The Amulet of Seven Destinies

The Stranger

“Greetings to you too, Miss," Dalun said politely. Something about her aura made him feel slightly unsettled, but he couldn't quite place his finger on why.

“Where is this place?" The stranger asked. Her voice was soft and husky.

“Miss, you have arrived at the humble lands of the Hon Clan," Dalun replied respectfully.

“And you must be the Clan Leader?" Looking at Dalun, she questioned.

“Yes," Dalun nodded.

“Clan Leader, I am lost and need a place to stay for a few days. Will the Hon Clan be willing to accommodate me?" She asked the clan for hospitality.

“Miss, may I ask where you are from?" Dalun asked her in return. Feeling uneasy, he wanted to take measures to ensure the safety of his clan.

They didn't often get many visitors, and so the Hon Clan was naturally suspicious of all strangers. Dalun didn't know if this stranger had any bad intentions.

“A land far away. I've been traveling for a long time. I would really appreciate a place to stay and rest for a while." The woman answered vaguely. Seeing Dalun's discomfort, she added, “Don't worry, I have no weapons with me."

As she spoke, she threw back her hood.

All the clan members who were at the gates immediately let out a gasp.

The stranger was stunningly beautiful.

Sharp facial features defined her small face, and her dark green eyes stared sharply at them with a piercing gaze.

Though her tan skin was practically glowing, the large dark eye circles beneath her eyes exposed how tired she was.

Seeing the toll the long travel had taken on this stranger, Dalun took pity on her and decided to let her stay at the inn for a couple of days. He told her, “Alright, you can stay for one night, but not any longer than that."

“Thank you, Clan Leader." The woman bowed slightly in thanks.

“Come this way, Miss," Dalun said and led her into the small wooden inn and sat down at a table. As usual, Ashur followed right behind him.

After a few moments, without prompting, the innkeeper came and brought 3 bowls of soup to their table.

Sitting at a wooden table with a warm bowl of soup in front of her, the stranger started to open up.

“From the land where I come from, we have a soup like this too. It is sour, peppery, and is really comforting on a cold day."

She sighed appreciatively as she ate a spoonful of soup.

“Where exactly do you come from?" Ashur piped up.

“Ah, what a curious boy you have." The stranger remarked.

Dalun shot him a sharp look. “Shut up boy. Don't speak when the adults are talking..."

Sensing the slight tension between father and son, the stranger waved her hands dismissively and said, “Curiosity is a good trait for a young boy to have. I come from a mysterious realm from far, far, away. It's a land very different from what you have here. But let's not talk about where I came from. Let's talk about your Hon Clan instead."

“What...what about our Hon Clan do you want to talk about, Miss?" Dalun was slightly taken aback. “We are just a small, humble Clan."

“The Hon Cultivation Technique is really quite fascinating. Perhaps you could show me a thing or two?"

“Of course." Dalun agreed. “As soon as you are done with your meal."

The stranger smiled gratefully and wolfed down the rest of the soup.

“I'm done now. Let's go," she said.

“Let me bring you to the Training Hall, Miss," Dalun said and ushered her to a tall, large building.

In the Training Hall, a training session was currently underway. A tall, lanky man was standing in front of a group of students, standing in orderly rows and columns, and was giving them instruction.

“Battlemaster, sorry to interrupt your training session. Please show our guest a display of the Hon Cultivation Style." Dalun instructed.

The Battlemaster was a powerful Warrior at Level 46 and was highly skilled in the Hon Cultivation Style. He could have easily put on an excellent display of the Cultivation Style by himself. But what the Hon Clan was best at was fighting in a group.

“Students, prepare for the Eagle Formation."

The students promptly ran and arranged themselves into 3 small circles. Concentrating their powers into the center of the circle, 3 eagles emerged and flew around the Training Hall, releasing sparks of light.

“Normally, these sparks will be lethal, but for the sake of training, they are harmless." The Battlemaster explained.

The stranger nodded, seemingly impressed. “This is indeed a unique strategy that could be helpful in battle."

“Miss, since we have generously shown you a technique of the Hon Cultivation Style, may you also show us some of the cultivation techniques of your realm?" Dalun inquired.

“Alright, let me show you something you have never seen before," The stranger said graciously.

With that, she opened her palm, and a white flame emerged on it. She threw the flame into the air, and before the flame reached the ground, she extinguished it with a blue mist.

“Wow…" Dalun nodded appreciatively at this impressive display of skill. This woman was indeed rather powerful.

“Battlemaster, may I borrow one of your students for a friendly sparring session?" She tilted her head and asked. “I would like to see how the Hon Cultivation Style fares one-on-one."

The Battlemaster nodded and gestured towards one of the students. “This is Wex, one of our most gifted students. He has a Level 39 Cultivation Technique and is one of our greatest Warriors."

Wex stepped out confidently and turned to face the stranger. “Miss, I'm ready."

The woman nodded and immediately sent a stream of blue mist towards the short but agile Warrior, who nimbly dodged it. Without a moment of hesitation, Wex swiftly summoned two spinning stars and threw it towards the stranger.

In the blink of an eye, the stranger threw up a wind barrier, promptly blocking the spinning stars and reflecting them back towards Wex.

Not expecting this maneuver that both defended and attacked at the same time, Wex panicked for a moment before slamming flat onto the ground to avoid the spinning stars.

As soon as he got up, he heard a voice saying coldly behind him, “Don't move."

He felt the sharp prick of a knife at his neck and froze. The stranger had teleported next to him while he was still vulnerable on the ground.

“Alright, alright. The friendly duel is over! Both of you, get up!" The Battlemaster shouted before the stranger went any further. Sometimes, Warriors who were high on adrenaline went too far during a friendly battle.

The stranger slowly got to her feet. “This Warrior is indeed rather powerful. But he still needs to be more seasoned in battle."

Wex was gracious even in losing and simply nodded at her advice. He said, “Miss, your Elemental Magic is unlike anything I have ever seen before."

“That's right, my Cultivation Style mainly uses Elemental Magic. Not just that, it is also known for its Ghost Technique…" Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a crash from the outside.

“Who do you think you are?" A menacing voice suddenly drifted into the Training Hall.