65 Fulfilling Declan's Promise

In a secluded place inside the Assassination Academy, Xue Mo, Lu Yao, Declan, Sarah, and Dominic waited. Xue Mo had his eyes closed, and the rest didn't dare disturb him. They were there to fulfill the promise of the fight that Xue Mo made to Declan.

'Are you done?' Xue Mo asked.

'Yes, Master. I analyzed the opponent and made the best way to finish the fight. This simulation was a first to me, so I took some time; however, after a couple of times, I should give more detailed analysis and determine a more in-depth and fast response to Master and Mistress.' Replied a voice-only Xue Mo and Lu Yao could hear, Infinite Darkness.

Xue Mo wasn't going to test this new feature now, but it was nice to know it existed. Of course, he would try it at a time before a serious battle to see how effective it was and not in the middle of a life-threatening conflict!

Once Xue Mo opened his eyes, he gestured to Declan to step back a little. Complying, Declan retreated a couple of steps. Xue Mo inwardly called 'earth.' A small circular arena materialized using some mental energy. The ground shook as the landscape expanded and created a circular shape that surrounded Declan and Xue Mo.

Small gasps came from Dominic and Sarah. As for Declan, he was admiration filled, yet he didn't allow himself to relax and express it. Xue Mo's display of Magic surprised them. Although silent casting wasn't rare in higher worlds, finding someone who can do it in a place like the Ash Expanse was indeed unusual.

Lu Yao hopped down from Xue Mo's shoulder and took out a chair from the space ring, sitting down leisurely. She appeared relaxed as she waited for the fight to start. Although the winner was obvious, she wanted to see Declan struggle a little and give her some fun.

Shaking his head with a smile Xue Mo turned serious. No matter if it was a fight, spar, or just in his relaxed state, Xue Mo was always on guard. Even now, while testing Declan, he would be serious.

"Although I promised to show you the difference between us, I have a better idea," Xue Mo mentioned in his cold voice. He was in battle mode, which unconsciously made him show his true self.

"What's the idea, Master Mo?" Declan didn't reject and asked with a lift of his eyebrow. He appeared interested.

"As you know, I am stronger than you," Xue Mo didn't mean in realm, but they didn't need to know that. "No matter what, you won't be able to compare with that, so me going all out in you will be considered bullying."

No one refuted his words, though Lu Yao rolled her eyes when she heard him. She knew Xue Mo's real realm though his power was way above anyone here, he was still lying through his teeth by concealing some truths.

Declan didn't speak as Xue Mo wasn't done. Fishing out a pill from his Samsara Parasite Ring, the aura of the Pill surprised them. It had the aura of a golden core or core formation realm.

"I will fight you with my body only. I will start with the same power you are at and slowly increase it until you reach your limit. As someone who used to be in the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm but now at the early stages of it, this is surely a great help to you!"

Declan got enticed, and he wouldn't lose anything. If he accepted, he would get his wish and even get a Pill if he performed even better! There was no catch as Xue Mo didn't need anything from him nor would gain anything from offering him such a precious pill, so Declan immediately agreed.

Lu Yao looked at Declan with a blank look filled with pity, 'you got scammed.' Xue Mo would fulfill his promise and even gain loyalty without showing his true power nor his realm. He didn't care if Hesroth knew, but he didn't any reason to publicize his true realm and get suspicion.

As promised, Xue Mo coated himself with his Shadow Soul Pressure that he still hadn't found a way to train. Changing the aura, he made it appear as an early-stage Foundation Establishment the same as Declan.

Once Xue Mo finished, Declan shot at Xue Mo with amazing speed. When Declan was about to collide with Xue Mo, he suddenly shot upward and slashed downward.

SCREECH! WHOOSH!

Transparent wind blades surrounded Xue Mo though he evaded every one of them. Declan continued showering Xue Mo with wind blades; they were slowly increasing in number and would overwhelm him if he didn't do anything.

'Although it took him some time, it appears that his power is reaching near the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Are his meridians injured?' Xue Mo asked himself inwardly.

Declan got injured in his youth, which made him fall back from the Foundation Establishment peak to the early stages. Yet at this moment, even with injured meridians, Declan was giving it his all and showing strength nearly equal to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment!

'Let's see how much more he can take?' with an evil smirk Xue Mo slowly increased his speed, making the situation return to the stalemate it was in before. He did it so slowly and gradually that only Lu Yao noticed.

Declan's eyes were so focused that he didn't notice himself expending more energy than he should. Seeing that Xue Mo got used to the wind slashes, Declan smiled inwardly. Slowly adding compressed balls of air with the wind blades, Declan waited for them to hit Xue Mo.

Suddenly Declan's face turned pale, and he lost balance in the air; his complexion was terrible. Xue Mo noticed this and jumped in the air to help him skillfully avoid all wind balls and blades.

As soon as Xue Mo held him, Declan started coughing blood, both black and red. Taking them Pill from his robe Xue Mo shoved into Declan's mouth and massaged his chest.

THUD!

When they landed, Xue Mo put Declan down gently and opened his robe showing his chest. Vein like patterns were turning black in the middle of his chest. They were Declan's injured meridians.

Xue Mo elongated his black nail and made it thin before sticking it into Declan's chest. This made the latter cough up more blood, which agitated Sarah and Dominic, who was about to pounce on Xue Mo.

"What are you doing?!" Dominic yelled at Lu Yao, who was holding them back. Right now, Xue Mo was treating Declan, and he didn't need interruptions from ignorant buffoons.

Lu Yao released her bloodlust, making them shut up and swallow their saliva while looking at her, scared. Her bloodlust still active, Lu Yao berated with a low pitched tone, "can't you see Mo treating him? What the fuck do you think you are doing? Do you want Declan to die because you are trying to interfere? Sit tight and don't make me mad. You don't want to see me angry!"

Like scared kittens, Dominic and Sarah complied. Although Lu Yao looked small in her fox form, Sarah and Dominic couldn't help thinking, 'what a monster!'

Xue Mo slowly took the fingernail out of Declan's meridian and dug it in another one. He kept doing that for 6 hours, one hand massaged Declan and made sure to let the medicinal effects of the Pill coursed through Declan's cured meridians only.

Once Xue Mo stopped, the black lines disappeared before Declan spat black blood one last time before his complexion eased as color returned to his face.

Getting up, Xue Mo neared Lu Yao, who was keeping guard on Dominic and Sarah, who calmed down by now.

Staring at the two Academy higherups, Xue Mo informed, "Declan is fully cured now. It wasn't that he was injured but that his meridians were poisoned. It was a crippling poison, and not one meant for lethal means; this is way worse. For a cultivator, improvement means everything, more than life itself, and for someone to halt Declan's rise for so long and make it appear as if he was injured only means that they have great knowledge about medicine and have either a great grudge with Declan or…"

Xue Mo's eyes went cold as if he remembered something before continuing, "or someone was jealous of his potential and wanted not to kill him but make him suffer! But don't worry, Declan will be able to find out later, and his potential now is way better than before. I fixed his broken Foundation and improved it to the best it could be the only thing Declan needs now to accumulate energy slowly, and he would form the purest golden core, not just a regular one."

Dominic and Sarah got excited, they seemed genuinely happy for Declan, but before they could say anything, Xue Mo added, "I will take care of Declan. You two go and finish this war already!"

Though sad, they wouldn't be able to talk with Declan, the headmaster, and the highest teacher in the Assassination Academy complied and went to do their jobs. They wanted to see Declan catch up to punish whoever did this to him and accelerate that this war must end. They had some guesses about what Xue Mo would do, and they supported it, now more than ever.

With the two nuisances now gone, Xue Mo and Lu Yao approached Declan's body. Lu Yao saw an evil smirk on Xue Mo's face, which he usually had when he thought of something dangerous, and asked, "what are you planning now?"

Still smirking, Xue Mo answered, "it would be a shame not to make use of this poison. Declan got already cured, but he could use an upgrade!"

Lu Yao didn't know what Xue Mo meant with an upgrade, but she saw him elongate his black nail again. She looked at the unconscious Declan pitifully and thought, 'endure!' She had a feeling of what would happen now and decided to help.

Lu Yao erected a Formation like the one they used when they tortured Nathan with invisibility. Screams reverberated inside the Formation making the outside world clueless to what was happening.