Yuan Zhen and Qi Zixie took off, heading straight for Ji Xian's pagoda in the heart of the city.
They ran along the rooftops, leaping from building to building.
Beneath them, scared people were hustling to and fro, not even knowing that the danger was already upon them. A large tide of people were rushing chaotically in a similar direction.
When that soldier had blew his horn, he had put the citizens into a state of high emergency. They didn't care about anything else but their lives at this point.
Some of them left their valuables behind, while a few others even left children behind. Everyone wanted to escape through the south gate and be safe from the attackers.
"Ignorant weaklings." Yuan Zhen said disdainfully.
As he looked down at the people, he felt ashamed to even call himself a part of their race. They were heading toward the forest, thinking they would be safe there.
Did they not even know what lied beyond the south gate?
"Indeed they are. Such is the way of puny insects, I suppose."
Hearing Qi Zixie's remarks, he turned to look at her, giving her a nod.
"You're at the peak of Spirit Manifestation?"
"Yes. The peak of the Eight Stage of Spirit Manifestation. I've only just awoken my manifestation."
"What shape has your spirit taken?"
Qi Zixie was pleased to see that he was interested in her cultivation, but reminded herself not to be too proud.
After all, he was at a lower level than her yet could still end her life.
"My spirit has manifested as a single horn, like a rhinoceros, except it is many hundreds of feet tall. It grants me a powerful dominant aura that boosts my energy tenfold."
His brows twitched.
"An impressive, manifestation. You should let me see it in action. Subdue Ji Xian and his protectors with it when we arrive."
"Yes, Lord Yuan."
Without any further words, they arrived at the foot of the pagoda, staring at the entrance which was supposed to be guarded.
They saw the doors opened, two long halberds left behind on the floor. It was likely that the guards at the entrance had fled.
They entered, quickly making their way up to the top floor.
At the very top, in a large chamber, a young man in golden robes sat in his throne. His long silver hairs reached his shoulders, and his bright eyes surveyed the room with calm indifference.
This was Ji Xian.
Dozens of guards surrounded him, weapons in hand.
"Why are you all so worried? The Four Gold Blades have already been sent out."
"But, my Lord, the people are fleeing? Perhaps we should go out and check on the situation."
The young man rose from his seat, baring his fangs.
"Nonsense! When have the Gold Blades ever failed? This petty disturbance will be over and done with, then the people will be safe once more."
As soon as he said this, the doors to the room were kicked in. Coming from the staircase, two individuals entered with chilling expressions.
"Ah! See? Qi Zixie of the Divine Beasts has returned. Tell me, Miss Qi, what is the situation--"
Before he could finish speaking, the image of a large horn appeared behind Qi Zixie. It was much smaller than its full size, but it was still grand and imposing.
As soon as it appeared, a formless and terrifying aura filled the room, locking onto each and everyone present.
The weak-willed ones among the guards instantly fainted, falling to the ground. Ji Xian looked at them as fear slowly set in.
"What is the meaning of this, Miss Qi? And who is that young man with you?"
Qi Zixie said nothing. Instead, she took a step, dashing forward.
As she did so, her hand reached for the weapon on her back, undoing the cloth wrapped around it.
An almost two meter long sword glistened in the dim light, emanating frosty energy.
"He is my Lord, and has asked me to deal with you."
The sword merely flashed, barely stirring up even a strong wind.
Despite that, icy flakes filled the room and bone-chilling cold caused a layer of frost to appear over everyone's clothes.
The young Ji Xian was horrified, his face the picture of fear.
He fumbled about in his throne before pointing at her and screaming, "Quick! Attack!"
Sadly, the guards were already dead.
That cold energy entered their bodies, freezing their organs instantaneously. Any tiny interference could easily shatter them.
"Kyaa!!!"
Ji Xian screamed, falling from his throne and onto the hardwood floor.
"No! Back off! If you kill me, my father will not rest until you're dead! Think about what you're doing!"
Qi Zixie turned to Yuan Zhen, seeking his permission to continue.
He nodded silently.
Ji Xian screamed once more, pissing himself as he scrambled on the floor, tripping over himself in his attempts to stand up.
Qi Zixie's sword cut a clean arc in the air, an icy blue light flashing as Ji Xian's arm was cut clean off. Her cold energy froze the flesh and blood around his wound, keeping him from bleeding out. It slowly spread out, encasing almost his entire body in ice.
Only his head remained unfrozen.
Yuan Zhen nodded in satisfaction. Qi Zixie's manifestation had provided her with an overwhelming increase in her abilities.
With a wave of her sword, she had been able to send out such a low temperature that she froze the insides of thirty guards in the lower Spiritual Manifestation realm.
That was a manifestation with true potential.
Seeing his satisfaction, Qi Zixie's solemn expression became a soft and bright smile. She excitedly wrapped her sword with the cloth and returned to his side with a bow.
"What do we do now, Lord Yuan?"
He eyed each of the frozen bodies with hate filled eyes, then waved his hand.
The dark violet flame swept out, burning each of the bodies. In a matter of seconds, there was no trace of their presence and the fire was extinguished.
They had been entirely consumed by the flame, bones and all. Only Ji Xian remained, mostly frozen and passed out. His weak mind succumbed to the situation, thinking his life was already over.
"Now, we cleanse this place of all filth. Until I dominate the Golden Purgatory Realm and make my move on the human realms, this will be my temporary residence."
"As for him, I plan to use him as a torture device for his father, Ji Xie. He will learn of this eventually, and when he does he will come."
She knelt and bowed.
"Then, the people that have begun to flee?"
"Kill as many as possible. Kill them all if you can. If you have an affinity for it, you may even build up a strong enough bloodlust. If you can, you may just have the qualifications to be my Lieutenant."
After that, she left to complete her task.
In her unconstrained excitement, she went overboard and summoned her manifestation. She slaughtered the stragglers that were still in the city, then chased after those that fled further away.
Her actions were merciless and her appearance was devilish. Covered in random splashes of blood, she constantly giggled like a child that could do no wrong.
That laughter struck terror into the hearts of the cowardly citizens when it spread throughout the forest. Still, no matter how far they ran, they were found and killed without so much as a second to say a prayer.
When she was finished, she stood in the forest amongst the trees. All around her was bathed in blood and gore, adding to the red color of the forest and making it look like a world of pure blood.
Everywhere you looked you would see blood, limbs, organs or some other piece of a corpse.
Those remains had been frozen solid by her energy, covered in a snowy layer.
"For years, I studied the life of the Almighty Yuan Zhen, a True General among Beasts. He slaughtered humans, moving unhindered wherever he went and striking fear into the hearts of even the most powerful experts!"
"Reading about how he was killed, my heart ached for him. Oh, how I wished I could have been alive to see his glory with my own two eyes. If I had been born all those years ago, I could have pledged my heart and soul to him, and become an object for him to toy with as he saw fit."
"But now... Now he has returned! It's really him! Not even death could hold my God, Yuan Zhen! He has come back to me, and now wants me to be his Lieutenant?"
"Have I been blessed by the highest power in all the heavens? Has some Higher Being heard my prayers?"
By now, she wore a psychotic and deranged expression, seeming to have lost control of her self completely.
She did not even realize that, as of that moment, a weak bloodlust was being emitted from the depths of her soul.
"Who the fuck cares! Now I can be with him for as long as I want! He's all that matters now! Not some Divine Being! Not the Heavens!"
Qi Zixie emitted shrill cackles, giggles and roars of laughter almost all at once. She expressed all her excitement and happiness in that moment before she went back to his side.
She left behind the anguished souls of almost three thousand people, all of whom would forever be a part of the forest.
As she was about to leave, though, she felt a chill run down her spine. Her very soul convulsed and spasmed, briefly shocking her.
She turned around, her sword in hand. Waves of freezing cold spread out, but there was nothing. She clearly felt a pair of eyes lock onto her, but that sensation quickly went away.
Somewhere, far beyond the portion of forest she was standing in, something had been approaching. She could only guess that it had gone back the way it came.
Realizing she had been wasting time, she hurried to return to the pagoda.
By the time she returned, Yuan Zhen was standing on the balcony of the top floor, overlooking the city with an unimpressed gaze.
"It seems that our land has now become a backwater country. I expected far greater resistance than this. There must have been a reform of society on a grander scale than I thought."
During his soliloquy, Qi Zixie appeared, standing at his side. At some point, the blood on her body had shattered into red ice crystals.
The wind blew Yuan Zhen's short black hairs about, but he remained unconcerned. He was far too disappointed that he had been able to take an entire city with minimal effort.
This surprised him, but also made him wary. The Beast Race had likely advanced significantly after all those years. Considering that the Old Faction Lords had joined humans, it meant that the beasts would have access to far better resources.
It was only natural that the beast mobles would keep such resources for themselves. They would grow while the common rabble would slowly decline in comparison.
That was why Yuan Zhen had been able to so easily take this city. As for Ji Xian, who was still unconscious, it was becoming clear to Yuan Zhen that Ji Xie didn't care much about his son.
Ji Xie probably had other children, with great potential and talent. Ji Xie was likely the wastrel, sent here to govern over the trash.
As Yuan Zhen's mind raced, Qi Zixie merely stood in silence.
Qi Zixie stared at his back, admiring how even a simple action like this could appear so domineering when he die it.
He turned his face, giving her a sideways glance. He was a true killer, and thus could feel the weak bloodlust on her.
"You did well."
Qi Zixie suppressed her smile, but she was screaming in joy in the inside. She had been disinterested in the many things of life, but now it appeared that her life was given new meaning.
"Of course. If it is to please you, Lord Yuan, I would even attempt the impossible."
Yuan Zhen could hear the resolve in her voice, which pleased him. If he was right about her, then she would be a terrifying force if raised properly. Her devotion to him was an accepted bonus.
"In my past life, when I roamed these lands, there were thousands of men and women who said similar things to me."
Qi Zixie was delighted to hear him tell her about his last, and dared not disturb him. Forcefully pressing her lips together, she strained to listen even though she was right next to him.
Even though Qi Zixie had studied every area of Yuan Zhen's life closely, that couldn't compare to getting information straight from the source.
"They were my loyal soldiers, and I was their great and powerful general. We marched to and fro, even beyond the Golden Purgatory Realm, trampling the humans without reserve."
"However, those hidden forces arose. With a single surprise attack, those humans with their underhanded methods cut down my family of warriors. They disgraced my honorable warriors with dishonorable deaths, and piled their corpses in the mud."
As he turned around, Qi Zixie saw the unconcealed rage in his blood-red eyes. For the first time in her life, she felt an inborn fear that suppressed her bloodline itself.
That was terrifying, but, to her, it had an added effect. It was also intoxicating.
As she stared into his eyes and bathed in his monstrous aura, moisture slowly spread between her legs, empowering her desire for the young beast standing before her.
There was no doubt in her mind.
This was truly the man she had long decided to give her heart to.