"What did you do to me?"
Vivienne panicked when she realized this pain might assault her every time she tries to defy one of the sect's greatest enemies.
"It's a sixth-grade Slavery Collar. The description said it can force anyone in the sixth stage or lower to obey me. I guess it does that by causing you extreme pain, but you know that better than me."
"I will not betray my sect!"
"You should, given how they take advantage of you. Anyway, it's not what the collar is for; I only want you to help me slip from their hands if they ever close on me."
"Hmph, you'll have to see me and give me a direct order, so I just won't be around."
She snorted and put on an act of a strong front.
"True. I order you to do your best to aid me whenever I'm in danger, and you can't actively avoid news about me. By the way, the collar will explode along with your head when I die, so let's do our best to keep me safe."
Vivienne clenched her teeth in fury when she heard her situation. Ken made up the last part, he had no idea what would happen to her if he died. However, he said it confidently, making it sound believable.
"Don't be so angry, you will get to live your life quite normally other than that. At least I'm not coating my plans with pretty words."
"Whatever. What about the collar? People will suspect when they see me go back with a collar on."
"They won't."
Ken generated a wall of water to act as a mirror with a simple technique and let her see for herself. The collar disappeared, and only a small tattoo in the shape of a circle remained on her nape.
"You can't see it, but you have a small tattoo on your nape. Make sure you hide it with your hair."
"Fine."
Before leaving, Ken described Tiara's and Alaric's appearances and ordered her to help them if she sees them in danger. He felt like he had enough action, and it was time for him to follow the voice that had been calling him for so long.
He knew that with Vivienne's talent, she would eventually break through to the next stage and get freed of his collar, but he knew it would take her at least two decades to achieve. She was still at the lower phase of the sixth stage, and each advancement took a long time.
After walking for a while, he found himself in the center of the canyon's bottom, where a large chasm waited for him.
'So this is the source of the bloody mist.'
Ken thought to himself as he watched the mist being emitted from the large tunnel in front of him.
Without thinking much, he leaped into the tunnel and used the wall to control his speed. It took him around half a minute to get to the bottom of the chasm.
"Welcome to the Mystic Chasm of Bloodlust. Venture through its trials to claim the rewards and inherit our sect's esteemed Lightning legacy, or face the dire consequences. Beware, the perils extend beyond the trials alone; you may be compelled to battle other contenders. Embrace the challenge, for within this chasm, your destiny shall be forged."
Ken heard the familiar voice announcing the introduction to the site.
"Don't play dumb, I know you are a sentient being. What is this place?"
After a moment of silence, the voice replied.
"Haha, I wasn't trying to hide it! However, I can't tell you too much."
"I never saw the Bloodlust Qi outside. Is it a common type of Qi among evil cultivators?"
"No. The elders of the sect always tried to train someone with Bloodlust Qi. They theorized its existence but it was too late for them; their foundation was set, and they couldn't change their specialized Qi at that point. However, nobody managed to develop it."
"They had a whole sect, how could they fail?"
"If you want to find out about the elders, you will have to go to another site, the sect's library, assuming you will survive the challenges here."
Ken shrugged. He could guess what the reason might be, but it was irrelevant.
"Since I have cultivated Bloodlust Qi, I am now the heir they have always wanted. Therefore, shouldn't I be the one to receive all the prizes?"
"Are you planning to teach others to cultivate it?"
"Yes, I will pass my legacy to many others."
Ken lied without hesitation. Since they opened a secret realm that included their research on Bloodlust Qi, he knew they wanted others to have it.
"Haha, liar. I watched your activity in the secret realm and you're surprisingly cunning and selfish for a child. Don't fret, you may still gain prizes normally. Even if you don't plan to pass your legacy now, you're but a child. When you grow older, you will understand the passion of passing the torch to the younger generation. Even if not, you will want to give the best to your children."
"Why not let me have everything if you're so sure?"
"Because the elders' intention was to spread the information, not pick a single person. You may go now. This is not a labyrinth; just walk straight and face the challenges."
"I will see you later then."
When Ken understood he wouldn't get any other information from that voice, he turned around and left. The bloody mist was especially thick inside the chasm, and he had to deploy more of his Bloodlust Qi to ward it off.
The young boy walked through a corridor leading to a squared building made of stone until he faced the large door. He calmed his mind and entered the first challenge.
"Welcome to the Challenge of Courage. An evil cultivator must never be afraid of the threats of the strong. To pass this challenge, you need to cross the room within fifteen minutes."
The same voice resounded in the room, making Ken raise an eyebrow. The challenge sounded suspiciously easy. However, he changed his mind quickly when an extreme bloodlust and killing intent pressed him, urging him to turn around and run away.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel