Chapter 33: Root of the Roots

Chapter 33: Root of the Roots

A dark sprawling section spread out in front of Labby, the narrow cavern tunnels and walls expanding into a hollowed dome. Labby sniffed the air, watching as waves upon waves cresting across the lake lying in the middle of the cavern.

Large amounts of Qi swirled beneath the surface of the water, vibrating with power as the waves of Qi spread outwards.

A rock-like island stood at the centre of the lake, oddly circular and uniform in shape and covered in odd plants. At the heart of the island, she saw the largest spirit flower she’d ever seen before. It brimmed with Qi, drawing her towards it.

“Something lies beneath the surface. The parasitic plants are spreading from the little island in the lake,” the spider spoke to Labby, as she flicked her ears, watching the rumbling waves.

“Labby needs to get there somehow. Labby wants- uhh, no, her Great Master wants the lotus!” Labby exclaimed to the spider, her tail moving happily behind her as she watched the beautiful flower blossoming with potent Qi.

Thoughts of feasting on the delightful treat filled Labby’s mind. Biting into the scrumptious leaves as the Qi filled her core...

“The little rat needs to be less greedy. The humans need help.”

Labby sniffed the air, taking one last look at the lotus before she pushed her desires back. She needed to make her Great Master proud, and she couldn’t do that if she kept running after spirit herbs.

Turning away from the lotus and the lake, Labby began to head towards where she senses the humans. These humans, like the ones from the city, and the village, held little Qi, unlike her great master. It reminded Labby of herself, from before she’d met her Great Master.

The three humans lay near the cavern walls, tangled in roots covering their bodies that continued to drain the Qi from within them, slowly but surely.

Labby walked closer, carefully touching the plant root. The plant jerked at her touch, as roots began to move towards her, trying to pull her in.

“Stay back, the roots can tangle you up. Leave the humans to Zhi Zhu, the plant hasn’t invaded their cores yet. There’s hope. While Zhi Zhu will try to remove the plant roots, the little rat should guide Liuxiang and her Master here.”

Labby stared at the spider, it’s black eyes looking back at her blankly. Her instincts still told her to run away from the spider, from the predator that would try and eat her. She didn’t like the fear that rose within her from the spirit.

Labby nodded, with a squeak as she turned around. She wasn’t the mindless rat she’d been before, her instincts wouldn’t hold power over her actions.

Labby reached out to her Great Master, through their bond. Excitedly, she sniffed the dense Qi filled air, crackling with quiet sparks as she sent her message to her master.

She felt a loud rumble go through the ground as she did, and Labby turned around in a hurry to see water pouring out from the lake in a giant wave as the island at its core began to rise. Labby jumped back nervously as the water began to spread through the cavern. A sense of wonder filled her as she felt the presence, so large she couldn’t even begin to grasp it, like trying to see a mountain in its entirety.

“What what? Where are you Labby? Did you-” she heard her Great Master’s words get cut off, as a massive presence emanated from the lake.

Her Qi crackled nervously, as water swirled in a torrent. Labby started as two giant legs rose from beneath the lake, as a massive creature rose from beneath. A loud rumbling voice that shook the walls bellowed through the creature’s mouth as it walked, displacing the water in a tidal wave.

Labby eye’s went to the flower, as lightning cracked around her. She had to get the flower!

***

Rumbles echoed through the dark cave, as a cacophony of sounds screeching and chittered all over, echoing in a dissonant hum. The ground shook beneath my feet as I rushed towards the direction Labby was in.

“What’s happening Labby?” I asked Labby through our bond, receiving a mix of confusion and surprise.

“Great Master, the island stood up on its legs.”

The words almost made me stumble as I ran, and even though I knew Labby couldn’t see me, I gave her the most shocked look that I could manage. The what did what now?

“The island with the pretty flower stood up Master! It even has a mouth and the bad plants are all coming from it.”

I walked closer, keeping up the fragrant Qi filled spell of the pills drifting towards the turtle as it’s movements started to slow down.

“Now, Liuxiang!”

The other boy ran like a gliding wraith, his hands moving in a blur. With a crack, I saw a needle bury itself in the ground, filled with potent Qi and carved with symbols onto it. More needles followed, being set in the ground at specific intervals.

The turtle started to move once more, as it’s legs rose in the air, smashing the ground with a stomp as it shook the ground and I sent all the essence that remained in the pills towards the creature.

In a thundering rumble, the turtle took a step ahead, and I froze as it’s massive limbs headed right at me. Fuck.

“Five- Pronged Restraint Formation,” I heard Liuxiang whisper as his voice carried on the Qi. Glowing lines appeared on the ground, forming a pentagon, as they connected the glowing needles that glowed brightly with Qi.

I watched as Qi began to swirl around the creature, pushing down as invisible walls formed along the edges of the pentagon. With a rumble and a groan, the turtle collapsed right in front of me.

I stared with my heart thundering in my chest as a plume of dust rose. The ground shook beneath me from the impact and I took a step back, as the rush from the adrenaline began to fill my chest, mixing in with relief.

Sensing Liuxiang walking towards me, I calmed my emotions, collecting myself. The boy walked closer as the dust cloud began to dissipate, I could see sweat covering his face as I felt his movement sluggish. He looked to be dangerously low on Qi.

“Thanks,” I said to the guy and I saw a light smile cover his face.

“This one could only do it due to Senior’s help,” the boy said with a light bow. “The formation will hold for a while, but the source will still need to be purged. This one will return to the villagers. Some of them need care, though all should survive.”

I nodded, watching as Liuxiang walked away. The great turtle lay on the ground, it’s legs sprawled as it had its eyes shut close. I could see the thick flesh beneath it’s massive shell moving with each breath it took.

I could almost sense the pain it was going through.

“Master... Labby thinks the flower is eating the turtle. There’s something black forming under it, and Labby doesn’t like it. The Qi behaves strangely around it.”

I heard Labby’s voice, sensing her confusion mixed with her apprehension. I walked closer towards the turtle, checking the formation to make sure I could come out of it, before I headed in.

I grabbed onto the thick roots, deflecting any that tried to burrow through my skin with my Qi as I climbed over the massive turtle. With a light jump, I was leaping through the air and up above.

“You need to stop rushing ahead like this,” I told Labby, grunting as I set myself up in the thick and overgrown shell. I could see cracks from where the roots were digging into the turtle. With how overgrown the area was, the turtle must’ve been in this condition for a long time now.

“Where is it Labby?” I asked her, as she climbed on my back and up to my shoulder.

“The flower, beneath it. There’s dark things that the Qi burns through,” she replied and I turned towards the flower at the centre.

It glowed with a dim light, it’s appearance tantalising, and a sweet fragrance emanated from it. Striking purple stripes ran across it’s petals as the soft petals rustled in an unseen breeze and I felt myself being drawn towards it.

Labby crackled with sparks as I circulated my Qi as the effect passed quickly. Something was very wrong with that thing.

I moved closer, lighting the roots on fire if they touched my body and flooding them with Qi. I guided the Qi to boil the water within the cells, melting and burning the roots from within. All that alchemy wasn’t for nothing it seems.

I touched the flow lightly, shifting it to the side as I saw a dark pungent clot formed beneath it. My Qi burned like fire, as the dark haze mingled with it, as a wave of heat poured out. I yelped in pain, letting go of the flower and moving a step back.

I stared at the flower, clutching my burnt finger as a frown etched itself across my brow. Something within my mind seemed to whisper, a knowledge I didn’t know I possessed. What I’d found was the anathema to my Qi. To cultivation and life itself.

I’d found a clot of Miasma.