Schemes that Got Together II

Essence Flames are spiritual existences that get stronger as it grows and contrary to popular belief that it is sentient, it only knows how to survive and destroy no matter what level.

It starts from the weakest form, Human Class, and then evolves to Earth Class, then finally Heaven Class. When essence flames reached Heaven Class, it can be passed on to someone or inherited. This is the second reason Blood Moon Sect elder choose to nurture a flame despite its repercussions.

Essence Flames found in magical beasts are parasitic in nature. Once the host is deemed weak, it will find another suitable host to live on. Parasitic Essence Flames devour other Parasitic Flames to evolve however will only devour the flame when it is still integrated on its host. A peculiar behavior which could not be explained. It is like throwing meat to a dog and it will not eat it. It needs to be served on a plate before it takes a bite.

Chung Har'an, together with Dal In was floating from the sky at least a kilometer from where their sacrifices were waiting to be devoured. They were observing the Tier III Horned Flame Lion at a safe distance, the same beast they have been nurturing for the past century.

The beast just used its paws to immobilize the first subject.

As the Alchemy apprentices is struggling to resist, a yellowish shadow came out from the lion's neck and latched on to its defenseless prey through the navel area.

It is currently absorbing the unrefined essence flame planted on the apprentice which was recently unsealed. During this state, the beast becomes vulnerable which explains why Heaven Class Flames from magical beasts are very rare as it would easily die when attacked during its meal and this is why Chung Har’an and Dal In is secretly protecting it from the side.

Nature has its own way of producing treasures. It takes thousands of years for essence flames to evolve to Heaven Class but with the intervention of cultivators, it gets shortened up to hundreds of years but at the cost of thousands of lives, after repeatedly being fed Earth Class Essences Flames and using Alchemy apprentices as the host.

However, like all other entities that cultivates, there is a point when it undergoes lightning tribulation as it ascends to higher realm and for Essences Flames, this happens it evolves to Heaven Class.

Essence Flames are spiritual in nature and can easily be extinguished when bombarded with deadly tribulations so in order for a Parasitic Essences Flame to ascend, it must patiently wait when its host is ready to breakthrough to Tier IV beast and perform a simultaneous tribulation and use its host as a shield.

Devoid of any emotions, Dal In watched the two hosts below. They had conducted this more than a thousand times and killing had become routine to them. They were supposed to feed the beast in another two years but their schedule is decided randomly through dice. Dal In was lost in thought when he suddenly noticed Chung Har'an becoming restless. He looked at the Horned Flame Lion again.

A lightning streaked through the clouds.

BOOM!

A deafening thunder was generated.

“What’s happening?”

Dal In looked through the sky and noticed a large vortex forming ready to emit thunderstorm.

“Oh my god!”

He now understood where Chung Har'an's uneasiness was coming from. The Horned Flame Lion is getting ready to evolve and any minute now will the lightning tribulation descends.

Chung Har'an scanned their surroundings. According to their calculation and feeding intervals, the beast should have another thirty more years before it evolves.

It is a good thing their Elder chose this place. The environment around active volcanoes is always cloudy naturally hiding someone's tribulation.

He still cannot understand why the beast is maturing too early. As he was thinking of dates they had carefully calculated, he suddenly became suspicious.

“Unless, someone has been feeding it in secret.” He thought. “But that can’t be. Where is..”

“Elder!”

“Elder!”

Chung Har'an turned towards the direction where the voice was coming from.

"Elder! There seem to be something wrong with the Protection Formation.", a Foundation Establishment junior shouted as he got closer to their position.

As soon as Chung Har'an heard their junior’s report, he already knew something was amiss. He needed to inform their Nascent Elders now.

Chung Har'an sent his Qi into his spatial ring however before he could take out a long distance communication talisman, a murderous aura instantaneously enveloped them.

SWISH!

A masked man suddenly appeared before them.

Chung Har'an instinctively activated his life saving treasure dangling from his chest and in less than a split second, a fortified invisible Qi barrier surrounded them but, in another second, a bullet made of bluish Qi the size of a fist managed to pierce through exploding their heads.

Chung Har'an could barely react and even failed to see who their enemy was but his hand still moved and had successfully triggered the communication talisman he just took out from his ring.

TING!

The long distance communication talisman activated releasing invisible waves towards all directions.

Earlier, unbeknownst to Chung Har’an and Dal In, two masked men had been observing stealthily from the trees right below them even before they got to the area. They have their own agenda and have no plans on revealing themselves but was taken by surprise when the Horned Flame Lion displayed signs of undergoing tribulation.

One of the masked men is a Nascent Soul Expert so killing two Core Formation Experts did not even pose a challenge but he over estimated his strength and did not notice the communication talisman and failed to stop it from activating.

After killing the two, he transmitted a message to his companion who is a Late Core Formation expert.

"I will set up an array. Kill anyone without exemption. We will be having visitors in a few hours."

His companion had just killed the Foundation Expert managing the Defensive Formation. After he heard the order, he flew towards the wooden house Kle In rested from to kill everyone.

Not far away from where the Blood Moon Sect experts died, another Core Formation expert was hiding within a bush. He used an artifact to hide his presence while getting closer to Kle In's location. He is none other than Mii Eit.

He was about to retreat when he first noticed the presence of a Nascent expert but he changed his mind when he saw that a tribulation was about to transpire. He is hopeful that there will be a pyrrhic battle between Nascent Experts later which he can take advantage of as an spectator.