After taking one last look at the forbidden chamber, Elder Mo made his way out of the hall. The door opened for him and closed with a loud bang after he was out.

Even the fire that he had lit inside the fire torches of the hall extinguished with a low hissing sound. Afterwards, the only thing one could hear in the dark hall was the eerie and cold silence.

After a while, there was a small purplish glow in a tiny crack on the wall of the hall. Technically, it was not easily spotted but if one were to stare at that particular place for hours, they were sure to identify the tiny crack.

Is he gone?'

'Looks like he is..phew....' A purple fuzzy and blurry spirit came out form the place it was hiding.

'~~~~~Now..where is the book~~~~~' It searched here and there when it was suddenly reminded of something.

"Arghhh....That old man took that book from the corner along with that useless lewd book." It almost flipped two steps back when it remembered how it messed up by making noise.

Just then an image of someone came in its mind making it's wiggly spirit body shiver a bit."He will be mad.."

"Tch...no luck.." It spoke in a depressed and disdained tone as it disappeared in to the thin air.

Now the forbidden chamber in the library was truly empty.

..

"Master...Ekkk.." The fuzzy spirit reappeared right on the center of a dark room and the first scene it met with was that of a headless....

"Why do you have a headless chicken with you?" It yelled when it saw its master holding one.

"Achoo.." A man sneezed, his sneeze loud enough to shake the place they were in.

"EEkk..." The fuzzy spirit jumped two steps back startled.

" Ah...is it winter already?" He rubbed his nose which was slightly red. But it was unknown whether it was red from the cold or his intense rubbing.

"Master..Wipe your nose master.." The spirit floated towards the man who was lying on the window and watching the scenery outside.

He wore a pale purple robe and from the looks of it he seemed to have worn it for a long time since it looked a little dirty and lusterless despite the dress being made of good material.

"~~Are you a kid~~?" Feeling a little depressed, the purple fuzzy spirit looked at the man. It picked up a cloth from nearby and placed it right beside him.

"You have finally come out of seclusion but.." The spirit drooped down a little almost bending in an arc.

"It's fine little one." He took the handkerchief himself and wiped his nose. The redness which was actually the blood of chicken too got removed.

"Now, tell me where have you been?" He looked at the spirit which was slowly retreating step by step.

"Don't tell me.." He squinted his eyes and before the spirit could flee away, it was in the grasp of the man who was glaring at it dangerously.

"How many times do I have to tell you to not go there?" He flicked it on its forehead with a light force.

He was gone for one week to cultivate in the hidden valley cave and now that he was back he found his contracted spirit missing from his quarters.

"But..you need that book." It replied in a weak and tiny voice. "You need it to treat your golden core."

The spirit sounded a little guilty as it looked at its master.

"You.. don't have to worry about it." He let out a sigh and loosened his grip on the spirit.

"But...see for yourself master.." it gestured to itself. See how transparent I have become."

"Hmmm....." He hummed quietly.

"You were always transparent." He glared at her thoughtfully.

"......"

"Master, you know what I am saying." It was upset at his master for joking at such a crucial time.

"Hahahaa.." He let out a merry laughter.

"I have found a method to solve my problem."

"Really?"

"Yes yes so do not worry about me..now return to my space ring." He extended his hands.

Right at that moment, the door to his room was knocked from outside.

"Mu Ting, Come out now." A voice called from outside.

"The sect Leader wishes to see you." There was neither hint of respect nor any kind of familiarity.

"I am coming." Mu Ting replied from inside. The other person outside the door did not even think about responding to him.

"Master, but you just got here.." The spirit was angry as it slowly shouted at Mu Ting. It was angry but did not have the right to shout at his master.

"Behave.." He sternly looked at it as he stood up and dusted off his clothes to go to visit the Sect Leader.

"You clean off this mess." He pointed at the headless chicken.

.....

Mu Ting walked out of his room and directly went towards the main hall which was at right from where he started walking.

"The Great Tiger Palace"historical

..was written in a big letter in front of the hall he was about to enter.

*

"You are here." It was the same man from before who spoke to him.

"Greetings to the senior." He greeted him despite being not shown any kind of respect. After all he was not thirsty for it.

"Go inside fast. How long were you planning to keep him waiting for him." He sneered with a disgusted expression in his face which was filled with a little bit jealousy as well.

Mu Ting nodded his head and headed inside without speaking anything.

"Greetings to the Sect Leader." Mu Ting bowed down and gave a low bow until he was permitted to get up.

An elderly man sat in a cushioned seat as he looked solemnly at the boy before him.

"Hmmm..So how is your progress?" The Sect leader did not have time for other pleasantries.

"Sir, I have mastered the 5th grade control of Spirit Force." He replied but he could not help shaking.

"Heh..only 5th grade in Four month?!" The senior disciple from before sneered at him mockingly.

"Don't tell me you wasted the four months you were in the sect by drinking and eating until you bloated! Huh!!" he angrily snapped at him as if Mu Ting was a glutton that just ate and did nothing more.

".."

Mu Ting speechlessly looked at the bloated stomach of the senior brother and at his sunken belly simultaneously and finally fixed his gaze at the sect leader to give the final verdict.

The Sect Leader said nothing but he too had even more solemn expression on his face.

"Okay, you may leave now." He gestured for him to leave the hall.

"Mu Ting!" He called when he was about to turn back.

"Ahh..Yes Master." He raised his head to look at him.

"Prepare well for the upcoming Tournament." He then gestured for him to leave while closing his eyes as if he was in some kind of deep thinking.

"Heh.." The Senior Disciple whose name was Xue Meng, gruffed heavily when Mu Ting passed by him. All of his actions and words only indicated that he had a deep hatred towards the boy.

"Understood master," Mu Ting bowed down one last time before turning away and staggering back to his lowly quarters.

*

"You are back!" The purplish shadowy spirit who had been hidining inside his spatial ring came out of hiding and said joyfully.

Mu Ting was a little thoughtful for a while as he looked at the fuzzy spirit.

"You, don't you think you are too cheerful for a spirit?" he said as he rubbed his temple with his index finger.

"Or should I call you Miss Formless, hmm little one?" he added with a little bit of chucle and dangerous glint in his eyes.

The fuzzy spirit who had been flying around the room stopped all of sudden upon hearing her master's tone of speech.

"Master, do you hate the fact that I am a formless? Or do you not like me anymore because I did not get anything done to help you?" the spirit produced a tiny sniffling sound as it flew around the room, looking like a droopy ghost.

"Would you have preferred me more if I had still been a human?" the voice continued to ask in a tiny whimper. Although the spiritual body could not form tears, Mu Ting had an illusion that he could see teardrops falling for its eyes.

But he certainly felt attacked by the last statement she said.

"It's fine. It really doesn't matter that you are a human or a formless or a magical beast or whatever." He said with a solemn voice that seemed indifferent to anything.

To be honest, he really did not care about anything. He did not care if he was alone nor had a spirit to follow around him. He could survive by without even having to talk with anyone.

"You just be you and that will be fine," he added as he took started to stack up a few robes and necessary materials on the top of his bed which was simply made of a hard plywood. But he too did not care about it.

He was fine with getting a place to sleep once in a while when he was tired.

If it was not for the fact that he met the small fuzzy when he was in a dire need of a spirit remain to stitch to his soul, he would have left the newborn formless spirit to wander by itself and maybe get perished by an exorcist or a monk.

"I think we are ready to head to the Eternal blossom sect," he said with a sigh as he placed all of the things inside his spatial ring.