Chapter 46: The power of a true genius

"So this is the power of a genius chosen by a cultivator from the Land of Divine Light... A true genius... I was arrogant..."

David’s words came out faintly, almost a whisper, as the blade of his sword shattered against Kael’s spear.

Shards of steel flew in every direction, clinking against the rocks and vanishing among the dry leaves on the ground.

They weren’t on the same level. Not even close.

When the sword met the spear, it was like a twig colliding with a mountain. A sharp crack, and then nothing.

All the power behind the technique was snuffed out in an instant.

Kael’s Qi, at least twice as dense and abundant as David’s, crushed everything.

Every layer of pressure, every remnant of strength David had poured into that strike simply vanished, like smoke scattered by the wind.

Honestly, David had never been a particularly talented disciple.

Sure, he was strong among the outer disciples of the Golden Alliance Sect, but at the end of the day, that was all he was.

He never had a real chance of advancing to the level of inner disciple.

Not even with the help of his family, which was quite powerful and had even secured him a sponsor within the sect.

In desperation, the only plan David could come up with was to take Seraphine and, using that demonic technique, forcibly boost his own talent.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

Kael’s spear sliced through the air with a short whizz.

David’s head flew.

A streak of blood traced an arc through the forest’s twilight before the skull hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled until it came to rest against a tree root, its eyes still open, staring into nothingness.

Kael had crushed him as easily as he would crush a cockroach.

That had never been a fair fight.

He let David’s body collapse beside Sol’s, the smell of hot iron spreading through the damp forest air, and then his eyes turned to Lucian.

Lucian was already on his knees, trembling from head to toe, his pants soaked with urine and a dark puddle spreading in the dirt beneath him.

Clearly, that had been a bit too much for him.

Kael reached out toward the ground.

He had a little trouble—the surrounding stones trembled and rolled aimlessly for a moment—but using his Qi, he managed to draw one of them into the palm of his hand.

He closed his fingers around it, feeling its cold, rough weight.

That was telekinesis. Something Kael shouldn’t have been able to use at his current level.

Still, after improving his foundation to the Earth level, he had begun to manage it, even if only unreliably and always somewhat clumsily.

"T-tele-kinesis? Impossible! Only a Golden Core cultivator should be able to do that, how can—"

Lucian finally fell silent when Kael hurled the stone.

A wet thud echoed through the trees.

The stone sank into his forehead and burst out through the back of his skull, carrying with it blood and fragments of bone that scattered across the grass behind him.

His eyes stayed wide, filled with tears and regret, as his body toppled sideways onto the ground, raising a thin cloud of dust.

[You have killed Lucian Ashen, husband of Seraphine Ashen.

Seraphine Ashen has now fully submitted to you.

Remaining resources to be extracted from Lucian Ashen are being converted...

Congratulations, you have received: 1x Rank C Mystery Box]

Kael turned his face to the side.

Sol was still alive. He whimpered softly, even without a heart, sustained only by the last shreds of his Qi.

He tried to speak, but every word died in bloody gasps, red bubbles bursting at the corners of his mouth and dripping down his chin.

Kael casually stepped on his head, ending his suffering with a muffled crack, like a thick branch snapping underfoot.

He didn’t care what Sol had to say.

Nor did he worry about the bodies. The beasts of the forest would take care of everything before dawn.

Using his Qi, he burned away the blood staining his skin and clothes—a thin wisp of smoke rising from his arms with a faint scent of scorched iron—and then turned to Seraphine, who was cowering behind him.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, her delicate shoulders trembling, but her eyes never strayed from his.

Kael bent down and lifted her into his arms, like a princess.

One arm slipped around her slender back, his hand gently cupping her shoulder, feeling the faint tremor still running through her body.

His other hand slid beneath her thighs, his fingers sinking lightly into the soft, warm flesh as he lifted her against his chest. She was light—almost nothing in his arms—and she instinctively curled up against him, her face hidden against his collarbone.

Of course, she only felt light to Kael because of his power. With breasts that big, it was hard to be truly light.

Her waist was so thin it seemed it might snap in the wind; her arms, face, neck, and feet were all so delicate, but her tits, thighs and ass more than made up for the lack of fat on the rest of her body.

Paying no further attention to the corpses, Kael set off.

His body cut through the forest.

No longer needing to slow his pace to keep up with Seraphine, he ran much faster, the wind whistling in his ears and the branches whizzing past like dark blurs on either side.

It had only been a few weeks since he’d arrived in this world, but so much had changed.

Now he was a killer, with the blood of three men on his hands.

Well, not that he regretted it. Not at all.

Kael was no longer on Earth, and he knew it.

He couldn’t let himself be swayed by the idiotic, simp playboy he’d been back there.

Because of that, if Seraphine had sided with those three, he would have killed her too. Without a shadow of a doubt.

He was glad to know she was a smart girl.

Glad to know she’d managed to act beyond her own emotions.

"Where are we going?" Seraphine asked, her voice muffled against his chest, her fingers slowly closing over the front of his shirt.

"Somewhere dark and quiet... you need to get some sleep, rest your mind. Then we’ll continue our exploration of the Secret Realm," Kael whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin and sending a slight shiver down her spine.

He had already done the most important thing he needed to do in that Secret Realm, but even so, he wanted the Recruitment Token from the Golden Alliance Sect.

Kael kept running for a few more minutes until he found a suitable tree.

It was thick, imposing, and tall, reaching about a hundred meters into the sky, with a trunk so wide that ten men with outstretched arms couldn’t have encircled it.

About seventy meters above the ground, a hollow ran straight through the trunk from one side to the other.

One of the openings was small, just large enough for the wind to pass through. The other was wide enough for an adult to enter without difficulty.

Kael climbed the tree with ease, his feet finding footholds in the thick bark as if it were a ladder, Seraphine still secure in his arms, her soft tits jostling lightly against him with every step upward.

He used his fire Qi to clear the hollow of insects and moisture; the scent of warm wood spread for a moment, and once the interior had cooled, he stepped inside.

It was dark, and thanks to the wind blowing between the two openings, the air didn’t feel stuffy, keeping a pleasant temperature.

From above, the rustling of the treetops sounded low and steady, almost like a lullaby.

Kael sat down with his back against the wood, settling Seraphine on his lap. Her soft thighs spread slightly over his, the warm, generous weight of her ass sinking against him as she nestled in.

"Get some sleep." Kael kissed Seraphine on the forehead, feeling her relax a little more in his arms, her small body finally going still. She nodded faintly before closing her eyes.

"Okay... d-daddy~ this concubine is going to sleep well," Seraphine whispered.

This time, she felt no shame in her heart as she called Kael "daddy."