★Flashback ★
A week ago.
Three men, Yi sheng, Xiu Min and Wu Jiahong sat on a mountain peak, looking up at the evening sunset.
"You are almost there Wu, don't disappoint me." Yi sheng said seriously.
"Don't jinx it, I believe in him." Xiu Min added playfully.
Wu Jiahong didn't share either of their expression, rather, his face was placid, he continued staring at the Golden Sun.
But then he suddenly ask.
"Why do the Jin Family use Golden Sun and Dragon as their symbol?"
Su Min raised his brow and asked.
"Why the sudden question?"
"Nothing, just."
"I don't really know, do you, Yi sheng?" Xiu Min asked.
"No, why don't we ask our Elder brother, I'm also curious"
Wu Jiahong looked at Yi sheng. "Elder brother?, Who?" He asked curiously.
Both men chuckled as they exchange glances.
"You don't know yet, do you?" Yi sheng teased.
"What?" Wu Jiahong was confused.
Xiu Min locked his arms across Wu Jiahong neck and play-slap his cheek.
"When you hear 'our Elder brother', that refers to the one and only Chen Haoran of the Jin Dark army, un.der.stand?"
Wu Jiahong looked at him with a strange expression before nodding.
"Okay, don't strangle me" he shook Xiu Min's arm off.
That expression didn't go unnoticed by the two.
"What's wrong?" They asked in unison, staring at him with hawk-like eyes.
Wu Jiahong looked between the two and laughed awkwardly. "Nothing."
Yi sheng eyes narrowed. "You better spit it out or I'll suspect you."
Xiu Min nodded in agreement.
Wu Jiahong scratched his head in embarrassment. "It's really noth-"
"Shhh." Xiu min put a finger on his own lips, cutting Wu Jiahong word off.
"Don't you dare lie." Yi Sheng pressed.
Wu Jiahong looked between the two, a little helpless.
"Fine, I've just always been curious...."
"Okay?" The two nodded, attentive.
Wu Jiahong hesitated a little before asking. "....Despite so many experts and talents in Jin dark army, why do you all answer to a mere Essence Core Realm cultivator?..... I know he's Master Lin disciple, but still..." He trailed off, but no more words were needed, his question was as clear as day.
Both men expression dropped, as if he had asked a forbidden question.
They stared at each other for a moment before looking at Wu Jiahong.
In that moment their eyes met, something like 'Fear' flashed across their eyes.
Wu Jiahong instantly caught it.
His eyes turned solemn. Fear?
A long while passed before Xiu Min spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Why?..." He looked at Wu Jiahong, the look in his eyes was one Wu Jiahong had never seen before, during their years of friendship.
"Why do you think all those hidden experts and talents never dare disobey a mere Essence Core Realm cultivator?"
Wu Jiahong heart shook hearing the question.
"Why?" He asked quietly, dreading the answer.
Yi Sheng gave him a long, strange stare before speaking.
"When you finally get your answer Wu, pray you are just a bystander."
Xiu Min also gave him the same stare, one that speaks louder than any word.
Wu Jiahong lowered his head, his heart filled with torrents of thought. But it is only one he desperately wants to know.
Who exactly is Chen Haoran?.
★Flashback ends★
Chen Haoran suddenly stood up. The three instantly followed suit and stared at him, awaiting his order.
He finally spoke, each of his words heavy with anger. "We Jin dark brothers fight with every essence of our lives on the line before qualifying for the army, yet some stray bastards dared use our heavenly name without the strength to back it up..." He looked sideway, his eyes distant.
The three men frowned, their thoughts aligning. Who are courting death?!
"... Even their useless life is not enough to pay for their sins" Chen Haoran voice became dangerously low as he finished.
He looked at the three men and asked.
"What do we do to sinners?."
"KILL!. BURN!. DESTROY!"
The three men shouted in unison.
Chen Haoran nodded, his eyes turning colder.
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"They mistook the quiet dragon for a lizard, it is now time for them to burn in our wake."
"BURN! BURN! BURN!" the three shouted again, Fury lacing their words.
Chen Haoran fixed his eyes on Yi sheng.
Yi Sung didn't wait to be called, he answered immediately. "Yes Brother!."
"Gather the strongest unit in the Zi(bronze) Rank, those home and far, we will meet at City Of Vled, it's time to settle all grudges."
"Yes Brother!" He shouted and walked out.
He turned to Xiu Min.
"Xiu Min Awaits Order!."
"Gather the strongest unit in the Ri(Silver) rank, it's time to collect our debts"
"Yes Brother!"
Chen Haoran turned to Wu Jiahong.
"Wu Jiahong at your command!"
"Follow me." He said and walked out.
"Yes!" He followed without hesitation, yet doubt stirred in his heart.
What does this have to do with rewarding me?.
------
Unwilling to accept what he saw, Jin Yu bursted into motion, sprinting towards the ruined city.
He didn't bother clearing a path, his unassailable aura was doing just that.
Bang! crash!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Ding!
Next breakthrough available.
He couldn't process the breakthrough alert before another torrent of notifications came crashing in.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Killing Intent pressed down on him from all sides as he threw the horde into disarray.
Like an ant carving its own trail through a forest of giants, he forced his way forward. Any beast foolish enough to remain in his path was torn aside in the same instant.
Bam!
He slammed into a mantis-like creature with a great curved horn sticking out from its head.
SSSSSSSIIIIIIIIII!
The beast shrieked in both Fury and pain as it toppled backward, crushing hundreds more behind it. The impact sent shockwaves through the swarm, miles became clear as beasts continued crashing into each other in a violent cascade.
Jin Yu didn't hesitate, he dashed in with unstoppable momentum, but hundred others soon closed in front every side.
BOOOOOM! CRASH! BAM!
Bodies shattered and earth trembled beneath the weight of their fall.
Snap!
A blue slimy tongue snapped towards his head from an unknown place
Whizz!
A jagged knife-shaped stone came flying towards his back.
Dash!
Jin Yu took a sharp dash forward, evading both attack, but four more was waiting for him at the front, and the blue slimy tongue curved mid-air, whipping towards him again, going for his heart.
Boom!
The ground made a booming sound as Jin Yu jumped up, the tongue reached where he was moments ago before curving after him again.
Jin Yu's feet landed on the head of a beast with a serpent head, the force sending it crashing to the ground.
Whizz!.
The blue tongue was unrelenting, it chased after Jin Yu as he dashed through the swarm.
But Jin Yu was always ahead of it. He didn't even bother looking for the one who owns it. He kept moving forward.
This continued for a long while as he went deeper into the city.
Suddenly, something changed.
A wave of killing intent erupted, flooding thousands of miles in an instant. The blue tongue recoiled, even the world itself seemed to recoil.
GRRRRRRRRAHHH!
A deep, sonorous sound echoed throughout the land.
Jin Yu head whipped to his left and his eyes widened slightly.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD
The ground quaked, a thunderous pound shaking the broken earth as a rhinoceros beast charged towards him.
Its massive frame tore through the lesser beasts in its way, flinging their bodies aside like scattered leaves before a storm.
Muscles rippled under its stone-like hide, the jagged horn jutting from its head glinting with lethality. Dust and debris billowed in its wake, the air reeked of crushed blood and torn flesh.
The beast was a mountain in motion, a wall of flesh and fury barreling toward him.
Jin Yu lips parted in disbelief.
Bitch, you are a profound beast, are you trying to bully me?!
The beast was merciless in it's charge, thousands of lesser beasts had died under it massive feet. In less than ten seconds, it will reach Jin Yu, but rather than run, he only shook his head in pity, not for the beast, but himself.
"What a waste of Point." He muttered.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The land split and shuddered under the beast collosal weight.
Jin Yu pointed at the beast and commanded arrogantly. "System, control that bitch!"
Ding!
Target locked.
Which dominion point do host wish to use?
"Fuckin twenty four hours!, do you expect a damn second?!" He asked angrily.
The beast closed in, only a heartbeat away, when–
Ding!
Olmez of Ruins Beast successfully controlled.
Controlled Beast data available.
In the same instant – A deep Red clouded the beast's whole eyes before vanishing the next moment.
Then— SCCCCCCRRRRAAAAGGH!
An ear shattering, grating sound echoed across the land as the beast suddenly skidded to a halt. The stop was so abrupt it seemed to crash against an unseen barrier, one it could never cross.
Towering as tall and broad as a bungalow, the beast loomed over him, its single horn five times Jin Yu’s size. In its shadow, he was little more than an ant.
Jin Yu’s gaze swept it from horn to hoof. “You are anything but cute,” he said flatly, “but you’ll do.”
He raised a finger, eyes glinting. “Now… trample any beast that dares cross my path.”
Grrrraaaa!
The creature rumbled low in it's throat, a growl of approval.
“Good.”
Without hesitation, Jin Yu stepped beneath its vast frame, his footfalls steady as if walking into the shelter of a mountain.
Boom!
The ground quaked as the rhinoceros beast took a step forward.
Beneath it, Jin Yu walked with measured steps, calm and unhurried, as though the monster existed solely to shield him.
And the beast made certain of it. Not even a fly was able to draw near and those that dared were reduced to pulp beneath its hooves, torn apart by its sweeping horn, or scattered in panic before its crushing presence.
The horde parted before them, lesser creatures tripping over one another in their desperation to escape. Those bold enough to hold their ground met only swift annihilation.
The path carved ahead was clean, smoother than Jin Yu had expected, as if the chaos of the battlefield bent itself to his will.
"Very good" he muttered.
His eyes swept over the creatures that caused him so much trouble earlier, though they weren't his match, an unending horde could definitely wear him out.
How I wish I could annihilate this bitches, but I'm in a hurry.
He shook his head and picked up his pace, a single step of the beast is more than ten of his.
The deeper they went, the clearer the stone homes scarred by the tide of beasts.
Jin Yu looked around the ruined City that was beyond saving, not a single house was standing.
Though faint, a creeping fear slid into his heart.
What could have turned such lively City to an empty vessel?, Or....whom?
He quickly collected himself. I caused the beast horde, not the vanished people.
Though he reassured himself, he hoped, absolutely hoped that whatever took these people didn't touch his woman. Else, even if he had to search the depth of hell to find the person, he will.
The street was damaged beyond recognition, yet he directed the beast with unwavering command. Because, the way was something he would never forget.
Just as the shattered skyline of his destination came into view, the air suddenly changed.
A deeper pressure fell over the battlefield, thick enough to make the lesser beasts wail and collapse. From the rubble ahead, another profound beast emerged, its presence rivaling the Olmez of Ruins in both size and power.
The ground heaved as the two titans locked eyes. Then, with a bellow that split the heavens, they charged.
BAAAAAAAAAMM!
Massive Horn met stone-like feet, and the clash was cataclysmic. Stone and steel shattered, the City quaked as if the world itself was breaking apart.
Jin Yu paused beneath his protector, his eyes narrowing. He knew at once: this was no fight he could afford to linger in. For all his control, for all the beast’s obedience, these were forces that stood on a realm above his reach.
Without hesitation, heslipped away, vanishing into the chaos while the two profound beasts tore the battlefield apart.
--------
Thick, silver mist surrounded Jin Yu in veil of protection as he stood in front of a ruined and almost unrecognizable blue building, a single footmark marred the place where the building used to be. It was so large that it extended to the two inns that used to be beside it.
"looking for her?" A calm, carefree voice sounded behind him.
Jin Yu didn't bother turning back, he need no soothsayer to know whom it is.
His blank face instantly shifted, turning a shade darker.
His voice came out low and cold.
"What did you do?"
A smile bloomed on Seer's face, the glint of mischief in his eyes stronger that ever.
He leaned his elbows on his horse's back and twirled a lock of his pale hair between his fingers, his expression that of an excited child.
"Nothing much...." chuckle.
He answered, chuckling.
Jin Yu gaze turned colder, his eyes still locked on the ruined building.
Finally, he turned to face Seer, his pitch black eyes reflecting the Sunlight.
"Where are they?"
"Oh that....." chuckle. "...I don't really know, I... Only left them to their fate" he shrugged his shoulder as he finished.
Jin Yu gaze had turned chilly at this point. He stared into Seer's brown eyes with immense coldness.
"What's funny?"
Seer face stiffened under the mask, his smile froze and gradually dropped till it completely vanished.
He sat upright and stared at Jin Yu with a placid expression.
"She wasn't here." he said simply, his voice cold at the edge.
The chill in Jin Yu's eyes didn't reduce, not even a bit.
He only continued staring at him dead in the eyes.
Seer didn't bother explaining himself, he also stared.
The tension thickened, and peaked.
And Just before the situation escalated.
A wave of pain erupted from Jin Yu's left eyes.
His hand flew up instinctively, clutching his face as his features scrunched up.
"What the hell?!"
Seer's expression changed.
"Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
But Jin Yu couldn't answer, his vision was switching rapidly before he could even process it, from white-hot and blinding to dark-cold and freezing.
Must be this Divine Grey shit!
He cursed in his mind and clutched his face tightly.
Seer was dead worried at this point, he dismounted and walked closer to Jin Yu.
He touched Jin Yu's shoulder and asked again.
"Are you okay?"
As if shocked by the touch, his head whipped up, and he stared right into Seer's eyes.
Seer frowned when he met Jin Yu's eye.
The right eye was it's original black. As deep as an abyss, while the left was Grey. Unnaturally Grey.
It seemed as though it was shifting between black and white, but it was too fast to make out clearly that it looked like the two colors had merged into one. Grey.
When Jin Yu eyes met Seer's, the world had changed, or...his vision changed.
Ding!
Divine Grey Activated.
