Life Drain System

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However not able to stop in time Ai Lan runs into the dragon, pushing the ball out of her arms, and she falls a little from surprise, but quickly flies back up. However the ball has been taken by the flying basilisk already.

---- Meanwhile Elsewhere ----

Back inside the immortal caves, Yueliang walks through the tunnel thinking. 'I have gone through this 87 times, and it is exhausting. But I am sure the more effort I put in the larger the reward, this will surely be the time I make it. Each time, was closer than the last, so even if nothing else, at least I am getting stronger.'

Walking through the tunnel, feeling the pressure, but not affecting him as it did before, Yue takes a deep breath and looks at the blood soaked floor below him. Then looking at his tattered clothes, he takes them off before throwing them into his inventory and pulling out a traditional hanfu that he just happened to buy for fun before.

Putting on the hanfu outfit he feels like all the others he has seen around the palace and the meteorite before that. Either way, he continues walking into the light, and feeling the pressure more and more, he tries his best to stay standing until he is forced to his knees. Then starts crawling, and seeing the entrance to the place he has been trying to get to for a whole day or so now, he smiles and pitifully at that..

Around ten minutes later, managing to make his way through the entrance all the pressure instantly disappears and tears fill his eyes as Yue loudly exclaims. "YES! I finally did it, I am here."

Then standing up from the ground, he looks around and sees a large low cut grassy plain, and on the walls all around him in a dome shape are writings, but above them is a sky and sun. Seeing this, something clearly did not escape his gaze and that is the tunnel just across from him. However feeling how dense the chi is here made him wonder. 'Is that an exit, or is it leading to the next place after I finish here?'

However he pushes that thought aside from now and begins read the right wall next to him, reading from top to bottom. Although as he reads, he starts reading slower and slower as it feels as if he is comprehending something, but what he does not yet know. With this persisting, Yue sits down as he reads from a distance so he does not have to keep walking.

With his good eye sight he would only have to move 4 or so times to continue reading as the room is quite large. This being how he spends the next 10 hours and 48 minutes.

Meanwhile back at the palace, the emperor has two guests sitting before him and drinking tea as equals and one of them saying. "My old friend, I hear you have found one of your grandsons, as well as cast out your son. It seems you have had quite the experience while we were out cultivating."

The other man then says. "Old Ji, do not be too hard on Emperor Rin. He like us has many hardships in life. As one progresses their trials change and get harder, just as when one digresses they get easier, but also more condemning."

"Well said, Old Hu, but it is alright. I have accepted my trials, and persevere through them. Failing is not in my dictionary, but that does not mean that one day I may. But until then I will be working so that it never does." The emperor comments.

Old Ji then asks with a serious and surprised face. "Rin, have you achieved the legendary state of acceptance?"

In reply, the emperor answers. "No. However that does not mean we should not all work towards it. Plus, even if one of us did, it would have to stay between us three anyways due to the trouble it would bring if others knew."

Old Hu asks. "Yes, that is true. By the way, when could we meet that grandson of yours. He must be quite the interesting fellow just like you. Also we could tell him all the embarrassing stories of your, nay our youth."

The three break out laughing as they think back to their young adulthood when they first met.

Old Ji then comments. "Rin, remember that time when we where all feeling bored on that long boat ride, so we decided to go fishing."

"How could I forget, you used me as bait for the fish after all." Rin replies as he reminisces of his youth.

Old Hu quickly adds. "Hold on, it was not just you. Remember, you used us as bait two days later when you decided you wanted to go hunting for some Raptors. I am sure that makes us even for that."

Hearing his comment, the emperor then says. "Oh? You want to talk about even, when you two tied me to the line and used me as bait while I was asleep. While it may be funny now looking back on it, but at the time imagine waking up to a shark about to eat you. Also, just the next day, we lost our oars, and so since we could not fly due to the natives, I swam us to shore being chases by sea snakes."

Remembering the past, Old ji comments. "That is true, but it was your idea. As for the shark incident, what could we do? We were hungry, and did not know what sort of fish inhabited such waters."

"I am pretty sure that just makes it worse." Emperor Rin mumbles quietly.

However the group quickly moves onto other topics and continue their laughter. Although in the back of Rins' mind something clicks as he remembers something the dragons who raised him said, that he has long since buried for fear of it. However feeling it is either too late, or not applicable he continues to laugh with his friends.

Meanwhile back in Ai Lans room, the sport still going on. She could be see sweating a bit, and breathing a little heavily, and so she says. "Alright, the reptilian team wins, my team and I lose this time. However we will see next time." She comments playfully.

After that, both teams start descending to the ground for an after game meal since they all worked up an appetite. On one side is bon fires roasting huge chunks of meat on a spit over each fire, while on the other side is tables of plant based dishes. As each creature goes around picking up what they wanted with either their claws or wings, or tails, so too does Ai Lan with her hands. Even going over to the roasting mean and cutting off a slice with chi and letting it fall onto her plate quite heavily.

Then each of the creatures eat the wonderful food that Ai Lan and them had worked hard in preparing before the sky polo match. Shortly after they all finished eating, the dragons blew out the fire beneath the meat and all the creatures including Ai Lan go to sleep all huddling around her to keep her both safe and warm. Not that it was necessary since there are no dangers nor pests here in her room.

Off in room where the high orcs and goblins are gathered they can still be seen passing around the balls. Quite tired from the intense work out it is much slower, but either way they are clearly much more skillful as no one is missing the ball, nor dropping them, or stumbling too much. However the goblins still feel wary of it due to worrying it would crush them if they do not catch it right.

Regardless, Blake then says. "Alright, that should be enough for today. Although if you would like to continue practicing today these balls will remain here. Also, this is to be our morning and nightly routine until Yueliang gets back. Understood?"

Hearing this everyone groans as they feel quite sore and answer quite exhaustedly as they start separating from each other, and some even falling onto their butts to rest.. "Yes."

Meanwhile, back with the three friends, Old Hu asks. "By the way, how is your grandsons cultivation. Also what type does he cultivate?"

Old Ji also chimes in and says. "Yes, tell us. Maybe we could help him, or he could go traveling with us sometime."

Hearing this, Emperor Rin sighs and answers. "*Sigh. He is not in any state to be traveling at the moment. He got sick a while back and I had to shatter his Yang, Core Realm, Golden Core cultivation. It was not something I wanted to do especially since it has only been under a year since he began but it was needed to save his life. Either way, he is now using a different method, however I do not know which yet. I will be finding out in less than a week."

Listening to his response, Old Ji, and Old Hu feel worry growing and quickly exclaim after hearing that. "WHAT!!!"

Then Old Ji asks. "Do not tell us you sent him to that place? And if you did, you at least chose for him right?"

Emperor Rin answers calmly. "Yes, I brought him to the world where I was raised after being abandoned, but it is not an issue. He chose for himself, just as the dragons had me do, is how I told him. Although he chose 'that' one, I am sure he went back and went in another."

Old Hu quickly comments. "We need to go there now! If he is even half as stubborn as your younger self he will likely get himself killed. You were fortunate that fate had you pick another, but he is not a dragon, and that technique is not meant for humans even if we are the superior species."