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097 - An Inescapable Plot
🕑 Added 2024-10-06 20:48:00 +0000 UTC“Senior! What’s the meaning of your actions?” the man said as he watched the old cultivator grasp his junior brother’s neck. His eyes narrowed slightly, yet there was no trace of panic in them—something which couldn’t escape the old man’s notice.
“Enough," the old cultivator said. His voice was calm but authoritative, leaving no room for argumentation. His gaze was peaceful, which couldn't help but bring a shiver to his captive as if he wasn't even seen as human but just an ant he could squash anytime he wished. "I do not know what you wish to accomplish by bringing this here, but you better not test my patience."
Silence reigned, if only for a moment, before the old man squeezed slightly harder, making the man in his grasp foam at the mouth. His eyes bulged out of his skull as his face turned blue from the lack of oxygen, yet it wasn't enough to make him lose consciousness. He wouldn't be granted respite from this torment.
His senior brother gritted his teeth as he watched the scene, yet something was hidden in his eyes. Noticing this, the old man relented as he knew such methods wouldn't work. Instead, he chose to turn his attention to the vial in his hand, which surprisingly proved to offer the reaction he wished to see. The green-robed man's eyes widened, if ever so slightly, which didn't escape the old man's notice.
"You should know what this is," the old man said. His voice had no emotions, yet the strength of his words alone betrayed his fury. Seeing the vial, he couldn't help but wish to see its content destroyed to the last, wiped out entirely until nothing remained. "Do not lie to me... I will know.”
“This is part of our Master’s plan,” the disciple said cautiously, his gaze resting upon the old man. “He found a way to use this as a power source. By fusing it with the Dragon Vein, the barrier will have unlimited power, and be able to last an eternity. You may even be able to free yourself from its control.”
His voice had now shifted, becoming more callous as he spoke of the benefits, almost as if enthralled by the substance's powers. However, the old man looked at him as if a fool, a slight derisive smile on his aged face.
Then, the old cultivator couldn’t help but laugh, his voice reverberating off the stone walls of this chamber, showing his contempt for all to see as he looked down on the man before him.
“How bold!" the old man said. "Do you know how long I sequestered myself here, watching over this formation? How many sought to uncover its secrets, only to be left with failure and a life of regrets? Of the many who once used to call this tomb their home, I am the only one who remains, the only one who still remembers his duty. How can you even claim that your Master knows more than I do regarding this mechanism? To last until today without any maintenance, this formation has already reached the realm of the divine. How could any mortal boast he can improve it? Young man... your words are but heresy to my ears."
His tone was laced with murderous intent as his gaze landed on the man in the distance. If not for his aged spirit, his opponent would have crumbled apart from his mere sight. Instead, sweat drenched the young man's back, yet there was a slight smile on his lips which couldn't help but infuriate the old man further.
He raised his hand, trying to end this farce, only to be stopped in his tracks, noticing something amiss. A sweet smell lingering in the air couldn't help but give him pause. How long had it been since he had smelled something similar? He couldn't quite remember, but he knew it was foreign to this underground chamber.
Although his cultivation had declined with time, the old man still commanded ample reserves of qi, which he promptly used to sweep away at the smell, knowing where it came from. Although he didn’t know its concrete effects, he could infer its purpose. Poison!
Yet, something ate at his mind. He remembered the young man these people addressed as Master. The Emerald Lord, as they call him, was once a young genius well-versed in the art of Alchemy, primarily specializing in various types of poisonous substances. As such, creating an odourless poison would be as easy as breathing to such a character.
“What are you playing at?" the old man asked, keeping the scent at bay with his qi. While he could have quickly dispatched the two of them, he couldn't help but feel something was afoot. Not uncovering their purpose would spell danger for this place in the future. After all, he couldn't always be there to shoulder the responsibility of its protection. One day, he would die, and the formation would be left without a guardian. His sense of duty wouldn't allow him to leave any loose ends. Unfortunately, his question would be left unanswered.
The Emerald Lord's senior disciple waved his sleeve, scattering a fine powder in his surroundings. The powder promptly mixed with the gas he had released early, transforming it into something more. In fact, the air turned purple and became tangible, as if the atmosphere itself had come to life. The purple air twisted and turned, spreading all around, even infecting the old man's qi as he tried to push it back.
The old man frowned, his thoughts racing as he saw the purple air stretch until it sought to reach the vial of grey liquid in his hand. Surprise flashed on his face as he hastily covered the bottle with his domain. Yet, due to his old age, his domain was feeble and barely able to materialize itself. It distorted itself, becoming ephemeral as if it struggled to ascertain its own meaning. It flickered from existence to oblivion, materializing for a split second before dissipating into thin air.
Unable to stop the spread of the purple air, the old man breathed death from his lungs. Out of his mouth came a wind of death, bringing forth the end of all things as if time sped away, bringing the world ever closer to its inevitable demise.
The vial crumbled to sand as if by the erosion of time, spilling the grey content, only for it to also crumble and die, unable to sustain itself. No matter what it touched, his breath would soon collapse into shards, further destroyed by erosion until nothing remained.
Seeing the grey substance disintegrate, the old cultivator couldn't help but smile, only to be disturbed by the man's struggle within his grasp. Unable to avoid the wind of death, the man's skin lost its suppleness until it shrivelled like a raisin, making him look like a husk of his former self.
Terror was all that remained of his face as the old man released it. A shriek of agony escaped his chapped lips before being replaced by a grating sound as even his vocal cords were eroded by the passage of time.
The junior brother turned toward his senior but now looked nothing like the man he once was—more like a decaying old corpse on the verge of collapse.
"Save me..." he muttered as his hair fell from his scalp and his teeth decayed as he spoke, spewing out putrid air from his mouth, only for silence to be his reply. The senior brother only looked at his junior with pity but also a small hint of relief. Only then did comprehension appear on the former young man's features, yet they were fleeting at best as the flesh fell from his bone as if it melted from an acid solution.
He tried to crawl toward his senior even as his muscles collapsed, leaving puddles of blood and fat behind as a bleached skeleton collapsed before the other man, a bonny hand grasping his ankle before even the bone was scattered into dust, leaving nothing of his existence behind.
“Time is truly ruthless," the remaining man lamented, yet his eyes had no sorrow. In fact, they showed a peculiar light—one which only brought confusion into the old cultivator's mind. He couldn't help but voice his doubts.
“Your junior brother is now dead... What does your Master even hope to accomplish?"
“The Emerald Lord?" the green-robed man asked, yet there was no more hint of his once submissive attitude. In fact, the old man only saw boundless confidence in his eyes. "We are all slaves to a higher being, born to carry on its will. Some choose to be the heavens' slaves while we follow the light that will bring us true freedom.
Hearing those words, the old man's eyes widened, barely masking his surprise. Through a wave of his sleeve, he conjured a mass of qi before propelling it toward the green-robed man. Although a crude attack, their realms were too far apart for the man to ever defend himself, much less retaliate. He only waited for the impact with a smile on his face.
“It is already too late. Our sacrifice will bring about a new dawn, free from the cursed fate that plagues us all!”
The mass then collided with the man's body, shattering his flesh in one blow, scattering blood and entrails all around the room. However, the expected deep red had now turned to a dark grey, painting the world in its colours as it spread all around, even onto the old man sitting on the steps.
It coated his clothes, infiltrating his flesh as it propagated like a disease, even trying to spread its taint to the blue flame behind the man. He tried his best to resist the encroachment and protect the flame, yet his domain was unstable. The flow of time had weakened him too much to allow his full strength to be used. He could only focus on slowing the spread, hoping it would last long enough to end the fighting above.
However, he knew this was but wishful thinking. The timing was immaculate. This being a coincidence was improbable, to say the least. It was most definitely a concerted effort by their enemies. Still, if they could infiltrate the ranks of someone as illustrious as the Emerald Lord, there was no telling who else was compromised.
The old man couldn't even ask for support lest he disclose his current situation. Spreading this information at this time would only lead to chaos. He was truly at an impasse.
The old man frowned further, his thoughts swirling as he pondered the best course of action, yet could only sigh in the end. He raised his gaze, looking within the dark corridor from which the two traitors had entered, only to release a slight pressure from his body, making himself look less like an old corpse and more presentable. He rose and held his hand behind his back to make himself look like a sage on earth. Despite the pain that assaulted him as he fought the corruption, his expression betrayed none of it.
"How long will you hide in the darkness and watch?" the old man asked, his tone firm despite his weakness. Silence reigned, if only for a while longer, before the void shifted, revealing a man dressed in black walking out of the darkness into the chamber filled with a mix of blue and grey.
The old man frowned as he looked at the new arrival, a young man of barely twenty years of age. Despite his clothes, which were undoubtedly of good quality, the man's long black hair was only held together with a single hemp string, making for a strong contrast. However, what truly puzzled the old man was that the young man was unperturbed by the lingering grey mist that corroded everything it touched. He strolled within the chamber as if it was but a fine mist, unbothered by it all.
"Who are you?" the old man asked, looking at the young man suspiciously.
"Just a witness to your unfortunate demise; you have my condolences," Qin Yun said as he looked at the old man before him with slight pity.
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Zarthos
Welcome to web serial :)
Talespinner Lore
cliffed again!
