The Black Dragon Mercenaries. (1)
The Rich-Lush Continent. A place where a myriad of people cultivated for several different reasons. Some were doing it for the sake of a higher status, some were doing it for wealth, but most of the young, ambitious cultivators were doing it for a chance to become the strongest in the lands. Wealth, fame, status, everything one needed in such a world automatically came with strength. It was a place where the weak were enslaved and bullied while the strong was exalted beyond compare.
One could imagine what would happen if someone from the modern era arrived in such a vicious and brutal landscape; that's right, complete and utter shock. At least, that's what an average person would feel. On a forested mountain trail located not too far from the infamous Blackcorpse Mountains, three men were sitting on their horses, drawing an old carriage that held two restrained people in it. Chains were tied around the hands and feet of each prisoner, making sure no movements could be made.
One of them, a young male prisoner named Li Hu, currently had a blank look on his face as he calmly spoke to the other prisoner, a young man that looked like he was in his early twenties. The young man had long, blonde, spiky hair that extended to the middle of his back with the front of it almost covering his red, piercing eyes. He wore black half torn pants, black Chinese training shoes with a long red sash wrapped around his waist. His tall, ripped figure towered over the malnourished Li Hu, already showing a massive difference in power. One thing that stood out about this young man, though, was an abnormal scar around his neck and a star-shaped tattoo located on the base of the left side of his neck. {Yes, he's in the body of DIO.}
"Yes, Master Tian. The fifth stage of cultivation in the Energy Arts Realm is known as the Energy Eruption Level. We can expel energy from our body in this stage, increasing our fighting ability several times over. People at this level can be recruited by some of the aristocratic clans in the area, for example, places like the city of Yanhaven, led by the powerful and majestic Yan Clan. Unfortunately, because I wasn't able to advance much in cultivation, I don't know what the stages are after that level." Li Hu closed his eyes and bowed his head as he continued, "Forgive me." The young man, whose name was Jin Tian, gave Li Hu a charismatic smile as he responded, "No problem, you did well, Li Hu. Now, close your eyes and rest; I'll take it from here."
Li Hu nodded and immediately closed his eyes, according to Jin Tian's command, as if he didn't have a choice. In fact, the young man didn't as he was under Jin Tian's vampiric hypnosis, causing him to obey every command without fail. Jin Tian was an apathetic man who transmigrated over into this world from a modern timeline. In his previous life, he was a killer committed to finding the men that kidnapped and trafficked his little sister, his last remaining family member. By the time he found her in South America several years later, she had been turned into nothing more than a sex doll who didn't even have any mental faculties of her own. The overuse of several types of drugs in her system caused that condition. After carefully killing everyone involved, he tried numerous times to get medical care for his sister, but in the end, she died from severe injuries that she had suffered over the years. Riddled with grief, he turned himself into a sort of "punisher," a vigilante who went on a mission to kill as many traffickers as he across the world. It wasn't long until his actions caught up with him while he was in the USA, and he was immediately put to death by the law.
After that, he found himself in front of an older man who promised him three wishes as long as he did something for him. It was something that concerned the fate of the entire world he was currently in. "Hunt and purge the sinners from this world, eh?" Jin Tian clicked his tongue and looked out of the carriage, studying the three men who were pulling it. "I don't have a cultivation base yet, but according to Li Hu, those men shouldn't be any higher than the fourth level, the energy refinement realm, considering that they were sent to small villages to capture weak people and turn them into slaves." Jin Tian couldn't help but sigh at his current situation as he removed his eyes from the three men and turned his attention to the bright shining star in the sky, the sun. A small smile appeared on his face as its rays entered his body, empowering slowly but surely. 'The Sun Titan Art, huh? From what Li Hu told me, this shouldn't be anything less than a heavenly class energy art. Judging by what it does, it's most likely a godly-class, but I don't have enough experience nor enough information to confirm that. This cultivation stuff is still confusing, but I should be able to get some guidance from my three future servants in front of me. Breaking these chains would be easy, but I'll bide my time until we get to our destination. If I slip up and act without knowing my limits, it could mean an early death even though I'm a vampire. Heh, a vampire that uses the powers of the sun, ol' dio would probably be jealous. Hopefully, that 'spirit from hell' that the god fused with me doesn't mess up my plans. Tch! If only I already had full control over it....'
Jin Tian sat still and absorbed the true energy of the sun as the carriage slowly started to make its way into the Blackcorpse Mountains, a place riddled with many different types of demonlings. Just the ominous aura these mountains gave off would make one want to turn back and never think about entering such a place again. The carriage traveled through the dark, densely forested area until it got to a cave that was meticulously hidden between multiple giant trees. In front of the cave stood five black-garbed men who gave off an extremely powerful murderous aura. Sabers were strapped to each of their waists and their focused eyes immediately locked on to the carriage as soon as it came into view.
"Stop right there! State your identity within ten breaths, or your life will be taken!"
The three men immediately jumped off their horses in a frenzy and cupped their fists while bowing. "Black Dragon Mercenaries, we are here from a secluded bandit clan to sell a few slaves to you." The mercenary who stopped them sent a bit of true energy into each of their bodies to search them for any traces of spies and then walked towards the carriage to take a look at the slaves.
Jin Tian already came out of his cultivation session and focused his senses towards the door, ready to fight at any time just in case something happened. When the mercenary opened the door, he immediately focused his attention on Jin Tian and Li Hu, taking a good look at their body structure. He then sent a bit of true energy into each of their bodies, hoping to have a better look, although he already had his sights set on Jin Tian.
'What a magnificent body! No, this one can't be used as a slave. I'll deliver him to the master so he can refine his body and absorb his blood! That should push master into the seventh level immediately! Maybe he'll give me the pill I always wanted...'
The mercenary turned to the men and said in a stern tone, "Give me the one on the right, kill that waste on the left! Even as a slave, he would just be wasting our food with that weak body! We'll pay 10000 energy convergence pills for the one on the right!"
Energy convergence pills were the currency of the world far and wide. Energy convergence pills were made from different kinds of energies, so it was a general pill that could help anyone cultivate. It was made this way so that even the lowest of the low in status or wealth could at least have a chance to cultivate in their lives.
Jin Tian was surprised at how quickly this man wanted to kill Li Hu for just being weaker than him. He sighed at the loss of his servant, but in the grand scheme of things, the life of this one man wouldn't hamper his plans. Just as he was about to ignore the slaughter, he felt an evil sensation rising from the depths of his soul. He felt his emotions suddenly plunge into disarray as the skin on his body started to burn itself in a gruesome fashion.
'No! Not right-'
Jin Tian tried to suppress the spirit, but it was to no avail. It wasn't something that could control itself in front of evil. The mercenary and the bandits around him looked at the scene in horror as this once handsome young man started to change into a demon with a terrifying visage. Jin Tian slowly stood up inside of the carriage as he laughed maniacally with his face becoming more and more terrifying with each passing second. The mercenary acted quickly and drew his saber, circulating his true energy to chop off the head of whatever demon was coming into existence.
"Die, hellion!"
An overbearing aura erupted from the blade as the full power of the man's fifth level cultivation reared its head. He then slashed his saber towards Jin Tian's now skeleton-like neck, hoping to cut it off with one strike. But unfortunately, the mercenary wasn't dealing with something that could be stopped with their levels of power. The spirit caught the blade with his teeth and crushed it like it was made of cardboard. The man jumped back in terror and tried to flee to his incoming allies, but that's when he suddenly felt a chain wrapped around his torso. Just it's scorching touch made the man scream in pain and agony.
The chains the spirit was currently wielding were the same ones he was restrained with. Such paltry attempts at capturing its host had done nothing more than to infuriate the spirit. The spirit then ripped the chain off of the man in a brutal fashion, causing him to burn into ashes as his last blood-curdling scream filled the area.
"AGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The rest of the mercenaries screamed in terror as they saw the death of their comrade from this demon. They couldn't have predicted that such misfortune would fall upon them so suddenly. Their faces were filled with sweat; some were trembling while the rest went limp and fell to their knees, staring at the embodiment of terror standing in front of them. The spirit then slowly started walking out of the carriage, each of its steps leaving footprints made of the hottest fire in hell. As it stopped in front of the men, no one could even find the strength to ask for forgiveness or mercy. They all knew that death awaited them. Just when they thought hope was lost, a voice laced with devil energy sounded out through the atmosphere, causing the men to regain their wits.
"Who dares to cause trouble here?!"