"How did you know?"
No respond came from Fang Wei as he stood in utter silence.
"Well, no need to tell us. All I have to do is capture you alive and torture you until you reveal how you came back to life," one of the figure in front chuckled and unsheathed his sword.
Fang Wei silently looked at the two figures surrounding him from both directions and finally grinned for some reason. "How amusing... So it was indeed true. The real perpetrator was my elder brother, Fang Rui, after all... Isn't that right?"
Both figures stopped momentarily and stared at Fang Wei with intense glares.
"So what if you know! You'll be dead soon enough... Capture him!" At the shout of the figure in front, the figure from behind rushed straight toward Fang Wei and aimed at his legs with a sword.
The speed at which the masked figure arrived behind him was impressive, to say the least. However, speed was irrelevant against a spiritual attack capable of inflicting physical damage. Before the masked figure could swing his sword, he was sliced cleanly in half from the waist, as effortlessly as cutting through butter.
The only sounds that echoed through the empty street were the clatter of the fallen sword and the gush of blood.
As Fang Wei looked at the fallen figure, he immediately recognized the scar on his face—the same scar he had seen on the guard stationed outside the entrance.
The figure in front took a step back immediately. Even with his cultivation at the Mid-stage of Qi Refining, he couldn't even comprehend how his partner had been cut down so effortlessly.
"H-how? Wh-what just…?" he stammered in a broken voice. Realizing that his opponent might be too formidable, he decided to flee without a second thought.
However, despite his desperate attempt to move, his legs would not obey. In the next instant, his body began to collapse. Looking down, he saw only a pool of blood where his legs should have been. "Ahh... Forgive me, S-senior!" he screamed, his voice a mix of sheer horror and desperation.
Fang Wei remained impassive, his expression unchanged. With a casual motion, he flicked his finger toward the shouting figure, and the street fell into eerie silence.
The first figure's body collapsed, lifeless, on the ground, his head missing.
Fang Wei examined the two dead bodies, his eyes widening with interest. "Aha, I wonder if these bodies will be sufficient for cultivating the Evil Mantra," he mused aloud. He chuckled briefly before gracefully seating himself on the ground.
Fang Wei closed his eyes and immersed himself in the Evil Mantra, following the instructions from the scripture.
As he meditated, the street around him fell into a deep silence.
For a long while, he cultivated undisturbed, drawing Qi from the bodies scattered around him through his cultivation pores. This process was the opposite of traditional cultivation methods, reflecting a more demonic approach.
After a few moments, the corpses of the two figures had completely dried up, as if a beast had drained them. Then a loud bang resonated from within Fang Wei's body.
At that instant, he opened his gleaming eyes and stood up, his figure radiating newfound strength and authority. "Is this what they call the early stage of Qi Accumulation?" he murmured.
Although it's an improvement, it's nothing more than just a baby step... he thought.
Feeling the refined Qi flowing through his body, Fang Wei pondered how much stronger he had become physically. Though he primarily sought an extended lifespan through cultivation, he welcomed any increase in strength, especially in terms of defense and physique, even if it was minimal.
Ah, right...
"System, show me my status," he commanded to the empty air.
Immediately, the transparent screen that had vanished the previous day reappeared beside him.
----
[Name: Fang Wei]
[Lifespan: 12/90]
[Spirit Root: Five Profound Roots]
[Technique: Evil Mantra]
[Cultivation: Qi Accumulation (Early)]
[Physique: None]
[Heavenly Treasures: Supreme Soul of the Sword Sanctum]
[Skills: (Culinary), (Archery)]
----
Only ten years of lifespan added... Well, that means I need to cultivate even more...
Fang Wei stared at his status and contemplated.
What's this Supreme Soul of the Sword Sanctum all about? It might be related to my sword talent from Ellinor, but it seems to be attached to my soul—or perhaps my soul is the treasure. But that raises the main question: why do I have such a Heavenly Treasure? And this so-called Evil system isn't responding either... I need answers.
Fang Wei pushed his unanswered questions to the back of his mind and noticed the mummified bodies around him. His gaze was drawn to a glistening ring on one of the corpses' fingers.
"A storage ring?" he guessed, taking it and channeling his Qi into it. The ring revealed a small space with some pills and demonic cores haphazardly placed. "Pathetic..." he scoffed dismissively.
The storage rings he was familiar with in Ellinor could easily hold an entire city, so this low-quality version was disappointing. Nevertheless, he decided to wear it, as he needed a place to store his belongings.
After taking care of that, Fang Wei left the empty street at a leisurely pace. His next stop was his temporary residence. He had many tasks ahead, especially after ensuring that the original Fang Wei was hunted down by his elder brother. He didn't care about the reasons; his sole focus was on achieving immortality and enjoying himself along the way.
However, if his brother, Fang Rui, dared to interfere in his plans, Fang Wei wouldn't hesitate to use him as a cultivation resource for a moment.
Once Fang Wei had left, a white-haired old man in a pristine white robe appeared in the empty street and surveyed the mummified bodies.
He spread his divine sense to scan the area for the perpetrator but found no one suspicious. Eventually, he sighed in resignation. "It seems that the senior left in a hurry. What a waste. It was a perfect opportunity to befriend such a powerful sword expert, but alas..."
The old man had been cultivating in seclusion near Moon Town when he sensed a powerful sword aura. He hurried toward it, only to find that the Sword Master he sought had already departed by the time he arrived.
"The Qi within the corpses has already been absorbed by someone. Even a demonic cultivator would need a day to accomplish this... Could it have been the Senior? So, he is actually a Demonic path cultivator!?" The old man's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He studied the corpses for a moment before vanishing into thin air.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of the building named Little Inn.
However, before he could enter, a joyful voice reached his ears. "Grandpa!" A little girl exclaimed in surprise as she ran toward him.
The old man smiled as he patted the little girl's head. "Let's go inside, little Xi'er. I brought lots of gifts for you this time."
"Yay!" she exclaimed excitedly.
The old man then walked into the building, unaware that the Senior he wanted to meet was staying in his own house.