Chapter 847: FirstâŠ
Senior Dong turned in an instant, his eyes widening at seeing a figure who wasnât even facing him, standing in a relaxed pose with both hands behind his back and seemingly studying the monolith.
âW-Who are y-⊠no⊠h-how?â, Senior Dongâs mind was struggling to push through all the questions that instantly sprang in his frenzied, panicked mind.
âHow I got in? I followed you in until the inner door of this Vault, and then came inside with you when you opened itâ, Wu Long calmly explained as he turned around to face Senior Dong.
âI-Impossible! Th-there are Ancient Formations outside of here!â
âHaha, I wonder what your reaction would be to the guy who followed after meâ, Wu Long chuckled.
These formations were certainly powerful, but only as much as it was possible within the Boundless Profound World.
However, it still was one thing to be so adept at Formation Arts as Wu Long to be able to decipher and bypass them with skill, not brute force, and completely another if it was done the way Tukong Lianshu got in.
If this man saw someone casually slapping high-level 5th-tier Profound Grade Prohibition-Removing Talismans, which individually would be a national treasure in a small Dynasty like the Wei Dynasty, on each of those formations he would likely have a heart attack.
âThough he decided not to go through with the exploration of the ancient ruin, so you wonât run into himâ, Wu Long then added while Senior Dong was trying to figure out the situation.
The man standing before him was a few Minor Realms below, which was already unusual in this Secret Realm, but it didnât mean he didnât have to be cautious. He was too close, and thus his anxiety rose immeasurably.
âYou were quite cruel to that young man over there, not to mention his family who you deceived into thinking you were saving their sonâ, Wu Long noted.
âHe had something that I wanted, I hold no shame over thatâ, Senior Dong replied.
âStill, there were other ways to disguise an Extreme Yang Physique and make him sickly, to go as far as to inject an Extreme Yin-attribute poison into his Yang Root⊠the amount of excruciating pain he went through all his life, even with your so-called âcuresâ of simply mixing in some Yang Qi medicine to slightly alleviate some of the symptoms⊠all the while pretending to be his savior⊠it takes a certain insidiousnessâ, Wu Long spoke calmly, as Senior Dongâs panic intensified.
This mysterious man who appeared out of nowhere was able to see through his methods with scary accuracy. Which meant, that this person was likely also well-versed in Extreme Yang Physiques and Yang attribute.
âH-Hey! You! K-Kind stranger! W-we are-âŠ!â, the leader of the disciples from the Ember Palm Pavilion spoke up, seeing a tiny light of hope in the situation.
âShut up!â, Senior Dong shouted without turning from Wu Long.
âHaha! Your plan wasnât so perfect after all, was it, Old Man?!â, the disciple from the Crystal Wood Sect gloated.
ââŠâ, the older man clicked his tongue, as now added to his confusion, panic and frustration was rising rage.
âI also particularly didnât like the way you gloated about everything to him, you couldâve at least given him the courtesy of dying thinking you were saving him, so that he would go in peace. But the way you were talking⊠was almost designed to make maximum damage⊠that takes a certain kind of maliceâ, Wu Long spoke in a slightly colder tone than the neutral one before.
âSo what?! Who are you to judge me?!â, Senior Dong snapped, his rage over the whole situation going so awry so close from the very culmination of his 1000 years of planning was bursting out of him.
âHeh, youâre right about that, Iâm not judging you, Iâm just saying what I donât like. And normally, that would matter to you, since I tend to impose my will of what I like and donât like quite selfishly, but this time, it doesnât. Since this time Iâm not the one whose hands your life is inâ, Wu Long chuckled, his cryptic words making Senior Dong confused.
Wu Long didnât bother explaining though, asking, âSo, what will it be, Fairy Hong Yue?â
A dark blue-hued dagger thrust into the back of the old man, piercing in between the ribs and right into the heart, running it through and through the lung, the very tip creating a tiny cut through his chest, the robes on his chest beginning to redden from that tiny wound.
âYes, I certainly would not be losing any sleep over this oneâ, Hong Yue spoke as her crimson eyes glowed from behind the shoulder of the man, the first person she was assassinating after her cathartic moment of self-realization.
âKkhakh-âŠ!!!â, Senior Dongâs eyes widened, as a cough full of blood came from his mouth instead of something he seemingly wanted to say, his head slowly slightly turning to the side to look at the one who drove a blade into his heart.
He knew, the moment he tried to move, a charge of Spiritual Qi he felt within the blade would burst, instantly ending him.
âI will be taking this thenâ, Wu Long spoke in the meantime, his right hand covered in glowing patterns stretching to the hand of Senior Dong, and seemingly transferring what glowing patterns and symbols circled the latterâs hand onto his own.
A rage, unwillingness, frustration, fear and many more emotions swirled in the eyes of Senior Dong as he saw that, finally realizing that it was over. His thousand years of effort were now quite literally taken away from him, and all that it amounted to was a few minutes of ecstatic joy and sense of accomplishment.
âKh-⊠itâs⊠unfairâŠâ, he spoke through blood pouring out of his mouth, a deep sensation of being wronged by the Heavens vividly visible in his eyes, âI-⊠was destined⊠I-⊠was supposed to-⊠I-⊠was so close-âŠ!â
As soon as Wu Long finished transferring the control of the formation. Hong Yue twisted the dagger, and the light of life faded from Senior Dongâs eyes, his figure slumping and then tumbling to the floor as she released the dagger.
Wu Long looked into her eyes to make sure there was nothing to worry about, and seeing an undisturbed gaze, smiled with a nod.
âItâs a good thing her true first kill wasnât motivated purely by self-preservation or defensive instinct toward Yeâerâ, he inwardly commented, as that couldâve left some room for her internal conflicts and doubt later when a situation arose where Wu Long and his Dao Family were the primary attackers, and not passively defending themselves. A situation like this one, where they were not in the moral right, but moved out of self-interest.
It was the first kill that Hong Yue made with full understanding and realization, and the first one she truly could take full responsibility for, and thus, in a way, her true first kill. And it was a perfect one for her to realize that there were times when she would do so to impose her own selfish will onto the world, not just when life forces her hand.
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