The Jade Shadows Must Die [Cultivation LitRPG]

For a beat, Rix simply stared, his mouth hanging open.

"You can talk." It sounded stupid the moment the words left his lips, but he was in such shock that his mind seemed to have lost the ability to filter itself.

The fade scoffed. "Truly, your senses are honed sharper than a spirit blade."

"But you're a fade."

The way the creature smiled was decidedly human. "Am I?"

There was no warning, no dramatic effect. One moment a fadeborn stood in front of him, the next it was a man. He was tall and broad and lean, with jet-black hair cropped close to his skull. At first glance, he looked to be in his thirties, but there was something about his eyes that spoke of a depth of wisdom far beyond those years. Though Rix could detect no sense of mana from him, he exuded a kind of power.

Rather than comforting him, the transformation set Rix's heart hammering. The last ten minutes had been draining on several levels, and he was still suffering under the ever-growing weight of the entropy field. He had no idea what was going on, but he didn't feel in a position to deal with it.

He raised his staff. "Stay back." He tried to inject some venom into his voice, but it came out halting and weak.

The — man? fade? thing? — in front of him laughed again, and then was suddenly gone from where he stood. Rix flinched as the man spoke again, this time from behind him. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead, child. Now lower your weapon."

Rix swallowed hard. The man hadn't moved, as far as he could see. He'd simply ceased to exist in front of Rix and reappeared behind him. Coupled with his confidence and that air of authority, Rix surmised he was probably telling the truth. Whoever — or whatever — this man was, he didn't want Rix dead. Although…

"If you're strong enough for that to be true, why didn't you kill Yutaro yourself?" he asked, poking the corpse with his foot. "Why did you have me do it?"

"Maybe I wanted you to learn something?"

Rix furrowed his brow and turned slowly to face the man. The expression on his face was amused, not threatening, but there was something vaguely predatory about his features that made Rix's stomach clench.

"What would I have learnt from that?"

The man considered him for a few moments, then he completely ignored the question. "Let's get out of the entropy field. You look like you're about to collapse."

Without another word, he turned and strode off into the canyon. Rix hesitated, but despite his mind conjuring a thousand reasons why following was a bad idea, he knew he was going to ignore them all. He didn't understand what was happening, but whoever this man was, he wanted something from Rix, and perhaps that meant something was on offer in return.

This was the sort of thing that happened to heroes of the Chronicles. Encountering a strange old master or a hidden ancient treasure was often what kickstarted their journey to power. Everything he'd done since having himself forcibly incarcerated had been a risk. What was one more?

They walked in silence for several minutes, Rix letting out a long sigh as the weight of the entropy field fell away. It left him feeling raw, exhausted, but no longer in overwhelming pain. For his part, Rix's companion seemed utterly unaffected. He strolled through the Fractured Realm like he owned the place.

Eventually, the man stopped and turned to face Rix again, assessing him like a cow at a market. "Well, there's not much of you."

"I've been a Martial Soul for a few weeks," replied Rix defensively.

The man sneered. "A Martial Soul? Is that what the warriors of your world call themselves?"

Rix's mouth went dry. The words 'your world' were unsettling enough. But not knowing what a Martial Soul was? That hit him like a physical blow.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice a half-whisper.

The man grinned, seeming to revel in Rix's reaction. "A fair question, I suppose. I am Breaker-of-Heaven's-Law, Nine-Times-Named, Master-of-Forbidden-Keys, Last-of-the-Starborn."

Rix blinked several times. If he needed confirmation that the man was from another place, that was it. He'd never heard a name like that in his life.

The man studied Rix for a moment, then sighed. "Others have occasionally found referring to me by my full designation...taxing, given its length. Some have found 'Breaker-of-Heaven's-Law' a suitable contraction, or simply 'Breaker' in moments of less formality."

Rix seized on the shorter option. He still didn't know who, or what, this being was, and formality felt like a distant concern. "Breaker, then. It's...unique."

A flicker of something — irritation? Resignation? — crossed Breaker's face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Unique, yes. Earned through trials you can scarcely imagine." He seemed to deflate slightly. "But this realm...it erodes all things, even achievement, it would seem. 'Breaker' will suffice. For now."

The man stared at him expectantly. "Where I'm from, it is customary to respond to an introduction in kind."

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Rix hesitated. He felt strangely reticent to give the man any information about himself, at least until he could establish what in heaven's blood was going on. But a name couldn't do any harm. "I'm Zao Rixian. People call me Rix."

"Well, Zao Rixian, it's a pleasure to formally meet you. It has been some time since I've met anyone at all."

"Why?" Rix asked cautiously.

"Because, young cultivator," Breaker replied, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction, "most who venture here are barely worth noting. These 'Martial Souls', as you call them, are but shadows dancing in the light of true power." His eyes fixed on Rix with renewed intensity. "But you...you've touched something ancient. Something real."

The certainty in his voice caused Rix's stomach to clench. Instinctively, he knew there was only one thing Breaker could be referring to.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." The statement sounded lame, even to Rix.

Breaker sighed. "Child, I suspect that you've been hiding this for some time, but I need to impress something upon you." For the second time he vanished, this time reappearing in front of Rix, their faces just inches apart. His eyes seemed to shimmer with some kind of fey energy that made Rix feel strangely vulnerable. "You have no secrets from me. I can see that pathetic little ball of qi you're carrying plain as daylight."

Rix swallowed hard and fought to restrain his instincts again. There was something about meeting the man's gaze that made Rix feel like he was falling.

He'd never admitted his secret to anyone, but it was clear it was a secret no longer. Whoever this man was, he could see straight through Rix.

"What of it?" Rix asked, feeling a lump building in his throat.

Breaker's smile grew wide and wolfish. "I want to teach you to use it."

Rix's heart leapt. Long before he'd come to Spiritlock, before he'd had any inkling of the plan that would allow him to pursue the Martial Path, he'd had dreams of meeting someone who could teach him about qi. To reveal the secrets that burned book could not. Wellspring Antiquities was the most promising lead he'd ever had on that front. To now have it offered up to him so casually felt like a dream.

Which meant that it was probably too good to be true.

"Why? What do you get out of this?" Perhaps he was too much a product of his world, but in his experience, nobody gave anything for free. And that held doubly true for the gift of power.

Breaker's expression darkened somewhat, and he began to pace. "Tell me, Zao Rixian, have you ever heard the story of the dragon that got itself caught in a spider's web? No?" He gestured at the area around them. "This realm is my web. Now I find myself in need of...shall we say, a more delicate touch to help me escape it."

"You can't simply leave through the portal?"

Breaker pursed his lips. "My situation is more…complicated than that."

Again, he had that way of not really answering the question. Or at least not in a way that lent any clarity to the situation.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Rix asked. "You could be a fade, or some trick of the realm."

"If I was, would I own up to it?" Breaker replied, a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, relax. I'm not some creature of entropy. I am a man, flesh, blood and soul." He glanced down at his arms briefly. "Though admittedly, this place has taken a toll on me in that regard."

Rix didn't know what to make of that. "But you say you're trapped here. How do you survive the storm?" People didn't live in the Fractured Realms. The entropy storms were utterly hostile to life.

"I have my talents."

If he were trying to convince Rix of his humanity, he was doing a poor job.

Rix exhaled sharply. "Say I believe you. About…everything. I don't see how I could possibly help someone like you."

"Ahh, you underestimate yourself, Zao Rixian. It is true that now you are barely more than a day-old fawn. But with time and dedication, you could challenge the heavens themselves."

That, at least, was language he understood.

"You called me something before. A 'cultivator'?" said Rix.

Breaker nodded. "Cultivation is the ancient and noble art of wielding qi." He cocked his head. "How is it you don't even know the name of the power that you wield?"

Rix shrugged. "Everything I learned I got from a book, but it was badly burnt. Barely more than a few pages survived."

"So you have no teacher? No master back home?" Breaker said, his voice carrying just a hint of eagerness.

"No," said Rix. "I searched everywhere for more information, but nobody talks about qi in Cloudpiercer Citadel. As you hinted, I always got the sense that bringing it up would be dangerous."

The man gave a grave nod. "That is for the best. There are many places where it is unsafe to discuss the old ways. For both our sakes, you should guard that secret close."

"Why? Why would anyone not want us to know about it?"

Breaker's face grew smug. "People suppress knowledge that could challenge their supremacy."

"And cultivation could do that?" said Rix sceptically.

"Not just challenge it, but shatter it entirely," Breaker replied. "When you cultivate, you are tapping into the foundational power of the universe."

"But the System is the foundational power of the universe," Rix said with conviction.

Breaker let out a patronising little laugh. "Ah, the blinkered certainty of youth. Your perspective is understandable. The cage defines the world for those born within it."

Rix's mind was churning. "I don't understand. Are you saying the System…limits us?"

Breaker smiled, a knowing, almost pitying look. "Limits you? Child, it barely lets you glimpse the true scale of power. It is a mirror catching a faint flicker of the roaring inferno that is cultivation."

Rix shook his head, defensive. "But I've seen what it can do! Martial Souls reshape landscapes, build our cities, battle entropy. Their techniques shake the heavens. The Chronicles are full of it!"

"And yet, there is so much more," said Breaker.

Rix felt something cold and hard settle in his stomach. The Martial Path was everything in Cloudpiercer. The pinnacle of power, wealth and aspiration. He'd often thought about his qi and its role in the wider universe, but everything in the world around him said that it was the candle flame. A power too small or weak to be worth pursuing. The idea that those roles were reversed was almost impossible to process.

"I don't believe you," he said, his voice shaking.

Breaker leaned in close. "But you want to. I can see it in your eyes, Zao Rixian. That hunger. That desire to rise up and become everything you are capable of being. That's what I'm offering you."

Rix swallowed hard. Between his physical condition and the turmoil of having his world view thrown into question, he felt close to collapse. But in spite of all that chaos, Breaker's observation rang true. If the man was telling the truth, there was something incredibly seductive about that thought. While his enemies would be working at their meagre imitation, Rix could be ascending to the true heights of power.

He closed his eyes for a moment before that notion carried him away entirely.

"This is all a lot to take in. While I appreciate your offer, I need time to think it over."

For a moment, Breaker looked almost taken aback, as though he'd forgotten what it was like to have someone not immediately agree with him. Then understanding settled across his features, and he inclined his head.

"Of course," he replied. "Right now you look as though you can barely keep on your feet. This relationship would be off to a bad start were you to drop dead before my eyes. You should make your way back to your portal. I will find you again. For now, just think on what I've said." He turned and began making his way deeper into the canyon, calling back over his shoulder as he went. "You could be so much more than you are, Zao Rixian."