"Let go!" the man shouted, his voice cracking with desperation as he struggled, his limbs thrashing wildly in a futile attempt to free himself from
Creeping Demise's
coiled grip.
I glanced at him, my expression cold and unfeeling.
Cry a river,
I thought. A cowardly fool who wanted to ambush us while we were poisoned had no right to plead for rcy. Without hesitation, I slamd my hand against his face, my fingers gripping his skull tightly.
"It doesn't matter if you don't speak," I said icily, watching as his eyes bulged in terror. "Soul Search!"
The mont the words left my lips, the man's wails grew louder, his cries of agony echoing off the cavern walls. My fingers dug deeper into his skull, pressing into his temples as the blood began to seep from his eyes and nose. The power of my Soul Search ripped through his mind like a hurricane, sifting through his mories with brutal efficiency.
His screams beca more ragged, his body convulsing violently as the search continued. Within seconds, his entire skull caved in under the pressure of my grip, cracking and shattering into fragnts of bone and brain matter. The remnants of his head exploded outward in a spray of blood, splattering the walls and ground around us—though none of it touched .
The room fell into a mont of stunned silence, broken only by the quiet drip of blood pooling on the ground.
I glanced down at the remains of the so-called Nascent Soul cultivator. He had fancied himself great enough to kill Void Stage cultivators and beyond.
Foolishness truly knows no bounds.
"Was that Shen Bao or Du Shen?" Yu Yu asked, her tone neutral but curious as she approached . Her usually cold and aloof deanor was still intact, though I could tell she sensed the shift in my aura. I wasn't quite the usual ''—I was more of my true self in that mont, unfiltered by the masks I usually wore.
"That was definitely both," I replied, turning to face the group. My hand was still covered in blood and bits of brain matter, which I flicked off effortlessly. I summoned my Veridian Soul Fla and burned away the rest, the greenish fire consuming the ss with a soft hiss.
"So, what's the situation?" ng Hao asked, his eyes sharp as ever, though his expression remained casual.
"They're basically sheep," I said, my gaze turning toward the man who was now groveling on the floor, trembling in fear. He had seen the fate of his companion and was clearly aware of the hopelessness of his situation.
Law approached the quivering man and nudged him roughly, forcing him to look up. "What do you an, sheep?" he asked, his tone harsh as he towered over the pathetic figure.
"They're being used as fodder for the rakshasa that roam these plains," I explained, watching the man flinch under Law's gaze. "There's a group of cultivators behind it. They send these people down a deep hole as sacrifices."
"To what end?" Law asked, his brow furrowed.
I shrugged, still piecing together the fragnted mories I had extracted. "I don't know the full story. This man was just a transporter—a pawn. He ferried the victims to another group of cultivators, who were the ones actually responsible for feeding the rakshasa. He never investigated what was inside the hole himself, but from the screams he heard, it sounded a lot like a First Born down there."
ng Hao crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Tao Yang told us there are only three First Borns. We've already captured one, and the other two are much higher up."
I nodded. "I know. But that's all I could get from the Soul Search. If there's another First Born down there, then sothing doesn't add up. We'll have to go deeper to find the rest of the answers."
"Are we waiting for Tao Yang?" Liang Yu asked, her eyes scanning the cavern for signs of movent.
"She's already here," I replied, just as the ground beneath us trembled violently.
A deafening crash filled the air as a man in erald jade armor ca flying through the cavern ceiling, the impact of his arrival sending rocks and debris tumbling down. The erald gleam of his armor reflected the dim light from the torches, casting an eerie glow across the cave.
"The general's here," ng Hao said, glancing up at the armored figure.
The Jade Dragon hovered in midair, his presence commanding as always, surveying the area with a sharp gaze. He didn't speak as he landed gracefully in the center of the cavern, but the weight of his power was enough to make everyone present take a step back in awe.
Tao Yang descended shortly after, fully armored and looking as formidable as ever. Her landing was softer, but the mont her feet touched the ground, the entire cavern erupted in screams of pure terror. The people—already fearful—were now scrambling to flee, their panic reaching a fever pitch.
"Wow," Tao Yang said, her eyes wide with surprise as she watched the chaos unfold around her. "What's going on here?" She turned to , clearly bewildered. "Solarous people? They've actually managed to survive and build settlents here?" She began to descend toward one of the people, trying to make contact.
But the instant she reached out, the person she touched let out an ear-piercing scream and collapsed, their body going limp as death took them in seconds.
Tao Yang froze, staring in horror at the lifeless body at her feet. "What... what just happened?" she asked, her voice shaken.
She looked around, watching the people scatter in all directions, their screams echoing through the cavern. They were fleeing from her, hiding in their hos as if she were the embodint of death itself.
"Tao Yang," I called out, stepping forward. "These aren't your people."
She turned to , her face pale, her eyes wide with confusion. "What's happening, Shen Bao? Why are they running from ?"
I sighed, walking over to her side. The fear emanating from the people was palpable, but it wasn't directed at us as cultivators—it was focused solely on her. "They fear you more than they fear the rakshasa," I said softly, watching as more villagers scrambled for cover, their terrified eyes peeking out from behind doors and windows.
"But... why?" Tao Yang's voice trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "What did I do to be hated this much by my own people?"
"You did nothing wrong," I said gently, placing a hand on her head. "But history has been changed. You've been gone for twenty thousand years, Tao Yang. In that ti, soone manipulated the story. They twisted the truth, made you into a monster in their eyes. Those who survived after the battle with the rakshasa... they were few. They built these underground settlents, and over ti, the story of the Dread Princess was warped into sothing unrecognizable."
Tao Yang's lips trembled, and she lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "So, they see as a monster..."
I nodded. "Yes. And not just you. Those who could cultivate were killed off in the battle, leaving only a handful of survivors. Those who couldn't defend themselves beca slaves to their fear, living under the rule of a man they call the Liberator."
ng Hao stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Who is this Liberator, exactly?"
I exhaled slowly, recalling the fragnted mories I had pulled from the Nascent Soul cultivator. "He's powerful—strong enough to drive the First Borns off this planet. He may even be a Sun Stage cultivator."
Tao Yang's eyes widened. "A Sun Stage?"
"Perhaps," I said. "But I'm not certain. The man I interrogated didn't have all the details. However, what I do know is that the Liberator has established himself as a godlike figure to these people. He's built a doctrine around slavery and sacrifice, and anyone who dares oppose him is crushed. The strong were eliminated, and the weak were left to serve."
Tao Yang clenched her fists, anger flashing in her eyes. "And he's the one who's responsible for turning my people against ?"
I nodded. "Yes. And he's been collecting sacrifices to feed to the First Borns—or worse, sothing even more sinister. That's why we need to go deeper into this cavern. There's a group of cultivators waiting on the other side, preparing for the next round of sacrifices."
Tao Yang straightened, her expression hardening. "Then we'll make them pay."
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