Hao Tingfeng was dragged into the hall of the Empire. The cultivators of the Border Zone didn't like to use the things left behind by the Empire, and if they could, they would never touch anything left behind. But today after Hao Tingfeng was captured by the disciples of the Lesser Sword Sect, he was dragged into the center of the Imperial Ruins. Usually, the defenses of these ruins would attack anybody getting too close, but this time the disciples could enter without any problem.
He then was pinned by nails to a cross-shaped wooden object and lifted by the strange magic of the Imperials to the middle of the giant hall. The nails pulsated with pain inside Hao Tingfeng's flesh, but it was nothing compared to the pain burning in his heart. He had just watched as the Lesser Sword Sect slaughtered the village that was hiding him. As he was fighting with his tears, another group arrived.
Compared to the simple robes of the Lesser Sword Sect, the newcomers wore more elegant and decorated clothes. The leader was a fatty named Fan Weisheng, the young master of the Odd Art Sect. He was one of the people, who Hao Tingfeng hated from the bottom of his heart. The newcomers exchanged pleasantries and pointed laughingly at Hao Tingfeng. Fan Weisheng was the first member of the three sects to get in a fight with Hao Tingfeng.
Soon a group of half-naked people also entered the hall. Mao Heng and his goons from the Grand Saber Sect arrived and the two most annoying people of the Border Zone hugged. In the past, the Three Sects' younger generations competed against each other but after the emergence of Hao Tingfeng, everything changed. Furthermore, after the incident with Fan Weisheng, the three young masters banded together for a righteous cause to hunt Hao Tingfeng down. And if not for the older generation from the Lesser Sword Sect, they would have failed on the planet of the Seraken.
"Where is the sword maniac? He would love to see that devil Tingfeng humiliated?" asked Mao Heng in a rare moment of smartness.
"He couldn't make it, Young Master Heng. Somebody from the Stable Sword Sect arrived, and he had to be in the greeting party." bowed one of the disciples of the Lesser Sword Sect before Hao Heng.
"Oh somebody from the famed Cultivation Union arrived at our humble zone? There must be great changes coming to this zone," noted Fan Weisheng with a smirk. "What do you think, fellow Daoist Hao Tingfeng? Maybe they've come to stop your execution."
The disciples of the three sects roared with laughter, and only Mao Heng remained solemn. But after one of his goons explained the true meaning of those words, Mao Heng laughed the most loudly. Hao Tingfeng almost erupted, but he managed to hold those curses back. They wanted to anger and humiliate him before killing him, to keep their vanity and so-called "image" intact before the other disciples.
"Get over with it, Fatty Fan," shouted Hao Tingfeng back. "I don't have all day to listen to your thinly veiled threats and insults. Maybe you should have asked your mother to come here with you so you wouldn't starve for a day."
Fan Weisheng liked to eat and drink without any restraint and over the years he managed to get a huge belly. His nickname was Fatty Fan for a reason. Fan Weisheng had hunted down those who called him by his nickname but the rumors never ceased. And his mother only made this more serious, because she ordered the best immortal food and wine from the distant Cultivation Union. Fan Weiseng's head became red with anger and wanted to shout back at Hao Tingfeng, however, Mao Heng was faster.
"Shout your mouth, you devil. You have tried to defame and defile the name of my brother Weisheng numerous times in the past, but you never will succeed with your attempts."
"Oh, Mao Heng, your brain remained as dull as your blade. You can't even see the truth and claim to be the most righteous member of the Border Zone. But as I said in the past, those who are stupid and righteous at the same time, are the most influenced. If you had any smarts, you would see the truth behind those events."
It was Mao Heng's time to become enraged. He was known to be dull and dim-witted. He reached for his saber. He was also known to solve every problem with his saber and when that didn't work, he would ask his grandfather to hunt those devilish bastards who managed to outwit him.
"Enough with your empty words, Hao Tingfeng. Today you will pay for your every..."
Fan Weisheng started to perform one of his grand speeches when the whole hall shook. The Imperial Ruins stayed motionless without any sign of life in the last thousand years. And when the Lesser Sword Sect, gathered everybody notable of this generation in it, something happened? This was more than suspicious. Hao Tingfeng and Fan Weisheng were walking down the same path of thought, but Mao Heng remained confident in his righteous cause.
"Now you see the truth, devil Tingfeng. Even these ancient ruins start to rise against you and your numerous sins...
Hao Tingfeng closed out the words of that muscle-brained idiot. He was scanning the whole hall to find the source of the vibrations when he saw two people enter the hall. One of them was wearing strange white clothes with golden decorations and was holding a strange smoking stick in his mouth. The other one wore similar clothes but in green colors. This was the only notable difference between them. Both of them were taller than the master of Lesser Sword Sect and had sickly pale skin.
"...about the Governor, Commodore Sekien? Will he be able to control this zone?"
"I don't think so, Colonel. Even the previous Governor had to bow before the Cultivation Union in the end. I think only a Being can control this zone, but all Beings are important resources of our Empire." answered the man in white, and then paused for a second. "Who are these?"
The cultivators already turned back towards the door and also were studying the newcomers. They were smitten by the arrival of these strangers. However, before anybody could formulate an opinion, Mao Heng stepped forward and loudly proclaimed himself.
"My name is Mao Heng, the most righteous of the generation and the Young Master of the Grand Saber Sect. And also the grandson of the Grand Ma...
"So loud." interjected the one in green clothes and swiped his hand towards the cultivators.
Hao Tingfeng couldn't explain what he saw. The entire younger generation of the Border Zone turned into fine red mist.
"They were too weak to be important." said the green-clothed man lazily. "However, how did that one survive my attack? Is he stronger than a stage 10 expert?"
"No, Colonel Vlastimir. He is simply crucified on the Cross of Imperial Judgement. Nobody but those with enough influence can release or kill him now."
The two were speaking words that Hao Tingfeng couldn't understand when he could hear another noise. Something was knocking on the floor of the Imperial Ruins, creating an eerie echo inside the hall. The two strangers also turned around to search for the source of this new noise. It grew louder as the source was getting closer and closer to the hall. Then it stopped and a figure appeared at the door of the hall.
Hao Tingfeng couldn't describe the dread and the oppression coming from that figure. It was a man in as black clothes as the void between the planets with a cane in his left hand. He was even larger than the two strangers. This man looked more like the giants of Changchun. His right leg limped behind his body and his right hand looked like a twig, while his left side was filled with power. His left shoulder was broad, while his right shoulder was shriveled up. This duality could even be seen his face.
His right face was full of scars and it looked like an old man's face. His skin was dry and sickly yellow. His right small, faint eye was hiding between wrinkles. However, his hair was even blacker than his clothes and looked velvety and fresh. Furthermore, the left side of his face looked like a handsome young man. His green eye was glowing while his skin was smooth and snow white. But though Hao Tingfeng could differentiate between the side of the man, he could not find a borderline between the old and sickly and the young and healthy side.
The man slowly looked around the hall and opened his mouth. His voice was booming and so loud that Hao Tingfeng's eyes and ears started to bleed.
"Who dares to defile this glorious hall of our Empire? I ask that brave being to stand out and face me. To face me and receive his punishment for sulling one of the sacred places of the Emperor!"