Beyond the Veil of Folly

4. The strange sword

The spidermonster tried to ward them off with its web. However, Renggin Ang's wind swords easily pierced through it.

Sleb!

The wind swords successfully struck both eyeballs of the spider.

Grrrrrrrrr!

The monster fell down.

“Hey! You saw how great I am, right?” Renggin Ang said proudly, rubbing his finger beneath his nose.

“You're great, but foolish!” Ampy Ang retorted.

“Aiiih! Are you really my little sister?” Renggin Ang pinched Ampy Ang's tiny cheeks. However, the little girl remained silent with a cold stare.

Suddenly, the monster's corpse transformed into a solid black pearl.

“What is that?” Renggin Ang pointed.

Ampy Ang picked up the pearl. “This... is a low-grade spirit pearl,” she said.

“Spirit pearl? How do you know?”

“Mom said, the brighter the color of the pearl produced from hunting animals, the higher its quality.”

Renggin Ang gasped. Suddenly, his expression changed to one of annoyance. “Why didn’t Mom teach me that?”

“Of course, it's because you’re foolish! Haha.”

“Stop calling me foolish!” Renggin Ang pulled his sister’s nose.

“Aaagh. Okay... okay. That’s because you’ve been too focused on physical training with Daddy. You also never read any books other than martial arts manuals. You underestimate natural knowledge.”

Renggin Ang fell silent and nodded. “So, what should I do with this pearl?”

“That pearl is perfect for a warrior-level cultivator like you. You can absorb it to speed up your advancement to the next stage,” explained Ampy Ang.

Renggin Ang sat cross-legged, preparing to absorb it. The pearl floated before him, then shattered into black powder. He inhaled it.

Instantly, a wave of heat surged through his body. He held on by closing his eyes.

“Aaaargh!”

His body felt like it was burning. This was not the first time for him. Yet, it was still painful. In the past, his father helped him neutralize his body temperature. Now, he had to deal with the situation on his own.

“Ugh, I can do this,” murmured Renggin Ang, starting to feel overwhelmed.

Suddenly...

Byuuuur!

Renggin Ang felt his body drenched.

“Ampy Aaaaaang!” He shouted, eyes wide open.

“Your body looked like it was smoking Big Brother, and I happened to find a water source in this cave. So, I poured it on you without thinking. Hehe.”

“Wow, you really worried me,” Renggin Ang grinned.

“No, I didn’t.” Ampy Ang turned away, hiding her face. “If you fail in cultivating, then none of us will survive. Tomorrow, the poison will start reacting,” she murmured.

Renggin Ang looked healthier than before. It turned out he had successfully broken through to the second stage of being a warrior.

“Ah, earlier, I found a wooden sword. Strangely, the sword was stuck in a large rock,” said Ampy, frowning.

“How could a piece of wood get stuck in a rock?”

The little girl led Renggin Ang to see the sword embedded in the large rock. Just as Renggin Ang was about to touch it, Ampy Ang suddenly noticed a blue light on the sword.

“Wait, Big Brother!”

Unfortunately, Ampy Ang failed to stop her brother. The little girl sensed something strange happening to Renggin Ang.

Renggin Ang pulled the sword out with ease. Then he turned around with a blank stare, emanating blue light.

What happened to my brother? Ampy Ang thought, feeling a bit anxious.