Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Yan Zaizen yawningly stretched out his fatigued muscles, feeling a wave of relief surge throughout his body. Taking a deep breath, the surrounding essence was quickly siphoned from the vicinity to enhance his blood circulation.

"Today felt so long." He casually remarked, looking towards the skyship suspended in mid-air. On board, Tao, Bai Lufeng, Lin Qinlan, and Lin Feilin stared at him like curious peacocks. He couldn't help but lightly chuckle. To think, three years ago, he was considered the lowest form on the continent. Now, he could say a single word, and the myriad forces of the continent would have to take it into serious consideration.

"Don't get too complacent. Your cultivation may be exceptional on this tiny planet, but you're still insignificant in the myriad realms." Pinaka's voice resounded, one filled with obvious disdain at Yan Zaizen's mentality. However, Yan Zaizen simply shrugged carelessly. He had long realized that Pinaka was affected by his Dao and had a tyrannical ferocity about her she couldn't directly control as a True Spirit, so he didn't feel insulted.

Sure, he may be insignificant now, but what about in the future? Everything required one step at a time, and he hasn't even taken his first step yet. Now that he was forging his own path, he needed to close off all the karma gathered in the continent before he decides to travel to higher realms.

Arriving on the skyship, he looked at Lin Feilin, and smilingly said, "Your marriage is now called off. If anyone gives you any trouble, complain to the sectmaster. She'll help in an instant. Haha."

His words were so casual that it felt surreal to her. She looked at this handsome, tall, powerful Ninth Brother of hers and couldn't help but feel her heart flutter slightly. For her, he displayed his dominance to the sectmaster and arranged for her status. How many would do this? How many had such capabilities?

Of course, in reality, Yan Zaizen only did that by a whim. His true intention of arriving here was due to the Yan Clan. Lin Feilin, however, assumed he went solely for her, creating this misunderstanding. Yan Zaizen didn't attempt to clear up her thoughts, looking towards Tao. "We'll be leaving. I still have some unfinished business."

Lin Feilin broke out of her stupor, looking at Yan Zaizen with soft eyes filled with reluctance. "Do you have to leave...so soon?" Her voice turned quiet and completely unlike her usual self. Yan Zaizen was startled, looking at this icy-cold Senior Sister of his, and couldn't help but feel odd in his heart.

"You don't have to worry." Yan Zaizen eyes sparkled with radiance, reaching his hand out to grab the edge of her chin with his curled index finger. He brought her eyes to his and smiled softly, "I'll be back, one day. At that time, you can tell me all the things I've missed." Yan Zaizen attempted to put on the most dashing expression he could, looking softly into her eyes, but inwardly he was a little bit nervous.

This was his first attempt at acting like a cool heroic hero to the icy-cold beauty. To capture her heart permanently with a single glance. Initially, he thought she would act aggressively at being randomly touched, but instead, she blushed from ear to ear, avoiding his radiant gaze. However, she didn't try to remove his hand from her chin.

With the softest voice one would ever hear, she softly replied, "Okay." After that, Yan Zaizen removed his hand and felt satisfied. This move was something Bai Lufeng had transmitted to him when attempting to attract a girl's attention and reviewing their responses at physical contact. If they were repulsed, it was a no. If they blushed and acted shy, they were a full yes!

After a little more conversation, the trio departed from the Water Veil Territory. Lin Qinlin wanted to stay, but was decisively rejected by Yan Zaizen. He gave her an elixir called the Origin Excavation Elixir, and sent her on her way. It was far less efficient than the Origin Consolidating Pill, but it could help a peak-Qi Unification Cultivator reach the half-step Origin Core Realm.

Initially, Yan Zaizen assumed Bai Lufeng would plead on her behalf, but he was silent. He said nothing as she was sent off. One could see that he truly didn't care about this woman.

Truly a playboy.

----------------------------

Two months later, in the Earthly Titan Sect, there was an outrage of panic within. There were many people dashing to and fro locations with rapid steps, their cultivation bases fully erupted, and their faces filled with fear.

It happened so suddenly.

Several minutes ago, several of the upper echelon members suddenly fainted dead. Upon examination, it was revealed their souls were directly snuffed out of existence by a powerful force. However, only selective people were hit. There was also a Grand Elder who went missing suddenly, but no one could find her. They searched for any semblance of answers or order, trying to get their bearings amidst this chaotic situation.

There would be times where someone would be perfectly fine, but then the next second, they would drop dead suddenly.

"What is happening?! Calm down, everyone!"

"ARE WE BEING PUNISHED?!"

"Where is Grand Elder Kiyun?! The Sectmaster is missing as well!"

"Oh...god...its the heavens! We've angered the heavens!!!"

While all this was going on, a male youth with intelligent black eyes, long black hair, and a countenance that seemed to hint his long-gone handsomeness was bound heavily in a metal cage. He wore a set of qi diffusion cuffs, and his body was filled with laceration marks indicating torture. His eyes were filled with intelligence, but severely dim in light and overwhelmed with exhaustion.

This was Shin Xuanji!

His decision to join the Earthly Titan Sect backfired greatly. Three years ago, when he joined, they immediately captured him and interrogated him with extreme prejudice. For three full years, he was constantly tortured by the sect for information about Han Genji. The only reason he wasn't killed had to do with him revealing subtle hints that he knew the location of the piece of mid-grade essence crystal in Han Genji's possession.

He would never fully tell them, but simply that it was hidden somewhere that only he knew. He was hoping, praying, that as long as he breathed, there was a chance to overcome the situation. In truth, he's been given every torture method possible. From the pulling off one's nails, the breaking of the fingers, and even castration, and yet he refused to break.

His personal hatred for the Earthly Titan Sect now exceeded the Yan Clan by thousands of times. People he trusted betrayed his master and himself for wealth. It was disgusting. However, that was the cruelty of the cultivation world. If you do not possess strength and backing, you're nothing more than fish on the chopping block for those higher up the pyramid.

How could he contend when his cultivation was only at the peak-Qi Revolving Realm? He was insignificant. However, he was filled with a drive to change his fate. To go against what the heavens demanded of him!

He understood that the moment they felt he was no longer a source of information, they would immediately exterminate his life. How could they let Han Genji's disciple survive in this world? Why would they leave a ticking bomb so close to them?

"I swear, I'll kill them all!" He silently swore. If one looked closely, he had no teeth in his mouth and his tongue held countless lacerations. His skin was sickly pale, he was beyond scrawny as if he hadn't eaten for weeks, and his lifeforce was like a flickering flame unwilling to be exhausted by the cruel gust of the world.

POP!

A tall, handsome youth appeared like a ghost within Shin Xuanji's cell. His eyes revealed a profound realization as he stood behind the bound Shin Xuanji. "So...I figured this would be your fate after learning of their betrayal." He silently thought, his eyes staring at Shin Xuanji's pathetic appearance. Initially, he was going to sweep all possible threats to his aunt and uncle, including this Senior Brother of his. However, the world was truly too cruel.

"How come...we all have such unfortunate fates." Yan Zaizen muttered, realizing that the lives of himself, Shin Xuanji, and Lin Feilin were horrendous. They either had their clan eradicated or treated like slaves at one point in time. However, out of the three, Shin Xuanji truly had the worst of it.

Shin Xuanji was constantly mumbling his sworn oath to himself, attempting to keep himself sane. With a quick spiritual sense examination, Yan Zaizen could see all that was done to him during these past three years. He took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and decisively decided.

"Three years ago, you didn't act against me during my weakest hour because of our relationship, our bond as fellow disciples. Today, I'll repay that kindness. I'll give you another choice, your fate will be your own to decide." His body was covered by a silver-blue light, disguising his features.

Slowly, he appeared within Shin Xuanji's line-of-sight. This startled him greatly, his eyes looking at this silver-blue silhouette, not with fear, but filled with hatred and unyielding will.

"You have a choice." Yan Zaizen's voice boomed within his soul.

"You can forget your hatred with the Yan Clan. If you do, you'll be given a chance. You'll be given freedom, wealth, protection, and the ability to grow. The chance for vengeance." His words entered directly into Shin Xuanji's soul, "or, you can choose to stay. Await your fate, whatever that may be."

When Shin Xuanji heard those choices, his eyes glowed with a long-forgotten radiance. In truth, he thought he was having delusions, that this was a manifestation of his will to fight on. If he chose the path to wait, wouldn't it be the same as accepting death?! The choice was obvious.

"Yan Clan? Compared to the Yan Clan, the Earthly Titan Sect deserves a thousand deaths!!" He said, but due to his lack of teeth, it came out a little incoherently. However, Yan Zaizen understood it all. "The Yan Clan killed my family, but if it means getting my revenge on the Earthly Titan Sect, then I can forgive it all!"

Indeed.

When one experiences tragedy from afar, the reaction isn't nearly as intense as experiencing it yourself. Yan Zaizen didn't understand the full story of the Shin Clan, but that didn't mean Shin Xuanji knew it either.

"Swear on your very soul!" Yan Zaizen voice boomed.

Shin Xuanji thundered with a chaotic roar filled with anger and hatred. "I SWEAR ON MY SOUL!! LET ME GET REVENGE!" Traces of blood leaked from his mouth as the scabbed lacerations on his tongue started to bleed. It gave him a very horrendous and malicious appearance.

"Then, so be it."