In a small valley hidden by natural arrays and formations caused by the Mysterious nature around them. Rocks acted like formation eyes and the hundreds of thousands of trees with powerful and firm vitality the energy source. Many high quality herbs had been able to grow peacefully here due to no one finding them. A couple hundred or so had even developed a spiritual intelligence and would run around searching for fun while being mindful to protect their poor little herb lives.
To develop a Spiritual intelligence 3 factors needed to happen not all three, but atleast two. One was time with enough time even a carrot could become a godly medicine capable of Saving one from the brink of death and even making them advance. Two was rich spiritual energy this was an of course. Three was the species of the herb or fruit had to relatively high. A normal carrot with only time would rot or only spiritual energy would just become a Spiritually soaked carrot, but if either of those conditions also had a carrot of lets say a atleast somewhat advanced carrot like a blood root carrot then it would gain Spiritual intelligence.
Inside this valley of herbs and miracles in a small cave a group of 6 could be seen.
They were mostly youths barely 18, but they had a rich and proud disposition one no commoner could have. Naturally they were the hiding royalty of the Bull empire. In the group two young men one 18 and the other 20, as well as a girl 23 years old. These three were royalty.
The two other two youths one lacked any sort of disposition and seemed complete normal, but their was a level of fear that be emitted intermittently. The other wore heavy armor and carried the faint smell of blood that could never wash off him nor the spear he hung on his shoulder.
The last man was someone we should recognize. The kind Governor who had accidentally taken Ryuk as his disciple. His name was Lu Shan and he was the former kings brother, but he was born of a concubine and the entire royalty treated him as if he was nothing. His status as a duke was simply that a title with no property or anything else. Yet Ly Shan hadn't let that bog his life down. He first tried martial arts to learn he wasn't talented. He then learnt affairs from general minister duties and other smaller duties. Eventually he succeeded and passed the scholar examination and had been allowed a position in government. He would have naturally flourished slowly rising in ranks had not for his arrogant brothers and sisters liking to play with the mouse in their palm. Eventually Lu Shan having had enough of this brutal and unfair torture moved to Green doe village a small territory towards the borders.
He made a good living there occasionally enjoying the virgin women and wine, but the most memorable part had been a little snot nosed brat who was so sneaky and cunning. The boy remained as a passing interest and perhaps to sow good karma he assisted the boy, but soon enough the boys refreshing true and kindness towards simple acts made him find the child irreplaceable. One day he got word this specific child had engaged in a fight and was injured he hurriedly spent some of his low fortunes for medicine and to pardon the boy had left his seat. He returned to the capital and days seemed to become years. His nephews and nieces were the worst part treating him like a servant even beating him at times. A royal decree fell on Lu Shan and he was the princes and princess' "Teacher."
Soon enough one and half years had passed.
Suddenly without warning demonic Cultivators invaded the poor Bull empire as fancy as it was, was a brittle as sand. Who knew what happened to the king and Queen. Luckily Lu Shan had managed to take the royalty as well as their single personal guard to a safe spot. They also encountered a boy and helped him randomly. The boy was lucky. He was a small cleaner near the poorer district in a restaurant. He had through luck and foolishly sprinting encountered this group recognizing the royalty he had joined them immediately.
Lu Shan had accidentally walked into this natural array and thinking this as a good hiding spot they had been hiding here occasionally eating herbs and fruits, but with their lack of Cultivation experience they had wasted 98% of medicinal efficiency meaning it was simply normal fruits to them.
Lu Shan believed them safe and three days had passed, but would Ryuk rush off like before unless their was danger?
Of course for normal people this natural array was tricky and they would almost definitely be unable to sense the array, but the demonic Cultivators were Talented Cultivators who were very sensitive to subtle qi frequencies, especially those had formation experience. Normal arrays would be able to wrap around into the natural flow of energy and dissapear, but this natural array was simply an accident of natural landscape.
A group of demonic Cultivators had noticed and were slowly circling. Their eyes buzzing wide greed and a creepy and blood thirsty smile fed nightmares to those who watched with glazed eyes. Behind these slaughters there were many civilians many men, women and even children. The men looked fine as they were to be their slaves, the women looked horrible with blue wounds all over one couldn't truly understand what had happened to them. The children were fine and well fed, but they were to be these monsters blood essence.
Lu Shan inside the cave was looking at a leather skin which had been fashioned into a map. He looked worried, but kept mulling over the multiple points.
Finally with a stuffy cough he said inwardly aggrieved "We are in the worst situation. Every path has an important district of the empire where the demonic Cultivators are sure to be."
The guard mediated silently his spear at the ready at all times. The guard was young only twenty seven this year, but still had experienced great bloodshed and had it not been for a injury would still be on the battlefields fighting.
The royals were most probably in the worst situation their mental state shot. They we're the royalty of their empire and they were naturally weak. They had no power or will to do anything to dare save their empire. They could seek asylum in other empires, but at best they would be comparable to lower nobles and at worst they would be used or killed with no remorse. This caused their arrogance and disdain to turn to rage and fear.
The young boy himself was going through many possibility resulting in fluctuating bursts of fear.
Suddenly the people in the cave heard deep footprints and chatter.
The guard subtly peeked and saw 10 foundation 8 youths, 20 foundation 3 youths and Numerous slaves.
The foundation stage youths brimmed with the aura of blood and evil. This aura had seeped outwards making their faces turn sharp and crooked empathizing their cruel nature.
One was especially bubbling with strength. He was shirtless and had a fine set of muscles all over. It seemed as if rivers of blood washed over every corner of his body. He had short black hair and his eyesbrows rose like scimitars cutting into the sky. He carried a fine rapier unfitting of his brutish appearance. He seemed to lack the natural grace and speed needed for a rapier, but regardless he held one firmly in his hands.
The guard came inside slowly went to Lu Shan's side and said "Their are enemies. I'll distract them take the royalty and leave as I battle them."
Lu Shan's brows rose violently and he looked extremely concerned. He quickly quieted his agitation and nodded stiffly to the young man.
He took hold of the royals and young boy and prepared to use his condensation Cultivation to rush out of here hopefully saving his and these childrens lives.
Yet right as they were to prepare they heard laughter.
"Big boss it can't be these guys think that we can't sense them? Look at how cute they are thinking we can't catch up?" A thin monkey faced man came to the opening of the cave with a playful smile.
He noticed the princess and grinned with uncaring lascivious such that she felt the need to cover up more.
The boss was the rapier holding man and his name was Cai. He was a captain of one of the unit's sent to destroy this kingdom. After enjoying his time he was returning back to headquarters when he chanced upon a hidden zone and thought some fine herbs would be there, but wouldn't you know it some people were hiding there. Not any kind of people, but the princess and Prince's of Bull empire all who could earn him some fun and merit.
Seeing this the guard began to roar causing his qi to flow violently as a a massive bloodlust and well as heroic aura spread outwards seeking to sever all evil with it's sharpness. The aura was so thick and sharp as it met the air the air began to hiss creating a symphony as it bounced against the various trees.
Seeing this the monkey faced man laughed and began to rotate his own aura causing an increasingly baleful and violent aura to spread outwards. It seemed to make the sun darken and the trees shed it's coat as if trapped in the winter.
The guard stood still like a mountain and shot his spear forward using increasingly fancy and fine movements of the spear technique he had learnt "Violent Buddha plucking peach!"
Yet the monkey man held a knife managing to slip into the intricate movements using the sleek knife edge to move the spear off and barely miss his enemy.
The monkey faced man laughed "You cheap mortals. You think these fancy moves are so good, but they are full of vanity. There is no love or emotion in your spear, just fancy tricks that start from a man and end with a man rather than a spear sharply pointing forward."
The guard didn't even reply burning his blood essence causing him to visually grow old. His black hair turned a aged white and his skin began to sag as his muscles gave in becoming useless and malnourished.
Finally with this increased speed he managed to make a cut on the monkey mans face. It was a small cut, yet the monkey man had a hideous expression on his face.
He flicked the spear easily and sprinted like the wind catching the now old guard by his collar holding him up saying with a crooked grin "You bastard how dare you touch this fathers face! You should have obediently given up and maybe you could've wiped my feet! Now I'll fucking kill you!"
The monkey man threw the old guard to the ground heavily and moved his leg up and began to stomp heavily on the guard. First from the legs to most important spots finally reaching the head. He rose he leg especially high and then did an axe kick breaking his head like a watermelon sending chucks of brain, bone and flesh all over covering Lu Shan, the royals and the young boy.
The royals screamed in horror and shock. Lu Shan kept hitting his shaking legs. Most suprising was the boy who seemed to be in deep thought.
Lu Shan had been thinking of catching the monkey man suprised and killing him yet even a simple movement and a horrific set of eyes fell on him making him as limp as a dead man.
The monkey man took out his foot and wiped it on the guards robes.
He then in a sour mood walked back into his ridiculing company.
The princess wasn't stupid she couldn't understand the limits of these peoples power, but had a thought.
She cut her robe slowly exposing her porcelain leg and wiped the blood off. She opened her bosom and went near the man with the Rapier and said "Fine sir would you please allow this little one to serve you?"
The man with the rapier showed and amused smile he especially liked girls like this and violently grabbed her breast and began to unwrap her layers exposing beautiful skin. Her top was completely ripped off revealing two peaks which the man violently rubbed.
The two princes had ugly faces and the eighteen year old prince said "Sister are you insane! This man destroyed our kingdom killed our parents and your willing to let him violate you!"
The girl had some discrepancies with this arrangement of being publicly done like this, but snickered "Are you stupid? Then die for all I care. This master is extremely powerful and rich. Why would I have any qualms with him?"
The twenty year old similarily understood their situation and went forward and knelt to the rapier wielding man.
The Cai laughed loudly and sped up his acts on the girl.
He walked out and said "The rest of you come out!"
Lu Shan came out as did the final prince and the young boy.
Cai said "Alright kneel and I'll spare your lives you can become my slaves."
The two hesitatingly knelt meanwhile Lu Shan stayed up firm like a tree looking on disdainfully at the Cai.
Cai laughed and prepared to cut down Lu Shan when Lu Shan spoke "Are you proud you monkey? You find amusement in these weaklings kneeling to you because no one else respects you otherwise. You are must think you are a pure breed dog fucking strays, but the fact you need redemption and recognition from these nothings shows you are nothing more than a chess piece on the grand scheme. Kill me, but in the end you aren't even fit to be called scum. You are nothing!"
Lu Shan's words were like the sharpest sword to Cai. It was true even with his strength he was weaker than talented foundation 6 Cultivators. He was a nothing and would never be more. He would become a false truth stage Cultivator and then his journey would end.
Cai felt all this rush through his mind and stick like dirty oil on his brain. He then felt a spark of rage set ablaze this oil and he rose his rapier preparing to torture Lu Shan.
He wishes to explain this grand pain he would unleash when It seemed like a giant wave of chaos and bloodlust filled the air and made it hard for him to breathe. He quickly moved away the girl Luckily in his hands similarly flew away.
The other foundation 8 youth and a few foundation 3 youths moved away as fast as humanely possible. Yet out of the thirty only eighteen had managed to escape.
An Azure flash rose up consuming the twelve foundation 3 Cultivators in instants.
You could see through the large flames these men and women's skin being burnt off making them remain as skeletons and then dust.
A red beam followed soon after in which a boy of incomparable beauty fluttered gently in the sky.
He wore a red Taoist robe and had a white coat with a white Moon on the left chest area.
His grey and black, snow like colored hair danced with azure flames at the end making him seem like the embodiment of fire.
His red wings caused small typhoons.
He fell gently and no one seemed to breathe the entire time.
He walked slowly towards Lu Shan who underneath his feet right up to his toes was dark earth stripped of any color.
Cai looked at the boy who had the aura of a foundation 3 Cultivation yet seemed more fearsome that the deacons of his sect.
Cai couldn't feel his aura as it stuck tightly to his skin as if these people were undeserving of it.
...
The strange boy made everyone hold in their breath and look on fearfully, but for Lu Shan this boy had only been a poor unfavored by the heavens fourteen year old one and a half years ago.
He had changed incredibly no longer looking weak and malnourished. He had fine muscles that stuck out of his clothes, yet still looked slim. His face which was ugly was now was undeniably the most beautiful. Through all this difference one would easily mistake the boy, but their was this same temperament that radiated off him. This natural openness and kindness unbecoming of a human.
The boy came close and smiled "Uncle."
Lu Shan muttered "Ry.. Ryuk?"
Ryuk hugged Lu Shan.
Ryuk had met the same uncle who had helped him so many times, the uncle who was as crooked as a cane and loved money, the uncle who had become his indirect master.
This man truly held a place in Ryuks heart. There is a famous line that fills the way Lu Shan fell in Ryuks heart.
A simple gesture in desperate times is more valuable than a big gesture is calm times.