353 The Parasite
Layla shuddered, her eyes fixed on the macabre vortex of blood enveloping countless dead creatures in the Sanctuary. The Lainwright soldiers had just completed their second day of battle aura training. "This never ceases to creep me out," she admitted.
"Or that...." Eric frowned, observing as the blood vanished into a spatial rift. "Where do you think it goes?"
*****
Perched atop a hill, Dover Castle overlooked the ocean that linked the UK to the rest of the Meridian Empire, once known as Europe.
Within the castle's imposing walls stood a massive, cube-like tower adorned with turrets that epitomized the classic image of a castle.
The Great Tower was surrounded by large buildings and once-verdant lawns where people used to unwind. However, no trace of green remained. Instead, a blood-soaked swamp had formed from days of slaughter, claiming the lives of countless beasts and cultivators.
The haunting scene was emphasized by the disappearance of the world's inhabitants. Yet something crucial was missing, and the emperor set out to address it after the soldiers had returned that day.
*****
Emperor Lexicon emerged from a permanent rift into Immortal Skye. The area was deserted now that Ergo season had ended, allowing him to fly northeast without the prying eyes of onlookers.
His destination was a vile-smelling pit concealed behind walls and a barrier.
A two-inch layer of blood covered every inch of the ground, spilling over from the lake's indentation. As the emperor's feet touched down, the blood parted beneath him, yielding to the true ruler of the domain.
Ripples slithered across the surface, encircling the emperor like eels.
Silver-petaled flowers with red tips and razor-sharp thorns peeked out from the blood, cautiously revealing themselves.
"I have indeed procured a feast for you tonight," Kaze said, a sinister glint in his eyes. "You will feast upon the Soul Qi of countless plants and fifty sky realm cultivators."
The flowers stretched upwards, swaying playfully in delight.
"However," he grinned, causing the flowers to cease dancing, "the time has come to fulfill your end of the bargain."
A wave of terror coursed through the plants, shooting throughout the entire network. The lake's surface ruptured, revealing a large, menacing mass.
"Halt your treasonous defiance before I carve common sense into your consciousness with ceaseless torture," Emperor Lexicon commanded, releasing a wave of bloodlust that tore through the blood. "You survive upon my mercy and my mercy alone; know your place, lest you desire a short life of misery until you serve your purpose."
The grave robbers were paralyzed with fear. Kaze was no longer the person they had initially encountered. Despite their impressive growth in strength, his was on a different plane. Having collected soul Qi from thousands of soul beasts, a cultivation lord, a grandmaster, multiple heaven realm cultivators, and over two hundred sky realm cultivators from Zenith National Park, their power was incomparable.
Furthermore, he had ruthlessly cultivated and tempered his body, improved his mental fortification using the Mental Mimicry technique, and had access to a higher Qi density on Earth. In comparison to mortals, Kaze Lexicon was a true god.
"Half or whole after you serve my bidding — which do you choose?"
Emperor Lexicon inquired, approaching the lake. The water trembled, torn between fear and indecision.
Kaze imbued his finger with a purple aura and grazed a petrified flower as he passed.
Splash! Splash, splash, splish-splish-splish, SPLASH!
The area came to life as countless stems thrashed in agony, striking the water as if trying to end their lives to quell their pain. Veins appeared on their crimson stems, and as the blood drained from them like melting paint, patches of green emerged.
A massive flower head, the size of a beach ball, burst from the lake's center, writhing in torment. Its lower row of fully bloomed silver florets resembled razor-sharp swords, while the middle and top florets were crimson, with silver, pin-like stamen tubes for pollination.
The colossal flower flung blood at the emperor, but it slid off his body's barrier like water on a hydrophobic surface, leaving his light-red dress shirt untouched.
"I lack the time and patience to indulge this farce any further," Emperor Lexicon declared.
"Submit, or I'll reap everything to demonstrate the folly of your recalcitrance."
The plant stared at him, pained and bewildered. Wincing, it opened its silver pin-like stamens to reveal a delicate, pink, chalky substance within.
Kaze waved his hand over the lake, sending out an energy pulse that halted the effects of his technique but prevented healing. He offered the plant no chance of betrayal as he produced a special, onyx-sheened tub filled with blood, igniting the grave robbers' desire.
Their eagerness and motivation vanished when the emperor immobilized the grave robbers with a technique and conjured invisible blades that spun like a blender.
Only the sounds of thrashing flowers remained in the eerie, isolated atmosphere.
*****
"What is this?" Evalyn asked, scrutinizing a black pill, which looked like polished onyx shaped into a pill.
"You don't want to know," Kaze frowned. "Just brace yourself for hell when you take it."
"You're ordering me? You're trying to give me someone to blame for the effects again, aren't you?" she narrowed her eyes, used to his guile. "Do you think that I cannot handle it?"
"You're tough as nails, Evalyn," Kaze chuckled, vexed that he could no longer deceive her. "But that... I'd rather obliterate every inch of my body and heal it again than take that pill — again."
Evalyn's eyes widened after his chilling admission. "What is this, Kaze?"
"That's grave robber pollen, a sentient plant that grows in every plane," Kaze sighed. "Though invasive, the pollen is exceedingly rare to obtain, as you must take it alive, as it disintegrates upon death or element exposure. Even killing the plant is nearly impossible, as it can retreat nearly a mile under the surface."
Evalyn felt a chilling sense of déja vu when she heard the name, triggering cold sweats. "Then how did you get it?"
"It needs blood to survive; I manipulate blood," Kaze replied.
Evalyn pursed her lips, understanding. "Why ingest the seed of a blood-feeding parasite?"
"Grave robbers require a pure environment, so they contain an element allowing them to simultaneously destroy, clean, and heal an entity's body," he elucidated.
Evalyn narrowed her eyes. Healing techniques were scarce, so it was a miracle treasure that could save cultivators centuries of pain while curing present ailments. "So what's the catch?"
"The restructuring takes five minutes and is so painful it drives people into insanity," Kaze elaborated. "If you're weaker than the parasite, it'll take over your mind, move you to a populated location, and then sprout an annihilation plant. Then, it will grow beneath the surface until it can kill everyone in one attack. Any more questions?"
Evalyn's mouth hung open. "Yes... how does it compare to priming the Crystal Divinity technique?"
"Must you always emphasize the worst aspects of a task before undertaking it?" Kaze scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You can extrapolate from the term 'pain-induced insanity,' can you not?"
Evalyn's eyes widened, and she giggled, making him frown. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's just that you used to speak to me like that often, and I didn't realize how much you've softened until now.
You don't treat me like a child, after all."
His expression turned tender again. "No, I trust you genuinely."
"Then I'll trust you," Evalyn smirked, popping the pill into her mouth and swallowing.
Kaze fought the urge to snatch it mid-air and scold her for not taking precautions. However, he got her message and summoned a spatial rift with a ring, pushing her body onto their bed in Immortal Skye.
As soon as her body touched the mattress, her eyes snapped open with an expression one would have after watching a bear eat their leg. A split second later, a haunting scream tore through Immortal Skye's empty campus, marking the beginning of the tempering process.
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