The spaceship approached the substation, and Nile said, “Boss, one hour.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Fine, Marly, initiate the array, and the rest of the people gather up.”
The team sprang into action and moved to the isolated containment cell where Marly had arranged for the spirit array formation. This place was the least checked place in the entire vessel and a safe bet. Nile handed the controls to a pilot from the native crew and left with his sister.
Shi Lang had already tamed the people with a glimpse of Shura Illusion. He looked at Unity and said, “If things went south, I would like you to fly over.”
Unity nodded and said, “I will. Do not worry. Godspeed.”
After bumping his knuckles with the sword spirit, Shi Lang smiled and went to the holding cell. Unity focused on keeping the natives in line. She was calm and poised, but that was not all. When these people tried to look at her, they sensed their eyes would be stabbed. She is beautiful, but beauty is a deceitful weapon.
…
Darcx was standing inside the room of the small villa where he had set up the spirit formation. He had received word that the team would be coming over soon, and thus he was guarding the post and had set up a few isolation barriers around the house. He was trying to avoid any spirit energy fluctuations that might be caused by triggering the formation.
As he waited, he sensed the fluctuations originating from the formation, and after a few moments, Shi Lang appeared in his sight. Darcx stood up and saluted him. Shi Lang nodded, greeted his comrade, and said, “Good job getting in so deep.”
Darcx shook his head and said, “Good job, won’t cut it. I want to spend some time back at Nestia.”
Shi Lang raised his brow, and Darcx said, “You think you are the only one who can land a chick?”
The young general chuckled, and other people soon appeared behind him. The old members greeted Darcx with a fist bump while the young ones saluted him. Shi Lang asked, “The asset?”
The game was on; they were not here to catch up over coffee. Darcx nodded and said, “In the living area.”
Shi Lang nodded and followed the man out. The villa was luxurious but still lacking compared to what Shi Lang had already seen in the Ikeras. This place was still lacking. Minax was meditating in the center of the living room where a table should be.
The young man sensed movement and opened his eyes. Darcx said, “Young Master Minax, this is my team leader, Shi Lang.”
Minax was surprised and asked, “Did you just say, team?”
He became wary. Darcx knew this would happen, and he had an explanation prepared. He replied, “Yes, Sir. We are a team. All of us come from the Federation, and we have been looking into the matter of the demon cultivators. You might find it hard to understand, but recently, our civilization also suffered from an attack by demon cultivators. The losses were significant.”
Minax was not going to be so quickly convinced and asked solemnly, “What gives you the right to look into the demonic activities?”
Darcx wanted to reply when Shi Lang suddenly appeared in front of Minax and said, “I will show you a scene, and then you can tell me whether we have the right or not.”
Then his eyes flashed with a blue color. Minax froze, and Darcx asked, “Boss, wasn’t red your color?”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “Yeah, it was. I mastered my powers, and they turned soft.”
Amelia clicked her tongue and said, “You will look better in black and blue.”
The guy smiled and then snapped his fingers. Minax woke up from his daze and fell to his knees. His breathing was all over the place, and he was sweating like a pig in an oven. Shi Lang asked, “What you saw was a glimpse of a world above ours. The people who live there can destroy our entire galaxy in a few years. If you meet someone above the average, it will be months. It will be a matter of hours if someone is at the peak.
Demons belong to a creed that wishes to enslave others. Their innate greed and desire for power make them keep on consuming until they can kill the world. I do not want to wait until this parasite extends its hand into my garden. Do you get it now?”
Minax stood up from the ground and nodded. He understood what was happening and said, “Save my people from these things.”
Shi Lang nodded and asked, “Would you be so kind as to point out the directions?”
Minax nodded, and Shi Lang said, “Jenks, you’re up.”
Jenkins saluted him and said, “Team A, move out.”
Darcx had already provided them with the map of the outer parameter, and they would put the cultivators to sleep and the demonic cultivators to eternal sleep.
Shi Lang held Minax and said, “Young Master Tex, you are the guard.”
Tex nodded, and he did not mind anything at this moment. Unity had told him if he wished to surpass Shi Lang, he must learn about him and from him. Shi Lang led the team, with Tex and Minax in the center. Outside the villa, he looked at Amelia and said, “Scout up.”
The formation changed from a diamond to a triangle as Amelia vanished from her place and moved ahead. The position of all the team members was visible on the HUD of their battle suits.
It may sound odd for a cultivator to wear battle suits, but these guys were up against one of the biggest forces of the galaxy, and it did not hurt them to be careful. This was why Shi Lang also prepared spirit formations in the defense mechanism of his suits. He would use the best of both worlds, the tech and the cultivation.
Shi Lang and the team moved after five minutes, and then they moved. The combat had already begun. The blaring alarms were the proof. Shi Lang’s team moved through quiet pathways, and thanks to Minax, they avoided confrontation with almost everyone.
Suddenly, Amelia said, “Twenty people are inside a defense barrier. They are being held as hostages.”
Shi Lang said, “They are safer inside the barrier, move up and check for the tangos.”
Amelia replied, “Roger that.”
…
Inside the meditation room sat an old man with blood stains on his lips. The alarms awoke him, and after cleaning his face, he walked out of the room in solid strides. He looked at the butler and asked, “What is happening?”
The dominance and cold in his tone were too frightening, and the butler replied, “The main house is under attack from unidentified assailants. The casualties are heavy.”
The old man asked, “Which army is it, and how can they win over our cultivators?”
The butler replied, “It is a team of five people, sir, and they are killing the cultivators easily. It is as if we cannot resist them.”
The old man furrowed his brows and said, “The enemy is also from a cultivation background. Therefore, initiate the spirit isolation formation. I want to see who can waltz here and kill our people.”
The butler followed the man as quickly as he could. The old man was the family’s leader, and his strength was the greatest, but it seemed to have come with a great price.
…
𝞸𝑣𝗅xt.𝑐𝚘𝑚
Shi Lang moved according to MInax’s direction and stood before a villa. He smiled and said, “Tex, take this guy from here. The enemy is inside. I was worried he might be strong, but I was overestimating.”
Tex nodded, and he held onto the back of Minax’s shirt and vanished from the spot. The next moment, an old man in a black robe walked out of the villa. He was stunned to see some unknown people standing in front of his house.
He figured out everything, and one gaze at Shi Lang’s face was enough for him to recognize him. So he asked, “You are that, Terran. Right?”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “It is my pleasure to be remembered by someone like you. Tell me, how does it feel?”
The man asked, “What does what feel?”
Shi Lang smiled and asked, “Feeding on the people you gave birth to.”
The old man raised his eyebrow and said, “You know quite a lot about this. Are you a fellow cultivator?”
Shi Lang gawked, and then he could not help but laugh out loud. He laughed loudly for a few minutes before he said, “Old sir, you overthink. You and I are nothing alike. However, you are correct, I am a cultivator.”
The old man nodded, he asked, “What do you want?”
Shi Lang replied, “Nothing much, just a few answers, then your withdrawal from the high table, and your death.”
“You are reaching out for something that exceeds your worth, terran.” said the man.
Shi Lang shrugged and said, “Come, let us see, who is exceeding what.”