Chapter 183 - Strange Aftertaste Part Five

The three other elders were unaware of the action of their brother. Their eyelids were since long shut down, and their minds entirely focused on directing the energy in their meridians toward the sea of energy in their dantians. The pain that traversed their minds and bodies was nearly enough to make them fall out of the realm of sanity.

Visions of carnage assaulted their minds, and the boiling life essence in their body was nearing the brink of extinction.

The process of this breakthrough had been sold to them by the golden elder as being nearly perfect. But now they couldn't even regret beginning it as even a moment of inattention could end the little life in them.

But even in that state, the golden family elder managed to move his limbs. He willingly threw the dozens of pills in his hand down his throat.

The otherworldly guests nearly flew out of the room when they saw the action. As second steps cultivators, if they allied together, they could fend off a hundred individuals with power levels similar to the elders'. But with the massive ingestion of pills, an explosion of extraordinary range could turn the mansion into an inferno of blood essence.

But strangely, they stood where they were, intrigued by what could happen. The otherworldly guests knew the risks of staying there. They took out several protective items in case something happened; one of them took out a round shield shaped like a turtle shell. Another one armed himself with a ball-shaped crystal the size of a fist, a cape, and sword.

Those items radiated intense energy even without their activation and were nearly the most reliable protective measures they had at hand.

After swallowing the pills, the reaction of blood essence burning intensified inside of the golden elder's body. His skin dried out to the point where it looked like dried wood; his eyes had since long turned into black holes. But even in that state, the guests could notice the tremendous energy coursing through his meridians and veins.

Due to the blood essence and pills, his energy had turned into a sea of red that gave off an ominous vibe. Due to the fact he was in the middle of a breakthrough, their collective senses easily pried the extent of his cultivation.

Their heart thumped, and one of the otherworldly cultivators swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Although the quality of the golden elder was far from their level, the quantity that coursed through his meridians far surpassed them. Even if the energy in the dantian of the four-second step cultivator was added together, it would only add up to half of the golden elder's energy.

"What a mad man…", mumbled one of them.

"If he survives this, he will turn into an individual stronger than us…", one of them said.

They couldn't help but fear what would be the result of the demonic breakthrough. One of them couldn't help but add, "It only depends on the extent of his destiny… The percentage of chance for his success is less than 5%…", yet even with his logical thinking. His tone contained part of the inner fear he was feeling.

Then, resounded a screech inside of the red veiled room. The acute sound was similar to the roar a butchered pig would usher when his throat was being cut. Following the origin of the sound, they saw the Merendinis elder's body in the course of breaking down.

His wooden skin contained many holes and fissures, from which his energy leaked out. His life had long since left his body with that scream, and what was left was only a mass of energy that wouldn't take long to disappear with an explosion.

One of the guests flew out of the room, as he knew that any disturbance might turn into a chain reaction that would wipe out the mansion. Two of them followed suit, and the last one who was in the midst of leaving the room stopped at the doorstep. He saw the Golden family's elder extend an arm, his body had long since turned into a monstrosity that couldn't be described as human, and from that arm appeared a vortex that absorbed the rest of the Merendinis' elder.

"Madness truly turns humans into demons… Or gods!", he said between a shocked gasp.

He stopped at the doorstep, ready to depart at any moment. In that position, he could still see the Golden elder absorb the remains of the Merendinis cultivator; the meager amount of lifespan and blood essence was scooped along with the torrent of energy that resided in the mummified corpse.

The otherworldly cultivator nearly threw up as the nauseous odor intensified, and he even had an illusion of a sea of blood appearing around the golden elder. From fear and disgust, his emotion shifted to astonishment as he saw that the man had absorbed everything without any sign of a backfiring explosion.

His red energy was absorbing everything near it, and the two other elders were drawn to his position. Visions of upcoming events appeared flashed in his thoughts. It didn't take long to become a reality. A repulsive noise resounded around the Golden elder, and the other two mummified elders turned into bits of broken flesh and energy that began revolving around the Golden elder.

He couldn't help but feel impressed by the man's action. He even began doubting if this wasn't his true plan, to consume his peers and attain the second step with a clean and swift betrayal. He didn't know the answer, but this event caused him to engrave a mental note in his mind. To never trust that man, or else he might end up in the same position as those poor elders.

Before long, the sole figure in the room was the past golden elder. The three other corpses had turned into nutrients for his collapsing body. The sea of energy in his dantian had grown to the past where an illusion had appeared around him. His eyelid cracked open, splints of his skin flew around him, and two red blackholes absorbed any light that neared his face.