rule 8

Chapter 100 ~ Yang Clan (8)

Liu Xing summoned his shield, kicked it, and punched the abomination's chest. When his balled fist landed, he felt the same sensation of hitting a wall with bare knuckles, but this time, the punch made the abomination take two steps back and out of the barrier.

Liu Xing punched again and again, forcing it to take several steps away from the barrier and the gate. The abomination howled and swung its two hands. It was fast, but not too quick. With Lightning Cloak, he could track the attack, and using his shield, he maneuvered around it.

When he reached its back, he activated his lightning blade and swung it like a whip at its neck, trying to decapitate it from behind. But when his lightning blade hit its neck, once again, he felt like he was attacking a steel wall. If he pushed the lightning blade any harder, he knew it would break.

The abomination turned its body and swung its arm toward Liu Xing. Liu Xing jumped into the sky. In the air, he looked down and aimed his gun. He activated his Exploding Fist, and the gun absorbed it. He then fired six exploding bullets at his enemy. When they hit the abomination's face, six explosions occurred simultaneously, leaving its face smoking.

It roared, dispersing the smoke, and Liu Xing saw that the abomination's face remained unchanged. Its two eyes still looked crazed, the five human heads glued to its forehead didn't even budge, and it began to growl like a wild dog.

Seeing this and processing their brief exchange, Liu Xing realized he couldn't win this fight, but as long as he was careful, he couldn't lose it either.

The elder had said this abomination was as strong as a Core Splitting cultivator with five cores, but it seemed the elder was wrong. Its power and durability might be at that level, but its speed and intelligence were not.

A cultivator usually has balance: their amount of qi, quality of qi, control of qi, power, and speed are all above a certain threshold when advancing to the next realm. That's why someone with a lower realm usually can't win against those with a higher realm. They're outclassed in every aspect.

But this abomination wasn't balanced. It had strong power, evident when it successfully broke through the elder's barrier, but it also couldn't catch three Core Splitting realm cultivators who ran away, which meant it was slow.

The abomination whipped its long hand toward him. Seeing this, Liu Xing summoned his shield and dodged to the side. Its ribbon-like ears moved like cobras at him, faster than its arms, but not impossible to dodge.

Liu Xing kicked his shield to maneuver, then lunged toward the abomination. He activated his Lightning Palm Technique, this time using it as intended, and hit its torso with his palm. When the attack connected, its growl deepened, but there was no hole or even a scorch mark on it. Its fur wasn't even singed.

Liu Xing rotated his body and kicked the torso with both feet. His feet, coated with stable qi, successfully made it take two steps back while also launching Liu Xing several meters backward.

He rotated his body in the air and then planted his feet on the ground. His feet created a trail, and he stopped dozens of meters from the abomination right on top of a small hill.

The abomination came at him on all fours, jaws wide open, revealing large, sharp teeth and a black, hand-shaped tongue.

Liu Xing decided to fill his gun with bullets converted from Exploding Fist, and he pulled the trigger repeatedly. The bullets hit its face, creating smoke, but while it made it unbalanced for a moment, they didn't really work. When the abomination tried to eat him, Liu Xing moved to the side, filled his gun with bullets converted from Lightning Palm Technique, and fired several lightning bullets. The bullets hit its side, and when they connected, arcs of electricity surrounded it. Its movement stopped, and it let out a pitiful sound, like a dog that had been kicked. But as soon as the arcs of electricity surrounded it, they soon dispersed, and the abomination turned its body and lunged at him.

At this point, he realized that this fight was more or less equal. Liu Xing was fast; the abomination couldn't land an attack, but his attacks didn't work either.

But a tiny bit of confidence began to surge in his heart. After all, while none of his attacks worked, he had many opportunities to probe and poke the abomination, trying to find its weak spot. This abomination wasn't a true being with cultivation at Core Splitting fifth cores; it felt unbalanced, and he hoped that this imbalance meant it had at least one weakness.

He also hadn't unleashed attacks from his Thunderstrike Gauntlets, which were his trump card. He would wait until he found a weak spot to unleash them, possibly to defeat it.

***

Yang Liangyu rushed toward the clan gate. There were no people around, which meant all the clan members were either fighting or in the shelter. She was weak and needed to be in the shelter, and she had been there earlier, but when she heard that her brother had finally arrived, she couldn't help but sneak out.

She ran as fast as possible and soon found herself near the gate. The gate was now closed, and most people were standing atop the wall, observing something with wide eyes, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

She spotted her brother on top of the wall and leaped toward him as hard as she could.

"Brother!"

As she shouted, her brother, as well as other clan members, even Elder Yang Zhaoyan, turned their heads toward her. Some of them lowered their heads and bowed, but she ignored them. Instead, she focused on her brother. He was sitting on top of the wall, a servant tending to him. When he saw her, his eyes widened, and a small smile bloomed on his face.

She landed beside him. "Are you all right, brother? Do you have any injuries? Have you already eaten a Restoration Pill?"

"Yes, I'm alright. I have some injuries, but I've also eaten a Restoration Pill." Then, her brother hugged her, and she hugged him back.

As they embraced, Yang Liangyu's emotions burst forth, and tears began to fall from her eyes. Yesterday, everything had still been all right. Her father, while not as strong as last year, could still eat and laugh heartily. Her older brother still trained and learned diligently to become the next emperor, and her younger brother, while still bitter because he failed the Purple Moon Sect entrance exam, still gave her a smile.

Yang Liangyu was a sheltered girl; she knew it. While her father always said that her fate was her own, she knew that someday she would be married off for the benefit of the empire and to strengthen bonds with their allies. She had already accepted this fate, and to make up for it, she tried to live happily every day. It's just that trying to make every day happy had blinded her to the darkness beneath the castle roof.

Just this morning, when she saw her brother plunge his hand into their father's chest and rip out his still-beating heart, his face contorted with rage and madness, the veil that had always blinded her finally lifted. She suddenly realized how restless, vengeful, and angry her brother was, how treacherous the clan and the nobles who always smiled and praised her father were, and how naive and weak her father had become. Everything was already crashing down, and she desperately wished for all of this to be just a nightmare.

"Don't cry, little sister. Your brother is here." Yang Jinyan hugged her tightly, trying to make her stop crying, but she couldn't stop. She was glad her brother was alive, but everything else was not alright.

Her brother stroked her back, and she felt a kind of warmth begin spreading through her body, then her heart. Everything was bad today, but it didn't mean it would be this bad forever.

"Granny is dead," Yang Liangyu said.

"Is that so?" Her brother's voice sounded weak. "Many people died today. Our uncles, aunts, senior sisters and brothers, our cousins and friends, they also died."

Her brother whispered, "And it's all my fault," so low that she almost thought she had imagined it. Her heart began to ache more, but her brother hugged her more tightly.

"But it's all right, I will right all the wrongs that happened. I will kill Lihuo and Wei Yi and kill every abomination that ravages our empire. While I can't promise tomorrow will be better, I promise that later, every bad thing that happened today will be over."

When she heard his intent to kill her younger brother, a pang of sadness stabbed her heart, but to be honest, she too felt a grudge toward her younger brother. That kid had lived happily under a prospering empire. Sure, the Twelve Sun Empire wasn't a giant empire. Their empire was tiny, only having around twenty provinces, and the only reason they had Earth-lower tier resources was merely luck. But nonetheless, it was a nice and kind empire, and instead of enjoying and making the empire more prosperous, her younger brother had become a fool who worked with a demonic cultivator and tried to become stronger in the worst possible way. That kid needed to be punished, and the most fitting punishment for him was death.

Chapter 101 ~ Yang Clan (9)

"I will help," Yang Liangyu said with conviction. "I will become stronger and help you, brother."

"Thank you," her brother whispered. "With you comes a small candle of hope. You're very lucky to have escaped the castle unharmed."

"Yes, it's all thanks to Liu Xing."

His appearance was so timely that Yang Liangyu thought fate might have sent him to save her. But that wasn't the case. While it was fortunate for her to meet him, the reason he came here was because of another threat ravaging her empire.

"That guy is impressive, and I think he can help us," her brother said, pointing to the side.

Yang Liangyu, whose focus had been entirely on her brother, now turned her head. When she saw the fight happening in front of the clan compound, her eyes widened. She finally felt the tremors traveling from the battlefield, heard the loud thuds from the exchange, and felt the strong wind rustling her hair.

Liu Xing was now fighting, and his opponent was terrifying. It looked like a giant black dog, but it wasn't. It had long arms that, when whipped around, formed wind blades flying so fast she couldn't see them. When they hit the ground, long gashes formed. When the wind blades hit the barrier, it would shimmer for a moment and tremble as if struck by a large boulder.

Moving around the abomination was Liu Xing. He moved so fast that he looked like a blue blur. Sometimes flashes of lightning could be seen, and when that happened, the abomination would stop for a moment. Occasionally, explosions pushed back the abomination, and sometimes it took a step back as if punched by Liu Xing.

Watching their fight was like seeing lightning battle a boulder.

"He is... impressive," Elder Yang Zhaoyan suddenly said, and all eyes turned to him.

Elder Yang Zhaoyan had a mild temperament. He was always level-headed. Whether faced with disaster or celebration, he remained as calm as still water. His temperament matched his barrier techniques, and with his talent, he had become one of the few elites in the Yang clan and the Twelve Sun Empire. Hearing him praise someone was as rare as seeing a giant fish fly.

"Elder, isn't he a Lock Opening cultivator? How can he move like that?" her brother asked, releasing his embrace and walking toward the elder. She followed behind him.

"Yes, he is a Lock Opening cultivator sixth stage."

Hearing this, her brother, herself, and her clan members—who had been watching the fight as if seeing a master Sun Refining cultivator in action—gaped in astonishment. Yang Liangyu herself knew that Liu Xing was only a stage higher than her, but she, like everyone else, had assumed he was masking his true cultivation level. After all, she had seen with her own eyes that he had killed a Core Splitting cultivator. And now, he was fighting something that her brother and his two retainers couldn't defeat.

"The Purple Moon Sect is different from our clan and empire. They only accept the best of the best into their ranks. By my estimate, Liu Xing is only around twenty, which means he's younger than all of you."

Yang Liangyu was nearly forty and was considered young in her clan. Only her younger brother was younger than her, and he was also twenty.

"Moreover, he's equipped with some pretty strong treasures," the elder added.

"How strong is he?" her brother asked.

"Liu Xing is a little unbalanced, but I estimate if he fought you, prince, he would likely win. So around Core Splitting third core."

Hearing this, her brother's eyes widened, as did Yang Liangyu's. After all, while not the most talented cultivator of the Twelve Sun Empire, her brother was strong.

"That's absurd!" her brother exclaimed. "While I know cultivators from great sects are always stronger than others in the same realm, the gap between Lock Opening and Core Splitting is too wide to cross."

"And yet, you and your retainers fled from that thing, while he can fight it equally. Don't be ashamed, prince. He is not only more talented than you but also more talented than me." He said it so calmly, as if what he said was just a matter of fact.

The elder turned his head toward her. "We should thank the heavens that you, my princess, stumbled upon him and brought him here. He has proven himself an ally of the Yang clan, and his background will make it easier for us to call for help from the Purple Moon Sect."

Her brother nodded. "If he fights alongside us, then he is one of us. Especially in these dire times."

"Prince, bring everyone inside. While this fight is interesting, we know what the outcome will be. Use this time to think. You are our future emperor, and you need to make decisions about the path we must take from now on. We cannot let Yang Lihuo or that demonic cultivator rampage in our empire. You need to come up with a plan."

"All right," he nodded, then ordered everyone to gather in the meeting hall. A few moments later, everyone was gone, and only she and the elder remained.

"Are you telling the truth, elder?" Yang Liangyu asked.

"All of that is true, yes. You should know my reputation."

She nodded. Her father sometimes talked about the clan. The emperor couldn't lead the Yang clan, so the clan leader position fell to his cousin, her uncle. Yang Liangyu remembered her father complaining about him. He said that his cousin felt like a snake trying to bury its fangs in his neck, and that it would be better if Yang Zhaoyan became the clan leader. Yang Liangyu thought her father was just kidding at the time—after all, he had said it with a smile—but perhaps he was serious.

Still, she wanted to test his reputation herself. "Then tell me, elder. Do we have hope of regaining the empire?"

The elder turned his head toward Liu Xing, who was still fighting the abomination. Some of the beast's fur was now scorched, while one of its long ears had been cut off and turned into a snake trying to bite Liu Xing.

"To be honest, this empire is like a sinking ship," the elder said. "If what the prince said is true, then there are no more people in the capital. They've all been turned into the same kind of abomination as that." He gestured with his chin toward the beast. "Even if we successfully defeat Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi, we'll need to rebuild our little empire from the sratch. And without the presence of the grand elder in the Sun Collapsing realm, it will be hard. There's also the threat of invasion from our neighboring nations, and seeing our forces, they would likely succeed in seizing our empire."

Yang Liangyu clenched her hands so hard her palms turned white. All of that was true. And yet, she wanted it all to be a lie. She wondered what would happen if she could turn back time. What would she do to prevent all of this?

Yang Liangyu shook her head. She couldn't think like that. The future was bleak, but it was no excuse for her to daydream about changing the past. She needed to focus and do the best she could right now, and the only logical thing to do was to become stronger. If she had power, she would be more useful. She decided right then and there that she would be stronger, to be wiser, to be smarter, so that she could be more helpful to the empire, to her brother, and to her clan.

"Still, there's a small hope," the elder suddenly added.

Hearing this, her heartbeat quickened. "Truly?"

"Yes," the elder nodded. "We need to make that guy our strong ally." He pointed at Liu Xing. "In the event that Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi are already dealt with, we need strong backing to deter our enemies from making a move."

Yang Liangyu first thought that the elder overestimated Liu Xing. While he was from the Purple Moon Sect, he was only an outer disciple. True, his position was strong enough that he could make an emperor bow to him, but he didn't have any real power as a deterrent. Still, she realized that Elder Yang Zhaoyan wasn't thinking about the immediate future, but perhaps hundreds of years from now. Liu Xing was talented, and with his abilities, if fate allowed it, he would be a powerhouse later in life. Perhaps even an elder.

"You understand what I mean," the elder added.

Yang Liangyu bit her lip. She understood it. The elder wanted her to seduce him. Perhaps even force him to get her pregnant. If she had his child, then he would be tied to her and the Yang clan.

Chapter 102 ~ Wang Tao (1)

She observed Liu Xing as he moved left and right, up and down. He flashed like blue lightning, creating explosions that rattled her ears. Though she couldn't follow his movements, Yang Liangyu realized that Liu Xing was always attacking the forehead of the abomination. It seemed he was trying to soften it, perhaps to pry it open. The five heads on its forehead were now reduced to one, the other four lying on the ground with wide, lifeless eyes.

As she watches the fight, Yang Liangyu inhaled deeply. It felt wrong to think about manipulating him. After all, he was a man who had helped her without asking for repayment. He had even helped her bury her grandmother. She owed him, and yet here she was, contemplating how to use him.

Still, she needed to do what was necessary to become strong and help the empire. If that meant seducing him, then so be it.

As the thought crossed her mind, her pale cheeks bloomed with color. Her heart began racing, not with anxiety, but with a pleasant, hopeful feeling. A small smile formed on her lips as she gazed tenderly at the blue blur now circling the abomination.

Yes, she thought, it was a good idea. For the empire, as well as for herself.

***

In the cultivation world, a fight was usually straightforward. Whoever had the higher realm would win. If a Lock Opening cultivator fought against a Core Splitting cultivator, the Core Splitting cultivator would emerge victorious. Even a difference of a single stage was usually enough to determine the winner from the start. But this was only true if you excluded the five great sects.

The five great sects possessed top-notch cultivation methods and techniques refined over thousands of years. Even now, improvements are still happening. While the rate wasn't exponential and the process was long and difficult, there was no doubt that the quality of disciples from the five great sects kept increasing.

That's why the sects guarded their secrets religiously. Even then, innovations always leaked out, making the cultivation world generally stronger now than it had been millions of years ago.

In one of the gardens of a small clan called the Wang clan, sitting in the middle of a serene garden accompanied by the night moon and stars, there was one who studied a leaked cultivation scripture from the Purple Moon Sect. His name is Wang Tao, and he was a genius that appeared once in ten thousand years. The elders and the clan leader had great hopes for him, and Wang Tao himself understood that he was born for greatness.

Wang Tao was now trying to memorize every word of the Wind and Earth Scripture. While he had mild dyslexia, making his reading speed slower compared to others, he had the iron will to endure. The Wind and Earth Scripture had both wind and earth affinities, and since he only had an earth affinity, this scripture wasn't the perfect fit for him. But there was no better scripture available, so as always, he endured.

After reading for several hours, Wang Tao closed the scripture and his eyes, trying to digest its meaning and cultivation method.

"Wind and earth are two separate elements, and yet they're intertwined," he mused. "Wind blows seeds to faraway lands, and the earth accepts them. Without wind, seeds, life, forests, trees, and flowers wouldn't spread. Without earth to accept them, there would be no life. The two elements work together with others to nurture life. But these elements aren't always gentle. The wind can uproot giant trees, and the earth can shake so the trees fall. Two elements that nurture life can also destroy it."

A sense of comprehension, as well as a cycling path, suddenly appeared in his mind. Wang Tao smiled, then he stood up.

Wang Tao was now eighteen, and while he was only at the Lock Opening realm third stage, he was nonetheless a genius. After all, he had lived his first seventeen years as a cripple and had only begun to cultivate about a year ago. While he couldn't participate in the Purple Moon Sect entrance exam, he believed that his genius would be recognized and he would be accepted as a disciple later.

"With my newly awakened bloodline, I'll become a peerless genius," Wang Tao grinned. He had green hair the color of ancient trees, sharp eyes, two straight eyebrows that looked like fine swords, and skin that was smooth and healthy. In the city of Green Valley, he was considered one of the most handsome young men to ever live.

"One day, everyone will know my name. I'll be rich beyond belief, with more spirit stones than I can count. All the beautiful women will want me. And I'll have so much power, even the great sects will fear me. This whole world will be mine to enjoy. It'll be perfect."

Trying to quell his excitement and fantasies, he calmed his mind. Before all his dreams could become reality, he needed to endure and work hard. So, he prepared to cultivate.

He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and began to move.

First, he punched the air in front of him, creating a ripple that made the grass and several tree leaves around the garden dance. As he punched, he could feel the qi around him moving excitedly, and he absorbed it all into his body. He rotated his body and kicked. Again, the wind rippled, the leaves and grass swayed, and he absorbed the eager qi surrounding him.

He performed several dozen basic punches and kicks. His eyes were closed, his face a mask of seriousness. But inside, he felt giddy. He hated meditating and sitting for hours on end, so he had devised a simple method to cultivate while moving. The elders said what he had invented wasn't new and was usually inefficient, but he knew better. While it might not be novel, his method incorporated his bloodline, and it was three times faster than normal cultivation methods.

As he cultivated while practicing his kicks and punches, he began to submerge himself in a world of focus. His five senses shut out all distractions around him, and he greedily absorbed the qi in his vicinity.

His bloodline was both strong and subtle. Instead of giving him some unique ability, it granted him limitless endurance. Since a year ago, after he had nearly drowned himself and his bully in the river, he never slept, never felt hungry, never tired physically or mentally, never ran out of qi, and experienced other effects he could feel but couldn't describe. Even after a year, he was still exploring his bloodline, conducting experiment after experiment to unravel its mysteries.

He called this bloodline Unlimited Endurance.

When the elders learned about his bloodline, they nearly died from shock. After all, it was indeed a fearsome bloodline. One of the keys to becoming a strong cultivator was to have strong willpower, and his bloodline gave him an unlimited supply of it. Nothing could stop him as long as he kept moving and studying. Moreover, since he didn't need to rest, eat, or sleep, he had twenty-four hours a day to study and practice. This made his days twice as long as other people's.

But the true power of Wang Tao's bloodline lay in its effect on his mind. While others struggled with mental fatigue, loss of focus, and the psychological toll of endless cultivation, Wang Tao's mind remained eternally sharp and clear. No matter how long he studied or how intensely he practiced, his concentration never wavered.

"Truly, if this world is a story, then I am the main character!" He opened his eyes, punched the air as hard as he could, and shouted joyfully.

In his heart, there was no doubt about it. He even began to think that later, after he became an immortal, he would write a book about his journey. His book would become the one read by everyone in this world, and he would make laws to protect it so no one could plagiarize it. Anyone who did so would be severely punished! Even if they only copied the title, he would strike them down!

Wang Tao giggled like a child and kept cultivating while moving his body around.

This time, he didn't break his concentration just to shout. Now, he truly submerged himself in the world of focus, ignoring everything and absorbing qi with all his effort, trying to open the next lock so he could advance further.

As he cultivated, there came a time when the qi around him felt chaotic, as if a tornado of energy was blowing away most of the qi. But Wang Tao decided not to think about the reason and instead chased after the fleeing qi. After all, he was in the heart of his clan compound. Only elders could enter. Surely, there was no one in Green Valley capable of entering without being scolded and chased away by the elders. He felt like a king, with the elders as his guard dogs.

The chaotic qi persisted for several hours. While this made absorbing qi a bit harder, he successfully absorbed the energy around him. Eventually, the qi settled, and he began to absorb it more quickly.

As he did so, he suddenly felt his right foot grow heavy, as if something was tied to it. He ignored it for several moments, but when the heaviness persisted, he thought that perhaps his foot had caught on something. So he opened his eyes to check what was clinging to his feet.

When he saw a bloodied hand gripping his right ankle, Wang Tao blinked several times. The hand was white and wrinkled, yet its grip was strong. Red blood coated most of the fingers gripping his ankle, as if someone had dipped them into a pool of blood.

Chapter 103 ~ Wang Tao (2)

Wang Tao's eyes widened as he saw a bloodied hand grip his foot. His gaze traveled up the arm to meet the face of a man lying on the ground covered in blood.

"You fool! How many times do I have to tell you to always pay attention to your surroundings?" The man coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"E-elder?" Wang Tao stammered, rushing to the elder's side. His focus, however, was on their surroundings. While the small garden remained intact, the rest of the compound lay in ruins. Rubble and clouds of dust painted the scenery. In the distance, an orange glow of fire lit up the sky.

"Elder, what happened?" His voice trembled. The last time he'd opened his eyes, everything had been fine.

"Spirit beasts are attacking us!" The elder, a man hundreds of years old with white hair and wrinkled skin, coughed up more blood as he answered. One of his eyes was clouded with cataracts, and the lower half of his face was soaked in red.

Wang Tao suddenly remembered the pills he had. He tried to shove them into the elder's mouth, but the old man refused. "I'm already dead. My cultivation is broken, and I used the last of it to come here and wake you from your concentration!"

"I'm sorry, Elder!" Tears threatened to fall from Wang Tao's eyes. It was so sudden; he didn't have time to comprehend what had happened. The fact that the elder, who had been kind to him and whom he considered a father, would die made his heart ache. "I'll get you to safety!"

He scanned their surroundings, trying to figure out where the spirit beasts were and where to run.

As Wang Tao reached for the elder, the old man waved him off. "No, just run. These spirit beasts are stronger than all of us. Don't burden yourself with me." The elder rolled onto his back, facing the sky.

A sinister laugh echoed through the air, accompanied by desperate cries and shouts. Wang Tao's heart raced as he wondered what kind of spirit beasts dared to attack the Wang clan and succeed.

"Listen carefully; we don't have much time," the elder said urgently. "I want you to run. Run as fast and as far as you can. Don't stop for anything. Even if you see a naked woman with her legs spread and a bewitching smile, ignore her. Just run, run, and run. These spirit beasts are dangerous. They are stronger than me!" The elder coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Wang Tao's heart ached, and his eyes burned with unshed tears, but he took a deep breath and centered himself. He began to accept reality and nodded. He would run. He would hide. The elder was at the Core Splitting seventh core. Anything that could kill the elder could easily crush him.

"Now, about your father, he is actually—"

Before the elder could finish, something hurtled toward them. It was too fast for Wang Tao to dodge, but the elder moved suddenly, standing right in front of him and blocked it with his body.

The object hurling toward them wasn't a thing—it was a person. It was the gardener! He had probably been thrown by a spirit beast. The gardener's bald head now jutted out from the elder's stomach as if it were the blade of a spear. His entire head was red with blood, and the scene before Wang Tao was so absurd that he felt he must be dreaming.

"Go now!" The elder coughed several times. "Just go!"

Wang Tao's body trembled, but he nodded and began to run as fast as he could. As he ran, he turned his head to see the elder and the gardener fall together, their bodies tangled.

He felt sadness seeing his elder die, but the most dominant feeling in his heart was fear. Fear of whatever had hurled the gardener with such force.

"Why?" he muttered. Why had this suddenly happened to him? Wasn't he a genius favored by heavens? Shouldn't his life be smooth sailing from here on out?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, tears began to fall from his eyes. While he didn't really love his clan members, they were still family, and he vowed to someday kill whatever had annihilated his clan and killed his elder.

Wang Tao had been running for some time, his feet carrying him far from the devastation of his clan compound. The dense forest outside the compound surrounded him, and its shadows offering a false sense of security.

Suddenly, a whistling sound came from behind and Wang Tao turned his head to see a black blur shooting toward him like an arrow. His eyes widened in terror, and he instinctively jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the mysterious projectile.

A loud crash echoed through the forest, followed by the groaning of a tree and a bigger crash accompanied by the rustle of leaves. Wang Tao snapped his head toward the sound, seeing a massive tree now fallen to the side. But his eyes focused on the disgusting and terrifying spirit beast that had felled the tree.

Its skin was brown as mud, its right ear was one giant grape, while the left was a yellow chili. It had white teeth and smiled so wide as if a beggar saw a pile of gold. Tied around its neck was a yellow cloth with a flower pattern. It had a human torso, but its four limbs were yellow snakes with red dots.

Wang Tao's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the qi emanating from this spirit beast—it was overwhelmingly strong. It was like drowning in some kind of malevolent yet powerful water. It was even stronger than the elder, which meant this thing could kill him as easily as a child stomping on ants. His body and teeth trembled, his back drenched with cold sweat, and he felt his lungs suddenly turn to iron, unable to pump air. But his self-preservation instinct was alive and kicking, and it roared at him to run away.

Wang Tao stood up hastily, cycled his qi to strengthen his feet and body, and bolted like an arrow. He prayed that this thing wouldn't chase him. He was just a mere ant. Surely something that strong wouldn't lower itself to chase an ant.

He turned his head and saw that the spirit beast was standing near the fallen tree. For a moment, he felt relief, but this relief vanished when his body hit something solid. He fell onto his backside and looked up to see what he had hit.

When he could clearly see what it was, the blood drained from his face, leaving him as pale as a candle. What he had hit was another spirit beast. It had blue snakes as limbs, pale skin, apples for ears, and a smirking face. He felt a wind ripple at his side and saw another similar spirit beast land nearby. This one had pitch-black snakes, yellow skin, red potatoes for ears, and an angry face.

More and more spirit beasts landed around him. They were on the ground, in the tree branches, hovering in the sky, standing on shimmering platforms—some even came out of the ground like moles.

Wang Tao looked around, instinctively trying to count the total number of enemies.

"O-one, t-two, t-three," he counted with a trembling voice. When he reached ten, despair filled his heart. At twenty, he realized there was no way he would survive. And when he hit thirty, anger took over.

He shouldn't die now. He should live, advance, become strong, and rule the world.

Wang Tao stood up, his face scrunching into a bestial expression.

One of the spirit beasts began to laugh. Its laugh was ugly, like a child with lung problems. Then another ugly laugh sounded, and more and more spirit beasts joined in, their laughter reverberating through the air.

"Don't laugh!" Wang Tao screamed. "I, Wang Tao, declare you all as my enemy! Whether in this life or the next, I will remember all of you! I will tear off your snake limbs, chop off your heads, eat your hearts, and refine pills from all of you!"

A spirit beast with pitch-black skin and green coconuts for ears struck the air with its snake limb, and a golden ball in the shape of a tiger's head shot toward him.

Wang Tao screamed and tried to punch this attack. His eyes were red and glistening as if he wanted to cry. When his punch connected with the golden tiger head, his hand exploded like a popping balloon. A red mist spread around him, and unbearable pain shot through his body. This pain made him close his eyes for a moment, and every spirit beast surrounding him—whether standing on branches, on the ground, floating, or atop a platform—came rushing at him as if he were the most delicious meat in the middle of a pack of hungry dogs.

Before he opened his eyes again, his limbs were torn off, his head chomped, his stomach and torso bitten as if he were the most delicious cookie in the world.

The only thing that made him grateful was that while his death was brutal, heavens still had mercy on him because everything turned dark before he could register the pain.

He was dead, as were most of the Wang clan, the surrounding clans, and the nearby towns, cities, and provinces.

And this was not an isolated event. Throughout the Twelve Sun Empire, the same thing was happening through the night.

Chapter 104 ~ Meeting (1)

Liu Xing sat in a chair inside a grand, spacious room. This was the meeting hall of the Yang clan. Paintings adorned the walls, depicting scenes from cranes to dragons to a goateed man seated on a golden throne. The walls not covered by paintings displayed intricate carvings of golden dragons, cranes, snakes, and other ornate motifs. Several wooden beams, carved to resemble ascending dragons, supported the roof.

In front of Liu Xing sat a long table decorated with gold and laden with food and tea. To his left and right sat the two women who accompanied Prince Yang Jinyan. Beside them were other Yang clan cultivators who had achieved the Core Splitting realm. Behind Liu Xing, several dozen people sat in chairs without tables. These were the Lock Opening cultivators who had opened more than five locks. The rest knelt on reed mats.

At the front, Yang Jinyan sat on a high chair decorated with gold carved into the shape of a crane, as if a golden crane had landed there. Yang Liangyu sat to his left, while Elder Yang Zhaoyan was on his right.

"Let's begin the meeting," Yang Jinyan announced. "Since we're in a hurry, we'll forgo tradition and get straight to the point. We face great danger, so I want you all to focus on what I'm about to say. The Twelve Sun Empire teeters on the brink of destruction. The City of Suns is probably empty of people now. A demonic cultivator called Wei Yi has transformed most of its people into spirit beasts. I'll start by telling you what I witnessed today."

Yang Jinyan recounted his tale. That morning, he and Yang Lihuo had been summoned by the emperor. The emperor announced his decision to step down within a year, naming Yang Jinyan as his successor. Yang Lihuo, furious, declared Yang Jinyan an incapable heir who would make a poor emperor. He then attacked the emperor, who easily beat him. But in the end, Yang Lihuo called for Wei Yi, who appeared out of thin air as if he had been invisible all along.

Liu Xing's heart raced as he listened. He knew the story wasn't entirely truthful, but Wei Yi's sudden appearance made him wonder if the cultivator possessed darkness like Ji Dongyang. After all, Wei Yi had obtained a technique from the ruins of his sect. Could he be connected to the darkness in this world? Did this darkness grant him invisibility?

The prince described Wei Yi in detail: a burly man wearing a dark robe, with a pitch-black goatee, dark sharp eyes, and tanned skin. The prince said Wei Yi wasn't exactly old, but he felt ancient, like a tree that looked healthy on the outside but was rotting within.

He realized there were many differences between the Wei Yi the prince described and the one he had imagined. Bai Lin had told Liu Xing that Wei Yi is a young, talented cultivator. But Prince Yang Jinyan described him as neither young nor old. Bai Lin had said Wei Yi was at the Core Splitting realm with four cores, yet now he was at the Sun Refining realm, about to advance to Sun Collapsing realm.

Liu Xing wondered if these were two different people named Wei Yi. But considering the bloodline-stealing spirit beasts roaming the empire, it seemed more likely that this Wei Yi was the same person from Mystic Moon City.

He pinched his chin, pondering. Was Bai Lin's information wrong? Had Wei Yi hidden his true strength? Or had he advanced rapidly in a short time? The truth was likely a mix of all these possibilities. After all, demonic cultivators tended to grow strong quickly and perhaps the demonic technique Wei Yi used also accelerated his aging.

The important thing was that Wei Yi was strong and dangerous. The only one capable of defeating him now was Elder Yang Zhaoyan, and Liu Xing wondered what plan the prince would devise.

The prince described his fight with Yang Lihuo and the emperor's battle with Wei Yi. Liu Xing noticed Yang Liangyu's lips pressed together, as if remembering something scary and sad. Perhaps this was before the grand elder had taken her and her grandmother out of the castle.

"In the end, Wei Yi used poison to weaken my father until he was as frail as a mortal. Then that bastard, my younger brother, struck our father and ripped his heart from his chest." Yang Jinyan slammed the armrest of his chair, shattering it. Splinters flew everywhere as his face reddened, the red line on his face pulsing as if molten lava flowed beneath his skin.

The prince then said he had nearly died fighting Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi simultaneously. That's when reinforcements from the Yang clan arrived, along with support for Yang Lihuo from the Hei and Wu clans.

He didn't describe the aftermath in detail, but everyone could imagine it. The two groups fought, then Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi betrayed their allies, transforming them into spirit beasts. The prince and his retainers, along with the remaining Yang clan members, had to retreat. In the end, only three of them successfully arrived here.

He also mentioned how Elder Yang Zhaoyang and Liu Xing had killed the abomination that chased him. Many people glanced at Liu Xing when the prince said this. Some nodded, others observed him calculatingly, but none looked down on him. Although Liu Xing hadn't killed the abomination himself, he had held it off for more than two hours, weakening it until the elder crushed it with a shimmering barrier.

"Now, I'll tell you what we need to do," the prince continued. "Our enemy intends to transform all of us into spirit beasts. My retainers suspect they plan to conquer the world with this army."

Gasps rose from the back of the room.

"But that's not their goal. Creating an army of spirit beasts isn't the most effective way to conquer the world. What they truly seek is personal power—to advance their cultivation further. Turning us into spirit beasts is just a means to achieve that power."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, wondering where this conclusion came from. As if reading his mind, the prince answered, "I know this because Wei Yi mentioned the Emperors' Tomb to Yang Lihuo during our fight."

"What is this Emperors' Tomb?" Liu Xing whispered to the girl on his right, the one who had been drenched in blood earlier.

She glanced at him and whispered back, "It's where we bury our past emperors."

Liu Xing pinched his chin, trying to piece together what the prince might say next.

"The Emperors' Tomb lies underground, beneath the castle," the prince explained. "It's a place of dense qi, where our Twelve Sun Empire buries our past emperors and stores our reserved wealth. But one of the hidden functions of the tomb is to create a barrier that can be activated to protect the capital".

"Let me explain this barrier," Elder Yang Zhaoyan interjected. "It's flexible, designed by our formation masters about a thousand years ago. This barrier can be adjusted to withstand physical attacks, create illusions to conceal the capital, and even funnel qi to a single point to unleash a devastating attack at the cost of sacrificing everything. This Royal Barrier is a masterpiece that only the great sects can replicate." He puffed out his chest, clearly proud of this achievement.

Yang Jinyan nodded. "I've thought long and hard about this, and I've reached a possible conclusion as to why they were discussing the Emperors' Tomb even in the middle of the fight. I believe Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi intend to modify the Royal Barrier to sacrifice the people inside the capital who have been transformed into spirit beasts. Liu Xing, I heard you might have an explanation for this."

Liu Xing straightened, caught off guard. Truth be told, he initially drew a blank when put on the spot like this, but his mind soon started to work, and his eyes widened. He actually did have a possible explanation for this.

He stood and cleared his throat. "For those of you who don't know, I'll explain why I came to this empire." He looked around the meeting hall, then recounted everything he knew about Wei Yi, the Xia clan, the spirit beasts with snake limbs, and the pink worms.

This time, he spared no details. It seemed Wei Yi was truly responsible for those spirit beasts. It made sense—he had unleashed them at the perfect moment. In the midst of chaos, the spirit beasts could rampage unchecked.

After hearing his explanation, the people around him began to murmur.

"They steal bloodlines," Liu Xing said. "I've always wondered about Wei Yi's endgame. Is he planning to eat all those spirit beasts to increase his cultivation? I just realized he doesn't need to consume them one at a time. He can devour them all at once using the Royal Barrier." Liu Xing glanced at Elder Yang Zhaoyan, who nodded slightly, confirming his conclusion.

He returned to his chair, his heart pounding like a galloping horse. It all made sense, but there was no concrete evidence. It was just what Yang Jinyan and he had pieced together, trying to make sense of it all. Whether their conclusion was true or not, the fact remained that Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi intended to do something in the capital using the Royal Barrier.

Perhaps they wanted to be reborn with new bodies forged by the sacrifice, carrying an ultimate bloodline. Or maybe they didn't need to be reborn at all, instead transferring all that power and those bloodlines into their current bodies. The woman to his right might be correct—they could be planning to transform all people of the Twelve Sun Empire into a spirit beast army. Hell, they might even intend to create one powerful spirit beast they could fully control.

In the end, though, their goal was irrelevant. What mattered was what they would do next, and what he and the Yang clan needed to do to stop them.

Chapter 105 ~ Meeting (2)

"A question remains. What should we do now?" Yang Jinyan said. "The answer is this." He stood up and flared his qi. His face contorted with a mix of calm and fury. "I, Yang Jinyan, vow to slaughter our enemies! They killed my father, our sect leader, our elders, and our people. I want them to pay!"

Hearing this, the Yang clan members nodded, their faces growing cold. Yang Jinyan's words seemed to resonate with them. Even Elder Yang Zhaoyan and Yang Liangyu nodded in approval.

"But how?" Yang Jinyan added. "This is how. First, we have to swallow our pride and ask for help. The only one we can turn to is the Purple Moon Sect, and fortunately, we have a member of this sect in our midst. Second, we must confront our enemy. If Wei Yi is killed, their plan will come to a halt. Elder," Yang Jinyan turned to the elder, "You are our strongest cultivator. Do you have a way to kill him?"

The elder was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Then it's decided. We will fight! I want all of you in this meeting hall to go home and prepare. I'll create a strategy to achieve all of this, and when the time comes, I want all of you to answer my call."

And with that, the meeting ended. Liu Xing had thought the prince would reveal his plan to everyone, but it seemed he was wrong.

As people began filing out of the meeting hall, Liu Xing sat with his eyes closed.

"So, the Yang clan decides to fight," he muttered.

He then took stock of their enemies. First was Wei Yi, second was Yang Lihuo, then the people transformed into abominations—the army, the Hei clan, the Wu clan, some cultivators from the Yang clan, and the civilians. Liu Xing doubted that the abomination he fought was the strongest. He suspected the abominations transformed from Sun Refining cultivators would be far more fearsome.

Then there were the snake-limbed spirit beasts and the worms. Liu Xing suspected they would all converge on the capital sooner or later.

Next, he counted their allies. The strongest was Elder Yang Zhaoyan. There was the prince and his two remaining guards, and then the Core Splitting cultivators and Lock Opening cultivators from the Yang clan, as well as himself.

When he opened his eyes, only he, the prince, and the elder remained in the meeting hall. The two of them were now sitting behind a circular table, the food and tea still untouched. They looked at Liu Xing as if they were waiting for him.

Liu Xing stood up, walked toward them, and sat in one of the chairs.

"Prince Yang Jinyan," Liu Xing began, "do you intend to kill your clan members?"

Hearing this, Prince Yang Jinyan grimaced while the elder sipped his tea. His expression gave Liu Xing the answer. But soon, he controlled his expression, looking calm once more.

"I need to instill confidence in my clan members. To project that I have control over the situation."

Liu Xing nodded. He understood the intention. "But if I can see through your false confidence, then surely others will as well."

"You're a bit special," the elder said, sipping his tea. "You're our ally, but still an outsider. While there might be doubt in their hearts, my clan members will believe the prince since even I am backing him."

Blind trust, then. "Still, what do we need to do?"

"I didn't completely lie," the prince said. "The first thing we need to do is contact the Purple Moon Sect. You really don't have a method to contact your sect?"

Liu Xing shook his head. "Not immediately, at least. I could go to a neighboring country and contact my sect from there. But the travel time from here to there, as well as waiting for reinforcements from Purple Moon Sect, would take time."

"Any estimate?" The prince asked, his eyes boring into Liu Xing.

Liu Xing pinched his chin and thought for a moment. He actually didn't know the closest country to the Twelve Sun Empire aside from Mystic Moon City. Assuming the neighboring countries are the same distance as Mystic Moon City, he'd need several days to arrive. Then they'd need to wait. And since the scale of this disaster was so large, they'd need a group of strong cultivators. Preferably a group of inner disciples led by an elder. Since there were fewer inner disciples than outer disciples, Liu Xing assumed that his request for reinforcements would take some time to be processed, even under urgent circumstances.

"A week and a half, at the fastest," Liu Xing said. "But come to think of it, I don't need to go to the neighboring country myself to ask for reinforcements. I just need a way to communicate with them."

While he couldn't contact Purple Moon Sect from the Twelve Sun Empire, that didn't mean the empire was isolated. They probably had a way to contact neighboring countries, and then Liu Xing could ask for reinforcements from here.

"We have several neighbors," said Prince Yang Jinyan. "They are all hostile. But I think if you're the one who asked them, they might comply."

"That's not guaranteed," the elder said. "After all, they would like to see us destroyed. And even then, it would still take a long time for reinforcements from the Purple Moon Sect to arrive. Probably a week." The elder set his cup of tea down on the table.

"Still better than doing nothing," the prince said.

"Alright then," Liu Xing nodded. This plan is exactly his backup plan. "How can I communicate with them?"

"The least hostile neighbor is the Tang Dynasty. Quite a formidable force," the elder said. "The Wang clan in our empire has quite a strong connection with them. I've even heard rumors about them sheltering a bastard prince of the Tang dynasty. They must have a method to communicate with them. Is there another choice, prince?"

"As far as I know, the most important people lived in the capital, and all of them have been transformed into spirit beasts. The Silky Merchant Group, the Hei clan, and Wu clan," he said these clan names with contempt. "I think the Li clan also has connections with the Tang dynasty, although probably not as strong as the Wang clan."

"Do you have any allies?" Liu Xing asked. There was no way the Twelve Sun Empire was completely isolated with only enemies.

"Several," the prince nodded. "But all of them are weaker than us. They're all Base tier." The prince's lips formed a bitter smile. "Actually, Yang Liangyu was planned to be married off to the Red Rock Nation. There was even an ambassador in the capital. But alas, this plan is ruined now. The same goes for Yang Lihuo, though instead of a nation, we planned to marry him to a powerful clan," the prince paused for a moment, "from the Burning World sect."

Liu Xing's eyebrows rose. The five great sects were hostile to each other, and hearing that one of the vassal empires under Purple Moon Sect was attempting to make a connection to another great sect could be seen as a form of betrayal.

"I assume this plan is also ruined?"

"Yes," the prince said simply, and the elder nodded.

"So, the plan is to communicate with the Wang clan and ask for help from the Tang Dynasty, as well as use them to communicate with the Purple Moon Sect," Liu Xing summarized.

"Yes," the prince nodded. "Now, let's talk about what we need to do as we wait for reinforcements."

"The wise thing to do is evacuate our clan members," the elder said. "In case we're annihilated, our sect can start over."

It was a grim way to think about the situation, but it was nonetheless wise.

The prince agreed with the elder, but he said he didn't want to evacuate all of the clan members, to create the illusion that he still had control over the situation.

The elder didn't oppose him, and Liu Xing pressed his lips together. He didn't offer his opinion on this, since he was still an outsider, and the affairs of the Yang clan were not his to decide.

The prince said he would discreetly order one of his bodyguards to direct several talented children, their mothers, as well as to bring several treasures and the cultivation scriptures and techniques.

As they discussed where and how to evacuate them, Liu Xing's mind tried to find another way to improve the situation. What the prince said in the meeting was true. If they killed Wei Yi, then the sacrifice would not happen. There was a small chance Yang Lihuo would know how to perform the sacrifice, and in that case, they'd need to kill both of them. But to do so, they'd need to go to the center of the capital, possibly fighting their way through abominations at the Lock Opening, Core Splitting, and even Sun Refining realm.

So, he thought of a way to stop the sacrifice and came up with one other possibility.

"All right, I'll order her, then. She'll be pissed, but she'll carry out my order without fail," the prince said, and the elder nodded.

Sensing their conversation about how to evacuate some of their clansmen was winding down, Liu Xing proposed his idea.

The idea was simple: since Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi had already transformed everyone in the City of Suns into spirit beasts and planned to sacrifice them, Liu Xing proposed a solution: what if they killed the spirit beasts before the sacrifice could take place? Even if they couldn't kill all of them, reducing the number of spirit beasts would still make a difference.

"You want to cull the spirit beasts," Prince Yang Jinyan said.

"Yes," Liu Xing nodded simply.

"And do you plan to take part in the culling yourself?" the prince asked.

"Of course."

"Do you intend to kill yourself?" The prince asked.

Chapter 106 ~ Flowing Meditation (1)

"No, of course not."

"You have a trick up your sleeve," the elder stated.

"Yes, and this trick are connected to what I'm about to ask of you, Elder. After all, I did impress you by fighting that abomination, right?"

"Indeed. What do you want? As long as it's not forbidden or too troublesome, I can grant your request."

Liu Xing nodded. In the end, what he needed was power. While he was already strong, stronger than most people in his realm, he wanted to advance further. His gun allowed him to do so as long as there were many adversaries, and this empire was now full of them.

"What I want is either a cultivation method, a treasure, a talisman, or anything that will allow me to cultivate while moving."

After hearing this, both the elder and the prince raised their eyebrows.

"A peculiar request," the elder commented.

"Couldn't you get something like that from your own sect? After all, you're from the Purple Moon Sect. Our greatest cultivation scriptures, methods, and techniques come from your sect," the prince added.

Liu Xing smiled bitterly. "A sect, whether great or not, is similar in some ways. Everything there comes at a price. And as it happens, I'm quite broke."

His sect points, to this day, were still in the negative, which saddened him. At the very least, he could console himself with the fact that he now had a spatial bag and quite a lot of spirit stones.

The elder pinched his chin. "I assume this would help us deal with the situation?"

"Of course."

If he could get something to cultivate while moving, then this nightmare empire would be the best place for him. He would cull those abominations one by one, using their beast cores to kill others as well as advance his cultivation. Who knew? Perhaps when this conflict was over, he would be a mighty Core Splitting cultivator who could fight evenly with Sun Refining cultivators.

His heart hammered as he waited for Elder Yang Zhaoyan's answer. Did he have something like that? Would one of his milestones to becoming stronger be achieved right here and now?

The elder pinched his chin, then stood up. "Follow me."

Liu Xing and Prince Yang Jinyan stood up and followed him. The two of them were led to a wall in the meeting hall, where a golden statue was carved into the wall. When the three of them stood there for about a second, a part of the wall slid to the side, revealing a long dark hallway with a light shining at the end of it.

As the elder stepped inside, Liu Xing and Prince Yang Jinyan followed. As he entered, Liu Xing felt the air around him change, becoming warmer. While not as drastic, it felt like stepping out of an air-conditioned room onto a hot, scorching road.

"Barrier," Liu Xing muttered.

He glanced to the side, seeing that even the prince's eyes were searching around, as if he also didn't know about this hallway. A smooth grinding sound could be heard, and when he turned his head, he saw the wall closing behind them.

"I didn't know about this place. Where does this hallway lead, Elder?" the prince asked.

"My own treasury."

"You have your own treasury in the clan compound?" the prince asked, surprised.

The elder wore a sad smile. "It formerly belonged to us, the elders, but since I'm the only one left, all of this is mine."

Liu Xing saw the elder mutter something, but his ears couldn't catch anything even when they were so close. The elder's lips were also kind of blurry for a second, as if he was trying to conceal something. But Liu Xing understood that this trick wasn't to hide anything important. After all, while he couldn't hear what the elder said or read his lips, the elder's eyes conveyed what he felt inside. If Liu Xing was right, the elder probably muttered something along the lines of, "This is all mine, not that I want it."

Soon they arrived at a quite large treasure hall. There were three large doors in front of them. The center door was the largest, a double door made purely of gold. The left door was smaller and as shiny as silver, and the right door looked like it was made of bronze.

"It's actually perfect timing," the elder said while turning his head to the prince. "Prince, you're the Yang clan leader now. It's not official yet, but everyone already thinks so. I do too. After all, while I'm an exceptional cultivator with talent, I'm not fit to be a leader—you are. But your strength isn't where it needs to be yet, so use this treasury as you see fit. However, I advise that before you use it to strengthen our clan, use it first to strengthen yourself." He pointed to the golden gate. "Go there."

The prince clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. There was fire in his eyes, a burning resolve that marked him as a man who would never back down. He nodded resolutely and walked toward the golden doors. The doors opened automatically, and a blinding yellow light shone out. After the prince stepped inside, the doors closed, leaving Liu Xing alone with the elder.

The elder then began to walk toward the bronze gate. The gate opened, and he beckoned Liu Xing inside.

The inside of the room was actually smaller than Liu Xing had thought. From where he stood to the edge of the room was only about twenty steps. Shelves full of books and scrolls stood and split this little room into several parts, making him think that this little library felt cozy.

On one side of the room, there was a display case of armor, weapons, and trinkets like hairpins, necklaces, belts, and many more. Each of them shiny, and he could feel qi emanating from them.

The elder beckoned him to a mannequin that only had a torso and neck. Hanging from this white mannequin's neck was a necklace made from white stone. The elder took the necklace and showed it to him.

"This necklace is mine. It's called the Solar Stone Necklace."

A treasure that he assumed would be given to him. With a heart full of anticipation, Liu Xing hoped with all his might that this necklace had the ability he was looking for.

"I don't have anything that matches exactly what you want. After all, cultivating while moving isn't as efficient. This necklace is capable of siphoning qi from around its user, but its efficiency is terrible. It's more like a toy than a real treasure."

Liu Xing observed the necklace. It actually looked quite clumsily made. The white rock wasn't entirely circular or smooth. It looked like someone had found a smooth rock from a river, painted it white, and tied it with a little chain. Still, while the elder said this was a toy, it still qualified to be called a treasure. The problem was whether this necklace could solve his problem.

The answer was probably not.

After all, this treasure could only absorb qi from the environment, and cultivation meant absorbing qi into one's body and then into one's consciousness. He suspected that this treasure only functioned to absorb qi into the body. Which meant he would still need to meditate to insert this qi into his consciousness.

"You look disappointed," the elder said. "Luckily, this isn't the only thing I'm going to give you."

The elder then moved to one of the shelves. He riffled through some books and finally got his hand on a little blue scroll that looked ancient, with dust and little tears here and there, ink smudges, and cobwebs.

The elder gave it to him, and Liu Xing dragged a chair over, sat down, and read the scroll.

"This scroll describes a meditation method called the Flowing Meditation Method." The elder put his hands behind his back. "Long ago, there was a farmer family on the edge of our empire. All of the family members, though few in number, had a hint of qi in them, making them stronger than normal mortal families." The elder had a hint of a smile in his eyes, as if reminiscing about a fond memory. "The reason for that was this method."

Liu Xing nodded. The story of farmers cultivating while tending their farms was actually really familiar to him. After all, while he mostly read Chinese web stories, there were many westerners who had the same taste as him, and they too tried to write xianxia stories. One of them was about a cultivator who decided to quit being a cultivator and become a farmer instead.

Liu Xing smiled, remembering the story, but then he centered his mind and tried to focus.

Chapter 107 ~ Flowing Meditation (2)

After reading the contents of this scroll, Liu Xing realized that this method was quite easy to memorize, but since the description was actually sparse, Liu Xing would probably need several attempts to master it.

He stood up, placing the scroll on the chair, and inhaled deeply.

"Do you want to try it?" the elder asked.

"Yes, I think this method is exactly what I need."

"Oh? You don't need this necklace? That method is actually only a meditation technique. Only when paired with this necklace can it be used to cultivate."

Liu Xing noticed the elder actually holding the necklace near his heart. He didn't know if this was an unconscious gesture, but it seemed the necklace was precious to him.

"I'll try the meditation method first."

The elder nodded and gave him space.

Liu Xing closed his eyes and adjusted his stance. Then, he began to move. With palm open, he struck the air. Then, he pulled back from the palm strike and smoothly transitioned to unleash another palm strike with his other hand. From this, he began to move and unleash palm strikes, kicks, and even punches. There was no specific rhythm. He just wanted to move with slow yet relaxing motions.

As he moved, Liu Xing began to feel his body. The method said that the key to meditation was to focus the mind on one thing. This was slightly different from his usual meditation where he needed to empty his mind.

Then, he began to apply a peculiar method. The creator of this technique, the farmer, said that chanting a poem would make it easier, but only a beautiful poem that appreciated the trees, the sky, the earth, and nature would do. The point was to be grateful to live in a bountiful land.

Liu Xing decided not to chant a poem. After all, he actually didn't remember any poems and couldn't write one. Luckily, it wasn't a problem. The main thing about this meditation technique was actually not to chant poems, but to be aware and grateful of the nature around. There were some intricacies to this method, but this aspect was kind of similar to the usual method of meditation, so hopefully it wouldn't be too different.

Liu Xing kept moving while trying to settle his heart, opening all his senses to the world around him. The smell of old books and dusty scrolls, the very faint wind circling the library, the warmth of this cozy room. Then, he began to think about everything that had happened.

The worst time of his life was when he first transmigrated to this world. He felt like a blind man suddenly thrust into navigating an ocean. Even with the real Liu Xing's memories there for him to digest, it was still hard. Things gradually got better until he met Nui, and then his life turned upside down.

As he kicked and punched and swept, he began to think about the good things that had happened to him. At first, he thought the good things only happened after he got the gun, but the truth was, that wasn't the case.

He remembered the busy yet lonely airport. Only Joni was there, with dark bags under his eyes, red eyes, an oily face, and hair so messy it looked like a bird's nest. This happened after Joni finally succeeded in putting the bastard who accidentally killed Mamat in jail. The culprit, the son of an army general, had stolen a truck on a reckless dare to prove his manliness. What followed was a long and grueling ordeal as they worked tirelessly to expose him while being relentlessly targeted by thugs sent to intimidate, harm and even kill them. To expose the truth and pressure the authorities into action, Joni devised an elaborate plan. He created a series of videos posing as a treasure hunt to subtly reveal the details of the incident and force the police to prosecute the real culprit.

Now, everything is over.

"Isn't it sad? You're going to Japan, and only me, a dude, came to see you off," Joni said with a little smile. He was still tired and sad, but William knew that at the very least, his heart was now at ease.

"Yeah, people might think we're gay."

Joni laughed and slapped his knee. It wasn't that funny, and yet, he and Joni smiled. Then they laughed, laughed, and laughed. Then, he didn't know who started first, but they began to cry. They had an ugly cry. Tears and snot flowed like rivers. Joni commented on how stupid his face looked, and he too insulted how messy Joni's appearance was. They laughed for a full fifteen minutes. Sometimes their laughter was interrupted by crying, sometimes their crying was interrupted by their laughter.

It was so sad. They were a group of four at first. But now there were only two left. And even then they would go their separate ways. He was going to Japan and Joni was going to study law.

But as he boarded the plane, William's heart felt unexpectedly light. He was deeply grateful to his friends and thanked them from the bottom of his heart. Without them, he would be six feet underground right now, having fallen from a high-rise apartment.

And he felt grateful that their parting, though not ideal, had filled him with happy memories and his ears still filled with their laughter.

All of that briefly ended when the plane he boarded plummeted into an ocean, buried when he tried to adapt himself to a new world, and then emerged again when Nui came back and told him that, while they were in different places now, they were still alive and kicking, each navigating their new treacherous worlds.

He inhaled deeply, two tears falling from his eyes. One for the sadness, and one for how grateful he was to be still alive, to have met Nui, to know that his friends were alive, and grateful that he had the opportunity to help them, even in an entirely different world.

He exhaled slowly and felt his body move like flowing water, as if his mind and body were in sync. With each movement, he began to feel an opening—a hole connected to his consciousness—that widened as he flowed. Then the opening gradually settled and became a calm, steady presence within him.

Realizing that he had successfully meditated while moving, he tried to push a bit harder. He suspected he couldn't fully submerge himself into his consciousness, but it was all right. There was a way for qi to travel from his body into his consciousness, and it was enough.

Soon, Liu Xing could sense his cultivation. The imagery of a ball of lightning, chained with silver chains, and sealed by seven locks. When he realized that his seventh lock, the last lock that he needed to open, was almost full, Liu Xing's eyes widened in disbelief, his concentration shattered, and he stumbled on his feet.

"What happened?" Liu Xing asked.

Elder Yang Zhaoyan walked toward him with his hands behind his back, his expression serene.

"Congratulations on attaining an enlightenment. It is a rare and remarkable achievement."

Liu Xing's mouth opened wide. He knew about enlightenment. There were many tales of it. It was said that when someone gained enlightenment, they could instantly gain a deeper comprehension of a technique, they would have an epiphany and gain inspiration, even breakthrough into the next realm. People said that one couldn't be immortal without enlightenment, and to think that he had an enlightenment, how was that possible? After all, without his gun, he was a normal cultivator, and while he didn't achieve breakthrough, his cultivation increased dramatically.

He smiled widely. While he felt that it was kind of abrupt, he didn't hate it. Only a little bit more qi, and he would open the seventh lock, the last one, shortly.

Liu Xing's heart began hammering. He knew sooner or later he would advance to the seventh stage, but to think it would come so soon made him feel like the world was suddenly behind him and supporting him.

Liu Xing wanted to sit and cultivate, when the elder suddenly snapped his head toward the doors. His eyes narrowed and his expression turned serious, as if there were enemies outside.

Seeing this, Liu Xing's heart kept hammering, but now it was filled with anxiety.

"What's the matter?" Liu Xing asked.

"Let's go." The elder replied, not offering any explanation.

Was it an enemy? Liu Xing didn't utter a single word. Instead, he followed the elder, who began to walk briskly toward the doors.

Chapter 108 ~ Asking For Help (1)

Prince Yang Jinyan walked in front, the elder was on his right, while Liu Xing was behind them. Together, they walked toward the main gate where they saw an opened gate and a group of Yang clan members surrounding another group.

Liu Xing sharpened his eyes and tried to discern who the second group was, trying to determine whether they were enemies or not.

When people saw the prince and the elder approaching, those near the gate moved to the side, revealing a group of about twenty people consisting of one man, several women, elderly, and children. They wore green robes, and each of them was dirty and sweaty. Their eyes were wide and alert, as if they were running from something and expected their pursuers to suddenly appear.

Prince Yang Jinyan suddenly widened his eyes, and the elder narrowed his.

"Who are they?" Liu Xing asked.

The prince answered him. "They're from the Wang clan."

The Wang clan was the clan they had talked about only recently, and to think some of their clan members had suddenly arrived, moreover in that condition, Liu Xing couldn't help but think that something had happened to them.

After they arrived, the prince ordered his people to tend to the women, elderly, and children. "Give them new clothes, food, and prepare their rooms."

But the man was ordered to follow the prince and elder into the meeting hall. Now, behind the round table there were four chairs. Four of them were filled, with the man in the green robe now busy eating as if he hadn't eaten for three days and three nights.

Liu Xing observed the man. He was past his prime. His skin was already loosened, with several aging lines on his face. He had black hair that he tied into a bun, and Liu Xing could see two strands of white hair on his head. He had a mustache, a bit of a rotund stomach, and pale white skin as if he had never been touched by the sun. His cultivation was also low, only at the Lock Opening realm's third stage.

After he finished eating, he thanked the prince and the elder for allowing him to eat. Briefly, a smile bloomed on his face, but it was soon eclipsed by gloom, with his lips turning downward and sadness in his eyes.

"My name is Wang Lin. And I'm one of the few who survived our clan's massacre. Let me tell you what happened to my clan."

Wang Lin told his story. He briefly introduced himself. Wang Lin was the son of an elder. He didn't have a talent for cultivation and became a disgrace to his family, so he became a merchant and had little success.

"I decided to visit my family for a month. It was my vacation. But to think that it would turn into a nightmare, with my father sacrificing himself for me." His eyes began to glisten. "Wasn't I a disgrace to you, father? Why did you sacrifice yourself for me? It should have been me who died, not you."

He wiped his eyes, took a breath, and continued. "It happened so fast. One moment everything was okay, and the next, there was an explosion. I ran outside to check what happened, and I saw most of the clan compound was flattened. In the sky, there was this terrifying thing floating. Its qi was so oppressive and tyrannical, I thought my heart would stop right then and there. This thing had a human body, snake limbs, and green ears that resembled coconuts. It cackled madly before it launched itself and began killing my clan members. It was so strong that the wind from its attack tossed me from side to side!"

Hearing this, Liu Xing clenched his fists. It was them. Those spirit beasts.

The prince and the elder glanced at him for a moment, but their faces turned back to Wang Lin when he continued his story.

As he listened to Wang Lin, Liu Xing turned his head down and clenched his teeth. 

His tale was one of luck and sacrifice. Each time he almost died, there were other people who became bait so he could escape. But each escape burdened him with wives and children and elderly that he needed to ensure survived. And, by pure dumb luck, there was a time when almost all the spirit beasts converged to a point behind the clan compound, and he used this opportunity to bolt.

"I had several talismans that made our presence thinner and veiled us, as well as pills to enhance all our physical abilities for some time. Some of the wives now have their cultivation broken because of the effects of the pills they consumed, but they said it was worth it. Long story short, we finally arrived here."

Liu Xing inhaled deeply and tried to digest all of the information. One of the most important things was the fact that Wang Lin said there were dozens of those spirit beasts. He didn't mention the worms, and when Liu Xing asked about it, Wang Lin said there were no worms, only spirit beasts that looked human with snake limbs. Their number was great. More than twenty, which meant that at least two of those original eight had successfully split itself. And since two of them had succeeded, there was a high chance that the others had also succeeded.

The situation was as bad as his prediction, and it felt like the air around him became heavier, as if trying to suffocate him.

"Also, I don't know where this communication orb came from. One of the kids said that it was thrown by a black tentacle." Wang Lin put a blue orb on the table. It glimmered under the light, glowing and pulsing faintly.

Liu Xing had never seen a communication orb before, but he knew that the most common—while expensive—treasures used to communicate from a distance were these communication orbs. Seeing this, a single thread of hope emerged in his heart. The Wang clan was destroyed, a clan that was supposed to become a bridge to ask for help. There was only a small chance that the communication orb was tuned to the Tang Dynasty, but Liu Xing clung to that hope.

The prince grabbed the orb and observed it. "A high-quality comms orb. In the Twelve Sun Empire, there are only dozens of comms orbs of this quality."

"Do you have more comms orbs, Prince?" Liu Xing asked. "Could you use this to communicate with other cities? We need to know how bad the situation is."

"I do, and I've already used them. Unfortunately though, the Yang clan's comms orbs are not as good as this one, and only have a short range. I asked all the Yang clan members in the other cities to come back. They readily accepted the order and told nothing else, which means that at that time, other cities were still intact."

"We need to communicate with them again," the elder said. "We need to assess this threat."

"All right," the prince nodded. "I'll go and do just that. Also, I think it's time to throw caution to the wind and spread word of our dire condition far and wide, Elder. The people of the empire are now in danger, and since this threat is too great to be handled by our current empire, we need to order people to evacuate."

"Indeed, there's no need to suppress the information anymore."

As he heard this exchange, Liu Xing's mind worked hard to decipher the meaning, and he came to a conclusion. It seemed the Yang clan, specifically the elder, had tried to suppress the information about the death of the emperor and the weakening of the Yang clan, which made sense. News about the emperor's death, especially at the hands of his own son, would create unrest among the people. Moreover, if this news came to the ears of hostile nations, it would also bring trouble. He knew all of the neighboring countries of the Twelve Sun Empire were hostile, and if they heard news of the emperor's death, they would invite themselves in and try to conquer this weakened empire.

This shed light on some questions he had actually never thought about, like why there seemed to be no unrest happening in the other cities besides the capital. The Yang clan was near the capital, and if the capital suddenly shut off communication, then there must be merchants who would ask around about why the capital was suddenly quiet, wives who would ask around why their husbands didn't come home, etc. To think that the Yang clan members in other cities tried to suppress the information about the capital.

He glanced at Prince Yang Jinyan, who walked briskly out of the meeting hall, and glanced at Elder Yang Zhaoyan, who nodded a little, as if confirming what Liu Xing thought.

He inhaled deeply and tried to think about the implications, and in the end came to the conclusion that nothing had changed, at least in matters that concerned him. It would be good if the people in the empire began to evacuate. But still, the underlying problem still existed and needed to be addressed.

"Do you know where this comms orb is tuned to, Wang Lin?" the elder asked.

Wang Lin shook his head. "I don't. But I do know that it's tuned to quite a faraway place. The brightest communication orb that I've seen didn't shine as bright."

The elder nodded, then glanced at Liu Xing. "This fellow is so lucky, perhaps his luck extends to us. There's a small chance that this orb is connected to the Tang Dynasty."

Wang Lin raised his eyebrows. "Why the Tang Dynasty?"

The elder didn't answer him. Instead, he grabbed the orb and gave it to Liu Xing.

Now, the orb is nestled in Liu Xing's right palm. This orb felt cold, yet also a bit warm. He could feel qi inside it, arranged in intricate formations. He glanced at the elder, then at Wang Lin who looked confused, and decided to get it over with. If this was truly connected to the Tang Dynasty, then he would be happy, but if it wasn't, then he would be disappointed but not angry. After all, it was a communication orb that Wang Lin got by sheer luck.

He inhaled deeply and poured some qi into the communication orb. It glowed more brightly, accompanied by a little hum, as if there were bees inside the orb.

The orb then let out a click sound, and Liu Xing knew it was connected. He opened his mouth and intended to speak first, but the person on the other side beat him to it.

"Who is this? How can you call me?" The voice was calm and a bit gruff, but the strangest thing was that Liu Xing felt like he recognized this voice. He racked his brain to find out who the voice belonged to, and when he realized who that person was, his eyes widened.