On a small island, so flat that its highest point was a dirt mound four meters above sea level, a massacre was underway. From the sky, dozens of bolts shot down like falling stars, killing the demonic cultivators on the island one by one. Caught off guard, they tried to erect a barrier and failed. Some were lucky; the attack landed directly on their heads, killing them instantly. Those who were not killed directly had to writhe and suffer on the ground, their bodies mangled, burned, pierced, or crushed by shrapnel.

  In total, there were only forty people on this island and a single large, packed house at its center. A small shark spitting condensed qi from its mouth had reduced that house to rubble, while humanoid figures of pure electricity ran down those who fled, catching them from behind before detonating.

  It took Liu Xing only a minute to wipe out the island's entire population. Even then, he just stood within his shield, the sword in his right hand still pristine.

  He looked down, observing what he had done. He searched for those who writhed or screamed in pain, pointed his gun, and killed them with a single shot each. After that was done, he scanned for those who were gravely injured but in better shape than the others, and killed them too. In the end, he spared only one person from immediate death.

  It was a woman, half of her body in the water and the rest on the sand. The tide occasionally washed over her, as if it were trying to swallow her and hide her from the scary demonic cultivator in the white mask who possessed a terrifying aura. The woman wore a black and red robe that indicated she was a disciple of the Nether Lotus Sect. While she was alive and in a condition where she could survive with full treatment, she was in no condition to fight. A spear pierced her stomach, the wound gushing blood. Half of her face was bloody from stray shrapnel from an Exploding Fist bullet, and she was cycling her qi, trying to survive. In truth, the spear was not Liu Xing's, nor was it a result of his attack. It was either a freak accident where his bullets had propelled it, lodging it in her stomach, the result of friendly fire, or someone with a grudge had tried to kill her in the middle of the commotion. Whatever the case, this was the result.

  Liu Xing descended and stood beside her. Terror radiated from her, visible in her erratic pulse and chattering teeth. From her point of view, Liu Xing was indeed terrifying. He had killed every senior and junior she knew in the blink of an eye. Liu Xing suspected that if he left, she would try to dislodge the spear in her stomach and perhaps consume some pills, but it seemed she understood that if she moved, she would likely die.

  Liu Xing pulled the mask from his face, storing it inside his spatial ring and met her gaze. His expression was cold, and his eyes were like black holes that would suck everything in. He was sure this woman would cooperate, considering the gap in their power was too vast. However, it was good to be cautious and maintain a focused expression.

  "I've heard that this island functions as a communication relay," Liu Xing began. "I don't see anything that would facilitate that here."

  On this island, there was no large array formation or fluctuation of qi to indicate the flow of information. The island was also smaller than he remembered from the map, and the reason he had spared her was to answer this question.

  "S-senior," she began, her voice trembling. "T-this little island is the private island of one of the senior disciples of our sect. We are merely his servants."

  Liu Xing looked at her. Her every word was laced with fear, and he understood her meaning. She was here against her will, merely a servant. She was trying to gain his sympathy so he would spare her.

  "Is that so?" Liu Xing asked.

  "Yes," she said slowly.

  Liu Xing rubbed his chin. It seemed he was wrong. This island was not an information relay. Its size was so small that even Wuji Sanren's map did not include it. "I assume the information relay is that way," Liu Xing said as he pointed forward.

  The woman looked at his index finger, then nodded. "Yes, it is that way. If you fly for about fifteen minutes, you will arrive there."

  Liu Xing nodded. "Thanks," he said, and then he pointed the gun toward the woman.

  She saw his gesture and grimaced. Even if she had not seen the gun, she understood what was about to happen the moment he pointed his hand at her.

  "S-senior, can you spare me? I have valuable information that might interest you."

  "Oh, do tell, then," Liu Xing said, still keeping his gun pointed right at her forehead. A part of him whispered of kindness. Perhaps he could spare her. She did belong to the Nether Lotus Sect, but she was merely a servant, and her words were likely true, considering she was only a third-stage Lock Opening cultivator. However, that whisper was instantly crushed by the bitter feeling in his heart.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "My master is one of the few people who knows the layout of the island and the locations of the important sites where the array formations are located. During his breaks, he spends time here with his harem of slaves, and he often reveals secret information. Most of the time, I have one ear pressed to the wall when that happens."

  "In summary, you intend to guide me there. You intend to betray your sect."

  "I am here against my will," she said, her voice growing steadily braver.

  Liu Xing shook his head. "I don't need a guide. I intend to do there what I did here."

  She pressed her lips, trying to think of something else to say. In the end, it was Liu Xing who continued.

  “When was the last time your master came here?”

  "Just five hours ago," she answered instantly. "He said he needed to relieve the stress of his situation. He came and left in just two hours. I suspect he was sneaking away from his duty."

  "I see," Liu Xing nodded. "What information did he blabber about then?"

  She mulled it over for a while, her eyes calculating what information to convey and what to conceal. In the end, she said, "He said that the great sects are specifically attacking information relays. Sooner or later, his place will be targeted too."

  Liu Xing waited, his gun still pointed.

  Seemingly realizing that information was not good enough, she continued. "He said that the Patriarch is undergoing a breakthrough at a secret base. Also, he said there are rumors about a person called the White Ghost, he—" An understanding suddenly dawned on her face. She decided to change her tactics. "W-what do you want to know?"

  Liu Xing pressed his lips. The news of Ye Xuanming's breakthrough made his stomach twist and his grip tighten. He must have achieved that breakthrough because he consumed Qing Yuan. Liu Xing gritted his teeth before inhaling deeply, focusing his mind on other things.

  "Was your master mentioning a mission to get two people? A man and a woman, presumably brother and sister, but they acted like lovers?"

  The chance of her knowing this was so small that he was ready to pull the trigger, but to his surprise, the woman instantly replied, "Yes!" so forcefully that she winced in pain from the spear stabbing her stomach.

  "Do tell me about that, then," Liu Xing said, his heart beating a steady rhythm in his chest like a drum. He knew they were key players in Ye Xuanming's foolish ritual.

  "He mentioned it casually, and he only said that the mission to look for them ended in failure today. However, the mission actually started around a week ago. At that time, it was a low priority. However, it suddenly became the highest priority. To the point that several of his servants were ordered to look around, since the last sighting was nearby."

  "Failure, huh?" Liu Xing muttered. On the one hand, he was happy because it meant that the man and his presumed sister had not yet been captured by the Nether Lotus Sect. But on the other hand, it also meant that he needed to find them before the sect did.

  "Yes, but not because of incompetence, we merely lacked time. If we had more time, we would find them."

  "Tell me then, where were they sighted? Was it a nearby island?"

  "Not an island, no," she shook her head. "The open sea. Both of them were riding a medium-sized white whale."

  Upon hearing that, Liu Xing nodded slightly. He remembered the fight on the ship, where the man controlled the whale and Tide Walker, who had a higher cultivation level than him. In the end, Tide Walker had followed Liu Xing, but the whale had remained firmly in the man's grasp. It was enough evidence that she was telling the truth.

  Liu Xing began to ask her more, and she gladly answered his questions. The last sighting was indeed nearby, about five hours by a normal sailing ship from this small island. However, the whale had been seen moving south. Considering that the information relay was also located to the south, he decided he would go there, massacre more Nether Lotus Sect members, and then try to catch up with the man who controlled the white whale.

  At that moment, he refocused his attention on her. "Thank you, your information is very valuable to me," he said, but he still pointed his gun at her.

  The woman knew it. She grimaced, then sighed. "I have no chance to live, do I? From the start, you never intended to let me live."

  "Tell me," Liu Xing replied. "If our positions were reversed, would you spare me?"

  The woman's grimace deepened. Both of them knew the answer.

  "Do you have a grudge against the Nether Lotus Sect?" she asked.

  "Yes," Liu Xing answered.

  "Me too," she said with a self-deprecating smile, looking toward the spear that had accidentally stabbed her. "I was kidnapped when I was a little girl. They said I had the talent to become a cultivator, and I took it, even though the price was steep. I lost my dignity, killed so many people, and probably lost my humanity too. Every breath I took, every moment I had, I always thought about how to improve, whether my position or my cultivation. I realized what I yearned for most was freedom. Freedom to just stare into the blue sky, lie on the beach, and enjoy the moment."

  "If you could turn back time, would you do things differently?" Liu Xing asked.

  She smiled at him. "Yes. I would choose to end my life the moment everything started."

  Liu Xing looked at her for a moment. Her face turned serene. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sand on her back, the sea on her feet, and the sun shining down on her body.

  "Kill them all," she said.

  Liu Xing nodded, pointed his gun, and pulled the trigger.

  3 4 patrons? If you enjoy the daily chapters, please consider joining them to .