Depthless Hunger-Chapters 437-440

Chapter 437: Three Spiritual Visions

As soon as she had a valid excuse, Omilaena left the Verdant River sect and headed back to the dryad village. Either Kai would be back, in which case she could compare them both, or he wouldn't yet, in which case she'd get Zin Nim to herself. Either way, she was eager to use her enhanced spiritual sight on a deeper level.

What had stalled her was needing to return the favor, helping Nymidria try to work out developing her own soul-based technique. Both of them were exploring in the dark, so she wasn't blamed when there wasn't much progress. Nymidria was definitely a fruitful partner to work with, even a mentor to drain knowledge from, but Omilaena considered her best collaborators to be Zin Nim and Kai. One way or another, they'd help her understand this on a more formal level.

When she reached the dryad entrance, at first the wall of roots refused to open for her. It took her a while to remember that she was still wearing the illusion leaves, which were apparently so effective that they hid her identity from the spells. Once she removed them, the private entrance opened up and the guards allowed her inside.

The worst outcome would be if Zin Nim had gone off on a task of her own and Kai hadn't returned, since that would mean she was stuck working on her own. There wouldn't be much to do, then, because the other dryads weren't particularly exceptional. Well, perhaps she could learn something by analyzing all of them compared to their matriarch.

One of the dryad guards intercepted her as she moved through the private quarters. "Lady Nymidria said that you would be returning," he said, "and wanted you to gather some of our materials to bring to her."

"Yeah, fine, gather them and I'll do that." Omilaena tried to look past the man. "Are the others back?"

"The woman has been cultivating, and the man returned two days ago. Will you be here long?"

"Sounds like it. You gather the stuff and I'll let you know."

She slid past him to the private rooms with a skip in her step, her priorities shifting. Much as she wanted to experiment with her spiritual sight, as soon as she came out of the fugue of analysis, she realized how much she wanted them both. Too bad she had used an umbrella, because it could have been fun to walk in soaking wet and have them peel her clothes off her.

As she got closer, Omilaena could hear the sounds of fabric from within their chambers. She shifted to walking silently, hoping that she would interrupt them. Well, not interrupt so much as watch. When Zin Nim was aware of her she tended to go for an embrace, which was pleasant enough in its way, but Omilaena enjoyed watching her when she had no idea that anyone else was there. Not that she was ever pretentious in bed, but there was a delicious lack of self-consciousness.

When she turned the final corner, she discovered that Zin Nim was just sitting on the bed, cultivating, and the cloth sound was Kai repositioning some sort of hammock. There had been hammocks from the beginning, but Omilaena had mostly ignored them because beds were superior, in her opinion. Especially with three people, where the hammock tended to lump them all together like a sack.

"Hey." Kai smiled at her over his shoulder. "Did things go well at the sect?"

"They went great," Omilaena said. "We're pretty close to being ready for the plan, assuming that you did your parts. More importantly, I have some new insights that I think you'll find interesting."

"Come and tell us." Zin Nim spoke in a slow, satisfied voice, and patted the bed beside her.

As soon as Omilaena sat down beside her, Zin Nim pulled her in closer and kissed her neck. Oh good, Kai had gotten her all softened up. Omilaena was all about foreplay, but the cultivator could be prickly and stiff for a long time unless she got a lot of teasing. Or, when Kai was on the job, he could eventually melt her into this state, which was a lot of fun.

"You know what?" Omilaena said. "The news can wait."

.

..

.

Zae Zin Nim was amazed at how, even though she was in the middle of an unfamiliar region next to an enemy sect surrounded by strange non-humans, she could feel so safe. They could still be attacked, yes, but so long as she had Kai and Omilaena with her, they imbued the room with a familiarity that left her feeling secure and happy.

Currently Omilaena was wearing nothing but her goggles, which Zae Zin Nim found simultaneously shocking and admirable. For her part, she always preferred to pull on a robe, even if they would be intimate again later. Kai's magical clothes usually flowed around his waist as well, leaving just Omilaena moving around as if she wasn't bare naked.

"I'm telling you, the goggles are easier than the technique," she was saying. "There's probably an advantage to developing our spiritual sight that far, but Nymidria said it took her a decade. For now, when we just need information, this is our best option."

"It's strange that the techniques vary," Kai said. "I thought spiritual sight was always basically the same. You might misunderstand something, especially if you're not familiar with it, but everyone is still fundamentally looking at the same power."

"Everyone can look at the same city and see completely different things. It's less a matter of vision than expertise."

For her part, Zae Zin Nim held her hands in her lap as she attempted the new methods of spiritual sight. Those skills had been drilled into her so early, it was difficult to return to them. Her wife was very likely correct that the goggles would be easier, so eventually she extended a hand for them.

"Alright, give them a try." Instead of handing them over, Omilaena slid behind her and put them onto her face. "You've tried my usual pair, so it's the same principle."

At first the world seemed too dark, like it was twilight, and the symbols she saw around the others were confusing. When she looked at Kai, the messages in her mind twisted even more violently and she almost grew faint.

"You okay?" His hand touched her thigh, comforting but not demanding, and that stabilized her more than she expected.

"It's hard to adjust," she said.

"Maybe for you, it would be easier to try yourself." Omilaena embraced her from behind, not teasing too much. "Focus on yourself, like you're cultivating. See what you can see that way."

When Zae Zin Nim attempted to do just that, it took her a moment, but her vision stabilized much more quickly. It was similar to the sight technique that Omilaena had taught, just relying heavily on the goggles. Once their shadowy nature stopped getting in her way, her soul resolved in a way she'd never seen before.

<

Name: Zae Zin Nim

Physique: Blackblood Mortal (150 year lifespan)

Soul: Enhanced Mortal (150 year lifespan)

Supremacy: None

Talent Capacity: Coldfire Corona

Elemental Capacity: Unawakened

Essence Capacity: Pure Yin Shroud

Cultivation Capacity: Brightwind Cultivation

(Heavenly Sash Bond)

>

Most of the pieces were familiar to her: her own cultivation, Coldfire Corona, and Pure Yin Shroud. Looking at herself this way, it seemed that her lifespan had been extended, though not as far as she might have expected. And yet it was also curious...

"The Pure Yin Shroud has the Essence aspect?" she asked. "I... somehow I did not expect that."

"Puzzled me too, at first," Omilaena said. "Essence means refining and concentrating something, so I think arts like that mean you refine yourself. Very much a cultivator art, no question about that."

"Nothing in the Elemental aspect... does that mean I could find another ability, as in the Elemental Nations back on Deadwaste?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Kai said. "They can be powerful, but there's so much randomness involved, it's a risk. Omilaena filled the same aspect by a different path."

"Presuming that we are correct about how much the soul can bear." But since her husband had spoken, Zae Zin Nim decided to look at him as well.

His soul was much harder to interpret, as it always had been. Ever since he'd learned to cultivate and developed all the shields they'd figured out together, the monstrous nature wasn't so obvious, but some part of her knew that it was still there. Eventually she managed to get a good look at the deeper layer of his soul.

<

Name: Kai Clanless

Physique: ??? (??? year lifespan)

Soul: ??? (??? year lifespan)

Supremacy: None

Talent Capacity: Void

Elemental Capacity: Void

Essence Capacity: Savage Heart

Cultivation Capacity: Gluttonous Cultivation

(Beggar King's Bond)

>

His soul had major portions listed as void, yet he was unquestionably strong. Did that mean he had even greater potential in the future, or were the void portions connected to his monstrous abilities? There were so many questions about that, their theories didn't seem like nearly enough.

Zae Zin Nim removed the goggles and was glad to see her spouses in normal light again. "This is interesting," she said, "but is it practical? What would we do differently?"

"I've been trying to look at immortals and comparing lifespans." Her wife slid next to her again, just in a comfortable position instead of teasing. "The truth is, they're actually harder to read than I expected. I'm pretty sure if we push far enough, we can get some useful information. Maybe I can figure out exactly how your Blackblood Physique connects to the rest, because it's listed in a different way than most of the physique abilities I've seen."

While they spoke, Kai picked up the goggles to try on himself. She could see the wince under the goggles as he adjusted to the sudden darkness. Before he could adjust, Zae Zin Nim saw that her wife was smirking and gesturing toward their husband. Well, they had nowhere they needed to be...

"What are you two-" Kai was cut off when they both tackled him.

.

..

.

Kai woke up in the early morning, more relaxed than he'd been ever since he went hunting in monstrous form. Omilaena was a sprawled tangle in the sheets, one of her legs draped over his, while Zae Zin Nim was curled up in between, trying to press against them both even in their sleep.

He wasn't complaining, but he wasn't sure what had gotten into the two of them. He'd felt a bit guilty, returning to them with no real gifts except his new problems. Information on the young heirs of the sects was not exactly romantic, and their time together was severely limited by their upcoming schemes. Yet somehow, the two of them had been in an excellent mood, behaving as if he treated them like royalty. Like he'd first thought, he wasn't complaining.

The technique Omilaena had introduced really was fascinating, including in a way he hadn't spoken aloud. When Kai had first awakened his spiritual sight, he had seen his own soul the way he saw it through the goggles. That seemed strange until Omilaena theorized that Deadwaste, with such low levels of ambient energy, forced people's spiritual sights to pick up the slightest dregs of power.

At the moment he didn't need any special vision just to appreciate the two women beside him, though. He'd let them both sleep a while longer, because it had been a wild night, but once they stirred awake... he began reaching into his spatial ring for any food, since he knew Zae Zin Nim would be hungry and Omilaena would get cranky without a snack.

"Excuse me?"

A voice came from outside their rooms, hesitant and yet still spelling the end. Kai groaned and pulled out of bed first, since the Beggar King's Robes instantly shifted to cover him. He recognized Lifrinyne's voice before he saw the young dryad.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, "but there's a message from Nymidria."

"What is it?"

"She didn't say everything, but apparently Yul Wei Ren got back from his trip, and he brought new guests with him. There's going to be some sort of important meeting. Is that what you've been waiting for?"

It might be. Kai glanced back at his wives, still resting in bed, and realized that their time to relax was over.

Chapter 438: Three Prongs against the Verdant River Sect

It seemed that Nymidria was still confident in her communication method, because they met with her illusory form instead of in person. When she emerged from the flower, however, the dryad matriarch looked much tenser than before, leaning down in a huddle of boughs instead of presenting her full form.

"Originally I thought we'd need to orchestrate some sort of major distraction," she told them, "but instead fortune has been dumped in front of us. That's why I prioritized preparations... I just hope you're ready."

"If the disease is viable, we're fine," Omilaena said. "But what happened?"

"Yul Wei Ren went off on his little expedition with other important members of the clan, which is normal behavior for him. But now he's returning for something that appears to be a much bigger meeting. They've already begun shifting guards in order to protect it, which creates an opening for us."

Kai folded his arms as he considered the situation. "So Omilaena goes to deliver the tree disease. What do the rest of us do?"

"Getting that close to the qi barrier will trigger a reaction." Nymidria's image suddenly glanced to the side, as if listening, then returned to them with a tighter expression. "We can't let them notice the disease until it's too late, so we need another distraction to explain the barrier reaction. That's where our vengeful sect comes in."

"Very good." Zae Zin Nim placed her arms in her sleeves and nodded. "My technique is prepared, so I only need a proper target."

"I have in mind a vault you could attack, which is a plausible target for someone wanting revenge on the Verdant River sect. But there's an unpleasant unknown hanging over this... I don't know what this meeting is about, and they won't invite me. We need someone to infiltrate, just in case the meeting turns out to be relevant to our work."

"I guess that falls to me," Kai said, "if there's any way I could get in."

"Bring your command medallion and come to my garden; I can craft an illusion by the time you arrive. Security isn't too high, it's just cultivators only." Nymidria looked to the side and then cursed before speaking rapidly. "Have to go. I'll trust you to arrange the rest and improvise."

Then her image vanished, leaving them in the courtyard with a magic flower and a bunch of plans.

"So how do we play this?" Kai turned to his wives and they instinctively formed a triangle in the courtyard. There were dryads all around them, but none of them were really capable of helping, so it was down to the three of them.

"My part is actually the easiest," Omilaena said. "Sneak over to get the arboreal disease, then apply it beside the barrier. You two have a lot of unknown variables."

"She wasn't able to say which target she had in mind," Zae Zin Nim said, "but I have been studying the region. I can choose a target and defeat the guards, which should provide enough of a distraction. The only question is timing both at the same time... shall we say noon?"

"That's enough time for some things to go wrong, so that sounds workable. I can get in and out safely, the question is whether there's too much scrutiny too early. We need the disease to seem natural if we want them to lower the barrier later."

"Sounds good." Kai stared out through the rain toward the sect headquarters over the horizon. "I'll meet with Nymidria and get inside this meeting. Hopefully it will be nothing but a feast, but we can't count on that. We don't have good means of communication, so let's just meet up here if everything goes well, or outside the village by the ship if something goes wrong. If we lead suspicion back to the dryads, the Verdant River sect might suspect something."

Then all at once their plans were set. It should have been alarming, to be thrown into such a complex plan so quickly, but this was the reason they spent so much time preparing. They had spent the past several weeks specifically getting ready for this, and the past years acquiring the strength to take on such an ambitious plan.

Before they parted, they all came together and exchanged quick kisses, but it was nothing like their casual intimacy of the day prior. Zae Zin Nim seemed sorrowful to leave them and was retreating into a cultivator's aura, while Omilaena's mind was clearly already on her plans.

Well, they would just have to fight for more of those moments.

They left via separate exits, just in case there was scrutiny, and Kai departed through the special dryad gate. As soon as he was lost in the rain he felt the instinct to transform with the Savage Heart, but he was going in the opposite direction this time. Not a beast anymore, but one more cultivator among others.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He couldn't use Thunderbird's Wings without attracting attention, so he had to use a flying sword to get to the Verdant River sect. As soon as he got close he saw the enormous amount of traffic, but it was mostly on the far side of the sect, where the noble families lived. All he needed to do was get in the back to speak to Nymidria, which was fortunately less busy.

At least there was no need for any complex infiltration this time: his new medallion allowed him directly into Nymidria's garden. She was in the middle of growing some sort of flower that burned with surprising amounts of qi, but waved a branch for him to approach as soon as the doors closed behind him.

"I have an illusion for you," she said, "but I don't have much more information. It's making me nervous how little they're letting out. Most likely this is just some sort of elite party, considering how many people they're letting in, but there's a small chance that could all be a cover for a more important meeting. I need you to find out what's going on."

Kai accepted a band of leaves, which he knew only from what Omilaena had told him, and put it around his neck. He didn't feel any different, even when he looked down at himself, but did feel a faint layer of chakra covering him. "I guess you wouldn't give me this if it would be detected, but it must have limits. How risky is the illusion?"

"They have no defenses for chakra like this, so you'll be completely fine under normal circumstances. Qi won't disrupt the illusion unless it destroys the leaves themselves. But if you start taking physical blows, there will be discrepancies and it might eventually collapse. The idea is not to do that."

"Got it. Guess I'll head over to the party."

"There's not much else I can do, so I have to leave this in your hands."

As Kai left the courtyard garden, he glanced back at Nymidria, wondering if this could be some sort of implausibly complex trap. It seemed unlikely, given her direct access to their enemies, and she really did look worried. Even though they were taking on the real risk, the information and weaknesses she'd given them had been the result of years of work, so she could see her plans go up in smoke.

For once Kai was actually taking on the least risk: they were all in enemy territory, but he was just attending a party while his wives would be directly attacked on sight if things went wrong. Or definitely attacked, since that was Zae Zin Nim's entire role. The possibility that there could be some unknown trap propelled Kai to move faster across the sect headquarters.

Once he reached the edge of the party, he didn't see anything suspicious. Guards checked his medallion, but they were allowing in sect members with even lower ranks. Once he got through the gates, he discovered that the party sprawled across a garden so enormous that it contained several hills.

There was a clear set of tiers even though they were unmarked: the weaker sect members drank cheap booze on the ground at the edges, then a rank closer to the hills got to sit at tables laden with dishes. Further up the tiers became smaller, with rows of clearly more prestigious cultivators leading up to a grand pavilion atop the tallest hill. No one enforced the division, yet everyone seemed to know their place, and the cultivators themselves might act against anyone who tried to move too far.

Kai had been worried about people trying to talk to him, but no one seemed interested: everyone was looking for more prominent members and trying to gain favor with them. Since he was unknown and hiding his strength, nobody cared. That left him free to move past the tables to an area where most of the cultivators were standing and drinking.

From there, he could get a good look at the pavilion of the young nobles. His first question was whether or not some of them were missing, since it was remotely possible that all of this was a diversion. Yet as he scouted around the side of the hill, he identified everyone he expected to be present, one by one.

Yul Wei Ren was the center of attention, wearing different robes but the same crown, clearly enjoying himself. Kai spotted Kan Jin Kung and the Poison Prince as well, apparently even more a part of his inner circle than before. The hiding female Earth Soul was nowhere to be seen, but the old man they called Grandpa Wanwan stood at attention in the sky between the hills.

Just when Kai was beginning to think their concerns had been entirely needless, he realized that there was actually a second locus of power. The majority of cultivators gathered around Yul Wei Ren, but not all of those outside were just envious of him. Another man sat in a chair opposite the heir with his own collection of followers, and something about his stance was so imperious that Kai couldn't help but focus on him.

Whoever he was, he wore black robes of fine silk, less ostentatious than the others but still a display of wealth. He was the first man Kai had seen who he'd say had "jade-like skin" and he looked very refined, as if he groomed his eyebrows and carefully treated the hair he swept back from his forehead. When he gave a toast to Yul Wei Ren, the heir of the entire clan actually acknowledged it and toasted back.

The details of the toast were hard to hear over the crowds, but the commentary allowed Kai to gather a few details:

"Is that truly Xir Xan Khan?"

"Such a noble aura!"

"What is the Coiling Island sect doing here?"

"Young master is even treating with sects from the Heavenly Mountains and Lakes, how incredible!"

So that was his name... something about it tickled his memory, but Kai couldn't come up with the answer while he was so focused. Since there were thousands of spiritual sights overlapping throughout the garden, Kai reached out to examine the new threat.

<

Name: Xir Xan Khan

Total Power: 1329

Cultivation: Sky Soul (1000)

Physique: E-0 (80)

Heavenly Body (+100)

Soul Level: 7 (49)

Coiling Presence (+100)

>

This Xir Xan Khan was no fool coasting on his family's reputation, especially given his perfect Sky Soul cultivation base. He also had Heavenly Body and Coiling Presence traits granting him additionalf +100 boosts, which suggested that his power was refined. Unlike the others, who stared around in envy or awe, his dark eyes held a touch of scorn.

Most likely this guest was the information they had been lacking, if not the reason for the entire party. Kai shifted through the crowds, trying not to bump into anyone, and wondered if he should leave at this point. The longer he stayed, the more likely he would run into trouble. Best to let the party continue, distracting all of them while his wives did their work.

Instead Kai examined the crowds around the base of the hill. Some were engaging in their own politics or staring enviously upward, so they were of no interest. Yet as he really looked at him, suddenly one man jumped out: younger than him, with tanner skin than average for Cloudspire and robes that had been worn thin.

Something about his posture... Kai instinctively began moving toward him. When the crowds shifted, he saw that the young man was carrying a dagger that glowed with qi, trying to hide it under his robes. At that moment, he gripped it tighter and began to walk toward the hill.

Chapter 439: A Dagger Held Back

"You will pay for what you did to the Emerald Tree sect!"

Zae Zin Nim struck as soon as she finished shouting, her palm impacting the cultivator's chest. She had to resist the urge to use the Coldfire Palm or any of her other techniques, instead simply executing a normal qi strike against the inner body. It took more discipline than she had expected, as her style had adapted to all that she learned.

The Pure Yin Shroud still made her far physically stronger, however, and even with a normal strike she had almost 1500 Power. Her blow made the cultivator collapse where he stood, dead even before the blood finishing pouring from his mouth. Normally her strikes might disrupt or harm the internal organs, but these blows left only a bloody mess on the inside.

Another guard released a qi bolt from her flank and Zae Zin Nim wheeled away from it, deflecting the attack with one swinging sleeve. Her shouting, and her performance, were all for the sake of people like this man, not those she killed.

Earth Soul stage, reasonably durable... yes, this one would do.

"Face our vengeance!" Zae Zin Nim rushed toward him with less than her full speed.

The guard summoned up a wall of fire and she had to resist the urge to pierce straight through the weak qi. Instead Zae Zin Nim dodged back, and continued spinning away from his flaming spheres that emerged from the flames. It wasn't a bad defensive technique... but it wouldn't be anything near enough.

When Zae Zin Nim executed the Rushing Wave Palm, she unleashed it with more power than any members of the destroyed sect had ever used. The waves that flooded from her hand extinguished the flames and crashed into the enemy cultivator hard enough to smash him through a stone wall and send him tumbling into the forest, coughing up blood.

That had definitely been a serious injury, and he wouldn't be up for some time... but he would survive. Zae Zin Nim had tried previously and accidentally killed the woman she targeted. Now there would be someone left "accidentally" alive to report that a survivor of the Emerald Tree sect was trying to take revenge.

Her task accomplished, Zae Zin Nim easily exterminated the remaining cultivators attempting to guard the vault. This stage of the plan was the most elegant, in her opinion: anyone attempting to take revenge would start by gathering resources, so there would be no suspicions when everything in the vault disappeared. So the Verdant River sect would be preparing for the Emerald Tree attack while she absorbed all of their resources for herself.

Though there was a barrier over the vault itself, the qi couldn't endure against her without defenders. She resisted the urge to use her real techniques and broke through with brute force, even using the Rushing Wave Palm again to leave a trace. Then the vault was finally open to her.

After checking for traps, Zae Zin Nim began sweeping everything into her spatial bracelet. Shelves upon shelves of qi sources, medicinal pills, and scrolls... most of it would be too weak, but there were some real treasures even within a secondary vault like this.

Her hope, which had always been implausible, was that the Verdant River sect would have kept some of their immortality elixirs here. As expected, there was nothing that valuable. Still, there were a surprising number of useful items that boosted cultivation in other ways, so no doubt between her and Omilaena they could find new ways to advance.

The thought of her wife made Zae Zin Nim check for traps one more time. Nothing seemed to have triggered, and no survivors were conscious enough to sound the alarm with their medallions. Eventually she needed them to summon reinforcements, so that attention would be drawn away from Omilaena, but apparently that would take a while.

Well, in that case, she might as well steal absolutely everything.

.

..

.

The young man kept shifting closer, staring up at the hill like so many others, but Kai could see the rage and hatred in his eyes. He never got a second glimpse of the dagger, which had throbbed with enough power that it had to be a weapon. Some sort of desperate attack on the nobles above.

Desperate and doomed. The young man had a Nascent Foundation cultivation base of decent quality, but at that stage, he would be slapped down effortlessly by the first Earth Soul guard. Even if he managed to reach his target, multiple people atop the hill could easily kill him. Obviously he wasn't thinking clearly, because he stood no chance.

Kai tracked him on instinct, wondering if he should act. He didn't care about the young man personally, and whatever his vendetta was, it was probably another trivial squabble. The question was whether this was in Kai's best interest.

An assassination attempt, even a weak one, would definitely disrupt the party. Guards would begin examining everyone, and under enough scrutiny the dryad's illusion might not hold. Technically retreating and letting the attack distract everyone was a possibility, but Zae Zin Nim had been the one who was supposed to be the distraction. If too many things happened at once, it might make the Verdant River sect believe they were under a coordinated assault and close defenses.

No, this would be a mistake. Kai stepped forward and grabbed the other man's wrist.

For a moment the young cultivator struggled, trying to throw him off, but he might as well have been slapping a mountain. Kai pushed him away from the hill toward one of the trees, easily manhandling his struggles so it didn't look like they were fighting. By the time they were partially obscured, the young man had given up resisting.

"Let me go," he hissed. "I don't care what they pay you, my cause is just!"

"I'm not with the clan," Kai said. "What are you doing, attacking a group that powerful?"

"You're not a guard? Then let me go! I have to... I just need to get close enough. Even if they kill me, if I get this dagger in him..."

"Slow down and explain unless you want me to reveal you to the guards."

"Apologies. I... my name is Hul Ping." The young man stuffed his dagger into a pouch in his belt and gave a low bow. "Please listen. When Yul Wei Ren went through our village, he seized my sister and... and dishonored her. We may be poor, but we were making something of ourselves and now her marriage prospects are ruined. I have to get retribution."

Kai felt a pang of sympathy that was quickly tempered with skepticism and annoyance. Even if it was true... "You won't get revenge just charging him like this," Kai said. "What were you thinking?"

"This was my only chance. Normally outer sect members aren't allowed anywhere close enough."

"You'd die instantly. You have a better chance of infiltrating during normal times."

"I have to try! You dare sto-" Hul Ping attempted to strike him, but Kai grabbed his shoulder and kept him pinned before he even raised his arm.

"Don't be stupid. Do you think your sister would want you to throw your life away?"

That finally made the young man slump, though there was fury and incredulity on his face instead of any emotions Kai would have expected. He realized that, even though he had prolonged the peace, he might have exposed himself. There was no way that getting further involved with this private vendetta could help him, so maybe it was best to retreat.

Before Kai could decide his next move, another interruption caught everyone's attention. Apparently the crowds had been watching a servant climb the hill, and now Yul Wei Ren was berating them loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"You dare interrupt my celebration with random nonsense?" The young master kicked the servant's side again and Kai thought he heard a rib break. "If there's a problem, you should take care of it!"

Most of the others laughed or mocked the servant, but Xir Xan Khan spoke up calmly. "What was the report?"

"Something about a minor vault being broken into. Do you have any idea how many vaults the Masterful Crown clan owns?" Yul Wei Ren gestured to the crowds as if in disbelief and many laughed, but the dark-robed cultivator leaned forward.

"That would normally be a matter for the guard. Why did the report come here?"

"I don't know, this idiot probably-"

"Wait." In a rush of light, Grandpa Wan flew down to land beside them. "This report didn't come from the normal guard, it must have been from one of the new defenses I cast over the vaults."

Yul Wei Ren turned to gawk at him. "And just who told you to do that?"

"You did, young master. When we arrived, you told me to take care of the details of the outer defenses so you could focus on the clan's work. I judged many of the precautions to be inadequate, so I added new defensive spells."

Most of the crowds were just gossiping about what might be happening, but Kai and a few others could hear the conversation clearly. He ground his teeth, irritated that the old man was actually competent. Presumably the defenses had been added very recently, after Nymidria had analyzed the vulnerable vaults, so they were unknown. The plan had assumed reports would be transferred via command medallions, making this a nasty development.

They'd wanted Zae Zin Nim to attract everyone's attention, but this would be far too much, too quickly. If she was seen directly instead of reported, the ruse might be ruined. And if he knew her, she would be confident and definitely willing to take on more risk in order to steal everything...

"It sounds like a minor issue," Xir Xan Khan said, "so you don't need to trouble yourself over it. Why don't you let someone else take a look and you can go back to enjoying yourself?"

"That's the first sensible thing anyone has said." Yul Wei Ren snorted and went to go get more wine from a servant.

That left two of the most dangerous cultivators on the hill talking to one another. They had lowered their voices, so Kai couldn't hear the words over the crowd's inane commentary, but he could guess them well enough. He knew that taking action was a massive risk... but if he did nothing, Zae Zin Nim was going to be in trouble.

So Kai took a deep breath, drawing up his power. If he couldn't pass through without attracting attention, he needed to attract so much that he could shield his wives.

A quill formed from his shoulder, dripping poison. It was probably covered by the illusion, so until Kai released it, he hadn't committed. Technically he could still leave, like he'd advised the young idiot to do. But the cultivators had finished talking and it looked like they might be taking action soon, so if he wanted to make a difference...

The quill left his shoulder and shot through the chest of one of the young masters.

Chapter 440: A Party Broken by a Quill

When the quill pierced the young man, the crowds reacted with shock and horror. Despite all their gasping and commentary, the cultivators weren't stupid: many of them saw the projectile and traced its path to the bottom of the hill.

Where Kai was nowhere to be seen.

He had been sorely tempted to release more quills, potentially devastating the pack of young masters and their guards, but he judged that confusion was better than a direct fight. Even if he thought he could take on the Sky Souls and all their Earth Soul guards at once, that wouldn't necessarily be in his best interest. So the instant the quill left his body, he moved into the crowd.

Moving purposefully in the opposite direction would only draw attention to him, so Kai pretended to be retreating while he stared along with everyone else. He was far from the only one, and it gave him the perfect excuse to monitor the scene atop the hill.

Based on the blood, his target would not be getting up. He took a perverse satisfaction in seeing that the women he'd been groping didn't even attempt to check on him, they just fled. Some of the other young masters did try to help, mostly uselessly.

On the other hand, Grandpa Wan had shifted almost immediately to defend Yul Wei Ren, so even if Kai had attempted another projectile, it wouldn't have landed. Which left the question of Xir Xan Khan...

Who was gone.

Kai felt the attack descend on him and was barely prepared to dodge. A column of purple qi erupted from the soil where he'd been standing, radiating an aura that struck Kai and pushed him back several paces. Cultivators all around him began coughing up blood or keeling over, which meant that just staying on his feet drew attention.

Not that it would matter: Xir Xan Khan landed in the wake of his attack with his eyes focused fully on Kai.

"This doesn't feel like a local vendetta," he said icily. "Too competent for that."

"I killed my only target." Kai began lying on instinct, hoping he'd absorbed enough from Omilaena to pull it off. "Stay out of my way and there's no reason for you to get hurt."

"No, I don't think so." Xir Xan Khan waved one hand and suddenly more purple qi flooded around him. This time it didn't appear as a column, but rather an arc that spiraled around him, faster and faster until it seemed to grow, filling a radius of several paces.

More cultivators began coughing up blood and Kai felt as though a force was pressing against him on all sides. A year ago that might have taken him off guard, but he was prepared for presence techniques now and activated Banchlain's Aura.

The fear flooded out, and more importantly, it dominated the space around him. It drove back the royal purple aura and Xir Xan Khan's eyes widened, then he smiled. His own aura seemed to control the air in the center of the vortex, so his clothes and hair weren't even moving despite the power that was tearing up plants and knocking over people.

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"Not bad, but this is just the beginning."

A second purple arc joined the first, intensifying the aura. Banchlain's Aura flickered slightly but didn't give way: now that it was a competition between aura techniques, Kai wasn't going to lose so easily. He wanted to use Void Gaze, but realized that getting locked into a direct struggle would be a mistake. Every cultivator with sense had noticed their battle and was spreading out to attack, so soon he'd be taking techniques from all sides.

Instead of any other abilities, Kai simply focused on a single Manticore's Quill. He concentrated everything he could into it, drawing on his mana instead of the qi that was dominated by his opponent's technique. Then, as easily as before, he let the quill leap from his body.

At the last second his opponent's confident expression vanished. He jerked his head aside barely in time and the spike cut across his cheek.

As Xir Xan Khan stumbled a step back, his presence technique barely faltered, but his eyes were wide. Kai realized that, until the very last moment, he had truly believed that he would win easily. It was that shock, more than the pain or the poison, that had disabled him.

Instead of continuing a fight that wouldn't benefit him, Kai leapt into the air and pulled a flying sword from his spatial ring just in time to land on it. He had planned to glide away, leading them all on a chase in the opposite direction of the barrier wall, but before he could begin, presence techniques hit him from every side.

Half the young masters now had crowns of qi shining over their heads, trying to dominate the area. Some of the presence techniques clashed with one another, making cultivators cough up blood, but the competent ones were all coordinating with one another. Soon over a dozen techniques slammed into Kai from all sides to pin him in place.

And Banchlain's Aura resisted them all.

Kai knew his eyes must be burning as his monstrous essence leapt to the surface, eager to consume the competition. His aura wasn't strong enough to overwhelm the presence techniques, but it felt completely solid, as if the offensive auras were no more than water sliding harmlessly over him. How far could he train it, in a clash like this? How much stronger could he make the aura?

But there was no time for that, not when he had more practical concerns. He might be personally untouched, but the leaves around his neck were crumbling and he had to assume that the illusion was falling as well, meaning that all the young masters now knew his face. He'd created a far larger distraction than intended, so the question now was if he could pull it off.

"I recognize him!" Kan Jin Kung was using his Flowing Crown along with the others, but had enough stamina to reach out to point at him. "This barbarian was sneaking into our lands, dishonoring our women!"

Dammit, of all the reputations he could have gotten, why was that the one that stuck? In addition to all the auras flooding in his direction, Kai saw a lot of vicious glares as well. It might have irritated him, if he didn't remember everything that Zae Zin Nim had told him previously. No, he wouldn't let these cultivators try to shame him, especially over false accusations.

"You're the one dishonoring them!" Kai thrust out a finger toward the hill and was grimly satisfied to see how many flinched. "Yul Wei Ren, you dishonored my junior sister, and for that, you will pay!"

For once, Yul Wei Ren was completely speechless. His immortal body might make him superior to normal people, but in a conflict of this level, he was pinned to his couch and seemed to have lost control of his bladder. A lot of attention shifted toward him, and Kai could only hope that he'd muddied the waters enough.

Then he realized that he'd been looking at the wrong place.

Grandpa Wan slammed into him, piercing all of the auras with physical presence alone. The blow sent Kai spiraling downward, crashing through one of the garden's outer walls. He fell in a tumble of stone and was just starting to get up when the old man stomped down on his chest.

But Kai was much more durable than the old cultivator was used to and grabbed his leg with both hands. As the man's eyes widened in shock, Kai swung him back, shattering another of the walls.

He leapt up, trying to end the battle, but his opponent recovered with surprising speed. For a time they struck at one another, exchanging blows that demolished wall after wall of the sect headquarters. It took them several exchanges to realize that neither one could easily win a contest of strength, and more importantly, that they weren't doing any good slamming each other into normal stone.

Kai realized it first, and when his opponent wound up for an obvious but powerful kick, decided to take the blow head on. He blocked it on his crossed arms and didn't try to anchor himself, just let it send him backward. After crashing through another roof, he sailed far from the sect headquarters.

In midair he twisted and pulled out another flying sword to make good his escape. He had a brief moment to look back over the sect... the destroyed sections, the chaotic garden, even Nymidria's boughs. No one seemed to have reacted fast enough to catch up, not since he had put so much space between him and the sect walls.

Or so it seemed, until a blue streak of light raced after him.

Grandpa Wan materialized from it just overhead, already swinging a fist. Kai deflected the blow and tried to grapple, but the blows quickly took him off his flying sword. They tumbled into the air... then his opponent dissolved again.

The streak of light arced away and back to him, much faster and more efficiently than any of the other cultivators Kai had fought. He had just long enough to admire the technique before it slammed him toward the ground again, smashing through a hill and into a crater.

Kai got to his feet, Behemoth's Heart pounding in his chest - not to recover, but in anticipation. His Physique seemed to be resonating in response, almost as if he was reaching another breakthrough. That didn't make sense to him, but he'd never fought a qi-using opponent who was so powerful, so he just reacted on instinct.

When he set his feet, they began to transform into claws, and he could feel the rest of himself beginning to shift as well. Grandpa Wan didn't try to attack him using his flight technique again, some instinct leading him to arc down to the ground in front of him.

This wasn't the fight he should be starting. Of all the cultivators in the garden, this old man was the one he least wanted to kill. But oh, another part of him hungered for it.