Chapter 122 - Please Accept Me!

"Take this, and this, and that!" A rabid Mukri yelled as he smashed his hooves on the Grief Incarnation's ashes. Several steps behind, Birandar watched the show with lopsided eyebrows. "Do you know it can't hear you? It's not returning from the netherworld just to hear you scream. Or did I miss something?" Confused by Mukri's deeds, Birandar couldn't restrain his curiosity. The bull's hoof stopped mid-air and, clearing his throat, he shifted back to his partner of misfortune. "This is all your fault! Instead of earning great merit, I lost face before the boss, all because you lured me into this place! Do you think anyone can use top-tier Mysteries with a finger snap? Damn it, I almost kicked the bucket! And why the hell did you get so strong so fast?" Mukri rattled off. That control over top-tier Mysteries such as Truth and Fate enabled Birandar to command great powers didn't surprise Mukri. But how could a non-cultivator, overnight, reach middle-accomplishment in top-tier Mysteries? Just because of that Third Eye? Even the boss couldn't do that, and the boss was as cheated as cheats got. 

Believing he'd been somewhat inconsiderate, Birandar patted Mukri's muzzle, and ignoring the bull's inquiries, turned heels. "Come, Bull of Heaven. Master awaits."

…

Meanwhile, after observing the battle's end through Mukri's eyes, Harun shifted back to his little corner of the Obsidian Soul Stone mine. Alongside Jiyan, he found and excavated hidden stashes of Obsidian Soul Stones. Some had reached such a high-grade that they bred a spiritual consciousness and fled at the first threat. Naturally, none escaped Harun's evil clutches and silently joined his stash of Obsidian Stones. To refine their gains and improve their strength, the pair picked a silent cave at the mine's center, away from strife and woes. Here, the walls were several times smaller. The red stones that intermittently lit up the previous hallways produced no light, but the Mysteries and Essence had never been stronger. Soul, Yin, Death, Earth, Metal and Space. Thick energy strands fluctuated across the cave, each representing a Mystery. 

To speed up their progress, Harun performed a miracle, and through his Spiritual Incense, created two lotus thrones for them to meditate on. Jiyan was still far from completing her first Yin Core, and though each would drastically boost her cultivation and strength, only by forming the three would she truly step into the Tri-Yin-Core stage. And despite her terrible cultivation talent, the cooldown between each beast refinement session ensured that without several years of time, Jiyan couldn't break through.

The lotus thrones reduced that cooldown to three seconds. Better, Harun offered Jiyan the Chimeric Fiend, and while the spider-wolf hybrid disturbed her profoundly, Jiyan didn't hesitate. Thus, after consuming several Serene and Obsidian stones, she refined the Chimeric Fiend's soul. 

But even though it didn't resist, the soul-potency of a creature akin to a sixth-level Ascending God was no minor challenge. Worse, that single soul gathered hundreds of experts' merged consciousnesses, making the ordeal all the more painful. Dark-blue light streaked across Jiyan's lithe form, her temperature plummeted, her skin paled and her body shivered. Still, she held on, and bits by bits, broke down the Chimeric Fiend's Soul—gathering the energy in her abdomen to condense her Yin Core. A magnificent spiral of icy-blue light formed around Jiyan, and her cultivation base skyrocketed. 

Harun, who watched on the sidelines, was full of admiration. "Fascinating. How I wish I could cultivate on the Myriad Poisons Bridge. This is so unfair," Harun complained on the sidelines.

"Not satisfied with Samsara Dominion?" The system rhetorically asked.

"I want to create toxins, not command karma and reincarnation loops." Harun experienced a mid-life crisis—so to speak. The System was speechless, wondering how many people across the omniverse would smack this ungrateful son if they heard his words. "Different lives, different woes."

Ignoring the System, Harun closed his eyes and connected to Mehran, who now ran the Dark Stone City like a theocratic state. "Little bro, you now have a free license to pull in all refugees and let my blessings spread far and wide. Across the next few days, take in as many as you can. I'm about to breakthrough to another stage and won't available if trouble finds you," Harun declared, making the High King roll his eyes in exasperation.

"I'm not your brother. That said, the disasters have only been getting worse. By the time you leave the mine, I'm afraid the First Range's population would have been reduced by 90%—at least. If those numbers disturb you, you know what to do," Mehran replied in an absentminded tone.

"Shrouding the entire range will require astronomical incense reserves and focus. I can't do that and be here at the same time. A man's strength is limited. We can only do what we can and hope for the best," Harun said and hanged up. By now, Jiyan had condensed her first Yin Core and was on her way to the second. Refining the Chimeric Fiend's soul sublimated her cultivation speed and strength—enabling her to absorb subsequent Toxic Beast Souls like candies. Each core demanded 120 toxic souls. So fast was Jiyan's absorption speed that Harun became afraid that she might make herself explode. 

But, believing in her skills and wits, he left her to her own devices and turned to confront the newcomers. Without his guidance, as if they somehow placed a tracking devise on his soul, Mukri and Birandar walked into the cave, the former with a fawning look, while the latter's eyes flashed with reverence. "Boss! I was so scared! I missed you so badly! Why as this assignment several times more fearful than you promised? You left me with a freak!" Mukri poured out his grievances as he strutted toward Harun, and from time to time, peeked at Birandar from the corner of his eye. Knowing that this subordinate of his only wanted more benefits, Harun ignored him, and focused on the new enigma: his first disciple.

As soon as the Plague Overlord's gaze met his, Birandar dropped on his knees and prostrated himself to showcase devotion:

"Sir, please accept me as your disciple!" Birandar exclaimed, making Mukri cut the nonsense and stand on the sidelines. The cave fell silent. Before, there was no question on whether Harun would take him as his disciple or not. Hell, he found Birandar, not the other way around. Likewise, Birandar's extreme transformation only occurred because of the mantra Harun gave him. The Dual Soul Root was never meant to produce a third eye—the Awakening did. 

But even if he was to blame, Harun had to tread carefully. The system's new evaluation of Birandar didn't make his choice easier. 

[Name: Birandar]

[Attributes: Senses (10), Physique (10), Luck (7), Dao Attunement (10), Willpower (10), Charisma (9)]

[Age:16]

[Cultivation Base: None]

[Physique: Dual Soul Root]

Not only did he unlock a third eye that directly brought him to middle-accomplishment in Truth and Fate, his raw talent had risen to Jiyan-level. Limitless potential, dreadful foundation and an Inviolable Destiny; for a disciple of such prowess, Harun could forget many questions—given that he could trust him. 

"Why should I?" He seriously asked. 

"I know that you must have several questions and do not wish to take unnecessary risks, but I can say this with certainty. You and I are bound by an unbreakable Karma. I exist to be your disciple, and even if you do not accept me, unless you kill me now, I will follow you across eternity.

I can be your sword, shield, ax or broom. But the world be my witness, I will never fail you. So master…please accept me as your disciple!" Birandar proclaimed and banged his forehead against the floor. With his current attainment in Souls and Karma, Harun could read the boy's sincerity and feel the bond he spoke of. 

Still, the future was hard to fathom. Two men with close ties to Ancestors was not the type of publicity he needed now. But at the same time…who cares? Overcautiousness wouldn't stop those issues from hunting him down. On the contrary, by overseeing Birandar's growth, he could see through the problems before they struck. Just like with Mehran, the System remained silent, which only further convinced Harun of his choice. 

"As you please," Harun stated, thus welcoming the first inheritor of the Nine Venoms Sect.