Wen Ruhao moved like a phantom, steps light and fleeting as he gathered the citizens. As the sect leaders unleashed their threat, he used a technique to manifest countless afterimages of himself. It was as if hundreds of Wen Ruhao's moved across the city, saving all they could.
He alone outpaced the disciples and elders of the Frozen Flame and Golden Flame Sects, who were also forced to flee from their leaders' actions.
Han Kui stood, his expression icy and indifferent as he uttered, "Ten."
It was a countdown. Pointless to those trying to survive, but a show of strength for those who had the power to show off in the first place. Hearing Han Kui's voice, the panic exploded, countless limbs breaking beneath the frenzied charge.
Wen Ruhao panted helplessly as he ran about. He knew Zhao Tianqing didn't want everyone to perish at the hands of the crazed sect leaders. Still, he alone could only accomplish so much without help.
"Hoh, so you wanna do it like that?" Jin Zhenyu quipped sarcastically. "Nine!"
When his voice spread across the city as well, enforced by the deluge of qi weighing down, it sent hearts palpitating as the tension and anxiety suffocated.
It was cruel and torturous for two leading cultivators to make a mockery of people's lives.
As if the underworld was calling, Han Kui continued, "Eight."
"Damned bastards," Wen Ruhao muttered as he hurried ragged across the city. With each passing breath, more and more accidents happened—and more and more people were trampled beneath the mercilessness of those stronger than them.
Desperation set in, deep in the bone and sharper than any blade could be. Jin Zhenyu followed suit, his lips curled into a smile as he said, "Seven!"
He crossed his arms as the surging qi grew ever stronger. It reached even the distant edges of the city where the Iron-Blooded steeds in their stables neighed with discomforting huffs. They slammed against their stable gates until the wood splintered, and they stampeded out with thunderous stomps.
Dozens of the steeds marched through the already chaotic streets, making certain that the chaos was far from done.
"Six," Han Kui snorted, the iciness around him whipping up a veritable storm that darkened the very sky above, letting only the golden glow of Jin Zhenyu's sabers shine through.
By that point, everyone was sweating and cursing their audacity. Were they really planning on counting down from ten? It was bad enough that they had so little time to do anything. So many people were rushing all at once, and now they had to endure the torturous seconds hammering away at their minds?
If you want to fight, then fight!
Bastards.
Despicable cultivators!
GAH!
Various thoughts went through the minds of Eternal Flame City's inhabitants.
"Four." Jin Zhenyu smirked, his voice grating and cruel as he looked at Han Kui.
Why the fuck did you skip a number now?
Shit, run! Run!
Bastards, they're just toying with us at this point.
I knew I should've moved to Serene Willow City...
GAH!
Han Kui snorted, cocking his brow at Jin Zhenyu's shamelessness. Not that he minded, either way; whoever was foolish enough to stay so close to his sect and gloatingly watch it get attacked deserved to perish.
"Three."
Han Kui raised his hand, frost particles dancing across his palm, sharp and frigid as they hummed with an almost sentient urge to tear through the world.
The city's gates shattered as the cultivators from the two sects flooded out. They were the fastest and disregarded Eternal Flame's security, splintering the wood and bending the steel. They were followed by the mortals who were closest to the gates.
Since Wen Ruhao alone could not save everyone, they had to latch onto the legs of the two sects, even if their lives mattered little to them.
"Two!" Jin Zhenyu blared, his grin broad as he raised his hand, letting the golden sabers thrum with excited vibrations, ready to swallow everything.
"One!" Han Kui snapped, taking the opportunity and the moment to erupt his qi and let the icy spears rain down with uninterrupted force toward Jin Zhenyu and his surroundings.
A sea of crimson and azure blotted out the cityscape as the glowing qi thrust in every direction.
Jin Zhenyu merely smiled and brought his hand down, letting the golden sabers sing as they clashed with the icy spears in the middle.
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An overwhelming surge of qi shrouded the entire city in its might. Akin to a beast—swallowing the city whole and leaving nothing in its wake. The slowest and closest to the two sect leaders turned to ash—a merciful death if nothing else. Swift. Immediate. Not as cruel as those further ahead, slowly burning as the lingering flames crept up their flesh.
Even Zhao Tianqing's barriers cracked one after the other from the forceful blast.
Ah! Hao'er... mommy's coming to find you.
Curse you all... bastards. I hope the netherworld is just as cruel and welcomes you with open arms.
Damn you both.
Mi'er, it'll be okay. One man embraced his wife, shielding her with his body as the flames consumed both regardless.
"Fuck," Zhao Tianqing cursed and muttered under his breath as the waves of qi spread with an unstoppable force that drowned out the city's colours and consumed thousands of lives in a moment.
Dammit, Tianqing. Don't butt in... don't. It's not worth it—
Everything can be recouped; there's no cost too great.
Tianqing!
Ah, dammit! They're gonna be pissed, but I can't just let them destroy everything.
Zhao Tianqing's body swelled as a pale golden qi spread out from his core and enveloped the city in a protective layer. It differed from the sharp and forceful golden qi of Jin Zhenyu, being far more mellow and gentle like a stream. "Enough, both of you!"
He roared, letting his defensive ability snuff out the flames and shield as many as he could. He wasn't meant to reveal it, but his conscience had other plans.
Han Kui and Jin Zhenyu paused, their gazes turned to him as they took in the sight of the mayor once more. "You're on the cusp of developing your spirit embryo?"
Zhao Tianqing huffed before he said, "You two have gone too far and destroyed too much. Cease this bullshit."
His voice was a domineering calm that pressed down on the city, offering relief to those below who were helpless. His strength manifested for all to see, and his qi spread beyond the reach of Han Kui and Jin Zhenyu's, snuffing their attack with a gentle force.
"You cannot trust your backers for everything. You cannot make such grand accusations without backing them up with facts, not fights. You cannot justify recklessness and foolishness with cries of betrayal and treason and offended whimpers of courting death."
Zhao Tianqing continued, "The city does not belong to your sects. And the world does not belong to your factions. You've done enough. No more."
In only a few calm breaths, Zhao Tianqing showed why, of all people, he earned the designation of Eternal Flame City's mayor as appointed by the Flamecrest Kingdom's royal family.
"If you ignore this," Zhao Tianqing added. "We can talk about why you're really doing this. Not the bogus excuses and justifications, but the truth of the matter. Wouldn't all your people be interested in knowing about 'that'?"
His icy words sent chills down Han Kui and Jin Zhenyu's spines. Even though they expected him to know about the relic, and rumours were sure to spread, it was still a salvageable situation for the sect leaders to act. But if the truth spread further, and at the hands of Eternal Flame City's mayor, it would spell doom for their plans.
Han Kui wished to reclaim the relic on Han Lie's behalf, whereas Jin Zhenyu wished to claim it for himself and use it to grow his profits further.
"Mayor Zhao—"
Both men tried to speak, but Zhao Tianqing glared at them with disinterest in their blabber and cut them off. "Enough. Return to your sects, all of you! You're both on house arrest. If you wish to let your schemes run rampant, do so. But only do so, outside of the city, and none above the first layer of qi refining."
Both Han Kui and Jin Zhenyu's faces soured at Zhao Tianqing's words.
"What? You have a problem with that?" Zhao Tianqing asked. "Your foe is one mortal. Why must you use such excess force? Do you think nobody will suspect something?"
Hearing this, the distant sect members of the two sects looked over, staring at their leaders with interest and doubt.
Han Kui and Jin Zhenyu silenced themselves and turned away. Since things had turned out like this, they'd have to bite their tongues and endure for a bit longer.
Seeing them leave, Zhao Tianqing turned toward the talisman-protected Iron Flame Sect and spoke, letting his voice penetrate through the barrier. "The same goes for you, maintain order, or so help me, there will be hell to pay."
The Iron Flame Sect had been eerily quiet during the clash between the Frozen Flame and Golden Flame sects, but that didn't mean they didn't have their own plans amidst the chaos.
Many of their actions, including Tie Huolong's ambush, may have been unknown to the others—but Zhao Tianqing was aware that a snake was a snake, no matter how you decorated its scales.
Within his pavilion, Tie Yanrong snorted, his sword humming beside him as the iron sheen reflected off the barrier's glow. He smiled cruelly as he rolled a small object in his palm, contemplating the next step to make the most of the pursuit for the lost treasure.
Fine, fine, Mayor Zhao, we'll play by your rules for now. Don't expect it to last forever, though. This is beyond you.
"A mortal is still nothing more than a mortal, just like a swine is still a swine even if you wrap it in pearls. Even if he managed to break through, without a sect or an opportunity, he'll stagnate like rotting water."
Tie Yanrong closed his eyes and returned to meditating. Things would get interesting soon. No calm before the storm would change that fact.
Seeing that no reply came, Zhao Tianqing rose into the air and scanned the city. The damage was done, and numerous lives were lost. But he still sighed with relief. It wasn't terribly fargone, he acted, and that mattered the most. Even better, he was about to be rich.
He called Wen Ruhao over, who appeared exhausted and panting not long after.
"Good work, Ruhao."
"I did what I could. Damn, those bastards were ruthless..."
"We're gonna be rich, though."
"Will we, sir?"
"Bah, quit your pretending!" Zhao Tianqing scolded. "Send a message to their backers. Demand reparations for the damage caused and the lives lost, or they'll need to bear the consequences of our dissatisfaction."
Wen Ruhao perked up, standing straight as he laughed, his previous exhaustion vanishing like a mask. "Alright, Xiao Tian. Consider it done."
Zhao Tianqing turned to him and huffed, glaring icily. "I thought I told you—"
"Yes, yes. I'm off, sir. There's still work to do!" Wen Ruhao's laughter echoed and faded as he vanished into the distance.
...
Meanwhile, far from the city, Feng Han reached the exit of the cavern's depths. It took him longer than he thought to leave the restrictive tunnel system within, but once he breathed fresh air and looked to the skies, he froze in place, mouth agape.
Of all the regions around Eternal Flame City, he recognized his surroundings as the one he'd least have liked to visit.
"What the hell did you do, Baoshi?"
Feng Han groaned, rubbing his temples in sadness.
I'm not going to have an easy life, am I?
[Reincarnation, Progression]
Ruin hundreds to save the few–this is the way of the broken.
Be they a nightmare taking form or an heir to the great noble houses, none can threaten his family and live.
What to expect from this story:
- (Very)Weak-to-strong, competent lead
- Generalist main character using a unique power
- In-depth magic system with epic battles