There were always those that couldn't sit tight. That regardless of what course the story took, would seek to break the flow. Those people didn't hesitate to expose the spies they buried in the Imperial Dao Pavilion, believing that even if they couldn't snatch Harun, at least they could reveal the Life and Death Stele's true abilities. Several leaders of hegemonic and noble clans took part in this ploy. But little did they know that the more they pushed him, the more relieved Harun felt.
Men's hearts weren't made of stone. As harrowing as the cultivation path might be, Harun couldn't just devastate a world with a smile. He'd do it if there was no other way to save himself. But the consequences and innocent lives lost in the crossfire would prevent him from feeling any satisfaction. Those relentless Gods made the choice easier.
"Push," Harun wanted to say. "Keep pushing and make me think, make me feel that there is no one worth caring for in this heavenly cursed world. That me aside, all else deserve the grave. I thank you for making the choice easier on my soul. Heavens know it needed it," Harun inwardly chortled and reached out with his oversized sleeves. From the shadows of the full moon, three more figures appeared. Each boasting a third-level Celestial Guard cultivation base.
With its recent breakthrough, if the Decaying Flower still stood in Harun's body, he could effortlessly behead those three. But with his soul busy in the Extreme Yin Prison's isolated underground, Harun couldn't digest the breakthrough's gains. His current body only possessed the strength and speed of the Decaying Flower's second-layer—without any of the unique abilities it could display.
Those three third-level Celestial Guards therefore became serious threats—almost. Slashing open his palms with his bare hands, Harun waved his blood-drenched sleeves:
"Soul-Eroding Flame!" T-posing, Harun arched his head back, and from his oversized sleeves, dark-green, poisonous flames poured out—spreading their noxious scent across dozens of square meters. Strangely, the flames didn't seem to have any destructive power. Even mortals could push their hands through it. But as they protected their noses and avoided all contact with the flames, the three Celestial Guards soon realized...that their fleshly body...wasn't the target!
Those flames moved past physical barriers to bury themselves in their victims' souls and leave a foul miasma within. Instantly, the three assassins could feel their strength dwindle. Although their cultivation bases still stood at the third-level of the Celestial Guard Realm, they couldn't use more than a first-level Celestial Guard's might. Alarmed, the three staggered—spreading their senses across all directions to spot a hidden assault of Noxious Flame Flies.
They didn't need to worry. Those flies were bred and nurtured within Harun's poisonous blood and weren't commodities he would exhaust here.
"The information is completely wrong. What Life and Death Stele? He's strong, very strong, and backed by many devious means. We're throwing our lives away for naught!" One of the three told his partners through a mental message, exhausting their morale with every word. The leader, however, didn't surrender to panic.
"Although the situation and tricks we now face are out of all our expectations, the fact of the matter remains that...this is a fourth-level Celestial Kin. So what if he can reduce our strengths? As long as we can get one slash in, we can take his head! Do not lose your mind to unforeseen twists and remain focused on the mission!" The leader ordered, instantly revitalizing his subordinates. Sensing this, Harun praised them with a nod.
"Not bad. As they feel their strength collapse, their bones and muscles clogged by unknown substances, many outright lose their fighting will. You're more tenacious than I gave you—" Before Harun finished his words, his tiny figure hurtled at the leader, reaching him before his brain processed the change.
*PAH*
With a left swing of his oversized sleeve, Harun smacked the leader across the cheek, sending him spiraling leftward. By the time he dropped on the ground, the other two had regained their senses. But ignoring them, Harun vanished, reappeared above the tumbling leader, and as the assassin's teeth still fell, Harun condensed dark-green miasma around his palm and struck!
"Organ-Melting Palm!" While the palm seemed hidden by the sleeves, the blow hit the leader's chest with full force. The miasma spread across his internal organs, seeping into his heart, brain, lungs and more—making them rot at naked-eye speed.
"Aaaargh!" The two let out a high-pitched, prolonged cry, and at their backs, the dazzling forms of a massive tiger and whale took shape. Manifesting their totems, the two spread to Harun's left and right, each unleashing their strongest move.
"Divine Power: Tidal Wave!"
"Divine Power: Crippling Roar!"
A whirlpool formed at Harun's left, turning into a wide-ranging blue wave that tumbled onto him while, at his right, the roar of a barbaric beast rattled his eardrums, attempting to crush his fighting will, and ruin his mobility.
With a smile, Harun leaped into the air, aiming his sleeves at his two targets:
"Divine Power: Devouring!" Irresistible suction force surged from Harun's palms, making the tidal wave shrink, the roar collapse, and siphoning whatever remained of the two moves within his sleeves. As if supporting himself on thin air, Harun leaped toward the tiger at his right, slamming into him with a missile's impact.
"Organ-Melting Palm!" Harun raised his hand, and dreading the fate of his superior, who still decomposed on the ground, the tiger transferred all his Heavenly Qi toward his legs—leaping out of Harun's range. But as the assassin bet all on his escape, Harun opened his mouth, and seven invisible needles stabbed the tiger's forehead, eyes, neck, lungs and heart—he died on the spot.
Now, the whale alone remained, and when Harun's childish, innocent face turned to meet his eyes, he lost all martial will.
"The target suddenly shrank in size and age, yet only became more dreadful than our intel suggested. What...the hell is this?
Flee, I must flee! If only to report our findings, I must escape!" He convinced himself, and learning from his friends' mistakes, zigzagged to avoid Harun's projectiles while keeping a bronze shield treasure at his back to protect him from unexpected blows.
"As if I'd let you," Harun whispered, but before he could close in on his target, the latter swallowed a red pill, and his speed shot up—becoming six times what he possessed at his peak.
Alas, as both Harun and the runaway were starting to believe in his escape, a flying sword whistled across the night, and lopped his head off! And while the runaway assassin's head soared high, a lithe figure dropped, as if coming out of the full moon—gracefully landing before Harun.
"It's you?"