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Chapter 2: The Boy’s Secret

A secret rested in young Ashura’s heart that he had never told anyone!

At age 10 he had awakened his magic aptitude, and it was a rare one… the lightning element!

After awakening, Ashura could clearly sense the silvery magic particles in the air!

He clearly remembered how his mother, Qin Lan, had once told him the story of her own awakening when he was little.

He realized that he might also be qualified to become a mage!

Yet why had he never mentioned it to anyone?

Because he feared that once his family learned of his gift they would push him even harder, forcing him to study magic diligently.

Then how could he keep playing happily?

Therefore Ashura never spoke of his lightning talent and never learned a single spell.

Only after his sister Azhiya awakened the wood element, and their mother began teaching her basic magic, did he secretly learn how to meditate beside them.

The first time he hid under his quilt to meditate, he felt the silvery lightning element cheerfully pour into his body.

He could feel that the lightning element was highly compatible with him.

What he did not realize was that some gray magic particles slipped in with the silver ones and vanished the instant they entered him.

As a complete novice, he never noticed… and so he kept the secret from his family even till this day!

It was no wonder his family failed to notice, for on the King’s Continent those who could break through from Warrior Apprentice to Warrior were as rare as phoenix feathers.

First, martial cultivation required talent and often clan heritage.

Second, it demanded resources that ordinary poor families could not afford.

Warriors were divided into nine major realms: Warrior Apprentice, Warrior, Martial Master, Grand Martial Master, Magic Warrior, Archmage, Grand Archmage, Martial Saint, and Martial Deity.

Each realm was further split into stages 1, 2, and 3, and advancement grew harder the higher one climbed.

Once a cultivator reached Magic Warrior, the battle qi inside the body would carry an elemental attribute.

Although it was not as powerful as a true spell, it still boosted damage to a certain extent.

The ratio of warriors to mages was 20 to 1, making mages even rarer and more precious.

The common magic elements were earth, water, wood, fire, and wind.

Ice, lightning, light, darkness, and space were considered rare elements.

Mages were likewise ranked in nine realms: Mage Apprentice, Mage Adept, Magician, Grand Magician, Magic Scholar, Archmage, Archmage, Magic Saint, and Magic Deity.

Each realm also had three stages, and advancing as a mage was even harder and more costly than as a warrior.

Today’s beating still stemmed from what Ashura had read yesterday in his grandfather’s medical book… a note that a mage could infuse pills with his own magic to enhance their quality.

Driven by curiosity, Ashura had sneaked into his grandfather’s alchemy room today.

No one was inside, and Qin Zongren’s furnace was refining a calming pill meant to soothe the mind his grandson had upset.

Yet Ashura had never learned to manipulate magic and did not know how to release the lightning within him.

Just as he felt at a loss, his quick mind came up with an idea.

Though he could not mobilize magic directly, he did understand the body’s meridians.

He silently sensed the lightning element in his consciousness and guided it to roam through his meridians.

At first the element obediently coursed through him, but before long it snowballed out of control, growing larger and wilder.

The boy realized he had gone too far and cold sweat slid down his forehead.

The lightning was racing faster and growing more violent inside his meridians!

Ashura knew he could not delay, so he clenched his teeth, focused his mind, and forced the lightning out through the Laogong point in his palm.

A grape-sized silver orb flickered and pulsed as it drifted toward his grandfather’s furnace.

The boy stared at the magic orb he had produced, bewildered.

Yet he faintly sensed danger… an uncontrollable danger.

He quickly scurried to the doorway, stuck half his head inside, and peeked.

The instant the orb touched the furnace, a thunderous boom shook the alchemy room.

His grandfather’s treasured tier-3 furnace was left covered in cracks.

The room was a total wreck, and the pills had been blasted who-knew-where, let alone infused with magic.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the boy bolted out of the room without a second thought.

He knew he had caused trouble and had to make sure he was nowhere near the scene.

Just as he was about to dash out of the building, he ran straight into his grandfather, who had hurried back after hearing the thunder.

Seeing the boy’s shifty eyes darting about, Old Qin immediately knew the matter was linked to him.

He grabbed Ashura by the collar and dragged him to the alchemy room, and the veins on his forehead bulged when he saw the devastation.

Yet when he saw the cracked furnace, he froze.

That tier-3 furnace was his treasured possession, forged from subterranean shining iron.

Its strength was such that even A Fengtian could not crack it with a full-force blow, yet the present mess was clearly this brat’s doing.

Suppressing his anger, Old Qin demanded, “You little rascal, how did you wreck my furnace like this? Speak honestly!”

Ashura knew he must never confess, no matter what.

Sticking out his neck, he said, “It has nothing to do with me, Grandpa. I heard the explosion as I was passing by, got scared, and ran out, happened to bump into you, and you dragged me back.”

Old Qin knew he was spouting nonsense; given the boy’s curious nature, he would have rushed in to see, not fled in guilt.

Old Qin questioned him several more times, but Ashura stubbornly insisted it was none of his business and even claimed the explosion was due to Qin’s own mistake.

So angry he almost blacked out, Old Qin finally flung the boy at the arriving A Fengtian and went off traveling to cool his temper.

He also planned to find another furnace…

While the boy was scribbling furiously, the door opened a crack, a little bun-haired head poked in, and a sweet voice called, “Third Brother!”

Ashura looked up at the newcomer, tossed his pen aside, and flopped onto the desk.

Stretching out his left hand toward the girl, he said, “You’re finally here, I’m starving, hand it over!”

The girl giggled, deftly produced a large piece of braised beef from her bosom, and passed it to him.

She then picked up the pen he had tossed and resumed copying the medical book for him.

The brother and sister performed this routine with practiced ease.

Whenever the boy was punished with no food, she always found a way to bring him something to eat and keep the copying going.

After wolfing down a few bites, Ashura asked, “How is it? Has Father cooled off yet?”

The girl pouted and said, “You really angered Father, and Mother is mad too. She usually lets me bring you food and medicine, but this time she allowed only the food.”

“Hurry up and eat. Eldest and Second Brother are still talking to him, and I have to leave soon!”

The mention of medicine made the boy’s lashes-ripped backside throb even more.

He bared his teeth and grumbled, “Father is so unfair; why does he beat me every day out of four children? Am I even his real son?”

“Hmph! Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years west. One day when I become the world’s number-one warrior, I will…”

“You will what?” A stern voice rang out at the study door before he could finish bragging!

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