"Sister Klara, do we have to invite this sinister sect to the ceremony?"
A group of six people, dressed in silver and yellow uniforms, soared through the air on their flying swords. The group consisted of three boys and three girls, with the prettiest red-haired girl leading them.
She nodded in response to her junior sister's question. "Even though they use immoral techniques to cultivate, they are still a sect, and we are obligated to invite them."
If Gaya were present, she would easily identify them by their uniforms. The six individuals belonged to the renowned Morning Star sect of Bredia.
Another girl, sweet-looking and pretty, turned to the red-haired girl and spoke softly. "Why do we have to do this? Wasn't this Orion's responsibility?"
"Apparently, someone was dumb enough to take a quest from the guild that Orion was looking to complete, so he is searching for that fool all over Rivertown."
"Oh?" The girl sounded surprised, glancing at the boy beside her. "Who was he? Which sect does he belong to?"
"Sect? Hmph." The boy snickered. "He was a rogue cultivator according to the guild, and hear this, he is only at the foundation level."
All the students present were astonished. Within the Bredia Kingdom, nobody had ever dared to defy them, let alone take one of their quests. What made it more unbelievable was that this person was merely at the foundation level.
"He must have come from another kingdom, but it doesn't matter now. When Orion gets his hands on him, he's dead."
The three boys' faces were filled with smiles while the girl frowned and moved closer to Klara.
"Sister Klara, can you do something? He obviously made a mistake by taking Orion's quest."
Klara glared back at the girl and shrugged. "With his puny cultivation level, he shouldn't even have approached the guild yet. Not only did he go there, but he also took the quest without Orion's permission. It seems he is more arrogant than Orion, so we should let him learn his lesson."
"But Sister Klara?"
"If he weren't from Bredia, I'd tell Orion to leave him alive after he finishes punishing him, okay?"
"Why are you trying to defend that fool?"
The girl gave the boys a wry smile and sighed. "I just don't want anyone to get killed over some minor mistake, that's all."
"Shhh, we have entered the sect's premises." Klara gestured for them to be quiet as they landed.
As soon as Klara and the group touched down, more than ten shadows emerged from the dense forest to greet them.
"Welcome, welcome to the Blood and Bones, everyone."
An old man in ragged clothing led a group of sect elders. Their hair was messy, and their bodies emitted the scent of alcohol. At first glance, they appeared to be nothing more than intoxicated beggars.
The two girls behind Klara struggled to conceal their disdain due to the stench, while the boys wore awkward expressions.
"Sect Master Ralphy, we are here to invite you to the annual Bright Light Ceremony." Klara retrieved a gold tablet from her space ring and handed it to the old man.
Sect Master Ralphy accepted the tablet but not before inhaling deeply, a look of pleasure crossing his face. Klara felt a wave of disgust wash over her as she observed the lustful glint in their eyes. Nevertheless, she maintained her composure.
After a few breaths, Sect Master Ralphy licked his lips and turned to address the elders in a deep voice. "Go to the next nearby village and collect our protection fee. We can't attend the ceremony without gifts in our hands."
The two elderly men behind him trembled and quickly responded, "Of course, Sect Master Ralphy. We will gather some disciples and collect the fee before dawn."
Seeing the elders depart with strange expressions, the girls and boys suppressed their disgust and anxiously waited for Klara to leave.
"Good."
With that said, the old man chuckled. However, just as the elders were about to leave, a figure clad in black robes emerged from the forest and entered the clearing.
Observing the direction in which the disciples were staring, the old man turned to see a young man walking toward them.
He inquired of the Morning Star sect disciples, "Do you know him?"
The disciples shook their heads, completely clueless. Klara frowned when she assessed the youth's cultivation level.
The old man's expression grew cold as he greeted the youth with a sinister smile. A palpable aura of killing intent emanated from his eyes. With a wave of his hand, he signaled to the elders, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on the approaching youth. In a matter of seconds, Klara and her group witnessed ten disciples of the Blood and Bone sect, clad in blood-red robes, materialize on the clearing and encircle the black-robed youth.
Master Ralphy shifted his attention to the youth and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You've got some nerve trespassing into the Blood and Bone sect, kid. Do you have a death wish or something? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to send all of you to hell."
Master Ralphy's brows furrowed, and the elders gasped in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Klara's group wore expressions of curiosity and suspicion.
One of the girls asked Klara in a hushed voice, "Sister Klara, who is he? Where did he come from?"
The others exchanged puzzled glances and shook their heads. "I have no idea, but he seems insane, strolling in here with his foundation-level cultivation."
The members of Klara's group engaged in a hushed discussion as they occasionally glanced at the black-robed youth, each forming their own thoughts about him.
"Since you're so determined to die, allow me to grant your wish!"
A veritable mountain of muscle blocked Michael's path, wearing a wicked smile. His biceps bulged, and he wielded a hefty six-foot golden axe.
"Damn, that guy must be devouring entire boars and buffalos for breakfast."
In comparison to the hulking man before him, Michael looked like a mere lamb.
Pulch.
Suddenly, the burly man's eyes widened, and he dropped his massive axe to the ground. A few seconds later, he collapsed to his knees, and the onlookers saw a black knife protruding from his heart, blood seeping from the wound. Michael retrieved the knife and effortlessly kicked the axe into his hand.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a Body Refining stage, level 6 cultivator. The reward is 4500 experience points and 200 Badass points.]
Indeed, for a brief moment, everyone was left in astonishment, including Klara's group, who stood frozen in their tracks.
They watched with gaping mouths as Michael transformed into a bolt of lightning, charging straight at the group of Blood and Bone Sect disciples who had surrounded him with unwavering fearlessness.
Pulch. Pulch. Pulch.
They couldn't discern Michael's body; all they saw was a lightning bolt in the midst of the group. Each time the lightning bolt approached a disciple, hot blood splattered onto the ground.
Within a matter of seconds, Michael halted in his tracks, leaving the disciples who had surrounded him moments ago now sprawled in puddles of their own blood.
The six members of the Morning Star sect stood dumbfounded, their faces etched with shock.
In just a brief moment, he had accomplished this?
"They... they're... moving."
The pretty girl behind Klara pointed at the disciples, and the others leaned in for a closer look.
All of the disciples had their legs severed or brutally mangled in a horrifying manner. Broken bones jutted out from their limbs, making the girls feel nauseated.
"BASTARD!!!"
Ralphy's anger erupted like a volcano, his shout echoing through the forest and startling the resting birds into flight.
In that instant, even before Ralphy could command them, the Blood and Bone Sect disciples rushed at Michael with faces contorted in rage.
"Cut them down, human."
With his blood-spattered axe resting on his shoulder, Michael stood there with a malevolent smile, waving for them to attack him as a group.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully displaying extreme badassery. The reward is 100 badass points.]
"Ignitia."
He unleashed lightning bolts from his hand, targeting the weaker disciples.
"AH!"
The lightning bolts were aimed at their legs, searing their flesh to reveal their bones.
"Lightning dash."
Before the stronger disciples could cast a shield spell, he transformed into a bolt of lightning, dashing toward them.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind a single cultivator who had been attempting to attack him. A wicked smile graced his face as he spoke, "I'm right behind you!"
"Ah!" The disciple's eyes widened in panic as if he had just seen a ghost.
In an instant, Michael swung his axe down upon him, severing both of the disciple's legs completely from his body, and the severed limbs flew toward the elders.
Shortly after, the arcs of lightning beneath his feet crackled and danced like streaks of lightning in the sky.
He then turned his attention to the next disciple.
"I'm just getting started."