It was a calm and sunny summer morning in the quiet village near the sea. Only one guard was watching alone; his cultivation was insignificant, and he stood near the gates, staring into the emptiness in front of him without losing focus. In this peaceful place, nothing ever happened, and it had never happened before. However, he stayed there every day, in silence and solitude.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sit, talk, or have a drink; he simply couldn’t. In fact, he couldn’t move a single muscle without consent and orders... that was his life, and it had been for decades. His only hope was to be summoned to the center of the village. There, something happened underground, and everyone who was summoned never came back.
Like almost everyone in this place, he was born in a dark and damp location. His real body was a mix between a fish and an ox, and from the moment he could walk, he lost control of his body. After living for a long time, being freed or saved was something he neither thought nor longed for. His only real desire was simply to disappear and end it all.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
On this day, a large group of fifteen cultivators was spotted coming from the South. It was a rare occurrence, but from time to time, the village was visited by outsiders. Usually, they were cultivators from small sects from the South or North, coming through routes near the beach. The guard didn’t know why, but he had witnessed a few times a group of visitors in black clothes being attacked by sea creatures. Everyone from outside was welcome, but there was a specific group of people who were different and would always be attacked.
The guard focused his gaze on the distant approaching group as he felt an urge to sigh with regret. These people were free, but, like everyone in the village, once they stepped into the city, they would become one of them and never leave again.
A few minutes later, the group arrived, and to the guard’s surprise, they were all women. Then, one of them spoke, smiling.
"Hello, we’ve come on a long journey to try our luck in the world. We’ve traveled from afar with great effort, and our resources are running out. Can we come in and buy some things in your village? We’re honest, and we won’t do anything wrong."
The guard merely waved robotically and replied, "Everyone who comes without ill intentions is welcome. There are no restrictions, but we are a humble village struggling to survive from the sea. So, don’t be disappointed."
He responded as if it were something he had repeated hundreds of times, word for word, and turned, opening the gates that were already almost open. Then he waved for them to pass, but all of them looked deeply at the guard. And in the depths of his eyes, something seemed to shine; even without him thinking, he begged them to turn back.
They all trembled subtly, and one of them smiled back, waving to the guard. The guard watched it without reacting, and they moved on. In his mind, only a faint lament remained.
The village was simple and without many notable features. There were several dozen common houses made of stone and wood, but a strange silence permeated the entire place. There were no people walking and talking, no visible fields for cultivation, and only a few fenced areas with common animals for meat use. The only more conspicuous point was a three-story building in the center of the village, but it easily blended with the simplicity around it.
As the women took steps, calmly observing everything, the five Montide women trembled slightly. They had learned the mental technique from Goku and developed this power that gave them a sharp sense. At that moment, a gaze from an unknown point swept over all of them, and the owner of that gaze had a cultivation several times more powerful, so only the five women noticed it slightly.
But it lasted for two seconds; then, all fifteen felt an extreme dizziness, and their steps halted. Then their eyes turned black as if a Yin power from the void invaded them.
Seconds passed slowly, and the distant gaze saw that large group of women rising calmly, looking forward in sync as if nothing had happened. The owner of the gaze was an elder with white clothes and hair; he was responsible for taking care of the village on behalf of the Three Extremes Sect. He then withdrew his gaze without much interest, too busy to waste time.
’Go to the central building and await further instructions, keeping yourselves healthy.’ transmitted the elder directly to them, pressing a rune with his fist. That was the connection with the formation; he used the power from the underground through it.
Quickly, he entered his room to resume meditation, but not before sending a message to the people underground. ’Prepare the formation; a group of idiots knocked on our door. There are fifteen women at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. We’ll use them to complete the cycle faster, and we’ll be able to return to the sect sooner.’
’What luck.’ The response came promptly.
At almost monthly intervals, a trusted elder was appointed by the sect to oversee this task. This cycle involved a specific amount of soul energy that they had to refine underground. After completing it, they could return, and another elder would be appointed. Slaves from the village were almost always used, but they had little cultivation, and their souls were very weak, making everything more time-consuming. Now, fifteen cultivators with a higher realm had appeared, advancing their tedious work.
The next moment, the voice from underground spoke again. ’WAIT!’ The elder narrowed his eyes. ’Fifteen women? Are they human? Or do they at least look like one?’
The elder snorted heavily and replied angrily. ’Anfi! If you weren’t my grandson, I would punish you with death right now. This is a mission of extreme zeal for the sect. There can be no mistakes or lack of attention.’
’Grandfather, I’ve been down here for a week with only men... the gods sent so many women, let me and my comrades have a bit of fun. One week is already enough.’ The response came.
’YOU BASTARD!’ The elder shouted. ’I won’t waste my time on frivolous matters. You have one night. And tomorrow, we’ll use them!’
’Great, great. Thanks, Grandfather, we’ll work hard!’ He replied seriously, and no more messages were exchanged.
Outside, the women walked with light steps toward the central building. They all had cold and expressionless looks, walking only toward the point they were directed to. However, the five Montide women were taught by the leader Goku to connect their mental powers, allowing all fifteen to silently converse mentally.
It was still morning when they approached the building without seeing anyone inside the village. However, they all maintained their appearances, and the five Montide women made sure the elder wasn’t focused on them. So, the QI of all was being calmly used to locate and gather any information from the surroundings.
’I counted two hundred people from the village inside the houses,’ one of them said, and all heard mentally.
Then, one of the Montide women commented, ’Underground... I feel dense Yin Energy coming from there, and there seem to be about seven powerful cultivators.’
They entered the central building, and inside, there was only one person with the same cold eyes as the guard. He said nothing, and they didn’t react either. In that building, it was just a large open area with nothing particularly attention-grabbing, but there was a staircase to the upper and lower floors.
They stayed there and followed the simple orders. Hours passed, and they subtly examined everything they could. Then, night arrived, and footsteps from underground climbing the stairs echoed. They only sensed the movement when the group of men finally arrived.
"WOW! They’re all beautiful humans! Thank you, god!" one of them exclaimed.
"Let’s not waste time. We only have tonight. I’ll take three. Each of you chooses two," spoke a tall, thin man with a lecherous face. It was Anfi leading the others. He took quick steps and had no doubts, pulling three Montide women with him.
They didn’t react, and he smiled. Then, a rune appeared in his hand. The rune pulsed with an intense black power, but in the next instant, Anfi used another technique that merged with the rune. The rune multiplied, levitated, and attached itself to the foreheads of all fifteen women. At that moment, their entire mental connection was undone. Suddenly, their minds went completely dark, causing them to lose control of their bodies.