Chapter 32 – Mortal Tyrant

  Diyuan had begun his refining process. His goal was to make a Supreme Perfect high-grade tier two pill, so that three Spiritweave breakthrough pills would come out. Two would be delivered to Feng Xueying and Yao Luchen immediately.

  The process to make a tier two pill wasn’t any grander than a tier one pill. But that didn’t mean there were no roadblocks. With the spiritual air being as thin as it was, he found that the tier two refinement process wasn’t going to be as smooth as he’d like. The ingredients themselves wanted compensation for the lack of spiritual energy. The best he could come up with was using some of his spirit stones. That seemed to barely satisfy the plants.

  It wasn’t a problem now, but the additional need of spiritual energy in the air might hinder Diyuan from making his divine pill using the Immortal Stalk Three Leaf he had obtained in the Carcass Grotto. It was a problem he’d have to solve before his attempt to refine it.

  When he finished, three pills popped out, each capable of bringing someone from level 5 Foundation to level 1 Spiritweave. He took them and left the room.

  Feng Xueying and Yao Luchen were standing guard and having an idle conversation. They immediately stopped when they saw him.

  “Yao Luchen, let’s finish healing your core,” Diyuan said.

  The final session was the same as before. Diyuan used his limitless Benediction Balm to heal and since Yao Luchen’s core was close enough to be fixed, Diyuan’s healing arte didn’t break by the end of it. The multiple sessions really helped Diyuan understand the fabric of a core and what it meant to be whole. Using the knowledge he gained from healing Yao Luchen’s core, he could apply that to his own.

  What that meant was he should be able to identify just how close to the cusp of destruction his own core was the next time it cracked. He would be able to determine what his real fatal timeline was, since the original three-month hypothesis until his explosive end didn’t account for his ability to heal cores.

  Diyuan focused as he watched the core click, then pulse once lightly into life. A flow of spiritual energy began to circulate through Yao Luchen’s body.

  Yao Luchen stood. A faint sense of energy could be detected. Diyuan confirmed that Yao Luchen was indeed level 5 Foundation, though he currently felt weak enough to be nearly dead if Diyuan didn’t know better. Yao Luchen drew out his sword and closed his eyes.

  “Mist Walk,” Yao Luchen said suddenly. He stepped forward and… Nothing. “Well, I have no spiritual energy so makes sense it isn’t working.”

  “Your core just formed. How stable is it?” Diyuan asked.

  “My energy is currently low, but that’s something that will fix itself over time. It feels as strong as it had been back before it was destroyed originally.”

  Diyuan nodded. Yao Luchen’s core wasn’t like anyone else’s who had a weak foundation. While others had a weaker core due to the lack of spiritual energy in the air, Yao Luchen had used the Sword parchment paper that held the Sword Intent within it. Somehow with that the young genius’s core formed with a strong foundation. And it certainly helped that he had some resources that originally belonged to his father, the Phantom Sword.

  Feng Xueying had been watching from the side as she had stood guard like she always did. Diyuan made two pills appear in his hand.

  “It’s time,” Diyuan said. He tossed it to them. “How does that consolidation pill work?”

  “We take our pills first,” Feng Xueying explained. “After we finish absorbing the Spiritweave Consolidation Pill, there’s a small window where we can take the breakthrough pill.”

  And with that, both Feng Xueying and Yao Luchen went to separate rooms to absorb the first pill in preparation.

  Strange. Diyuan felt a little excited for them. The Spiritweave realm was common back home, but he felt like he was responsible for both of them being able to walk this path that they couldn’t before. In any case, it wasn’t like he didn’t have his own power-ups to do now himself.

  Diyuan went to his room and sat in a lotus position. He brought out a jade tablet from his storage ring.

  Extinction.

  Enough time had passed since the Carcass Grotto that his own spiritual energy filled up enough. He could now absorb the arte without needing months. He closed his eyes and held the jade tablet to his forehead. It glowed and poured a stream of information into his mind. His final arte slot filled with the technique that had originally been made by Xie Yanshuang for the Honglie clan, but it instead became his victory prize after their battle to the death.

  Extinction was the culmination of Xie Yanshuang’s knowledge of her Ancient Onyx Behemoth. Considering that her chosen demonic beast was a creature that dealt with meteors and horns, he was curious what Extinction would do in the end.

  Diyuan opened his eyes to see the jade tablet disappear into motes of light. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it should still be the same day.

  The arte had been absorbed.

  Which meant he needed to test it.

  He got up and left the room. He went down the hallway and found it and everywhere else empty. Diyuan shrugged and went out to the back. He stood alone by the training ground and recalled the knowledge of his new arte.

  Extinction was supposed to create a mass of power above him. Then, with a point of a finger, that mass of power would shoot forward and bring some destruction with it. How much destruction was something he needed to find out now. The fact that it had needed an extreme amount of spiritual energy at minimum to absorb the arte in a timely manner would suggest it required much consumption.

  Diyuan held up a finger and activated Extinction. He felt his spiritual energy circulate faster and start to consume power. It activated as a rapid pace, trying to keep up with a demand that the arte wanted. The power flowed to his arm and…

  And it got stuck there.

  The energy was supposed to be used to create the mass of energy outside of his body. Yet that very same energy was gathering in his arm instead.

  “Well, this isn’t supposed to happen I don’t think,” Diyuan commented.

  He clenched his fist and felt it lock. He tried to cancel the arte but it wouldn’t stop. In fact, Diyuan realized it was a charging arte, one that required a form of release once the charging began. Since he couldn’t form the power outside of his body (maybe due to not being at the Spiritweave realm?), he would try to release it through a punch.

  Except when he entered a pose to strike forward, his arm locked in the striking motion. The power continued to grow in his arm despite him not wanting it to. If this continued, he would soon experience a smaller version of what was going to happen to his Foundation core: a violent explosion.

  Why was his arm locking? Why did his fist lock? Why couldn’t he release the power building up within it?

  He currently appeared as if he was about to throw a punch. He couldn’t unbend his arm or move it around. A tingling sensation pricked about as more energy continued to accumulate.

  “Leader Diyuan.” Manager Fanjian appeared in the doorway. “There’s a matter that requires your attention.”

  “One moment, I have a problem.”

  Manager Fanjian looked him up and down. Diyuan wondered if he looked as stupid as he felt. Manager Fanjian waited patiently. The tingling started to get stronger.

  “Manager Fanjian,” Diyuan called out. “Hypothetically, if an arte wasn’t working properly and someone needed to discharge energy that was accumulating from that arte, what would be the best way to do that?”

  “Hm. Your Foundation core should know how to release it automatically.”

  Diyuan knew that. The problem was that the arte wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do. Normal jade tablets would typically restrict what cultivation realm could be used to absorb it, but sometimes those restrictions don’t exist if the jade tablet was expected to be given immediately to a disciple or family member.

  “But certain artes can use specific actions to release the energy. This is true for artes that require charge time,” Manager Fanjian said. “That would be one way for your Foundation core to know when to stop charging and unleash the pent-up power. It could be hand gestures or body movements that follow a family’s traditional martial arts.”

  “Wonderful,” Diyuan muttered. He had no idea what action he would need.

  “Of course, there’s the most common way that many use—for its simplicity. What’s the name of the arte you’re attempting right now?”

  Diyuan didn’t think much on it. “Extinction.”

  His arm and fist unlocked. The arte unleashed.

  Diyuan’s arm exploded. Bonegrit Dreadflesh absorbed the impact, preventing it from blowing into pieces by spreading the damage throughout his body. A deafening sound ripped through the air. He felt a white heat press on his body. His bones shook and squeezed. Pain enveloped his body. Skin on his arm ripped in multiple places.

  A wave blast expanded from Diyuan. He felt the wind of it more than saw what it did. The white heat also affected his eyes, disabling his vision for a second. A whooshing gale continued to flow until things finally started to calm down.

  Diyuan felt a warm liquid flowing down his arm. His vision came back to him and he saw the effects of the arte.

  Training dummies had been knocked over. Rocks had been shot away from him and bulleted into the walls. Beneath, the ground had cleared with him at the epicenter. He was the comet in this case. Blood leaked down to his fingertips and dripped to the floor. It appeared like his arm had been cut three or four times from simply releasing the energy. Limitless Benediction Balm was already at work with closing the wounds.

  At least he knew how to release the arte properly now. Extinction was one of those artes that required its name to be spoken. Diyuan had forgotten that was something a few artes needed since none of his current ones required that. Most of the time, people who shouted their arte’s name tended to do so in hopes to spread the fame of their family’s ability or something similar.

  A fresh scent of dirt filled the air. Diyuan waved his hand to try to pointlessly dismiss it. Next time, he would know to collect the energy at his fist and push it out from there. But he wouldn’t be able to collect everything, so there would always be a subset of pain in his arm in the meantime. Nothing his Bonegrit Dreadflesh couldn’t take. He was curious as to how strong a real hit would be since his body had to take a good chunk of it this time.

  Manager Fanjian coughed as he lowered his hands. His hair and robes were a mess from all the wind. Diyuan could hear footsteps as Feng Xueying and Yao Luchen appeared in the doorway.

  “What happened!?” Yao Luchen said as he looked around at the minor damages.

  “Small mess up on my part,” Diyuan explained. “New arte. Still learning things.”

  “What kind of arte damages your own body?” Yao Luchen asked.

  Manager Fanjian cleared his throat. He finished fixing his hair and clothes. “Leader Diyuan, there is a matter that requires your attention. A man has been killed in our territory.”

  Diyuan accepted a cloth from a servant who appeared after the commotion. He wiped the blood away from his arm. “You can’t handle the matter?”

  “It was Patriarch Xia Puti who slew him.”

  Diyuan paused. He looked up for an explanation.

  “I’m uncertain myself,” Manager Fanjian said. “Information is still being investigated. We’ve put our men on watch to keep an eye on other locations just in case.”

  Feng Xueying reached out for Diyuan’s soaked towel. He handed it over as he thought on the situation. She held the towel gently, probably to prevent the blood from getting on her. What was that look on her face? She shut her eyes tightly and held the towel away slightly.

  “I will go and check out the scene,” Diyuan said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Yao Luchen responded immediately.

  “No. Focus on your breakthrough. Don’t you have a limited window for the consolidation pill to work? Leave this matter to me.”

  Manager Fanjian led the way. He explained how he positioned members of the Black Brigade throughout their territory and had them on high alert for anything that might happen next. Meanwhile, Xia Puti was apparently relaxing and having a feast at the Niu family’s branch location with Niu Xingtao.

  The market area Diyuan arrived at looked a bit different from his first arrival to Fengpo city. It had cleaned up and the stalls looked sharper. There was a mix of people crowding the streets: Black Brigade members, the normal vendor owners, and people who were just witnessing events.

  Diyuan could see where the center of attention was located. A stall had shattered to pieces with wooden carving scattered about, some broken from being stepped on. A large blanket-like cloth covered something on the ground.

  Or someone.

  “Boss!”

  People noticed Diyuan and parted for him to make way. He saw someone else with a sword wound on his arm being treated. Diyuan casually motioned his hand and began Benediction Balm to heal the wounded man. Both the wounded man and the doctor gasped at the gash suddenly closing. Whispers filled the silence that took the crowd when they saw him.

  “What happened here?” Diyuan asked. His voice cut through and could be heard by everyone on the street.

  Another man dropped to his hands and knees and bowed low. “Lord Diyuan! I swear to you—Zhou never accused you of being a demonic cultivator!”

  A few other stall merchants also bowed down in the same way. Diyuan looked at the covered body of the man named Zhou. He knelt down and lifted the covering to take a look. The face of the deceased was a balding older man who had wrinkles around his eyes.

  “A non-cultivator?” Diyuan looked up at Manager Fanjian, who nodded in return.

  Several people began talking at once, wanting to recount the events that had transpired. Diyuan listened to each of their choppy versions. The patriarch of the Xia family, Xia Puti, had accused Zhou of calling Diyuan a demonic cultivator. Another person had said that the accusation was against the Xia family instead, but that version was rejected. Someone out spoke out in defiance and got cut, but not killed; that would be the man Diyuan had just sent some healing to.

  Ultimately, all of this could be summed up as retaliation. Diyuan had one of the Xia people killed for demonic cultivator talks, and so now Xia Puti killed a random person in turn.

  He could sense how the people were interested in seeing his response to the situation. They would know his etiquette rules as it had spread throughout his territory and beyond. But they could see the problem that he would face.

  Justification.

  By claiming the old man had accused Diyuan of demonic cultivation, Xia Puti acted without hesitation in the same manner that Diyuan had when he ordered Feng Xueying to kill someone during their visitation. Everything after that would be politics. Declaring wrongdoing. Demanding compensation. Public perception. All of these things would need to be navigated. It wasn’t like Diyuan didn’t have experience in this before. In fact, within the Tribulation Shroud, the entire treaty between the five clans had specified just the types of justification that would work. Killing someone in pocket worlds was fine as long as the excuse fell into certain categories.

  The excuse being believable or not didn’t matter.

  This man was killed because of him. If Diyuan hadn’t provoke Xia Puti then Zhou would be alive. Seeing the people come to Zhou’s defense, seeing those who had bowed, Diyuan understood how this man had been seen in this community. He also saw how powerless they felt. The Black Brigade were watching him too.

  It was strange, the feeling he had now. He did not know Zhou, nor did he even interact with the man person. The old man was a stranger so there was a level of detachment to the whole situation.

  “This may happen again,” Manager Fanjian said. “Maybe not with the Xia family, but with the Golden Auction coming up. Immortals come in from outside the city and some of them can be unruly. Especially if they fail to win on an item they wanted.”

  Yiyi and her grandmother came into view, an expression of concern on Yiyi’s face.

  “If you want to punish the Xia brat, I’m all for it,” the grandmother said. She spat on the ground. “The Xia patriarch is far too overbearing!”

  “Grammy, you can’t say that…” Yiyi said.

  “He’s your father, but that doesn’t make him less of a scum.”

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  The other people tried to hush her. They expressed concern about how Xia Puti might retaliate if he heard.

  “And why should I be afraid! This is the Black Brigade territory. Lord Diyuan healed even someone as old as me. Brother Zhou deserved none of this!”

  As the grandmother continued her rant, one of the scattered wooden figurines on the ground caught Diyuan’s eye. He crouched down to pick it up. It was carved into an appearance of a cultivator. It must have been how the old man viewed immortals from the upper world. The design was detailed and made to be much fancier than the other carvings.

  It reminded Diyuan of Ancestor Tianxuan.

  What would Ancestor Tianxuan do in this situation? Actually, that wasn’t a question that Diyuan needed to think about; he already knew the answer. The reason why the Zhengyi clan had a “religion” about protecting non-cultivators was because it was a lifestyle they lived. A lifestyle that extended beyond city laws or family rules. It did not matter if the problem existed in another city. Diyuan recalled Yunya’s story of Ancestor Tianxuan’s march against the Gu clan.

  A single, oppressive act showed the other four clans just what the Zhengyi clan was willing to do.

  And how could they disagree? Or anyone? Everyone was aware that the Tribulation Shroud could permanently shrink. Yet, in this lower world, no one seemed to know that the lightning from their Great Divide was a sign of things to come.

  Things like justification or playing by the rules had no place in this matter. If a non-cultivator did wrong, it should be dealt with through other channels, not by a cultivator’s whim. But in a situation like this, where the non-cultivator did no wrong, a demonstration would be needed.

  Diyuan would need to give his best Ancestor Tianxuan impression.

  [Yiyi,] Diyuan said to her through sound transmission. She did an “eep!” and looked around for the source and saw him looking at her. She mouthed immortal? before he continued. [You know what my etiquette says about this, but this is more than just etiquette. Your father put the lives of everyone in this world in danger. I will execute him. If you feel the burden to protect him, you can go and attempt to protect him, but I will not spare you if you do so.]

  Yiyi stood there dumbfounded. It took her a second to register what had been said. She swallowed hard and then took her grandmother’s arm into her own. She nodded once grimly.

  “What’s with you, little Yiyi?” the grandmother said, ending her argument with another person who had been trying to prevent her from continuously insulting Xia Puti.

  Everyone sensed a mood change. They stopped talking and looked to Diyuan.

  “I’m sure everyone here is wondering what I’ll do about this,” Diyuan said. “We all know that Xia Puti’s justification was false, but what does that matter if someone is in a position of power? Since we’re playing a game of power, I will finally show off mine. What happened here will never happen again. If you’ll excuse me, I will need to go visit Xia Puti.”

  Diyuan took his steps away from the market street. Manager Fanjian fell in behind. Then the other Black Brigade members fell in behind him. Then Yiyi’s grandmother followed, along with the others.

  They became a procession. Random people followed to watch, and those who were on the lookout for intel quickly ran off to their respective direction. In short time, the different factions of the city were about to receive their information; the Sunset Garden with Auntie Mei Yi, the Infinite Wealth Auction House, and lastly the one person ran off to warn the Niu branch family.

  It must have appeared like a declaration of war was about to happen, but Diyuan had no intention of using the forces behind him.

  He alone would be enough.

  A single, oppressive act was required to set the stage he wanted.

  More people saw the procession and joined in out of curiosity to see what was happening. They were updated on the news by gossipers who were more than happy to inform everyone.

  The property of the Niu branch came into view. But then Diyuan sensed a pull of spiritual energy wrap around the compound.

  A shimmering barrier formed around the walls. It stretched high so those at a distance would be able to see the dome that protected those within.

  “A formation barrier,” Manager Fanjian said. “That’s not something a branch family would own.”

  Diyuan held up his hand and made everyone behind him pause. He crossed the street up to the front gate, where the barrier formed from the ground outside it. The gates were open so he could see within.

  The first thing he saw were the two members of the Virtuous Wind Sect, Xiaoya and Min. They were a bit surprised to see the gathering crowd. They had been examining the newly formed barrier but now went to each other. Their outfits still had the light blue and white appearance, similar to looking at the blue sky with white clouds. A refreshing appearance on youthful maidens.

  [Uhh, Sister Xiaoya, why does it look like they’ve come here for blood?] Min pulled out her fan as she scanned at the crowd.

  [Put your weapon away,] Xiaoya said, though she herself had her umbrella on her shoulder. [They’re only mortals. I fear we’ve been used for political reasons by the Niu family.]

  After nearly a month since seeing them, Diyuan understood why people chased after Jade Beauties. Their clothing that showed off their body and their flawless skin was a deep contrast to the regular people of the city.

  [Ugh. If the Niu family wasn’t Martial Brother’s family, I would’ve left already. We even wasted our spiritual energy to activate this formation. I was wondering how strong this would be since Niu Xingtao kept bragging how it was gifted to him by the auction house people, but as Senior Sister would say, we’re now in a web.]

  Interesting. The Infinite Wealth Auction House gifted Niu Xingtao a barrier—just in time for Diyuan’s response? Were they somehow involved in all of this?

  The people whispered behind.

  “Is the Virtuous Wind Sect protecting the Xia family?”

  “How can that be? I thought they were virtuous?”

  “I’m sure there must be a misunderstanding…”

  [Yup, Sister Xiaoya, we’re being used.]

  Several members of the Xia family came into view within the safe confines of the barrier. They pointed and laughed.

  “Look, just like Patriarch Xia said, the dogs came obediently!”

  “If they want a meeting, they need to schedule time. What sort of barbarians comes knocking without an invitation?”

  Diyuan walked up to the barrier and knuckled it. A soft hum of power emitted from it. There would be weaknesses to formation barriers, places where one could attack or dismantle it. Unfortunately, Diyuan had never learned about formations. The general rule was to only focus on one extracurricular activity at a time, and for him that would be alchemy. Formations, talisman creations, and spirit forging would be things he should only glance at in passing for now.

  This was most unfortunate. He had intended to kill Xia Puti today, but if the man hid behind a barrier, then there would be nothing Diyuan could do. He would still need to show some force, something that would allow him to keep some form of face, though it wouldn’t solve anything right now.

  [Hm.] Xiaoya spun her umbrella on her shoulder. [For now, I think we disappear from sight. Since this is about two different factions at conflict, we shouldn’t be involved.]

  [We kind of already are when we put up the formation barrier. Those slimeballs.]

  [Yes, but we don’t need to aggravate things further. Let’s go…huh?]

  Diyuan poised himself as if he was about to punch the barrier. He gathered energy into his arm. Both his fist and arm were locked.

  He might not be able to destroy the barrier, but the punch should be loud enough to send a message. This would be another way to show off his prowess.

  [Is he going to punch the barrier? A mortal? Punching a barrier?] Min asked incredulously. [Not even we could break this barrier.]

  [I think Senior Sister could.]

  [Yeah, but she’s at the Middle Stage Spiritweave realm. Honestly, the last time I saw someone do something as dumb as this was when that one mortal in the Burnt Lands attacked—wait, is he the same guy? The one who threw a magic artifact at me?]

  [How are you only noticing that now, Sister Min?]

  Min walked up and covered the lower half of her face with her fan. She was just on the other side of the barrier.

  “So we meet again, mortal,” she said.

  The energy continued to pile and form in Diyuan’s arm. It started to tingle, but it still wasn’t at the level that it had been earlier that day.

  “Hello there, Sister Min,” Diyuan said casually. “If I give you another perfect healing pill, will you open this barrier?”

  “Sister? Sister? Who’s your sister?”

  “Is that a no?”

  “Hmph! I’m from the Virtuous Wind Sect. You cannot bribe me.” Min put her hands on her waist and pointed her chin up.

  “Are you aware that the Xia family murdered an innocent man in cold blood?” Diyuan asked.

  “I’m sure if we asked them, they would say something different,” Min replied.

  [Sister Min, enough of the chatter. Let’s leave,] Xiaoya said.

  “Don’t break your hand. Or do. I don’t care.” Min turned and joined her partner.

  The people behind Diyuan watched as he stood there with his fist raised. They murmured amongst themselves. The Black Brigade members stood silently. The crowd drew in more people from the city, increasing its size. They all whispered, asking what the leader of the Black Brigade was doing. Even the two women from the Virtuous Wind Sect kept glancing back as they walked towards the inner building inside the barrier.

  When Diyuan lifted his foot and replanted it, everyone went silent and watched.

  “Extinction!”

  Diyuan felt his arm unlock instantly. He thrust forward and gave the energy piled up within a place to discharge. There was a delayed weight that tried to prevent his arm from pushing forward, but he broke past that with brute power. Just before his fist hit the barrier, he saw something akin to a comet’s tail form around it.

  The fist struck.

  The blast of power exerted from his arm all unleashed into the shimmering wall. A loud gong reverberated from the impact, accompanied by a heavy wind. The wind and the ringing noise consumed all other sounds. Everything went white. A searing pain shot up from his hand straight through to his shoulder. Heat enveloped him to the point that Bonegrit Dreadflesh activated to do damage control.

  Diyuan felt the physical barrier collapse.

  The flash of white faded, but the aftereffects weren’t finished. Diyuan saw the next crack and collapse of the barrier, cascading like ice breaking outwards. Each shattering released another wave of wind and noise, accompanied by a shockwave that resounded throughout the city.

  Xiaoya had the canopy of her umbrella open and held it out before her, shielding both her and Min from the wind blasts. Behind Diyuan, several people had clasped their hands over their ears to muffle whatever sound they could, though others had fallen on top of one another due to the wind.

  By time the cracks in the formation barrier ended, it looked like a half-broken egg, with jagged edges. The rest of the barrier dimmed and finally shattered completely, misting down particles of light to the people below.

  Diyuan stood up straight and gave his arm a wiggle. His arm was perfectly fine, though his knuckles were a bit red, but no damages.

  “Whoa, that was so cool!” A kid said to the side.

  “Who is that guy? Is he an immortal?”

  “He’s Yuhan Diyuan of the Black Brigade!”

  Min looked around and held up a hand to catch one of the falling motes of light. [Uhh, Sister Xiaoya, is this something a mortal can do?]

  Diyuan wanted to know that too. He only expected to make a loud noise, not shatter the formation. Perhaps there was an additional secret to Extinction. Xie Yanshuang had made it herself and wanted it passed to her clan, so perhaps there could be more to it than what he knew right now.

  Xiaoya peeked over her umbrella’s canopy. Several members of the Niu family went out to join the Xia family that had been there to taunt Diyuan.

  Since the barrier was destroyed, that made things easier.

  Diyuan stepped inside.

  He brought out his black cold steel sword and passed the two women. They only watched him walk by, with no attempt to call out to him or anything.

  “Positions!” The Xia and Niu family guards prepared for battle. There were many level 3 Foundation cultivators, but plenty of level 4s were among them. A few level 5s were also there. Quite a formidable group considering the strength of the city.

  Manager Fanjian was about to do the same from the street when Diyuan simply held up a hand to make them stop. Diyuan approached the group of several dozen men waiting for him.

  Diyuan sprinted forward.

  The closest person held up a sword by instinct, but the posture was uneven. Diyuan did a small sidestep and cut at the fingers. The man yelped in pain, exposing his vitals. Diyuan sliced and already turned to the next person before the body hit the ground.

  Chaos began. The men charged forth and shouted. Diyuan didn’t bother backing off and met them all head on. He expertly moved with his sword. Strikes were parried and countered. Each swing was met with a fatal slash in return. The guards shouted off artes. Forces of power and colors flew past Diyuan’s ear and torso. He would position himself so such misses would strike other opponents. When he wasn’t positioned in a way to kill, he sliced at the arm or thigh so he could revisit and finish the enemy again when they were before him.

  A low-grade talisman was brought out. The man used the talisman and summoned forth a giant bow. The bowstring was pulled back and shot. Diyuan deflected the arrow with his black cold steel sword. He was surrounded. Multiple swings were made at him—he jumped and twisted, dodging them all.

  A few opponents slipped on the ground, wet and red. Soaked. Diyuan cut at them before they could fall, adding to the wet ground.

  “We can’t let this continue!” Xiaoya shouted.

  She ran forward with her umbrella out. Min followed after with her fan ready.

  Both suddenly froze in place, unable to move anything except their eyes.

  A sharp, reverberating beat sliced through the air, followed by a humming noise that lingered.

  Diyuan teleported before both of the women. His sword dripped with blood and red blotches coated his outfit and body. Not his blood.

  They both glanced at him. He looked down upon them like he was treading on them. A shadow cast over his face, darkening his look, but his eyes glowed white.

  “You will stay out of this,” Diyuan said. A statement. Not a request.

  “Heavenly Sky Split!”

  Diyuan turned sharply. The arte that had just been called out had the name “heavenly” in it.

  It was a renegade arte.

  A giant transparent sword appeared in the air. There were still about a dozen men left alive, but the one at the center had his sword in the air, which the giant sword mimicked. He swung down and the giant sword did the same.

  Diyuan called forth Wind’s Edge and threw it. It pierced the man between the eyes but the arte continued anyway.

  For Diyuan, it was like watching the moment slow down. He had faced a renegade arte only once before, against Yunya and her Heavenly Fairy Stance. It was something so incredibly rule breaking that it fit the category of a renegade arte. He didn’t have time to process how this Heavenly Sky Split arte was a rule breaking one; he could only defend against it.

  He held up his black cold steel sword and took the giant sword’s swing head on. He expected a heavy hit or something extra fancy to echo behind it. But no such thing came. In fact, the arte was just as weak as any of the other artes.

  After being blocked, the arte dissipated, leaving Diyuan in his fortress defense stance.

  Huh?

  That arte was named Heavenly Sky Split—so why was it so weak? Renegade artes were renegade since naming any arte with forbidden words would challenge the heavens, causing it to have a spike of jealousy and strike down at the cultivator.

  He didn’t have time to process it; his enemies lived yet.

  Diyuan went back to the remaining guards. They had lost their will to fight and began to scatter. He had his Wind’s Edge returned back to his hand from the man’s skull and began using it freely to finish off the rest. After that quick work was done, he kicked down the door to the main hall. All that remained were a few level 5 Foundation guards and the two leaders of each family, Niu Xingtao and Xia Puti.

  “You can’t do this!” Niu Xingtao yelled. “My family is the Niu family of the—”

  A squelch sound interrupted him as Diyuan’s spirit artifact ended his life. The remaining level 5 Foundation guards charged in, shouting out their artes. He didn’t bother dodging this time. He held up his hand and let the attacks hit him—but it would not be able to break his skin.

  After a few swift slashes, only Xia Puti remained.

  “W-wait a moment, what I did was for you!” He backed up until he hit the wall. “My daughter is in the Black Brigade, so I can support your group with my resources!”

  Diyuan stood before him, his face blank. “You killed a non-cultivator.”

  He sliced horizontally. Xia Puti’s head rolled off and hit the ground. Diyuan picked it up and turned to walk outside. He tried to teleport out to the courtyard with it, but the teleport failed. He frowned and paused for a second. The failed arte reminded him a little of storage rings, where the ring couldn’t carry a person, whether they were dead or alive. It seemed like Emperor’s Rule had something similar.

  But this was also the head of Yiyi’s father. Maybe it would be better to not bring it out.

  He dropped it and walked out.

  Xiaoya and Min both went wide eye. They had front row seats to what would be called the Red Massacre. They witnessed the brutality others could only speculate at.

  [He’s…Xiaoya, what are we supposed to do now? Isn’t this something that only demonic cultivators do?] Min asked. She took a step away from him.

  […I don’t know,] Xiaoya said. There was a sense of fear in her voice.

  Diyuan looked up at the front gates. He carved out a tunnel with Emperor’s Rule and warped up on top for all to see him. He looked down and saw their reaction to his appearance. Some looked horrified. Others were appalled. Those that had been excited for him to destroy the barrier had a new expression.

  He would need to tell them why he was doing this. But not while he was up here. He would tell his people first and would have them spread the word about this lower world being marked for destruction.

  For now, however, he would make a declaration that Ancestor Tianxuan might be proud of.

  “I am Yuhan Diyuan,” he shouted. “Xia Puti slew a non-cultivator of my territory. He did so deliberately, knowing full well my stance on killing them. Such disregard shows how corrupt he is. He also assumed his power would protect him from any fierce retaliation. But it is not only him who would do such a thing. I have heard how immortals who come to the Golden Auction may follow his footsteps when they’re irritated. Since that is the case, allow me to make a declaration now before the Golden Auction begins.

  “Henceforth, the city of Fengpo belongs to me. The factions that existed that had their own rules—if they are in opposition to my laws, then mine trumps theirs. Anyone who slays or harms a non-cultivator will be executed. The family of the accused is expected to shut the doors on their kin and not protect them. If they fail that, I will go and execute all who protect these murderers. This applies to the new immortals that will arrive for the Golden Auction and this will also apply to the Infinite Wealth Auction House as well.

  “Starting today, I will be your tyrant.”

  ***

  Leng Ji watched out her window towards where she had seen the barrier shatter. As the owner of the Infinite Wealth Auction House, she knew her items well and she knew how strong that formation barrier was. Yet, when it had shattered, even her room here shook.

  Footsteps ran down the hall. A moment later someone knocked.

  “Come in,” she said. All her scars were hidden under clothes as she wasn’t in the mood to play games today.

  Deacon Hu entered. “The masked man is Yuhan Diyuan. He used the same black sword and he owns a dagger magic artifact—the same that was used to cut me, I think. He also used the same teleport!”

  Deacon Hu went on to explain the events as seen at the Niu branch family location. The slaughter of all those guards by a single man. How the barrier broke with one punch. How Yuhan Diyuan seemed to have threatened the maidens of the Virtuous Wind Sect.

  And how Yuhan Diyuan declared the city as his.

  Leng Ji was quiet. The fact that the masked man was a mortal did little to comfort her. How did he have the strength to do that which only an immortal could do? How could he be so confident in claiming ownership of the city when no immortals supported him?

  Just as she thought that, two pillars of blue light appeared at the east part of the city. The pillar of light was solid and profound. When looking at it directly, the surrounding light dimmed to give it all the more attention. It was a rare sight that wouldn’t normally be seen anywhere except at the sects or families with rich traditions.

  Two people were breaking through to the Spiritweave realm.

  “The Black Brigade,” Leng Ji said automatically.

  Two people at the Black Brigade were breaking through right now. Even she, who was at the peak of Early Stage of the Spiritweave realm, could tell just how stable their foundation was. Others, like Deacon Hu, broke through with little regard for their foundation and would never be able to reach Middle Stage. But those two…

  “The Golden Auction is this week,” Leng Ji said suddenly. “Many immortals will be coming. The Virtuous Wind Sect will also be coming with people to aid with the non-existent demonic beast wave. I want you to get a talisman and message them. Tell them I must meet with them immediately when they arrive.”

  She had a good reputation with the immortals who came. Everyone knew of her Golden Auction. They would see this situation the same as her: a villain, one who slaughtered a mass of people, was attempting to claim ownership of the city. The immortals would unite with her to counter such a force.

  If the Black Brigade wanted red on their hands, then it would be easier for her to create the opposing force.

  Leng Ji would form an alliance with all the immortals that were set to arrive.

  And they shall be known as the Golden Alliance.

  ***

  Madam Mei Yi looked out at the window. The two pillars of blue light represented the birth of two new immortals. Her Right Guardian stood next to her, alert in case any trouble came their way. Though it wasn’t them that had trouble, but her nephew Yuhan Diyuan.

  She was listening to the report being delivered by one of her men. They withdrew when she raised a hand after they had finished.

  “Feng Xueying and Yao Luchen are both Spiritweave immortals now,” Mei Yi said.

  Zhai Tielong crossed his arms. “He declared this city as his own. He’s giving no face to anyone in the city, nor those who will be coming later this week for the Golden Auction. He invites trouble to himself.”

  “Yes, and wouldn’t he be fully aware of it too, no?” Mei Yi pondered for a moment. She prided herself in reading people, but Yuhan Diyuan was an outlier who broke expectations several times over. “More importantly, I hope you didn’t forget who just achieved the Spiritweave realm.”

  She motioned back to the two blue pillars of light. It was stable enough that any immortal who knew what to look for would know that such a light could only appear for geniuses in families with a deep background.

  “Yao Luchen,” Zhai Tielong said.

  “A boy who had a fully shattered core is now breaking through. Not a crack like Feng Xueying. It was shattered. There is no lower world cure that could help him. Not even the Divine All-Healer could do what my nephew did.”

  “Are you suggesting…?”

  Mei Yi nodded. “As it turns out, our problem also cannot be solved through lower world cures, though we’ve always hoped to find our special fire or lightning. While I am loathed to reveal our weakness, this may be our best bet. Besides, if we cannot resolve it now, we may be forced to leave the city anyway; the Niu patriarch will soon finish his healing and we no longer have the power to resist him.”

  “You will be joining the Black Brigade then?”

  Mei Yi shook her head. The Black Brigade was too small. Yuhan Diyuan had only been here for a month and he had already declared ownership of the city. A mortal declared himself to be a tyrant over the city. Someone like that wouldn’t be tied down to one location. It was likely he would want freedom to do whatever else while entrusting his territory to those who could grow it. The Black Brigade wasn’t an organization that was meant to grow continuously to other regions. It was something meant for Fengpo city specifically. What was needed was something bigger to advance Yuhan Diyuan’s territory. And who would be best equipped to advance said territory? Not Fanjian. Not Feng Xueying.

  Me.

  “What my nephew needs now is someone like me. I do not doubt that the Niu family or the Infinite Wealth Auction House will have their own schemes. Let’s prepare to meet with him. It is time we formed a new alliance—one which could advance and take over the entire region if that is his desire.”