Ch.23

I grew bored as the array encircled them as mostly gold and black gold rank beast spirits. The black gold rank demon beasts died horribly and none of the horde survived to escape. I went down and retrieved the Snow Wind Ape's demon spirit before giving it to Nie Li as my 'junior brother'. He gave it to the city lord in private and the city lord used it to break through to legend rank himself before Nie Li taught him the law of snow wind.

The demon spirits, blood and materials were picked off the battlefield where all the traps had already been triggered and used up. It was the most successful beast tide war Glory city had ever faced because none of the beasts had even made it to the walls. All the soul force had been eaten away and turned into power for the arrays which now had all black gold rank demon beasts thanks to the ten million dead variety of ranked demon beasts.

The hundred thousand demon beast killing array was an overwhelming success and to top it all off, that night the city lord's adopted brat turned on him. Shen Hong got away after poisoning Ye Zong while Nie Li saved Ye Zong. Nie Li got his reward before I went into the city lord's treasury with the city lord himself. I told him what every item was, repaired what could be and told the city lord he would be wise to use what was there to protect the city, but that was his decision.

I made a book on artifacts appear in my hand and told him most of the stuff was in there and tossed him a ring of similar things. In point of fact the legend rank scrolls and the guardian stones were spread amongst the elders of my family along with many other treasures I'd found in there before and around the city.

Ye Zong thanked me and I shook my head. "You're a legend rank as well and with the law Nie Li taught you, you'll reach the peak soon enough. Xiao Ning'er is already at my level of power so it's up to us to defend this city with your father should he return anytime soon. I can't have my allies ignorant of the resources they hold or it cripples my own ability to protect those we care about."

He agreed slowly and I suggested he practice with the arrays since I couldn't always be in Glory city if I planned to get stronger and enter the draconic ruins realm. He agreed and we left the treasury parting our own ways. I headed home to give my family all the resources I had, be it money, gold, pills, rocks or crystals. I needed none of it and only filled up a pool with the law energy in an array that constantly gathered more law energy to it.

I helped each of the elders and the patriarch of my Du family break through to legend rank with the pool. I taught them the laws of sacred fire and light before leaving them to it to practice in the pool. With five more legend rank experts, my father and the patriarch included, my family was secure at least. I'd taught them how to help black gold ranks safely draw in law energy from the pool to break through to black gold rank.

I went on my merry way and continued refining demon spirits in bulk. Most of the demon spirits from the horde had been bought by my family to refine. I only stopped when Ning'er asked for a pool for her Winged Dragon family. I gave it freely and made another array there before teaching and helping the elders of her family break through.

Once I was done with that, I did the same for the Divine family before giving all the remaining water to Nie Li and telling him what I'd done. I suggested he do the same for the city lord's family and his own family when they were ready so they could advance and he could get in good with his soon to be father in law. I left it up to him to decided and went back to refining demon spirits. When the war banquet was called, I left my cultivation chambers and went with my family that gave off an oppressively powerful air.

My Du family had come far and our numbers were bolstered from all those at the plateau and many from the abyss prison realm wanting to join such a powerful major family for the resources. Nie Li still had Duan Jian as his servant in the end which was amusing to see. My Du family sat between the Divine family and the Winged Dragon family with the Heavenly Marks family beside them. When the Sacred family came over to start trouble, half the guards near our family let our legend rank auras that stopped them in their tracks.

Shen Hong was flabbergasted while I amusedly waved the guards off. "Relax. If the Sacred family wished to start trouble I'm sure they'd do so in a smarter way than provoking my Du family. After all, with all the major families standards going up, I doubt they could afford to waste time when they should be cultivating to reach legend rank as well lest they fall into the noble family status."

The sacred family member's faces became ugly and screwed up while I chuckled and asked Shen Xiu who came over. "Now, what brings my former instructor at the institute over to see us?"

Shen Xiu became flustered and shook her head when Shen Hong said she came to congratulate the young Xiao Ning'er on reaching legend rank. I smiled and kissed the back of Xiao Ning'er's publicly while she blushed. "Indeed, my Ning'er is quite talented."

The innuendo hung in the air and Shen Fei could no longer stand it. He barked out that she belonged to him and I raised an eyebrow, standing up. "Is that a challenge? Because if it is, I won't mind helping your brother become the next in line patriarch of your family by removing you from this world entirely."

He fell to his knees then flat on his face from my aura alone. I stared at the pompous windbag and his father watched as I waved a hand, crushing his son's hope of ever leaving any legitimate children behind. Shen Fei screamed silently and passed out while foaming at the mouth. I turned to Shen Hong. "I'll let it go with that, but perhaps you should teach your children to have better manners to those stronger than them or at the very least teach them to be more intelligent about whom they should lay claim to in public."

The old bastard grimaced and knew his son had gotten off lightly. He thanked me for my mercy and had the guards treat Shen Fei before sending him home with his aunt. My brutal show of force had been enough to let all others with designs on Ning'er know to keep their mouths shut or suffer. The banquet went on and Nie Li eventually mentioned hosting it which caused Shen Hong to scoff and call him a brat.

It was true, even compared to me Nie Li was a bit of a brat despite his age. Still, he played his part and eventually brought out the captured dark guild members one after another, causing Shen Hong to repeatedly kill them to cover his involvement in the dark guild. It was rather funny to see as fifteen black gold rank experts died one after another while Shen Hong repeatedly made hand seals each time while denying any involvement.

All the families watching were dumbfounded by his audacity. I chuckled and laughed lightly at the sight until it was time to bring out the captured deacon and other members that had come to kill Nie Li before when he'd gotten out of the sacred testing grounds. Most were released while the deacon was killed and Shen Hong declared his family was leaving. My family stood beside the Divine family in giving orders to detain all Sacred family members with a signed letter from the city lord.

Shen Hong's sacred family were forced to use the shadow demon secret technique only the dark guild knew to try and escape. It confirmed they were dark guild members and everyone attacked them. I destroyed the shadow demon myself in a single sword cut with the grade nine Blue Sky Sword. The sacred family elders were slaughtered and only Shen Hong managed to make it outside where dark guild members tried to help him escape one after another.

They were slaughtered by the legend ranks all around in our side and Shen Hong was about to be killed when Gui Sha came. He had plenty of legend rank treasures so I disappeared and appeared once more, having taken them all. I grabbed him by the throat and told him. "You might've been able to run before you made your presence known, but now you're no better off than Shen Hong."

I shoved my fist into his chest and grabbed his heart. Long Sha showed up a moment later and I ripped Gui Sha's heart out. I dropped it in front of him and began my first battle with a legend rank expert since I'd been reborn. Long Sha's body equalled mine in toughness and resilience which was surprising, but I had better weapons and a far better demon spirit.

I roared as time stopped all around me and I changed, glowing blue as my demon beast fused with my body. My eyes went black and red while my body became as strong as a grade three treasure armor on it's own. Steel claws sprouted from my fingers and I moved while Long Sha was stuck in my time sphere from my roar of time special attack. I skewered him on my claws and shredded his protective treasures one by one as time caught up.

When he was able to move again and everyone else could as well, they watched and backed away as our battle turned from an annoyance to a life and death struggle for Long Sha. Each swipe of my claws left tears law energy or his body that exploded at random intervals until he was a bloody mess. Nie Li stopped me saying we should let him go because we weren't ready for a life and death war with the dark guild yet and we don't know how powerful his master is. I backed off, irritated that I'd been denied the kill.

Long Sha thanked him and asked me what my demon spirit was. I grunted. "The demon spirit Dialga, a legend rank metal dragon that mastered the law of time before I brought it down. Be glad you got off lucky or your soul would be shredded and lost in the flow of time, utterly destroyed by the laws of this world."

I'd released my demon spirit so I stood there half naked with the swords strapped to my back. If I'd used them instead Long Sha would've lost his head immediately instead of the fighting I'd desired to sharpen my body's skills. Long Sha nodded and fled with Gui Sha's body while Ye Zong returned from massacring the Sacred family traitors. I bought most of the Sacred family's lands, businesses and stuff, giving back the Winged Dragon family's old businesses before expanding my Du family's own businesses.

Nie Li and I soon headed to the nether subsidiary realm after he reached black gold rank. We met the Jade Seal family, one of the few human factions in the nether realm. Nie Li admitted to being a senior inscriptionist and declared k was his bodyguard. He made ties to the Jade Seal family while I had to prove my power which convinced the patriarch easily enough.

We made ties to them and he made them money while I refined demon spirits and kept an eye out. When it was time, we left and three more bodyguards were sent, albeit just basic legend ranks. We came across the Wugui family's army fixing to head towards Glory city to try and conquer it. Nie Li gave me a look and I nodded before telling the bodyguards to take Nie Li and leave here.

They raised their eyebrows and I grunted. "Now."

They did so, leaving in a hurry while I went on a slaughtering spree. I killed every member of the Wugui family present and took all they owned, making it look like another faction killed them. Twenty odd legend rank individuals died without a clue as to how it happened and many more black gold ranks amongst them. I headed to the Wugui family lands and slaughtered silently with the shadow devil demon spirit.

Soon only Ye Hong and the three demigod rank experts were alive and that's when all the fighting truly began. With a roar of time, I slowed them down as they tried to fight my time law and myself. I killed one with stealth and another with my claws before I was forced to kill the last one with my sword thanks to a treasured armor he had on himself. He died nonetheless and I took all they had before taking Ye Hong and knocking him out.

I carried the asshole to Glory city where I gave him to Ye Mo and Ye Zong, telling them exactly what happened and what I was forced to do because the Wugui family had backers in the nether realm and I can't be here all the time to fight them off. Ye Hong was imprisoned, questioned and executed before the day was out. Nie Li began the array to grow stronger and I played the center part with my thunder god meteorite sword while my shadow devil and Dialga are the demon beast spirits. They saw the massive image of Dialga and asked how I killed it.

I shrugged and told them to focus while I let Yu Yan absorb what she could. When my thunder god meteorite sword connected us, all of them rapidly grew stronger because of the massive amounts of pure law energy in my soul realm pushing against theirs and spilling over. Even Nie Li benefited while it helped Ning'er to comprehend her law better. The massive amount of law energy helped even Yu Yan who was literally on fire sucking up as much as possible.

My shadow devil quickly reached the peak of legend rank while Dialga was already there and eating like it was a freaking herd of Snorlax. There was so much soul force, law energy and power in our array that all of them at least broke through to legend rank, even Nie Li. I helped them understand laws and they grew stronger still with a few breaking through one or two stars more before we ran out of demon spirits. Xiao Ning'er was sparking with lightning and Ye Ziyun was covered in snow by the time we finished.

Yu Yan had regained a lot of the power she'd lost including a single fate soul. She went back in her box after waving to Xiao Ning'er. I grabbed my sword and Nie Li's, bringing them together before tying off everyone to the same web of power as him through his sword and himself. I left myself and Xiao Ning'er out of it because I disapproved of plans and method to break through to deity rank this time around and he both knew and understood.

Hell, even he didn't like it, but he believed it had to be done if we were to ever beat the Sage emperor. I put on Ishizu's necklace and my bracelets for luck and their connection to time and space magics. I took Yu Yan and Xiao Ning'er with me to the nether world, stopping to kill the two legend rank demon beasts that showed up and blocked our way. I got another green poison pearl and collected their bodies and blood before we moved on.

Back in the nether realm a great stir from my recent massacre had spilled over and caused a war between the Northern nether family and the rock trolls. It was bloody and dusty which ended the rock troll family entirely. Ning'er and I went into the nine layered death lands and I let Yu Yan out. She went and found a soul trap mirror that could store and gather souls before reincarnating them through special means or simply holding a fate soul without an alter.

I put it away and hunted down all the spiritual origin fruit I could find. We left when we heard the next layer was about to be opened. Nie Li and the others came and joined us as we went in again. I gathered all the spiritual origin fruit I could, stealing and killing for it where I had to.

Most gave it up while some had tried to use their background only to die. When I had several hundred spiritual origin fruits, I couldn't find anymore even with Yu Yan's help. Still, we found an eastern zombie dragon in a lake with others after it's pearl. When the other experts refused to go in, some dumbass shoved another in. When the mother with the pearl surfaced, I used the roar of time to slow everyone and stop the creature while I took the pearl before returning to Xiao Ning'er's side.

I gave her the pearl which she happily accepted. Even if it wasn't a perfect fit, it was still a small advantage she needed. We met Xiao Yu who watched as I'd let the zombie dragon live. 'He' was impressed and said he knew where there might be more treasures.

Nie Li and the others regrouped and found us just before we were about to leave for the new treasure. I gave him the mirror and some of the fruit for his group, saying I'd taken most of them for our families back home. He nodded and thanked me while I handed him the second green poison pearl as well. When we found the god of death's tomb, I hummed and told them I'd go with.

He showed his invisibility cloak and I shook my head, shifting and letting out a massive roar that slowed even the demigod rank experts on top of the tomb alongside the massive skeleton fighting them off. I told them. "Go now!"

Nie Li, Xiao Yu and I moved fast and arrived at the tomb entrance where they figured out the way in. The others waited for us outside and once we were inside, I freed the demigod rank experts and blasted a hole in the pocket dimension, telling them to go. Dozens of demigod rank experts fled through the hole while I stayed with Xiao Yu and Nie Li to deal with the death god. Nie Li destroyed his god head and overcame his understanding of the law of death, earning bone wings on his own soul forming.

I hardly cared because my own understanding of death surpassed even Nie Li's by far. We left as the place collapsed and once we were out the demigod rank experts asked for a way to return the favor. I told them to destroy the dark guild if they're that desperate to be out of my debt. They happily agreed and went to do just that.

We left the nine layered death lands and a few days later news of the test to become the nether master's apprentice came. When the test started, I told Xiao Ning'er how to do the string water ball test. It was rather interesting because I made sure I barely passed with Nie Li and Lu Piao, though Lu Piao wasn't intentionally doing so. Ning'er got six feet before her ball popped while everyone else was between hers and my own three feet.

The Demon Lord however got seven feet before his own popped though he could've clearly gone farther. I played the average man and once it was time for the black inferno tower test, I told Ning'er how to achieve the anatta mental state. I told her to let the heat wash over and refine her body further while her soul sea takes in bits of it to refine itself when she practices. I led her carefully to the fourth floor where I meditated after killing Guan Yi with barely a thought by disrupting his mental state and causing him to burn up.

When Ning'er was safe, I headed up alone before the demon lord. I headed to the seventh layer carefully and used the pressure to refine my soul force and law energy into heavenly energy. It was there that I broke through and became a one fate soul heavenly fate expert. I refined my fate soul to the peak as it glowed an ocean blue.

I raised and eyebrow and dismissed the thought of there being an issue. I took out the egg and the damned thing sucked a lot of the essence from the tower until it hatched. I petted the duckling and touched it's head, making a master and servant bond. I stopped after the initial stage because it was a primordial bloodline beast, whatever the hell it was.

It happily quaked and sucked up most of the fire in the seventh floor. Chuckling, I put it back in my basic ring where it'd survived easily. Whatever it was, it was resilient I'll give it that. I stood up and headed to the eighth floor, only to find the way blocked so I went down to the sixth layer where Yu Yan came out to cultivate with me.

When a random soul tried to enter my soul sea, Dialga scared it off easily, trying to eat the damned thing. It went into Yu Yan and she managed to destroy it, regaining some lost memories of her past and growing to her second fate while her soul realm purified the dead soul's energy. She was a bit different, but altogether the same Yu Yan I knew. She returned to her box I carried and I continued to cultivate alone there, putting down an array that gathered all the flames and energy in the sixth layer to the inscription.

I sat in it and used it to break through again which nearly drained the sixth layer's energy as well. I used the last of it to refine my second blue fate soul until it shone with the other. I opened my eyes as the demon lord showed up. He sneered at me and headed upwards so I broke the inscription array and headed down as Nie Li hatched his duckling before letting it eat all the energy of the fifth layer.

I smiled and told him the same thing happened to the seventh floor and I'd taken up the energy from the sixth floor which was why I was here. We both headed to the fourth floor where I made another inscription array that sucked the energy from all the other floors. All of our group used it and I made the rest shut the fuck up with a look and the pressure of a two heavenly fate expert.

Nie Li continued to break through until he was a four star legend rank thanks to Ning'er breaking through to one fate. I told her to celebrate after she refines her first fate soul. She did so and I explained that the best opportunity to refine a fate soul was when it just formed, ridding any impure energies from it. The others quickly reached the peak of legend rank thanks to being tied to Ning'er through their soul seas.

Still, Nie Li reached a bottleneck thanks to the vine in his soul realm and the requirements for the heavenly god technique which we both practiced. Eventually the time was up after ten days and we were teleported to the eighth floor of the tower. The demon lord was pissed, but by the time he'd come down, Ning'er had broken through and was stable which meant he'd have to face two heavenly fate experts, one who even outranked him and that's not to mention Nie Li who he tied with before.

He had still broken through to one fate so he was a threat, but not nearly what he'd like I'm sure. We met with the masters from the seven sects and Xiao Yu. I wasn't surprised and instead held my tongue while they divided us up like fish at the market. Ning'er, Ye Ziyun and another girl was headed to an all female sect while Nie Li, Lu Piao and I were headed to the Divine Feathers sect.

The rest of our group was divided further between the rest of the sects. Even the Demon Lord was chosen for a sect with Duan Jian. My brother had his sect as well and he was happy to be going to the draconic ruins realm. He had a celestial qilin as his demon beast spirit so it was a good boost.

We were told we had two months before we were to return and head to each sect so I greeted the nether master as my teacher. Nie Li was surprised I was so quick to do so yet he agreed and did the same with Lu Piao. The nether master told me I was exceptionally gifted with inscriptions to be able to make the formation I did and commented on Nie Li's abilities as well.

He added that I'd even surprised him further by breaking through to the heavenly fate realm like I did and helping Xiao Ning'er do the same. I told him I could do nothing less to secure my fiancé's safety. He quirked an eyebrow and didn't comment. I brought out a box and handed it to him before saying it was a gift of first meeting and a bribe to continue to protect my Glory city as best he could.

He accepted the box and was surprised when he opened it. He thanked me and I shrugged before leaving with the others. Our group headed into the desert where I used my understanding of the law of time to call forth the temporal demon spirit book after Nie Li passed out when he found the place empty. I put the book away and carried Nie Li with us to Glory city.

I sat in meditation after dividing up the spiritual fruits and helping make pools of law water all over the city for each of the families, major, noble and aristocratic. I even made a big one for the commoners after warning them what would happen if they used it recklessly. I taught the legend ranks in the city how to use it properly and drew up a world map for Ye Mo and everyone. I marked each human settlement, left a massive book on laws, cultivation, how to break through each rank, what to look for as resources and basically have them a library of stuff to learn.

They made all the information accessible to the public and had copies made of everything for all the families to store so none of the information was lost. A month in I got bored and had Mewtwo gather waves of hundreds of millions of demon beats to attack the city. For two weeks straight the city was besieged by demon beast and the array held, growing stronger and stronger as Ye Zong, Ye Mo and all the others took turns practicing with it. Soon enough the arrays all grew strong enough to have all legendary rank demon beast spirits in them.

The law arrays kicked on and they grew even more powerful until all the demon beasts were slaughtered in the ancestral mountains. Mewtwo returned to me after having reached the heavenly fate realm as well. Even Dialga had grown to two fate with the shadow devil demon spirit and I'd taken in Palkia as well, bringing it to two fate with it's counterpart. With my third demon spirit, I'd reached three fate hence more meditation and suppression.

I could feel the ceiling of this world and it felt too low. On the bright side my third fate soul was half blue and half purple so I knew it was the influence of my demon beast spirits. When Ye Zong gave Nie Li the Misty Leaf herb, he woke up and the demon lord came to attack. I stopped him and when he changed into his demon beast, I did the same, blasting his ass out of the city in a powerful roar and a spatial beam.

I told him to leave or I'd cross the line and end him even if I had to fight his teacher. He sneered and coughed up blood before fleeing as Xiao Ning'er and the others arrived. Nie Li asked why I spared him and I shook my head. "If I killed him his master would seek vengeance and vice versa. He had no choice except to flee and I saw no reason to die because of a greedy fool."

I turned to Ye Mo. "Be careful with the demon spirit he was after. If you and Ye Zong won't use it, give it to someone who will or destroy it. Having a treasure means nothing if it costs you everything."

I flew back to the city and said my goodbyes to my Du family, brother Chen and the alchemist association. They were growing to become real alchemists and when I went to leave, Mewtwo stopped me, saying he'd stay and protect Glory City. I gave him his Pokéball and introduced him to the family, the city lord and all the families major and not. I told Nie Li that Mewtwo was a unique find from back then and had a sort of bond like the duck creatures did only it was based on trust and friendship.

Mewtwo told him he was on our side and didn't want to see this world destroyed by the Sage emperor. I introduced him to the nether master and warned him Mewtwo could read even his mind alongside being the world's most powerful psychic and smartest being. I told him his powers were mostly psychic based around the mind, but he was as physically strong as any heavenly fate demon beast.

I told the nether master that he would help protect Glory city and gather the humans in tiny world. Mewtwo said he'd rebuild the old human cities and do his own thing when he wasn't needed. I could tell Mewtwo was in the kingdom builder game mood so he'd likely retake tiny world for the humans, having them build outposts and more cities if he can find enough resources to build more hundred or ten thousand demon beast arrays. I hardly cared because he could just mass teleport people out of danger in a pinch.

In point of fact he was already on a fuck it all retrieval mission, robbing the families of the nether realm and anyone else he could find. I chuckled seeing him work and was damned glad I wasn't them. Soon enough he returned to send me off and warn the demon lord that if I die he'd come to the draconic ruins realm and wipe his mind before making him believe he was a duck for the rest of eternity.

The comical look on the faces who heard only made laugh all the harder before getting serious and telling them he meant it. Mewtwo and I fist bumped and I left with Nie Li, Lu Piao and Xiao Yu. At the Skysoul institute in the Divine Feathers sect, I stood in line with Nie Li and Lu Piao, ignoring everything and everyone while I meditated. My armor and swords were put away so they weren't stolen and I was bare chested with the Egyptian look going on.

My necklace and bracelets were on and Lu Piao asked if I could help him learn to read minds. I took out the millennium eye and told him it could do so, but he'd lose his left eye. I told him it could even read the soul. He changed his mind and I shrugged, putting it away.

I told him Mewtwo was unique and could do so because that's where his power lay, in the mind. I told him he could do a lot, but he couldn't cultivate like humans just like we couldn't read minds so easily like he could. Xiao Yu asked if the gold eye could really do it and I nodded. "It's a rank one treasure and barely that because it's five thousand years old and it's power has faded. If it were at full power, it could tear the souls from the bodies of others and store them in objects like a soul puppet."

I scratched my chin and told them my bracelets and necklace amplify my space-time powers when I use my demon spirits. We soon had company so I shut up and went back to meditating silently. Hua Ling and the little heaven disciples came calling for trouble. I just waited and when it was my time to go up, I wasn't surprised to see I was a peak nine grade heaven root.

I shrugged and hopped down, standing beside Nie Li and Lu Piao who had already gone up. Nie Li had expected it because it had been the same as last time for me and I couldn't go higher. I was allowed to take the test for the east district as soon as it comes up so I didn't have to sit through classes with Venerable Redsoul. Xiao Yu brought us to 'his' place and let us stay there for free before offering us spiritual stones.

I shook my head and told him I had a fifty thousand god growth rate demon spirits to sell so I didn't need his spiritual stones. He was surprised until Nie Li clarified that they were regular demon spirits and not dragon bloodline demon spirits. Nie Li knew I had the nightmare demon pot in my soul weapon ring so he wasn't worried. We stayed the night and I helped Xiao Yu to break through with some acupuncture.

He grew to a three fate like me and thanked me once more. When he was done shoring up his cultivation, Nie Li and Lu Piao returned from their first class so he brought us to the first testing ground, a staircase that was in a spiritual well. I ignored everything else and walked up with ease, becoming one with heaven and earth, going on and on until I surpassed even the first place by twenty steps.

I sat in cultivation and drowned my soul sea in heavenly entertainment it craved. I let out my duck and it grew exited, sucking up a lot before becoming a ball again. I put it away and let Yu Yan out. She enjoyed the spiritual well and made good use of it with me.

I broke through twice from three to five fate before Nie Li and the others even finished screwing around. I enjoyed the heavenly energy and smoothed out my cultivation for a bit before breaking through once more. Yu Yan wasn't a slacker either and made great use of the spiritual well, breaking through three times herself before Nie Li and the others were ready to leave. I gestured for them to go on and stayed myself with Yu Yan.

I managed to break through one more time before the well started to be effected by my excessive needs so I consolidated my cultivation and waited for Yu Yan who made it to the sixth fate soul. I nodded to her when she awoke and we left after I put her on my shoulder. No one commented as I left as they were too shocked by my massive progress. Some sighed saying it was the power of my nine grade spiritual root and just luck.

When I returned to the dorm, I heard about Nie Li and Lu Piao's run in with some assholes. I shrugged and meditated in peace with Yu Yan for a couple days until Xiao Yu mentioned another testing ground. I agreed to go and told Yu Yan to stay in the dorm practicing. The Grounds of Ghastly Ruins where spirits destroyed drop soul scales was where we headed to next.

Thirty spirit stones for one thousand scales and every thousand formed into a medium then large scale to carry so one huge soul scale would be worth a million soul scales. I tossed them sacks and yawned before tossing them a soul crystal chain. "Break that if you get into trouble and I'll be able to sense your location and come running. Anyone below heavenly star realm can be dealt with by me so long as there's not more than twenty."

Lu Piao looked like I'd given him a valuable gem more precious than a female's ruby. Xiao Yu took his and asked if I was sure which I just shrugged to. "Yeah, you gave us a home and offered your last spiritual stones. To me you're worth protecting."

I turned to Nie Li who nodded as well, putting his away. I jumped through the portal and ended up in the middle of a ghoul pit. I smiled and all hell broke loose as time and spatial distortion beams ripped the hundreds of ghouls apart. I grabbed a ghoul and tortured it, causing a great many to come my way.

Grinning, thousands upon thousands of ghouls died before the torturing resumed on many of them. I may or may not have pissed off their entire species because an army came running and I just smiled wider as the games began. Several hours later I had a sack full of soul scales when I felt one of my crystals break. I found a group beating on Lu Piao and crucified them, leaving them pinned to the ground, beaten and next to a wailing ghoul.

Lu Piao recovered and took his scales back before fleeing while I headed to help Nie Li who broke his. I found him and Murong Yu with another little asshole. I told Murong Yu to give Nie Li all the soul scales he had and beg his forgiveness or he'd wish he'd listened to my reasonable request. He refused so I removed his arms and legs along with the asshole with him, cauterizing the wounds before beating a random ghoul and leaving it tied up next to them.

It screamed and called for more ghouls while Nie Li and I left. I told Murong Yu that I told him he'd wish he'd obeyed. I'd brutally castrated the both of the idiots, letting the blood help attract ghouls. They lost their fate souls and I tossed Nie Li my sack, telling him to leave so I can get more.

He nodded and left while I headed to slaughter ghouls. As it turns out the teachers had been able to watch everything so when I came out, they gave me a finger shake and a talk about settling our differences. I chuckled and told them I gave them the choice, they just chose wrong which isn't my fault or problem. I told them I'd do the same to anyone that attacks my friend and should they be successful, I'd do far worse to them and everyone they ever cared for.

They said that wasn't the clear heart needed to study the Dao and I shook my head. "I study the Dao of the sword. I am a sword and my sharpness is evident. It's their own fault if they grab my blade and come away bleeding in agony. Maybe you should teach them not to touch sharp things."

I left them flabbergasted as I turned in ten million soul scales even. Three hundred thousand spirit stones was mine and that alone shocked the elders and teachers. I took my winnings home and gave the pot with the god growth rate demon spirits to Nie Li. I told him to go make friends and gain us a footing. I gave them each fifty thousand spirit stones while I went to cultivate.

I gave Yu Yan fifty thousand spirit stones in a ring and she thanked me before going to cultivate in a corner. I brought out my duck thing and gave it a hundred spirit stones, telling it to eat up. The crack of crunching stones soon followed while I cultivated, ignoring my duck-bird thing. I only stopped cultivating to give it more while it slept.

Over the rest of the day I reached the peak of seven fate and broke through to eighth fate. It was a hell of a lot harder outside the spiritual well. Still, at eight fate, I opened my eyes as the sun rose up. I washed up and Nie Li told me they'd been successful in making initial ties to Gu Bei and Li Xingyun.

Lu Piao said Nie Li cured Gu Bei's sister and they souls a lot of demon beast spirits to Li Xingyun. I shrugged and went back to cultivating until Xiao Yu came home weaker than the day before. I stopped cultivating to hear he'd been attacked by Hua Ling and his men. I went with Nie Li to meet Li Xingyun who decided to help us deal with Hua Ling in the outside world.

I put my fate soul in the soul hall and went out with them to deal with Hua Ling. Hua Ling wasn't there, but his men were and they were slaughtered. I'd told Li Xingyun's men to deal with the heavenly star realm experts only. I slaughtered everyone else myself and when I finished, I'd broken through to nine fate.

Nie Li said he really envied me while I shrugged and the heavenly path league members looked impressed. I had only used my swords to kill and yet I'd broken through physically as much as I had in cultivation. Nie Li explained that the more I fight the faster my body grows stronger and in turn speeds up my cultivation. Lu Piao called me a fighting maniac and I gave him a droll stare before we left.

I stopped and when I felt Hua Ling coming and told them to hold on. I faced Hua Ling's group alone and told the heavenly path league to back off. They watched me go to war with Hua Ling and his group. I was a nightmare, slowing them down with time bubbles and even breaking through to one fate star when I killed Hua Ling's strongest supporter, a three star heavenly star realm expert, or now two star.

Hua Ling was beaten within an inch of his life before I let Xiao Yu finish him. He lost his three date cultivation and was sent back to the soul hall so we left. Li Hu, Li Xingyun's right hand man, asked if I'd like to join the heavenly path league. I shook my head. "No, but I'd still like to hunt and war if you all have any enemies. Do let me know when you're ready to fight and I'll help out so I can cultivate faster."

He smiled and agreed to pass on my words to Li Xingyun. I clenched my hands as I felt my strength grow again by a large margin. I'd reached heavenly star realm and now it would take both resources and fighting to continue my path to become stronger. A month later I'd reached five star heavenly star realm after helping gather spiritual stones. I told Nie Li he could have the spiritual stones and the nightmare demon pot with the temporal demon spirit book if he gets me the Rivers and Mountains painting from the auction coming up.

He was shocked and yet he agreed so I gave him the pot, all the spiritual stones and essence I had along with the temporal demon spirit book. I told him I'd gotten it at the desert temple by using my law of time to pull it forth. He happily stored the book and I told him if he betrayed me, that book wouldn't save him from my wrath. He nodded seriously and I pulled out the Slifer the Sky Dragon card.

I hummed and told Slifer it was time. Nie Li watched in horror and fascination as the image of a giant dragon with two mouths appeared over the institute. It was so massive the clouds were only outlines for it and it dived at me. It became an illusive illusion as it shrank when it's face contacted my head.

It flew right into my head and into my soul sea. I closed my eyes and sat down cross legged. I grew three fate stars from Slifer's divine power before my cultivation stabilized and it's power became mine. I hadn't added Giratina because that stubborn asshole was likely to kill me as help me…again!

When I opened my eyes, Nie Li asked what that card was. I smiled. "A deity rank beast soul crystal of sorts. I told you before the eye could rip the souls out of people and put them into objects. Well, it isn't just people though the eye is next to useless now unless you just want to read minds."

I showed him the card and he looked it over. "Slifer the Sky Dragon, a deity ranked beast from over five thousand years ago in the draconic ruins realm. It was put in the tiny world with eight sets of objects and two other cards and four ball objects. The three cards stored the souls of three deity ranked beasts and the four balls stored the real bodies of four legend rank beasts with deity rank potentials. Mewtwo was one such beast alongside Dialga, Palkia and this asshole."

I held up the last ball. "Inside is Giratina and no, it's not a good one. It tried to kill me before the last time I let it out to try and make a pact with it."

I held up the two other cards. "The Winged Dragon of Ra and Obelisk the Tormentor. The other two deity rank beasts so powerful they could potentially destroy the sect even as spirits."

I put them away and yawned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have sleep to catch up on since I'm not killing people right now."

I went to sleep and when I woke up, Nie Li wanted Giratina since I wasn't going to use it. I warned him it's power corrodes all life and he was unconcerned so I handed him the ball. "Oh yeah, and it's huge as fuck so you'll want a lot of space before you bring it out. Do try not to die."

I told him how to bring Giratina out and return it which was simple enough. When it was time to have the auction, I joined Nie Li and Lu Piao. I'd already given the rewards for the Saint soul board to Nie Li including the grade five armor so I had nothing better to do at the moment. Li Xingyun came over with several of his men, happy to see I'd reached eight star heavenly star expert rank.

Nie Li had made a god growth rate dragon bloodline demon spirit for Ning'er like I'd asked a couple days ago so when she joined me, I slipped it to her and held her in my arms. A jealous dumbass came over from the Skyblaze sect, asking who I was to hold his Ning'er. I raised an eyebrow and released my eight star presence, making him fall to his knees. "I'm her fiancé. Now I don't know nor care who you are so piss off before I find a creative loophole that'll allow me to castrate you here in front of everyone. I'm sure I have a treasure that can make you a puppet to my whims."

I took out the millennium rod and made him choke himself. He ran away in a hurry and I put the rod away. Li Xingyun asked why I didn't use such things in the outside world. I grunted. "I like a good fight, not playing puppet master. I live by the sword, not by silly toys."

Ning'er woke up from integrating her demon spirit and I helped her store the one she had before in a cloak. It created a buzzing jolt at her whim and became a sort of lightning armor at full power. Soon enough the auction started and Ning'er didn't move once, simply enjoying my arms wrapped around her. When Gu Bei won the painting, I didn't react and instead waited for the ring it was in to land in my hand.

I stored it away and watched the talent show. I went up after the female announcer and wrote the words: Death, Sword, Life and King. My Dao in each was so absolute that it made Nie Li surprised when I walked off the stage, leaving it there and telling the rest. "For those that are meant for them, my words are yours to view. For the rest, they're no more than a curse that'll make your own Dao's muddled by their presence."

I walked to the game board and close my eyes before making a move, letting my Dao of the king wash over the crowd watching. I picked up the zither and played a tune that spoke of an endless cycle of rebirth, death, life, fighting and ruling, only to start over again. My song washed over the crowd and I stopped, standing and leaving them speechless as I bowed politely. "Please, forgive my talentless hands."

I met the eyes of the holy son and daughter of the two other sects joining us here today and the holy daughter had a tear in her eye while the holy son smiled, greeting me with a nod. He asked for my words and I told him they were a gift to him then for appreciating my words. He tried to pay and I told him money and spirit stones mean nothing to me because I have the heavenly war god physique and I get stronger through fighting which raises my cultivation.

That shocked the crowd to say the least. It basically meant I was guaranteed to become a martial ancestor rank expert fast. I left the stage without another world and rejoined Ning'er while the words were passed to the holy son. I relaxed and held her while telling Li Xingyun I wanted to head out immediately after the other two sects leave so I can break through to the heavenly axis realm and push to reach the Dao of the dragon realm.

He agreed to help and I nodded. He was getting a powerhouse who literally grew stronger and wiped out his enemies while gaining him deity lakes and resources for free. Long Yuyin asked who was better between me or Nie Li. I told her Nie Li was the better teacher because I lacked patience and would simply kill the dumb students to spare myself the headache.

The others at the table laughed while I shrugged and asked her if she'd like a lesson, though I couldn't guarantee she'd survive. She declined easily, saying she already had the perfect teacher then. I turned my attention to Long Tianming, Long Yuyin's cousin and the would be traitor sect master of the divine feathers sect. He wrote the word king and I grunted. "More like tyrant."

My words carried to Long Tianming glared my way and I snorted, dismissing his irritated gaze because everyone heard me. Next was the holy daughter who played the zither, saying she was unskilled compared to the previous person who played it. Still, she played it well and brought a smile to my face. Then the holy son set the chess piece against my own, making me grin.

He had the true dao of the king and I said as much. He nodded with respect to me and Nie Li went up next to write words. When he did, I smiled and chuckled. "Using words not your own to express a dao you comprehend. How cheap yet effective, Nie Li."

Nie Li rubbed his nose and I told the rest the words carried the dao of a sovereign and could be written with absolutely no dao intent because they were designed with the dao in them and carried the dao in itself once completed. The holy son asked to buy them from Nie Li and he sold several words while I chuckled and called him a miser who needed the massive amounts of spirit stones to cultivate. When the talent show was over, I left with Ning'er to Xiao Yu's place.

There I made a copy of the myriad rivers and mountains painting, transferring the tracking essence to it and giving it to Nie Li to give to Gu Bei. I unlocked the painting itself with great difficulty and took Nie Li and the others inside it. I brought out the duck thing and it loved the place. Yu Yan said she'd cultivate in here and I brought out my thunder god meteorite sword.

I suggested Nie Li do the same with the pot and his sword so they could absorb heavenly energy. He did and saw changes in both like my own sword that lost all it's rust and crackled with lightning high in the air. The pot spun and glowed, cleaning itself off as well. I took us out, leaving both duck things and Yu Yan inside.

Soon enough the assholes started coming for words and while a heavenly axis expert came with the assholes, he was only one star so I sent him packing with a warning as I unleashed an ungodly amount of pressure on him. Slifer's power and presence wasn't to be underestimated. When others came wanting words, Nie Li supplied them. Venerable Redsoul showed up wanting words from both Nie Li and I.

Him I was happy to oblige and even Nie Li did so without payment. I went into the room and asked for an hour. When I came out, I handed the Venerable Redsoul a book and several scrolls. I told him the book was a copy of where Nie Li got the words for the auction talent show while the scrolls were my own for someone who might appreciate them.

I told him I'd copied the book myself so if he keeps it that's up to him. Nie Li sweat dropped and wrote a few extra words before Venerable Redsoul took it all. When he was gone, Nie Li asked why and I shrugged. "The stronger the martial ancestors are the more protection they can offer us and the sect as a whole. Besides, we both know that book is only one of a great many. What's the harm in sharing a bit of knowledge of it means more protection for your hoodlum ways."

He rubbed his nose again and looked away before agreeing. I shrugged and made arrangements with Li Xingyun before we headed to watch the Gu family martial arts the next day.

I finished watching Gu Bei trash his last opponent without breaking a sweat or changing. It might help that freakin Nie Li gave him Giratina who accepted the would be sword master/clan head. Giratina was just spiteful for my having caught it at it's moment of freedom and choosing Gu Bei was it's way of getting back at me. Still, it raised Gu Bei from a one fate to a freaking five fate in a single merging.

Afterwards Gu Bei consolidated his cultivation and went up three more fate souls, making him an eight fate powerhouse with the power to cross cultivation boundaries and come out even against a one star expert. When I told the Gu family patriarch to send out a one star heavenly star expert if they really wanted to test him, the patriarch looked to me and I showed him my eight star strength that could challenge a heavenly axis expert.

Seeing I was Gu Bei's friend the patriarch agreed and sent up a one star expert. Gu Bei looked at me and I chuckled. "Kick his ass and show them what a primordial bloodline demon spirit can do when combined with the Dao of the sword."

That sent a ripple through the crowd as the Gu clan elders called me a liar. I shrugged and an ungodly amount of pressure came out of Gu Bei who changed into a human and Giratina mix up. He was like a walking wall of swords and even touching him looked painful. That was before he added his sword Dao to it and made it shine.

He fought the one star expert on even grounds and what's more, he won, if barely. The Gu family elders demanded Gu Bei tell them where he got the primordial bloodline demon spirit. I spoke and told them he got it from me and I brought it from tiny world where an ancient expert left it as an inheritance only it refused to fuse with me so I gave it to Nie Li who passed it to Gu Bei thanks to them being fast friends. The elders wanted to search me for more and I held out my arms, telling them to go ahead if they're willing to stoop so low as thievery of a junior's inheritance from a senior.

The patriarch said it was enough that their Gu clan was blessed once and they weren't without honor. He thanked me and I waved him off saying Gu Bei and Nie Li were my friends so it's not an issue. I yawned saying I'd fused with the other two primordial bloodline demon spirits so losing one out of three to a friend was no hardship. They all sweat dropped and looked at me funnily.

Soon enough Ning'er had to leave and I kissed her lightly, telling her the next time we meet I'd make her my woman officially. She blushed and agreed since we were fourteen going on fifteen and we'd meet again in over a year at least. We said our goodbyes and I passed a book to Yan Yang, the holy son of the Skyblaze sect. I'd given the other I'd made to Ning'er who would share it with Ye Ziyun and Lu Piao's fiancé.

We headed back home where Nie Li finished reaching two fate that night. Xiao Yu died again by one of Hua Ling's men so I went alone and destroyed them before taking the deity spirit from their lake. Nie Li and the others showed up as the lake fell to pieces and Lu Piao complained that I'd had all the fun already. I scratched my head looking to the army they brought and chuckling. "Great minds think alike. Please tell me we have a stronger target in mind."

Nie Li spoke with Li Xingyun and bought several lakes I took the deity spirit from and put in my painting. When Li Xingyun mentioned another deity lake, a mid sized one, I told them to show me. I took one look at it and told them there was a Dao of the dragon lightning serpent guarding the lake. I added that it would be impossible to hold, but I could take the resources and destroy the lake like I did the others if they can distract the weaker lightning serpents and flee when the Dao of the dragon realm lightning serpent comes out.

Li Xingyun agreed and I went in stealth mode as I called my shadow devil. Taking the millions in resources was easy, taking the deity spirit without being seen, less easy and more like a pain in the ass. They began the siege at my signal and I took the deity spirit with accuracy and speed before fleeing. I killed hundreds of heavenly star realm lightning serpents on my way out, using my time-space laws to teleport and yelling for them to haul ass.

They fled while the Dao of the dragon realm beast came after me while I ran at Gu Heng. I tossed Gu Heng an empty space ring and fled while the Dao of the dragon realm demon beast fucked up his army. I literally teleported back to the institute as Nie Li and the others arrived unharmed. Li Xingyun said I lost it and I shook my head. "No, I didn't die, I teleported after tossing Gu Heng an empty ring cause fuck that. I wasn't about to die by demon beast if I don't have to."

Nie Li asked. "You can teleport?"

I nodded. "A secret technique I developed after experimenting with the time-space laws and Palkia and Dialga's power over time and space. It's draining, but I'd rather be tired than dead."

I tossed Li Xingyun. "All the resources from the lake besides what I took. Consider it a gift."

I smiled. "Even I benefited and got my ninth star after I killed so many infernal lightning winged serpents and managed to survive an encounter with a pissed off Dao of the dragon expert."

We headed out after Gu Heng came out of the soul hall. I told him if he'd lost two stars then Gu Bei could kick his ass in person. Everyone with me laughed while Gu Heng spluttered and scowled. Shrugging, we headed to Li Xingyun's courtyard.

Nie Li had given Li Xingyun a god growth rate dragon bloodline demon spirit so he was on our side. The Demon League was recruiting in full force and I was registered as a member as a peak star realm expert. Considering I was bank rolling the league, I sort of had to be a part of it or so they said. I let them do the recruiting awhile I went out to get more deity lake spirits.

I attacked Gu Heng'e men all over the place outside while taking his deity lake spirits myself, all while using my bracelets to make them think it was Long Tianming. When I finished taking all of Gu Heng's deity lake spirits, I'd reached rank three heavenly axis realm. I let them fight it out while I attacked Li Yufeng's Wind Intent League, making him think it was Gu Heng's men.

I practically ran through the heavenly axis realm to the peak of rank eight heavenly axis and that's with the heavenly god tactics cultivation technique that required vast amounts of heavenly energy. My body simply absorbed it from the myriad rivers and mountains painting connected to my soul. When I returned to the institute, I was happily grinning because I'd attacked Long Tianming's lake and made his men think Gu Heng and Li Yufeng had betrayed him and worked together to attack them.

I'd entered the peak of heavenly axis and reached another bottleneck. I told Nie Li, Gu Bei and Lu Piao what I'd done and they laughed their asses off. I told Nie Li how strong I'd gotten and that I'd reached another bottleneck.