The monastery of Tudigong
- Intro:
“We cannot contact Tudigong, all you can do is pray." Told a monk to Qiang, who had asked how to contact Tudigong. “I’ve travelled for almost a year and through this harsh desert! And now I get to hear that I cannot get any help of the monk of Tudigong himself!” Shouted Qiang out of frustration. The monk shook his head “There is nothing we can do for you, but you may stay here as long as you want to. May your prayers give you answers.” Said the monk. Another monk walked into the room. He was a frail man, shaved head and wore a rope with little stones and clay balls around his neck. He held a decorative sandstone sceptre in his hands. “I’m Tsu-Lin-Do. I’m the head of the Monastery of the God of Land and Soil. As Da-Lon-Do said, we cannot help you with reaching out to Tudigong himself. You must do that through prayer, your travels aren’t in fain. Contacting Tudigong is easier to do in his own temple than anywhere else.” Qiang calmed down, Tsu-Lin’s voice had a soothing effect. “Thank you, master Tsu-Lin-Do.” Said Qiang as he bowed to the elderly man. “Da-Lon-Do, see our guest to a room.” Said Tsu-Lin, as he turned around and left the room. “Yes, master Tsu-Lin.” Said Da-Lon “Follow me, Qiang.” Qiang followed Da-Lon around. Tsu-Lin-Do didn’t ask for my name, that’s a bit rude. Never the less, I’m glad that I can stay here. “Here is your room.” Said Da-Lon. Qiang entered the room and Da-Lon left. The room was entirely made of stone except for the curtains in front of the hole in the wall which acted as window and the straw mattrass to sleep on. He walked to the window and looked outside, the sun was still high in the sky but he decided to go to sleep. He was tired after the long day of travelling and the heat from the desert.
“Bong… Bong… Bong…” The bells of the monastery sounded throughout the building. Qiang woke up and was met by a much more appealing temperature. It was cool instead of the desert heat. Qiang stood up and walked to the window. It is still night. Dressed up and went to the Hall of the Rock, where the altar of Tudigong stood. He entered the hall, it was already filled with monks. They all sat around a natural stone pillar of green and brown stone. Qiang went on his knees and started his prayer. They prayed there for an hour. “Bong… Bong… Bong...” Qiang opened his eyes. The pillar has changed shape! Thought Qiang and just as he thought, the pillar changed shape in front of his eyes. “It does that through the power of Tudigong.” Said a monk who caught him staring with disbelieve. Qiang was out of words and nodded. That is amazing. They entered the dining hall. Breakfast existed out of a slice of black bread and dried cactus fruit. To wash away with a mug of watered beer. I’m getting a dislike for these fruits. Thought Qiang he chewed all of them away, washed down with the watered beer. “May I have a word with you.” Said a familiar voice. Qiang turned his head and saw Tsu-Lin-Do, leaning on his sceptre. “Praying on itself is not enough if you want to be heard. Do not eat only drink when necessary, show Tudigong how devoted you are to him. Show him your willing to suffer for him.” Said the monk. “And you're telling me this now?” Said Qiang, with disbelieving in his voice. You could have told me that earlier! “Thanks.” Said Qiang, as he walked out of the room. “Pray day and night, don’t stop, pray at all times.” Said the old man. You know why you do it, have faith. He entered the Hall of the Rock and started praying. Monks passed and went. The bells sounded dozens of times. The sun and the moon rose and descend as time went bye. But Qiang stayed on his knees in front of the ever-changing rock. Living off the watered beer that a monk brought him twice a day. The first few days were not really a problem but after the third day, he started getting tired. And the fourth even more. I need sleep, I shouldn’t.
Light flickers. What is going on? Light, dark, light, dark. I’m blinking? He tried to keep his eyes open, but the light was too strong, for he wasn’t used seeing the light for days. It took him a bit of time keep his eyes open. What he saw was a scroll, a scroll with a golden back and stone jade handles. He kept looking at it, it was as if his head was drawn towards it as. “This is what you seek.” Said a deep voice from above him. Qiang wanted to speak but he couldn’t, his mouth stayed closed. Who is this, how I’m I here, why? Where the questions he wanted to ask. “This scroll is what you need to achieve your goal. Come here, on foot and alone. I will be waiting.” Said the voice. Qiang then was forced to move back, he flew straight through a wall and when he was through it, he saw a structure made of stone. A palace. He kept on flying back, through the desert. Though he felt no heat from the sun. He moved faster and faster and entered another building and in a glimpse of a flash, he noticed he flew through the Hall of the Rock. He flew straight into himself and with a shock, he stood up. He blinked his eyes. Was it a dream? The room was empty. He walked out of the room and almost bumped into Tsu-Lin-Do. “I’ve heard Tudigong, he spoke to me.” Shouted Qiang. “I’m old, but not deaf. That is great for you, what did he tell you?” Said the monk. “I’ve to walk to him, alone. I got to go!” Said Qiang, less loud as before. He rushed through the hallways to the gate of the monastery. He left without packing things, without eating, he left in great haste. He didn’t feel tired, he didn’t feel hungry, he was filled with energy and hope. He looked at the sun to decide which direction he had to go to. The messaged of Tudigong gave him a clue on where to go. He didn’t feel the heat of the sun for a day, but the next day he felt it, burning down on his skin. He didn’t sleep at night. The next day hunger got on the list also. On the third day, he started to get tired and his speed dropped, never the less he pressed on. Determined to find Tudigong’s palace. He lost count of days that he travelled. Eventually, he started crawling, for his legs couldn’t carry him anymore. His skin started shedding because of the sun burnings, he felt like a baked fish. His eyes started closing more often. Common, you can do… you can do this. Told Qiang himself. He managed to crawl another meter. His sight turned black, his senses faded away. The heat disappeared slowly, but it wouldn’t get cool. His thought disappeared and he lost his conscious. His eyes opened. He saw a stone ceiling. He turned on his side and saw a round hole in a rock wall. They found me! Thought Qiang. I should have been dead. He stood up and walked around. He looked at his hand palms and turned them around. He looked at his arms and his shoulders, no burnings. Just a tan skin, bronze coloured. That is odd? He walked out of the room, into a hallway that looked familiar to that of the monastery. He wandered through it and ended up into a courtyard. It was filled with a stony path from one side to the other side of the yard. On the sides of this path where rock formations surrounded by moving sand. It was as if it was a sea made of sand instead of water. Beautiful Thought Qiang. Then a someone walked up to him from the door on the other side. It was a huge man, dressed in brown clothing and he wore a jade crown on his head. The man had a dark grey hair and a long beard. “Qiang, I’m Tudigong.” Said a deep and familiar voice. Qiang couldn’t find any words. “You seek the power to destroy the demons that haunt your village. I have what you seek.” Said Tudigong. Qiang fell on his knees and bowed so far and fast that he hit his forehead on the cobblestone path. “Thank you…, Tudigong.” Said Qiang with a soft voice, with a hint of fear. “You must train, train hard.” Said the deep voice of Tudigong as he walked closer to Qiang. “Rise Qiang.” Qiang stood up, keeping his head lowered. “Look at me.” Said Tudigong with a charismatic voice, that bound the hearer to do as it said. Qiang saw Tudigong in its fullest glory, twice the size of an average person. Tudigong had a charismatic, muscular body yet also elegance. Exactly how a god would look like. “Your training will be to move a hundred boulders hundred paces away, to do a hundred push-ups and a ten-mile run each day. Until I say you suffice.”
There were times when Qiang wondered why he had to do this. How will this help me, how do I get the power to destroy my enemies with this! But he kept on going. When his muscle power wasn’t enough, he went on his spirit. He was determent to gain the power he desired to save his village. He didn’t know how long it really took but on one-day Tudigong said: “You’re finished, you have trained enough.” Qiang was surprised “Is this a test of some kind?” “No.” Said Tudigong with his ever-charismatic voice “Follow me.” Qiang obediently followed Tudigong to a large room. This was the hall that he had seen in is dream. The hall was formed out of natural red sandstone and in the middle, was a pedestal on which the scroll of his vision laid. Tudigong walked to it and stood behind it, Qiang stayed in the opening of the door. “Come in.” Said Tudigong. Qiang stepped forward to the pedestal. “You are ready to gain the power of this scroll, you are strong enough to resist its power. But behold, power comes at a price. Be careful, do you think you are ready yourself?” Said Tudigong with a deep voice, speaking slowly. He made sure that Qian heard all. “I’m ready.” Said Qiang forcefully, his goal was near. In a few moments, he would gain the power to save his village. “Then read the scroll” Said Tudigong. Qiang rolled out the scroll. The paper was brass coloured with a golden shine on it. The letters were charcoal black with a purple glow to them. Qiang started to read the text. Each word that was spoken out loud disappeared from its brass coloured paper. Each word would give off a spiralling mystical smoke that entered Qiang through the chest. With each word, he felt more power inside him. Cycling through his body. He hadn’t realised it, but it started to exhaust him. The last words were heavy and slow to read. The scroll was now blank, he saw his reflection in the golden shine. I’ve made it. Thought Qiang. Tudigong started to speak “You got your new magical power now, the power you desired. I’ve given you this power, but want in return that you united the people of the mountains into one. Let them pray to me, as their sole God. For it was I who provided them with their mountains. You shall be king over them and protect them. You are reborn, you are no mere warrior anymore. You are reborn as a Demon Slayer and a king, henceforth you will be called Gangting, strong court. Now go forth and fulfil my demands.”
On the path of war
- Intro:
“Why do we pray to Tudigong?” Bellowed Gangting “What has he done for us! I did all the work to unite the people and conquer these lands! What did he! He sat upon his throne in his damned stone palace!” His advisors and ministers were still, they were afraid for Gangting. He had changed over the years. From a man who feasted with the common men to a man full of hate and lust for power. Not only his personality had changed, his veins turned dark and his eyes even darker. The shine from his hair had vanquished as did his appetite. Gangting stood up from his chair and walked around the table. “Destroy all the statues from Tudigong, he is a false god.” Shouted Gangting “He does not have real power, it is I who has that! He didn’t do any to give me power, only the scroll that holds it. Place new statue’s, those of mine for I am a true living God. Everyone has witnessed my power. All shall pray to me henceforth.” Bellowed Gangting. No one dares to speak, they nodded with fear in their eyes. So, it was done, Tudigong’s statues were changed to those of Gangting. Disaster struck, Tudigong was furious. An earthquake destroyed a quarter of Duoshang (Gangting’s Capital). Gangting was exploded into anger and waged war on Tudigong. He let his armies out of lands in the direction of the desert that held the monastery of Tudigong. Conquering everything in his path, unleashing his rage upon all the cities and countries that were between him and his goal, the annihilation of Tudigong.
The battle of Nia
The king of Nia had arranged his army in 10 double rows of heavy infantry, flanked by cavalry and to the rear where catapults. This all was screened off by a thick line of light infantry armed with javelins and bows. Small groups of mages’ were deployed before each heavy infantry unit. Gangting had deployed his legions in a similar fashion. The first line was 10 units long. The second 5 units which were deployed on the right end of the front line. Another 3 units were placed behind this one as well. Having 2 units as reserves behind the tine line of 5 units on the left flank. Gangting himself stood in front of the right flank together with a few of his mage guards. The battle began with a skirmish battle followed up with the clashes of the heavy infantry lines.
“Charge!” bellowed Gangting, as he dashed forward. Followed closely by his guardsmen. He heard the warcries of his men. “For Duoshang! For the God-King Gangting!” “Earth Demon’s Bursting fist!” Shouted Gangting, the stones from the ground flew up to his hand. They formed a stone gauntlet around his right first. He jumped straight into the thick enemy line, smashing his fist the earth. Where the stone gauntlet exploded into small pieces, flying everywhere. Hitting the enemy soldiers, creating chaos and a pile of wounded enemies. Enemy soldiers moved up to him, stepping on their fallen comrades. They were determent to take Gangting down. “Earth Demon’s Spiked Wave!” Shouted Gangting as he stamped with his right feet into the ground, digging into it as if it were mud. A shock wave was released from down his feet, followed by a wave of stone spikes that rose up from the earth in a spiral around Gangting. Many of the enemies’ warriors were impaled by those spikes, but not only them. Also, Gangting's on men and guardsmen for the spikes did not distinguish friend from foe. The lifeless area around Gangting was soon filled up with Gangting’s own men. “Look out!” Shouted one of his guardsmen as he pointed into the sky. Soaring through the sky where flaming balls, flung from the catapults, heading to Gangting’s location. His guardsmen step in front of Gangting forming a human wall, but they used their magic to create another one made out of stone. The whole was 3 meters high and one-fourth of a meter think. Gangting deemed it not useful, so he created his own. “Earth Demon’s Megalithic Rock Wall!” Shouted Gangting as he stood in a sumo wrestlers position. He stamped with his feet, first left, then right and repeated that. With each step, a rock wall grew taller. It was 4 meters thick, 25 meters long and 15 meters high. It overshadowed those of his guardsmen. The flaming balls came down upon the wall, but it didn’t give way. Gangting used his magic to create holes into the wall so his men could charge through it. Gangting himself was the first to go through the wall. What he found on the other end was a surprise, the enemy had retreated further back. A warrior in clad in a shiny adamant armour coloured like the blue-green colour of the sea stood there, on his own. He held a white flag and took off his helmet. He shouted “I’m Tali Davida, the champion of King Clasus of Nia. King Clasus doesn’t want to waste more lives. He decided that the fate of the battle will be decided by two men, a duel between me and your best warrior. Do you agree to these terms?” Gangting looked at the metal-clad warrior, he stood there confidently but his armour had not experienced combat. It had no scratches or dents, a sign of a new armour or a new warrior. It didn’t matter to Gangting. “Boy!” Bellowed Gangting “Are you ready to face a living God.” The battlefield turned complete silent as the heavy but piercing voice reached all ears. Tali became uneasy, he looked nervously back. In hope for support, but none came. “Yeh.. yes.” Said Tali with a small voice, unrecognisable to when he spoke before. He threw away the white flag and donned his helmet. Gangting walked forward, freeing himself from the foot of the wall. “Requip Hellbringer” shouted Tali, with a hint of fear. A large two-handed sword appeared in the hands of Tali. Its metal was as black as ink and it ignited in flames. “So, you fight in melee, bahaha.” Gangting burst in laughter. “Then I shall do the same!” Bellowed he.
“Grounder Burst: Demon Form” Shouted Gangting. His veins became charcoal black and emitted a deep purple glow, his eyes turned completely black. A black and purple light shined from Gangting’s chest, from the place of his heart. It burst out his chest and a stone skin started to cover his chest around his heart. It grew rapidly around his body, eventually, everything was covered with grey stone and instead of two eyes he had four, they shined bright white. A black and purple mist surrounded him. The Demon burst’s it’s fist into the ground and brought a large, but thin, mace out of the ground. Death, Death, Death. Where the demon’s thoughts. He ran forward to Tali. Tali himself charged forward as well. Their weapons clashed, the fire of Hellbringer continued its path after the weapons had struck. It hit the face off the Demon, who turned its head away to keep its eyes save. The fire melted some of his stone skin, dripping over his cheek. The clash of Hellbringer chipped out some stone from the mace. They stood there, close to each other with their weapons crossed. The Demon inhaled deeply, dirt, rocks and sand entered the Demon through its mouth. It got released after the Demon shouted, “Earth Demon’s Ultra Bellow” with a crackling voice. A boulder appeared in front of the Demons mouth. Tali jumped back and the boulder flew right past him, into the ranks of the Nia’anian soldiers. Kill, Kill, Kill. Tali charged forward again, he managed to get passed the Demons mace and stabbed it in the chest. It pierced straight through it, melting the edges. Lava formed and started to drip down the Demons belly and onto the ground. “Bah hahaha” laughed the Demon with a heavy laugh, its sound reached every ear on the battlefield. Those standing within a few yards covered their ears and some even fell on their knees. “Earth Demon’s Bursting fist!” Bellowed the Demon. A pulse went through the Demons body, a pulse of thick stone. It waved through the Demons body to its right fist, that had just dropped the mace. It bashed onto the helmet of Tali. The first bash exploded into stone shards and was enough to kill Tali. Death, Death, Death. But the Demon kept on bashing into the helmet. Tali’s lifeless body released the sword and Hellbringer vanished. Tali’s body fell to the ground and stayed there motionless. There had been times when Gangting’s men would have cheered for their king when he had won a duel, but now it was silent. Everyone was afraid by what they had witnessed. The hole inside of the Demon filled up with stone and grew solid again. After that stone skin around the Demon fell apart into the sand. Gangting stood there, on top of a pile of sand.
Where am I? Who are they? Thought Gangting as he looked upon the army of Nia. He looked behind him. Those are my banners, my men. What are they doing here? One of his generals rode to him and he noted something about Gangting when he was closer. His hair shined auburn red once more, his black veins had disappeared and so did his dark eyes. “Devine Gangting, you have defeated Tali. We have won the war, another victory for you.” Said the general. Gangting looked at his feet where the remains of Tali lay. Devine Gangting? Thought Gangting. “Where am I? What do we do here? Why do you call me divine?” Asked Gangting, confusion could be heard in his voice. “You forgot that we went to war with Tudigong? Are you yourself again?” Asked the general surprised. “I’m at war with Tudigong, how did that happen? What do you mean, yourself again?” The general wanted to give an answer but then the change happened. Gangting’s veins turned dark as did his eyes. His hair lost his shine once more. “What do you stand here for!” Bellowed Gangting “Fetch me the crown of Nia!” The general rode away to the Nia’anian lines, with tears in his eyes. The true Gangting resides still in his body.
The fight between the God of Land and Soil and the self-proclaimed God-King.
The monks of the temple of Tudigong formed a thin line in front of Gangting’s army. They started to stamp their stone staffs into the ground. Gangting himself walked forward, in front of his army. He would handle them himself. The stamping in the ground created shock waves and a sole boulder appeared between Gangting’s army and the monks. The boulder crumbled down and Tudigong stood in its place. “Insolence” Bellowed Tudigong and the ground started to shake. Gangting wouldn’t stand idle to listen to Tudigong’s words. He went on one knee and placed his left hand on the earth and his other in in front of him, the inside of his hand palm pointing to Tudigong. The earth lite up around him in the shades of gold and orange. The earth stone soil turned to sand as the circle grew larger. The energy transferred from one hand to the other, an orb of heat and molten earth appeared in front of his right hand. “Atlas: Gaia Force” Bellowed Gangting as the orb fired away to Tudigong. Who created a mountain in between them in an instant of a finger movement. The orb exploded in the mountain and the mountain vanquished in a stream of sand. Another finger moment of Tudigong swept the sand up into a giant sandstorm that circled around Gangting and Tudigong. "Know your place" Bellowed Tudigong and the earth around Gangting disappeared with another finger moment. Gangting fell into a hole and Tudigong created a pyramid with both his hand moving into a triangle above his head. Gangting was encaged in stone
![Master [1000]](https://i.imgur.com/AQXM4xC.png)
![Senior [500]](https://i.imgur.com/Nmfn8cD.png)
![Novice [250]](https://i.imgur.com/lrYlde6.png)
