Will To Live

As Aarav left the pill hall, Grand Elder was staring at him from the top of the tower through a window. Suddenly a shadow appeared on his back, the man's body was covered with only black clothes, his face was completely covered as well, even his eyes were not visible. He sat on one knew and kept quiet.

"The man is not simple, keep your distance!"

Without any further movement or reply, the man left silently.

Aarav stood outside the pill hall, checking out the Nine-pills he helped the grand elder to create. They were a very good harvest. The street had many famous shops of the town. The aroma of food being prepared made him drool as well.

"I should buy some for rose as well."

There were many spies of Verli's roaming around the street disguised as normal civilians, keeping eye on Aarav. While the patriarch, grand elder and their men were sitting inside an Inn waiting for him to leave the Pill-Halls vicinity.

The Dark-Serpents of Verli family already covered the locale, they were one of the specially trained assassins, who completed the entirety of their grimy work. Trained from an early age of ten, each of them cultivated the technique 'Dark umbra breath' created by the Ancestors of the Verli's, the method doesn't work in realm progression above 8th stage of the spirit realm, but once practised it takes less than a year to advance to the 8th stage of spirit realm irrespective of their talents. These twenty men of Dark-Serpents are known as Umbrasins.

"father, that bastard is leaving, we should give a chase." Said Derese

"hmm!"

The Verli's Elder took the initiative and left first while the others followed his lead. The men's of Verli family men already covered the entire-region, they encompassed Aarav in a circular formation and followed him by maintaining the distance of 100 meters in radius. They Moved at the same pace as Aarav did.

Aarav suddenly felt some gazes being directed at him. In spite of the fact that they considerably negligible but his instincts were sharper and so he was able to distinguish them.

"Ah, crap what is this now? Law do you know anything?"

[System: Unable to detect due to your low level, so wide area scans are not possible.]

"Just give me a hint, dammit! Anything will work."

[System: Pursuers have been detected]

"Which one of them is it? I knew they won't leave me alone, hah- so much for Hon'ble Top families."

Aarav sped up and started running using Flash Ghost Steps, he then changed his route and went for more crowded location, but before he realised, he was already near the outskirts, and he did not have the option to turn back anymore. Even the pill hall was far from there. he realised that moving further would lead him to open ground and turning back he would for sure be surprise-attacked, the two alternatives are undeniably more disadvantageous to him.

thus, he suddenly halted and stood on a big concrete pole, took the high ground, to avoid any kind of surprise attacks.

"Come out, I don't like to play hide and seek." He shouted

His roar shook them, as Umbrasins were the best assassins of the Verli family and noticing their presence properly was not possible for even void realm experts. The first person to appear in front of Aarav was Verli's Patriarch, followed by the Grand elder, Derese and other four men, while the Urmbrasins remained hidden.

"why are following me?" Aarav asked

"Don't tell me you don't recognise this voice," Patriarch replied

| who the hell is he? Appraise. |

[Name: Eardwulf Linton Verli ]

[Age: 51 ]

[Constitution: None ]

[Cultivation: Prana Void Realm 6th Stage ]

[Title: Patriarch of Verli Family ]

[Skills: Falcons claw Desolation, Nineteen Blessed hammers, Warcry of impatient demon(1/7th), more + ]

[Status: Furious ]

|So, he is the man I bid against before, 6th stage Void - he is powerful, and what's that, furious? Is he angry? His skills sound cool though|

"As if I would remember everyone I come across, and how about you call your puppies out now."

Hearing those words just made him angrier, he then clenched his jaw and ordered them to come out. Eardwulfs eyes were blood red. Though at first, he was wary of Aarav but due to him being short-tempered, he shouted.

"Bring me his neck."

The men surrounding Aarav jumped at him simultaneously, each of them held Twin-Daggers and Aarav realized that they were 8th stage Spirit realm experts and winning against them in a frontal battle is suicide. He flinched but tried to avoid panicking.

Aarav didn't move an inch. It was his first-ever time being cornered in such a situation, he didn't utter a word and kept staring. just as they all drew close to him; for some reason, he felt the time moving slower. He was able to observe their movements more clearly.

[System: Flash Ghost Steps (100%)] ... [Upgraded to Mystic Arcane Low Grade] ...

[Flash Wind Steps (11%) – 120 steps/sec ]

He at that moment heard a chime sound and a screen showed up. His Flash ghost steps attained 100% understanding which evolved the skill from being the soul arcane high rank to Mystic arcane low rank and the name of the skill changed to Flash Wind Steps and now he was able to move at the speed of 92 meters/sec.

He was faster; faster than any of them could ever be, as the tip of the dagger approached his eye, he didn't blink and just kept on staring at it as if he was admiring a picturesque view. In such a situation he understood that martial art is a way of life, and the more you observe the life the more will you grow.

And He just vanished.

The Umbrasins were shocked as they have never ever missed their targets while attacking altogether, as speed is their primary weapon, and they have never encountered a target could keep up with their speed and presence. Though their cultivation is mere 8th stage of the spirit realm, but their attack power and stealth are is something even a void realm can go against.

"How about we stop?" Aarav whispered

With his arms crossed Aarav sneaked up on them stood directly next to the great elder of Verli family. The Grand of the Verli family Leafric Holland Verli was one of the three Great-seniors of the Verli family. Clean-shaved, tall elderly person with sharp eyes is the Advisor to the previous and current patriarch. With the cultivation base of the 9th stage, the pinnacle of the Void realm and he was not able to able to took up his presence at all. Which made all of them restless.

A dagger came flying at Aarav, he then again dashed and stood right next to Eardwulf, however this time Grand elder himself took an action and he excessively ran towards Aarav with the max throttle and sneaked up at him from back, Aarav noticed him and left the spot. The Grand Elder continued pursuing him but failed to even touch him once. He wasn't able to keep up with Aarav at all.

Both of them kept going at it for more than hundreds of moves. At last Grand elder stopped and went back to Eardwulf's side. Aarav did not put much distance between them and stood straight only ten-meters away, it was an act of intimidation. Which conveyed a message, that they were not a threat to him.

The Grand Elder kept his composure and spoke;

"Do you only know how to run?"

"Why you tired? I just simply don't have any desire to begin a bloodbath wherever I go." Aarav answered

"You are a proficient youngster however do you truly think you can harm me?"

"try not to push your luck old man, or you might end up 6 feet below."

"Ha…Ha…Ha, the young are admirable nowadays. Young man, I find your threats empty until I have seen the result with my own two eyes, so how about you make a move and show it to me, as to what you are capable of."

| Appraise |

*Screen*

[Name: Leafric Holland Verli ]

[Age: 89 ]

[Constitution: None ]

[Cultivation: Prana Void Realm 9th Stage ]

[Title: Third Grand Elder, The fanged serpent ]

[Skills: The Red vale Flame, Serpents Inarguable body, Warcry of impatient demon(1/7th), more + ]

[Status: Injured liver, weak Digestion ]

| he is a lot more powerful than I thought, a peak void expert is not someone I can win against, just my luck, fuck. But he got weak digestion and injured liver, that's more unexpected, I guess I can only do that now. |

"I don't want to attack an injured man, but if you say so." Said Aarav in a deep tone

| False-Faith, Bloodlust |

The pressure around him increased many folds and his eyes began glowing red, the air in the surrounding became dense and the ambience of death was all over the zone. The massive emanation of death in the air gave such a dread that shook them to their bones. They all could feel the scythe on their necks, a little they lift their head what they see is a Grim-reaper gazing right in their eyes prepared to end their lives. It was such a dense bloodlust that it covered server miles of land and every living being felt it.

The Umbrasins who were known as Death Gods were shuddering in fear, Patriarch Eardwulf, Young master Derese and even the Grand elder Leafric were no exception. This was a first for Derese to fell such terror and helplessness that his legs got frail and he fell.

Aarav started moving forward step by step, the more he came closer that more the bloodlust increased and the more suffocated they felt.

Despite the fact that it was certainly not a serious deal for void realm experts to fight in such conditions, yet they all were overly cautious cause such massive amount of bloodlust on a cultivator isn't to be messed with and not to be taken lightly, as it tells how many lives they have claimed on their way, and discharging such thick bloodlust implied that numerous lives he took were considerably stronger than him.

"Now, give me your worthless lives."

With the feeling of constant fear and a sharp gaze being directed at them, he felt like a person who stood at the pinnacle of all lives. The leader of Umbrasins approached Aarav from the back, just as he closed the distance between them, and tried swinging his dagger at his neck. but he felt as if he was thrown back and that the world was altered upside down, however that was due to his head being cleaved from his body, it was actually so fast that no one was able to see what simply occurred.

In that short second, Aarav grabbed his knife and made a quick and swift cut on that man's neck, which separated the head from his body and the blood burst out like a wellspring. Each and every man there was stunned at the sight of the death of 8th stage spirit realm expert in a single blow.

When he sensed the killing intent at his back at that point he lost it and before he realised the man was already dead. He was simply attempting to protect himself there's nothing more to it. The feeling he had didn't last long, and the only thought he had after killing the man was – I won't die and will kill anyone who tries to do so. inside he kept repeating that sentence again and again.

Eardwulf and Leafric were the only ones who witnessed that moment appropriately. They thought that talking things out is no more an option and that if they want to keep their lives they have to fight. They both gestured at each other and rushed at him.

Aarav's killing intent gradually increased and combined with his commitment of wanting to live and killing whosoever harms him, his understanding of Skill Bloodlust increased subconsciously.

[System: Skill Upgraded- Bloodlust Lv2 (21%)]

Before they could approach Aarav both of them grovelled, the umbrasins and other men accompanying them fell as well. Though they have faced various battles and war over the years, yet not once they felt as feeble as they did at that moment. It was as if a mountain was placed on their backs, which made them unable to stand and harder to breathe. They were perspiring ceaselessly.

The lv2 Bloodlust emits killing of 100,000, it's not something Void realm experts can endure, even Origin Element realm expert will shudder under that pressure.

"ahh…hhh…pl...eas…e S...to…p !" Eardwulf spoke while breathing intensely.

Aarav took a stride and stood in front of both of them, as he raised the dagger to cleave their heads. Something came towards him with a very high velocity and slammed at him. He suddenly went thirty steps back and maintained a strategic distance from the impact.

[System: Bloodlust - 2 minutes remaining ]