—Fuck, people in this world even ate each other while feeling superior just because they were less rotten?!
An Jing drew a deep breath. At that moment, he felt a rage rising from the depths of his heart... along with a wave of heat surging from within. "If you weren't eating people and only wanted to rebel, I'd definitely join you..."
"I'd join you without hesitation, overturn this dynasty, and build a whole new world!"
"But now, faced with two man-eating dragons, I don't want to choose either!"
Originally, An Jing's plan hadn't actually been to "escape."
Even with the Sword Spirit and another world to explore, An Jing had never truly wanted to leave Xuanming Manor or the Demonic Cult.
His strength, Fate Grid, and Supernatural Ability were all "bargaining chips."
Just as Manor Master Yao had said, he and An Jing shared an unspoken understanding: Manor Master Yao let An Jing do as he pleased, and in the end, An Jing would choose to join the Demonic Cult in exchange for everyone's survival—including the children still alive in the cages.
All the Childs of Calamity of this generation were An Jing's "foundation." That was what it meant to be the leader.
Since An Jing was such a genius, he had the right and freedom to be capricious, to go mad, to feel anger—and the right to decide "who would be eaten and who wouldn't!"
The power to slaughter in Heaven's name and decide life and death—that was An Jing's reward!
Perhaps many talented Fate Holders like An Jing had made the same choice in the past. After venting their anger, fear, grief, and confusion, and seeing the true nature of this world, they had ultimately chosen to take up that power, become members of the Tianyi Divine Sect, and rise through its ranks.
Indeed, one could say that if the Demonic Cult had told An Jing and the other children from the start that most of those eliminated would die, becoming the strength that carried others forward, the companions who helped them march farther still... if they had only changed the perspective, dressed death up in pretty words, turned slaughter into willing sacrifice, and made the great medicine a contribution full of hope...
Would he still have rejected the Tianyi Sect?
Such high-minded, righteous cannibalism... if they dressed it up a little more...
He shook his head and didn't dwell on it.
Now.
An Jing didn't argue with Bai Qinghan, nor did he want to argue with Manor Master Yao. "I don't want to argue with you. If I don't act, there's no point in saying anything."
As Manor Master Yao cried out in astonished delight, "You've mastered a Supernatural Ability too?!" and Bai Qinghan's gaze flickered slightly, An Jing closed his eyes.
He thought of the stew at the refugee camp, the vats of medicine at Xuanming Manor, the scattered corpses in the snow of the Northern Frontier, the skulls floating up in the medicinal sludge, and the bodies hanging in the dungeon.
—Did this world have to be like this?
He gritted his teeth, rage surging in his heart.
He wasn't simply angry at the Demonic Cult. He was angry at the past that had made everything as it was, angry at everything that had brought about the present.
—I refuse to accept this!
When he opened his eyes again, they were dim and dark, with only a wisp of golden-red light at their center, like embers in a dying furnace, flickering faintly in the black.
He reached out and loosely clenched his five fingers. Blood-red light rose from the veins in his arm, gathering in his palm.
An Jing clenched his hand around empty air, and a sword appeared once more in his right hand!
A Sha Sword, its blade made of Blood Fiend and its core of Golden Sha!
—Shape killing intent, condense qi into a weapon!
"Now."
With the blood-red Sha Sword gripped tightly in his hand, An Jing no longer sighed or hesitated.
His eyes held only the purest killing intent and fury. "I only want to speak with my sword."
An Jing moved.
Ignoring Bai Qinghan, he sprang forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey, charging straight at Manor Master Yao. The instant he lunged, he twisted the wrist of his sword hand inward, channeled Armor-Piercing True Energy, and thrust straight ahead.
The air shrieked as the blood-red sword tip pierced through it. With such force, it looked less like a sword than a Daqiang meant to pierce an iron-armored city wall and impale everyone in its path!
"Kid, don't think that mastering a Supernatural Ability means you can fight me!"
Eerie green balefire flared in the Medicine Manor Lord's eyes. Seeing An Jing's talent filled him with both joy and anger, and he'd already had more than enough trouble today: first An Jing led his followers in a defection, then the Red Armor Guards launched a surprise attack, and there was even a traitor inside the manor who had lured True Person Xuanjing here.
Faint green Baleful Intent flames lit in Manor Master Yao's eyes. He was both delighted and furious at An Jing's talent, and he'd already had more than enough trouble today: first An Jing had led a group in rebellion, then the Red Armor Guards had launched a surprise attack, and there was a traitor inside the manor who had brought True Person Xuanjing here.
Fueled by that anger, he let out a cold laugh and casually grabbed at empty air. An iron saber flew over from the instructors' side into his hand.
He poured Nether Poisonous Evil into the blade. Bright emerald patterns seeped across it, and with a twist of his hand, the emerald-patterned saber fluttered forward like a butterfly's wing, nearly invisible as it flew.
With a clang, blade met sword, and the force of both sides burst forth.
An Jing was sent flying ten feet. A visible shock wave billowed through his clothes, and the razor-sharp force carried grit that scoured him, scoring bloody lines across his face and body.
But on the other side, the instant their power erupted, Manor Master Yao's expression changed. The emerald-patterned saber in his hand shuddered violently, and he retreated in haste, crushing every bone and stone beneath his feet. His footprints sank a full inch into the ground!
In that clash of saber and sword, Manor Master Yao, a practitioner at the Internal Strengthening realm, had actually been slightly weaker in strength!
"Internal Breath... Internal Breath Like a River?!"
The old man stopped and stared in disbelief at the notch in his emerald-patterned saber. "When did you break through?!"
There was no answer. Before his words had even faded, the old man gritted his teeth and stepped forward. An Jing landed and immediately stomped hard against the ground, charging at Manor Master Yao once more.
An Jing had only reached the Internal Breath Like a River stage, but he was young and strong, with a deep foundation. Manor Master Yao was old, his vital energy weakened, and he had no strength-based Divine Anomaly—but he was still at the Internal Strengthening realm, far beyond ordinary people.
The two collided with tremendous force, whipping up clouds of dust and pulverizing rock. Countless stones and pebbles flew into the river, sending up splashes a dozen feet high.
The Childs of Calamity who had chosen to follow Bai Qinghan screamed and ran away, not daring to watch the battle.
Watching the scene, Bai Qinghan furrowed her brows. Mysterious Yin Water Arrows circled around her, blocking the shock waves.
An Jing was fighting Manor Master Yao at close quarters, leaving her no chance to intervene.
But in the end, she apparently wouldn't need to.
As saber and sword crossed, Manor Master Yao's gaze sharpened. He activated his Divine Anomaly, Fire in the Pupils. A streak of green Evil Flame sprang into being and shot toward An Jing, cold and fierce.
The moment An Jing saw the flame, his eyes stung. Yet he opened them wider, fixed on its trajectory, and shifted his footing, twisting into a strange posture like a backwards-bent bridge to dodge the attack.
But that surprise strike still left An Jing on the back foot.
An Jing dodged and straightened up, but before he could gather his strength, Manor Master Yao—now fighting in earnest—brought his saber down. The terrifying force of the blow sent the Red Sword and Emerald Blade flying from their hands after a rapid exchange.
One was an iron blade empowered only by Baleful Intent, while the other was a sword forged by a Supernatural Ability. An Jing was clearly at a disadvantage.
But the moment he realized he couldn't keep hold of the Sha Sword, An Jing instead gathered his Internal Breath, surged with force, and whipped the disarmed sword away.
He poured nearly a third of his Internal Breath into that throw. The red Sha Sword shrieked through the air, a flash of blood-red light racing toward Bai Qinghan!
When she saw the Sha Sword flying at her, Bai Qinghan lightly tapped her toe and shifted to the side. But just as the sword reached the spot where she had been, it exploded, sending grit and shattered stones flying in every direction.
The girl narrowed her eyes slightly and raised her hand. Frost and mist swirled around her, split in two, and turned into a pair of phantom cloud sleeves that shielded both sides of her body, blocking the stones and grit as they hurtled toward her.
The attack couldn't threaten her, but it kept Bai Qinghan from watching the main battle for a few breaths.
A few breaths were enough!
At the same time, Manor Master Yao, now without a weapon, had his hair and beard whipping around him like green flames. Dark green Baleful Intent surged around his body as he pointed at An Jing from across the air.
Divine Anomaly: Dantian Sea!
In an instant, the surging Nether Poisonous Evil crashed into An Jing like a tidal wave. The sinister, vicious force swallowed him whole, then climbed upward and engulfed his entire upper body!
—That's enough.
Seeing this, Vice Envoy Yao thought, I'll let it eat away at An Jing's outer flesh and teach him a lesson. He's a genius who'll return to the Main Mountain someday. If this gets too ugly, he'll be the one suffering for it later.
But in the next instant, just as Vice Envoy Yao wondered whether he should ease up, thunder suddenly roared!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ten thunderous blasts rang out almost simultaneously. Manor Master Yao, who had been standing perfectly straight, suddenly threw up his hand. Green Baleful Intent gathered over his palm like jade, and he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes that blocked nearly every blow, knocking aside a hail of iron and metal.
But it had happened too suddenly. In the end, his body still jolted, and he stared down at his chest in utter shock.
"What... is this?!"
Two bloody holes, each the size of a thumb, pierced his flesh. Bone showed through, along with the writhing organs beneath.
Even a warrior at the Internal Strengthening realm couldn't completely stop bullets!
At that moment, An Jing slowly emerged from the green Nether Poisonous Evil. It hadn't had time to fully corrode the flesh protected by his Internal Breath. Only a few patches of skin had been eaten away, revealing red flesh beneath; he wasn't badly hurt.
In both his hands, the muzzles of two large-caliber powder pistols still trailed wisps of smoke.
—A hundred skills, and this is the double guns!
Before you continue