Spasms erupted through his legs. Vera froze at the sight of the uninvited guest in his hallway. Long Tian presence suffocated him.
The sensation of Vast Heaven's fingers rupturing his heart filled his head.
Long Tian set his teacup down against the console table; he gestured for Vera to come sit beside him. The intensity in his gestures turned them to commands.
His face contorted into a grimace as his body approached Long Tian. The veins over Vera's neck bulged as he tried to steer away from him; his eyes were locked onto Chun's room.
I have to make sure!
His fingers dug into the wall by his side.
Are they alright?!
But his resistance was for naught. Bloodied marks remained on the wall as a show of his defiance.
Vera's body sank into the chair's cashmere cushions.
Long Tian looked toward him while pointing at his cup. "Isn't it tradition to prepare good wine before a guest arrives?"
Vera only stared at Chun's room; the sound of his thumping heart could be heard. Qi seared through his meridians as he pushed against the armrest.
Long Tian let out a low sigh. He waved his arm at Vera; the force that restrained his body eased. Even the qi in his meridians eased.
"Calm down; I wouldn't kill you even if I wanted to. Our grandfather would make my life hell." Despite Long Tian's attempt at calming him down, Vera shot off the chair. Wheezes filled the room as he ran to Chun and Sword Dog.
His steps resounded through the hallway's marble floors. Long Tian got off his chair lethargically and followed from behind.
A heavy thud sounded as Vera yanked the door open. His strained gasps calmed as he stared into the room.
Chun slept soundly with Sword Dog curled up beside him.
The two slept completely unbothered by the loud sounds from the hallway. The cold sweats over Vera's forehead receded.
His body slumped against the doorframe as he sighed in relief. "You're alright..."
Long Tian, who stood behind him, gripped his shoulder; a subtle grin crept onto his face as he observed Vera.
I was worried that you were still a coward after my lesson.
His hand slipped down to Vera's elbow as he pulled Vera up. "Why would I harm a child for no reason?" Long Tian waved at his tea cup. In a moment's time, the cup flew toward Vera.
"Take a sip and calm down. I've only come to talk today."
Now that his biggest concern was resolved, the tension in his body calmed down. Vera could tell Long Tian bore no ill intent through his mannerisms.
The two walked back to the chairs. Although Vera was still on edge, he was ready to talk.
Long Tian's chair creaked as he slumped into it. His head leant back to catch the cold breeze from the window. Vera, on the other hand, still watched Vast Heaven's every move; Preparing for any sudden attack.
"Don't bother staying on guard. If I want to do something, you won't be able to stop it." His index finger pointed at the teacup that levitated in front of Vera.
"Drink."
Vera looked at the cup with suspicion. He sniffed the steam that rose from it, though he stopped in a few moments.
Could it be poisoned?
As he continued to observe the teacup, he realised that there were no signs of poison.
Although he was still suspicious, when he looked at how Long Tian lounged without a worry, he realised...
Why would he even need to poison me...
Having understood the futility of his resistance, Vera took a sip of the tea.
He observed the tapestry on the wall in front of him, his expression unchanging, even though he burnt his tongue.
His mouth slightly agape, Vera asked. "Why have you come here?"
Long Tian turned his head over the cushion and looked at Vera.
He definitely burnt his tongue.
The grin on his face grew wider.
"I saw your match yesterday. I noticed two things about you in that time." He extended his fist to Vera with two fingers sticking out. "Pick one."
Perplexed by Long Tian's casual behaviour, Vera picked his index finger without realising.
"Someone is an optimist!" He exclaimed as he lifted his head off the headrest.
Long Tian turned to face Vera and cleared his throat.
"You're not inherently cruel. Although you may enjoy fighting, what happened yesterday had more to do with the techniques you practise."
Now that the good news was over, Long Tian pulled back his index finger and waved his middle finger at Vera.
"For the bad news, you're going to become a crazed killer if you don't evolve soon."
Vera stared at Long Tian with a dumbfounded expression.
Scalding hot tea spilt all over the console table; the teacup clattered against it and fell to the ground.
There were many points in what Long Tian said that Vera didn't catch. However, the 'crazed killer' part Vera caught completely.
Thick creases grew around Vera's eyes. Unbothered by the scalding hot tea on his hands, he spoke. "What... did you just say?"
Just a few words shattered the resolve he built up after talking to Aspartese.
Vera's fingers twitched as he stared at Long Tian.
I'm going to become a crazed killer?
Vera's pupils dilated; his breathing started to hitch. Now that his assumptions were confirmed, he started linking everything he did up to this point with the 'bad news'.
Long Tian swirled his fingers; the tea that had spilt on the floor rose to the air and formed a cup-size globule of water.
"Don't overthink it. I would've just killed you if there was no way to revert it."
The globule of tea vaporised instantly; a sharp hiss followed as the vapour engulfed Vera's face. As the steam touched his face, Vera shot back into the chair; he was pulled out of his spiralling.
"Like I said, you just need to evolve. You're almost there already. You just need to train your body a bit more, be it by battle or refinement."
From the moment he gestured for Vera to sit till he vaporised the spilt tea, he only willed it to happen.
It was as though he didn't command. Rather, he prophecised an outcome, and it would follow.
Even if he lied, it was the truth; for that reason alone, his word placated Vera.
Vera wiped the condensing steam away from his face and picked up the cup he dropped; red streaks ran through his eyes..
"Can I resolve it?" He asked, his tone running low.
The room turned silent for a moment.
Long Tian let out an exasperated sigh as he leant his head back into the cushion.
"Did you two even bother reading my father's manual?" He swatted at Vera, leaving him no time to question what he said. "Of course it has to do with the manual. Remember, intent and qi mould flesh till the boundary."
Vera looked at Long Tian with furrowed brows.
Did he just say, 'you two'?
Vera's legs started jittering. He wanted an answer, but he couldn't interrupt even if he tried to.
Long Tian continued his explanation, unbothered by Vera's gaze.
He picked up a pitcher of water and a handful of tea leaves from the console table and started emptying it out into the air.
"This water is your body."
The stream of water spiralled into a sphere the size of a head. Long Tian, then, threw the tea leaves into the sphere.
"The tea leaves are your intent."
The water began steaming, causing the tea leaves to diffuse into a thick green liquid.
"The heat is your qi. As your qi melds with intent, it creates causality. This causality makes it more likely that you become more than just a human."
The green liquid coalesced with the water slowly. Just then the sphere started to spin; the slow diffusion of 'causality' hastened.
Somewhat used to flashy lectures, thanks to Aspartese, Vera followed the theory without being distracted by the display.
The likelihood of mutation exists in me. But it hasn't diffused yet...?
Long Tian snapped his fingers, calling for Vera to pay attention. Making it clear that he didn't plan on explaining it twice.
"Your potential has gifted you with immense qi and physicality. Your causality is ripe. However, you haven't reached the limits of your physicality. This leaves you with causality that is dyed in killing intent. A dangerous causality that has nowhere to go."
He reached for the sphere's edge and spun it. As the sphere's rotations picked up in speed, the thick green liquid diffused faster.
"You need to spin faster to diffuse that causality. If you fail to do so, what happened yesterday will happen again. Yesterday it calmed down early, but you won't be that lucky everytime." As his explanation ended, the freshly brewed tea split into two streams that flowed into their cups.
Vera stared at where the sphere was with a contemplative gaze.
Long Tian looked at Vera with a sharp gaze, having given Vera a minute to consolidate what he said.
"Do you get it now?"
A cold breeze blew through the window, causing the curtains to flutter. The moonlight shone over Vera's face, leaving a sharp contrast on his face.
"My body hasn't kept up with the growth of my qi and intent." He rested his chin against his hand. "The intent that has nowhere to go is affecting my mind."
Long Tian picked up his freshly brewed cup of tea and took a sip to soothe his dry throat.
"That is correct. Do you understand how to resolve the build-up of violent causality in you now?"
Vera brushed his fluttering hair back as he looked at the moon through the window. The fear of losing control had eased; his gaze filled with resolve, he answered Long's question.
"I need to spin faster."
The exasperation from Long Tian's sighs was now in his expression. He leaned back into the chair and stared at the ceiling.
What a fucking idiot...
The theory he had shown Vera was one of the most important discoveries his father had ever made. A method that allows one to emulate Law without even reaching the third rank.
His face lost all emotion.
Will he really be ready when the time comes?
However, as much as Long Tian wanted to explain the intricacies to Vera, 'spin fast', for the most part, explained what he needed to do.
For now, this much was enough. He still had to make his investment, before the night ended
"Hm... just spin fast, Vera. Is there anything else you want to ask me?" He got up from the chair and started walking to the door.
"If not, I'll be leaving."
As Long Tian walked toward the door, Vera gazed at his back. While he was glad that this interaction was ending, he also knew that it left Long Tian no reason to meet him anytime soon.
If I don't ask him now, I won't find out why...
As the door that led out of his accommodation opened, Vera got off his seat; his arm reached out.
"Senior... I have one thing I want to ask."
Long Tian turned back to face Vera. His brows furrowed in surprise.
I thought he wanted me to leave as soon as possible.
He leaned against the door frame and gestured for Vera to speak.
"What do you want to know?"
Vera's hand pressed against the mangled scar over his chest. His words quivered in the air.
"Why... did you choose me?"
His fingers pressed into the flesh over his chest. "What can you get from me growing stronger?"
No matter how personable Long Tian was, as long as his reason was hidden, Vera could never trust him fully. The sharpness in his gaze carried his resolve.
Long Tian looked at Vera as he straightened out his robe. "Why are you getting so worked up for something so simple?"
He dusted off the lint from the chair as he continued. "In a few centuries there will be a war."
The hairs on Vera's nape stood up straight.
"When that time comes the people I've gathered, including you, will fight in place of my father."
A tremor ripped through his body.
Fight? In place of the strongest immortal?
His breath hitched.
Could it be? From when he fended off the divine beast immortals?
From what Aspartese had told him, the last battle Dao Tian fought was at the heaven's gate, nearly two thousand years ago.
As he understood the truth, he realised just how precarious humanity's saftey was.
Since then no matter the severity of the threat Dao Tian never took part in battle again.
The implications were too severe.
Something he should've never heard, and something he should've never asked about.
The armrest creaked as he gripped it.
"Is the First Ascender... injured?"
In the little time he had met Long Tian for, he was never serious. Any emotion he showed was always controled.
Even laughter only appeared as a snicker.
Yet, Long Tian almost chortled. His lips streched to the corner of his eyes.
"My father, injured? From fighting the scrubs in these domains?"
The air ran thick. Long Tian's hands trembled; his pupils dilated.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not protecting him from the enemies. "
The engraved marble tiles near him shattered.
"I'm protecting all of us from him."