I didn’t have to wait for long. Kai returned with the man in tow. A tall, burly man with an insufferable, oh-so-very punchable face. Sharp features and a defined jawline, along with a smirk—chills crawled down my spine like ants, it was very uncomfortable.

“You,” I said, paling.

“Yes, me,” said the man, grinning from ear to ear. “It is very nice to see you again, Ryujin.”

“How did you get here?” I asked, pressing my lips into a thin line.

“Hmm,” he hummed, his eyes looking up. “I wonder—”

“Stop the bullshit,” I said, gritting my teeth. “How are you alive?”

“Oh, Ryujin…” he said, eyes the shape of crescent moons. “You really believed that one kick to my—” he paused, face bubbling with contained anger, “—nuts will kill me?” he finished with a growl.

“Yes?”

“You!” he said, his nose flaring slightly. “You dare think that I—the Great Venerable Demon of the Obsidian Shadow Clan—will be killed so easily?! You are courting death!”

Huh. Why the typical xianxia monologue so suddenly?

Even in these tense moments I couldn’t help but think about that, no doubt stress catching up to me again.

“How did you even survive?” I asked, trying to make small talk so that someone could come to help. I was confused how he—Tian Mo, from what little [Identify] revealed—was able to survive, not to mention how he managed to come here given the security. I was just waiting for the guards to arrive and take it from here.

I doubted even they could stand a chance here, though. Wei Rui had yet to send someone strong here, to help me if in need. These guards were good enough for most of the Obsidian Shadow Clan, but the same could not be said for cultivators of Tian Mo’s caliber.

“Survive?” he repeated my question with a hearty laugh, throwing his head back dramatically. “You cannot imagine the agony I had to go through! I will make sure you suffer every bit of it, Ryujin. But I reckon it would not hurt to reveal some of the heavens’ blessing!” he wasn’t dumb enough to lower his guard, regardless of his “newfound powers” or whatever power up arc bullshit he was about to spout from his mouth.

“I was there, on that mountain. You sent me there. I was enlightened, thanks to you. I gained powers beyond your imagination. I gained everything I ever wanted—and now, I will have my revenge.”

“How?”

He smirked and didn’t elaborate further.

“I must say, you have grown stronger too, it seems.” He said. “I can’t see it. Your depth, I mean. It is way beyond what I can see. However, that doesn’t matter at all, for I have what it takes to kill you!”

“You’re goddamn right about that,” I said, trying to bluff my way through it. I used the trinket, too. But sadly, he was too strong than my current self, meaning the trinket could only work partially—and not to its full potential. Which was unfortunate. However, despite anything, he did retreat back slightly, possibly afraid that I’d still defeat him somehow.

Suddenly, he growled and used his intent, and a pressure fell on my shoulders.

I bit back a yelp of pain, and gritted my teeth, trying to appear as unaffected as I could—while my hold over the trinket’s power faded. But even then, I couldn’t take it in for long. It was as if something was crushing me. It bore down on me, trying to push me down. Kai had been rather confused till now, but as Tian Mo essentially attacked me using his intent, Kai immediately tried to land a hit on him regardless of his power—as was proper for him given he was my disciple. However, Tian Mo didn’t even bat an eye, flicking his wrist slightly. Kai’s eyes bulged, his face paling as something smacked into him, hurling him back. He slammed into a wall in the distance, falling on the ground with a thud—followed by a yelp of pain.

He couldn’t protect me.

I looked over at his battered form through gritted teeth. Kai lay sprawled on the ground in pain. Blood oozed from multiple wounds, staining the ground beneath him, and his face contorted in agony as he tried to move.

I couldn’t protect him.

I felt ashamed, for some reason.

I shook my head and glared at Tian Mo who appeared rather confused.

“I thought you’d be capable enough to stop me?” he said, or asked, I couldn’t be so sure anymore. “I told my clan members to not attack Bleak Town so I could wreak havoc here, tear everyone apart as they struggle helplessly, while you watch. But this? This is too pathetic, Ryujin! Where are you?! This is not the person who left me injured for weeks after just one attack!”

My eyes knew not where Tian Mo was, they were locked onto Kai. My disciple, my supposed meatshield. There were thoughts in my mind—thoughts that I could no longer ignore. Before I could confront them, though, my legs lost strength and I fell face first on the ground, finally losing against the pressure—the intent—that had been put on me.

“Huh?” Tian Mo made a sound. “Is that—is that it?! It can’t be!” he growled, prowling toward me with a bounce to his steps that fell with a loud thud on the ground. “You! You who was capable of hurting me—me!—that much, falling just under my intent? That’s not possible! You’re not Ryujin!”

His face flushed as he stomped near me.

“You—you imposter!” He raised his foot to crush my head but before he could do that, the fucking guards finally arrived, tackling him back. Finally.

One grabbed Tian Mo’s head, pulling him back. His coming foot’s trajectory shifted, flying dust where his foot landed. A few particles got into my eyes and I hissed—they burned. Was it due to Bleak Town, or more like the Demonic Lands’ uniqueness? Could be. I could care less at the moment, as Tian Mo grabbed onto the head of the cultivator who had latched onto his back. He twisted, and with a sickly crack, his neck was broken. However, Tian Mo didn’t stop there, he pulled on it. A sickening tear sounded, and the cultivator’s body fell limp. Tian Mo let go, letting him fall to the ground along with the head that rolled.

This savage… I was shocked—my mind was in shock

That, however, couldn’t last long, as my mind—my emotions—took the backseat instantly. They’d numbed significantly after my transmigration. Tian Mo was tackled by other cultivators, who came rushing with a battle cry.

“DIE!” a woman cultivator growled, pouncing at Tian Mo. She flicked her wrist, and her sword glinted in the light, slashing at his chest. Surprisingly he didn’t dodge, he let it slice through his skin. Unsurprisingly, the ugly gash healed in a second, and he grabbed her and literally tore her apart, throwing her different parts on the ground. Her eyes showed stunned horror, and then, a hollowness—one that pierced right through me.

The townsfolk had gathered at first, seeing the commotion, but after the first attack they’d fled. I couldn’t tell if they’d survive, chances were low. Tian Mo had found something in the mountain, I had no clue what—but it was certain that whatever it was, it had to be something that not only made him stronger, but gave him a healing factor, too. Cultivators healed faster, yes, using Gu—or Qi—but his healing was more than healing. It had to be.

Maybe I could take it—

Survive first, dumb ass. I chastised myself and put strength in my hands, pushing myself up and then walking over to Kai with trembling legs. Fuck. I hated this—this feeling of weakness. It was disgusting. I wanted the power to not fall and smack this motherfucker in the nuts, again. To not be so weak that I can’t even help myself survive.

I made my way up to Kai and checked up on him. His right cheek was swollen and his eye had a dark patch underneath. He was unconscious by now, which was a good thing considering one of his legs was twisted in an uncanny way. I immediately grabbed a few herbs from my inventory and tried to patch him up quickly—as efficiently as I could in this situation. I was honestly afraid a little, and wanted nothing more than to run away. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.

“Wu Ryujin!” Tian Mo growled, fists glowing with an eerie energy. I snapped out of it, staring at the ball of Gu giving off a sinister feeling. Tian Mo’s body twisted and writhed beneath the weight of the guards, it appeared that numbers could hold him back for a moment or two, at least. That was nice. His muscles strained lightly, and grunts and shouts filled the air as the guards struggled to maintain their grip on him, their faces contorted with exertion.

Tian Mo’s legs kicked out, sending clumps of earth flying into the air along with a few guards. His fingers clawed through the others, the veins on his hands flexed. A sudden surge of power later, they were all flung aside, their bodies limp and lifeless, droplets of red trailing behind their wake.

Only a man or two remained. I gulped.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Think, you fucking monkey-brained idiot, think! Be of use for once instead of forgetting shit all the time!

My pleas, however, were left unanswered.

Tian Mo seemed to have had enough.

“I’ve had enough,” he said, proving my point. “Let me show you Obsidian Dragon Fist of Poison!”

He growled, a pulse of Gu slamming out his heart that thumped the loudest I’d ever heard an Eclipse Heart—and Gu rushed out. Violent, and purple, mixed with green. They all clashed. Sparks flew. A blackhole-like something materialized on top of Tian Mo’s fist, ripping apart the ground, earth, and buildings all around him—the few guards that were left started being pulled toward him. Just before they reached him, he let go. Throwing his fist back and then throwing it forward.

Boom. A blast sounded, followed by a ringing in my ears. Earth was ripped, houses flipped, and the guards were devoured inside the beam of violent Gu that left his fist, cleaving through everything like a matter-eating something—in a way I could only describe as “somehow”.

The guards’ bodies first bled from every place. Then, the flesh was literally sucked out of their bodies, leaving behind a gory sight—it was nauseating. It didn’t take long for Tian Mo to remove them from existence, a group of townsfolk being caught in the crossfire of the beam.

“Now, it’s your turn.” Tian Mo’s voice tore through the ringing in my ears.

Fear. I felt it. Crawling up my skin, this feeling settled deep within my mind, intertwined with the fear I’d felt when I’d died the first time—then pierced in the chest but survived somehow. However, even after all that, I’d been near death more than I could ever like. But this moment—this fucking moment surpassed them all.

Tian Mo’s figure looming toward me slowly was etched into my retinas—and into my brain. He came and stopped in front of me, cracking his knuckles with a grin.

“Let’s begin, shall we?”