Seed Of Speed

Although the crowd roared and cheered for their new Patriarch, no one dared move close to the arena as Barru had already descended into the sand with the four faction leaders behind and collected Diego with the simple command of "Follow." The people watched him leave with the leaders of their clan while an ever-present chant of "Ishu" rang through the stands.

As soon as Diego fell in line behind Barru and in front of the faction leaders, Barru's aura came crashing down on his shoulders like a mountain. He could even feel himself sink slightly deeper into the sand. Diego tried to put on his most relaxed face while on the inside, he was sweating bullets.

(What the hell is with this feeling?!?) Diego franticly thought.

::It is Barru's aura. He has likely grown suspicious of you after eye-catching performance, but as long as you pass whatever test he gives you, your 'Legacy Tomb' story should be enough to end his worries::

(His aura? I feel like Mt. Everest is resting on my shoulders!)

::Yes, its intensity is probably due to the fact that he has remained trapped at the Peak of the Mortal Body for many years and has continued to cultivate the Scarlet-Gold Sun Body despite its inability to raise him to the Demi Body::

(So, will I have the same problem?) he asked silently while he followed Barru.

::No, my true self added in a variety of cultivation manuals since she did not know what your 'Seed' would be. Once you reach the peak of the Mortal Body, I will be able to give you a Demi Body method that will be able to utilize the power of your 'Seed' much better than the one you have now::

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Mission Acquired!

- Max out your Scarlet-Gold Sun Body to the Peak of the Mortal Body.

- Requirements: Reach '9th stage (Peak)' of the Mortal Body

- Reward: Nine Hells Thunder Body cultivation manual and 50 skill points

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::And there you have it::

(Thanks, Kat.)

::Just remember it when you meet my true self::

Diego found himself walking up the steps to the Bastion which was hauntingly quite which made sense with the tournament, but that knowledge did not make the place feel anymore inviting. Barru's aura was still pressing down on him to the point that Diego was having to channel what little Solar Energy he had left through his body. Although he was starting to feel weak and a strange hollowness, he pressed on behind his father without a word of complaint. Only his clenched jaw gave away his discomfort.

Barru lead him and the faction heads into the central room and over to the meeting table. Instead of sitting, Barru leaned over his chair and pressed a rune on the stone table. An invisible wave of pressure erupted from the middle of the room which slammed the doors shut.

::He used a basic sealing formation to prevent anyone else to be able to enter or eavesdrop on your conversation::

"Now then boy," Barru said as he turned back around to stare at Diego, "why don't you tell me which of these fools put you up to making a mockery of one of our forefathers?"

The weight on Diego's shoulders suddenly multiplied, forcing him to kneel. He let out a grunt when his knees hit the hard-stone ground, but he was not the only one to let out a sound of discomfort. Hugo, Oro, and Anoe all let out a groan of their own when Barru strengthened his aura while Firesand gave an angry snort and flared his own aura, blanketing the others and weakening the pressure.

"Do not overstep your bounds with me, Patriarch, or I'll demonstrate my namesake!" Shaman Firesand warned.

"Haven't you overstepped your own? Teaching my son magic?!?" Barru boomed which echoed in the sealed room.

"The agreement with the Konto Sect is quite clear. I have the right to choose any and every child born with mana!" Firesand said in a quiet, even tone, but it magically amplified to be louder than Barru.

"Hmph," Barru snorted then turned his fury back to Diego as he could not compete against the shaman. "Speak! Give me the name!"

"I alone wanted to spare my brothers. I knew that as the heir to the seat of Patriarch, the clan's future would rest on my shoulders, but if I remain trapped in the oasis, I'll never break the chains of the Mortal Body! With my brothers alive, they can protect the clan while I seek out my master's inheritance! Once I return with it, our Telryn Clan will soar into the heavens!" Diego said, just as he had rehearsed with Katalina before.

"Master?!?" Barru exclaimed as the pressure disappeared.

Diego nearly stumbled over from the sudden lose of pressure, but he pushed himself to his feet instead. "When I lured those Devil Worms away from Catro and the others, I was in the Wilum Sands one moment and then in the next, I found myself in a strange hall unlike anything I had ever seen. The floors were made black marble and there were columns of blue wood. In the center of the room, an old man sat on a prayer mat preparing tea. He spoke of fate and asked me to join him for a time.

"He asked me questions about this and that, nodding sometimes, but nothing he spoke of seemed important. At the end, he chuckled and said I was a good kid then pointed a finger at me. A flood of memories filled my mind, and when I had awoken from my trance, I was back in the Wilum Sands."

"By the heavens and hells, a Legacy Tomb," Firesand breathed.

Barru let out a laugh while Hugo, Oro, and Anoe exchanged looks of disbelief. 'Void Passages' were rare in the desert, but anyone who stumbled across one would be teleported to another location. Normally, they would lead to a 'Pocket Realm' where natural treasures like precious herbs, rare metals, and mana crystals could be found. Legacy Tombs were like a myth in the desert, but that was the very stroke of fortune that the founder of the Anzoli Empire claimed to have had.

"Ha! What a lucky brat! Fine, fine, I'll absolve your punishment for your words as your gift for achieving the seat, but tell the others your needs and they will get weapons and armor of your station. Oro, in particular, owes you a good bow since the last one he gave you broke," Barru said with a smile.

"Father, you are mistaken. It was mother who gave me my bow," Diego said, catching Barru's trick.

"Hmm…" Barru replied with a nod.

"What is your preference on bows, young lord?" Oro asked quickly, changing the subject since correcting Barru an easy way to set him off.

"Long bow," Diego replied, relying on Ishu's memories.

"Would you like a new spear, young lord? We can make it the same size and weight of your current one," Anoe asked next.

"Ah… sure, but I would like to keep this one as well."

"I can provide you with metal or leather armor, you don't need to decide that now though, young lord. Tomorrow, I will send over one of my girls and have you measured first then you can send along your decision with her," Hugo said with a slight bow.

"Thank you, Faction Head Hugo," Diego replied.

"Return to your house and rest. Tonight, I will be hosting a large feast in honor of your victory with the most senior members of the clan. Although you know them already, this will be the first time they will look upon you as the heir. I expect you to return by sunset," Barru said as he took down the sealing formation covering the room.

"Thank you, Lord Father," Diego said with a bow then he walked out of the room.