Kapitel 69: Slaughtering The Parents

*Things like sexism and racism are purely for worldbuilding and to make it more realistic. Thank you for your understanding.*

Three months later, June of Year 91,857 of the 34th Seed.

Darkness, an abyss.

Qing Fang had his eyes closed peacefully as his mind drifted off into cultivation. Absorbing law fragments steadily and with the increased speed of the miraculous wooden crown, his stored law fragments that were piled up were being swallowed into his growing Dao Body.

During his seclusion, Qing Fang's age had increased from twenty-four to twenty-five, as his birthday was at the end of March. However, the days slipped away in deep cultivation and if Qing Fang hadn't estimated how long he would seclude himself, he would not know how many days had passed when he surfaced.

Even after three months of cultivation, which was even after being shortened by the power of the wooden crown, Qing Fang had yet to near middle Stage 3. The gap between Stage 3 and Stage 4 was truly that large.

For world-bound cultivators, Stage 4 was a dividing point between the truly powerful and lesser powerful.

Qing Fang was moments away from absorbing his last remaining Law fragment which was stored in his stomach, however, it was at this moment...

His mind, which was gradually coming back to reality after feeling the near end of his seclusion, was cast away once again. As if beckoned and influenced by a foreign power, Qing Fang's mind was spirited away to another plane. A strange power that lingered all around seemed to focus on Qing Fang's mind, specifically, his soul.

Qing Fang still wasn't lucid and didn't have much of a reaction, everything seemed like a dream. As if he couldn't comprehend what was before him, as if he was a blind man before his fate, he simply couldn't see.

Qing Fang's awareness was in a daze as he was surrounded by a black mist that descended from the sky, while also rising from the earth. The mist writhed and seeped from between the cracks in space itself. It held a power that was superior to all, holding an authority that transformed all. All around him was pure darkness, formed from the black mist that seemed to encompass all from the light.

As if it was a world of dark mist that rolled beneath like raging oceans and lingered above like surging clouds, the mist terrifyingly stretched on for all eternity. Seemingly endless, seemingly dangerous, seemingly beautiful.

The mist was detailed and corporeal as it surrounded him from all sides, seemingly gazing at him. There was an untold power contained within the mist that seemed to have intention itself, seemed to have a soul...

Qing Fang just seemed to suddenly be there, in that world of black mist. Everything around looked strange as if it was a different dimension that didn't conform to reality itself. The mist governed all and did what it liked, a ruler with indomitable authority.

That was it: authority, deterrence, power...a higher existence.

The dark mist surged like waves and clung to Qing Fang's being before receding and amalgamating into denser mist. Qing Fang was in a slumbering daze, and could feel the presence of the mist, yet hadn't awakened to it yet.

Words came from deep within the mist, words that stretched across a great distance yet had reached Qing Fang. They were spoken in a voice that couldn't be heard, nor comprehended. A meaning, an intent, just appeared.

"...soul...shield..."

"...join me..."

"...defeat him..."

"...together..."

"...power..."

The words spoke, yet little was comprehended by Qing Fang. He only lazily understood a small portion of what he was hearing. The words were broken and the true meaning was far between things that Qing Fang couldn't even see. As if it was otherworldly. The mist seemed to realise this and frantically surged towards Qing Fang's body with speed. It seemed to hold the care, however, as it approached.

The mist swirled around Qing Fang's being, a black sphere of calming light that held malicious intentions deep within.

His soul.

There were huge cracks on the black soul that were glaring and there was a black light shining from within, trying to constantly repair itself. However, it was futile, and evidence that it would take dozens of years to heal. The healing light was simply minuscule compared to the huge cracks that seemed like mountains compared to it.

The mist shook vividly and retreated before speaking.

"...you...are...broken..."

"I...shall...be...waiting...above..."

"...you...must...help..."

The words, that seemed to contain endless intent and profundity, then vanished with the retreating of the black mist. As if impartial beforehand, the rest of the mist that made the endless world of seas and clouds suddenly jerked and reacted, flooding away in unison. And with it, Qing Fang was cast from that special space that housed his soul.

In the real world, Qing Fang's face was twitching and his brows were heavily furrowed. His fists were clenched tightly, his black claws seeping into his palm and drawing glaringly red blood. His neck tensed in strain and veins seemed to surface all over his body as if he was drowning.

Eventually, his countenance seemed to change and regain some reason. His shoulders drooped and everything regained its normal lustre.

Suddenly, there was a change in his face, as if he was awakening, and his eyes burst open! However, realising that he was in the same place, he visibly relaxed.

Yet, still, there was unease and even trepidation in those large red eyes that gazed about carefully, seemingly searching for something. However, finding nothing, a heavy escape of air followed by a relaxation of his sharp gaze.

'Strange...very strange...' Qing Fang thought.

'That mist...it had...intent? Meaning? Words? A being? A soul? I can still hear them...' Qing Fang thought as a solemn face came over him.

Whatever had just spoken to him, it was far above. It spoke of war, killing, freedom, vengeance, and power. His, Qing Fang's, power.

It was needed.

By that being

To defeat "him".

Qing Fang looked to his side and saw Nu Li staring at him. Those large draconic eyes contained no feelings of estrangement, or responsiveness for what Qing Fang had felt, only veiled hatred.

Seeing that, Qing Fang only cast his gaze aside in boredom. He cared not for feelings such as those, and Nu Li would come to realise that his hatred was useless, or better, unwarranted. Such hatred does not change him from being a slave.

But, alas, was thinking of Nu Li even worthy of Qing Fang's attention? Now that Qing Fang had ascended to become an existence that could only be described as bestial, he looked down upon Nu Li's mixed draconic bloodline, if he didn't already before.

Qing Fang thought himself to be a cultivation beast now, no longer belonging to sentient races, but having gained intelligence from strength, as beasts do. However, the truth of himself was still veiled in mystery. Qing Fang yearned to understand, yet there were many obstructions.

The first: someone similar to himself. He had to find another with affinity to Blood path, however, the size of the task was becoming bigger and bigger in his mind. There was likely no other on this entire planet. So, he had to cast it from the front of his mind for now and focus on other things.

He looked at Nu Li once again and saw that the dragonman had made virtually no advances in his cultivation. Such was the limitation of creatures with talent that was linked to their bloodline. However, would humans restricted as such see something like this as unfair? Would they even see a difference in human bloodline purity stemming from talent? Likely not.

Qing Fang himself had leapt from the gates of Stage 3 to being halfway to Middle Stage 3. It was not slow in the slightest, it was just that the difference between minor realms and cultivating speed had finally become much more evident. Eventually, merely three months of seclusion would be simply a blink; not noteworthy.

"Have you noticed anything during my slumber?" Qing Fang asked Nu Li as he stood up, his head scarily close to the rocky ceiling. His huge frame finally stood after three months.

"Yes, master. There were intense rumblings and screeches coming from only a few kilometres away recently. I could even hear the screams of a few humans who had likely ventured from the city. However, the sounds of their shouts let me know that they were not weak cultivators at all, yet, still slaughtered." Nu Li spoke. He didn't seem to have any fear as the screeching beast simply couldn't discover them here.

The natural Laws here that stemmed from the natural treasures were like a veil that hid one from sight, the perfect hiding spot.

'Hmmm, just as I expected. The parents of that infantile Catsith have come. They have realised that their child is missing and have started wreaking havoc with malice directed at the human city. As expected of sentient beasts.' Qing Fang thought excitedly.

After all, he had purposely lured them here to take their blood. Although they were definitely Stage 5 beasts, they weren't as strong as Qing Fang. Since they sired a newborn, they were the second youngest generation in the nest. They should be lower Stage 5, definitely.

"Good." Qing Fang merely said aloud. He then looked at the fire and water lotus natural treasures and saw they were untouched.

After that, his huge body walked towards the pool that served as the exit, however, before leaving he turned to Nu Li and spoke with a grating demonic voice as normal.

"Come, you must direct me deeper. This marsh is a perfect place for me to amass blood without attracting the ire of intelligent beings. Show me where the screeches came from firstly." Qing Fang said just this.

Nu Li then stood up and hurriedly came before Qing Fang. "Yes, master." He said, before leaping into the water ahead of Qing Fang and leading him past the Marsh Squids and to the surface just outside the lake.

"Twenty-five kilometres west will take us back to the city walls, master." Nu Li said and Qing Fang nodded approvingly.

His huge body stood like a mountain in the air and breathed fresh air once again. Compared to his height, two-storey buildings would still be a bit inferior. Next to a human, that size was simply unfathomable.

Nu Li only reached his thighs and even he was ten feet tall.

"Before, I ventured ten kilometres east from here, and that's when I stood before the Stage 4 Catsith." Nu Li tried to speak without sounding bothered. "Between here and there, all we will find are Stage 3 beasts. I don't know how deep we have to be to find Stage 5 beasts, but it is probably hundreds of kilometres deeper."

Qing Fang nodded.

"Now, which direction did the screeching come from?" He asked, eager to fill his stomach.

"West, master. Back towards the city walls. Those screeching beasts have been hunting humans, I think." Nu Li said.

"Well, that's natural." Qing Fang spoke while starting to move westwards, every step five meters apart.

"Natural?" Nu Li was confused before his eyes brightened. "Has the time come?" He then asked, quite troubled but less so than before.

"Haha, indeed. That kitten's parents have come to find their dead child, blaming its disappearance on the humans of the city. There is probably more blood for me in their own stomachs than in the rest of their body!" Qing Fang exposed his huge black fangs as he spoke.

The skin on the interior of his mouth was a deep purple, while his fangs and claws were a crystal black, giving him an otherworldly appearance. After all, fangs and claws were usually white, no matter if it was man or beast.

"I see..." Nu Li said quietly as he followed. How many humans had died because of the screeching beasts? He didn't dare to think.

However, Nu Li was averse to pitying humans because of his origin. Forcefully bred by humans with his siblings being sold as slaves by humans, he thought of them less. That was why he could kill so many humans for his master back then, yet his heart ached for one infant Catsith.

With Nu Li taking Qing Fang across the marshes and to where the ground became more solid, they travelled nearly twenty kilometres in a few minutes, even with Qing Fang travelling at Nu Li's speed.

Eventually, a deathly screech came from before them. It sounded as if the wind itself was being crushed into pieces by vicious fangs, the mere sound of it enough to strike terror in Nu Li. His scaly legs quivered and almost fell, his bestial instincts screaming at him of the danger.

"Catsiths are a powerful race of cultivation beast and their bloodline rivals stronger Dragon lineages. Even if you were a pureblood of your own lineage, you would still be several times weaker." Qing Fang spoke from the side as he saw Nu Li ridden with fear given to him by his bloodline.

"M-master knows of Dragon lineage?" Nu Li asked with a stutter coming from his fear. He still dragged himself towards the sounds of clashing metal and human shouts.

The reason he asked was due to his previous fantasies. He saw his master extract the ink of the Marsh Squid from his own blood back then, and he started to wonder. Since his master was Blood path, did that mean he would also have power over bloodlines? Could he help Nu Li become stronger by purifying his own bloodline?

Nu Li wanted to ask, but he knew he had displeased his master. That, and he knew his master was an insidious person that liked to see others suffering. To become stronger, he had to sap the life of others; that took a cruel person.

However, Nu Li was still wistful too. Who wouldn't want strength?

Qing Fang had no idea of Nu Li's thoughts and was focused on listening to the beasts. He heard the clashing of metal as well as the battling shouts of what seemed to be four humans. There were two adult Catsiths, as Qing Fang expected.

From the shockwaves...both were indeed lower Stage 5. However, they also possessed natural suppression as Qing Fang did. The claps of thunder in the sky let Qing Fang know that they had physical strengths equivalent to higher Stage 5, just like himself. However, they also had lower Stage 5 Laws.

Thus, Qing Fang had to be smart and shameless in killing them. With his current strength, he was likely limited to this generation of Catsith and no higher. The second youngest generation was his limit. The parents of these two Catsiths were definitely something Qing Fang couldn't handle until he reached Stage 4, which was a long while away.

"Wait here." Then, Qing Fang ordered Nu Li to keep this distance and started advancing at his own speed. Within a moment, the battle entered his eyes.

Two Catsiths, four humans and hundreds of slaughtered entered Qing Fang's eyes. Among the slaughtered, all of them were towards the peak of Stage 4, while some were even lower Stage 5.

Seeing that, Qing Fang's eyes glimmered. How many Law fragments were there? For the current him, there were massive gains to be had here. But, equal risk.

The four humans were all middle Stage 5 and it took two of them to restrain one lower Stage 5 Catsith, showing the strength of their natural suppression. However, in the face of Qing Fang's, theirs was worthless.

The adult Catsiths were four meters tall and fifteen meters long from head to tail, truly huge creatures. Compared to Qing Fang, it would be comparing a normal human to a tiger.

Qing Fang would have a much easier time killing the humans than the Catsiths who had a lot of vitality and physical bodies equal to his. So, he decided to kill one of them and then let the four humans overwhelm the other. After that, he would kill the four humans, securing himself a huge harvest!

From the attire of the humans, they seemed to belong to the City Lord, which urged Qing Fang to end this quickly before stronger humans arrived from within the city. If a Baron appeared, he would simply have to give up on this event he set up for himself.

And so, Qing Fang folded his wings and restrained his aura as much as possible and started clawing his way through the underground quickly and quietly.

He crouched a few meters under the surface directly underneath the fighting. He started to wait for the perfect opportunity to instantly kill the Catsith, the best way would be to pierce its brain through its large head.

And then, after waiting for nearly three full minutes and watching so keenly that he rarely blinked, he saw the perfect opportunity.

His legs bursting with strength, Qing Fang pushed off the ground and pierced through the earth, sending a large explosion of rocks and dirt in all directions! He outstretched his wings and flapped them as hard as he could, taking huge swathes of air and propelling him to his highest speeds!

The male beast, which was currently defending itself from a barrage of attacks from all directions suddenly felt a huge amount of danger before the sound of the explosion even reached its cattish ears!

Wanting to move its huge head that was nearly two meters across, however, it didn't have a chance!

Coming from beneath, a huge humanoid white arm was speared by abyssal black claws as it pierced upwards through the fleshy underjaw and up through the roof of the mouth before cutting into the brain harshly!

The beast jerked its body violently as its eyes rolled into the back of its head, however, Qing Fang abruptly spread his fingers wide that were embedded in the brain of the creature, instantly and thoroughly killing it!

Qing Fang had his arm embedded in the creature all the way up to his elbow, showing how big it was!

And then, under the shocked gazes of the two humans that were fighting the fierce male Catsith, Qing Fang threw the impaled body from his arm before fleeing out of sight at speed they couldn't see!

3,102/3,000 words*