Chapter 148 - Courting Death (Part I) (Patreon)

The bats kept following the woman's scent and heartbeat as she circled the Broken Maze. Lucian was able to get close enough to see that she wore the same masks as the two muscled cultivators.

Only that boy isn't wearing such a mask, Lucian thought, momentarily focusing on the bat guiding Wang Chen away before turning back to the chase.

During the chase, Lucian had to separate the bats so that the Shuang brothers and the young Tie Qiu wouldn't encircle them. The creatures had higher resistance than common bats, but they wouldn't endure one of those punches or that iron ball.

The cultivators tried to use ranged attacks, obviously. However, Lucian avoided them using the bat's speed and small size. When adding the echolocation and enhanced senses, it almost seemed like he could predict the attacks before the cultivators threw them!

Why aren’t the brothers approaching the bats? Lucian thought, finding it suspicious that the two muscleheads were also throwing ranged techniques. From their build alone, it was clear they specialized in close combat. And he knew they had a way to enhance their speed.

As time passed, the chase became more complicated, as the space available to run shrank. The reason behind it was the spreading yellow mist that everyone was avoiding.

Unfortunately, Lucian could not do the same forever.

I must test it before entering with Wang Chen, he thought. The one bat carrying the young man was approaching the Broken Maze's threshold, about to enter the yellow mist.

With an inward sigh, Lucian refocused on the chase. He guided the bat without Qi deviation into the yellow mist, bracing himself for its unknown effects.

As soon as he did it, the assailants moved.

"Strike the remaining bat," Zha Nu commanded through their hidden artifacts. "The other one will dissipate soon!"

The other three obeyed. A second later, an iron ball fell toward the Qi deviation bat, and a black Qi projectile came from another direction.

Lucian dodged the wave of attacks as well, frowning through the bat. This is weird, he thought, checking himself and each bat. What was supposed to happen?

The bat inside the yellow mist was flying without issue, taking deep gulps of the tainted air, breathing and swallowing it. Every part of its body was exposed to the mist, so whatever was supposed to happen should've started!

Seconds passed, and aside from being stained with yellow dust, nothing happened to the creature. Then, almost a minute later, Wang Chen and the other bat reached the yellow mist, and Lucian had no choice but to make them enter.

He was concerned for a moment, but seeing Wang Chen stumble forward without major problems despite his wounds, he was half confused, half relieved.

I'll check him later, he thought, making the bat inside the yellow mist hide while controlling the other bat dodging dozens of projectiles. For now, playtime is almost up.

While Lucian prepared his next move, the four Qi Condensation cultivators were growing increasingly frustrated.

"Zha Nu, let this thing hit you already," Tie Qiu said with a sneer, using their hidden artifact. "The Earth Wind Meridian Dust is reaching us. We can't waste more Qi nor time!"

The trio wearing masks was aware they had roughly a hundred breaths before they would need to leave the Earth Wind Meridian Dust. Otherwise, they would suffer its effects as well.

Unaware of their private communications, Lucian did not know they were racing against time and under a lot of pressure dealing with him. Too many people were involved in this scheme.

During the last few days, their employers had repeatedly emphasized how unique this opportunity was. The four cultivators understood that failure was the same as courting death!

After more time passed and the Broken Maze grew saturated with the Earth Wind Meridian Dust, the four cultivators seemed to lose patience. They were getting too close to the yellow mist.

"Okay, let's do it!" Zha Nu shouted, turning around as a myriad of talismans lit up. She had been flying a single bat until now, but couldn't wait any longer.

The other three hadn't hit the creature, but as soon as she shouted, they activated their techniques. The iron ball spun at great speed, destroying nearby houses and clearing the area, while the Shuang brothers vomited blood, causing their veins to darken. The two launched black Qi projectiles from their fingers, aiming at the airspace above the bat.

For Lucian, the only options were to be hit by some of the attacks or fly into the yellow mist.

Without hesitation, he commanded the bat to enter the mist. At the same time, the bat that had carried Wang Chen away from the Broken Maze had long entered the yellow mist, flying back at full speed.

Zha Nu laughed loudly when, in her perception, the final bat entered the Earth Wind Meridian Dust. Because this one emitted Qi deviation, they believed it was Lucian's original body!

"Wait three breaths and chase it," she said through their communication artifacts.

Simultaneously, she spoke aloud for Lucian to hear, "Let's leave! It's over!"

Three breaths later, they rushed into the Earth Wind Meridian Dust, feeling the range of their Qi perception diminish as they searched for signs of Qi deviation.

Smirking, Tie Qiu was the first to detect the bat. The creature was thrashing on the ground, its Qi Deviation surging. For him, it seemed like the bat was unable to fly or use any techniques.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Tie Qiu said, walking toward the bat and stepping on its wing. "We know you have some kind of transformation technique. You bastard, do you even know how prideful you are? You never thought you would fall into our trap, right?"

Breaking the bat's wing with a smile, Tie Qiu grew in size with a flash of brown light. As the pill's effect faded, his appearance changed, and through the bat's eyes, Lucian recognized some of his features.

He looks like a younger version of Elder Blue Scale, Lucian thought, controlling his other bats as he let the remaining one be stepped on. He didn't voice it out loud, but he was currently pleasantly surprised by the yellow mist's effect.

"Our Tidal Church isn't something a piece of crap like you can step on," Tie Qiu said, spitting on the bat, and then whispering. "Let me tell you a secret. I would have killed you for free. Your life is worth nothing."

As he was about to enhance his foot with Qi to kill the bat, Zha Nu interrupted him by saying, "Wait, we need to know if this is really him. He could be hidden."

Groaning, Tie Qiu shot her an annoying look.

"Didn't those cryptic Scribes from the Falling Stars Palace say we just needed to kill the bats? Well, one had long since entered the Earth Wind Meridian Dust. The remaining one is this. What else do you need to know?"

"What if he's deceiving us?" Zha Nu appeared much more cautious as she spoke. "The Scribes also said they had difficulty predicting his techniques and cultivation base. And we didn't find the third bat yet!"

Dismissing her with a wave of his hand, Tie Qiu pointed at the weakened Shuang Bao, saying, "Look at him! That bastard drained his life force and Qi just as the Scribes told us! Anyway, I'll kill this bat. You guys have fifty breaths to search for an imaginary third one if you wish to waste time."

And again, as he was about to crush the bat beneath his foot, he was interrupted. A wave of energy, powerful enough to push him away, surged from below and made him stumble.

Tie Qiu gnashed his teeth, looking as the bat flew into the air. The creature was carried by crimson energy, and its Qi Deviation was growing.

Next, an image of a crown with five thorns shone on its forehead. No cultivator saw it, but they noticed the following effects.

"This Lord orders thee," Lucian declared, his devilish voice spreading across the Broken Maze through intent. "Disperse."

At once, the other two bats flew and slammed into the glowing one as nearly all of Lucian's Blood Essence surged toward a floating drop of blood. That drop had been spat from the bat’s mouth, causing crimson light to erupt outward and blind everyone. Then, the drop flew into the sky.

Meanwhile, through the Rune of Sloth that flickered in the three bats' left eyes, Lucian's human body condensed. He was naked and protected by a thin crimson shield akin to a layer of translucent silk.

The Rune of Pride was now on his forehead, a single crimson thorn darkening as Lucian radiated an aura of a sovereign looking down upon his domain.

After the crimson hue spread throughout the district, the four cultivators froze, feeling their blood threatening to leave their bodies.

Lucian slowly descended back to the ground and, in a cold tone, said, "Die."