It was a beautiful sunny winter day. Wind was gently blowing, giving the air a slight chill. Still, it was above freezing in the desert, so there was no snow or ice as far as the eye could see.

  I was on the lookout, flying in the sky while snacking on various arcane metals, as if they were popcorn. Out there in the distance was the Eclipse, the giant shaft of the battleaxe sticking out of the ground like a middle finger to the gods. You could not miss it.

  Beneath it was a pile of corpses. Some were from curious animals or beasts, but most were from humans and the Drow. Despite the apparent danger, few could resist touching the metal lady’s beautiful ebony skin. The fine for such transgressions was high, costing them their lives, for there was only one hand allowed to touch it.

  Mine!

  I closed my eyes, enjoying the crunch of metal between my teeth and the warm rays of sunshine on my face, when my mind felt a disturbance.

  [Hmm?]

  I looked, focusing on the distant Eclipse as it soaked in the surrounding Qi, bathing in its power. There, around its elegant body, came buzzing another fly. Another greedy Cultivator tempting fate. However, that one was not like the others. He was old, with long robes and graying hair.

  “Ah, a fellow Cultivator. Came to marvel at this anomaly?” The old man said while rubbing the handle of my weapon. He did not seem to be experiencing any expected side effects, and that made me furious.

  [Hey, you! Keep your hands off my stuff, old man, before I take them as payment for your insolence!] I sternly warned.

  “Your stuff? Haha, aren’t you a bit too ambitious for your age, young man?” The man laughed in my face, yet he let go of the Eclipse. “You can’t just go around claiming ownership of things that are not yours. Not to mention, how would you even wield such a weapon?”

  [What? Not… mine?] My eyes narrowed.

  “Move along now, your presence is not required, or wanted.” He made a shooing motion with his hand.

  I smiled with barely contained anger. [So, which Clan do you belong to, old man? Or are you with the Drow? I’m asking so I know to which faction I should deliver your corpse.]

  The man burst out laughing. “Oh, that was a good one! But no, I’m not part of any Clans. I’m guessing you must be from The City? Even more of a reason for you to leave. I am Grand Elder Hei Yu of the Holy Phoenix Empire. We do not mingle with inferior folk like you rabble.”

  “As for your threat, while humorous, I do not appreciate your tone. I see that your Spirit Body is quite strong and well developed, reaching the 10% completion, similar to mine, however, you are only Level Five of the Spirit Realm while I stand firmly at the first step of the Sky Realm. We are not the same.” Hei Yu arrogantly stated, his hands clasped behind his back.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I squinted at him and moved between him and the Eclipse.

  [Oh? You can see my progress?] The man was not lying; he really was in the Sky Realm, just like Antasghar. However, unlike the Drow High Priest, he did not feel as frail. His Body Cultivation was quite advanced, and his Soul felt solid. He definitely did not advance at the first opportunity like most other Cultivators. His foundation was anything but hollow.

  “Indeed. I can also see you carry great stores of energy in your body, much greater than most. However, let me warn you, I have battled beasts in the Sky Realm and won; you do not stand a chance. Now I shall claim this weapon and bring it as a gift to my Emperor. I truly am lucky to have found such a beauty. As for you, leave. Do not test my patience, young man, for it will not end well for you.”

  I began to chuckle and placed a hand on the Eclipse. [You have good eyes, old man Yu. However, you made one tiny mistake.] My body turned red and began to expand. [We might be similar in relative terms, however…]

  My body was already over twenty meters tall and growing larger still. [In absolute terms, I overshadow you a thousand to one.]

  My fingers wrapped around the handle of the Eclipse, and I plucked it out of the ground like one would a flower. Despite its colossal weight, it felt as light as a feather in my hand. I was angry. I was mad. I was thoroughly enraged.

  I roared. My voice shook the land.

  The Cultivator stumbled in the sky.

  “Hmm, yes… I see it does have an owner. How curious. I never would have imagined…” Hei Yu rubbed his chin, seemingly talking to himself. “Oh, well... An old man is bound to make a mistake once in a while. But, as there is nothing left to do here, I guess I’ll just-”

  [Hey! Where do you think you are going?!] I blocked the old Cultivator’s path and slammed the weapon down.

  “Ah, forgive me, fellow Cultivator. I was just leaving, you see? Could you do me a favor and let me pass?” The man shamelessly said. "No matter what weapon you carry, I am still stronger. Even a big stick can’t beat centuries of experience."

  I stifled an angry laugh and instead growled. [The Eclipse was a weapon forged to fight colossal monsters and gods, not swatting down annoying flies! But, since you insist, I’m happy to oblige!]

  I went for an immediate killing blow, swiping the axe horizontally to cleave the man in two. He jumped back, nearly out of my reach, and brought a sword to deflect the blow. Arrogant! He should have dodged instead.

  Immediately upon contact, his blade shattered, and Hei Yu just barely got himself out of harm's way by slipping into subspace and reappearing a short distance away. He blinked, just like Adam.

  “Oh dear…” The man looked at the remains of his broken blade. I didn’t let him breathe and swung down. The earth cracked under my blow, and an earthquake cracked the desert floor hundreds of meters away. Dust and smoke rose into the air, but Hei Yu was already flying away.

  [Get back here!] I flew after him like a comet. The Eclipse was a hurricane of blades craving his flesh.

  “Uh-ah! I think I really should go!” The man blinked again just as the black blade nicked his robe. He huffed as he appeared far away. “Damn brute. Fine! Keep your stupid weapon. We’ll see how your little city survives against the might of the Empire!”

  He gripped the space around him again and began tearing it apart, attempting to run away. Yet it remained rigid. He turned around, eyes wide.

  “You-!”

  [Surprise!] I laughed. I was intimately familiar with his technique, and that included a way to counter it. I lifted my battleaxe. [Die for me!]

  “Insolence!” Energy hardened around him, a shield of Sky Qi, encasing him in a bubble of safety. My blade struck it, and the construct cracked. I drove my weight behind the swing, from the sky straight to the ground.

  “Ah-!”

  Behind the blades of the Eclipse, a trail of blood followed.