Devouring the Heavens (ATG)

Chapter 9: The Wind and The Worries

A/N: So if you guys aren't aware, Webnovel has been 'shadowbanning' comments recently. This means that any comment that contains profanities in any form, will be automatically deleted.

So words like: Fuck, Shit, Bitch, Bastard, Cock, Bollocks are all nonos. Even words such as: Sex, Hell, and Damn are out too. Basically, if you want to comment using forms of those words, you will need to get creative.

Well, Enjoy the chapter...

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Shane was currently sitting cross-legged against the smooth wall of the cave and below him was his pile of warm and comfortable hides.

Recently, he had tried sitting in the lotus position on the ground to practice giving off the airs of an expert but that didn't last long. Even though he was now totally flexible enough to pull it off, it was actually super uncomfortable and his legs started to fall asleep after only a couple of minutes!

Even sitting cross-legged was something he would rarely do before now but he felt that it would be very undignified if he were to stretch his legs out and somehow topple over during intense meditation or a breakthrough.

'How the hell do cultivators do this for years at a time!? They must all be masochists!' Shane awkwardly shifted from one cheek to the other and grumbled to himself while involuntarily imagining a bunch of peerless jade beauties and wrinkly old men with long white beards, sitting down with flushed faces. "Bleh!" 'God I'm such a degenerate'

Pushing down the swiftly rising self-loathing, Shane closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and calmed his state of mind. At least meditation was getting easier and easier the more often he tried it.

He 'looked' inwards and into his profound veins and observed the three swirls of green energy as he contemplated on what to do with them. They were of course the refined profound energies from the Wind wolves.

To get the most benefit from the three swirls of energy, he knew that he should absorb the biggest one first as it came from the Nascent wolf, and being from a beast above his current cultivation, it would benefit his body the most. This however would make the other two much less useful when absorbed afterward.

Shane being the stingy guy he was, was naturally unable to stomach either option and so he decided to try something on the fly.

He nudged his own profound energy and attempted to mix the swirls together. He felt resistance at first followed by a prickling pain in his veins but persevered and used a bit more of his profound energy to create more layers and thickly wrap around the swirls before he started constricting.

The resistance of the energies started to wane but the pain increased from a slight prickle to an unpleasant burning sensation. Shane bit his lips till they bled as oily sweat started to flow down his brow, but still, he continued. 'Come on, just a little more. I can feel it!'

Just as the pain was becoming too much to bear and his consciousness was about to fade, he succeeded! The larger swirl engulfed the other two and pulsed once before condensing into a single point. The result was a small spherical green pill, trembling with power and floating idly inside his profound veins.

Shane let out a shaky breath and briefly opened his eyes that shone with a spark of excitement, before closing them and concentrating on his breathing rhythm. After a few minutes of recovering, he managed to enter a meditative state once more and tentatively started to probe the 'energy pill' within his veins.

With a *Puff* The 'pill' exploded into a cloud of green profound energy. The moment this happened, thousands of tiny black swirls revealed themselves on the inside of his profound veins and started spinning.

These tiny little swirls became microscopic black holes that began to absorb the energy at an astonishing rate. As the energy was absorbed, the veins themselves started growing wider, thicker, and tougher at a visible speed while taking on a deeper gold hue.

Shane started to feel fuller and fuller by the second as his profound veins continued to greedily absorb the energy, not wasting even a drop! Just as the full feeling was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable, a sound similar to breaking glass was heard.

*PENG!* Then a wave of warmth and comfort washed over him completely and he broke through for the second time today, officially stepping into the [1st of Nascent Profound Realm].

As he inspected his veins, Shane realized there had been an enormous qualitative change. His veins that had previously been a gaudy gold color, now had slight green shining slivers running all along their length. A closer look revealed them to be tiny sparkling emerald-like gemstones, probably a sign of the affinity to wind he knew he now possessed.

The profound energy within his veins had also changed completely and only now did he realize that what he was using before was not real profound energy but something different, and then a distant memory clicked into place and he slapped his head. 'Of course it was that! I remember from reading the wiki that Elementary Profound practitioners only use the vital energy of heaven and earth.'

He actually felt pretty incredible right now, it was as if he could manipulate this new profound energy almost at will, and the 'difficulty' he was experiencing before had all but disappeared.

While Shane was examining the changes to his veins, a cyclone of green profound energy had completely engulfed his body. His hair, now slightly longer and silkier, was fluttering in the wind although everything else was seemingly untouched and unruffled.

Shane opened his eyes and they flashed with an emerald hue for a second before reverting to their normal crimson red and the cyclone died off completely. He raised his hand, palm facing upwards, as the residual energy from the cyclone compressed to form a tiny twister in the center.

Shane took a deep breath inward, marveling at his creation for a few moments, before willing it to dissipate. 'My life is becoming more and more like some fantasy novel. Not that I mind it though... anything is better than waiting around to die' He winced a little at the depressing memories but soon slapped his cheeks and headed for the outside of the cave.

"Time to do some testing"

He only managed to take one step past the barrier before freezing, the new sensory overload was almost intoxicating, he could sense and feel so much more than before.

Raising his hand, Shane splayed his fingers and dragged them slowly through the air as if following its unseen streams and flows.

It was as if an invisible shackle, previously unknown to him, had been removed. He felt free and unfettered, almost like he was one with the wind and that with nary a thought, it would answer his beck and call.

With much excitement, Shane started performing some tests and found that he could influence the air around him to a certain extent without utilizing any form of energy. This only amounted to him controlling small gusts and breezes within his immediate vicinity but it left absolutely no energy signature and he was sure he could think of other uses in the future when his connection was strengthened.

It was also ridiculously cool to be able to control the wind like a goddamn wizard! He would absolutely never admit to anyone how long he stood there nerding out and 'pushing' gusts of air around pretending they were Dragonball moves either.

The real Insanity started when he decided to mix profound energy in with the wind. Shane found that his profound energy could take on the wind attribute almost immediately and not only did he already have an amazing amount of control, he could also feel the power and potential it held.

There were so many new ways he could utilize this, especially during his plan to take care of the lizard and grab that flower! "But first, *Yaaaaawn* I really need some sleep" His previous exhaustion had returned with a vengeance...

It was only the next morning that Shane noticed the little flashing icon in the corner of his vision that signified notifications from the system.

[System: Host has reached Elementary Profound Realm 10. Quest function unlocked.]

[System: Host has reached Elementary Profound Realm 10. Existing ability updated.]

[System: Host has reached Nascent Profound Realm 1. New ability unlocked]

[System: Host has reached Nascent Profound Realm 1. Minimap range upgraded to 25m]

'Hmm, that's the first thing I have heard from the system in a while, let's check the new unlocks for abilities first.'

[Abilities:]

{Appraisal: (average) - More information will be given about live targets at or below the host's current cultivation level (NEW!)}

{TreasureBody: Tier C (0%)}

{Characteristics:

Organic Material (Profound Beasts, Corpses and Flora):

1) Devour - Can directly convert and refine organic matter into their most basic forms of energy before assimilating with the host. Any benefits gained are directly related to differences in profound realm and physiology between target and host. ((Organic Constructs - Organic materials can be absorbed by the host and used to create living weapons and armor that exist symbiotically within them)) (NEW!)

2) ???

3) ???

Inorganic Material (Weapons, Armour, Metals, Crystals, Books etc)

1) Pirate Library - Host can absorb and assimilate any written information including profound arts and techniques and manifest them within a mental palace. Profound arts and techniques will be absorbed into the host's veins and get refined (cutting out unnecessary parts), gaining a minor increase in cultivation speed and efficiency of absorbed energy for each different one that is assimilated - destroys information source. (NEW!)

2) ???

3) ???

'Appraisal ranking up is pretty good in itself and the newly unlocked Inorganic ability is amazingly overpowered except for the fact that I am hundreds of km away from any information sources and I don't have any profound arts yet.' Shane scratched his head in frustration, turning his hair into a bird's nest in the process. 'Okay so not useful right now but it will be later'

Deciding that was a worry for future him, Shane's eyes moved onto the upgrade of devour next and a feral grin spread across his handsome face. To be honest, he was originally a little worried that his hammer wouldn't cut it against the True Profound lizard, even if it were incapacitated but now, he had a way to kill it for sure!

'Hahaha that lizard's days are numbered. System! Show me the Quests tab.''

[Quests]

Main Quest chain XQ - Save Xia Qingyue from her tragic fate! (you're here now, may as well fuck the plot before it even starts)

1) Dreaming of you

Enter the Dreamscape and convince Xia Qingyue that you are in fact real and not a figment of her imagination.

~ Reward Access to and control of Dreamwalker ability

2) ???

3) ???

4) ???

5) ???

"...Shit!"

The rest of the day went by in a nervous blur, as he half-heartedly trained with his new profound energy empowered, wind affinity, for which he managed to find some dangerous and incredibly useful applications.

Let's just say he had now managed to incorporate air cannons into his katas and he could also form the fabled wind balls and even wind blades with just a little bit of effort!

The Paracaps also evolved as well as they grew to over a foot tall and the purple protrusions now had sickly looking green spots covering them. The mist also looked more substantial and seemed to shimmer between green and purple, it even emitted a faint [Nascent Profound] pressure that was different from normal profound pressure.

Overall, they looked pretty dangerous and Appraisal only confirmed that fact further.

[Profound Noxious Paracap: Spores will paralyze and apply weak poison. Dangerous to True Profound and below]

Still, even this good news didn't manage to settle Shanes troubled mind as he couldn't help but wonder if he would be alive tomorrow to see any of his plans come to fruition. A woman's mind was still a mystery to him after all.

Eventually, the inevitable happened, night began to fall, and after bathing and chewing his meal... very VERY slowly, he couldn't avoid it anymore.

Shane was currently looking rather frazzled as he paced back and forth next to his bedding. If anyone were here to see him, they would undoubtedly think he was a crazy person! One moment he would giggle to himself before gaining a dark look inside his eyes before muttering something and then slapping himself the next second before going right back to giggling again.

Gone was the playful grin, the savage bloodthirsty hunter, and the narcissistic playboy (self-assumed). His shoulder-length hair was looking even more like a bird's nest where he continually scratched and ruffled it in his nervousness.

"*Haaaaa*" he sighed loudly again for the umpteenth time, before flopping down, face-first onto his bed of hides.

He was going to have to talk to her at some point but he really wanted it to be on his terms and now that he didn't have any time left, he desperately wished for more of it. Dear Goddess, he wasn't ready!

He was completely stuck between severe elation and pure terror. It was a very bizarre feeling. He let out a pathetic whine before burying his face in the hides and taking a deep breath.

*SLAP* "Fuck it! Man up Shane. You fought a pack of 33 wolves yesterday, you laughed as you crushed their bodies while they tried to make you food! Look at you now! Where did that guy go!? You can be a Simp but never a Beta!"

After gathering his courage, Shane laid on his back, closed his eyes, and gradually sunk into a meditative state while mentally reassuring himself in any way he could think of. 'That's right, I'm a badass now and she's only a sheltered little girl'

Something felt wrong with that thought though and just as he was slipping into unconsciousness, he remembered her constitution. 'She will be able to tell immediately if I tell her a lie or partial truth... Shit!'

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Once again Shane found himself surrounded by ethereal fog, in a freezing cold, pure white world. He took a step forward and heard the satisfying crunch of the frosted grass below his bare feet.

No longer did he feel like an interloper, wandering in someone else's domain, he felt a strange connection to this world that wasn't there before. The feeling was a peculiar closeness that wasn't quite control, instead, it was more of an understanding or belonging.

Shane felt as if something was resonating with his very soul and it washed away most of his nervousness.

'Hmm, it should be my intrinsic connection to the unawakened Dreamwalker ability.' Shane mused to himself as he waved a profound energy-infused hand and the wind answered his call.

A thin, almost unnoticeable barrier of greenish energy formed around his entire body and contracted close to his skin before becoming invisible. Sure it was a simple and basic application but one that would keep him warm nonetheless.

The now dubbed wind armor. 'I'm terrible at naming things, Sue me oh wait you can't, there are no copyright laws here!' could also become a crude shield, capable of deflecting attacks when pumped full of profound energy. It was incredibly draining on his reserves if used on the fly and not prepared beforehand but it got the job done.

Contrary to earlier, Shane's mind was now clear and he felt as if he could exert his will upon the dreamscape, even if only slightly.

With a bit of concentration and a slight mental effort, he found himself on a familiar stone pathway. Everything in front of him was the same yet it felt so much more real this time and his eyes gleamed as he took it all in.

The flowers and plants, frozen in time were more beautiful than any ice sculptures he had ever seen. The Chinese Willow, branches held at impossible angles as if blowing in the wind yet completely covered in hoar frost. He was, however, surprised to see a small but clearly green and very much alive patch of grass at its base.

The faceted crystalline wall, covered in visible hairline fractures, gave one a tragic feeling, and multicolored light reflected from the angular facets with each step he took.

A swirling tempest of profound energy-carrying impossibly shaped shards of the clearest blue ice. At the center of it all, a girl

Shane stepped forwards, eyes never leaving her.

Aided by the wind, he was almost completely silent as he slipped into the tempest without pause or hesitation.

The wind couldn't harm him and the ice seemed to subconsciously avoid him, and so he advanced.

Finally reaching the willow, he sat down on the grass, his back to the tree, and much to his surprise, it was ever so slightly warm. Hands behind his head and eyes on the girl, Shane relaxed for what felt like the first time in weeks.

Recently, he was always on the move, whether it be fighting or exploring, although it was usually both. He continued all day and only ate or slept after night had fallen. Day after day, for weeks, he had persevered through hardships and fumbled about in this new world, like a man driven by purpose.

Only now, did he come to realize that it was all so that he could see this girl again just one more time.

Shane's eyes softened as he gazed at her motionless form, even now she was truly beautiful, like a proud white swan.

Even from afar and while wearing those regal-looking white robes, he could tell her figure was graceful and delicate to the extreme. Although a veil of the purest snow covered her face, it did nothing to diminish her charm. Her thin and curvy jet black eyebrows complimented her silky obsidian flowing hair and her delicate eyelashes were shaped to perfection.

He found it almost impossible to tear his gaze away from her stationary form but there was no lust in his eyes, only melancholy, hope, and a smattering of something else he dared not think about.

After an undetermined amount of time, he had hardened his resolve and infused some wind attributed profound energy into his lungs. With a smirk, he whistled the short and sad little Mockingjay call from off the top of his head...

At once, the world became silent.

The tempest died down almost immediately and Qingyue's eyes snapped open, shock and fury clear to see but underneath was a heart-rending indifference to all things.

That didn't detract from the allure of her eyes, however. They were simply magnificent, two tranquil, star-like pupils that carried an immeasurable depth to them were surrounded by gleaming irises of the purest icy blue.

Shane felt as if he could get lost in them, and for a moment he almost did. That was until a chilly voice, sounding as if straight from the depths of Cocytus, drew him from his reverie.

"You!"

Shane gulped down at her tone and nearly looked away before a small amount of almost feral pride, cultivated over weeks of being a predator, forced him to keep looking at her. His eyes glowed red and he held her gaze.

Though when he spoke, his voice was still gentle.

"Me *Haaaa* You probably weren't expecting me Qingyue, I know that my last time here was rather dramatic" He winced at that thought. "and I know what you must be thinking but if you just listen to me for a mom"

And that was as far as he got before she swiftly gathered a chunk of her profound energy within a single wave of her palm, and pushed outwards in his direction. The action took only a moment, before a veritable flood of freezing cold energy surged towards him in an attempt to remove him from this place.

Shane however was different than before. He pumped almost half of his profound energy into the wind armor that was still surrounding him, and it resisted her attack barely.

He managed to look nonchalant about it but his pupils were contracting intensely. That casual attack hit like a truck! She was at least a whole great realm above him in cultivation and he didn't know how many more of those he could actually take.

His worries were for naught as her eyes opened wide in surprise and her cute little crescent eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. "You I-impossible! How could you have cultivation? Its element is different from mine, it has no ice and you're only in the Nascent Realm! Speak! Who are you?!"

'Ok, at least she is speaking and not attacking, conversation is good, conversation is good. "*Sigh* Qingyue, it's really me, a lot happened. Just give me a chance and I will explain"

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