Chapter 123: The Stone of Life
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Cao Yi suddenly went berserk. He destroyed everything he saw, relying on his own strength enhanced by spiritual power. The devastation he wrought was immense.
By the time the natives arrived to inspect the area, the entire formation had already been reduced to ruins. Amid the wreckage, the two inspectors discovered Cao Yi, the culprit.
With a thud, they landed beside him.
Cao Yi stopped his rampage and looked at them. Seeing that they had wings and looked nothing like him, he stared at them in confusion.
Then green light began to glimmer in his eyes, and a sinister smile spread across his lips.
“Roar!”
With an enraged bellow, he lunged at them.
He intended to tear them apart just as he had the tiger beast before.
These two natives had been sent by the Black Elder to inspect the area. Now they saw that Cao Yi was alone—and that he had destroyed the formation so thoroughly.
The two exchanged a glance, killing intent flashing in their eyes. When one of them saw Cao Yi charging toward him, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He thrust out a fist.
The blow was aimed straight at Cao Yi’s head.
Cold light shimmered around the fist, which contained profound spiritual power. An ordinary person struck by it would likely have had their head blown apart.
But Cao Yi was no ordinary man. As a cultivator, his body was strengthened by spiritual energy. The fist only struck the side of his mouth.
With a sharp crack, Cao Yi’s face was knocked aside, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Cao Yi touched the corner of his mouth. Seeing the blood on his hand, he raised it to his lips and sucked it clean, a wild delight flickering in his eyes.
After tasting the blood, he became even more violent.
The man had not yet withdrawn his fist. Cao Yi looked at the hand that had struck him, gave an evil smile, and seized it with both hands.
“Argh!”
He sank his teeth into it.
“Hmph!”
The man was completely stunned by the sudden attack. He had assumed that even if his punch failed to kill Cao Yi, the two of them would soon engage in a proper battle.
He had never expected Cao Yi to bite into his hand like a wild beast.
The man instinctively drew in a sharp breath. Then, acting on reflex, he kicked Cao Yi away with a bang.
Looking down at his hand, he saw that Cao Yi had bitten off a piece of flesh.
Although the man had kicked Cao Yi away, Cao Yi had refused to let go until he had torn the flesh free.
The man glared at him furiously. Cao Yi lay on the ground, still clenching the piece of flesh between his teeth.
He spat it out, then licked the blood from his lips.
“Is this man a lunatic?” the injured native demanded angrily as he looked at Cao Yi.
He spoke to his companion, who had also been startled by Cao Yi’s actions. The other man turned and stared at Cao Yi as well.
Cao Yi had not spoken a single word all this time, and his behavior was nothing like that of a normal person.
The second man hesitated before saying, “Could he be a beastman? But he doesn’t seem like one. Look at his eyes—they resemble a beast’s, yet there isn’t the slightest trace of a beastman’s aura coming from him.”
After discussing the matter, the two exchanged a glance.
The one who had been bitten spat on the ground. “Damn it. Who cares what he is? I’m going to teach him a proper lesson today. Let’s capture him and take him back for the elder to deal with.”
“Fine.”
After reaching an agreement, the two advanced and surrounded Cao Yi.
By then, Cao Yi had already risen to his feet. As he looked at the two men around him, clarity briefly returned to his mind.
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The kick had shaken loose the dark mist in his mind for an instant, suddenly restoring his awareness.
He stared at the two men in bewilderment. He had never encountered anyone like them before.
Then he surveyed his surroundings and found them utterly unfamiliar. He had no idea what had happened to him.
He could still remember some of the things he had done while he was not in control of himself.
As those memories returned, panic and fear stirred in his heart.
What had happened to him?
Had he gone mad from deviation?
His expression grew grave.
While he was thinking, the two men closed in around him.
The one Cao Yi had bitten in particular no longer bothered with his fists. He drew his sword and thrust it toward Cao Yi’s heart.
Cao Yi reacted quickly. He produced his fan and met the sword with a ringing clash, then leaped away.
Using the tips of his toes to push off the ground, he shot into the air and flipped backward, landing safely some distance away.
With a solemn expression, he looked at the two men and asked, “Who are you? Why have you appeared here?”
The moment they heard Cao Yi speak, the two men exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Cao Yi’s eyes had clearly been completely green only moments ago. Now, half of each iris had turned black, while his vertical pupils had disappeared and were gradually returning to those of an ordinary human.
Neither man understood why Cao Yi had suddenly changed.
The one who had been bitten snorted coldly. “Hmph. You trespassed onto our territory, yet you still dare to act so arrogantly. Surrender at once and come with me to see the elder. Otherwise, you’ll suffer for it.”
Although they did not know why Cao Yi had suddenly regained consciousness, that did not prevent them from taking him into custody.
His sudden return to sanity merely made matters more troublesome.
Cao Yi’s expression turned even colder. Faced with the hostility of the two men, how could he allow himself to be captured so easily?
He knew nothing about these people or this place. He had been plunged into total darkness without the slightest information, and all the more reason not to let himself be defeated.
“Gale Force!”
With a shout, he launched the first attack.
A powerful gust swept toward the two men, carrying blade after blade of ice within it.
The natives hurriedly drew their swords and defended themselves, the air ringing with a chaotic clatter.
Taking advantage of the opening, Cao Yi raised his flute and blew into it.
The mournful notes summoned his contracted beast, the Phoenix.
“Roar!”
The moment it appeared, the Phoenix gave an arrogant cry and spewed a massive stream of ice and fire at the two men.
They had only just managed to deal with the ice blades when another wave of ice and fire came rushing toward them.
“Ah!”
One of them had no time to defend himself. He was consumed by the ice and fire and burned to ashes.
The other narrowly dodged the attack, though he was injured.
The elder had never imagined that the intruder would be so powerful. He had casually sent only two men to investigate.
At that very moment, the Black Elder frowned involuntarily. His expression became extremely grim.
Seeing this, the master seated in the great hall asked, “What happened? What could make you look so troubled?”
The Black Elder bowed his head and replied, “Master, one of the two men I sent has already fallen. I ask permission to investigate personally.”
“Oh? In that case, go and see what happened.”
A flicker of interest appeared in the master’s eyes as he gave the Black Elder permission to act.
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The Black Elder bowed to his master, then turned and left.
His aura was cold and laced with fury. He thought bitterly, Who could it be?
The Black Elder produced two black stones and examined them. One emitted a faint glow, while the other had already shattered.
These were the life stones of his subordinates. The broken stone belonged to the man who had just died.
The stone glowing faintly indicated that the other man was gravely wounded and on the verge of death.
When the Black Elder reached the entrance of the great hall, he waved a hand, and his entire body vanished in an instant.
Meanwhile, Cao Yi took advantage of the brief period in which he remained rational. He struck without mercy, killing one of the men and seriously wounding the other.
Realizing that he was no match for Cao Yi, the surviving man turned and tried to flee.
Cao Yi flashed after him and appeared directly in his path. He pressed his fan against the man’s throat and gave it a light flick, opening a thin cut.
The man immediately stopped, afraid to move.
“Don’t do anything rash!” he begged.
Cao Yi ignored his plea and asked coldly, “Tell me. What kind of place is this? And who are you?”
The man’s eyes filled with fear. He could feel the fan against his throat like a razor-sharp blade. With the slightest motion, Cao Yi could take his life.
The man was overwhelmed by the unmistakable scent of death.
He hurriedly waved his hands. “Wait, don’t get excited. This is Skyfeather Mountain. As for us…”
He hesitated.
“Hmm?”
Cao Yi’s gaze turned cold, and he applied a little pressure.
The man felt a chill at his throat. Lowering his head, a flash of cunning passed through his eyes. He quickly said, “We’re residents of Skyfeather Mountain. You’re the one who trespassed onto our territory.”
The man explained himself with a thoroughly cowardly expression.
Upon hearing this, Cao Yi carefully examined him. He lifted the man’s chin with his fan and met his eyes, trying to determine whether he was lying.
At that moment, green light began to flicker in Cao Yi’s eyes once more.
He clutched his head.
“Urgh!”
With a loud cry, he once again lost control of his emotions.
With a bang, Cao Yi punched himself forcefully in the head, managing to regain a trace of clarity.
But in that instant of distraction, the man on the ground saw that Cao Yi had lowered his guard. He hurriedly snatched up his short sword.
“Go to hell!”
He thrust it toward Cao Yi’s chest.
With a wet sound, the sword pierced flesh.
Cao Yi threw back his head and let out a wolf-like roar.
The last fragment of his reason controlled his fan. With a single vicious stroke, it became a weapon that severed life itself.
The man’s throat was cleanly cut.
Cao Yi then drove his foot into him with a furious kick, sending the man’s entire head flying.
A moment later, Cao Yi collapsed to the ground as well and lost consciousness.
The blade remained embedded in Cao Yi’s body, and blood welled continuously from the wound.
When the native Black Elder arrived, this was the scene that met his eyes.
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