"To think... That you were able to awaken the Cultivator's eyes..." A faint, warm smile slowly curled at the corner of his lips. At first, he tried to use his Qi to steady his breathing, but now that he knew the cultivator's eyes prevented him from controlling it, there was no point in trying.
"You really are a genius..." With his final words spoken, his eyes drifted shut and he slipped into darkness. Once, he had believed he could atone for his sins by living in solitude, but now, at the end, he felt only relief — hoping that with his death, this endless, tiresome cycle would at last come to an end.
Li Yao watched as the middle-aged man's life force faded completely, showing no sign of struggle. He could see it clearly with his own eyes — the eyes of the legendary cultivators that let him read the Qi moving through the man's meridians.
The flow of Qi stopped completely, and that only meant one thing — he was dead.
Li Yao stared at the dead corpse, and though every cell in his body urged him to treat the man the same way his family had been treated moments before their deaths — to burn him alive, his conscience simply wouldn't allow it.
He had lived a lifetime losing everything, just as he had in this world, leaving only his vengeance behind. Yet there was one difference between his past life and the life he lived now.
In his previous life, when he gained the powers that surpassed even the deities and fought his enemies, they pleaded for mercy after seeing his overwhelming strength.
But now? The middle-aged man neither begged for his life nor tried to resist. Even though Li Yao could control the flow of his Qi, he chose not to, for the man made no effort to use his own Qi to slow the bleeding.
That was the difference between the middle-aged man and the wretches of the Flameblood Clan. Only those who didn't regret their actions would beg for mercy — that was the true principle of a slothful bastard.
But the middle-aged man? He didn't beg, for he knew the sin he had committed was unforgivable, and knowing who had come to avenge Daichi's death, he understood that pleading would be meaningless.
He had believed solitude was the best way to atone for his sins, but now he understood that only death could repay them, so he chose not to resist.
"You're the first I've met in any lifetime, I may not be able to forgive you, but I will let you off more than the bastards of the five great sects."
Out of respect, Li Yao buried the man properly a few meters from his cabin. When he was done, he looked at the wooden cabin — the last remnant of the Crimson Saber Sect's history — and set it ablaze.
"You're actions has earned you a privilege none shall receive." With his final words spoken, Li Yao turned away from the burning cabin and made his way toward the Demonic Cult Academy.
His actions carried meaning — burying the man before his home honored the solitude he had chosen, while burning the cabin symbolized the ruin and destruction Li Yao had vowed to unleash upon the Crimson Saber Sect.
The privilege? It was that the middle-aged man would watch from afar — from the afterlife — as Li Yao brought his sect to its end.
[Tutorial quest (Assimilate a talent) has been completed.]
"Huh?"
As Li Yao approached the academy, a strange holographic panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[....CULTIVATOR'S STATUS....]
[Name: Li Yao]
[Age: 22]
[Gender: Male]
[Race: Human]
[Realm: Mortal]
[Internal Force: 2]
[Cultivator's Ability:
• The Integrator's Eye (Level 1): The Integrator's eye is an eye that grants the cultivator the ability to cultivate and assimilate other cultivator's techniques.
• Passive Skill — The Cultivator's eye: It grants the cultivator the ability to manipulate a limited residue of external and internal Qi. It also grants the ability to decipher complex movements, though with limits.]
[Techniques:
• First Codified Form Of The Crimson Saber Sect (Assimilated)
• Second Codified Form Of The Crimson Saber Sect (Assimilated)]
________________________________________
"What is this..." Now that he was calm, he recognized the panel. It wasn't as detailed as it appeared now, but it reminded him of the novel he had been reading before the united clans' alliance jumped him in his previous life.
"The Integrator's Eye? Allows me to cultivate and assimilate the talents of other cultivators?" His eyes widened slightly, then his brows drew together as a wide grin spread across his face — a grin that revealed the cunning thoughts forming in his mind.
"An eye that allows me to cultivate the talents of any cultivator, with a power like this..." He slowly raised his hand and placed it over his right eye. "Not only will I be able to learn martial arts faster than anyone else around, I'll be one step closer to achieving my vengeance."
..
With only thirty minutes to spare, and following the directions the middle-aged man had given him before his death, Li Yao reached the towering gates of the Demonic Cult Academy.
The Demonic Cult Academy stood tall behind two massive iron gates marked with dark symbols. Its stone walls were old and covered with vines, and the buildings inside were built from black bricks that gave off a cold, heavy feeling.
This academy, was where the cult trained its disciples. It was a place made to shape Murim warriors strong enough to protect and serve the Demonic Cult. Every hall, every courtyard, and every drop of sweat spilled here existed for one purpose, to turn ordinary people into powerful martial artists who would carry out the cult's will.
The courtyard of the academy buzzed with life. People from different sects had gathered for this life-changing moment. By a rough count, there were more than five hundred martial artists, all hoping to become top Murim warriors who would one day serve the Demonic Cult.
And Li Yao stood behind them all.
"Alright, my vengeance, starts now."