Moments earlier,
With Fujo tailing, Kifo silently led the scary calm Zilan towards the spot where Mo was located.
Before they even arrived a great number of voices echoed out,
“Truly despicable. So, what if he’s a top rookie? Disregarding our traditions and continuously slandering us Beasts is something we cannot forgive.”
There was a crowd of people standing in front of one of the challenge platforms in the Association. All of them were in agreement with the words spoken by their fellow Beast.
The platforms are a stage where Beasts could settle their disputes through battle and there were more than a few of them located within the Association’s territory.
Directly below the challenge platform sat an aged twin tailed white badger who seemed to be unaffected by the commotion around him.
“Look at Senior Mo, for his honour he’s sat there for weeks, awaiting the Half Breed’s arrival. This is what a true Beast should be like.” Said one of the crowd members.
Hearing this, the rest of those gathered nodded their heads as they respectfully glanced at Senior Mo. Before this incident, the name Mo would have never spread as much as it had in this short two months.
“Tch. Why hasn’t the Disciplinary Department done anything? After everything that’s come out about that thing, why are they still not showing up?” questioned an angered Beast.
“Heh, behind the Half Breed is that Amani and behind him is Elder Wazimu. There aren’t many people who are willing to offend that mad man.” A youthful voice sneered as it made its way through the crowd.
“But I don’t care. For those who sully my Teacher’s name, I Zest, will personally not let him off. Even in the face of death.” His volume increased significantly. His words appeared quite authentic and moved many within the crowd as they suddenly understood that this young man was Senior Mo’s student.
“Good. If the Master is a tiger, the student will definitely not be a dog.” Praised a bystander. His admiration for Senior Mo grew with Zest’s appearance and at the same time his dislike of the Half-Breed intensified.
‘Hmph, killing two birds with one stone truly is satisfying. By doing this, I can finally put that Half Breed in his place and at the same time I get a chance to earn Lord Kring’s favour.’ Thought Zest.
“Well said.” A voice filled with icy rage pierced through the crowd’s hearts, grabbing their attention.
“Since you feel that way, not just you but everyone who thinks like you is welcome to challenge me.”
Everyone looked over only to see a calm Zilan directly walk past everyone as his gaze focused on the two main actors in front of the platform.
“I’ve never seen someone in such a hurry to die.” Said Zilan as he walked directly past Mo and Zest, leaping onto the platform.
“Hmph!” An enraged snort echoed throughout the area as Mo finally woke up. He followed Zilan onto the platform, standing a safe distance away. “The coward finally shows himself.”
His taunt had no effect whatsoever on Zilan as he just calmly stared at Mo.
“Big words for someone who hid away for mo..” To his shock, Zest found that he could no longer feel his mouth. He tried moving his mouth only to hear a crisp, ‘Tak’ sound followed by a sudden unhinging of his jaw.
The crowd immediately became alerted once they saw his jaw had been broken. They swiftly as well as simultaneously took a step back. Although they neither saw it nor heard it, they were sure the attack that caused Zest’s face to be disfigured came from the Half Breed standing on the platform.
No one dared to say a word as they all stared at the platform.
“You’ve said more than enough. I need no further motivation, so you can just shut up. As for you….” His cold blue eyes glared at Mo before he continued, “I have a lot of people to deal with today so I’ll give you one chance. Tell me who’s aiding you and I may show some mercy.”
“Hahahaha…. You’re just an insignificant ant, where do you think you are? Once you step on this platform, words no longer matter. I’m going to take my time making sure you understand your place before I slowly squeeze the life out of you.” Although Mo confidently shouted these words, deep in his heart a storm was brewing after he witnessed Zest’s jaw dislocate, even he could not see what happened. However, this fear dissipated once he remembered the item passed to him by Zest from Lord Kring. He also could not accept that after being shamed and essentially expelled, he still lacked the determination to do away with Zilan.
He thus didn’t hesitate to take out a round pill and swallow it before everyone’s eyes. An instant later and his aura skyrocketed, his body turned completely blood red and his eyes emitted black light from time to time.
“Hahaha….prepare to suff_….”
The crowd who were just now awed by Mo’s transformation suddenly turned graveyard silent as their expressions continuously shifted from shock, to disbelief to eventual horror.
Currently, standing on the platform were two people however, one of them had a fist in the middle of his head. Yes, Zilan punched a hole through the skull of a Black core level Beast who had ingested some kind of strengthening Dan (pill).
“You’re taking too long.” Said Zilan, withdrawing his fist which was covered in bits of pulp, brain and all kinds of fluids including blood. “Who’s next?”
His eyes travelled through the crowd that had clearly grown larger now. A spine tingling sensation invaded those who coincidentally made eye contact with him.
Zilan snorted, turning his gaze towards the dead Mo.
‘That pill he ingested burned his lifespan in exchange for energy. It’s actually a product of Human hands. Whoever gave it to him must possess great influence.’ His fists tightened, the more he thought.
The instant his punch connected with Mo’s head, the Book of Path laid out an analysis of Mo and his characteristics. It particularly highlighted the change that had taken place in the latter’s body due to the pill.
Zilan was planning on walking off the platform when a potbellied red haired beaver jumped onto the platform.
“Mistakes like you don’t deserve to breathe the same air as us.” His deep voice sounded out at the same time as his aura burst out.
‘Around low level Intermediate phase.’ Thought Zilan. He then lightly took a step and within the blink of an eye his body blurred before returning to the same spot.
His fist was even bloodier now. The crowd feared to look at the other side but as soon as they did, they saw the fat figure of the beaver still standing but in between his ears, nothing aside from air could be seen. His face, brain, most of his head, everything inside his skull was ripped through and destroyed.
The spectators took in a collective breath of cold air, their feet involuntarily taking steps back.
“Anyone else?”
…………………………………..
A few minutes later,
Maharevel finally arrived on the scene. Behind were three hooded figures, they’d been instructed to hide their faces so as to preserve the young Master’s anonymity.
However, once the four of them stepped close to the platform, they saw Zilan standing on the platform, calmly staring at the crowd. His entire body was unsullied except for a single spot, his fist, which as of now, was dripping a thick sticky goo that resembled blood but was actually a mixture of many different bodily fluids. On the floor a few feet away from him were a pile of bodies of at least a dozen Beasts who all shared one thing in common. Anything and everything between their ears was missing.
Maharevel’s brows furrowed. He recognised one of the people lying on the ground.
“Antrenio, he was half a step away from the half way point of the Black core stage (Mid-level soul-compression stage). That Half Breed….he did this?”
Looking at the bodies on the platform and then thinking about the strength of the three he brought with him, Maharevel understood that asking them to go up would be tantamount to sending them to meet their maker.
“You three, withdraw. I’ll go myself.” Making up his mind, he was prepared to leap onto the stage when he heard a voice in his ear.
“Not yet. He hasn’t fully become her hope yet, let his star rise a little more then we can snuff out his light. At that point Tusi will no longer resist which will make it far less dangerous when I harvest that thing from her body.”
“Yes, young Master.” Maharevel took a last glance at the calm Half Breed before indifferently turning away and departing.
On the platform, others may not be able to notice but a very, very faint light blue glow was covering Zilan at this moment. Even after his breakthrough, unless he transformed it would be too difficult to fight it out with a Beast whose strength equalled a Late Phase Low level soul-compression stage practitioner. At the very least, the fight would be more desperate than what had just been displayed.
What did he display, you ask? Well, along with his Adolescent dragon body, two innate Divine abilities were also included in the package of evolution.
Zilan had just now activated one of them to aid him in taking care of the Late Phase Beasts.
Seeing that no one else was coming up to challenge him, Zilan snorted as he walked towards Zest.
“ Ehhh..Ahuuuee..” Unable to form words, he desperately grunted as he pointed at Zilan.
Zilan did not care though. He uncaringly grabbed hold of Zest’s neck and warned him,
“Anymore, and I will destroy everything about you.”
This move seemed extremely genuine but in truth, Zilan’s objective was something else.
Zest felt like water had been splashed all over him the moment the strong hand wrapped around his neck.
A moment later, the grip softened and the hand was withdrawn. With it, went that odd feeling.
Zilan however frowned as he walked away. A stunned Fujo and a Kifo whose expression was too complex to describe followed behind.
‘Kring…Warlord Faction….’
