Battle

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I-If I go back, I will die!" Gou Ma says.

"Now now, you will probably die either way so why not take the better option?" I say.

"...Alright. But it will be far. The original plan was to allow the Murim alliance to capture us and place the child in the custody of the organisation."

"So the Murim Alliance is on your side?" I ask.

"I-I don't know! I just follow orders."

Hmmm...

"We will travel on my sword then."

?!

"You are a core formation master? So young! Your Patriarch isn't the only monster...?"

I smile. "Thanks for the flattery but keep your comments to yourself."

"Y-Yes..."

I pull out Azrim and step on it, the man jumps on the back, balancing himself. 

"U-Uh, north-west..." says Gou Ma.

We set off while I have Gou Ma as my guide even when I already know the location.

"Can you handle the elder? If you die, I will die!"

"Yes yes, stop whining," I reply.

Despite all that, anxiety still seeped into Gou Ma.

I can use the Matchless Dragon sect to further spread my reputation by accusing them of kidnapping. Being a neutral sect has its benefits. We can build up relationships that favour both the orthodox and unorthodox, thus we are less likely to be the first target when a war between good and evil breaks out. However that comes at the price of prominence, it is difficult to grow a neutral sect's reputation without undertaking crucial operations like exposing a justice sect of their wrongdoings.

When a disciple of a sect kills a member of another sect, it is declaring a war between the two parties. The perpetrator may surrender and accept punishment from the respective victim's sect for a peaceful approach...or it becomes an all-out battle between both.

Heavenly Divine Dragon sect cannot fight against the Matchless Dragon sect...but that's only on fairgrounds.

10 days passed and we reached the side branch of the Matchless sect located near the border of Xu Ging at night. It is on a mountain, directly sitting atop a waterfall.

"Uhm... Can I go now?"

"Huh?" I glare at him.

"W-What...?"

"Carry me in. I will pretend to be unconscious."

"I-I..."

Gou Ma gives up and complies. He lifts me over his shoulder and approaches the bridge leading to a large wall surrounding the property. There is an array erected.

"Who are you!" A voice echoed out as Gou Ma steps in. It's the disciples of the Matchless Dragon sect tasked to guard the entrance.

"I-It's me... The squad leader of the rising tiger." Says Gou Ma.

...

"Proceed, the elder is waiting for you."

The large door swings open and the array disappears, revealing a luxurious cabin at the end with various other infrastructure. A pathway leads to the cabin from the gate.

Not yet, I need to wait till Gou Ma walks through the gate.

"Wait, the person Gou Ma is carrying, is he wearing a sect robe?" Mumbles the disciples at the door.

"That robe looks familiar? I think I've heard of it somewhere..." Says the second disciple.

...

One step into the branch, I jump alive and twirl a spinning slash to kill the three disciples surrounding me.

!!!!!

"T-This isn't what you...promised..." Says Gou Ma, grasping his red gushing neck.

I walk over the three bleeding corpses into the property.

"W-What...?"

The disciples training and servants all turn their attention to me.

"INTRUDER!!!"

"Stop!"

Everyone draws their weapon and approaches me. The first two charges from ahead with the sword's tip pointing at me.

A small whirl of blue energy surrounds the blood and gathers at the tip. They thrust their sword at me when their throats are abruptly slit.

?!

I step past and both corpses collide on the floor.

"What happened?"

"I couldn't even see it!"

"What's the fuss about?!" Shouts a rough voice from the luxurious cabin. An old man with piercing red eyes and a long white beard steps out, in both his arms are beauties.

"Who is this arrogant punk... Get him!" The elder shouts.

Most of the disciples lunge at me with their swords out.

"I don't have the time..." I mumble.

One large crescent of black energy expels from my body and splits every person into two.

?!

The remaining disciples tremble. To them, I have a cultivation base of Qi Condensation.

"Old man, when are you going to come and fight yourself?" I say. He is sending his disciples to gauge my strength, what a sly bastard.

The women beside him panic and run away.

The old man grits his teeth in anxiety.

Suddenly he widens his eye. "Wait, you are wearing...you are an outer disciple of Heavenly Divine Dragon?!"

He could detect that I am weaker than him in terms of internal energy. (His cultivation base is higher than mine) However, the mysterious technique that I executed is the danger.

"Do you want to start a war between the two sects?" He shouts.

I appear in front of the old man who steps back to dodge a slash.

That left him wide open and I send a void slash at his back.

!

He jumps up to dodge it once his toes touch the ground.

...

The elder lands on the roof, glaring at me.

Did he dodge that? It will take too long for me to materialize an orb and deal internal damage...

The elder draws his sword. "Who are you-"

A thrust of energy shoots at the elder, aiming for his heart. The elder steps aside. One moment later, he is right behind me, going for a horizontal cut.

!

I block it in time but was sent flying to the luxurious cabin crashing into the wall.

Ugh...

He spared no effort for risk and jumps at me.

Shit!

Dodge? I have no choice.

The elder changes his body mid-air and attempted a kick at my afterimage with a whiff of red powder in the air.

?!

"Blood Qi?!" The elder exclaims.

I appear outside the cabin, panting. The elder forced me to use blood steps.

I take a deep breath and calm myself, circulating Qi in the atmosphere around the corpses. The Qi soaks in red and becomes misty blood Qi. I absorb the blood Qi abruptly into my body.

"An impressive talent... You are even absorbing the Qi at such a fast rate. Your true cultivation base should be at the Ninth stage of Core Formation I presume?" The elder commented.

I have to go all-out. Should I summon an abyss creature?

... No no, that will sprout an unimaginable amount of trouble if a passerby sees it. Besides, that will be my last of last resort.

The difference between our cultivation base is large, he should be in the second stage of Nascent Soul. In addition, the difference in battle experience. Now that I am in this situation, have I ever fought someone stronger than me seriously with my life on the line? No. I fought with schemes.

The elder smiles. "I'm intrigued by your identity. If you tell me who you are and your secrets, I will leave your corpse in one piece-"

*DING*

He blocked my sudden ambush behind. "Jeez, youngsters these days, so disrespectful."

The elder deflects my entire body away and strikes a kick to my temple.

?!!!!!

I was flung out of the property and into nature.

"Ack..." I grasp onto the tree for support, I feel extremely dizzy, the whole world is splitting into 3...

That damn bastard knows where to hit!!

I grit my teeth and rapidly circulate Qi around my upper body.

"Phew..." The dizziness subsides a little. If not for the imprints and defensive techniques, I would have died on the spot. But I will at this rate...

...

I close my eyes. The reason I rose in the ranks of the terrorist organisation isn't because of my strength. No, I was fairly average when it comes to combat. It was my tenacity and deceptive nature.

The elder slowly approaches me, he is playing with me, enjoying my 'futile' resistance. He smirks when he sees my closed eye. "Haha, are you finally giving in to despair?"

"Phew..." I breathe out and open my eyes.

!

"What?" The elder mumbles.

I have always fought with underhanded tactics and I will continue to do so. I could use the second virus and force him to suicide but that wouldn't be satisfying won't it? Moreover, I need battle experience.

System, infect the man in front with the first virus, third virus, and fourth virus. 

Also, create a fifth virus. The symptoms assigned will be everything in the evolution tree.