_____[Xanthos system]

  Task: Disband the Withered Heavens Sect.

  Category: Sacrifice

  Gain: loading…

  __________

  A slow, steady smirk forms on his face as a scoff turns into a smooth chuckle, then into a full, breathtaking ugh.

  “Of course!” He shouts, his nails digging into the sides of his face, but immediately healing. “Of course, they’d ask that!”

  The one thing he poured his heart and soul into forming, a heaven for all mistreated individuals taken advantage of by fate and the heroes. A sanctuary he had formed now has to give up for the sake of his punishment.

  ‘It's a mockery.’ He thinks, his anger boiling over.

  But then it hits, why would fate care about him now? Why would he ever think fate this time around might go easy on him after everything he had been through? He was a fool to think it might take pity on him.

  Slowly, his ugh dies, becoming hollow before an indescribable emptiness repces his anger. Then, acceptance. Since in the end, he is to die, so why should it matter if his sect remains or not? The longer it takes him, the longer his road to peace will take.

  “Master! We’re coming in!” His disciple says beyond the door, slicing through his thoughts.

  Before he can reply, the door swings open, and immediately three physicians walk in behind the disciple as they make their way to his door, yet Liang’s mind was still on the system awaiting the rest to finish loading.

  ‘And they have the audacity to give me a gain? I wonder what it might be.’

  Two of the physicians move forward, while one remains behind the disciple. Liang’s eyes darted to the unusual behavior dispyed by the physician. He knows all of them are to tend to him, but why is one staying behind? Still, the most noticeable things are the shifts in the atmosphere and the new faces of physicians when he originally had one.

  “Master Liang Feng, these two are new recruits. They’re only here to observe.” The outer disciple expins, and Liang Feng stays quiet.

  Walking up to him, his usual physician begins. “Master Liang.” He bows in respect. “I’m going to scan your spiritual core to see if any of them are disrupted from your…” He pauses, threading with caution. “Presumed death.”

  Liang nods, his eyes unmoving from the new faces.

  The physician's eyes lit up as they activated their spiritual vision and scanned his body. Abruptly, he springs to his feet, horror spread across his old features.

  “Master! Perhaps I’m mistaken, but—” He scrambles to find the right words.

  [Ding!]

  “It seems that all of your spiritual cores are completely destroyed.”

  [Gain: Restoring 20% of your spiritual core & the ability to regain control of your first Spiritual Gate of the demonic Path]

  “Wait, what?”

  Everyone gasped, but Liang stayed silent as if knowing the punishment system wasn’t the only drawback he’ll face, but deep down, he didn’t know it would be the price of his spiritual cores and all of his ascensions and gates of the demonic path he had conquered.

  ‘All of my progress. The sacrifices of human lives I made just to advance in this path, to be set back to level one.’ His fist tightens. ‘And all twenty of my spiritual cores, destroyed and unusable. However, worst of all, it’s the sickening joy in the new recruit's eyes upon hearing.’

  “Master Liang, I don’t think it’s something we can fix, but if word got out.” The physician backs away, rexzing the predicament he’s in. “The hero of the ages sect no matter of fact the entire world would wage full-on wars with us after what happened.”

  “I think that war is upon us,” Liang says as psychain behind the outer disciple swiftly presses a dagger at his neck without mercy, slicing it open in one clean flick of his bde.

  ‘As I suspected. Spies.’

  In a split second, the next one rushes up to the elder physician and does the same, but Liang Feng doesn’t move, or even flinch at the sight of them falling, his mind only on the fact that he lost all of his cores and the only way to regain them back is by doing at the system tasks says.

  ‘Enough.’ He reminds himself. ‘Forget about the system's control over me. I need to take care of them if I don’t want the fact about my weakness in spiritual energy to get out, because if the world finds out that its vilin is now without power,. Imagine the chaos that would erupt and the people who would be after me.’

  ‘When I’m supposed to be fixing my mistakes, not causing more.’

  “You… You killed him!” One of them speaks up, anger in every pitch.

  “Yes, I did.” He admits.

  That affirmation only infuriates them more, other than comforting them as he had hoped.

  “Then…” Their grip tightens around their daggers. “Then we’ll just have to avenge him!”

  “I suppose so.” He closes his eyes. “But first tell me your names.” He inquires.

  “Tian Yu!” The one on the right says. “Remember it in your death.” He warns.

  “Lei Zhang.” The other one follows up.

  ‘Tain Yu and Lei Zhang.’ He tilts his head up. ‘I guess you do have people who are willing to still fight for you. If only they had done this while you were alive, maybe you might have survived, and I would have been at peace.’

  With their bdes firm in their hands, both infused with chi, they intend to end him clear as day. Still, they're at fault. They underestimated him and his skills, which he had honed over countless battles before discovering the forging of his spiritual cores and the awakening of his spiritual demonic path.

  Seconds before their strikes nd, he vanishes—only to reappear behind them in a blur. His kick comes swiftly and seamlessly, but one of them reacts just in time, pulling back to block.

  The moment flesh meets flesh, a sickening crack echoes through the air. Bones shatter. The defender is hurled across the room like a ragdoll, crashing into the wall with enough force to leave a deep dent.

  His gasp for air and blood-curdling cries ring out into the air, causing his panther to turn to him. Though Liang Feng doesn't move to attack, he only watches, speaking up, his voice cold and devoid of any emotions.

  “My bones are like reinforced steel—each strike hits with ten times the force of an average martial artist.” He expins, walking up to the broken-armed boy, leaving the other behind. “I also see that you didn’t refine your physical form, but your weapon's horrible move—maybe in another life you’ll learn from this mishap.”

  He raises his foot, intent on ending it with a single, merciless stomp.

  The boy's eyes water, tears gilding down his face like an endless river as regret and anger merge into one. “No…No! This isn’t possible if you're supposed to be weak! What in the world are you!!!” He screeches.

  “A monster.” Liang Feng says toneless, his feet descending on him.

  But before it nds, the other—oozing with hatred and rage—lunges forward. He springs onto the bed, using it as a unch point, hurling himself toward his side.

  Without even turning fully, he casts a cold gnce... then drives his bare fist straight through his stomach, the sound of tearing flesh cutting through the air.

  A long silence follows after as he coughs up blood. “LEI!!!” Tian bawls.

  While Liang only mutters to himself, “Not as thrilling as before."

  Yanking his arm free from the dying man's grip. The body drops to the floor, lifeless, while blood trickles down Liang's arm, still warm from the kill.

  “Now.” He snaps his head back to the hysterically crying Tian slumped on the wall, hands ying at his side, bone sticking through his skin. “As for you, you’ll follow him in no time.”

  “They’ll get you!” He screams at the top of his lungs, complete and utter fright embedded on his face. “THE HEROES SECT WILL AVENGE—”

  Liang Feng wasted no time in stomping down on his head. “Duan, I know. I hope they do one day.” He finishes.

  ‘Tian Yu and Lei Zhang. This is the first time I ever inquired about a person’s name before killing them’.

  [Ding!]

  _________

  [Xanthos system]

  [Age: unknown]

  [Name: Liang Feng]

  [Cultivation stage: Final stage (spiritual cultivation)]

  [Spiritual cores/status: 20/destroyed]

  [Spiritual gates unsealed: 0/ 20]

  [Demonic Path Progress: 0%]

  [Chi Flow Stability: Fragmented]

  [Martial Affinity: ★★★★★]

  [Spiritual Resonance: Low]

  [Forbidden Arts Access: Restricted]

  System Tasks:

  [Primary] Disband the Withered Heavens Sect – IN PROGRESS__________

  ‘Now it's time to end everything I created.’

  [Present time…]