Martial Continent, Lower divide, The Outlands.
A young man with yellow tanned skin, dark irises and a pale face stood half kneeling as he clutched his sword which was embedded into a human corpse with an unyielding grip.
However, if one looked close enough, they would be able to see that his hands were visibly shaky.
His feet were balanced on an elevated hill and his once black irises were now slightly red, harboring nothing but chaos and slight panic.
"Schhh"
He drew his weapon out of the corpse sprawled on the floor and supported himself with it.
"Ha.... Ha..... Ha..... Mmh".
As several pants escaped his lips, his gaze turned towards the surrounding area.
One... Two..... Three... Eight….
Eight corpses. All eight of them were strong figures with tremendous fighting power that had pushed his physical capabilities to the limits a few minutes ago.
They laid on the floor with wide eyes filled with surprise, shock, and disbelief. Some of them had missing parts, while others had their heads severed from their bodies or their whole self split in half.
A bloody smell permeated the atmosphere as blood puddles had formed from the passage of time, but the young man remained unaffected.
At least, this small amount of blood was not enough to send him puking his guts out like your average mortal.
Just as he wanted to prop himself up, a slender hand gently laid on his shoulder with slightly fidgety movements.
"T-tian Long!" The male turned around and behold, the sight of a charming female came into view.
Her voice was soft, sweet, and apparently carried much concern for whom she called out for.
With sylphlike long legs and a cherry nose.
Her eyes were wide open and the sight of the half kneeling Tian long caused her chest to ache while her heartstrings strummed, continuously giving her complex emotions.
The young man named Tian long smiled slightly.
This smile seemed to carry his strength, determination, and his unbending will, which caused the young maidens heart to leapfrog all over her chest.
"Brother Long!" Another voice called out to him, albeit in a wailing tone. Tian long turned his head to see a figure rushing towards him rapidly like a speeding horse. His smile widened slightly as the figure appeared before him.
Yet another beautiful woman, losing out in no way to the first. Her blonde hair cascading down her neck was so long that it reached past her waist.
With an enchantingly seductive body figure, the only thing ruining her beautiful visage was her tear stained face.
Yet, despite being looked at with caring expressions by such beauties, Tian long didn't have time to revel in this beautiful dish.
"I thought I told you two to run. Make haste quickly, we can't stay he....".
"Hehe! Tian Long, you want to flee now? Don't you think it's a bit too late for that?"
Alas, he had barely finished his words when he heard a voice filled with abject loathing and disdain.
A voice he was all too familiar with.
Slink!
A deadly feeling of crisis overwhelmed his instincts. The sound of an object moved through the air, accompanied by the trademark striking sound.
Tian Long disregarded his fatigue as he squeezed out every last drop of energy within him to react accordingly. He pushed both females away and turned around. Relying on only his quick wits and sensory organs, predicted the movement path of the aerial strike.
His eyes flashed and caught a glimpse of an arrow slamming into his defending sword before he was blasted backwards.
The force within the arrow was too strong for the current him to handle.
Perhaps he could have taken it with only a stagger despite being caught off guard if he was in his peak condition. Sadly, that wasn't the case in this scenario.
His back crashed into the bark of a nearby Willow tree. If not for the fact that the tree was nourished using Mana Qi, and he had mitigated most of the damage, the tree would have shattered into pieces, completely unable to bring him to a halt.
"Tian Long"
"Brother Tian"
The two beauties had their faces drain from shock and fear. The second one shot towards Tian long without a second thought, while the first rapidly retreated and fixed her gaze ahead.
Her eyes flashed with despair as she saw the face of a young man she hated even in her dreams. With a sense of dread creeping into her spirit, her mind recounted many memories in the length of seconds.
Her name, was Mei Ling. She was the eldest daughter of a ruling clan within her previous city dealing with import of special pill resources with the Skye mark Trading pavilion of Roca Kingdom.
Within the period of a few years, their accumulated wealth due to their precious sales was at an all-time high.
Of course, although they were one of the four ruling powers within it, they weren't the strongest. Quite far off, in fact.
Despite that, she was still able to grow steadily and enjoy her beautiful life.
Her father, the Grand elder of her clan, had taken care of her as best he could after her mother died at the hands of enemy forces.
With her cultivation to spend time on, the days had come and gone......
Until he came along.
At first, he was completely unassuming.
He had a stature that wasn't too tall, nor too short, and bordered the lines of "Ok" for most women's standards.
His brown hair was short, yet surprisingly went well with his charming face and dark irises, giving him a handsome persona worth taking a second look at.
Yet what truly attracted her was his mysteriousness. With his hands and without any background or resources to speak of, he had grown from a puny mortal to a powerful cultivator within the period of nine months to a year.
Proving that his talent for cultivation was tremendous.
At the very least, it was much more than hers.
He traveled with a beautiful female by his side, and although her cultivation wasn't anything special, her beauty certainly was.
Due to what she could only consider as fate [Or more nefarious forces at play as I would rather call them], their paths were strangely intertwined with each other, causing their roads to clash constantly.
Her mysterious attraction gradually built up into something else.
And then, before she could properly sort out the feelings in her heart, calamity struck.
The very essence of what the cultivation world represented had reared its ugly head as the other clans within the city, without giving any proper reasons to speak of, in broad daylight, declared war on hers.
They were caught completely unprepared in a fight that was naturally impossible to win, thereby aggravating their already worse conditions.
It was merely two days ago, and the horrible memory had etched itself into her mind, making sure she would never forget it.
All her days, she would be accompanied by that hellish reality that she desperately wished to be a nightmare.
When she got up, the sounds of spears and sabers clashing was all that filled her ears, alongside the distinct screams and cries for help.
Blood flood like a river and heads flew off bodies as if hats were being tossed.
Carnage,
Corpses,
A nightmare indeed.
Her father died, not in a glorious battle of being besieged from all angles or burning his potential and lifespan to withstand a stronger enemy.
Hell no.
He died by a sneak attack to the head when he went to take a piss in the urinal.
A bloodbath ensued as her clan was massacred with pitiful resistance. She tried to escape with as many clansmen as she could.
Yet as they ran for their lives....
Thinking up to here, her gaze which was a little absentminded for a split second sharpened on the new arrival.
Yang Cai.
Son of the Yang family's patriarch and next in line for the patriarch title. His black Auburn hair was slicked backwards and he wore a loose fitting robe.
With small lips and a pointed nose, his smirking expression was somewhat sinister.
She had tried to escape, taking a secret path only her family members knew of. Unless you were a descendant of the higher ups, regular clansmen wouldn't even know this place existed.
And yet, there he was. At the exit of the secret passageway, leading directly to the outer parts of the woods, Yang Cai stood with both hands behind his back.
He wasn't alone, either. Ten bodyguards, lackeys of the Yang family had followed him there as well, creating a blockade.
She fell into the pits of despair at that moment, the moment when she saw the lustful expression on his face.
And then it hit her. There were many reasons for the other clans to wage war on them. Although they aren't righteous reasons, in the cultivation world, they were reasons nonetheless and that's all that mattered.
Their Mei family was developing at a fast rate. They were rich, had treasures and were making connections.
This should probably be the main point why the three families combined to take them down. To eliminate a lesser threat still in its budding stage.
Still, to take down a threat or to obtain the resources that their family possesses? None of these were enough to prompt the three clans to act on their own.
The Mei clan's background only dated back to a few years of history, and their strength wasn't fully developed. Although they had strength, connections and wealth, which one of these other clans didn't have the same?
Some of their descendants were even disciples of some low ranked sects.
Their possessions or threat level hadn't gotten to the point where they would face elimination.
So... What was the reacting substance? What was the pivotal point for the cause of all this?
The answer finally laid in front of her. Yang Cai.
Everyone knew that Yang Cai was a lustful person who whored around from one woman to another. Only the heavens know how many young girls of poor backgrounds had he ruined.
A few months back, she had refused his advances in bedding her. And the rest..... Need not be explained.
Yang Cai was most probably the ignition for the fuel, which was the other clans. All so he could have the beauty.
Two figures jumped down from the treetops, landing on their feet at both sides of Yang Cai a few inches behind him.
Just this act alone had portrayed their status.
Bodyguards.
The Yang patriarch was very protective of this son of his. Looking at the two men who had just landed, she could sense their baleful auras that made them experienced warriors.
The power these men possessed was something that she, in her current state, couldn't match against. Tian Long had created a shocking miracle fighting eight men and claiming victory, yet he now looked exhausted beyond degree.
Presently, just defeating Yang Cai alone would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens, much less these two.
Plus, would he only have two bodyguards by his side?
There were definitely more hidden around the area. It wouldn't surprise her much if all their surroundings had already been sealed off.
Her expression turned grim
Blergh!
Tian Long finally couldn't hold it in and let out a mouthful of blood. That last strike had shaken his internal organs and undoubtedly caused some internal injuries.
He was caught off guard and his Mana Qi was severely depleted. A terrible combo.
Not to mention because of his circumstances earlier, he had to pay a terrifying price. One which he was starting to feel the horrible effects.
Buried within his body, Tian long could only make out a deep sense of hollowness, causing him to smile bitterly for a moment.
His tanned body paled noticeably by several levels as he coughed out more blood. His legs fell weak and strength left his arms, making him unable to wield his sword that was already dyed in blood.
With his tank empty added alongside his injuries, he was like an arrow at the end of his flight. His female companion next to him saw his terrible state and worry flashed through her eyes.
Yet, Tian Long steadied his body with a determined glint. Although panicking, he quickly calmed down his chaotic thoughts.
This can't be the end.
He can't die here.
He won't die here.
Furthermore, he still had important things to do in this life.
Besides, he still had his ultimate Trump card. The thing which he had relied on to turn his fate around from a mere mortal to a powerful cultivator in less than a year.
Yang Cai's sinister expression shifted from the fearful Mei Ling to Tian Long, who was looking forward with an unflinching gaze.
His eyes burned with anger.
"Even when this brat is blocked from all sides and his death is a certainty, he still dares to go against me". He thought inwardly.
As his mind drifted to a few months ago, his soul burned with hatred.
Six times!
From the day he was born until about a year ago, he Yang Cai had always been at the center of the spotlight.
As the son of the patriarch of the Yang clan, the publicly established number one in his town, what had he ever lacked?
With access to unlimited resources, his cultivation had progressed steadily for years. With his background and strength, he was the undisputed number one of the younger generations of Moon wind town.
Although his talent couldn't be compared to his older brother, who had already gone off to join a sect, who cares?
Even his older brother could only be considered small fry among the younger generation of geniuses in the world outside their little town, so what right did he have to feel jealous about his?
Still, that fact only helped to reinforce his smugness about his background.
He had his way with everything, whenever he wanted, however he wanted it, he was tyrannical. Like a local drug Lord.
And that's when Tian Long showed up.
Their hostile encounter was completely by chance and that time, Tian long was so weak that he could casually finish him off with one blow.
Yet, as the standard tyrant that he was, he saw it beneath him to do so. He even disdained to disdain him.
Who would bother about an ant when they had beauties to pursue? It would be much more productive to put that time and little energy into pursuing Miss Mei Ling, would it not?
Little did he know that his decision was a mistake, a big one.
Tian Longs strength grew rapidly, so rapid to the extent that he had suffered considerable losses at his hands.
Six times! A whole freaking six times!
The once strongest leader of the younger generation of Moon wind town? Not anymore.
During the half-year competition, only three months since their initial encounter, Tian Long had wiped the floor with him with overwhelming strength.
The battle didn't even last five minutes.
Due to his arrogance, he had been tricked by Tian Long twice, causing him to lose a large amount of silver coins.
He had seen a beautiful commoner and planned to abduct her for his uses, yet Tian Long showed up again, interfering in his plans while giving him a public whooping.
Even after sending his lackeys to capture him, he always seemed to escape unharmed. Like a slippery greased hog monkey.
Yet, the straw that broke the camel's back was when he saw Mei Ling and Tian Long. The usually indifferent beauty of the newly rising Mei clan was smiling brightly with a man.
And so, his sinister character surfaced, and his head throbbed with schemes.
Alongside his instigation, the three clans of Moon wind went to war. And thanks to a personal spy within the Mei clan's higher-ups, he had learned of the secret escape route and came to block it in advance.
This was also another reason why the Yang clan wasn't threatened by a measly little Mei clan. Each clan had their spies planted within like a malignant tumor.
Yet little did he know that Tian Long wasn't looking at him but, instead, looking at the magical phenomenon that had appeared before him as he read in his mind.
"Soul Records"