purity - 53%
Jun blinked. Said ancient words transforming into something she understood. Words that meant the world to her. Even in her weakened state she wouldn't help the blooming smile that filled her face. The joy that replaced the dread in her chest.
She laughed. Relieved. Unable to wipe away the smile even when she tried to look stern and mean.
The satisfaction that bloomed in her chest was impossible to ignore.
Ancestors Orb of Dao and Telling was clear in its assessment of her roots and potential. Immortal Peak. Rank Four. A high amount of praise she would not have believed if it had not been by an orb such as this. Even if her ancestor had told her, she would have always had hidden doubts in her chest.
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An Orb of Dao and Telling could never be wrong.
If she worked hard enough, dedicated her life to cultivation like a reasonable Hu. She would eventually reach even two lower ranks higher than the Gang Boss Dong ZhenKang would ever reach. It was common knowledge that his growth had stopped. And would sooner collapse to nothing before he made it to the next rank.
But being in the Immortal Peak realm was already enough. For most of the world except the elite.
Her joy was more for what she would be able to accomplish one day. Protecting Shui better. Maybe, just maybe, with her ancestor by their side, rebuild the Hu clan and even bring it back to its original glory. Back when he had been with them so many millennia ago.
Jun just needed to survive long enough and continue to gradually build her core and power. Gather Qi. And develop her Dao into something tangible. Three tasks she had been taught to focus on since childhood.
It also meant she couldn't take risks.
How many genius, once in a lifetime, talents had she seen crushed or killed due to negligence, arrogance, or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. How many died just because someone stronger could not stand the thought of being thrown off their positions and thrones? Even within their Hu clan she had seen it occur time and again.
Accidents and mistakes that almost seemed too perfect to be such.
Jun looked up. Eyes burning with expectation and a reaction of recognition and pride. Anything that could be used to fuel her continued rise in joy—
Her smile froze on her face. Studying his expression with all her being. Watching as his eyes surveyed the orb. Intently reading and thinking on the matter of her potential. There was no elation in his eyes. No begrudging respect or excitement at what potential she carried. What it could mean for the little Hu clan in the future.
Nothing but unchanging stoicism. An utterly passive expression that was not impressed.
"Decent." He nodded at her.
The words nearly crushed her. She reeled back like someone had hit her in the face. His words hung over her neck like an executioner's blade. She waited for a split second hoping he would say more. Compliment her in any way. Say anything at all.
But she knew better. She was less than average for him. Barely acceptable.
Jun's face hardened. Her smile disappeared. She crushed the joy that was in her chest, pushing it down into the recesses of her soul. Becoming rigid. Even then she could not prevent some leaking emotion. Things she did not know how to define, feelings she had not felt in ages.
Yet, all of this made sense. Her ancestor had been part of the greatest era. A time when geniuses of the Immortal Peak realm were merely commoners and servants. A time when even consolidating your golden core was not unheard of much less the Heavenly Sage ranks
What was some child like her compared to the limitless potential that he had seen. What was she in the presence of a being that had stood at the peak of the cultivation world and founded a whole clan under his protection and strength. Warding off tides of beast and armies of cultivators.
A true progenitor.
She was nothing more than an insect in his eyes.
"Jun," he said. Snapping her back into reality. "Go get Shui."
The speed at which she shot up to her feet left her mortified. Almost as if her body demanded she run away from this situation entirely and hole up somewhere. Hoping to be forgotten. But she couldn't leave Shui. Not after all the promises she had made. The people that had trusted her to protect their little Hu Shui.
Hu Shui, unlike Jun, was a true genius. Worthy of the Hu clans purest bloodline. Not tainted and worthless like herself.
She caught herself mid step. Bowing before the greatest ancestor of their clan. Before trying to slowly stride towards Hu Shui. It was an attempt to hide her feelings. Hide the crushing emotions she could not bottle up, tears remained at the edges of her eyes. But she was stronger than that. Strong enough to forcefully push them down her throat and wipe away the wetness on her cheek with Qi.
No one needed to know about her struggles. No one needed to see her cry. It would not help their situation in any way or form. She had failed once already and embarrassed herself the first time she saw her master and ancestor. Never again. Never would she allow herself to show weakness.
Jun could only hope they would be willing to keep her around.