2 This One Wants to See the Forests (1/2)
His vision was filled with the image of a white beast. Its body was shaped like a horse, but its head was smooth and round with a wide jawline. Five horns protruded out of its head, pointing toward its back. Two horns were long, situated at the sides, while three smaller ones were spread in the middle. On its back, five swaying tails opened out like a peacock.
The most surprising thing for him was that the creature could talk! Even thought it didn't open its mouth, Yao Huang was sure that the one talking through his mind was this monster!
There was no mistake! This thing must be...
”A high-ranked spirit beast!” Yao Huang blurted out.
Kokuo, who was in the middle of gathering its chakra, froze.
”...What did you call This One?”
”...? Spirit beast, right?” Yao Huang reiterated.
Hmm, wait, usually high-ranked spirit beasts were rather proud. Perhaps it wouldn't like being called a beast...
”Should I call you with a different name? I know not your title, though... Venerable One, perhaps?”
”...”
Something seems wrong...
”Human, This One is called a Tailed Beast. This One is Kokuo, the Five-Tails! Remember that well! And now, This One shall resume devouring you!”
The white beast began gathering chakra once again, trying to weaken the seal enough to breach through and overpower the kid. After all, it should be easy to corrupt a young human's will, wouldn't it? It should try before those ninjas returned and brought a more compatible Jinchuuriki.
Yao Huang, however, was oblivious to all this. He was more focused on something else.
”Alright, King Mu...”
The chakra gathering failed again.
”This One is Kokuo!”
”Ah.”
Yao Huang smacked his lips. This body's memory prior to his awakening and his own soul's memory were overlapping, and such the language used by both were mixing up unconsciously. When he thought of a word with the same meaning, his native language popped up instead.
Maybe he should focus on the sound instead...
”Gao Ku Oo...”
Hmm... that also sounds wrong.
”...”
This kid... Kokuo was wondering whether or not this kid was an idiot...
”Nevermind that. What did you want to ask This One just now?”
”Oh, okay. So, uh...”
He wondered whether it was alright to ask it. It could be a sensitive topic after all.
”Do not make This One curious. Speak up.”
”Fine. So... you said you're a Tailed Beast.”
”Correct.”
Yao Huang frowned.
”Isn't that really ambiguous? Which beast has no tail? What makes you different than the others then?”
”...”
Slowly looking up toward the ceiling, Kokuo...
...Stopped moving.
---
”IHaveFiveTailsSoImDifferentRight?ButThenWhatAboutShukaku?IfThatRaccoonIsJustANormalAnimalThenAmIDifferentFromHim?WereAllFromSamePlaceSoWereAllTheSameRight?AmIJustANormalAnimalThen?”
While the white beast had an identity crisis, Yao Huang was trying to assess the situation.
The room was dark, really dark. The only source of light was the faint glow that the monster was emitting from its body... as well as this five-branching tails on his back, which were similar to the monster's.
He was wearing some form of robe that was slung over his body and tied with a sash. It wasn't drastically different to the clothing he'd used throughout his previous life, which meant that he hadn't leapt through a very distant era. The question was, how many years?
He hoped that it wouldn't be too far in the future. The peaceful era might be able to last long, but it wouldn't be eternal. If he was thrown to an era after that, he'd be embroiled in unnecessary war again. That would be tiring.
”Haah... for now, let's calm down and cultivate.”
Crossing his legs, he began feeling his new body's spiritual path. Starting from his dantian, he traced his meridian, getting a clearer image of its crosses and curves. From there, he willed his dantian to move, enticing qi, the power of the universe, to gather and circulate within him.
”...”
”...”
Sitting in a lotus position, the kid gave off a calm smile while closing his eyes. However, in actuality, he was breaking out cold sweat.
Ah, heck, he couldn't feel any qi at all!
”What is going on?!”
His new body wasn't a cripple! He had checked it just now! It was actually rather strong for a child, perhaps even more talented than the he back then.
The problem was the qi! No matter what kind of cultivation method he tried, whether it was dantian spinning, reverse spinning, or even external qi push, none managed to gather qi into his body!
How could it be? Qi was prevalent in this world. Even the most complicated sealing array couldn't isolate an area completely off qi! At most, it would just make the concentration of qi extremely thin!
”What are you doing...”
”Whaw!”
Yao Huang almost jumped out of fright. Kokuo had popped out from behind him, but instead of the proud tone from before, its voice was weak and raspy, like a ghost's voice. He even thought that it wasn't the spirit beast, but a vengeful spirit instead!
”What's wrong with you?!” Yao Huang couldn't help but ask.
”Nothing...” Kokuo let out a long, long sigh. ”This One just feels that This One has lost the meaning of existence...”
”...”
This was the first case of spirit beast mental breakdown that he had ever witnessed, so he sadly couldn't offer any help...
Anyway.
”Venerable spirit beast-”
”Tailed Be- you know what, that title is useless. Call This One whatever you desire.”
Kokuo sat on the floor, showing a dejected face.
Fine. Spirit beast it is.
”...I want to know why there's no qi in here.”
”'Gas'?” Kokuo tilted its head in confusion.
”Gas? I'm talking about qi...err, wait, you write it like this...”
He touched one of the white beast's legs, and then traced the word for qi.
”...What is that?”
”...”
Seriously? A spirit beast that didn't know qi? How did it cultivate, then? No way it could get this big without cultivation, right? Yao Huang coughed a few times before explaining.
”It's the vital energy that is available in everything in this world.”
”Energy? Do you mean chakra?”
Eh?