Wai City — Gao Clan Courtyard
The Second Body of Gao Tian landed softly on the garden stones, calm yet radiating an unseen authority.
With a swift left-to-right wave of his hand, a soft golden light shimmered through the air.
The ropes around every Gao Clan member suddenly snapped open, dissolving into spiritual mist.
Gao Chi's eyes welled with tears as she rushed forward.
"Gao Tian—you're back!"
The Second Body turned to her, voice calm and reassuring.
"Yes, Mother. Don't worry… I'll take care of this."
Gao Hai, standing with blood at his brow, let out a booming laugh as he saw his son face the assassins.
"Haha! Son, they dared to insult the Gao Clan—beat them to death!"
The assassins faltered. For a second, they stepped back in fear.
Number 10, his pride injured and his mask cracked from the slap earlier, let out a furious roar. The lower half of his mask crumbled, revealing a bloodied chin twisted with rage.
"You bastard! You dare humiliate me?! Everyone—attack!"
The seven masked assassins, though shaken, obeyed. With a synchronized shout, they charged forward, their weapons gleaming under the moonlight.
Number 10 lunged with them, his shadow flickering across the stones like a viper.
But before they could even close the distance—
"Demons Authority."
The Second Body joined his palms, and in that instant, a suffocating wave of oppressive will exploded from him.
The assassins froze mid-charge.
Their eyes bulged, limbs locked, unable to move. Their spiritual energy was bound by invisible chains of mental pressure.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Number 10 growled, summoning all his spiritual energy. His veins bulged as he forced himself free of the suppression.
"You... how dare you bind me like a beast!"
The Second Body gave him a cold glance.
"Your cultivation is higher than mine… so breaking through it isn't unexpected."
From the side, Gao Hai cheered again.
"That's it! Son, break his bones!"
The Second Body scratched the back of his head with a weak smile.
"Yes, Father…"
I have to follow Dad's order... if the real body finds out I ignored it, he'll kill me for sure!
Number 10's figure blurred—he activated Shadow Step, teleporting with bursts of speed as he closed in.
"I'll kill you myself!"
He raised his fist, coated in spiraling black mist—Shadow Fist.
The Second Body braced himself.
He countered with Radiant Fist—his own technique laced with luminous purple energy.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion burst between them.
Dust and light scattered across the courtyard, shaking tiles loose from rooftops. Gao Clan members shielded their eyes.
When the smoke cleared—
The Second Body was pushed back, his feet dragging across the stone, and his right arm trembled from impact. A thin line of blood trickled down his knuckles.
Number 10 smirked, stepping forward.
"Heh… see? You're nothing. Your tricks end here."
But the Second Body only stared back with a wild grin.
"I only used one hand."
Number 10 froze.
A strange stillness overtook the night.
The wind paused. The air grew dense.
And in the center of it all stood Gao Tian's Second Body, his figure calm yet exuding unspeakable power.
Behind him, a colossal vision emerged—a spiritual figure both divine and demonic, its dual form crackling with energy. Half of it shone like a golden deity, radiating serenity and order. The other half, shrouded in crimson fire, burned with violent might. The Demon and God Spiritual Figure loomed, echoing his presence across the courtyard.
He joined his palms.
Golden energy surged into his right arm.
Red energy blazed into his left.
His sleeves shredded from the sheer pressure.
Two distinct auras clashed and fused within him—righteous destruction and heavenly wrath.
Gasps filled the air. The Gao Clan elders and members stared wide-eyed, frozen by awe and disbelief.
"Wh-what kind of technique is that…?"
"He's not the same Gao Tian who left…"
Even the seven masked assassins who had surrounded him moments ago now thanked the heavens in silence for not having stepped forward.
Their instincts screamed:
This… is no mere Body Tempering cultivator. This is a monster.
Meanwhile, the Number 10 Masked Cultivator had turned pale.
"Wh… What the hell are you?!"
The moment Second Body took a step forward, Number 10's pride shattered like glass.
He spun on his heel and bolted.
"P-please! D-Don't come near me!!"
But mercy wasn't on offer tonight.
Second Body shot forward like a divine spear.
He punched.
CRACK—!
His red left fist struck Number 10 in the back.
A burst of force erupted, sending the assassin hurtling into the Gao Clan's courtyard wall.
Stone cracked. Blood splashed. A burning red print was seared into his back like a brand of judgment.
Coughing blood, Number 10 slumped against the wall, trembling.
Second Body approached slowly. Step by step.
Each footfall echoed with the weight of justice.
The assassin looked up, eyes bloodshot, voice quivering.
"Hahaha… So I'm really going to die... But you think it ends here? My superiors will come. You… you've just provoked something far larger than this pitiful clan—"
BOOM!
Second Body's golden right fist crushed into his skull.
There was no scream.
Only silence.
Blood sprayed across the courtyard, his mask shattering completely.
His head exploded like a melon under divine pressure.
His lifeless body slumped forward.
The ground smoked where the energy lingered.
---
The entire Gao Clan stood still, staring at Gao Tian's second body—equal parts awe-struck and terrified.
Gao Hai's voice broke the silence.
"HAHAHA! Good job, my son! That's how a man of Gao Clan protects his family!"
Gao Chi rushed to her husband, tears of both fear and pride glistening in her eyes.
Second Body turned, offering a light smile—one filled with warmth rather than destruction.
"Mother… Father… the threat is gone."
But within him, he knew:
It won't end here. Whoever sent them… will come again.
The blood from the shattered mask of the Number 10 assassin had barely dried when Second Body turned to the seven frozen figures before him—the remaining assassins, their bodies locked in place by the lingering grip of Demon's Authority.
He raised his head and looked toward Gao Hai, his voice calm but thoughtful.
"Father… what are we going to do with them?"
Gao Hai cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with a grin that leaned more toward feral than fatherly.
"What do you mean? What can we do? Hmph—let's kill them. That's what traitors and invaders deserve."
His words sent a chill down the spine of the restrained assassins. Their frozen limbs trembled slightly, unable to speak, unable to plead.
But Second Body turned to Gao Hai with a sly smile.
"Or… we could make use of them."
Gao Hai blinked, confused.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Second Body stepped closer to the assassins.
"I possess a forbidden technique… one that can imprint my Demon's Authority onto their souls. They will never be able to disobey a command again. With it, they can become this clan's protectors—shadow guardians in the dark."
Gao Hai paused, rubbing his chin. His grin returned, bigger than before.
"Hahaha! Not bad, not bad at all! My son, you're truly cunning. Alright then… let's try your way."
He turned to the dazed clan members behind them, most of whom were still recovering from the earlier assault.
"Everyone! Go rest and recover. Leave the rest to us."
The injured disciples and elders nodded and slowly retreated, still murmuring in amazement.
---
Second Body stepped before the seven assassins, eyes glowing faintly red as demonic energy coiled around his body like a dark mist.
The seven finally felt their bodies loosen, able to move—but they dared not flee. The fear carved into them by the earlier display still lingered like cold iron pressed to the skin.
He spoke coldly:
"I'll give you only two options:
One, I mark you with the Demon's Authority and you will serve my clan—protecting it until death.
Two, I destroy your souls and trap your consciousness in eternal torment."
Terror struck all seven at once.
One of the women fell to her knees.
"We—we'll obey! We'll serve! Please spare us!"
The others followed, dropping one after another like dominoes.
"Yes! We'll work with you!"
"Don't torture us!"
"We accept!"
Second Body raised his hand. With a snap of his fingers—
CRACK.
The seven masks shattered, fragmenting in the wind like shards of snow.
Three women. Four men. Young, yet scarred by a lifetime in the shadows.
He moved to each one, placing his palm against their forehead. Dark sigils flared to life—demonic glyphs inscribed directly onto their souls. His Demon's Authority Imprint was now rooted deep within them.
BOOM.
Suddenly, a massive surge of spiritual energy erupted from each of their bodies.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
All seven broke through simultaneously, their cultivation soaring to the Nascent Soul Realm — First Layer in an instant.
Even the assassins themselves stared at their hands and meridians in shock.
"W-what…?"
"How did our cultivation…?"
"Just from a mark…?"
Second Body gave a light smile, voice quiet yet firm.
"You're bound by my imprint. So long as you protect this clan, you'll continue to grow. Betray me… and that growth will be your curse."
He turned his back, cape fluttering in the wind.
"From now you are seven guardians. Now—scatter. Hide throughout the clan in secret. Watch from the shadows. And when trouble comes… strike without mercy."
The seven knelt instantly.
"Yes, master!"
A second later—they vanished, melting into the shadows like ghosts.
Gao Hai chuckled beside his son.
"Hahaha! I like this version of you. Not only strong but now commanding assassins? Just wait till your mother hears about this."
Second Body smiled awkwardly.
"Please… don't tell her. I still need to leave now…"
Just as the words fell, the Second Body vanished into thin air, leaving Gao Hai staring at the empty space in stunned disbelief.