Chapter 208 - One Flick? No, Maybe Two.

Cale looked at Sun Hao for a long moment, his thoughts running in a quieter direction than usual.

’If I kill this guy and see his memories, can I hope to get a few techniques for blood manipulation?’

[Based on the available information, the individual known as Sun Hao does not appear to possess a combat-oriented disposition. His role seems more aligned with that of a spokesperson or representative.]

’Hmm, I thought so too. But seriously, is that technique really so impressive that these guys would literally offer me their dignity? Haha, I hope they don’t start backfiring on me if it turns out to be shitty.’

[It would be advisable for the Host to present the other party with a combat-oriented technique selected from the unused techniques in your possession. This should sufficiently satisfy their expectations and minimize any further inquiries.]

’Right, that’s a good idea to get out of this mess.’

Cale sighed and waved a hand lazily. "Alright, get lost. It’s getting boring now."

Du Xiao’s face darkened. "Boring? Do you not realize what position you’re in?"

"Oh, come on. You’re offering me money, which I have plenty of. A disciple position, which I’m not interested in. And even marriage offers? For gods’ sake, I have a fiancée many people would die to get, so... no, thank you. If you have any other martial skills of equal value, I can trade for those. Otherwise, just leave."

Sun Hao stood up. "You want supreme-tier skills from our sects? No way."

Du Xiao nodded sharply. "Exactly! What would even be the point of this exchange then?"

Cale rose from his seat and glanced at Nex. "Let’s leave. Otherwise, they won’t let us talk in peace."

The two of them stepped out into the corridor and started walking toward the main gate.

They hadn’t gone far when one of Du Xiao’s men came hurrying up behind Cale. He was someone at the Great Circle stage of the Emperor realm, about to break through to the Sage stage. He was likely the strongest in their group, sent along to ensure the young masters’ safety.

"Sir Cale," he called.

Cale looked over his shoulder. "What now? Like I said—"

"I know what you said, but please think from our side as well. If we wanted, we could have simply taken it by force, since it belongs to us to begin with. We’re even offering a price for it. It’s a fair deal. But if you still refuse, we’ll have to take some action."

Cale raised an eyebrow. "Action, huh? Alright. I’m a newly made Emperor, and you’re about to cross into the next realm. So here’s my offer. If you survive a single attack from me, I’ll give it to you. Of course, I won’t use any artifacts, and I hope you won’t either."

Du Xiao came up from behind, listening as the guard explained the deal. A grin spread across his face as he heard it. It was obvious he thought Cale couldn’t possibly kill his guard.

Cale was at the very first minor realm - Low, while Du Xiao stood at the Great Circle realm. After becoming an Emperor-stage cultivator, the number of minor realms increased considerably. Before, there had only been Low, Mid, and Peak. Now it was Low, Mid, Peak, Late, and the Great Circle stage, which would help with body rejuvenation on the way to the Sage stage. The word "Sage" alone was enough to suggest how many new developments waited beyond it.

Du Xiao walked ahead, smirking. "Alright. We agree to your deal."

Cale smiled. "Good. I knew you were a reasonable person. Let’s go outside."

But Du Xiao shook his head. "No, it’s just one move, right? Do it here. Who knows how many people would come rushing to defend you if you lost."

Cale sighed inwardly. ’The walls are going to cost a lot.’

He stretched his arms a little. Nex stepped up from behind and lowered his voice. "Hey, are you sure you can beat this guy?"

Cale looked at him with a smirk. "Don’t worry. Your life won’t be at risk."

Hearing that, Nex let out a long breath of relief.

Cale’s gaze shifted away from Nex, landing on Du Xiao’s guard.

Cale looked at the others, "Get away, else you might die too... hehe."

While that did seem like a joking remark, they all - even Du Xiao, knew that Cale was likely going to use his strongest move for this, so they didn’t think much and ran to the sides.

The air in the room instantly grew heavy.

Despite boasting a cultivation realm demonstrably higher than the white-robed youth standing before him, the guard’s survival instincts screamed looking Cale still smiling.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he forcefully dropped his center of gravity, bringing the flat of his heavy, qi-infused broadsword up to shield his vitals in a rigid, desperate defensive stance. He was a veteran expert, yet staring into Cale’s abyssal eyes, he knew there still was a possibility that he would get heavily injured.

Slowly, Cale raised his right hand. He folded his thumb over his middle finger. The surrounding space violently warped around his fingertip. A microscopic sphere of black energy condensed into reality, swallowing the ambient light around it. It was a Holy Spirit Flame Bomb, but its divine nature had been forcefully suffocated and mutated by the devouring essence of chaos.

The corners of Cale’s mouth stretched into a grin.

"Congrats." he said.

"Huh? For what, don’t joke around," the guard shouted.

"You’re the first live subject, so I am actually looking forward to how much damage there can possibly be if I infuse my essence into it to the max."

’Hmm, if I want it to pierce through without any disruption...’

The abyssal sphere violently distorted, elongating and hardening until it forged itself into the shape of a pitch-black, jagged nail, its flat head resting against the nail of his middle finger. And then, he flicked it.

There was no sound, only the high-pitched tear of space being punctured.

A thin streak of black light bypassed the guard’s defensive aura and his thick broadsword as if they were made of paper, sinking directly into the dead center of the man’s chest.

For a split second, time seemed to freeze. A completely unassuming, pinprick hole marred the guard’s armor.

From the sidelines, Du Xiao and the surrounding lackeys exhaled a shaky breath, some almost scoffing at the anticlimactic strike. An attack that small simply couldn’t be fatal to a cultivator of his caliber; his robust vitality would heal it in moments. But the guard did not move.

His eyes widened, the color draining from his face as a hollow, choked gasp escaped his lips.

A second later, a ravenous fire violently ignited from inside the tiny hole. The chaotic flames did not burn his skin, but they ruthlessly incinerated his internal organs, his meridians, and his very soul from the inside out.

The hole rapidly melted outward with a sickening sizzle, expanding to the size of a coin, then a teacup, and then a fist in the blink of an eye as the black fire hollowed out his chest cavity.

Before the guard could even scream, the chaos energy reached its threshold, and since it was a bomb- BOOM!

The guard’s entire upper body detonated in black fire. The headless, hollowed-out lower torso stood for a fraction of a second before slumping to the blood-stained floor.

As the heavy thud echoed through the room, the mocking sneers vanished.

Cale smiled seeing the result, "Good, its very good! As expected of an ultimate skill, hey Nex, did you see that?? It was cool right?" he asked enthusiastically.

"I... guess, it is..."

The remaining onlookers stumbled backward, while Du Xiao’s legs gave out completely, his terrified eyes locked onto Cale as if looking at a demon who had crawled out from the deepest depths of the abyss.

’H-how! Wasn’t his cultivation higher?! To die from a bastard from the desolate continent, such shame! How will I ever explain it to the sect.’

He looked at the corridor behind, and it was not looking like a corridor of a Royal Palace at all.

Looking at his guards, he sent a mental message, ’kill him right now!’

The silence was shattered by the rushing footsteps. Tens of hostile cultivators surged down the narrow, hall, their unified killing intent locking onto the lone, white-robed figure standing calmly at the far end.

Cale sighed, "As expected, huh."

At the forefront, an elder brandished his weapon, his spiritual energy flaring as he closed the distance with a roar, mistakenly believing the small space gave his overwhelming numbers the advantage.

To Cale, their desperate charge was nothing more than the meaningless struggle of insects marching blindly into a furnace.

Cale slowly raised his pale hand again, extending a single finger directly at the charging elder.

A blinding light of violet, azure, and searing white light instantly condensed at his fingertip. The immense pressure immediately warped the surrounding space, causing the reinforced stone walls of the corridor to groan and violently crack before the attack was even unleashed.

"And here I thought I could stop the bloodshed... tsk, that stinky uncle of mine will definitely ask me for the repairs."

A pillar of iridescent light erupted from his fingertip, swallowing the corridor in a blinding flash of destruction.

The elder at the front was instantly vaporized, his flesh, bone, and soul entirely erased from the cycle of reincarnation before a single scream could leave his throat. Cale had the Quasi Law and Paths of Reincarnation, so devouring someone’s entire existence along with their soul was something which happened to only those whom he killed.

But the heavenly finger technique was a manifestation of ruin, and it did not stop at a single life.

With the cultivators tightly packed in the narrow hall, there was no room to dodge. The beam surged forward like a roaring dragon, instantly engulfing the tens of experts trailing behind the elder.

Dozens of lives were forcefully erased in a fraction of a second, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness and their desperate defensive treasures shattering like cheap glass.

The devastating trajectory of the beam refused to be contained, it tore through the corridor, piercing through consecutive layers of walls, pillars, and grand halls.

With a deafening, earth-shattering boom that shook the entire area, the chaos energy sheared clean through the massive structure. The entire right half of the building was completely obliterated.

"Fuck..." Cale sighed, scratching his eyebrows. While the damage was good, and better than expected, the location wasn’t exactly something he should be destroying at this point of time, right when other nations are entering their kingdom and they should be showing off their own strength.

As the blinding light faded and the suffocating dust began to settle, the once-grand corridor had been reduced to a huge opening, with the howling wind outside.

Standing at the edge Cale slowly lowered his hand.

"Ah shit! My robes... they’re torn!" he shouted seeing the torn sleeves.

’Was the damage too much? I think I should start forming the Mana armor and use the body cultivation technique uncle gave me, and create a better defense for battles.’

In the ruthless pursuit of the Great Dao, sweeping away half a building and a few dozen mortal lives was no different from brushing away a layer of dust. But when the things belonged to you or to someone way too stronger than you, it did hurt your wallets... maybe even your life. So, becoming rich while also getting stronger should be the only path a cultivator should take.