Desolate Village

Levi tried to put the bottle into the spatial ring, but failed.

' So bloodlines are considered living things?' He thought silently, as he stuffed it into his robe.

Noah, who got ahead of Levi, after not hearing his steps for a while, turned around and waited for him.

After walking for a good while, they arrived at the top of the mountain, as Desolate village appeared in their view.

" We should be more careful going down this side of the mountain. Because Desolate village is in the center, many beasts stalk the outskirts for any unlucky person or animal who is careless." Noah said softly.

"...Hmm.." Levi nodded.

" There are a few to watch out for, like the the Brainwashing Mosquito King."

" Although it's name might sound foolish, this thing is a giant mosquito the size of about two human heads."

" It's called that because it has mental connections with all of the other mosquitoes, and if any one of them are killed or hurt, it takes a swarm of mosquitoes to that location and sucks whatever unlucky creature is there clean of it's blood." Noah said.

'....That sounds like a description of me, to a certain extent. " Levi thought.

" Then, there are poisonous purple bats, who mostly stay in caves or hang upside down on tree branches until night time.

" They also have the ability to send other creatures into frenzies with a simple screech."

" Hellion spiders, who shoot out a transforming silk. They also spit out a poisonous liquid."

" Sword Beak birds who can cut down trees with just a flick of their necks."

" Giant hungry frogs that eat everything, while their bodies are very hard to damage."

" And one that you should immediately run if you see it, the Star Wolf."

" These things, unlike the brainwashing mosquito, can control beasts that aren't from it's race. If one see's you, it will release a seemingly harmless howl, but by the time you realize that you are surrounded, it would be too late." Noah spoke relentlessly, as Levi listened.

He would not turn away information on beasts.

As they walked down the mountain, they looked around cautiously, avoiding any potential dangers.

" Sigh, getting here is the easy part..." Noah sighed.

This side of the mountain was shorter than the other side, but with so many beasts stalking desolate village so closely, it was very hard to leave.

"....Why do the beasts just stay on the outside, and not attack the village?" Levi asked after thinking for a while.

" That's because...there are creatures stronger than them in the village, and they also know it..." Noah said, his expression growing serious.

They walked in the direction of the village, eventually arriving before a cleared mud path.

This path was between two small rice fields.

As Levi walked, he looked at the people carrying baskets filled with a green plant, before sticking it into the soft, swamp like mud.

These people just continued to work, without noticing his presence.

Some would ocasionally walk too far, causing the long chain hanging from the metal collars around their necks to pull on the strudy wooden stakes that lined the path.

As he continued to look around, he saw large bamboo tubes that were cut in half and hollowed out, being used to divert the water of the stream.

After navigating the village for a few minutes, they arrived beside a run down wooden house with a bamboo roof.

" Damn it!" Noah looked around quietly before shouting.

" Those two were locked inside a bamboo cage when i left! Where did they take them?!" Noah shouted.

" Haah?! Who is that shouting outside of my house?!" Suddenly, an irritated growl rang out.

" Where are the two people that were here a few days ago?!" Noah asked, as he pointed to the empty space.

A short, skinny man came from the side of the house, with an itritated expression.

" How would i know?! Even if i knew, why would i tell you?! Piss off before i put a collor around your neck and turn you into my bitch!" The man shouted, as he waved them away.

Ting!

Levi's sabre slashed out silently towards the man's neck, but was stopped by a solid defensive qi.

" Humph! Think killing me was so easy?! My great self is at the mind opening realm's 6th level, and you expect to kill me with your measly strength?!"

" I won't even turn you into a slave, die!" The man slaped Levi's sabre away, before punching out.

Boom!

Two fists clashed, causing a small shockwave to ripple out.

"!!" The man was slightly surprised that Levi could match his strength, even though he didn't use qi in that strike.

"..." Levi looked at his slightly trembling hand.

' So that was the reason...i was wondering why soldiers were so easy to kill, but now i understand.'

' Just like this old man, soldiers might have certain cultivation levels, but most of them don't practice any skills relating to cultivation.' Levi analysed in his head.

" What are you doing?!" Noah shouted, directing this question to both Levi and the Old man.

' While there are exceptions like that cold general, most soldiers' cultivations are just for show, useless.'

' Although it increases their physical strength to a certain extent, if they don't know any skills, then they still don't amount to much.' Levi thought silently.

" Ignoring me?!" Seeing Levi's unfocused gaze, the man's anger soared.

" Don't think about it!"

Seeing Levi about be attacked, noah jumped forward, punching out, as his large fist targeted the man.

Deng!

" Humph!" The sound of metal clashing rang out again, as the man snorted.

' Rise.' Levi thought, as his blood energy rose from his body, before forming an ancient gate behind him.

" hmm?" Both Noah and the old man noticed the large red gate behind Levi.

" So then, what am i?" Levi thought aloud, as he shot out.

" !!" In just a few seconds, he arrived in front of the old man, who, instead of blocking, punched out, his fist coated in a solid qi.

Levi also punched out, but used neither qi or blood energy.

crack! crack!

Two different cracking sounds rang out.

One was from the man's defensive qi being shattered, while the other was from bones breaking.

The man's wrist was broken, along with a bone sticking out from his elbow and forearm.

After the collision, he took a few steps back, as he held his broken arm.

He didn't make a sound, but the beads of sweat on his forehead gave away the amount of pain he felt.

Levi also broke his knuckles, with a few bones sticking out, as he looked at his bleeding fist silently.

" I was thinking over this for a while....this blood gate probably increases my physical abilities as long as it is formed.....but even so, my body can't withstand the increase of strength..." He said as he looked down as his slightly trembling fist.

' It also makes controlling blood energy significantly easier, but....' His thoughts paused.

' Are these kinds of wounds starting to hurt less? I will have to keep an eye on these things to make sure that nothing is wrong with me..' Levi thought silently.

Looking up, he saw Noah's mouth moving.

As his focus returned, he heard him shouting.

" What are you doing, Levi?! We came to get back Ryan and Ava! How are we supposed to do that if you expend your strength before the time even comes?!" Noah shouted.

Levi glanced at him silently, before shifting his gase to the man.

"..." He silently shot off once again, but this time, a gloomy killing intent excaped his body, as more blood energy rose, before coating his sabre.

" Hgnn!" Seeing that Levi was coming once again, the man stopped holding back.

His entire body was coated in a sky blue qi, as he waited for Levi to arrive.

As soon as he got close enough, the man lifted one of his legs as all of his qi moved toward it, and kicked out towards Levi's side.

"..." Levi looked silently at the incoming leg fearlessly, before slashing down.

Leg and sabre clashed.

More blood energy rose from Levi's body, before adding more pressure to the sabre.

After a few seconds, the sound of liquid spraying could be heard.

" Aghh! My leg! How can that be possible!" The man fell on his backside as he looked up at Levi with indignance.

' I put all of my qi in that strike! Him cutting off my leg, furthermore blocking it shouldn't have been possible! When i was younger, i even practiced a good defense technique!' He was filled with disbelief.

" I have been thinking this for a while, but....compared to blood energy, isn't qi really fragile?" Levi mumbled.

This knowledge was what allowed him to be fearless despite knowing that if that leg hit him, he could have died.

"....I guess it's time for you to die." Levi said, as he looked into the man's eyes.

" Wa-Wait, can you just spare me this one time? I even lost my leg, so i am essentially a cripple now...." The man spoke with a pleading gaze.

Levi began walking toward him, but then stopped.

He remembered the old woman he met on his way to the divine country, as well as what she said.

' You shouldn't kill too much, because no one like's to die.'

He played this line back in his head.

"..." He then silently looked down at his fist, at his bones that were sticking out, then towards the man.

' My hand is already like this. To heal it, i need to absorb some blood. And looking for some beast to kill would be too troublesome.' He thought.

" I-I guess there is no helping it..." The man saw the look in Levi's eyes, as a look of resignation appeared on his face.

Levi walked step by step, until he appeared beside the man.

" Could you at least make it painless?" He asked, with a nervous smile, to which Levi remained silent.

He silently lifted his sabre, his intent to kill clear.

" I was waiting for this moment!" A sinister gleam flickered in the man's eyes as he lifted one of his hands.

" ....Huh?" After stabbing out, and not feeling anything being peirced, he was confused.

But after looking at where his arm used to be, he understood why.

" Ahhhh! My arm! How did you know, you bastard! How did you know!"

Splat!

Without giving an answer, Levi seperated his head from his body, causing warm blood to flow out.

He, in fact, didn't know that the man had a hidden knife.

He just didn't let down his guard when dealing with the man, because, as demonstrated in that moment, the people on this mountain were not to be trusted.

That also included Noah in his mind.

" Sigh...your fighting strength will now be greatly reduced because of your hand..." Noah sighed, as he walked over and looked at Levi's fist.

Levi kept silent.

As he willed, the blood rose from the man's corpse as it deflated.

He absorbed the blood silently, as the flesh and bones in his hand moved about, before appearing as good as new.

".....what king of skill is this?..." Noah mumbled, as he watched this.

' It's kind of....nasty...' He thought silently, as he tried his best to hide his disgust.

Levi saw it easily even though Noah tried to hide it, but didn't react in any way.

' This is just the begining....A demon hated by all...I am still far from there...' Levi thought silently, as he calmed the small waves rippling though his heart.

After opening and closing his hand a few times, Levi contemplated silently once again.

' If you can go around and find people as strong as this guy at random, then i should assume that everyone here is at or above the mind opening realm.' He thought silently.

' Although, if he had focused on defense, instead of attacking me, killing him would have became a lot more troublesome.'

' If this man had learned cultivation related skills, how much stronger would he have been?'

' Strong enough to force me to run? Strong enough to kill me?' Levi thought silently.

" Hehe, what would it be like to fight against a person with both cultivation and technique? Hehehe..." Levi smiled coldly, as he mumbled something under his breath.

' Before i can enjoy such a fight, though, i need to become stronger...'

This was as far as happy faces went for him.

"...Let's go, before anyone comes to avenge this guy.." Noah said, as he turned and began walking.

' From what i heard about this village, I doubt something like that would happen.' Levi thought, as his face became expressionless once again, but still followed behind.