THE MICROBURST

"The four hallows?" Da Qing gulped. "Don't tell me..."

The youngsters were stiffened. Now, as their memories returned, they could not help but be aware of their loved ones. What kind of danger they would face after they entered the unknown chamber before them?

"My lady..." Zhang Shi glanced at the lady in white who led their way.

"I told you I can't help you anymore. No matter what you face behind this place, you are your own," Gwang Li stated.

"But..." Zhang Shi could not finish his sentence as the stone gate cracked and slowly slid open.

"Let's go," Gwang Li said.

"NianZhi... You stay outside." Chu ShuZhi gritted his teeth.

"What do you mean?" Chu NianZhi glared at his elder brother.

"Take care of ChangCheng for me. Stay out," Chu ShuZhi repeated.

"Hell, no," Chu NianZhi objected. "Just because I was dead in the past it doesn't mean that it will happen again."

"You-"

"Enough!" Shen YongZheng cut the bicker. "I don't know what happened in your past life. But you can't use what happened in the world that never happens as a reference for the future." He peered at the stone gate. "If you make up your mind, let's get in." He glanced at his first son. Shen Wei nodded at his father in agreement.

"You better stay out-"

"No." Zhao MingAn cut Gwang Li's words, ignoring the gritted teeth of the lady in white. "This is also my fight."

"You-"

"Madame Gwang... Don't you think we should get going now?" Zhao Mingan cut the lady again. The temperature freefell when Zhao MingAn talked. The noise ceased as everyone whipped their heads toward Zhao YunLan's younger brother. Gwang Li turned her body to face the young man, ready to confront him.

"What's the matter with you?" Before Gwang Li opened her mouth, Zhao YunLan stood in front of his brother. "Why so rush? YeZun is here with us. It's not likely someone is threatened." He scrutinized his brother's face, seeking answers.

"We never know what he plans, Ge. If we take our sweet time, we don't know what will happen-"

"If you want to use the 'you just know me for several years' as the answer to my suspicion today, you make a great mistake." Zhao YunLan cut his brother's words. "I just need several moments to know if someone is lying to me and you just did."

"I know how to defeat him." Zhao MingAn gave up. "My ability helps me to see it."

"Your ability? How?" Shen Wei asked Zhao MingAn, but his eyes glanced at his younger brother. YeZun trembled in his hug.

"We need to pass this ship first."

"Ship?" Everyone knitted their eyebrows at Zhao MingAn's statement.

"This place is a spacecraft that belongs to the DiXing people's ancestors." Zhao MingAn answered. "After collecting the four hallows, we can open the door to the two chambers."

"And then? How can we defeat him?" As expected, Zhao YunLan refused to hear the half-assed answer.

"Madame Gwang said that Ma TiHua had visited the chambers, right? It means he's been already there by now as he goes there through the other door," Zhao MingAn answered. "The way to the two chambers is circling like a labyrinth. We must find the center to lock his immortality. Only then can we defeat him before he takes the water from the fountain of eternity," Zhao MingAn replied.

"You are not-"

"With all respect, Madame Gwang. Don't you think you no longer have a right to say a word?" Zhao MingAn glared at Gwang Li. "You have all the time you need to explain everything, but you don't. Now, you shouldn't say anything as we decide."

Everybody peered at Zhao MingAn and Gwang Li in turn, wondering what the young man implied with his sentences. Shen Wei's eyebrows twitched when, instead of putting Zhao MingAn in his place, Gwang Li turned back to the stone gate. "I understand. But know this. You are your own," Gwang Li's statement brought everyone's attention to her.

"Understood," Zhao MingAn replied.

Shen Wei flinched when Shen YeZun squeezed his arms. Shen Wei clenched his hug tighter around his brother, something terrified YeZun when Zhao MingAn answered Gwang Li. But what was that? He threw his gaze towards his lover. Zhao YunLan gulped down his saliva along with all the unanswered questions he had. No matter how curious he was, Zhao YunLan knew what the most important.

Gwang Li lifted her right hand, touching the stone with her extended power. White flash engulfed the stone from the center. "Get ready," she said as the stone cracked open.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

"What happens here? Why do I feel they are stronger now?" Zhu Hong gasped for air. Fighting the enhanced humans drained her strength.

Although her tribe worked hand in hand with the flower tribe, the three elders of the fox tribe were on their side, but those enhanced humans were unstoppable. Tens of hulk men flapped their bat wings in the sky, intimidating the Hanga tribe. Other tens broke the trees and fought the foxes. The Crow tribe's people attacked the Snake tribe. Their power was not the threat but their number.

"Don't worry about their strengths. Everything living on earth has a weakness. Just focus on finding their blind spot," the Fourth Uncle shouted from another side of the battleground.

"All right," Zhu Hong answered as she jumped back to the fighting field.

"Stay back! You are pregnant." Sha Ya shouted at Zhu Hong unconsciously. The Snake tribe halted their movements in a heartbeat, shifting their attention to Sha Ya and Zhu Hong.

"What?" A loud scream echoed in the middle of the clash. "Who's pregnant?" The Fourth Uncle glared at both ladies, forgetting the enemies before them.

"What do you talking about Uncle?" Zhu Hong evaded the question. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't give me that nonsense, Kid. I'm practically the one who brought you up." The old man refused to back down.

"You didn't tell your uncle about the pregnancy?" Sha Ya whispered to Zhu Hong.

"How do you expect I talk to my uncle? Our schedule is too packed," Zhu Hong grunted.

"You..." Sha Ya sighed. "You are your own." Sha Ya leaped to the battleground once again after throwing a punch at her opponent. "I have many things to do." She ran away.

"Hey! You are the one who brought it up. Don't run." Zhu Hong screamed at Sha Ya.

"Don't you dare to run, you little rascal! Who's the baby's father?" The Fourth Uncle jumped at Zhu Hong, who chased after Sha Ya.

"Chief, we are still in the middle of the fight." One man reprimanded the Fourth Uncle.

"I have something more important to take care of," the old man shouted.

"But, Chief. We can't handle them alone," another man said.

"That's just several scary-looking guys. Why are you so weak?" The Fourth Uncle huffed, ignoring his people.

"What? What?" The Snake tribe's people were all agape, but it was not likely they could leave the scene.

"Oh, dear." Wang Zheng clutched on Sang Zan's sleeve. "Sang Zan, the Fourth Uncle looks very angry. What should we do?"

"I don't know. If he ever learns who the baby's father is, although Zhu Jiu could come out safely, I don't think his days will be prolonged," Sang Zan gulped.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

The bright light slid through the crevice as the stone gate cracked open. Everyone tightened their jaws without thinking. "Let's go." Gwang Li took the first step, opening the way.

Shen Wei glanced at Zhao YunLan who answered the unspoken question with a nod. Shen Wei took the next step after Gwang Li but ceased his steps when Shen YeZun pulled away from his embrace. "You can walk by yourself?" Shen Wei asked his younger brother. YeZun nodded at him, taking some space. "Don't force yourself." Shen Wei scrutinized Shen YeZun as he walked beside his brother.

"I'm okay," Shen YeZun forced a smile.

Zhao YunLan glanced at Zhao MingAn. That young man stole a glance at YeZun but did not make any move as he used to. "If you are worried why don't you just go at him?" He huffed.

"He will be just fine. Professor Shen is stronger than you think he is."

"Says the one who acts like it is the end of the world when YeZun is not around." Zhao YunLan shook his head. Zhao MingAn lowered his gaze. Something he always did when he contemplated certain things. Zhao YunLan almost hit his younger brother's head when the bright tunnel ended.

Everyone gulped when they peered around their surroundings. A vast chamber, all made of stone. There were four empty stone stands on the four sides. East, West, South, and North.

"Madame Gwang... This is..." Shen Wei knitted his eyebrows.

Gwang Li did not reply, lifting her face to the ceiling. Everyone followed her eyes. This was a closed chamber; not only four stone walls surrounded them, but also stone floors and ceilings above them. Yet, several moments after Gwang Li raised her head, the wind swirled around them. Shen YongZheng and Shen Wei's black cloaks fluttered heavily. Even Chu ShuZhi and Chu NianZhi had to grip the end of their cloaks to stop the movements.

"What is that?"

Everyone struggled with the sudden burst of the wind when Shen YeZun interrupted them. Zhao YunLan lifted his gaze to the ceilings, following YeZun's stare when his eyes widened in shock. A thick cloud rotated, covering the entire ceiling.

"What is that?" Shen Wei repeated his twin brother's question. "Madame Gwang..."

Shen YongZheng touched his eldest son's chest to stop Shen Wei. Zhao XinChi shook his head at Zhao YunLan. They were still in shock when the whole chamber changed scenery into a beautiful valley. Red maple leaves and yellow ginkgo trees stood in arbitrary rows. As the wind passed them, the scent of Autumn hit their noses.

"What? What is this?" Lin Jing fell on his butt on the ground.

"How can illusion appear this vivid?" Zhu Jiu touched the leaves near him. "These all seem like real, feel like real, and smell like real."

"Because they are all real." Gwang Li strode before them toward an open field.

"What?"

"Still remember how Lord KunLun and his brother created the Land of the Four Perils? This place was created by the same people with some help of DiXing people's ancestors." Gwang Li answered the public question. "However, I want you all to remember one thing. The real enemy in this place is your feelings. Be careful. This place was created not only by the power but also by the authoritative side of Lord KunLun."

Although they did not understand, instead of asking further, everybody peered around to find answers to their piling wonder. "What are we doing here?" Guo ChangCheng whispered to Chu ShuZhi.

"I don't know." Chu ShuZhi shook his head. He looked at Shen Wei who kept walking behind Gwang Li with Shen YeZun beside him. Zhao YunLan and Zhao MingAn strode behind them along with Shen YongZheng and Zhao XinChi.

"I don't know anything about these four hallows, can you tell me what we should find here, Ge?" Chu NianZhi scooted toward his brother.

"I wonder," Chu ShuZhi sighed. "The Four Hallows are the sundial of reincarnation, the awl of mountain and river, the brush of virtue, and the lantern of the guardian. What should we find in this place? I also don't have a picture."

"Just focus on finding the four hallows," Shen Wei said to his comrades who walked behind him. "They are our keys to get the two chambers."

"How do you know?" Chu ShuZhi's eyes widened in admiration. Shen Wei was always a few steps ahead.

"Ge... Are you always this stupid?" Chu NianZhi's voice nearly whispered.

"What do you mean?" Chu ShuZhi raised his voice as he was offended.

"You don't have to be that upset, Lao Chu." Da Qing scratched his head. "Xiao Zhao just told us that we should collect the four hallows to open the door to the two chambers."

"Oh?" Chu ShuZhi knitted his eyebrows as he was thinking. When did Zhao MingAn say those things?

"Something wrong, Deputy Da?" Zhu Jiu asked the yashou when Da Qing sighed.

"Nothing... I just wonder about one thing." Da Qing peered at the blue sky.

"What is that?" Guo ChangCheng asked.

"If Lao Chu is this stupid, why did Commander Chu the one who died in their past life?" Da Qing shook his head.

"What did you say, you damn cat?" Chu ShuZhi growled.

"I think that proverb is true. Stupid people tend to live longer." Da Qing sighed again.

"You mean 'coward people'?" Lin Jing corrected.

"Huh... Has they changed the proverb?" Da Qing turned his head only to stop his words. Chu ShuZhi glared at him, charging toward the unsuspicious yashou. "I didn't say anything." Da Qing avoided the sudden attack.

"Eh... Ge. Stop that." Chu NianZhi tried to stop his brother amidst his laughter.

"You... Dare to laugh at me?" Chu ShuZhi tightened his fist as he whipped his head to see his younger brother. "I feel so dumb to worry about you. Chu NianZhi. I'll kill you myself." He bumped his fist into his other palm.

"Ge, calm down." Chu NianZhi jumped to avoid Chu ShuZhi's attack.

"Hey, hey, Lao Chu." Lin Jing stood agape as he did not know what to do.

Chu ShuZhi launched his fist but Chu NianZhi evaded his punch. The noise of wrestle caught the attention of the higher-ups in the front row. "What are they doing there?" Shen YongZheng sighed.

"Just let them be," Shen Wei's mind was too busy to care for the petty things.

"Madame Gwang... What should we find in this place?" Zhao YunLan lost his patience.

"Something out of the ordinary, I think," Shen YeZun answered when Gwang Li did not respond.

"Professor Shen... Do you see your surroundings?" Zhao YunLan rubbed his face. His low level of blood sugar increased his blood pressure. "How could we find what was so out of the ordinary in this place? This place alone is already out of the ordinary."

"I can't help you here, but I can give you some clues," Gwang Li answered, peering at the valley in front of them. "The four hallows stand for the four elements. You should find a way to defeat the guard before-"

Gwang Li never finished her words as Chu ShuZhi rolled, passing them into the valley and hitting the giant rock in the middle of the valley with a loud bang noise. Shen Wei stared at his silly right-hand man then peered at the group behind him. They all shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"That's hurt," Chu ShuZhi grunted, pressing his head. "Chu NianZhi, you ass!" He growled. Chu ShuZhi pressed the stone, pushing his fallen body up. But as he stood, a loud crack noise echoed and the next thing happened was every voice suddenly disappeared.

Everyone threw their gaze at their surroundings only to find everything was frozen. Some birds stopped midway as they were about to take off from the branches, the bugs floated in the air, and the trees and bushes protruded toward the last wind brought them. Even the scent of Autumn stuck around the plants as the wind did not move.

"What? What happened?" Their wonder was still stuck in their throats when the stone behind Chu ShuZhi trembled. The crack in the center widened. And from the crevice, an animal emerged.

"Is that... White Tiger?" Guo ChangCheng pointed to the animal. His eyes widened in admiration.

"You don't have to spell it for us, Xiao Guo. We can see that is a white tiger." Da Qing sighed.

"Lao Zhao, what should we do now?" Lin Jing shouted at the cemented leader. Zhao YunLan was too amazed by the creature in front of him to the point he only stood agape. Well, nobody could blame him. The creature that appeared from the stone was as gigantic as Xiao Cài's monster form but... majestic.

A great white tiger. The creature shook its body, waving the soft, white fur with black strips. Something sparkling fell from the end of the fur, like diamond dust. The beautiful white nails shone like well-polished ceramics. Its yellow orbs glanced down at the people like a king looked at the peasants, so arrogant yet captivating.

"Zhao YunLan!" Shen Wei grabbed his lover, covering Zhao YunLan's body with his as they rolled on the ground.

"What? What happened?" Zhao YunLan asked like someone who just woke up from a deep sleep.

"Look at that." Shen Wei pointed his fingers at the place Zhao YunLan stood earlier. The tiger's paw stepped on it, cracking the ground.

"What?" Zhao YunLan stood up with Shen Wei's support. How could he did not realize the attack?

But the tiger did not stop there. It turned its head to its surroundings. It jumped to attack everyone it could find. It jumped into the bushes, and the trees, messing up the ground to catch the people it saw. But something odd happened. The trees and the bushes did not hurt even a scratch, so that the birds and other animals. Everything stayed in their place. The tiger's attacks passed through them as if they were holograms.

"Is the tiger can't attack us?" Zhu Jiu screamed as he avoided the animal that charged toward him.

"Can you see how the ground he attacked was all cracked? I won't be sure if I were you." Chu NianZhi answered from a far distance.

"Lao Zhao, why don't you ask Madame Gwang?" Lin Jing screamed.

"I ďont think Madame Gwang can answer anything right now," Shen YongZheng answered.

"She is already frozen along with nature since Chu ShuZhi hit that stone." Zhao XinChi continued his best friend's words as he threw his gaze toward the lady in white who stood like a transparent manikin.

"What? Then how should we deal with this creature without her insight? This is like cooking an eggless omelet." Lin Jing pulled his hair.

"Calm down," Zhao YunLan threw his eyes at his younger brother. "If you have a clue, this is the right time to tell us."

"This space links us to four seasons. Each season is controlled by one holy beast. There are three other sacred things scattered around this land that can trigger the other seasons, which will bring the other beasts," Zhao MingAn answered. "We mustn't touch those things and trigger the other beasts' appearance before we deal with this one."

"You hear that?" Shen Wei stared at Chu ShuZhi and Chu NianZhi.

"Loud and clear, Director," Chu NianZhi answered for the soldiers. He glanced at Zhu Jiu.

"Wait!" Guo ChangCheng shouted, but Zhu Jiu nodded at Shen Wei and charged at the white tiger. However, his attack stopped midway when the creature, instead of countering his attack, whipped its head and faced him with the charming yellow orbs. Zhu Jiu gulped. He had never seen a sharp yet captivating gaze like the one he had just seen. He leaped backward, falling at his knee.

"Zhu Jiu... What happened?" Chu ShuZhi shouted at the man.

"I can't do it," Zhu Jiu peered at the creature.

"Make up your mind, Soldier!" Shen YongZheng shouted. "We must pass this stage if we want to move to the next one. Don't waver!"

"Wait a moment, everyone." Guo ChangCheng ran and stood before them. "Do we really have to attack it? Can we defeat it without fighting like we did with the monsters?" His voice trembled.

"Not now, Xiao Guo." Zhao YunLan rubbed his face.

"But Chief... It was not the creature's fault if it upset. We impose on the It's den. We have no reason to attack the creature." Like always, Guo ChangCheng stood his ground if it was about something he saw as "poor creatures"

"No..." Zhao MingAn gritted his teeth. "We must defeat it to retrieve the hallow."

Zhao YunLan took a deep breath. "Shen Wei..." He tightened his jaws, hardening his heart.

"Understood," Shen Wei nodded. He lifted his right hand, manifesting a sword.

"No, Director Shen." Guo ChangCheng held Shen Wei when he was about to charge at the creature. "Why don't we do it in a better way?"

"What better way?" Shen Wei stared at the young man.

"I have my father's necklace, I can try to talk with it."

"No, ChangCheng Ge... You can't." Zhao MingAn explained. "The holy beasts are not the same as the demon beasts. If demon beasts were born, the holy beasts were created, not only from power but also from the authoritative side of Lord KunLun. They don't listen to any commands."

"You don't know that. We all just enter this place now. How can you be so sure?" Guo ChangCheng insisted.

"Didn't Madame Gwang told us that already?" Shen Wei pulled his arm from Guo ChangCheng's clutch. "As Zhao MingAn said, we must defeat the creature."

"No, wait!" Guo ChangCheng spread his arms to stop Shen Wei. "Madame Gwang maybe wrong."

"Officer Guo... Madame Gwang told us that in this place, our feelings are our enemy. I know the white tiger is a charming creature, but I agree with Mingan; we should defeat it," Zhao XinChi explained.

"Although we don't know what will happen after we defeat it, we can't search for the hallow if the creature is still threatening us like now." Chu ShuZhi said when Guo ChangCheng stared at him, pleading.

"No! You can't." Guo ChangCheng gritted his teeth as he ran, standing in front of the creature to protect it.

"ChangCheng Ge, you'll kill yourself if you do that," Zhao MingAn screamed.

"I don't care even I will," Guo ChangCheng screamed at everyone in his disappointment. This was the first time he felt so betrayed. "Everybody who wants to get this creature has to come through me." He took a stick laid next to him and held it with his two hands, challenging his own friends. But that was when the disaster happened.

The sky cracked, followed by the ground as if the world split into two. The calm Autumn nuance in the other part shifted into green and hot summer. The red maple leaves and yellow ginkgos turned green. As they were agape, something flew from behind the trees. A giant blue dragon. Guo ChangCheng slumped to the ground in fear when the dragon landed near the white tiger, glaring at him, and that was when he knew he had done a stupid act.

The microburst... A localized column of a sinking air within a thunderstorm and was usually less than equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Although it was dangerous, it was also beautiful, enchanting the storm chasers to fight their fear and drown in their excitement feeling to get as close as they could to capture the amazing moment.

Sometimes, humans tend to forget that the heart is not the same as feelings. The heart referred to as conscience, where rules, morals, and principles dwelled. While feelings underlined people's emotions. Like and dislike. Anger, sadness, cheerfulness, happiness, and also... selfishness.

Dealing with a crisis, humans should lean on their conscience, believing in their genuine intuition that would lighten their way. As feelings, many times stood in their way, clouding their judgment with "like and dislike"...

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

Picture credit to Péter Kövesi

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-rainbow-appears-in-the-sky-over-a-green-field-r1gUIfcg29k