Few minutes later.
Whoosh!
As if a major change occurred within his body, marks skin started hardening for a second, turning faint red with tightened muscles.
His hair started dancing wildly, at the same time reached a couple meters in length to wreak havoc. Lashing out the to surroundings like a deadly whip, which obtained its own consciousness.
And at the end a flash of golden light emitting out his body, and his body changes were reversed I.e, the old slender body of kid was brought back.
" Ding! Host levels up! "
" Ding! Host enters the third refinement stage!"
As soon as his refinement points crossed the limit of second stage, Aina rang out a couple messages which caused a delightful expression on mark's face.
Mark slowly opened his eyes, examining his internals only to feel himself getting strengthened, more destructive than earlier.
" Finally! This mark surmounted two refinement stages in a day!
But still I am far cry behind those mighty emperor class cultivator in terms of strength!
Right now Mark's third refinement had brought a qualitative leap in his body strength, pushing his limits to peak stage of an aura king.
Coupled with way of strength and asura cry, a typical half step emperors could no longer rival him, at best would be reduced to refinement points for his growth.
But still the gap between a true emperor class cultivator and a half step was large, which could not be neglected.
Mark quickly had a need to enter the fourth stage in refinement, if he were to challenge such powerful existences.
Comming back to present, both Cela and Wendy had complex feelings regarding mark.
They were staring at him as if he was an weird abnormal to begin with.
Earlier, they noticed mark getting stronger, at the same time felt threatened as if they'll loose their life in this wreaked mansion.
Since the time mark came to the western warlords palace, Cela had been observing him.
At first glance, she could determine Mark to be special, holding some mysterious powers that made him far stronger than ordinary.
Right at the time when abyss demon was slayed, she became a bit doubtful at the beginning, but was startled after examining marks body.
She was able to examine a qualitative leap in one's strength, which confused and increased the part of curiosity in Mark.
Right now, when the undead queen and her minions were slayed.
She cela was able to witness yet an another rise, that no longer were within her logical reasoning.
She had heard of cases, where demonic practitioners were able to rise their strength through unorthodox means.
Cases like sacrifices, presented to their demonic god were documented, but the actual method of those practices were lost to the current world.
Though the power leap in such cases were negligible, in long run it made the practitioners capable of harnessing strength that made them reach the sumit.
There was saying that "Great strength comes with great risks", so was the case for demonic practitioners.
The side effect of such practices were fatal, and almost all such practitioners end up losing their sanity, by demonic possession.
Turning their bodies to mindless killing machines, that do rest until their bodies fall apart.
" But still... he doesn't seems to be practicing those scum means! "
Cela pondered deeply only to get more vexed about it.
Earlier, they had almost discerned mark to be a demonic practitioner. Increasing his cultivation through killing!
But they quickly ruled out that conjecture. One reason being his releases aura.
Extreme golden aura! Which was a sign of pureness. Complete opposite to blood red varieties which a demonic cultivators possess.
The other reason being the cultivation stability.
Demonic path is similar to waking on a narrow cliff end, bling folded, risking life with each moves the practitioner makes.
The hard earned power in decades could go disappear overnight, had their energies been snapped out their bodies, being unstable.
But still these practices were extremely popular in ancient times, where the commeres would grab the chance to change their destined fates.
But for cela, through all examinations of her on mark, she wasn't able to find traces of those chaotic energies, that might cause unstability.
Instead of pondering deep in this topic, she better preferred to ask it directly from Mark himself.
After a complete silence of one minute, cela broke the silence, questioning.
" By any chance... Are you an unorthodox demonic practitioner? "
" What? Demonic practitioner! "
Mark muttered out in surprise.
" Or else... you are an ancient devil spawn! "
Following Cela, Wendy started questioning her inner thoughts.
" Yes! He might be an ancient devil! "
Cela exclaimed out with a frightened face.
" Fuck! In a second, you both made me a devil out of your curiosity!
Can't blame them for being ignorant, since the existence of system is not known to all! "
Mark reasoned out, chuckling a little exclaiming.
" Out of no where, why are you making this mark a devil? "
" Didn't you just increased your powers through killing? "
They both asked in unison.
" Yes, but that alone doesn't just make me a devil! "
Mark laughed out questioning back.
" Then what techniques are you using? "
They were asking him continuously, and had no signs of stopping until they get their required answers.
Devils were a special race that could increase their cultivation through killing, without bottle necks nor receiving blackslashs!
But such races were considered myths, without any confirmatory proof to prove their existence.
And even if they were to be present, such races would not be tolerated by others, and be long since exterminated.
Cultivation through killing! It's all been what mark was practicing till today.
When they were questioning his existence with devil, he too was not sure weather what their assumptions were correct or wrong!
Since he himself was not sure about this system thing, he couldn't give them a satisfactory answers.
" Why are so interested in my cultivation technique?
Fret not this mark ain't a demon punk nor some legendary devil!
I too have some secrets, which aren't meant to be discussed out! "
Exclaiming it out, mark stood up, tidying his back only to walk out the wreakened hall with long and fast steps.
" Boss! Where do we go next? "
Since her boss didn't want to share his secrets, she couldn't pry further.
" Outside this palace! "
Looking at the sheet of paper that had coordinates, mark exclaimed out with a frown on his face.
" Do i tag along? "
" No! They want me to come there, alone. "
Pondering for a second, Wendy exclaimed.
" Wait! Let me transform! "
Within a flash, Wendy started shrinking, releasing orange red aura, while flying towards mark.
Finally, by the time she reached next to him, she became bean sized, hiding behind his collar, controlling her aura only to mask her presence.
" Didn't I said that I'll be going there alone? "
Picking her out his pockets, mark questioned with an angry face, lowering his brows only only to throw her into the bush.
" Ah!~~ little bra... master, Don't throw this Wendy away! "
Tidying her disheaved hair, Wendy rushed up before flying before his face in T shape.
" You little! It's dangerous over there, and the possibility of them killing the bait would increase if they find a second person besides me! "
Raising his voice a little mark exclaimed with an angry face, pushing her aside not bothering with her in the least.
" Wait! I know it's dangerous, that's why let me tag along, it's not that I am being loyal or something, it's just that I don't want you to die!
With soul pact, I'll probably be no more the moment your die! I can't wait back anxious with my life hanging at such! At least let me fight! "
" Ding! Adding her as a back up might not necessarily be a bad thing! just don't let her presence be made known until the eleventh hour! "
Aina suggested her thoughts, which seemed some what acceptable to him.
But still he feared an emperor class cultivator, who might spot her presence.
If they could go as far as turning the palace to dead haven, only to lure him out, mark couldn't guess the limit they might go, had they discovered Wendy.
" Ok, but in one condition! "
Mark pauses for a second before exclaiming
" Mask your presence and unless I call you out you aren't supposed to pop out my collar! "
Without muttering a word out, Wendy hided behind his collar, masking her presence as if she wasn't present to begin with.
" Ok then, cela when that comerad of yours exits his cultivation, regroup the survivors at this place, I'll be coming back shortly!
Whoosh!
Within a flash, mark disappeared from the place, repeating his traversing until he came out this palace for good!
######
15 minutes later.
Outside the palace.
Taking a deep breath, mark sighed out
" The cursed air in the inside, it feels a lot better out here!
And judging by the coordinates, it would take a dozen minutes before I reach that place! "
Whoosh!
Without holding back, mark traversed out and tried reaching the place without wasting enough time.
Ten minutes later.
Near red wolf tribes' camp.
" A couple more miles to go, but let's search around the area, to check weather they cooked an ambush ahead for this mark ! "
Mark exclaimed internally, supressing his presence, traversing around to check for ambush.
Since time was yet to be overed, mark wanted to check for an ambush and didn't want to feel sorry once a group of cultivators gang on him, at the destined location.
Ten minutes later.
Mark returned to his old back location, making few rounds around the destined location only to get started, looking at the numbers that were present ahead.
" Fuck! How well organised are those bastards!
2000 initial order aura kings, 400 middle order, 100 high order and fifteen peak order with their mysterious barracks, who knows how many cultivators are within!
And that Xena she might be present inside that barracks, so the possibility of getting out that place is one tenth, but still I have to formulate a plan! "
Mark had almost jumped up in surprise looking at their sheer numbers.
Though cultivators below peak order aura king were easy targets, mark couldn't underestimate them, as the sheer number is alone to tire him till death.
Just when Mark was wreaking his head to sort out a solution, Wendy jumped up to his shoulders, suggesting.
" Since we are facing trouble with numbers, why don't we increase create a number for us to repel them? "
Wendy raised her brows, sighing him that she an undead queen currently, and what's she's proficient with was raising the undead!
Mark quickly formulated a plan, which made him smile out, but still the possibility of failure had caused him to frown deeply.
Author's notes.
The part of western warlords palace is overed and the part of confronting the red wolf tribe is on!
Comment or review my book if you like the chapter.
Power Stones are luxury which I can't ask casually, and thanks for reading my chapter dear readers.