"What!?"
Boom!
A thunderous, rage-filled voice echoed from within a hall. One of the many supporting pillars even collapsed from a blow levied by the owner.
"W—We are useless Sect Master!"
The Four Star Core experts who had run off with Xue Zi fell to the floor as they continuously kowtowed, begging for forgiveness.
The figure the two experts kowtowed to was naturally the Sect Master of the Blood Crypt Sect, Xue Zhuang, Xue Zi's father.
He had a tall and imposing figure. One could even hear the blood qi circulating within his body like a roaring river. His eyes were filled with scarlet veins, giving him the appearance of a berserker.
His son was in front of him, unconscious, with a pained expression on his face. Lightning arcs erupted every now and again, causing him to spasm uncontrollably.
He placed his hand on Xue Zi's body and his expression turned ever graver. 'Tribulation lightning? It seems to only be at the Heavenly Levyance level. But the energy is running rampant in his body! Damn it! What the hell happened!?'
His attention turned to the two kneeling failures before him. "Tell me everything that happened from beginning to end. I want every detail!"
"Yes, Sect Master!" The two nodded profusely as they explained everything that happened from the moment the bullying of their members took place to when the human named Long Di injured their young master.
When the two finished speaking, they banged their heads to the ground once more for forgiveness from their Sect Master. The two were quite clear on how cruel this sect master of theirs was, evident by the shuddering of their bodies as they knelt down.
However, to their surprise, the sect master's look of perpetual anger disappeared as he rubbed his chin in rumination. "Everything that you just said, is it exactly as you described? Down to the very last detail?"
"Y-Yes Sect Master Xue!" The two hastily replied.
"Interesting," a smile etched its way across his face.
"So a small, declining, backwater sect thinks it can touch upon the prestige of our Blood Crypt Sect? Hahahahahaa!" His bellowing laugh shook the halls before it stopped brutally.
"S—Sect Master?" One of the two asked.
He waved them off. "You're forgiven, but you need to help in healing my son."
The two brightened immediately. "Rest assured, we will do everything in our power. Just give us the word. Whether it be crossing through a sea of flames or climbing a mountain of knives, we will not hesitate!"
"It'll be a bit different, actually." Xue Zhuang stated as he looked down at his son lying on the platform before him with a grave expression once more.
The two finally stood up after receiving his forgiveness and they fixed their attention upon Xue Zi as well. "How so? You have a way to save the young master sect master?"
"Yes."
Shu!
Immediately after saying this, he disappeared from where he was, reappearing on the other side of the stone platform, standing in between the two men and his son.
His palm slammed down on Xue Zi's chest before he forcibly drew the Heavenly Levyance lightning from Xue Zi's body.
Krrrsh!
Its terrifying energy caused prickling pain to his very soul. He quickly transferred it to the two experts that were beside him.
"Wha—!"
The entire action from the sect master moving to the transfer of the Heavenly Levyance lightning to the body of the two unsuspecting experts took place in the span of a single breath.
Before the two could even react, the lightning energy that was like a wild horse before became even more rampant, akin to a raging dragon!
It tore through their organs and before they could even formulate a proper defence, the two blew up into a bloody mist!
"How vicious!" Sect master Xue sucked in a breath of cold air when he saw this.
Even though he expected this, he didn't know it would be so tyrannical!
After all, he could tell that the lightning was acting a bit restrained in his son's body, most likely done by the offender to gain time to either escape or formulate a plan for the eventual reprisal.
He knew that the moment the lightning left Xue Zi's body, whatever restraint it was that held it from going out of control would become ineffective.
This was why he sent it into the bodies of the two with their guards down.
He wanted to see its destructive capabilities for himself. Even though their guards were down, he never thought its killing power would be so great!
Xue Zhuang was never going to let them off, after all. Because of them, his precious son had been in mortal danger.
"Mhhmm…"
A groan came from behind him. Xue Zhuang turned around to see Xue Zi finally coming to.
The latter reflexively sat up before he was forced back down by his father.
"F—Father? I—I'm alive!?"
Xue Zi couldn't believe he was alive. The pain he felt when he passed out was one that gnawed at him even in an unconscious state. It was a fate worse than death to suffer like that.
When it was confirmed he was still alive, his head fell in shame. "Xue Zi has shamed you, father. I don't even deserve any milk."
Xue Zhuang's expression softened when he heard this. He truly did love the boy and doted on him as well.
Of course, this resulted in the latter being arrogant and overbearing. "Don't worry Zi'er, you will get another chance to wash away this shame."
"R—Really!?"
Xue Zhuang nodded in confirmation. However, he could see that Xue Zi's excitement quickly faded.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Father, I don't mind fighting to regain my lost honour, but as much as I hate to admit it, that human is a freak of nature. He looked no more than eleven, but he was already at the Core Flame Evocation realm. The disparity in strength is just too much at this point."
"Hahaha hahaha!"
"Father? What's so funny?" Xue Zi naturally felt confused when he saw his father laughing at him like this.
"You are much too gullible son! Do you truly believe that within this entire continent, there is such a young Core Flame Evocation realm expert and that such a demonic-level genius would join a sect whose name this great one doesn't even know? A sect without any name!? Not to mention, he is nothing but human trash. Their kind is despicable and wretched. He probably used some treasure that increased his strength temporarily, and whatever weapon it is that he used to hurt you is not something we are unable to handle."
"It's not his own strength!?" Xue Zi never considered something like that.
"Of course not! Those two fools were tricked by a brat who probably hasn't even forgotten the taste of his mother's breast milk! The energy inside you is a type of energy known as tribulation lightning. The one you were inflicted with was at the Heavenly Levyance grade," Xue Zhuang explained.
He then continued. I had seen an expert undergoing their tribulation back in my younger days, and it was the same grade he had called down. But Do you truly think that any cultivator, much less an eleven-year-old brat, is able to command the same energy that the Heavens itself uses to pass down judgement on those who are powerful enough to go against it!? To pass judgement on those powerful enough to flip the seas and overturn the skies!?"
Once Xue Zi heard the awe-inspiring words of his father, a look of fanaticism flashed in his eyes as well as enlightenment.
Of course, how could there be such a heaven-defying cultivator in a declined sect? It might have been possible were he from one of the ten great sects, but not even those existences were of the level that this human made himself out to be.
"Don't worry, I will have you reach the Core Formation realm as fast as I can. Once you reach this level, I will be able to pass on the Blood Crypt Sect's Blood Course Map Body Technique!" Xue Zhuang announced.
"That's the sect's defining technique! Is it really okay for me to learn it!?" Xue Zi was shocked. He never thought he would get the chance to learn it so soon!
"Hmph! Who do you think the sect master is!?" Xue Zhuang snorted.
"We'll make sure you're properly healed first and then we'll begin your training. Once you're ready and done, I will bring our army to their gates and after you trample that insect. We'll take care of everything after!"
Xue Zi was shocked. Was there really a need to go this far simply to regain face!?
"Don't worry too much about it. There are things taking place that go far beyond your ken at the moment." Xue Zhuang said after seeing his son's rumination.
"There are some things I need to take care of right now. Are you sure you don't want any milk?" Xue Zhuang asked.
Xue Zi turned silent. His father's question, which he normally welcomed, reminded him of a very unsavoury situation.
"I—I'm fine, father. I don't need any milk for now."