Chapter 19: Change?

The crystal was now faintly vibrating. It was almost impossible to see, but if one touched it they would feel it vibrating. Because of these vibrations, the water that was surrounding it was also affected. Waves traveled in the water and spread around in the underground lake.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the lake and evenly spread around. These ripples were uniform and were completely symmetrical. The lake which had been still for an unknown amount of time was now rippling. This process went on for days and days, which soon turned to months.

With each passing day, the crystal would get ever so slightly smaller. Its size would decrease and its uneven shape was also getting changed. An unknown amount of time passed and now the crystal was nothing like before. Its size which was previously over two meters tall had now shrunk to about fifty centimeters.

Its shape now looked more like a long cylinder instead of an uneven crystal. Its sides had also reduced to less than two inches. If one looked at it now, they would think that it was a long crystal rod. This long crystal rod had segmented patterns on its length that went around its circumference.

The substance that was once contained inside the crystal was now no longer there. It had completely vanished, and in its place, a small black pearl was left behind. This black pearl was located at the very center of the rod and had faint green swirls on it.

The green glow that was emitted from the crystal had disappeared for a while. Now that it didn't emit any light, the underground cave and lake were shrouded in darkness, save for what little light came from the top of the roof from the opening that Lin Wu had once entered from.

More time passed, and now the cylindrical crystal rod had changed shape again. It was much more smoother now and had multiple segments appear on it. If one counted the segments, they would find that they numbered fifty. The black pearl with green swirls on it was now glowing.

It would glow after every few intervals, and a strange wave of energy would spread from it. This wave would extend from it and spread out, penetrating through the walls of the cave and arriving on the surface. It would then retreat and increase in its intensity.

Once it reached the crystal rod again it would be absorbed, making the black pearl glow again. This cycle would repeat again and again. Finally, it reached a point where the green glow had become blinding. This glow lit up the entirety of the underground cave and the lake.

The light exited from the opening at the top of the cave and pierced the sky. It was night time right now and the large beam of light exiting from the ground was extremely eye-catching. It looked like a massive green pillar that could be seen for hundreds of kilometers.

*****

A hundred kilometers from the site of the crater there existed a city. It sprawled over the area of five kilometers and was surrounded by walls on all sides. Lights could be seen glowing in the city, coming from the numerous that were lit up. This city was called as the Deer Wood City.

In the middle of the city, the glow of the lights was the brightest. This was the area where the three aristocratic clans of the city were located. There were three huge courtyards which had more courtyards within them.

In each of these large courtyards, there existed a large mansion surrounded by smaller houses and rooms. These were none other than the residences of the three aristocratic clans. Currently, in one of these courtyards a few people were sitting and discussing something.

They were sitting in a large hall and were having tea while they talked. There were about twenty people currently present in the hall. These twenty people could be considered to be the strongest and the most influential people of the Deer wood city. Among these twenty people were the three clan heads of each of the aristocratic clans.

They were taking jovially, yet one could tell that their eyes said something different. It was evident that while they appeared amicable on the surface, inside they were all scheming over each other. They would flatter each other openly while cursing them in their hearts. They seemed to having a certain kind of meeting and were also discussing the matters of the city.

Suddenly the door of the hall opened with a loud sound, and everyone turned to look at it. Some of the people had irritated expression on their faces, evidently because of being interrupted midway while they were speaking. It was clear that these people were not used to being interrupted.

From the doors of the hall appeared an old man that was dressed in the attire of a steward. He walked and came to stand in front of the people. He then cupped his hands in salute and bowed his head.

"Speak! Why have you interrupted us?" The man that was sitting at the very head of the hall spoke.

"Forgive this lowly servant's insolence my lords, but I have very important information to deliver to the clan head Lu." The steward spoke in a respectful tone.

The person who was sitting at the back was apparently the clan head of the Lu clan.

"Speak what you have brought." Lu clan's head spoke.

The steward lifted his head and looked at the people in front of him with deference in his eyes. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"An unusual phenomenon is occurring right now as I speak my lords. A sky-piercing pillar of green light can be witnessed to the north of the city. It seems to be coming from the same place where the explosion had happened last year." The steward informed.

"What? Why are we waiting here then, let us proceed to the courtyard. I'll see this phenomenon myself and see what to make of it." Lu clan head spoke with an authoritative tone.