Chapter 91 ~ Xia Weiyuan (2)
Xia Yongzhi's face turned red as he stared at her with intense hatred. Despite a hint of fear in his eyes, he didn't back down. A golden aura circled him, and faint tiger roars could be heard. Compared to the ferocious tiger Xia Weiyuan would conjure in the future, Xia Yongzhi's display was mere child's play. Yan Yu didn't expect anything better. After all, while they were in the same realm and stage, she was superior to him.
"Die!" he shouted, leaping toward her with his fist aimed at her face. Seeing this telegraphed move, Yan Yu simply moved to the side. His punch missed, and she noticed Xia Weiyuan, wide-eyed, running into the clan compound. He was probably trying to hide or even use some kind of artifact to protect himself. Though still a child, his arrogant and cowardly nature would remain the same.
"I won't let you harm my remaining child!" Xia Yongzhi yelled, attempting another golden punch from behind.
Yan Yu turned around and stared coldly at the incoming attack, then swung her blade elegantly. Her thin sword slashed across his wrist, making blood surge from the wound and slightly altering the punch's direction so that it hit only air.
She then rotated her. From above, she moved like the hand of a clock, her thin black sword resembling the hour hand. It slashed easily at Xia Yongzhi's waist, creating a long but thin wound. She sent her qi through the blade into his body, and the wound suddenly froze. Several ice flowers bloomed around it.
"Die!" Xia Yongzhi shouted, aiming a kick at her side, but Yan Yu merely watched, knowing the kick wouldn't graze her.
Just before his foot came within centimeters of her cheek, he suddenly stopped. Ice coated his waist and spread toward his feet. His face turned white as a sheet, and his eyes widened in shock.
The Ice Flowers was one of her Earth Grade techniques. These ice flowers worked like poisonous blooms, spreading cold qi through the target's body like venom. They would freeze blood, then flesh, then bone. A mortal would instantly die the moment her flowers bloomed, but a cultivator would not.
Xia Yongzhi would eventually break the ice around his body, but this wouldn't free him from her poisonous cold qi. No, it would make his death worse. First, the ice would mess with his nerves, making him feel cold and hot simultaneously. Later, it would feel as if his whole body was boiling from the inside while also experiencing intense cold on the outside. Many people could counter this technique, but Xia Yongzhi, this weakling, could not.
As she watched the ice begin to spread across his entire body, Yan Yu knew he was already a dead man. She turned and walked toward the clan compound.
Several Xia clan members tried to ambush her as she stepped into the compound. They were mostly male, with one or two females. Each had a golden aura around them, though not as intense as Xia Yongzhi's, and they attacked her simultaneously.
"Trash," she said calmly. She swung her thin black blade, creating many ice needles that rained down around her. Her needles were so strong that they created multiple holes in her opponents. All of the Xia clan members died without successfully touching a hair on her head.
From there, she killed every single person she encountered. Xia clan members, servants, guards—she spared no one. This clan would be a thorn in her side in the future, and she wouldn't let a single member survive. She knew too well the tragedy that could result from misplaced mercy, and she wouldn't make such a naive mistake.
Each step she took left blood staining the walls, floors, vases, and paper doors. She took a detour to ensure all people in the clan died. Some had likely already fled the compound, and she would hunt them down later. But for now, it was time to kill her main target.
A pair of wide double doors stood before her, adorned with golden tiger heads. She could sense many treasures in the room beyond, and while she was confident in her abilities, she knew she needed to be careful.
She swung her thin sword twice, creating a hole in the door, and stepped inside. This room was full of treasure. On one wall gleamed swords, axes, spears, and many other types of weapons. Each of these treasures was somewhat strong, but not exceptionally valuable.
On the other side stood a shelf full of scrolls and books, probably containing the Xia clan's unique techniques. Some people might want to take a peek at these techniques, but Yan Yu would make sure no one could learn them ever again.
She glanced around the room, noting the many spirit stones, valuable gems, pills, and several talismans. Later, she would pocket some of this wealth, but for now, her target was waiting. She walked to a corner of the room where two paintings hung on the wall. The first depicted an old man preparing to unleash an attack against a storm, while the other showed a woman meditating beneath a waterfall. There must have been a reason why these two paintings were inside the treasure room, but she didn't care.
She looked up, and as she did, a child fell toward her from above. He held a long, golden ornate spear, its blade pointed at her scalp. Xia Weiyuan's face was red and furious, snot running from his nose, and he looked like he was about to cry.
Yan Yu knew about this spear. It was the weapon Xia Weiyuan would use as he grew up. It was one of the most valuable treasures in the room and could even kill her or make her hallucinate if she wasn't careful. She took two steps to the side. The spear stabbed the floor while Xia Weiyuan hung from it. As it pierced the floor, his eyes widened, as if he couldn't fathom how she had managed to dodge. But before he could think further, she unleashed a palm strike directly at his chest.
Xia Weiyuan flew through the air and landed painfully head-first. He screamed and began to scramble while holding his bleeding head.
Yan Yu moved, suddenly appearing right in front of him. His eyes widened, fear etched across his face. She decided to kick him in the stomach and Xia Weiyuan flew through the air again, mouth spitting blood before his back hit a wall full of weapons. The weapons fell around him, and he grabbed a simple short sword and tried to stand. But he spat another mouthful of blood and buckled, unable to rise. He sat leaning against the wall, his breath ragged, sword pointed at her as she began to walk toward him.
"D-don't come! I'll kill you!" he shouted, his face red.
Yan Yu ignored his threats. She walked until she stood right in front of him, looking down at her future enemy.
"T-this isn't supposed to happen. This isn't meant to be! Xia Hongyi shouldn't die, and neither should I. I think the world is wrong, broken!" he shouted frantically.
Hearing this, Yan Yu wondered if his bloodline had already awakened. The terrifying thing about Xia Weiyuan's bloodline was its ability to discern fate. It was a frightening power that made ambushes and plans to kill him extremely difficult to execute.
He rambled on about how Liu Xing wasn't supposed to be there, and as a result, Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi had died. That Liu Xing had indirectly killed them, which wasn't supposed to happen, and then he wouldn't die. He rambled like a madman. Qi started leaking from his body, making his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth bleed. Some of it was probably because of her kick, but most was due to his bloodline trying to make sense of the situation. After all, Yan Yu was an anomaly for his bloodline.
"Xia Weiyuan, you deserve a horrible death," she said calmly.
Xia Weiyuan stood up. Then he ran at her and swung his sword. As the blade came within centimeters of her, she swung her own sword, cutting off the right hand that held the weapon.
Xia Weiyuan's eyes widened, blood gushing from his right stump, and he began to shout and cry hysterically. Yan Yu swung her sword several more times, severing his other arm and both of his legs.
Now he lay on the ground, limbless. His face was covered in tears and snot, blood pooling beneath his body as he cried and begged not to be killed.
Yan Yu stood motionless, then extended her left hand toward him. Ten ice arrows floated around her, each with a blunt tip. She willed one of the arrows to go toward its intended target, and it did so eagerly. It flew through the air and lodged itself right in the center of his abdomen. He screamed as she willed the cold qi from her arrow to spread, making his stomach feel cold and hot simultaneously.
She directed another arrow to pierce his stomach, then his chest, and both his lungs. When nine of her arrows had lodged themselves into Xia Weiyuan, he looked like a pincushion. Only one arrow remained, and she willed it to fly at his throat, which was making pitiful noises. The arrow flew eagerly and landed right in its target, cutting and crushing it. He struggled for several moments before finally going still. His eyes remained wide open, his face frozen in terror, and he died in agonizing pain.
Chapter 92 ~ Watchful Moon
Despite her victory, Yan Yu felt unsatisfied with her enemy's death. Still, she took solace in knowing that one of her most despised foes was finally gone.
Yan Yu turned her attention to plundering the Xia clan's wealth. She gathered thousands of spirit stones, pills that enhanced cultivation, and various talismans for offense and defense. She even found rare talismans capable of regenerating limbs. She left the weapons untouched, deeming them not worth the hassle of selling.
After taking everything of value, Yan Yu destroyed all the Xia clan's techniques and set fire to their compound. She then hunted down every servant, gardener, and fleeing clan member, including mothers with their children. The clan's decision to live on isolated peaks, separate from the "worthless" mortals, made it easy for Yan Yu to track them down. They could only hide among rocks, trees, and in holes, unable to blend into a crowd.
When it was over, Yan Yu descended the stairs slowly. Her purple robes were stained with blood, some even splattered on her pale face. She decided to find a river to wash herself. Though her robes could clean themselves and she knew techniques to cleanse her body, she felt the need to wash manually.
As she walked, Yan Yu pondered her future and the tasks ahead to right the wrongs of the past. She also considered which enemies she could defeat with her current strength.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's a dangerous spirit beast living nearby," she mused.
This spirit beast could use techniques like a human cultivator and harbored a burning desire to destroy the Burning World Sect. In Yan Yu's past life, it had become Xia Weiyuan's pet and killed billions and destroyed many sects and nations. Some of Yan Yu's sisters had died fighting this beast.
With Xia Weiyuan dead, the spirit beast might not be a total enemy and could even be used against the Burning World Sect. However, letting it roam free seemed risky. Plus, Yan Yu wanted to avenge her sisters by killing this strange creature—a green frog that looked like it was made of moss, with fire wings and the ability to control an inverted triangle artifact. Nodding to herself, Yan Yu decided to kill the frog. It shouldn't be too strong right now and was likely nearby.
Her thoughts then drifted to a young man from her sect, Liu Xing. Xia Yongzhi had apparently made contact with him, which was odd. Did Liu Xing have a connection to the Xia clan? Or was it mere coincidence?
Whatever the case, Yan Yu knew this world wouldn't be the same as her past life. She had already made different choices, and she suspected these changes were rippling outward and altering the future. She hoped her actions would lead to a better future for herself and a hellish fate for her enemies.
Suddenly, a face flashed in her mind. That bastard, that scum. She would gut him and tear him to pieces.
"Wait for me, you scum," she snarled.
As she spoke, everything around her—trees, grass, stairs, even a bird perched on a branch—turned to ice and shattered into billions of pieces.
***
High in the sky, among a sea of white clouds, a child with blue hair and blue eyes stood on a black platform thinner than paper. This kid, Hao Yun, looked down and smiled at the sight of the most interesting person he'd seen in a while.
"Yan Yu, huh," Hao Yun muttered.
When that girl first stepped into his sect, Hao Yun knew something was off about her. She felt like an old monster, layered with secrets that only the most brilliant mind could unravel.
By all accounts, she was an ideal cultivator. She had talent, a powerful bloodline, and the ruthless mindset needed to advance in a cultivation world. Yet, many of her actions didn't make sense. The massacre of the Xia clan was one such puzzling move.
Hao Yun looked at the still burning Xia Clan compound as well as a man who died crawling towards his clan. They were a small sect, really small. They only had one cultivator beyond the Lock Opening realm, and even in the Twelve Sun Empire, they were mere ants. Yet, Yan Yu had moved straight from Purple Moon Sect to annihilate this clan. She had stopped briefly when she realized there was treasure nearby, but from the start, she had intended to wipe them out.
From his investigation, Hao Yun knew that Yan Yu came from a small clan in the northern part of the continent. She was a former genius who had been crippled by her uncle and cast aside, only to regain her ability to cultivate.
While her past wasn't smooth, there was no apparent connection between her and the Xia clan. No known animosity existed between them. As far as he knew, this was Yan Yu's first encounter with the Xia clan members. Yet, she had massacred them as if they had killed her parents.
This decision made her even more intriguing to Hao Yun, who loved mysteries. He had methods to instantly learn everything about her, but he decided it would be more fun to solve this puzzle himself. Plus, she was incredibly talented, and Hao Yun was always interested in talented individuals.
As he observed Yan Yu, he wondered about her next move. Then, his gaze drifted to the horizon, and he thought about Liu Xing.
This guy only had mediocre talent, but his luck seemed to be through the roof. He possessed some powerful artifacts and a decent mind for tinkering with the interface, as well as the right disposition to be granted limited access to the hidden library. As far as Hao Yun knew, only he, the Twelve Elders—currently only eleven members—and Liu Xing had access to it. This made Liu Xing interesting. What did Hao Yun's father see in Liu Xing that he couldn't?
Hao Yun grinned, then began to laugh. His laughter was cheerful, like the ringing of a bell. He had thought he could only play with Yan Yu, but now another person had caught his interest. This made him think of the other two: Shen Ye and Yi Yurong. Were they also interesting?
Hao Yun decided to investigate them and suddenly disappeared. If anyone had been able to see Hao Yun up in the sky, they would have thought he was just an illusion that vanished in the blink of an eye, though a lingering shadow remained for a moment after he disappeared.
What remained was only the echo of his laughter among the sea of clouds and an invisible moon that couldn't be seen in daylight, yet was always there, observing everything.
***
Liu Xing lay on a soft futon inside a small but spacious cave he had carved himself. A white blanket covered him, its weight on his chest making him feel warm and secure. Nearby, a bonfire danced, providing light and chasing away the cold air.
After escaping from the terrifying spirit beast with ink-black skin, golden snakes for limbs, and coconuts for ears, he ran as fast as he could. At first, he fled in a random direction, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the place where Elder Xia Juetian had died. Then he arrived at a small town without fanfare. Still invisible, he had run inside, found a clothing shop, and taken several outfits, a blanket, a futon, and some large bags. He had then searched for a place to wash and calm himself. After that, he reluctantly dropped his invisibility and asked for directions to the capital.
Now, about twelve hours later, Liu Xing was nearly at the Twelve Sun Empire's capital, the City of Suns. But before he could arrive, a heavy rain had begun to fall so he had carved this small cave and was now resting comfortably.
As the bonfire crackled, the sound of rain pattering outside made the night feel peaceful. The howling wind and creaking branches created a comforting symphony. Liu Xing lay beneath the soft blanket, his eyes tracing the smooth brown roof of the cave. Carved by his lightning blade, it almost shone as if made of polished granite. He could see lines of black and gold intertwining like rivers trying to merge.
As he followed these lines, the sounds of the elements soothing him, his mind returned to the spirit beast. Especially the black one with green coconuts for ears, golden snakes for limbs, and wriggling yellow teeth. This spirit beast had looked almost ridiculous, yet Liu Xing couldn't laugh when he remembered it. After all, that creature had nearly killed him.
Liu Xing inhaled deeply, trying to calm his racing mind, and closed his eyes. As darkness enveloped him, a tempting whisper arose from a corner of his heart. It argued that these spirit beasts weren't his problem. He could simply ignore them and flee to another nation. Wasn't he in the middle of a race to become an inner disciple? What if his pursuit of this matter cost him his chance at that coveted position? Logically, it made sense to walk away.