118 The 9th Layer (1/2)

Multiple rays of sunshine infiltrated the gaps of the thick tree-cover overhead sending volumetric beams of light poking through the gaps in the leaves and forming scattered golden splotches of dull sunlight on the forest floor below.

Hartley sat cross legged on the dried leaves scattered across the ground with his eyes closed, shadows danced across his body as he sat statue-still under the broad canopy of a gigantic oak-like tree, its thick protruding roots stretched out around the area like an octopus drilling its tentacles into the earth and the oval-shaped leaves above swayed gently from side to side in the mild wind sweeping through forest.

This was his first time back cultivating since getting married and he felt refreshed by the open scent and wild unfiltered sounds of the mountains, he focused his mind with renewed thoughts, vigor and a renewed purpose.

He engaged his advanced state of focus and delved back into the world of cultivation.

A few hours went by in the blink of an eye, the gentle breeze sauntered through the forested area bringing a few dead leaves swirling just above the ground, the un-moving Hartley was glowing bright blue with shafts of light pouring out of his body like he had swallowed a lantern.

Waves of energy started to pulse out from his body rattling the ground underneath him, creating a network of spiderweb cracks slowly crawling out in every direction with him sitting calmly at the center not even seeming to notice.

The wings of panicked birds could be heard fluttering loudly, loose feathers fell slowly onto the canopy of the forest as the frantic birds immediately migrated from the area in mass, squawking loudly in unison as they made their escape.

At the same time a mottled collection of fierce beats scavenging in the area quickly turned in fright and noisily tore through the thick undergrowth in a rush to vacate the area. Moving speedily away from Hartley's position, the mini stampede drummed up a storm of dirt and dried leaves in their wake as they headed deeper into the mountain howling in panic.

The soldiers training in the mountain immediately felt the unnatural vibrations underfoot and were spooked by the unexpected quaking of the ground, some of the men began to stumble and fall while others were trying to balance themselves with arms spread wide, taking shaky steps as if they were walking on a tight rope suspended in the air.

People as faraway as in the main manor could feel the tremors of the earth.

The thick bodied Captain Houlang assisted by Fu Qian immediately ended their training session and shouted orders of retreat, they then started to quickly lead the men on a path out of the mountain as a precautionary measure.

They feared something unknown and sinister was brewing deep in the hidden innermost belly of the mountains, something so powerful that they wouldn't be able to handle it if confronted by it.

As the soldiers were briskly leaving the area, skillfully navigating over the rough rocky terrain at the outer edges, there was a sudden boom, the world around them shook violently and everything in their sights seemed to be dyed in blue.....

At the manor everyone going about their duties were shocked and stared slack-jawed at the distant mountain, they had already been on edge feeling the trembling of the earth underneath them for the last fifteen minutes.

Then they saw a column of blue light suddenly erupt from that direction of the deep mountain shaking the ground like a tambourine as it rose into the sky bursting through the delicate formations of fluffy white clouds.

This created an almighty ruckus around the manor as the commoners were scared silly by the unbelievable almost alien sight, chaos ensued as some dropped to their knees in worship while others ran for the safety of their stone houses. All pleading for assistance from the Holy Matriarch....

Qin Li's eyes suddenly flicked open, he was cultivating in his private room in the manor. He walked to the window and looked out at the column of light quizzically. He could feel the tingling of raw power in the air that sent chills through his body, ”Is that you Hartley?” he asked himself quietly with a pensive look on his scruffy features. .

On the top floor of the manor in a large room doused with sunlight from the high windows, Zhi Ruo's elegant white gown swirled around her as she glided to the window at the south side of the room and looked out nervously, hoping and praying in her heart that nothing bad had happened to Hartley.

The three students behind her had pale frightened faces as they flocked to the window behind her to look at the column of blue that seemed to have split the heavens above.

Zhi Ruo reassured the children with a smile that nothing bad was happening even though she was nervous herself but she couldn't show it in front of them.

The blue light column beaming up into the heavens was a beacon of attention for everyone in the capital but no one could say for sure what this phenomenon was. Some of the top experts even started to make their way over to the deep mountains in the western hills to investigate.

Eyes closed, Hartley was sitting as still as a dead deer in the middle of this column of blue light, he had a peaceful and serene look on his face as if he was getting his portrait painted without a care in the world as countless blue particles danced around him.

Then a translucent sphere looking like a giant bubble wrapped around Hartley's body flickering with a blue pulse of color that seemed to sync with his heartbeat.

With a flash of blue, dirt and leaves gently swirled around in a cyclonic pattern around him, Hartley then made a dramatic and regal ascent into the sky whipping up the dead leaves and blowing away the clusters of tree branches adorned with green leaves that were sticking out from the tree and into his path.

Hartley hovered about twenty meters off the ground next to the scattered limbs of the ancient tree with the peeling dry flakes of its massive brown bark falling to the ground in thick pieces.

Hartley was still in a lotus position as he floated silently in the perpetual storm of blue.

After another thirty minutes Hartley opened his piercing blue eyes and the column of blue stretching up towards the sky slowly faded away, with the bubble-like sphere still surrounding his body, Hartley floated in the air for another ten minutes before gently descending back down to the floor.

As he stood among the scattered dried brown leaves juxtaposing the airborne green swirling leaves from the dismembered limbs of the tree, he smiled and the translucent sphere around him retracted into his body and calmness returned to the western hills. He stood in silence with the remnants of the half-destroyed tree surrounding his feet.

Hartley had easily broken through to the 9th layer of the xiantian realm.