Cleansing the Heigong

Paul was teleported to the north end of the Verdant forest, still with anguish in his eyes he sat down and began to cultivate to alleviate his injuries, soon after he began to meditate he sensed someone approaching him.

Paul opened his eyes and saw Edwards coming toward him with a smile, blood dripped from his hands. Paul frowned as he noticed that he was alone.

-" Edward, What happened to the rest of our group?" Paul was suspicious of Edwards's motives in coming here.

-" Who Knows? I didn't linger around them very long, I have another mission to complete." Edward's eyes were icy as he gazed at Paul.

-"Another mission?" Paul looked angrily at Edward, his eyes lingered on his bloodied hands. "How did you know that I was here?" Paul got up as he was sure that Edward was plotting something.

-" You don't need to know what I'm here for, as for how I found you?" Edward smiled creepily. " I was watching your battle against Philips, Paul. Quite the good spectacle, but, I found the battle of your disciples quite the disappointment."

Paul's fear grew as Edward kept approaching. He looked around and didn't find anyone else. If Edward really came for his head he would be in a delicate situation as he was heavily injured and his power greatly diminished, but he still could handle Edwards on a one vs one.

-" Edward, I hope the blood on your hands isn't from someone of the Heigong." Paul got up with a bit of effort and prepared to face his sect companion.

-" Hahaha, of course, this blood isn't from someone of the Heigong." Edward's grin grew wider, deep inside his eyes, a purple glow became stronger as if reacting to his mental state. " I just took care of some leeches who use the Heigong for their personal glory."

Paul knew instantly that his disciples were dead, his already anguish face twitched in anger, he forcibly conjured his wings again and threw a blood trident toward him.

Edward was observing Paul's face with delight, his body swelled as the red mist started to emanate from him, Edwards punched straight towards the trident. Edward's punch shattered the trident instantly.

Paul flew up as he saw his first attack fail and began to conjure more tridents, sweat poured over every pore in his body, he was too injured to fight right now. Hundred of tridents appeared in the sky, Paul was looking for finishing this quickly.

As the tridents descended on Edward, the mist around him started to revolve and formed a blood-red hurricane. To Paul's surprise, his attack was useless against Edward's defense. -" Didn't he just break through to the Rebirth Realm? Why is he so strong?" Paul's face fell as he noticed that the blood hurricane moved towards him.

Paul tried to take distance from the incoming hurricane, but, red feathers flew from the hurricane impaling everything in their way. Paul blocked the feather coming towards him with his wings, yet, Edward dashed toward him, he didn't want to give Paul a chance to escape.

Edwards retrieved his lance from the spatial ring and thrust towards Paul, the aura of the thrust took shape of a frenzied hyena, the pressure of the attack made Paul frown. He swung his wings open and with his index and middle fingers raised to the sky started to chant a spell.

Strands of red mist flowed through his fingers and formed a ball of blood above him, as he moved his fingers towards Edwards the ball moved and formed a circle in front of him, the spear hit the circle right in the middle, resisting the impact the blood circle was turning from solid to liquid into solid again as held the spear in place.

Edward pushed his spear back, however, the blood circle transformed into liquid again and clutched onto the spear. Paul was an opportunity and made a dash.

Edwards smiled as he saw him run away. -" HAHAHAHAHA! RUNNING AWAY? FROM A SMALL REBIRTH STAGE? WHAT A PROUD HEIGONG ELDER YOU ARE!." Edward left his spear there and chased behind Paul.

Two streaks of red crossed the sky speedily, some of the people in the Verdant noticed them, yet, they were too far away to recognize them. Paul's speed was declining fast, yet, Edward's just grew, his aura rocketed to the sky as the purple glow in his eyes grew.

As the pursuit reached its climax, the red mist that emanated from Edwards concentrated in his arms and formed tentacles that shot toward Paul's back, the purple glow on Edward's eyes only grew stronger as he formed the tentacles.

Paul was surprised by the tentacles, he couldn't recognize this technique. Paul's fingers were covered by his blood mist and formed his claws again. Paul kept slashing the arriving tentacles, yet, no matter how much he destroyed them, they kept reforming and creeping on him.

Soon enough the tentacles entangled his arms, then his torso and his legs, leaving him completely immobilized. Paul was pale as he faced the approaching Edward. While he was injured and fell from his previous realm, Edwards's power was too great for someone who just crossed to the Rebirth Realm.

-" Oh, I finally got my hands on you." Edwards's face was writhed with rage, his purple glowing iris made Paul even more fearful. " Blood debts should be paid in the same manner right?"

-" E-E–E-Edward, spare me, I didn't have any other choice other than to run away." Paul stuttered as he claimed mercy. " Salmon was the one who told us to hide away, he was already aiming for the previous sect leader's head, so when maven attacked this was his chance." Paul hastily kept explaining what truly happened on the fated day his father died. " Ajax too was in it, he knew that your father would be the Right Guardian, he even guided your father to Maven's location and left him to face Maven alone."

Traces of sanity returned to Edwards's frenzied face for a brief moment, he already had his suspicions, no one who hide away while the Heigong was attacked was punished, this made him very suspicious of a greater scheme.

-" This won't absolve you from the punishment for the cowardly acts, you were the one who infuriated Maven, it was you that should've —-----" Before Edward could finish Paul anxiously interrupted him.

-" Salmon gave me the order too. He found some ruins that spoke of a Chaotic Deity, he wanted me to perform a ritual that he found there." Paul knew that Edwards wouldn't let him escape, yet, he kept telling everything to him. " I didn't have a chance, I couldn't disobey him!."

-" Oh? So you are a victim too? You're just a pawn on Salmon's bigger schemes?" Edwards had a mocking smile.

-" Yes! Yes!, To this day I still have nightmares of my cowardice that day."

-" If so, are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the glory of the Heigong?" Edwards's eyes now were covered by the purple light, making Paul sweat, even more, he was about to speak again when he felt the tentacles holding crave into his flesh, as he screamed in pain one of the tentacle crept into his mouth.

He tried to beg for mercy again, yet, the tentacle in his mouth didn't let him utter any words, Paul's despair reached the peak as he felt an strange energy following through the tentacles and invading his body.