Upon Lucas's descent, Felicity greeted him with a still-surprised expression. The astonishing phenomenon of the light ball he created had swiftly annihilated all the ambushers.
"Lucas, how powerful are you really? How could you negate the limits of your cultivation base? Where does all of the spiritual energy that you use come from?" Felicity bombarded him with questions.
Lucas merely chuckled in response. "Now you have time to be rude. Forget about it. If you don't want to answer my question, I will just eventually learn it if you trust me enough to spill your secrets," Felicity said in a dispirited tone.
Pity filled Lucas's eyes as he contemplated Felicity's discovery of his real personality and identity. Despite his lingering concerns, he couldn't ignore the fact that she had promised to assist him in the Upper Heavens. 'Now that guilts me,' he thought.
After the brief conversation, Lucas initiated the area spell he had mentioned earlier. This spell aimed to capture spies within its confines for the safety of the citizens. A cursed type of magic, it could be placed in an area temporarily. If anyone harbored malicious intent toward one of the citizens, they would be apprehended.
However, worries lingered. If the spies decided to venture outside the cursed area, they could escape.
Flying for 10 minutes straight down the entire escape route, Lucas activated the spell. He then returned to Felicity's side, and shortly afterward, the citizens and the guarding cultivators arrived.
Both of them concealed themselves and left the area to deal with the remaining bandits.
"Now, our only problem is the alarmed observers outside the escape route."
Finally, having dealt with the ambushers, Lucas and Felicity ventured to other parts of the forest. Utilizing Felicity's Celestial Senses, they located every bandit in the area. From the northern side of the city, Lucas activated his absorbing light balls again, swiftly ending everyone's lives without feeling any pain or remorse.
It was a cruel scene for ordinary people. Even with the cause of saving the city, how could a human kill without hesitation? It was a mass massacre.
Yet, Lucas, having lived a long time and gained plenty of experience, harbored no hatred towards bandits or criminals. Instead, he assessed their actions against the backdrop of the world and passed judgment.
Since Lucas believed that bandits lacked a meaningful purpose in this world, he saw no qualms in eliminating them to restore peace in his vicinity. Unlike his previous world, where he faced constraints on actions that could disrupt the balance, in this realm governed by the rule of "strong eat the weak," Lucas could live without being burdened by those he killed or obligated to save anyone he deemed unnecessary.
He didn't harbor cruelty; rather, he approached matters with practicality, incorporating the rules of this world into his foundational principles. If he intended to coexist with immortals, he had to navigate this world as an immortal. However, adhering to the rules didn't mean adopting the same personality.
After a few moments, Lucas absorbed all the energy coming to him, leaving no part untouched. Felicity observed him with confusion, wondering if he was cultivating at that moment. Was he implying that he would reach at least the General Spirit Realm by absorbing their energies? How was such a feat possible?
When Lucas finished cultivating, he took a breath and stretched his limbs, then inquired about the whereabouts of the remaining 3,000.
"On the western side. And in the southern part, I can see the General Spirit Realm cultivator," Felicity reported.
A creepy smile appeared on Lucas's lips. Felicity shrugged it off and continued following him, pondering how she could ever repay him in this scenario.
Lucas, satisfied with his progress, had reached the 3rd level of the Master Spirit Realm in his cultivation base, and his third energy had ascended to the 4th level of the same stage.
As he spent some time cultivating, Lucas grew a bit bored with the routine. Despite Felicity not actively participating, he felt an inexplicable sense of boredom.
"Why don't we spice up the fun?" Lucas suddenly suggested, catching Felicity off guard.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Let's kill them with our hands, of course. Don't you want to do it?" Lucas proposed.
"No, thanks. I'm disgusted with blood," Felicity declined.
Lucas then made another suggestion, assuring her that it wouldn't involve splattering blood throughout the area.
"Killing them with light balls is boring, so let's kill them with pressure," Lucas muttered, eliciting a frown from Felicity.
"Are you being sadistic? Why are you so eager to kill?"
"Well, nothing worthy to mention. Let's just finish this, shall we?"
"Sighs... Okay, let's go."
They then proceeded to the western side, where almost 750 bandits were panicking due to the sudden disconnection from their comrades.
On the western side, everyone was agitated, fearing they might have triggered some expert. If not, why did a battalion disappear? Contacting them was impossible, and there was no sign of life at their positions. Where could they be? Did they die?
"This isn't good. Go report to the leader and ask for reinforcement. I can feel a strong pressure coming here."
"I understood. Please stay well, platoon leader."
"Don't worry, I am now at the Master stage, so I can put up a fight with that pressure."
"Yes."
Felicity, listening from a distance, raised her eyebrows, pondering why these bandits used military units.
Lucas observed the agitated crowd in front of him. They appeared distressed and uneasy in their location.
"Well, they must be really alarmed. Then, let's start the fun," Lucas mumbled after releasing the pressure from his body.
Felicity followed suit, her body emitting the pressure from her cultivation base as well.
Thick air, corresponding to the pressure, permeated the area. The bandits standing couldn't help but shout from the intense pressure imposed by both of them. They couldn't see the individuals applying the pressure; it was just too strong for their senses to handle.
With every step, a group of bandits succumbed to the pressure. Losing count of their kills, Lucas couldn't help but release a smirk.
This was the relief he had sought for in the past few years. However, shackled by immortality, he couldn't execute it until now.
But right now, where immortals also live, he couldn't find the words to describe the feeling of freedom he was experiencing.
After a few minutes of their rampage, a formidable cultivator arrived.
Felicity noticed the incoming cultivator and promptly reported it to Lucas at her side, bringing a sense of satisfaction to him.
"Then, the last piece for my breakthrough. The one who will let me reach the General stage," Lucas mumbled, sensing that his visit to Duster City had become a jackpot for his cultivation journey.