The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon the rooftops of Greenwood Village, bringing a new day to this peaceful settlement. Cliff was already up, standing in front of his small hut, waiting for Chief Morin to arrive. Last night's conversation still echoed in his mind—the Key to the Nine Realms, the chosen one of destiny, the training that was about to begin... all of this made him both excited and nervous.Soon, Morin's figure appeared on the village path. The old man walked with steady strength, showing no signs of his age."Ready, Cliff?" Morin asked as he approached.Cliff nodded. "Ready, Chief.""Good, follow me." Morin turned and led Cliff away from the village, heading deep into the forest.They walked for about two hours, traversing dense forest and climbing several small hills, finally arriving at a secluded valley. In the center of the valley was an open meadow, surrounded by tall ancient trees that formed a natural barrier."This is where I trained when I was young," Morin explained. "It's far from the village, so no one will disturb us. Also, the energy flow here is particularly active, making it an ideal place to learn to control power."Cliff looked around and could indeed feel a special energy fluctuation in the air, resonating with the power within him."First," Morin sat on a flat rock and gestured for Cliff to sit down as well, "you need to understand the power you now possess. Each part of the Key to the Nine Realms represents the primal power of one realm. What you now have is the part from the Legacy Realm, which is the oldest of the Nine Realms, filled with ancient knowledge and power.""So, I can now use the power of the Legacy Realm?" Cliff asked."In theory, yes, but you need to learn to control it." Morin nodded. "The power of the Legacy Realm is primarily related to knowledge, memory, and space. You may have already noticed that since obtaining that crystal, your senses have become more acute, and you can even see things that ordinary people cannot."Cliff recalled the light path and the ruins he had seen in the valley yesterday and nodded."Now, the first thing I'm going to teach you is how to consciously guide and control the power within you," Morin said. "Close your eyes and feel the energy flowing within you."Cliff did as instructed, closing his eyes and concentrating on feeling the energy within. At first, he felt nothing, but as time passed, he began to sense a warm energy flowing inside him, spreading from his heart to his limbs, and finally concentrating on the rune mark on his right palm."I can feel it," Cliff said softly. "It's like a warm stream of water.""Good," Morin's voice came from a distance. "Now, try to guide this energy, let it circulate within you. Imagine it as a river, and you are the master of this river."Cliff tried to follow Morin's instructions, imagining the energy as a river that he could control. It was difficult at first; the energy seemed to have its own will, reluctant to be controlled. But as time went on, Cliff gradually mastered the technique and could make the energy flow according to his will."Well done," Morin praised. "Now, try to direct a small portion of the energy to your senses, enhancing your vision, hearing, and smell."Cliff tried again, directing a small amount of energy to his eyes, ears, and nose. Immediately, his senses became extraordinarily acute: he could see the patterns on distant leaves, hear bird songs hundreds of meters away, and smell the faint fragrance of flowers in the air."This... this is amazing!" Cliff exclaimed, opening his eyes.Morin smiled and nodded. "This is just the beginning. As you become more proficient in controlling the power, you'll be able to do much more. But remember, power is a double-edged sword; using it improperly can harm yourself."Over the next few hours, Morin taught Cliff how to control the energy within him more precisely, how to project energy outward to form a shield, how to sense energy fluctuations around him, and more. Cliff learned quickly, and by noon, he was already able to basically control his new abilities."Your talent is truly extraordinary," Morin commented. "It would take most people weeks or even months to reach your current level."Cliff smiled modestly. "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Chief.""No, it's your own talent." Morin shook his head. "Perhaps this is why you were chosen to be the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms."They rested on the meadow for a while, eating some of the dried food they had brought. Morin began to tell Cliff more about the Nine Realms."The Nine Realms were originally a unified world, known as the 'Original Realm.' But ten thousand years ago, a great catastrophe caused the Original Realm to split into nine independent worlds. Each world has its unique laws and beings, but there still exists a subtle connection between them.""What caused the splitting of the Original Realm?" Cliff asked curiously.Morin's expression became serious. "According to legend, it was a war between gods and demons. The powerful beings from the Divine Realm and the Demon Realm fought for control of the Original Realm, eventually causing the primal power of the Original Realm to go out of control, splitting it into nine parts.""Then what is the Key to the Nine Realms?""The Key to the Nine Realms consists of fragments of the Original Realm's primal power, scattered across the Nine Realms. It is said that when the Key to the Nine Realms is reassembled, the Nine Realms will once again become one, returning to the Original Realm." Morin explained. "But this is just a legend; no one knows the truth."Cliff pondered Morin's words and suddenly remembered a question. "Chief, you said the passages between the Nine Realms have been closed for thousands of years. How am I supposed to travel to other realms to find the remaining key fragments?""That's what we're going to work on this afternoon," Morin stood up. "I'll teach you how to use the power you now possess to sense and open passages between the realms."The afternoon training was more challenging. Morin taught Cliff how to sense energy nodes in space, which were connection points between the Nine Realms that could form passages under specific conditions."Each realm has its unique energy fluctuation," Morin explained. "You need to learn to identify these fluctuations to find passages to specific realms."Following Morin's guidance, Cliff tried to sense the energy fluctuations around him. At first, he could only feel chaos, but as time went on, he began to distinguish different energy fluctuations."I can feel... different fluctuations," Cliff said with his eyes closed. "Some are warm and calm, some are violent and chaotic, and some are ancient and mysterious...""Good," Morin nodded. "You're sensing the energy fluctuations of the Nine Realms. The warm and calm one is the Elemental Realm, the violent and chaotic one is the Demon Realm, and the ancient and mysterious one is the Legacy Realm. Continue practicing until you can clearly distinguish the energy fluctuations of all Nine Realms."Cliff continued practicing and gradually became able to distinguish more energy fluctuations. By evening, he could clearly sense the energy fluctuations of six of the Nine Realms."That's already very good," Morin praised. "The remaining three realms—the Divine Realm, the Void Realm, and the Alien Realm—have more subtle energy fluctuations and require more practice to sense."They began to pack up, preparing to return to the village. Just then, Cliff suddenly felt a strong energy fluctuation coming from afar, a type of fluctuation he had never sensed before, violent and dangerous."Chief," Cliff said alertly, "do you feel that? That energy fluctuation..."Morin's expression became serious. "Yes, I feel it. That's... the energy fluctuation of the Demon Realm.""The Demon Realm?" Cliff asked in surprise. "Why would the energy fluctuation of the Demon Realm appear here?""I don't know," Morin shook his head, "but it's not a good sign. The Demon Realm is one of the most dangerous worlds among the Nine Realms, full of darkness and chaos. If the energy of the Demon Realm appears in the Beast Realm, something bad must have happened."They quickened their pace, heading toward the village. As they approached the village, the energy fluctuation from the Demon Realm grew stronger.When they finally returned to the village, the scene before them was shocking: a huge black vortex had appeared in the sky above the village, with purple-red light flickering at its center, emitting a strong energy fluctuation from the Demon Realm.Villagers gathered in the center of the village in terror, looking up at the anomaly in the sky. Some had already transformed into their beast forms, vigilantly guarding the village."What is that?" a villager asked urgently when he saw Morin and Cliff return."It's an inter-realm passage," Morin answered gravely, "a passage to the Demon Realm."Just then, a bright light suddenly burst from the center of the vortex, and a figure fell from it, crashing heavily onto the village square.The villagers retreated in fear, but Cliff and Morin quickly approached. The person who had fallen from the vortex was a young woman wearing strange black armor, covered in wounds, as if she had been through an intense battle."She's still alive," Cliff said after checking, "but severely injured."Morin crouched down, carefully examining the woman. "She's not a being from the Demon Realm. Her energy fluctuation... is from the Spirit Realm.""The Spirit Realm?" Cliff asked in surprise. "Why would she appear from a passage to the Demon Realm?"Just then, the woman slightly opened her eyes, and upon seeing Cliff, a flash of surprise and hope crossed her eyes. She struggled to raise her hand, pointing at Cliff's right hand. "Key... to the Nine Realms... bearer..."After saying this, she fell unconscious again.Cliff and Morin exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes. Why would this mysterious woman from the Spirit Realm recognize Cliff as the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms? Why would she appear from a passage to the Demon Realm? What did all this mean?As they pondered these questions, the black vortex in the sky suddenly became more violent, with more energy fluctuations pouring out."Not good," Morin's face changed. "The passage is becoming unstable. More things might come through!"Sure enough, several dark shadows flew out from the vortex, landing around the village. They were tall humanoid creatures covered in black scales, with curved horns on their heads and sharp weapons in their hands. Their eyes glowed red, emitting strong energy fluctuations from the Demon Realm."Demon Realm hunters!" Morin exclaimed. "They're here to capture that woman from the Spirit Realm!"The villagers screamed in terror, and some began to flee. But more of them, especially those hunters who had already transformed into their beast forms, stood on the village's defense line, ready to confront these uninvited guests."Cliff," Morin turned to Cliff, "take the woman from the Spirit Realm and leave here, go to a safe place. The hunters from the village and I will hold off these Demon Realm hunters.""But Chief, I can't leave you all behind!" Cliff hesitated."You must go," Morin said firmly. "You are the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms; your safety is more important than anyone else's. Besides, this woman from the Spirit Realm seems to know you; she might have important information about the Key to the Nine Realms."Cliff wanted to say something more, but Morin had already turned to face the Demon Realm hunters. His body began to change, and soon, a massive silver-backed wolf stood in his place—that was Morin's beast form."Go, Cliff," Morin's voice echoed in Cliff's mind. "Remember everything I taught you, protect yourself and the woman from the Spirit Realm. We will meet you at a safe place."Cliff knew Morin was right. He nodded, carefully picked up the woman from the Spirit Realm, and ran toward the forest outside the village.Behind him, the battle had erupted. Morin and the village hunters transformed into various fierce beasts, engaging in intense combat with the Demon Realm hunters. Although the Demon Realm hunters were powerful, they were also in a tough spot facing the siege of dozens of Beast Realm hunters.Cliff didn't look back; he knew his task was to protect the woman from the Spirit Realm and find a safe place. He thought of the ancient ruins, which were secluded and filled with the energy of the Legacy Realm—it should be a good temporary hiding place.Just as Cliff was about to enter the forest, a Demon Realm hunter suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way. This hunter was taller and stronger than the others, with brighter red light in his eyes, clearly their leader."Hand over that traitor from the Spirit Realm," the Demon Realm hunter leader said in a hoarse voice, "or you and your village will be destroyed."Cliff carefully placed the woman from the Spirit Realm on the ground, then stood up to face the Demon Realm hunter leader. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I won't let you harm her."The Demon Realm hunter leader gave a cold laugh. "A weak youth from the Beast Realm dares to challenge me? You haven't even awakened your beast nature. What will you fight me with?"Cliff didn't answer. He concentrated, directing the energy within him toward the rune mark on his right palm. The mark began to glow, and a powerful energy surged from it, forming an invisible barrier surrounding Cliff and the woman from the Spirit Realm.A flash of surprise crossed the Demon Realm hunter leader's eyes. "The Key to the Nine Realms? Impossible... How could you possess a fragment of the Key to the Nine Realms?"Cliff was equally surprised; he hadn't expected this Demon Realm hunter to know about the existence of the Key to the Nine Realms. But he had no time to ponder this, as the Demon Realm hunter leader had already raised his weapon and charged toward him.Cliff instinctively raised his right hand, and the rune mark burst forth with a bright light, forming an energy shockwave that met the Demon Realm hunter leader head-on. The two forces collided in mid-air, creating a deafening boom.The Demon Realm hunter leader was pushed back several steps by the shockwave but quickly steadied himself and charged toward Cliff again. Cliff knew he was no match for his opponent; he needed to find a way to escape.At this critical moment, the woman from the Spirit Realm suddenly awoke. She struggled to sit up, raised her hand, and a silver light shot from it, hitting the Demon Realm hunter leader. The Demon Realm hunter leader let out a painful howl, his body beginning to smoke, as if the silver light had a lethal effect on him."Quick," the woman from the Spirit Realm said weakly, "now's our chance. We must leave here."Cliff nodded, picked up the woman from the Spirit Realm again, and taking advantage of the Demon Realm hunter leader being hit by the silver light, quickly rushed into the forest.They ran through the forest for a long time. After making sure they had shaken off any possible pursuers, Cliff slowed down and found a hidden cave to rest."Are you alright?" Cliff asked, carefully placing the woman from the Spirit Realm on a flat rock inside the cave.The woman from the Spirit Realm nodded weakly. "Thank you for saving me.""You know I'm the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms," Cliff asked directly. "Who are you? Why did you appear from a passage to the Demon Realm? Why are those Demon Realm hunters chasing you?"The woman from the Spirit Realm looked at Cliff, her eyes full of complex emotions. "My name is Ayla, from the Spirit Realm. I am the daughter of the Guardian of the Spirit Realm, and also... a seeker of the Key to the Nine Realms.""A seeker of the Key to the Nine Realms?" Cliff asked in surprise.Ayla nodded. "Yes, my mission is to find the fragments of the Key to the Nine Realms and prevent them from falling into the hands of the Demon Realm. Asmodeus, the lord of the Demon Realm, wants to gather all the fragments of the Key to the Nine Realms, merge the Nine Realms again, and place them under his rule.""So, those Demon Realm hunters were sent by Asmodeus?""Yes," Ayla nodded. "I discovered a fragment of the Key to the Nine Realms in the Demon Realm, but before I could obtain it, Asmodeus's subordinates found me. I was forced to flee, but during my escape, I was contaminated by the energy of the Demon Realm and couldn't use my full power. In the end, I could only escape through an unstable inter-realm passage, which brought me here, to the Beast Realm."Cliff pondered Ayla's words and suddenly thought of a question. "You say you're a seeker of the Key to the Nine Realms. Do you know where the other fragments of the Key to the Nine Realms are?"Ayla shook her head. "I only know some of them. Currently, I'm certain that the Legacy Realm, the Spirit Realm, and the Demon Realm each have one fragment. The fragment from the Legacy Realm has already merged with you, the fragment from the Spirit Realm is in my father's hands, and the fragment from the Demon Realm... I had planned to obtain it, but I failed.""What about the fragments in the other realms?""I'm not sure," Ayla sighed. "The fragments of the Key to the Nine Realms move over time; they are attracted to people with special destinies. Just like you, Cliff, the fragment from the Legacy Realm chose you as its bearer."Cliff looked down at his right palm, where the rune mark was faintly glowing. "So, we need to find the other seven fragments to prevent them from falling into Asmodeus's hands?"Ayla nodded. "Yes, but first, we need to go to the Spirit Realm. My father has more knowledge about the Key to the Nine Realms; he will tell us what to do next. Also, I need the power of the Spirit Realm to purify the Demon Realm energy contamination within me.""But how do we get to the Spirit Realm?" Cliff asked. "Morin said the passages between realms have been closed for thousands of years.""Not entirely correct," Ayla explained. "The inter-realm passages are indeed closed most of the time, but they open briefly under specific conditions. And as the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms, you have the ability to sense and open these passages.""Me?" Cliff asked in surprise. "But I've only just begun to learn how to control this power.""I can teach you," Ayla said, "but I need to recover some strength first. Give me some time to rest, and then we'll discuss how to travel to the Spirit Realm."Cliff nodded, letting Ayla rest. He sat at the entrance of the cave, looking at the distant sky. The black vortex had disappeared, but he knew the crisis was not over. The Demon Realm hunters were still searching for them, and a battle for the fate of the Nine Realms seemed to have begun.He thought of Morin and the people in the village, hoping they were all safe. He knew he could never return to his peaceful life of the past. As the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms, he bore a great responsibility, and this responsibility would lead him on an unprecedented adventure.Night fell, and Cliff leaned against the cave wall, closing his eyes, but he wasn't asleep. His heart was filled with anticipation and concern for the future. Tomorrow, he would try to open a passage to the Spirit Realm with Ayla, beginning his journey across the Nine Realms.And it all stemmed from that mysterious crystal that fell from the Legacy Realm.
Chapter 3 - Chapter Three: Training and Crisis
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