Chapter 29 - Settling Loose Ends (2)

"The more you bleed, the more spirit energy you lose. With the vial I made, it kills off your access to your Spirit Realm. That is why you lost," Yang said as he mocked the man. Yang coughed blood; he knew it was a result of straining his body. "Tonight, you are the first I kill with this technique."

Lightning crackled around his left hand as ice began to cover Yang's fingers. He grinned evilly, and a lance of ice appeared in his hands. The very air sizzled as lightning and ice fused into one, a jade mist of poison appearing. The man's eyes widened as Yang stabbed the lance into him, pinning him to the ground with the two spears of rock.

This time, the man did die from being impaled, as the ice lance pierced the center of his chest. The poison then began to act, devouring him cell by cell.

"This art uses bacterial poison, poison that targets the very cells. The more powerful you are, the faster the poison spreads as it uses your own spirit energy to kill you. All I need to do is nick you once. I leave the two pieces of rock and the ice lance as a message, along with your wrecked house," Yang spat, walking away as all the flesh, bones, hair, and skin were destroyed. Even the man's clothes disintegrated.

"Master," the hydras hissed as Yang fell to his knees. He had used too much spirit energy to make the dome and received internal injuries when it shattered. His hydras were also distributing their spirit energy into him. The forceful breaking of that distribution further injured him.

"Cover the ground with your acid, Moon Scale," Yang said as he rode Shadow Fang. Moon Scale not only had poisonous fumes; half of its heads could spit acid. Moon Scale covered the ground with its poison, dissolving the surface to reveal the soil and dirt beneath. Whatever blood and sweat could be found were destroyed.

"Yang," Mei cried as she saw her brother appear in the grounds, his face pale and breathing shallowly.

"It is finished. They're all dead. No witnesses live to tell the tale of your deeds tonight," Yang rasped. "I need time to recover. No one is to disturb me tomorrow."

"I'm sorry. I messed up," Mei said.

"What were you planning with their souls?" he asked.

"I wanted to make a cage with their souls. I gathered enough by collecting a thousand souls. Grandma told me about it. That's why I killed so many. Most of the souls were kept away so the Eye of Darkness's hunger for souls was always barely sated," she answered.

"A beast only becomes more dangerous when it is trapped in a cage," Yang warned.

"I know. That is why my grandmother is buying materials for a forbidden ritual she read about. It will pit my soul against the Eye, and only one of us will remain. If I win, the Eye will only become a catalyst for my growth without any side effects. If I lose, the Eye of Darkness will take over but be limited by my cultivation due to the cage. It can easily be slain then," Mei answered. "With the Eye subdued, there is no question I will surpass you."

"But I have a neidan that also stimulates my poison cultivation," Yang thought, smiling.

"I'm guessing you won't need to kill others anymore?" Yang grinned.

"No, but I imagine it won't be me on a killing spree from now on," Mei said. "Grandma does not believe I will ever surpass you. Even Mom and Dad no longer lie to me and said the same to my face, and I don't know why," she said.

"Best you don't find out. I already scare you. You don't want nightmares for the rest of your life. Believe me, the secret is that terrifying," Yang laughed, ordering his hydras to retreat to his room.

"What is Yang hiding?" Mei thought as she watched him and his hydras disappear.

"Mei?" Lin frowned as he appeared a while later. "Are those bandages under your sleeves?"

"I was injured. I'm fine. Ensure Yang does not get disturbed. He expended too much spirit energy. I imagine he was inventing a new practitioner art," she answered.

"He is a genius," Lin agreed. "I wanted to tell him that I can fuse fire and earth to make lava now. The gap in power is only widening, big sister."

"Not for long," she smiled and left Lin alone.

"Did she not wonder why I came out? Did she not notice I am an initial Elemental Adept now?" Lin sighed. No one had noticed a man silently observing from the start. It was precisely the retired imperial guard captain: Guan Hai. He quickly left and appeared in Shen Hua's room, where Shen Dong and Sima Qing were already present.

"Guan Hai reports to the Little Majesties," Guan Hai said as he knelt on one knee.

"Report," Shen Dong said.

"Yes, Prince Shen Dong. Guo Yang has indeed mastered his spear, fully integrating it with his element arts perfectly. He and his two hydras destroyed the residence of the man who witnessed his sister kill someone. As per your instructions, I ensured no reports reached the officials," Guan Hai said.

"Also, his poison arts seem to have become even more cruel and lethal. They now target cells and can destroy the body utterly and completely. He defeated and killed the man in the initial Meteor Vessel Stage," Guan Hai reported.

"So my guess was wrong. Guo Yang was not the one killing the homeless," Shen Hua said.

"Yes, cousin. However, Guo Yang should be the one who poisoned the entire closed-off section of the city. There should be no doubt now," Sima Qing agreed.

"There's more. This is something that should interest you three," Guan Hai said.

"Speak," Shen Dong ordered.

"I saw the girl, Guo Mei, collect souls," Guan Hai reported, stunning the three royals.

"A soul reaper? That's impossible. All the fragments of the Elemental Sovereign of Darkness are either sealed or absorbed by the powerful clans in secret. The only one unaccounted for, besides the Heart of Darkness, is..." Shen Dong began.

"The Left Eye of Darkness, the eye that was the first to develop a sentient mind of its own. It is the only Eye of Darkness as it assimilated the Right Eye before it disappeared. It also contains knowledge of where the other Fragments of Darkness are sealed," Shen Hua finished.

"If that's true, she is one of the two unaccounted practitioners with a Yin Yang Divine Tattoo!" Sima Qing concluded.

"What are your orders?" Guan Hai asked.

"You're not reporting to Father?" Shen Dong asked.

"No. I and my clan owe our lives to Concubine Li. She is your mother, so I owe my life to you. I am also retired. I have no reason to report to the emperor," Guan Hai said.

"Aunt is a powerful practitioner who is the only concubine to reach the Earth Mortal Stage," Shen Hua agreed. Of her uncle's concubines, only Concubine Li treated her like family. It was why she asked to accompany Shen Dong and became part of the emperor's plans.

"What about you, sister? We have different mothers," Shen Dong asked Sima Qing.

"If news gets out, only chaos will roam the land as everyone will attempt to attain the Fragments of Darkness. News spreading will only hasten the apocalypse," Sima Qing answered.

"Great. Now we have to watch all three triplets," Shen Dong sighed.

"True, but now we can enlist their aid, and making you the new crown prince will be easier," Shen Hua said.

"Eldest brother is the crown prince but a perverted, fat ass. As for Second Brother, he has a Yin Yang Divine Tattoo, but he is too violent and bloodthirsty, aiming to conquer the world. However, both are Father's choices to replace him when he becomes a Sky Mortal and focuses on his cultivation to immortality," Shen Dong agreed.

"They cannot be allowed to replace the emperor. Perhaps the cunning of Guo Yang will assist us. If we provide the necessary incentives, he will comply. However, we must expect to follow even the most ridiculous and harmful methods and give him complete trust," Guan Hai said.

"Yes, and that scares me the most. However, for the empire, those two cannot be candidates for the throne," Shen Dong agreed.