'Fuck…'
While trying to calm his chest heaving up and down, Li Cheng trudged carefully to the collision.
Once a thriving landscape adorned with healthy vegetation and trees, the area now lay ruptured, transformed into a desolate battlefield. Logs cluttered the ground, exposing the once-buried earth. Reds and blacks, once vivid, were swiftly losing their color, fading away, yet their malefic luster clung tenaciously, resisting the inevitability of their departure.
Their superior Domain did not lose against such loathing purity encompassing Nature. They lost because their conjurer had failed them.
As Li Cheng closed in, the Domain stirred in a final act of defiance. However, it proved powerless, allowing its energies to be extinguished by the greens standing guard around him. Simultaneously, these verdant protectors initiated the regeneration of the damaged earth, sowing the seeds of a new cycle of life as a form of repentance for their sacrifice.
Li Cheng came to an abrupt stop just as his next step, accustomed to meeting solid ground, would have descended into the sunken earth, now shaped into a small crater.
The chillness of the malefic air brushed him. But as he had stopped, they could not pose a single threat to him. All it would take was for him to take a few steps closer to be fatally attacked, but alas their murderer was as always nothing but extraordinary.
'So this must be the soul of a cultivator. Or rather a high level demonic cultivator."
Li Cheng gazed with intrigue at the black humanoid figure, bearing a semblance to a soul or spirit. To paint a vivid picture, its appearance aligned with the common perception of a ghost, yet its transparency was saturated with an intense, inky blackness.
Although this form had already lost most of its body and probably wouldn't be able to kill a Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator, Li Cheng firmly believed that even a Nascent Soul could still die if they got close.
Or maybe even possessed.
What surprised Li Cheng the most was that the Exalted one was not completely dead. He had heard that only a few powerful cultivator that have recently died, excluding natural death, would be able to main a spiritual form. This meant that the Exalted one must've been particularly powerful. It appeared that the talismans he used were not enough. Or perhaps they did not directly hit him. Naturally he wasn't able to confirm it. There was also the fact that the crater wasn't as large as he had expected.
[Singular Evil Destroying Talisman x13]
[A forgotten powerful talisman that was specifically made as an all-purpose attack talisman to destroy any kind of evil force. Its effectiveness is the same against any kind of evil. Although it is quite lacking compared to other powerful talismans, its versatility is unrivalled. This is the singular version, and the power unlike its explosive version can be stacked if used in conjunction. The talisman, among the collection crafted by its enigmatic maker, stood as a pivotal factor leading to the relentless pursuit and eventual downfall of the creator.]
'Hmm I had used 7 of these in case it wasn't sufficient and the enemy would be able to avoid the blows… and this is the result. Pretty disappointing since I thought even 1 would be more than enough to kill. I will need to ask the Young Miss about it.
'As for why the crater was not big despite destroying such a powerful enemy, perhaps it's because it's a talisman after all. It only works on the target, and everything else can't be affected. The explosive version which I also have wouldn't be called explosive either if I think along those lines.'
In the middle of his contemplation he felt a holy aura and a shadow pass by his side. Naturally this was Kuan Yin.
"Are you hurt Mortal?" she asked through her spiritual sense. The tone of her voice was clearly worried.
From Li Cheng's exposure of his cultivation base and continuous talk through this method, she had figured that he didn't wish to let others hear them communicate.
It seemed Kuan Yin was not only benevolent and kind, but also considerate of others. Though, that was quite obvious.
"I'm fine. More importantly…"
Kuan Yin nodded her head and she followed Li Cheng's turn.
The Exalted one remained silent. His eyes, however, were unfailing to exude the flaming deep hatred expressed by one corrupted in evil. Fairly fitting for a demonic cultivator.
Kuan Yin sighed, a little sorrow for her enemy. "He is unable to speak."
"I guess souls even at his cultivation level can't speak when their mouth is destroyed," Li Cheng mumbled in his mind.
"No, that's not true. As long as they have the strength to do so, souls can certainly communicate through their spiritual sense." Her tone grew serious.
"However, the talisman you bestowed upon me was indeed formidable. It not only ended his existence and obliterated his physical form but also eradicated fragments of his soul in the same process. Presently, the residual power of the talisman continues its gradual dispelling of his essence."
Li Cheng felt a chill run down his spine and his scalp went numb from his own doing. 'What the fuck?!! So the talismans really were not that simple. This is some remarkable overkill! No wonder the maker got hunted down...'
Li Cheng's musing was cut short as Kuan Yin continued to talk.
"That's not all. Due to the talismans eroding his soul and extinguishing numerous fragments, I, as a 'Deity,' cannot assure with certainty that his reincarnation process will unfold successfully..." As the words came out of her mouth, Li Cheng and herself both began to pale.
"Uhh…" 'So I also didn't even give this evil boss to reform in his next life? And I made it so Young Miss wasn't able to do one of the important parts of her job properly?' Li Cheng felt awkward and somewhat guilty. As always he didn't expect things to happen like this.
Li Cheng hadn't reached such points of wanting to completely slaughter the Exalted one just because he and the demonic cultivators tried to kill him. He was still an inexperienced cultivator and his only enmity could be said to be because of righteousness. He was stumped on how he felt about everything.
"Young Miss. I don't know how it is with Deities, but I wonder if this was rightfully deserved?"
"...Please listen Mortal. I know some are not willing to have the heart to give such fallen evildoers another chance, but all life even if they are not human deserves to have salvation. Their evil is not simple ignorance, but blindness to our true natures. It is our job to alleviate their sufferings. The more one falls, the more one should help them." Out of nowhere, Kuan Yin brought out a familiar looking water jar.
Li Cheng watched as Kuan Yin tightly held the jar; her eyes moving back and forth between the evil soul and the jar.
'No way she's going to…'
Ultimately, Li Cheng's suspicions did not come true.
Kuan Yin let loose a deep sigh. Her plagued complexion was not hidden at all. Instead of using the jar, she returned it and took out a Buddhist scripture and began to chant.
However, in the middle of her words she suddenly stopped. It was also the first time since the battle was over that she spoke with her mouth. "For my inability to help guarantee a successful reincarnation and salvation, I will do as you wish."
She turned back to Li Cheng seemingly done with the Exalted one. Promptly Li Cheng asked, "I thought he couldn't talk?"
"He, himself, cannot communicate. Nevertheless, I can perceive his desires. He harbours an aversion to receiving aid from those who caused his demise to the extent that he would rather forgo reincarnation and endure the suffering. But I refrained from pressing the matter further regarding alleviating his soul's actual pain. Let us move on, Mortal. It seems he yearns for solitude."
Li Cheng could only nod in response. He actually wanted to watch the Exalted one vanish from eternity. For experience of course. But there was also a nagging fact that he wanted to make sure he was properly dead. After all, those damn novels always emphasis on not only cutting the roots, but also making sure their enemies were genuinely dead.
Unfortunately for Li Cheng, he wasn't able to verify that and somewhat reluctantly went along with Kuan Yin. It wasn't worth offending her after everything that had transpired, and the enemy was doomed to die anyway.
"Young Miss, could you detect if there are any old pr—*cough* old monsters or strong cultivators lurking around?"
"Mortal you are so cautious hehe. All is fine. This 'Young Miss' will protect you." She paused and then continued,
"My cultivation may be modest, yet few can elude my perception unless possessing superior concealment treasures. Coupled with my Domain, I discern that those in proximity remain unchanged. I do detect some formidable presences within the nearby city.
"However, a deep barrier shrouds what appears to be a sect, impeding my vision further. Nonetheless, within my Realm, no discernible entities register. It's improbable for anyone beyond the Ruler Realm to exist in this locale. Does this suffice?"
"Thank you Young Miss! I was worried that another one on that level would appear again. I don't want everyone to get hurt again, and this of course includes you."
To be honest, Li Cheng was lightened by her words, but he still felt a little nervous. This mess he started was bound to have attracted at least some kind of old monster.
Well technically, he did attract a late stage legendary realm demonic cultivator. But he was still not convinced because he had yet to see the late appearance of an expert who had himself to steal the benefits.
Because of Kuan Yin's detailed answer, he couldn't push it further as that would be really rude and not putting trust in her. Thus, he could only helplessly tilt his head to view the sky as the sun rays gloriously shone on him.
Wasn't that where the old monsters usually hide when they are examining from afar?
'Once again the sky has cleared up. Spotless and sunny with fair weather. Such a joke, but it did give the impression that this was finally the end for today's turmoil.'
"How thoughtful of you." Kuan Yin felt happy receiving his considerate words. Abruptly, she let out a soft laugh when she saw him looking at the sky helplessly. 'That little rascal actually wasn't satisfied!' she thought.
When she saw his lips curl upwards to form a rare kind of smile, with the rays of the sun dazzling him, accentuating his handsome looks, Kuan Yin became captivated, blushing just a little. She returned to herself when Li Cheng respectfully turned back to make light chat, giving rise to a silly thought in her mind.
'I hadn't realised he possessed a handsome appearance for one yet to ascend. I wonder if this is his real face?' Kuan Yin then stopped her thoughts and thought, 'Ambithba, how could a Deity like myself harbour such contemplations?'
Kuan Yin wasn't sure if Li Cheng was hiding his actual appearance. It was just a deduction based on the fact that he was trying to hide as much as he could. Particularly the fact that he hadn't said his name and his cultivation base was very poor. Although he seemed quite open to her.
As for whether Kuan Yin hoped he was handsome…
Well now, let's leave that unanswered for now shall we?
***
Unfortunately, Li Cheng's suspicions, thanks to his cultivation novel knowledge and decision to be cautious, were not unfounded.
There was indeed an old monster or perhaps old monsters lurking.