20. Welcome Back

The crescent blade disappeared like a speck of fleeting dust. She Feng's face turned dark. He attempted to send another wave of the crescent blade but all of it was knocked back.

The old man's laughter then echoed louder and louder as he swats away the crescent blade as if it was a fly.

"This blade of yours got weaker every time you send one out. I don't know the reason but you're getting weaker, and now that I think about it, your movements have already halted the moment you made your Soul-Beast move."

Shi Feng swung his blade once again in order to gain some form of an upper hand. But doing so was useless as it was simply turned to dust no problem.

"Don't do anything useless, you're just wasting your energy. You can't kill me with that flimsy sword. On the other hand, I can kill you and take your soul, haha, how lucky, I, Jin Mo to have high-quality food walking into my doorsteps."

The Jin Mo's body darted forward; he no longer fears Shi Feng's crescent blades. With his nails, he cut through every single crescent blade Shi Feng sent out, and as he did so, he drew closer to him!

Slash! His nails cut through Shi Feng's torso. The bandages that kept a check on his gash came loose, the poison that dwells in his body.

"Helios Imoogi!"

The tattoo moved away from his head and neck and onto his side. Tightening its grasp on his body, the dark substance stopped wriggling about.

"Foolish move! Now, your head is unprotected!"

Jin Mo retook his balance and darted towards Shi Feng. His eyes was full of murderous intent as he did so. His nails seemed sharper than it was before!

Slash!

"Ugh!"

The scimitar Shi Feng used was cut in two, rendering it useless.

"You redirected my attack with your scimitar? No matter, use any of your limbs and I will soon be able to take your life and I will harvest your soul for me to use!"

Jin Mo's body exuded a black, smoke-like aura. His hands became scaly and his legs morphed to become something close to disgusting.

His nails became sharper looking, and his back became all the more hideous. His shoulders protruded as if it was a deformed pair of wings.

"If I harvest your soul and devour it…I'll finally be able to leave this place."

Shi Feng's breathing was ragged, he turned to look at Jin Mo and squinted his eyes, "That's a surprise, an unaffiliated Soul Cultivator so that's the reason why you're even using the souls of Mortals. Hasn't anyone told you not to use any innocent soul? Or else you're going to die a horrible death?"

Jin Mo's eyes flash with suspicion as he listened to Shi Feng. He took a whiff of the very thick smell on Shi Feng's body and laughed at his words, "You're a hypocrite, aren't you? You too do the same as I. Taking in the souls of Mortals; you and I are no different from one another."

Sighing, Shi Feng stretched his neck, "Well, I supposed you're right. Despite their horrendous crimes they are still Mortals. You're right, though it is looked down upon, it is not a forbidden path to take. If that is the cultivation path you take, then I have nothing else to say. But I must say, considering your age and how low your cultivation is, that must mean you are a coward…and I am not much too different."

"Nyihihi, you can't move anymore and despite your cultivation realm, you are weak because of your injuries. You may be a Soul Beast Cultivator but you can't use it anymore, meaning, you're nothing but a seating duck. I don know why you came here to my cave, with that I thank you. With the soul of a cultivator, I can reach the Heavenly Sea Realm so, I thank you. And as a sign of respect, I'll give you a painless death."

Jin Mo's body was already altered to the very limits. His nails were sharper and sturdier than steel and he was faster than a fully drawn arrow. His body darted forward; his intention was simple and that is to end Shi Feng's life.

Shi Feng raised his scimitar, trying to defend against Jin Mo as he backed away.

He slashed his blade, forth, trying to cut through his enemy's nails. But that cannot happen as the nails of Jin cannot be cut even if he himself did it.

"It's useless! Now, Die!"

Clang!

The scimitar snapped and as Shi Feng was backing away the nails missed its target which is his head but still managed to get his waist where the tattoo didn't cover!

Shi Feng howled in pain as a chunk of his flesh was taken away. Jin Mop's laughter echoed as he bounced through the wall and tried taking Shi Feng's head once more.

The end was coming, Jin Mo can almost tell that he's going to finally rise. His cultivation had realm stagnated for fifty years.

But tonight a change was coming.

"KILL!!!"

He came from behind, however, something about the air changed. Shi Feng felt something open in his mind as he casually turned to look at Jin Mo who was quickly coming for him.

"I supposed I won't be able to see her enter the Sect."

And as he stared at Jin Mo, his life flashed before his eyes and he saw moments that he etched in his mind.

'Live, for our daughter.'

'I'll give you a chance to escape, just make sure to do me a solid when I come to find you.'

'Father.'

A beautiful wife, an unexpected friend, and a wonderful daughter. His memories flashed before him and his Soul Seed that was half black and white began to tremble.

His mind began to raise as his cultivation realm became freed from the shackles, he placed upon it. The serpentine tattoos that covered more than a third of his body began to tremble, quickly, it untangled itself from Shi Feng's wounded side and found its way to his hand.

Jin Mo saw this sudden shift in the atmosphere and felt a heavy pressure boring upon him. But instead of being intimidated and backing off, he stuck to his beliefs as he readied himself to face the opponent.

'He's wounded, he can't do anything, I just need to focus on killing him quickly.'

Thrusting his nails forward, Jin Mo aimed for Shi Feng's head, but his hands stopped as Shi Feng stopped the assault with two fingers alone.

"What?"

With widened eyes, Jin Mo could not believe what Shi Feng had done, "Y-you're not a Heavenly Lake Cultivator?"

Shi Feng's aura had changed. His Soul Seed began to tremble more and more and as it reached its peak, his cultivation was no longer at the Heavenly Lake, Sea, or Ocean Realm. Its level reached all new heights.

Shi Feng's eyes changed as he exchanged gazes with Jin Mo. His body was aching and blood fluid was quickly spreading all over his body, the poison he had received a hundred years ago was beginning to act up.

The stronger Shi Feng became, the quicker the spread, but he can't just stop the increase of his heavenly essence. Right now, Shi Feng had truly unshackled his restraints.

"That's right…I have surpassed that realm hundreds of years ago."

"Y-y-you're a…a Sovereign?"

Jin Mo stuttered and as he came to the realization of what Shi Feng, he didn't hesitate to cut off his hands and turn back to escape.

'I can't confront him! I must escape! Shit, I shouldn't have tried to do something I wasn't used to doing.'

Jin Mo cursed his greed.

However, regrets are one of the few things that cannot be cured in this world and Jin Mo's circumstances is no different. He tried escaping, but there is nothing he can do to get away from the demon, that is Shi Feng.

"Where are you doing?"

Shi Feng appeared before Jin Mo, he clenched his fist and delivered a punch. Boom! His fist landed on Jin Mo's face sending flying up the ceiling of the cave.

Bam! The walls began to crack, as Jin Mo coughed up blood. However, that is not enough to kill him and for this fight, Shi Feng thought that he should at least let loose.

"Helios Imoogi, Soul Tool Transformation." The shadow began to move, slithering about his body finding its way on his hand. Shi Feng looked a the injured Jin Mo, a melancholic smile blossomed.

The tattoo became a two-meter-long halberd.

And as he gathered his heavenly essence, Shi Feng roared aloud!

"The Sun's Wrath!"

From afar, the cave seemed normal. But then, the area began to tremble. The ground began to crack and the cave crumbled. Underneath the pressure of the heavenly essence!

And then, an amber light escaped the cracks and…

Boom! An explosion rocked the world. The beasts began to tremble as the world bowed to the will of a Sovereign. The cave was blown to smithereens, transforming the cave into nothing but dust!

A bright red light flashed, but it disappeared with Shi Feng's figure.

Running as fast as he could, Shi Feng could feel his vitality escaping him.

As the world settled, the people in the nearby town cowered. Those who had been in a deep sleep awakened, frightened at what may happen including Yuan Xiurong.

As she opened her eyes, Yuan Xiurong was alone. In the darkness, there was no one other than her. She could feel no fear, so she stayed. She looked around, trying to see if her father was around, but Shi Feng was nowhere to be found.

She instinctively touched the pendant and began to feel at ease. But as the rustling leaves caught her attention, Yuan Xiurong turned to the right and saw Shi Feng arriving from deep into the forest with black blood flowing out of his wounds and seven orifices.

"Father!"

She managed to shout; anxiousness awakened from her slumbering heart. Her emotions that had been sealed rattled as her reaction proved her humanity.

Her expression trembles, but did not necessarily change. She runs up to Shi Feng with trembling hands as she grabbed onto his disheveled self.

Shi Feng smiled at her, and comforted her saying, "I am fine."

But as soon as he did so, Shi Feng coughed up blood. Yuan Xiurong then felt a hand on his chest, and before she can react Shi Feng had taken the jade pendant that she wore.

She watches in bewilderment as Shi Feng began taking out a number of vats from out of nowhere. He opened them and well-preserved vats of blood and some flesh appeared.

Positioning it to form a circle he then brought out a black skeleton then placing it in the middle of the vats.

Shi Feng brought out the oxcart wheel with the skull and called upon a red wisp.

Yuan Xiurong could not exactly tell what her father was doing but as he cut the wisp in half he sent out the other half to her direction.

The wisp that entered her body caused a massive shock causing Yuan Xiurong's mind to be shaken. She lost her consciousness as Yuan Xiurong heard Shi Feng speak to himself.

"I'm sorry, Rong'er."

Then everything turned to black.

===

Shi Feng picked up his daughter and placed her body to lean on a tree. He staggered as he did so but managed to do it nonetheless. As he was about to part with her, Shi Fen felt something in his heart-stopping him, but as he leaned forward and gave his daughter one last peck on the forehead his heart was already set.

He began to walk with the jade pendant on hand. Shi Feng was hurt but he was dedicated on doing what he believes. He stood before the vats and the skeleton with the pendant.

Summoning the other half of the wisp, he directed it to enter the jade pendant. The will on the other half of the wisp entered and then began fought with the entity within.

"Don't worry, I shall help you digest it."

Shi Feng moved his hands and began oppressing the wisp. And as time passed, the wisp was fully digested.

Bang!

Bam!

"Ugh!"

A powerful shockwave coming from the pendant sent Shi Feng crashing to a tree.

An iridescent light exploded from the jade pendant and then began to float.

Shi Feng stared at the floating pendant. Slowly, it moved and floated atop the skeleton in the middle of the vats.

As the light grew more intense, the heavenly essence began to respond. The vats began to show cracks before breaking. The flesh and blood didn't spill however, instead they were suspended in the air.

The flesh and blood shot up and gathered around the pendant and was then enveloped in a blinding light.

Even Shi Feng could see past it.

'This is amazing.'

The light emitted is the reflection of the soul's power and seeing it this intense made Shi Feng smile.

As his breath began to grow ragged by the second, he finally saw the pendant as it attracted the skeleton.

The skeleton became the base, then followed the flesh and blood followed shortly. Every sinew, every fiber, every piece of the muscle began to form, the organs followed, and then the skin before the hair.

A young man around the age of seven and eight appeared before him. Boring a scarlet mane, and a beautifully crafted body, the young man was someone who will attract the eyes of many,

The young man's eyes showed an intelligent but despondent light, it was a gaze just like Yuan Xiurong's but much different than hers.

The young man lowered his head and saw Shi Feng. He looked at his body with bewilderment as he asked, "Were you the one who gave me life?"

Shi Feng nodded his head.

Leaning on the tree, he groaned as he tried to move. He smiled as he welcomed the man who had underwent nirvana.

"Young Master Hal, I welcome you back to the world of the living."

Hal Estize has been reborn.