Di Qian`s feet felt alive again as he stepped on the sandy shores of his homeland . Behind him , the red seawater bubbled energetically . Today was one of the calmer days in the poison sea , something Di Qian was thankful for . He and his soulbeast little Hei were at their very limits after travelling through its mucky waters for so long .

　　With a splashing sound , little Hei , the large black fish jumped out from a tiny wave and landed on the basket on his back . Its relief after finally getting to dip lazily in normal water was apparent from its movement inside , making Di Qian smile .

　　"Get some rest , little Hei . You`ve earned it ."

　　Through the black and white sands that spanned several miles , Di Qian`s speed got faster and faster . The familar landmarks he noticed at the distant horizon visibly seemed to take out all tension from his body .

　　Soon , he reached the first sign of human civilization near the poison sea , a vast , sloped platform that reached at least a hundred meters high where the majestic gates of the Beasthaven Sect stood proudly . Behind the gates rose gigantic towers and sculptures , a sight impactful enough to stun even the members of the sect from time to time . Miles across the sands , the Beasthaven Sect`s territory was a sight that even the most colourful imaginations couldn`t capture .

　　Six gatekeepers , dressed in colourful uniforms , stood side by side with their soulbeasts behind them , watching Di Qian intently .

　　"Greetings , elder Qian . The sect master has been very worried these days . It is a relief to see you unscathed ," the head of the gatekeepers , a slender young man said after a curt bow . The other five followed suit .

　　"Is everybody in ?" Di Qian asked with a nod , his impatience seeping within his tone .

　　"Yes , elder . The rest who went out have all returned . Many were injured , including your grandson . But they`ve recovered for the most part ," the head gatekeeper answered .

　　"That`s good , that`s good . Send someone to ring the fourth level alarm throughout the sect ." Di Qian entered the gates immediately and vanished out of their sight . The head gatekeeper stood still for a few seconds , seemingly stunned , before rushing to another direction inside the sect grounds .

　　On his way , Di Qian put little Hei inside one of the Body Nurturing Lakes . The poison sea had taken a great toll on its health . A dip inside the lakes with its own kind would to the fish some good . The sect ground was flourishing with artificially created animal habitats that utilized natural resources to the limit to nurture animals . Thousands of disciples were constantly rushing to and fro with their soulbeasts , busy with their own lives . Di Qian felt a faint pain in his heart as the realization dawned on him that the peace and tranquillity here wouldn`t last for long . Not with the news he had brought .

　　Qing Shi , the master of Beasthaven sect , was standing outside his residence , absent-mindedly gazing at the sky . Di Qian`s footsteps brought him out of his thoughts .

　　"Elder Qian !" He exclaimed , surprise and relief evident in his voice . "Now , this is worth celebrating over ! I was about to assume the worst possibility ! Your family has been worried sick for your news ."

　　Di Qian bowed curtly , a warm feeling suffusing his heart . "My apologies , sect master . A couple of bastards snatched my soul signature pulser away during the time I was recuperating after a grievous injury . I imagine they`ve been misusing it since then , huh ?"

　　". . .Not exactly , elder . It only sent one pulse in the last two months . That`s why we became even more worried !"

　　"That`s strange ," Di Qian muttered as he recalled the two mischievous brats who had `confiscated` the soul signature pulser . They clearly knew what it was and how to use it . Did the brats die after entering Pine town ? That shouldn`t be...

　　"But are you alright right now ? How much have you recovered , elder ? Let`s walk towards the infirmary while we discuss these things . You look like you`ve lost a lot of weight . That`s not a good thing at your age..."

　　Eyes twitching , Di Qian followed Qing Shi as the younger man fussed over him . It was a common knowledge in the sect that Qing Shi wasn`t exactly a reserved person , much less being the sort who could be passed off as someone as lofty as the master of the Beasthaven sect , arguably the most powerful sect in this tiny planet .

　　"As much as I`d like to treat my injuries , sect master , I cannot currently muster the peace of mind that would allow me to sit and recuperate . I have some. . . bad news ."

　　Qing Shi`s smile faded . "Did something happen to our sacred seedlings ?"

　　"Not them , they`re fine . But they won`t be for long when the prophecy comes true , would they ?"

　　Qing Shi froze , his pupils shrinking into tiny dots . A long moment of silence passed between the two of them as they stood together in the middle of the road , busy disciples and their soulbeasts passing by them carefully , greeting them from a distance .If you come across this story on Amazon, it`s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

　　"Please tell me that was a joke ," Qing Shi finally said in a weak voice .

　　"That was a joke ," Di Qian said .

　　"Thank heavens for that !" Qing Shi exclaimed . "You scared me there for a second , old man !"

　　" I`m quite scared myself , so I wouldn`t blame you . The prophecy is about the destruction of our entire planet , after all ."

　　". . ."

　　"Yes , sect master . The prophecy really is coming true , if my suspicions are correct . And I`m not senile enough yet to make a mistake on a issue so grave that it`ll put us all in graves ."

　　"Tell me ," Qing Shi replied in a grim tone .

　　The fourth level alarm began ringing through the sect soon , causing great confusion among the disciples of Beasthaven sect . They had never heard this particular alarm before . But from the way the elders dropped what they had been doing and rushed toward the sect master`s residence , they figured it was something of significant importance .

　　........ ........... .........

　　The evening wind would have been soothing had Qing Shi not been worried for the future of his sect , his family and himself . Standing at the seashore , his thoughts came in scattered and chronically . Try as he might , he failed to find an alternative that could save the countless lives he was in charge of from the impending doom .

　　Escape from the planet ? That was the only possible solution . Except he could only take a small number of people with him if he chose to leave . But what about the rest of the sect ? Abandon them ?

　　Impossible . Qing Shi would have never rose to his current position in life if he had a mindset that selfish . Many would call him foolish for not attempting to save those he could . But Qing Shi didn`t care . Either he would find a way to save even the chickens and dogs his sect nurtured , or go down with this planet trying to stop the apocalypse .

　　It would be a pretty cool way to die , Qing Shi felt . Much better than dying because of the territorial scuffles in higher level worlds .

　　"Hello there , fellow cultivator . You look preoccupied ."

　　An unfamiliar voice came from behind , jerking his thoughts into a standstill as Qing Shi turned around instantly . How the hell did somebody sneak up on him ?

　　A black void , shaped like the silhouette of a tall human , stood in front of him just a few meters away . Qing Shi spread his astral senses and repeatedly scanned the area the silhoutte stood in , yet he couldn`t sense any sign of life there .

　　Without waiting for the silhoutte to speak again , Qing Shi closed in on him instantly and poked a finger toward its throat . The silhoutte made no move to counter him .

　　As if touching air , Qing Shi`s finger passed through the void and appeared behind it .

　　"If you`re done confirming your suspicions , let`s have a more civilised discussion , shall we ?"

　　"I`m not quite sure I should trust anything that comes out of your mouth when you don`t trust me enough to reveal your identity , fellow cultivator ," Qing Shi said after retracting his hand .

　　"Good point there . But I`m sure you`ll be quite interested in what I have to say to you ."

　　Masking his qi , Qing Shi sent a secret signal to the sect to surround this place and block all types of arrays , formations and qi fuelled mechanisms . Then he sat down on the sands and gestured at the silhouette , "go ahead . I`m listening ."

　　"Soul of a dragon broken and scattered soul of a human twisted , unfettered heavens forbid should they touch scholars of laws left but a grudgerulers of stonetheir throne lostshepherds of sands torn and scorched the crimson worlds ripped , besieged the leaf of a godburnt to bits the sturdiest sword cracked , it sits scrolls of the wise buried beneaththe sphere of liferots , no wreaths ."

　　In a singsong voice , the silhouette finished the rhyme and chuckled while observing Qing Shi`s rigid expression .

　　". . . Where did you hear that from ?" Qing Shi asked , his voice trembling .

　　"Not from those in your sect who knows about the prophecy , that much you can assure yourself . Let`s just say that you`re not the only one who received this prophecy ."

　　Qing Shi`s brows furrowed in confusion . "Then why are you telling me this ?"

　　"Because , I can offer you a solution . The salvation that you seek , to protect your family and sect , to protect those you treasure , I can show you `shepherds of sands` a way ."

　　"How can I tell if you`re lying or not ?"

　　The silhouette laughed upon hearing his question .Raising a finger toward the sky , it shouted ,"by the heavens , if I spoke a single sentence while harbouring ill intent toward the Beasthaven sect , may the heavens punish me !"

　　Glancing at the calm sky , Qing Shi wasn`t particularly reassured . It would be foolish to believe a person who makes such oaths so easily . Almost every law had its loopholes . It wasn`t exactly difficult to twist one`s words to fool an unsuspecting opponent . But Qing Shi had no choice but to listen to what this mysterious stranger had to say . If the way he offered was viable , why not consider it ?

　　...... ......... .........

　　The peaceful night in Crimson Snow Sect was broken by a thunderous hissing sound , rousing all disciples and elders from their sleepy cultivation sessions .Han Xuhan and his minions tumbled out of their hut and stared at the sight in the sky with their jaws opened wide .

　　A gargantuan illusory serpent encircled the larger mountains of the sect , its face hovering over Xuan Zi`s mountain peak . By rough estimations , Xuhan realized that the snake was at least a few miles in length and wide enough to store a mountain in its stomach .

　　Turning toward his hut , Xuhan`s eyes fell on the tiny rattlesnake spine on the table . The comparison was heartbreaking .

　　"Sect master Xuan Zi , this lowly envoy greets you ," the serpent suddenly rumbled .

　　Due to the distance between their mountain peaks and the serpent`s semi-transparent body blocking their way , Xuhan couldn`t tell what was happening on Xuan Zi`s mountain peak . But a few minutes later , the enormous serpent disappeared like smoke in the wind . Confused and frightened , Xuhan , as well as every other living being inside the sect rushed toward the sect master`s mountain to know what had happened just then .

　　Soon , word spread across the mountain peaks like wildfire . The Beasthaven sect had announced the inter-continent decennary tournament ahead of time . As one of the most powerful sects in the planet , it sort of had the right to do so , apparently . And all other sects of similar caliber had actually agreed to it .

　　Crimson flags rose with the sun next morning in the Crimson Snow sect as a festive mood wrapped itself all around the mountain peaks .

　　Amidst the excited celebration and preparations , no one noticed a certain young man with two skeletal minions wailing inside his hut .

　　"Good heavens , give me a fucking break ! A tournament , on top of all things ? No wonder things were advancing way too smoothly for me these days ! Fuck , I`m not gonna get crippled by some asshole soon , will I...? Nonono, I can`t participate, never !"