Shi Lang walked toward the inner estate, and his aura climbed and condensed with each step. His mind was overflowing with the memories of his past. These memories buried deep inside his consciousness brought out the change in his aura.
The people around him were in shock. Some ran away, while some had directly released their bowels on the spot. A few had fainted from the pressure radiating from Shi Lang. He was death incarnated. At this moment, anyone in front of him will die.
Chun followed him and felt that the person before her had changed completely. She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but she did not have the guts to disturb him in this state. She calmly followed him.
…
Crystal asked, “Boss is emitting a baleful aura. What is it?”
Sparrow and Raz shrugged. They exchanged glances but did not know what was going on. Shi Lang had rarely lost control of his emotions. The more enraged he was, the more indifferent he became, but this time, things seemed different. He was not angry but emitting a feeling of hate.
They could sense it for some reason. Their captain was different from the way he usually was.
…
Shi Lang recalled an incident. During his journey of cultivating, he yearned for a family. However, between power and love, he could only choose one. If he did not have the ability, the chaotic society would one day swallow him and his loved ones.
One day after he broke through to the primordial soul realm, he returned to his hometown and found that his home was now a residence of a young child. However, this child was also an orphan and very optimistic and loveable. The people in the village did not recognize him and thought some immortal cultivator had taken a liking to the secluded house. They wanted to remove the child, but Shi Lang refused and said, “I can use some noise around here.”
The girl was nine years old. Her name was Ling. She took care of things around the house. Shi Lang liked her and took her as his sister. His boring life gained some color. He would spend his time playing with Ling and teaching her various things he saw on the way.
Gradually six years passed, and Ling learned cultivation from Shi Lang. The girl was lively, and one day she said, “Big brother, I want to go and join a sect.”
Shi Lang was surprised and reluctant; he told her to follow by his side, but Ling did not listen. Finally, he sighed and said, “Fine, but you must carry a communication talisman. If you are in danger, you will contact me without any delay. I do not care if your sect elders would come or not. Okay?”
Ling hugged him with a big smile on her face. Shi Lang sent her away and received news that the Holy lands of the world had launched a campaign against the blood-refining cults. He also left the town. His hometown was left untouched by the initial struggle, and soon the entire world knew about the campaign.
One day while Shi Lang was finishing his raid on a hideout of the said refiners. He found a corpse, and his knees went limp. His comrades saw this and asked what had happened. Shi Lang knew that the corpse belonged to Ling. The body was drenched with every last drop of blood.
She was still holding onto a piece of talisman that he gave her. He was old enough to know that nothing could bring her back now. The corpse was there for a few days when he discovered it. He told the story to his comrades, and the people felt sad for him.
The world of free cultivators was like that. They would share your joy but sorrows. Everyone carried a fair burden to lend others a shoulder to cry on. Shi Lang investigated the matter and found that the sect Ling had joined was in cohorts with the blood refiners.
He destroyed the entire sect with his comrades and suffered severe injuries. However, none of the people were allowed to run away. The alliance noticed this and asked him to select a reward for his contribution, but he declined the offer saying, “I did it all for my sister.”
Then he left the place and spent a few years getting over it. Then, when Chun mentioned blood refiners, he recalled Ling’s face—her smile, voice, big sparkling eyes, and then her dried corpse. The rage he held back in his past life erupted at this moment.
Thinking about this, he picked up his pace, and his sword flew around with a sharpness like never before. Shi Lang did not wish to spare anyone from the inner estate. They all deserved to die whether they practiced blood refining or not. Those who claimed they did not cultivate by refining blood still watched the main family kill their people.
In such conditions, they did not revolt. They were not worthy of being called family or even a clan. The inner estate was surrounded by high walls and mounted with phaser cannons. Shi Lang was not afraid. He walked ahead, his head held high and his back like a spear.
He grasped the void, and his sword flew back into his hand. The young man slashed his sword twice, cutting a triangle in the wall. They still needed to reach the place. Chun shouted, “Watch out for the cannon fire!”
Shi Lang slashed his sword with a backhand action, and the spirit energy concentrated on the blade’s edge flashed out into a visible blade. The spirit blade hit the cannons facing them, and all were chopped from the center.
The soldiers manning the cannons were the same. They were slashed from the center. Shi Lang walked through the opening. Chun hurriedly followed him, but she sucked in a cold breath. In front of Shi Lang stood the elites of the inner estate.
However, before deciding what move to make, Shi Lang looked at them and said, “Lightning dragon strike.”
He manipulated the spirit energy, and then the clear skies were covered with black clouds. The black clouds rained and were followed by lightning. Then under Shi Lang’s control, the lightning seemed to have grown eyes, and it struck the elites.
Shi Lang walked ahead and said, “I will use the blood of the Ikeras to temper my sword.”
Shi Lang’s voice was not loud but echoed throughout the estate. Finally, the young man approached the injured or almost dead elites and said, “Go.”
His sword seemed to have become even more spiritually awakened. It stabbed the people in their brows one by one and absorbed their blood. Chun was shocked and said, “You are a blood refiner too?”
Shi Lang turned around to look at her. When Chun saw his eyes bleeding, she was shocked, and the young man said, “My sword needs to refine spirit energy, these people have it, so I am taking it. They are not good people to be left alive anyhow.”
Chun asked, “Your eyes, are you okay?”
Shi Lang nodded and turned around to keep killing people.
…
Harley stood on the control bridge of a space fleet and said, “Commence attack, do not let the enemy go back and support Zatarus.”
The message was relayed to the nine fleets, whom all commenced an attack on the enemy guard fleet. Harley said, “Shin, contact team ace and tell them to finish it in a few hours.”
Shin gulped and said, “Boss, they have taken down three government offices and are awaiting extraction. There are two planets where the battle is ongoing.”
Harley was shocked and said, “These guys surely do not like to waste time.”
Harley did not seem bothered by it and said, “About time these people are dealt with.”
Shin said, “Boss, we have some other data too.”
Harley looked at her adjutant with a questioning glance and asked, “What is it?”
Shin handed her a tablet, and the more Harley read, the more she shivered. Finally, Shin said, “It is suspected that Ikeras know the secret methods used by the Heavenly Fox clan. However, this method differs from what the Heavenly fox clan had told us.
Cara Balley mentioned that there are methods that can provide immense strength but at the cost of the practitioner’s soul and conscience. What shall we do with this data?”
Harley did not think for a second and said, “Every last byte of it. Destroy it. This data and knowledge can create chaos in the hands of some power-hungry maniac. It should not be allowed to exist. Do you understand? Not a third soul must know of this.”
Shin nodded.
…
Shi Lang approached a luxurious palace holding a blood-red sword and said, “Come out, scums. Or shall I walk inside to reap your lives?”
At this moment, a blade passed through Shi Lang’s torso, and he found a man in a black cloak standing before him, staring back at him with indifferent eyes.