It was too late.
Too late.
What followed was silence.
A pin drop silence, but that silence was the most deafening sound they've ever heard.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Three cracks rang out consecutively.
The purple film shattered first, then the needle like object, and finally, the halos on top of the trio sisters.
Then...
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood began to drip from everyone’s seven orifices, leaving crimson trails marking their skin like cursed ink, it was slow at first, then it became steady,
Then some of them, the light in their eyes faded abruptly, like lanterns snuffed out by a cruel wind.
One by one, they crumpled to the ground. Never to rise again.
Stunned, Jin Yu’s swept his gaze across the fallen people.
But nothing shook him more than the sight of Seer.
Blood streamed from beneath Seer’s white mask, trailing down like rivulets of red paint.
When it touched his white robes, it bloomed like fresh ink on paper, startlingly vivid, unmistakably real.
Ding!
Soul attack rejected!
A chill suddenly went down his spine as he looked at the alert.
A soul attack?!
This strong?!
The remaining cultivators moved quickly, dropping into cross-legged positions as they swallowed pills by the handful, trying desperately to stabilize their condition.
But not everyone managed.
The black-garbed sister of the trio collapsed with a low, strangled groan.
Her body writhed slightly, overwhelmed by pain.
The other two didn’t hesitate, they rushed to her side, grabbed her hands, and sat together in a circle once more.
Another set of halos appeared above their heads:white, red, and black, shimmering softly, shielding their minds.
Jin Yu simply watched.
Quiet.
Still.
For once, unsure what to do or even how to feel.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
He shifted his gaze to the fallen.
Two of the rugged men were dead.
One of the couple,The matured looking man too.
Gone, just like that.
"Noo!"
Thud.
A soft, heartbreaking sound broke the tension.
The young girl dropped to her knees beside her partner’s still form.
Her eyes were wide.
Shocked.
Disbelieving.
She reached out with trembling fingers, barely brushing his hand.
Tears spilled down her face, cutting through the blood on her cheeks like rain through dust.
“Mo Qing…?” she whispered, voice quivering with fear.
“Mo Qing-ge..." Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her cheeks, washing the blood from her eyes
“Mo Qing!!” she screamed as she shook his shoulders, desperate, frantic.
“Ah-Qing… wake up, please, I’m begging you…”
She continued shaking him.
“Don’t leave me. You promised, remember? You promised…”
"Nooooooooo!" She screamed in agony as she fell on his chest weakly.
Jin Yu watched it all unfold silently.
Still numb.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to feel, what he could feel.
Then—
A hand landed softly on his shoulder.
“Friend.” Seer’s calm voice cut through the sorrow.
Jin Yu turned.
“Don’t carry this grief. It isn’t your fault.” Seer said, his voice low but steady.
He raised his chin slightly, gesturing toward the treeline.
Toward that darkness still writhing at the forest’s edge.
“That,” Seer said, “that thing is to blame.”
Jin Yu lowered his head for a moment, hiding his expression, or perhaps the hint of grief and guilt in his eyes.
That's when–
Ding!
Influence +10,000
(Emotion provoked: Gloat)
Stunned, he raised his head to look at Seer, but Seer only looked at him with confusion, perhaps about his stunned expression.
Is that him?
No, he has never given me an influence point before.
The others are also injured.
Which means......
He turned to the black shadow in the forest. He questioned it, voice dripping with a chill.
"You are gloating?"
The shadow paused for a moment, then
Ding!
Influence +10,000
(Emotion provoked: Gloat)
Jin Yu's head almost sparked, if only it had a circuit.
Then he declared, a faint crimson hue in his eyes.
"You are dead!"
His voice hadn't fully dropped when he vanished.
In just a millisecond, he appeared two miles away, right in the middle of the shadow.
A black baby like figure stood in front of him, it's black pearl like eyes shining faintly despite the absence of light.
"Waa"
It whimpered softly as it stared at him innocently but the system revealed the sinister Intent lurking behind it's cute facade.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Influence +10,000
Influence +10,000
Influence +10,000
Influence +10,000
(Emotion provoked: Killing Intent)
Jin Yu remain unfazed, then a long sword appeared in his hand, it glowed brightly with concentrated Qi, illuminating the shadow filled area.
Without a second thought, he slashed at it ruthlessly.
But the black baby neither tremble nor cower, it simply stared at Jin Yu with that innocent look as if it was ignorant of the coming doom.
Just a moment before the sword reach it, a voice cut through the air. "Enough friend"
Shrring!
The air screeched as the sword took a sharp halt, an inch from seer's face.
A single strand of pale hair fell to the ground, followed by another.
"What's the meaning of this?" Jin Yu asked coldly, glaring angrily at Seer who stood calmly, unbothered by the sword hairbreadth from him.
Seer spoke. "You can't attack-"
Jin Yu cut him off.
"Cut the crap, I must kill that bitch today"
Ding!
Influence +10,000
(Emotion provoked: Anger)
The black baby growl at Jin Yu softly, except it almost sounded like a whine.
Seer shook his head slightly.
"Calm down friend, the Cradle Cry can't die, well....unless on its cursed day "
Jin Yu brow furrowed in confusion.
Seer looked back at the black baby.
"It carries the Nenru of Shadows bloodline, ordinary means can't kill it, any attack you do to it, will only strengthen it"
Jin Yu was even more confused.
"What the hell are you blabbing about?"
Seer looked at Jin Yu for a beat before turning fully to the baby. He pushed it's bald head with his boot, sending it tumbling to the ground .
"Waaaaaa"
The black baby broke into tears and held it's forehead, looking at Seer with sorrow filled eyes that seemed to ask: how could you hurt me?.
Seer wasn't even moved, he only looked at it with quiet disdain. "Despite it's powerful soul attack, It's physique is very poor, yet it stood unwaveringly before you."
he turned back to look at Jin Yu, who still had his sword raised, then continued.
"It's trying to use you to fill up it's empty reserve, since it used it up earlier."
Seer then turned to kick it again, sending it crashing into the undergrowth.
"Bitch" he muttered.
"Waaaaaaa" the baby bursted into another fit of sorrowful cry but it seems to lack the effects it did before.
"So, we just let it leave?" Jin Yu finally lowered his sword, his murderous glare fixed on the baby.
Seer shook his head.
"No, it's so sinister that it'll come back for revenge"
"Just go straight to the point!"
"Keep it till we reach the central lands, the sorcerers will find out it's origin and kill it"
Jin Yu gave him a glare that seemed to question his mental health.
"Why will I keep that ugly thing?"
"Ding!"
Influence +10,000
(Emotion provoked: Anger)
Seer eyes turned serious.
"It already has it's eyes on you, you have to keep it, or it'll track down your families and kill them"
Jin Yu was stunned. "What?"
Seer nodded. "Yes, sinister is an understatement for that bitch."
