After Kaze rifted through the spatial barrier, he assessed the situation with vibrant green eyes that looked demonic. His characteristic genial expressions were gone, and only icy resolve remained.
"Thank God; I'm glad my faith in you was well founded." He whispered, looking at Evalyn. She was mortally wounded but wouldn't die that night without further injury, "You above all else."
When he waved his hand, Mary's perplexion turned into anxiety as the blonde radiated with golden light, illuminating the area. She watched in real time as her wounds disappeared, as if they had reversed time.
With the Ice General fully healed, the emperor activated a paragon-grade Spirit Qi technique to slow time. The closest translation for the technique was the German word [Zeitgeist], directly translating to [Time Ghost]. It slowed the world to the point that the world seemed frozen.
His body was also slow and restrained, but his mind was sharp and running at full speed, appraising his people. "Nearly a hundred have perished, and a quarter is injured.
A miracle statistic, given that it's [the rapture]."
While it seemed cold, he was pleased that his people had suffered a loss. If they hadn't experienced the rapture, they wouldn't feel the need to prepare for it.
Then, if he and Evalyn needed to leave, everyone would die. The world was bleak—that was reality. His actions were extremely benevolent; anyone who expected more was delusional.
He surveyed the walls, noting the two breaks and the approaching sick, mostly injured, crawling to the top. There were thousands of bodies, showcasing a vicious battle.
With his examination concluded, he focused all his attention on Crux. She wasn't mortally injured, but she was in bad shape.
Her breathing was shallow in panther form, and she had difficulty getting onto her feet. Her body was severely mangled and would require a few days to heal.
Crux was a large target, and he lacked the Qi necessary to heal her in her panther form. He barely had enough to heal Evalyn, so it was out of the question.
He released the technique, and the world sped up significantly as if it were moving in fast forward.
"Who are you?" Mary asked with a rapidly beating heart.
"Do not interfere with the matters of the living." Kaze replied viciously, turning to her with murderous eyes.
The Cultivation Lord hiccuped breathlessly, afraid but also confused about how he could harm her.
"While your techniques are beyond imagination, they have also sucked you dry." Mary asserted, "At most, you can only fight with a few earth-grade attacks. So do not offend me by claiming you've won."
Instead of replying, he closed his eyes, and his body radiated with golden light, developing runes over it.
"W-What's that?" She muttered in shock, "At least it's Soul Qi. There isn't an offensive technique using Soul Qi, but still… he could trap me. I must kill him quickly."
Kaze smiled murderously, waved his hand, and disappeared. She looked around in a panic, wondering where he went, until she felt a cultivation base behind her.
Mary turned around just in time to see him materialize and touch her stomach. "AghhHHhhhHHHH!"
She thrashed around as her meridian network caught fire, heating up erratically as it sucked in an immense amount of Qi involuntarily. "What the fuck is this!?"
"I'll answer you that much so you can understand what you face for your transgressions." He said coldly, "This is my original technique [Forced Panic].
It triggers a false signal you're at the risk of lethal Qi deprivation and sends your meridians into overdrive, hyperventilating.
In less than two minutes, your dantian will rupture, and you'll die an excruciating death from mortal wounds. You'll be lesser than the mortals you sought to trample."
Mary's eyes became crazed, connecting his words to her situation. Even if she survived, she'd be unable to cultivate for the rest of her life.
Any one of the mortals below could tear her body apart. The thought sent waves of mental panic crashing through her mind. "LIES!"
Kaze rolled his eyes, scoffing in annoyance. "Even as you experience excruciating pain stemming from your meridians, you still lack the dignity to avoid senseless banter."
"SHUT UP!" The Cultivation Lord screamed, "If I have too much Qi, I just have to release it, and keep releasing it, and keep releasing it at full power until everything is destroyed and your technique ends!"
"Do you seek my permission?" He asked with dry ridicule.
Mary's eyes became primal, and she waved her hand upward at ghostly speed, seeking to create her shattering blade. However, the orange blade rose to the heavens and—
"GAHhhHHHHhhHHHhhH!" She screamed in pain, looking down in shock.
—the beam of light cut through her hand.
The Cultivation Lord couldn't figure out what had happened and never would. He created a spatial rift at the top and placed the exit right below her hand. As a result, it shot upward and cut through her wrist at full force.
"What did you do!?" Mary screamed angrily, watching blood gush to the ground, "What is this!?"
"Your meridians are panicking." Kaze replied mysteriously, bending the truth to trigger greater panic, "Surely you didn't believe they'd function the way you expect them to. Did you?"
The Cultivation Lord's eyes flashed with madness, and her mind panicked alongside her meridians and body. She couldn't become more panicked.
However, she could see enough to begin laughing ominously. "You did use a technique! You have almost no Qi! You're nearly mortal; I'm going to rip you apart!"
"That's true." Kaze replied with a strange smile laced with sadistic amusement, "However, I have enough Qi to strangle you until your dantian explodes, and I feed you to my mortals."
Her eyes filled with insanity. "Just try to—"
He waved his hand and disappeared again, materializing behind her with his hands out to strangle her.
"I won't fall for that twice, you fool!" Mary screamed, turning around and grabbing him by the throat with her left hand.
As she did, her fingernail, strengthened by the influx of Qi, attempted to cut into his neck. However, a golden barrier blocked the attack, and a purple miasma leaked from the place her nails touched.
Mary's soul pulsed, moving a foot away from her body, fighting to re-enter her body against a violent vortex. "W-What are you doing to me!?"
"This ancient-grade technique is called [Revenge's Protection]." Kaze smiled sinisterly, "It's a complicated technique that draws out an attacker's soul and allows the souls of the dead to feast upon it.
While it's exceedingly wasteful, after what you've done to my lover, friend, and people, it's worth forcing Mitus and the other Silver Medallions to consume your soul."
The Cultivation Lord's mind aggressively twisted when she heard the elite team she had headed for decades would consume her soul. "You're cruel!"
He laughed sharply, aggressively grabbing her neck. She realized her grip on his neck was just holding her in the air and wasn't harming him. By contrast, she could feel his grip strangling her life from her.
"This level of cruelty lacks the power and callous resolve to give you the punishment you deserve." He declared coldly, "You came to my world and killed billions for your pointless ends.
Then you visited this peaceful settlement, hurt my lover, injured my friend, killed my proud people, destroyed these walls, and still have the audacity to complain."
She struggled to get away from his hand, gripping her throat violently, making her kick in the air.
"You have cruelly treated my people like ants." Kaze scoffed angrily, "Well before I release your genocidal comrades to eat you like the sick you've created on Earth, I want you to know—"
Mary opened her eyes and felt his predatory gaze burn through her soul, igniting her meridian network faster as panic spread through her body. He dantian felt on the precipice of exploding.
"—to a true Immortal, you are nothing but an ant.
However, an Immortal needn't appraise your insignificance, Mary Emerson. You're weak now as you've always been, destined to die at a mortal's hands. That is and always was your destiny.
Rest assured, when I seize control of the Sky Plane in forty years, I will ensure that everyone knows a mortal killed you in the Mortal Plane."
The Cultivation Lord felt true helplessness, looking into his absolute gaze, ruthless and unmoving. She understood that he wasn't lying; she could feel it in her bones.
"Now, die." Kaze ordered, churning his soul core to resume the technique and release the souls of the cultivators he killed an hour before.
The souls of the Silver Medallions exited his body and ripped Mary's from hers. As soon as it exited, her body lost motor function as if it were unplugged and fell limp.
He released her throat, allowing her body to fall to the ground, smashing into the ground below.
The Immortals and soldiers watched the scene silently, observing his every move with confused emotions. While they wished to celebrate, they couldn't, as the face of their leader lacked positivity. His vicious expression flickered in the night, illuminated by the light golden glow of the woman's soul, getting ripped apart by purple smoke.
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