Chapter Eighteen: The Chosen One

Li Sibai had already finished the dry rations he’d brought with him, and after drinking some water, he no longer felt so hungry. It was then that a deep, muffled voice reached his ears:

“Hmm…”

Immediately after, the branch on which he was sitting began to tremble, as though the ancient tree spirit was awakening.

The old tree spirit slowly opened his eyes and fixed his gaze intently on Li Sibai, as if he wanted to strip him bare and see through to his very soul. After a long while, the tree spirit finally spoke in a slow, deliberate tone:

“I truly didn’t expect that you would be the Chosen One.”

“The Chosen One?” Li Sibai muttered inwardly. What did that mean? How could he be the Chosen One? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

“Ah well, perhaps fate is indeed set by the heavens. It seems the prophecy is true,” the tree spirit murmured to himself.

Perhaps having reached a decision, the sorrow on the old tree spirit’s face vanished, replaced by a gentle smile as he asked Li Sibai, “Young man, your name is Li Sibai, is it not?”

Li Sibai quickly clasped his hands and replied, “Yes, elder. I am Li Sibai, an outer disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect.”

The old tree spirit nodded. “Indeed, with your current abilities, you can only be an outer disciple. Do you have any questions for me? If I know the answer, I will tell you. If I don’t wish to speak of it, you’ll need to seek the answer yourself.”

Li Sibai pondered what to ask first. After much consideration, he realized that what he most wanted to know was about the mysterious energy within his body. “Elder, may I ask, do I possess battle energy within me?”

The old tree spirit paused thoughtfully. “Yes. You have sensed it?”

“Yes, elder. Last time, when Siyao used the Seven-Colored Mystic Light to help me cultivate, I circulated the Xuantian Art within me, absorbing a great deal of pure energy and refining it into vital energy. It felt warm and comfortable. Today, while you helped me cultivate, the red vital energy seemed suppressed, but another stream of cold, white energy within me was greatly enhanced and helped me break through to the fifth level of the Phoenix Origin Realm. This cold, white energy—could it be battle energy?”

The old tree spirit cast Li Sibai a look of approval.

“That’s right. That is battle energy, and it dwells within you.”

Li Sibai’s confusion only deepened. “But elder, as far as I know, vital energy and battle energy belong to the separate paths of immortal and demon cultivation, and they have never coexisted in one person. How can this be…”

The tree spirit saw the source of Li Sibai’s doubt and shook his head. “Young man, what in this world is ever truly certain? The only constant is change itself. What you’re experiencing has occurred before—not often, but it has.”

“Ah! So it has happened before?”

“Yes. I don’t know all the details, but I once heard a young man like you speak of it. For now, you need only know that you do indeed possess battle energy.”

“Then, how should I cultivate from now on?”

The old tree spirit did not answer at once. After some thought, he replied, “The slow progress in your cultivation before may have been because the battle energy inside you suppressed your practice of the Xuantian Art. As you know, Siyao is a divine beast, and her body is filled with vital energy. Her Seven-Colored Auspicious Light can suppress your battle energy, allowing you to use the Xuantian Art to absorb the world’s pure energy and refine it into vital energy, replacing the impure energy within you. Because you have been diligently cultivating for years, your body and spirit already surpass your skill level, even though you hadn’t advanced. With Siyao’s help, you were able to quickly rise two levels.

“This time, the green energy I released was condensed from my own battle energy. It entered your body, suppressed your Xuantian vital energy, and activated your innate battle energy. Though the battle energy has always been present within you, you haven’t learned how to use it. Today, the green battle energy I gave you merely awakened some of it. I can now teach you a method to cultivate battle energy, but you’ll need to practice and master it yourself.”

Li Sibai felt a sudden clarity, but then hesitated. The sect had always been strict; it was forbidden to study other schools’ cultivation methods without permission. If discovered, he could be expelled.

The old tree spirit saw his hesitation and did not press him further. “If you’re still undecided, you may find me again when you’ve made up your mind. Since I have received your favor, I will do all I can to help you. Besides, you are the Chosen One, and I once promised someone…”

Li Sibai had just begun to understand, but now found himself confused again.

“Elder, please wait a moment. What favor have I given you? I don’t recall anything like that. And what is the Chosen One? Who is this person you mentioned?”

The old tree spirit laughed heartily at his barrage of questions.

“Young man, as I told you, I won’t answer every question. What the Chosen One is, you must discover for yourself. As for who that person is, you will certainly find out in time. As for the favor…”

The old tree spirit coughed twice. “Do you remember, after your breakthrough, something shot out from your body?”

Li Sibai recalled the incident. He had just asked Siyao about it earlier, but Siyao had said she didn’t know and that he should ask the tree spirit once he awakened.

Li Sibai quickly nodded. “Yes, elder. Siyao said the same, and told me to ask you once you awoke. There was so much on my mind, I nearly forgot.”

“No matter,” the old tree spirit replied, pausing before continuing.

“The white, icy energy you emitted entered me and was a tremendous help. As I said, you are the Chosen One, and your battle energy is unlike that of ordinary demon beasts. Yours is purest of all. For us demon beasts, a little of your battle energy brings great benefit, but too much would be wasted. After I helped you advance, your battle energy sensed my presence and automatically gave me some of your energy. In this way, you helped not only yourself but me as well. Don’t you agree that I have received your favor?”

Li Sibai nodded thoughtfully.

“So that’s how it is!”

Yet he still found it hard to believe. Could his battle energy truly be so potent as to benefit an ancient tree spirit of ten thousand years?

“And Siyao?”

“Yes. If I’m not mistaken, Siyao also benefited from the pure yang vital energy you provided. While your vital energy isn’t as potent as your battle energy, it is still a wonderful supplement for her. However, you do not possess much innate vital energy; most of what you have comes from your own cultivation of the Xuantian Art, transforming pure energy into vital energy.”