Profound Sky Continent. Blue Wind Nation, Floating Cloud City, Xiao Clan.
An old wicker chair was placed beneath an ancient tree with dry leaves. An old man, his head full of white hair, sat quietly in the wicker chair with his eyes closed, while the morning sun shone upon him.
A man dressed in black entered the courtyard; his steps were silent, his silhouette like a ghost. With just one step, he crossed the courtyard to arrive in front of the old man... the old man in front of him actually couldn't be called old; he was only sixty-one years old currently. On top of that, he was a profound practitioner; signs of aging wouldn't leave a huge mark on his body. However, in the past few years, he had aged very rapidly; his hair had turned white quickly. The man dressed in black stood in front of him; what he felt was not a kind of peace, but instead, a kind of loneliness and apathy.
As if he were apathetic even toward death.
As if he had detected that someone approached, the old man opened his eyes; he looked silently at the young man dressed in black, then closed his eyes: "Xi'er is not here."
The young man in black did not say a word. He turned around, as if intending to leave quietly. At that point, a tall figure walked through the courtyard entrance; it was Xiao Yunhai, the master of the Xiao Clan. The Xiao Yunhai who entered looked at the young man in black who stood there; his entire body trembled violently. His bones shuddered and softened; his eyes were filled with fear, as if what he was seeing was not a person, but a demon showing its terrifying fangs.
Xiao Yunhai did not have the courage to leave. He mustered the courage to move forward. After taking several steps, he almost fell because both his legs were trembling and had softened: "Gre... greetings... Young... Young Master Fen."
"What are you doing here?" The young man in black spoke; his voice was cold and indifferent, absolutely without emotions, as if the words were not spoken by a human, but a cold, dead body.
"Your... your humble servant... came... came especially... to... pay respects... to the Fifth Elder."
Xiao Yunhai took such a long time stuttering over such a simple sentence, and the sound of his teeth chattering could be heard.
"Hmph!" The young man in black snorted coldly. He made no visible movements, but his body suddenly disappeared without a sound or breath, leaving no trace behind.
Xiao Yunhai's entire body loosened; like a pile of mud, he collapsed paralyzed on the ground. He let out a huge sigh of relief; his robe was entirely soaked in cold sweat.
In recent years, his fate and the fate of the entire Xiao Clan had risen and fallen like a lone boat on a huge wave.
Six years ago, the Xiao Sect bestowed enormous favors upon the Xiao Clan. Xiao Yunhai was mad with joy, thinking they could transform from a worm in the soil to a dragon flying in the clouds. In order to please and gain favor from Xiao Kuangyun and let his son Xiao Yulong enter the Xiao Sect, he did not hesitate to use dishonest schemes to offer Xia Qingyue and Xiao Lingxi to Xiao Kuangyun.
He did not think that Xia Qingyue would be a disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard... instead, the result of his dishonest scheme was forcing Yun Che to leave in bitterness... That night, his son who was originally going to leave with Xiao Kuangyun for the Xiao Sect the next day had his four limbs and five senses destroyed... dying miserably not long after.
Three years ago, Yun Che returned for revenge, making them experience a horrible nightmare.
After that, the entire Xiao Clan lived in constant fear, especially Xiao Yunhai and the rest, feeling as if they were awaiting a tribulation from a death sentence... Eight months later, Yun Che did not arrive, but news of his death in the Primordial Profound Ark spread throughout the entire Profound Sky Continent.
The entire Xiao Clan breathed a sigh of relief. However, half a year ago, they had attracted another demon... one that was even more terrifying than Yun Che.
Fen Juechen!
Bearing an inexhaustible hatred, Fen Juechen wanted to exterminate the entire Xiao Clan... because this was Yun Che's birthplace!
He arrived at the Xiao Clan and began killing people... He flickered with every step, and every step felled ten people. They hadn't even reacted to the situation, and over a hundred had died at his hands, with none of their bodies left intact.
Among them were the Great Elder Xiao Li and the Third Elder Xiao Ze.
Throughout the whole thing, he did not say a word and had no expression, as if he had come from hell, like a Reaper who came to harvest lives.
The most frightening thing was that those who died because of him... their bodies rotted rapidly into a cloud of black gas, turning into piles of charcoal...
And the one who stopped this demon was Xiao Lingxi.
When Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi, who had faces full of fear, appeared, that demon stopped his massacre, while rippling emotions that belonged to a human appeared on that emotionless face...
After that, he stopped his massacre of the Xiao Clan and continued to stay in this place... the reason he stayed was also because of Xiao Lingxi.
He became an existence like a demon to the Xiao Clan; any disciple of the Xiao Clan who saw him would tremble in terror, not daring to even breathe. The good part was that he listened to Xiao Lingxi and no longer killed members of the Xiao Clan. He hadn't even injured a single person since then and practically remained only within his courtyard... Every day, the only time he left his courtyard was to take a look at Xiao Lingxi, even if he could only see her from afar.
Before, to escape the chaos of war, Xiao Lie brought Xiao Lingxi back to Floating Cloud City, where the war would not reach them. Because of a warning from the Imperial Palace, even without the threat of Yun Che, they would no longer be disrespectful because of their current identities. Xiao Lie was the grandfather of the current Empress's husband, and when Fen Juechen arrived, everyone treated Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie like their ancestors, not daring to neglect them in the slightest.
Because anyone could clearly see that the terrifying demon would listen to every word of Xiao Lingxi, so whoever Xiao Lingxi wanted him to kill would die immediately.
"Fifth Elder..." Fen Juechen left, but Xiao Yunhai was still frightened. Facing Xiao Lie, he said respectfully, "The forces of the Divine Phoenix Empire are approaching; the gates of Floating Cloud City are already... wide open. Mayor Yuwen and Mayor Situ left two hours ago to personally lead the city's soldiers thirty kilometers from the city to receive them, and after the Divine Phoenix army enters the city, they warned our Xiao Clan... not to do anything disrespectful. Just now, the Divine Phoenix army arrived... The Fifth Elder can rest assured; there was no resistance, so there should be no indiscriminate killing."
Xiao Lie opened his eyes. There was no sadness, disappointment, or unwillingness in his eyes, only an expanse of morbid gray: "That's good... since we are fated to be humiliated, at least we can avoid the deaths of innocent civilians."
From afar, waves of clamors could be heard, as if they were approaching. Xiao Yunhai hurriedly took out a Sound Transmission Jade and glanced at it, then carefully said to Xiao Lie, "Fifth Elder, the Divine Phoenix army did not enter the city, but... instead, garrisoned outside the city, surrounding the city tightly; I don't know what... what they want to do."
"I will immediately notify the clan disciples that they must behave well during these days. Fifth Elder, I... I won't disturb your rest anymore."
Xiao Yunhai moved two steps back. Although Fen Juechen was not present, he was still careful, not daring to show the slightest bit of negligence. This was because, in his eyes, Fen Juechen was several hundred times more frightening than the Divine Phoenix Army. After all, facing the Divine Phoenix Army, an individual only had to surrender obediently and listen; they wouldn't massacre the entire city. But with Fen Juechen, the slightest bit of inattention could make someone die without an intact body.
At that moment, a disturbed voice came from outside...
"Big trouble! Fifth Elder... big trouble!!"
A young disciple of the Xiao Clan stumbled in haste. When he saw Xiao Yunhai, he gasped: "Clan Master, so you're here... trouble... Xiao Lingxi, she... she... she..."
The urgent speech and the name "Xiao Lingxi" made Xiao Lie's eyes open wide.
Xiao Yunhai's heart also pounded; he shouted: "What happened to Xiao Lingxi... hurry up and speak!"
"She... she..." The Xiao Clan disciple choked violently: "She was stopped by the Divine Phoenix army... that Divine Phoenix general seems like... he wants..."
"What did you say!?"
A pitch-black silhouette moved swiftly in the air. The Fen Juechen who had left before suddenly appeared in front of the Xiao Clan disciple like a demon. He grabbed him by the collar with one hand but immediately threw him aside. His body was overflowing with killing intent, while his body flickered; his black figure rushed toward the northern direction with terrifying speed.
Less than a kilometer and a half before the gates of Floating Cloud City.
Feng Huwei, the mighty and brilliant General Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire. He possessed the Phoenix bloodline and belonged to the Divine Phoenix Sect. Among the Divine Phoenix army, he possessed extremely high prestige and rank... At the same time, he also had an extremely high profound cultivation level, the first level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even within the sect, he could be an Elder.
He was one of the leaders of the invasion of the Blue Wind Nation.
And the "important duty" of taking down Floating Cloud City this time was personally led by him!
As he had expected, under the army of twenty-five thousand soldiers he led, Floating Cloud City didn't even dare to show a bit of resistance. The two mayors opened the gates wide and went of their own will to receive the army and flatter them throughout the journey.
After allowing the army to surround the entire city, he entered Floating Cloud City riding on a huge, fierce Fire Mastiff, with five hundred cavalry behind him, along with Mayor Yuwen Tuo and Deputy Mayor Situ Nan bowing. Even without his identity as General Huwei, he was quite clear what an Overlord was to the Blue Wind Nation... not to mention the tiny Floating Cloud City. His eyes swept over Floating Cloud City... Everything here was in the palm of his hands; it was as easy as stepping on an ant.
In fact, the exaggeratedly large army of twenty-five thousand soldiers wasn't necessary; he alone could casually level the entire Floating Cloud City to ruins... Not to mention getting injured, not even a particle of dust would touch him.
After taking Floating Cloud City, the mission would only be truly complete when they found the huge crystal mine located on the outskirts of the city, and this should be done in the shortest time possible. There were many rumors that an extremely powerful profound practitioner had been causing trouble for the "nation," which was why the invasion was accelerated far beyond the initially planned schedule.
The original plan was to advance directly on the target within four months. However, the appearance of that "Senior," seen around the crystal mine about a month ago, completely changed the situation. In light of this, it became necessary to urgently change tactics before another force seized the target first. It was precisely for this reason that someone as powerful as him was sent. According to the available information, that "Senior" was, very likely, an Overlord.
Capturing the crystal mine had always been the true objective of the Divine Phoenix Empire in invading the Blue Wind Nation. The eradication of the nation, by itself, was nothing more than a stratagem to deceive other powers.
Now, how did they know that the "Senior" hadn't mined the entire crystal mine yet? The answer came from one of their soldiers, who had been sent to investigate the site. According to the report, the area was sealed by a powerful profound formation, preventing direct entry. However, it was still possible to observe the interior from the outside and use spiritual senses to detect the Purple Veined Divine Crystals they sought. This indicated that the "Senior" had only discovered the mine and erected the profound formation to exploit it gradually, on his own. For this reason, all plans were drastically accelerated. As for the profound strength level attributed to him in the reports, that conclusion was reached precisely because the profound formation could be broken by an Overlord. He probably believed that no one had discovered the mine's existence and sealed it with the intention of enjoying it alone, completely underestimating such a weak Empire that barely had a few Thrones in its ranks.
At least, that's how all those Elders of the Divine Phoenix Empire viewed the situation when they were forced to conflict with the Blue Wind Nation, so naturally, that Overlord should think the same way...
Aside from his probable fight against the mysterious "Overlord," he originally thought the task was utterly meaningless and similarly boring... until a girl caught his eyes.
The girl wore a flowing blue dress; from afar, her figure was elegant, touching, and extremely delicate. Following her slow steps, the dress would float behind her. Her extraordinary figure could be seen intermittently. Although the arcs of her waist, chest, and rear could be seen only for a fraction of a second, words could not describe this beauty that had a charm that would make men lose themselves.
Although only a little could be seen, it was extremely beautiful. The skin of her slightly exposed neck was white as snow and like a jewel, as if it were slightly translucent to the point where her bones could almost be seen...
As the magnificent General Huwei, who was an Overlord, he had seen countless people, yet he was still instantly stupefied... At that moment, he felt as if he had seen a beautiful fairy who had fallen among humanity.
The girl's steps quickened, evidently wanting to avoid the frightening invaders. Feng Huwei had a scalding look in his eyes. He pointed forward in an incomparably urgent manner, "Go! Stop that little lady; let this general take a good look!"
Following the frightened cry of a young maiden, Xiao Lingxi was surrounded by a group of people riding flaming horses. She couldn't move forward or retreat, and her eyes were wide with terror: "What... What do you want..."
The civilians of Floating Cloud City all fled. They were filled with terror, so who would dare rescue her?
"Hahahaha!" Feng Huwei rode majestically on his Fire Mastiff without haste. He took a good look at Xiao Lingxi's appearance, and his gaze became even more ardent, as if his eyes were about to burn. He even subconsciously licked the corner of his mouth: "In this tiny place, there is unexpectedly a beauty of such quality... Sss, it seems this general did not waste his time, hahahaha!"
The mayor of Floating Cloud City, Yuwen Tuo, hurried forward. He bowed his back and said with a fawning smile: "This is the daughter of the Fifth Elder of the Xiao Clan, the largest family in our Floating Cloud City. Her name is Xiao Lingxi, twenty-one years old and unmarried. General Huwei has such good eyes; she is definitely the number one beauty of our Floating Cloud City."
"Yes, yes." Situ Nan immediately agreed and smiled: "If General Huwei likes her, that would be the greatest fortune of her life... Oh, that's right, there's something this little one doesn't know if he should mention... She has another identity. That... that is Yun Che's Little Aunt."
"What?"
The two words "Yun Che" made General Huwei's face change. He suddenly smiled maliciously, then laughed wildly, "That means this little beauty is actually from Yun Che's family... Good! Good! Good... hahahaha! This is simply wonderful! Since she's Yun Che's family, even if I have to seize her rudely, I will seize her! Bring her to this general's sedan chair!"
He demonstrated such tyrannical acts absolutely without restraint. This was because in these barren lands, everything in front of him was insignificant and vulgar. No matter what he wanted to do, no one could stop him, no one could bring him to justice... the only thing they could do was comply and tremble obediently.
At least, that was what General Huwei thought.
Then, when his voice fell, a cold voice... that seemed to have come from hell, approached:
"Try... touching her... if... you... dare..."
Silence...
Feng Huwei was not only a supreme practitioner of the Tyrant Profound Realm; he was also an experienced general; the fresh blood he had bathed in was enough to form a vast ocean of blood. He was unaware of when he began to forget what "fear" felt like.
However, this voice came from who knows where... simply a voice, made all the hairs on his entire body suddenly stand up, making a chill run down his spine...
An extremely piercing sound resounded, and Feng Huwei's eyes vaguely caught a glimpse of space being roughly torn by a pitch-black scar... among all present, he was the only one who could see that moment where space was torn. A young man dressed entirely in black, whose face was cold and stiff like a corpse, appeared in front of the girl like a demon. His lifeless eyes looked indifferently at Feng Huwei who was mounted on the Fire Mastiff.
It was as if the entire world had completely frozen at that moment.
Under the gaze of this young man, the emotion of fear which had not arisen for the last hundred years suddenly awakened like a demon breeding within General Huwei's soul. It swelled until he could feel his chest being pressed by an extremely high mountain. His heart stopped beating completely; even his blood stopped flowing; it was as if his entire body was in an icy hell, every cell trembling violently... That kind of fear even affected his five senses. He was clearly looking at the young man in front of him, but what he saw was instead only a blurry mist; he couldn't get a good look at his face.
Beneath his body, a wave of intense shuddering could be felt... It was the Fire Mastiff trembling! His Fire Mastiff was an incomparably huge and powerful Emperor Profound Beast mount that had followed him for an entire hundred years, had entered countless wars, stepping over countless fields of corpses. More than hundreds of thousands of men and beasts had died under its claws; it had never known fear. Even when encountering Tyrant Profound Beasts it had no way to defeat, it attacked without hesitation, never retreating even a bit.
But at this point, it was actually trembling violently!
As an Overlord and also as the famous General Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire, Feng Huwei obviously was not a fool. Although this area was the lowest of places, which couldn't have someone who had the qualifications to rebel against him... to the point where there was no one who had the qualifications for him to even look at, he clearly knew that to cause fear in his Fire Mastiff with simply the aura and the look in the eyes was an immense concept.
Even the pressure from the Divine Phoenix Empire's Emperor Feng Hengkong had never made it tremble before.
"Huh! This Floating Cloud City unexpectedly has scum that doesn't know what's good for it. To dare stop our general, it seems you don't want to live anymore!!"
While Feng Huwei's mind was trembling, a voice full of disdain sounded. The one who said this was not just anyone, but instead, it was the first vice-general under him, Feng Qianjun, who also belonged to the Divine Phoenix Sect. Feng Huwei was greatly alarmed. Just as he wanted to say something to stop him, he instead saw the silhouette of the young man in black flash by, abruptly moving forward. The palm, which was abnormally morbidly pale and seemingly enveloped in a black mist, grabbed toward Feng Qianjun's neck.
No matter what kind of movement, including his hand movement, to an ordinary person, it would be extremely fast. However, to a strong practitioner, especially to Feng Qianjun, who was at the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm, it was particularly slow, slow to the point that he was too lazy to dodge and allowed his palm to grab his own neck... When the black-clothed youth's hand grabbed his neck, aside from traces of coldness, not to mention suffocation or pain, not even a bit of discomfort could be felt. Soon after, even that cold feeling could no longer be felt.
And for him, this was extremely normal, because among the inferior profound cultivators within Floating Cloud City, even if they used one hundred percent of their strength to strangle him, it wouldn't cause the slightest bit of anxiety for a high-level Throne of the Divine Phoenix Sect.
"Hahahaha!" Feng Qianjun laughed wildly; his laughter was full of disdain and contempt. He looked at the expression in Fen Juechen's eyes and felt pity, as if looking at an ant overestimating itself: "There certainly is no lack of ignorant and laughable wretches in this world. This general was originally feeling merciful and didn't plan to kill anyone today, but an insignificant scum from Blue Wind actually dares to make a move against this general, hahahaha! Come, come, come, show me all your strength. Quick, strangle this general to death; this general will just stand here. You can use your hands, a blade, a spear; if you can kill this general, this general will call you grandpa in hell. Come, come, come, you have to use a little more strength, hahahaha..."
While Feng Qianjun was laughing wildly with disdain... no one around him was laughing. Whether it was the Divine Phoenix army or the citizens of Floating Cloud City, all their eyes were wide open, almost bulging, while terror filled their faces.
Feng Qianjun's neck, which was locked in Fen Juechen's hand, began to emit a faint black mist. Under the black mist, the flesh on Feng Qianjun's neck began to rot and wither. In the blink of an eye, the white and dense laryngeal bone could be seen, and in the next moment, the white laryngeal bone had already turned black... becoming as black as charcoal.
But Feng Qianjun was completely ignorant of the fact and continued to laugh wildly in disdain... the deteriorating flesh was spreading rapidly downward, and within three short breaths, most of his upper body had not a single piece of flesh; from his sternum to his ribs, all of it was fully presented to everyone present.
Such a terrifying scene contrasted with his wild and malicious laughter... It was terrifying to the point that not a single person even dared to utter a sigh.
A gust of wind blew, and Qianjun's 'Throne' body crumbled like a pyramid made of sand, scattering helplessly. The Feng Qianjun who was in the midst of his laughter suddenly realized that his vision was suddenly moving downward uncontrollably. He stopped laughing, then... he saw himself entirely rotted; only his black bones were left, and the completely black bones were currently scattering... scattering into pieces and fractions of dust.
"AARRRRGGGHH!!"
Feng Qianjun let out an explosive, heart-rending scream of fear. It sounded like a terrifying scream from hell; it merely lasted for a moment, then ceased... In the instant his brain fell to the ground, it became completely black dust.
The entire 'world' was quiet; endless fear permeated the air within Floating Cloud City; the air stopped moving completely. Some citizens of Floating Cloud City trembled, and their bodies became limp, losing the ability to stand. The only thing their bodies could do was tremble intensively and uncontrollably.
The Fire Mastiff beneath Feng Huwei let out a hoarse roar that even Feng Huwei had never heard before. After that, the Fire Mastiff that had never known fear began to retreat. Just two steps later, it immediately softened and collapsed, while its massive body trembled like a sieve.
All the fear that General Huwei had experienced in his life added up could not compare to one-thousandth of what he felt today. He gaped, but did not say a word for a long time. He had killed countless people in his life; even if he killed a hundred thousand people a day, his face would still not show an expression. But in front of him now, only a single person had died, yet his entire soul was trembling violently.
And the one who died under the black-clothed young man's hands was not an ordinary Divine Phoenix general; it was a Throne at the eighth level who was supposed to be unrivaled in Blue Wind!
He even thought dazedly that the one standing in front of him... was actually a demon from hell.
At that moment, Fen Juechen turned to face him. His voice was withered, like a demon cursing, and coldness flowed into General Huwei's ears: "All... of you... need... to die..."
The moment the voice landed, Fen Juechen walked slowly forward... just this simple step made General Huwei feel as if his death was approaching.
However, a girl's voice sounded anxiously. Fen Juechen's steps stopped at the same time the girl's voice was heard.
Xiao Lingxi hurried over. Although her face was still full of fear, she still resolutely blocked Fen Juechen,
"No... don't kill anyone... if you kill, they will kill everyone in Floating Cloud City... kill even more citizens of the Blue Wind Nation. You... you've already killed one of them, warned them... it's enough... don't kill anymore... Floating Cloud City has already fallen into the enemy's hands... however, the Divine Phoenix army has already said they won't kill recklessly... I don't want to see Floating Cloud City filled with blood..."
When Xiao Lingxi's voice fell, Fen Juechen's hand, which had originally been raised, slowly lowered... At the same time, Feng Huwei felt that the shadow of death he was enveloped in disappeared just like that. He stared blankly at Xiao Lingxi, this girl who made the demon's killing intent fill the skies, and also ended his killing intent immediately.
Fen Juechen slowly turned around: "I won't kill you today. But if you dare to kill one person from Floating Cloud City, I will kill ten thousand of you! If you kill ten people from Floating Cloud City, I will kill a hundred thousand of you!"
He looked in Xiao Lingxi's direction.
"If you touch a single hair on her head, I will make all of you... die in this place!"
At the end of his words, he suddenly raised his arm and attacked.
Boom!!!
The entire Floating Cloud City trembled, and an extremely oppressive explosion could be heard, making everyone present momentarily lose their hearing. Everyone subconsciously looked up and was alarmed to see that in the distance, there was a huge black vortex... but in the next moment, the black vortex disappeared.
Feng Huwei, however, was alarmed to the point that his heart almost shattered. He shouted: "M-Monarch!!"
It was that his voice was distorted under fear, so not a single person could hear clearly what he shouted.
To use profound force that could cause a fissure in space, the Emperor Profound Realm could do that. But to casually create such a huge spatial black hole... this was clearly the power of the Sovereign Profound Realm!!
In their Divine Phoenix Sect, there were only a few dozen people in the Sovereign Profound Realm. However, those Monarchs were the foundations of the Divine Phoenix Sect; they were people to whom even the Divine Phoenix Sect Master, Feng Hengkong, had to be respectful. And in the Seven Nations of the Profound Sky, only their Divine Phoenix Empire had Monarchs.
He didn't even dare to dream that a Monarch actually existed in this rural city of the Blue Wind Nation... Moreover, he seemed to be only a little over twenty!
He was indeed a strong Overlord, however, in front of a Monarch, he was no different from an ant that could be killed with just a pinch.
"We... came only to occupy Floating Cloud City... we absolutely will not kill a single innocent... citizen."
Although Feng Huwei was trying with all his might to calm his voice to protect his reputation as the Great General Huwei, even he could hear the trembling in his voice, which he could not suppress.
"Get out of here!"
Fen Juechen's response was simply those two words with absolutely no emotion.
Looking at General Huwei's entire life, who would dare say those two words to him? However, today, forget about anger; Feng Huwei didn't even dare to say another word. He retreated several steps, then directly dragged his Fire Mastiff that was limp on the ground and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction... and his pace accelerated every second; the Divine Phoenix army that was following, as if receiving a great pardon, ran as fast as they could, even running out of Floating Cloud City's gates. After they stopped, they then could feel that they were soaked in cold sweat.
"Who... in the world... is he?!" Feng Huwei breathed heavily. Both hands were interlaced, trembling. Just now, he didn't even dare to ask what the other party's name was...
Mayor Yuwen Tuo and Situ Nan of Floating Cloud City also ran with their tails between their legs. The citizens of Floating Cloud City around also did not dare to stay, as they hurried to flee.
With her hand on her chest, Xiao Lingxi said toward Fen Juechen: "Big Brother Fen, thank you."
"...You never need to thank me." Fen Juechen said. Although his voice was cold, he was trying his best to make his tone warm: "If it weren't for you, I would have died three years ago. Anything you want me to do, I will not refuse. If you want me to die... wait until I kill all of the Four Sacred Grounds, I will give my life to you then!"
"No." Xiao Lingxi shook her head. In this half year, Fen Juechen had said similar words to her many times: "You don't need to be like this toward me. Your life is your own; it doesn't need to belong to anyone else. The lives of others are the same... If, if you really want to do something for my sake, then don't kill innocents deliberately!"
"Once people die, they can never come back to life... When they can't be seen again... it will make those who care about them suffer for a lifetime... I..."
Yun Che's figure appeared in front of Xiao Lingxi's eyes, making tears well up in her eyes as she cried soundlessly.
Upon seeing Xiao Lingxi's tears, Fen Juechen also knew why she started crying. He sighed deeply, then turned around: "In this half year, I haven't killed a single person. That person just now, he was trying to take advantage of you; he died for his crimes. When I have enough strength and have killed all those I need to kill... then I will listen to anything you say."
At the end of his words, a gleam of deep fear appeared in his pupils; his "master" had arrived! He needed to meet him immediately! Black mist gathered, and Fen Juechen disappeared without a breath or sound from that place.
The air was still; not a single person in sight. Xiao Lingxi covered her face with her hands; her lips let out a sound that would shatter hearts: "Little... Che..."
.
.
.
.
.
A few kilometers from Floating Cloud City, a solitary mountain rose above the uneven terrain, its slopes covered by ancient pines and bare rocks sculpted by the wind. The sun shone weakly, while distant clouds moved slowly, like silent currents in a celestial ocean.
At the top of the mountain, the world seemed distant.
The wind blew steadily, cold and clean, making the treetops whisper in involuntary reverence.
Ren Zu stood casually there; he remained with his back turned, motionless, black robes rippling gently in the wind. His posture was erect and tranquil, as if the weight of the sky rested on his shoulders without causing the slightest discomfort. His eyes, raised to the firmament, reflected the blue sky, deep and distant, as if observing not just that sky, but countless others beyond it.
The space behind him rippled silently.
Black mist condensed, and in the next instant, Fen Juechen appeared a few steps behind. The moment his eyes landed on Ren Zu's figure, all the terror, coldness, and killing intent that still echoed in his aura disappeared completely, like snow before the sun.
Without hesitation.
Fen Juechen advanced two steps and fell to his knees.
The impact was dry, reverent. His forehead touched the rocky ground, his body bent in absolute submission. There was no humiliation in that act, only genuine devotion and respect, along with an immeasurable fear...
"Fen Juechen greets the Master."
His voice was low, firm, devoid of any trace of the murderous madness that terrorized the city moments before. In front of Ren Zu, he was merely a disciple and slave...
Ren Zu did not turn immediately. His gaze remained on the sky for a few more instants. Only then did he speak, his voice calm and deep, carrying a natural authority that did not need to be imposed.
"Fen Juechen, I like the bird without feet; do you know why?"
"Why?"Fen Juechen asked, confused by his master's words, but with a bad premonition in his heart.
"Because it has no legs, only wings, thus it has no choice but to fly. When it lands, that signifies its destruction. .."
Fen Juechen felt the dread deepen upon hearing those words.
It wasn't the instinctive fear that came from the absurd difference in power; that he had already accepted long ago. It was another kind of fear, more subtle and crueler: the sensation that every thought of his, every hesitation, every crack in his soul had already been seen, weighed, and judged by someone who had total control over him...
He lowered his head even further, his fists clenched against the cold ground.
"Master..." His voice came out hoarse, almost choked. "This... this disciple does not understand. What did the Master mean?"
The wind on the mountaintop seemed to cease for an instant.
Ren Zu turned completely.
When his eyes landed on Fen Juechen, there was no anger in them. Nor explicit disappointment. There was something much worse: an absolute clarity, as if he were observing a defective piece on a board he himself had set up.
"I meant exactly what I said. When I defeated you two months ago and out of pity accepted you as my disciple, we made a deal. Remember?" Ren Zu's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Now that you've entered the path of revenge against Yun Che, there is only one possible path."
He took a step forward.
Each step seemed to crush the invisible space around, making Fen Juechen's heart sink.
"Hatred is what sustains your wings." Ren Zu continued. "It is what keeps you in the air. It is what prevents you from becoming useless to me; when you lose even a little of it, you know what will happen to you, right?"
Fen Juechen breathed deeply, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"If you weaken that hatred..." Ren Zu paused briefly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "...then you fall."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"And when the bird without feet falls," Ren Zu completed, his voice low and definitive: "What awaits it is not rest. It is destruction."
Fen Juechen felt as if something had been ripped from inside him. His mind raced, involuntarily, to Xiao Lingxi's face, to her voice asking him to stop, to the silent tears, to the way his heart reacted before he could even think...
What was happening...
Why was it like this...
The tens of thousands of lives that were lost when my entire clan died... the grief and absolutely irreconcilable hatred I felt toward him... the hell I endured in the past few years...
In the end... none of that compares to her smile?
Why don't I feel any discontent or pain...
But after all...
"Master... Rest assured..." He gritted his teeth and said with such deep hatred and killing intent that it would make anyone pale: "I am only as I am today because of him! To obtain the power to kill him and avenge myself, I endured pain that surpasses everyone's imagination! Even now, I am still tormented by this enormous and endless pain! And with every breath, this pain reminds me to never, ever forget this grudge!"
Ren Zu observed everything.
"Your hatred for him hasn't diminished, it seems... But do you think I haven't noticed?" He said, without raising his tone: "Do you think I haven't felt the inclination of your heart?"
Fen Juechen clenched his teeth, his forehead almost touching the ground.
"That girl you saved... She's important to you, right? She saved your life, and you plan to repay her... When I met you, you were already involved with her, but you told me you planned to kill Yun Che and then kill yourself when I told you he was alive; in other words, you're doing everything for her..." Ren Zu continued. "But now you're even holding back. You're diverting the blade's edge. You're starting to act not for your hatred... but for someone else's approval."
Each word fell like an invisible blow.
"That," Ren Zu said coldly, "is disappointing."
Fen Juechen's body stiffened.
"You weren't saved to become an obedient dog that kneels before others' feelings." Ren Zu's voice remained serene, but there was an overwhelming pressure in it. "You were saved to become a blade against the one who took everything from you..."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And blades that hesitate... break."
Fen Juechen felt his heart contract painfully.
"I didn't say this to punish you." Ren Zu spoke, finally. "I said this to warn you."
He turned back to the sky, as if Fen Juechen had already been fully analyzed.
"Either you fly to the end, fueled by the hatred you chose... or you fall, crushed by the affection you can't afford to carry."
The wind blew again, cold and merciless.
Fen Juechen remained kneeling, his body trembling slightly.
"Choose carefully," Ren Zu concluded, without even looking back. "Because I won't save a bird that decides to land of its own will."
His slave's reaction to his words was unexpected...
Fen Juechen's fists dug into the rocky ground.
Crack.
The stone under his fingers cracked.
His teeth ground with force, as if he wanted to grind them to dust. The hatred bubbling in his chest was no longer just a flame; it was an erupting abyss, a black sea overflowing and demanding blood to calm itself.
"Yun... Che..." The name came out of his throat like a curse spat with venom. His mind was taken by chaotic images: the massacre of his clan, screams, torn bodies, the smell of blood mixed with smoke. That man's face emerged in the center of it all, smiling, indifferent, alive. Alive.
Fen Juechen's eyes became red like embers about to explode.
"Master... you don't need to worry; my hatred won't change so easily. I will rip out his heart with my own hands." His voice trembled, not from fear, but from absolute murderous desire: "I will chew it slowly... drink every drop of his blood... make him beg for death and then deny even that."
The hatred was so dense that it seemed to distort the air around his body.
Behind him, Ren Zu observed in silence.
Then—
A slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Very well." Ren Zu's voice was soft, almost indulgent: "That's the look I want to see."
He raised one hand.
The space in front of him rippled, and seven pills appeared floating, aligned in the air like artificial stars. Each exuded a terrifying aura, so dense that it made Fen Juechen's heart race uncontrollably. Five of them were golden, emitting a deep and oppressive glow. One was blue, clear and crystalline, and the last was red, dark and hot, like an ardent core about to explode.
Ren Zu made a casual gesture.
The seven pills flew and stopped in front of Fen Juechen.
"Good, the reason I came here wasn't to judge your choice of wife. I came here to fetch you... It's time for you to complete your revenge."
In the instant those words were spoken, a wild euphoria exploded within Fen Juechen. His heart almost jumped out of his chest. His body trembled, not from weakness, but from pure excitement.
Master... he really...
But before he could give in to gratitude—
Ren Zu continued, his tone calm, meticulous, cruel in an elegant way.
"Keep the five golden pills." His eyes narrowed slightly: "Feed them to Yun Che."
Fen Juechen held his breath.
"Each one will make his suffering surpass death. I'm sure that will greatly satisfy your desire for revenge with them..." Ren Zu smiled sideways.
Fen Juechen's heart beat so hard it seemed about to explode.
"The other two..." Ren Zu continued, pointing with his fingers: "Refine them."
He indicated the blue one.
"This will elevate your body to a level that surpasses current limits. Strength, endurance, recovery — everything will be overwhelmingly superior."
Then, the red one.
"And this will directly elevate your cultivation to the Tenth Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm."
A pause.
"Without side effects."
Fen Juechen's world spun.
Tenth Level... Sovereign Profound Realm... without side effects...
He fell with his forehead to the ground again, his entire body trembling.
"This... this disciple thanks the Master!" His voice came out hoarse, taken by raw emotion: "Fen Juechen swears to serve the Master for all eternity! My life, my death, my soul — everything belongs to the Master!"
Ren Zu merely observed him for an instant.
Then he spoke, with a serenity that crushed more than any shout.
"Don't disappoint me."
Fen Juechen's heart contracted.
"In two days," Ren Zu continued: "I will return to fetch you."
He turned his face slightly, his gaze cutting: "In that time, refine the two pills. And say goodbye to Xiao Lingxi."
Fen Juechen shuddered.
Ren Zu tilted his head, his voice descending to a tone almost whispered, tempting, dangerous, like sin itself.
"For her... Yun Che is already dead." A calculated pause: "If you kill him in secret, no one will know."
Fen Juechen's eyes widened slightly.
"You will fulfill your revenge. And you can stay with her."
The words dug deep.
"Protect her. Console her." Ren Zu's smile deepened a little: "Even... marry her, if you want."
Fen Juechen's heart raced violently.
Xiao Lingxi's image surged in his mind, the gentle smile, the concerned look, the way she called him by name.
She... with me...
He lowered his head even further, but within his chest, something ardent and forbidden ignited.
"Think of it as a bonus," Ren Zu concluded: "A natural reward for flying to the end."
The wind howled again on the mountaintop.
When Fen Juechen raised his head—
Ren Zu was no longer there.
Only the seven pills floating in front of him remained... and a dangerous, imperceptible smile beginning to form on his lips.
The bird without feet had received even larger wings.
Now... all that remained was to decide how much blood the flight would require.
__________________
(A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter? Then you should know that over on my Patreon you can read up to 20 chapters ahead for just 5USD! And yes—for that price, you also get full access to all of my content. That's right: cheaper than a snack… and with way more drama, action, and guaranteed emotional damage.
The link is right below. See you there!
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)