Chapter 23: Unreadable

"Such a terrifying technique… So is this what spiritual energy really is capable of?"

Yi Ren rose up from the crater that had been formed when Ming Daiyu's attack reached him. He was covered in dust, layers upon layers of smoke hindered his vision, but he wasn't bothered.

"I always thought that cultivators used the energy of the world, spiritual energy, very inefficiently. A power that allows you to make your imagination real… yet they mix it with swords and boring elements, such a waste."

The boy had regained his pale and peculiar appearance: snow-white hair and eyebrows, incredibly complex red eyes and a face that gave the impression of being carved by some ancient and extraordinarily skilled sculptor. But Ming Daiyu couldn't see any of that, only the shadow that an unknown glow projected in the fog; a dark and blurry figure.

"I believed it wasn't worth it, you know, cultivating… until I met Fang Chang and Wang Fan, and now you, Senior Sister Ming. You really know how to use it to kill."

"..."

"I am thankful, I will show you who I really am in gratitude. My real name isn't Yi Ren…

but Adam."

At the same time those words came out of his mouth, he finally walked out of the cloud of dust, allowing Ming Daiyu to see his true appearance.

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Qeris."

"So you are that kid."

When Ming Daiyu's… when Qeris' eyes finally saw the details of the silhouette thirty meters away from her, she was startled, but it was only for an instant. It wasn't too shocking; it even made sense.

Who else would be able to fight against a genius Second Realm cultivator for so long, when their cultivation was still in the 7th level of the First?

Only that little monster who had survived as he was hunted down by hundreds of cultivators ever since he could barely walk, and that had killed every single one of those who had caught up to him.

It was even rumored that he had managed to beat a Third Realm cultivator at the age of six. He was one of the last descendants of an extinct race, a monster among monsters.

"No need to call me like that, Princess. We are almost the same age."

Qeris' eyes had returned to their original color: pink. Not a spark of light or energy was emitted from her body; she was as dim as the gloomy surroundings.

"You weren't dead… Well, it had to be expected from a cockroach freak like you."

"I believe it's easier to just use my name-"

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment? For the opportunity to finally get rid of you and take revenge…"

"Sigh… shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

"..."

"Your family has been sending people to kill me from the moment I first spoke. My earliest memory is me running away alone in a dark forest, my body covered in wounds and my hands drenched in blood. Is it really you who must seek-"

"You were a monster the moment you were born. We were right, you had to be killed. Look at everything you've caused."

"Oh? Trying to kill me for fear of what I would do if you tried to kill me? That's not very smart of you, Princess."

"Stop playing the victim, Adam. You are a demon that mustn't exist, that's all there is."

Hearing that, an innocent smile formed on Adam's face.

"I wasn't victimizing myself, Princes Qeris. In fact, I owe you. I'm glad you did what you did; if I hadn't been through that, if I had lived a normal life with normal parents, with friends and people who loved me, without suffering…

I wouldn't be me.

Thank you."

"..."

"But I really, really can't let you leave alive."

Adam didn't wait a moment after he spoke, his figure was immediately replaced by an afterimage of himself. He reappeared behind Qeris, only a few centimeters away from her, whispering something in her ear.

"What would the emperor do if her precious daughter perished in the battle of two insignificant sects in the middle of nowhere? When a bunch of nobodies dishonored the Royal Family by killing the Princess without leaving a corpse to bury…

He would exterminate everyone involved."

Qeris didn't move when she felt his breath right on her neck, she had no strength left. However, she was calm.

"That would include you."

"He has already tried. Do you think I ca-"

Booom

A fist that materialized out of nowhere connected to Adam's face, hitting him with enough force to tear down a large building. He was sent flying in a straight line, his speed surpassing that of an arrow, landing on a mound of debris with a thunderous noise.

Baang!

The sound alerted many people within a two-kilometer radius, but few paid any mind.

"I hope I'm not late, Your Highness."

A black figure revealed itself in front of Qeris, dissipating the dark veil that enveloped him after a short moment which revealed a middle aged man with black hair and yellow eyes. He was the girl's personal guard and a Third Realm expert from the Faiss' Royal Palace.

He had received the golden pigeon the girl had sent earlier, and rushed to the place as fast as he could.

"You are just in time, Merus, but try to be in the vicinity next-"

Qeris was at the end of her advice, but Merus' sudden change in expression forced her to swallow the rest of the sentence. His whole body had tensed up and was about to move, but something seemed to keep it in place, as if invisible chains had tied him to the ground.

A tenth of a second. He was immobilized for only a tenth of a second yet a red slit had already appeared on his neck, trails of blood flooding out of it.

His eyes could only express confusion, but after his vision uncontrollably shifted to show him strange angles, as if his head was rotating horizontally, his face contorted to show a parodic expression of terror.

"As always… taking the first opportunity to let your guards down. You people are all the same, a bunch of trash with weak bodies."

Qeris' ears caught a familiar voice, one that she had heard seconds ago but presented some sort of unpleasant distortion.

"Now, shall we return to what we were doing before?"

The same voice rang out again. It came from behind the headless body of the fallen guard, from the revolting mouth of a boy with a disfigured face.

Skin had been torn off of half his head, his jaw had been taken out of its place. Blood vessels were all burst, causing tears of blood to flow down to his chin. His previously perfect white hair was now covered by a layer of sticky brownish-red substance; a mixture of dirt and blood similar to that of his tattered robes.

It was a macabre sight, but in the middle of it were a pair of indifferent eyes that didn't reflect a hint of worry, as if his current state was nothing but a sporadic incident, a trivial injury.

However, just as Qeris' open mouth was about to close off to swallow its pent up saliva, she noticed the thousands of moving particles on Adam's face; tiny pieces of flesh that, little by little, repaired the damage of his skin. It was a gruesome, but simultaneously magical scene.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry. I have to be more careful with my appearance from now on. But what could I do? I really didn't expect that attack."

Adam subsequently grabbed his chin with both of his hands and, after a hash movement and a loud crack, it was back where it was supposed to be.

"Y-You won't be left off easily. You killed a royal guard, you also killed my brother! The rest of your short life will be one of persecu-...

Oh, I see."

Qeris stopped herself when she realized what she was about to say. The boy in front of her didn't fear that threat, in fact, she couldn't imagine him fearing anything.

"Your brother? Now that I remember… I have indeed met someone who looks like you."

The boy admitted while his fingers cleaned the blood off of the black sword, the one that had beheaded a Third Realm cultivator from the Royal Palace in the blink of an eye.

He was like a beast, granted with innate abilities, immense strength and endurance, and a dangerous intellect only a human possessed.

The most terrifying thing wasn't that he was strong; he was about the level of a Third Realm cultivator at most, nor that he had the unprecedented potential he appeared to have. What was frightening to Qeris was that she couldn't read him.

He didn't want revenge. He didn't want happiness, as he said he was okay with suffering. The only thing she knew was that he aimed to cause chaos by killing her, but how does that relate to his main goal?

What was his objective?

"What do you want?" Qeris finally asked after a couple seconds of silence.

Adam smiled as he walked forward the two steps he needed to be directly in front of the girl. He got close until she could see every detail and fluid of his self-healing face, until the void in the middle of his eyes could stare at her soul.

"I don't want anything anymore… but I have to do something."

He answered, bringing the sword forward, but this time it was slower than before. Qeris clenched her teeth as she felt her own weapon piercing her chest, but just before it could reach her heart, a bright golden light suddenly enveloped her.

The glow didn't allow the sword to advance, and after a pulsing reaction, it was sent flying along with Adam, soundlessly, like a gentle but solid breeze.

A second later, Qeris vanished, leaving a headless corpse and a white-haired boy alone in the middle of an apocalyptic battlefield.

The boy stood up and looked in all directions.

"Sigh, of course she would have something like that." He lamented, changing the object of his gaze.

"Nothing can be done anyways…

Those are some nice clothes the guy was wearing, I think I need to change mine."