Chapter 7 The Second Influx Of Elemental Qi | Three Remain

Kaze stepped out of the shower, turned around, and waved his hand. Boiling water materialized from thin air, crashing into the walls and tub.

"The stench is unbearable. I can't believe how… disgusting I used to be." He scoffed while summoning more water.

Putrid-smelling black gunk lined the tub and the shower walls. It came from the twelve hours Kaze spent cultivating the first stages of the Onyx Definition body constitution.

Cultivators used body cleansing treasures to release impurities before establishing their body constitution. However, such treasures did not yet exist. So he used a technique to obliterate every inch of his body before using Paradox of Healing to rebuild it. In essence, he rebuilt his entire body from scratch.

Few could stay sane for a minute obliterating their body, let alone cultivating and using an ancient-grade technique for twelve hours simultaneously.

Yet he walked out of the tub, complaining about the smell, showcasing the deep levels of madness that drove him to become the strongest human cultivator in history.

More water crashed in the tub, sending the black gunk swirling down the drain.

"Well, when she sees my face it'll be worth it." Kaze laughed with madness flickering in his eyes, "Let's see how that sly woman's power games hold out when I arrive."

The man laughed and continued cleaning out the tub until it was clean, and the air in the room was pure again. Then he walked out, got dressed in a different set of "trash," high-class clothing, and walked out the door.

…

Evalyn sat at Elson's Seafood Bistro on 4th street with a contorted expression. She brushed her blonde, hazel layered hair from her eyes for the fifth time while staring down the waterfront pier.

It was 7:13, and her "date" was nowhere to be seen. For someone punctual with everything, Kaze's lateness drilled into her soul.

"If I weren't so certain that arrogant ass would show, I would've left already." Evalyn growled, pushing her bangs out of her eyes again.

Her foot was tapping on the ground, shaking her body and causing her hair to fall. Yet she let it fall over and over, drifting in the saltwater breeze as she sat on the patio.

A large glass window passed her eyes, held by a young man. She felt the sight was strange but imagined he was a worker sent to install it.

"Hello, love. My apologies for being late." Kaze called out.

Evalyn turned in surprise to see him placing the body-height pane of glass against the building. It was a strange and truly hideous window. It was yellow and had a modern design with a taste fit for pretentious women with depressing sex lives.

"You wouldn't believe how expensive windows are." Kaze scoffed bitterly, "I only had $300, and the simpletons set the price of the cheapest window at $275. Such taxation would cripple a dynasty."

She blinked twice in confusion. "Then how do you... have it?"

"Oh, that." He chuckled, "This monstrosity hadn't sold for 15 years, and they gave it to me for free."

"What is that for?" Evalyn asked in surreal curiosity, forgetting her grievances.

Kaze turned to her with his vibrant green eyes and flashed her a stunning smile. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him, bewildered to the point of madness at his transformation.

"I'm going to shatter it into a million pieces, put it in my bathtub, and cultivate in it. Would you like to join me?" He asked charmingly.

Evalyn's eyes filled with murderous wrath, but she smiled regardless. "Are all your personal experiences with women that painful?"

"Only when they want them to be." Kaze replied with a wink.

Her mind went blank again, unable to react. The man's appearance was just far too distracting!

Kaze was a scrawny geek riddled with acne only a few days ago. He never spoke, was constantly bullied, and wore cringe-worthy clothing. He now had a professional haircut, fine, tailored clothing, refined muscles, and a pristine face and smile.

His personality was charming and arrogant to absurdity. How wasn't she supposed to get distracted? It was infuriating!

Evalyn watched in disbelief as he beckoned a waitress and charmed her into skipping the thirty-minute wait and taking their order immediately. Before she understood what was happening, the woman was already asking for her order.

"What are we eating today?" The brunette waitress asked with a [appraising] smile.

"The freshwater oyster platter, please." Evalyn requested.

"The same for me." Kaze said with a slight smile that made the waitress blush slightly before she walked away.

"Pity. A woman of such grace deserves to be the servant of someone of caliber." He remarked while watching her back disappear.

"Like you?" The blonde mused sarcastically.

"Who else?" Kaze asked with a confident smile.

Evalyn's eye twitched, but she kept her calm. "So, Mr. Playboy, what can I do for you?"

He gave her a mysterious smile and placed his chin in his palm with a dreamy expression, making her avert her gaze.

"In one hour, a new wave of Qi will pump into the atmosphere, magnifying people's new strength." Kaze casually explained as if describing the next scene of a movie.

"The Malta government will issue a declaration tomorrow stating that cultivation will be an integral part of the new world order, sending old money elites scrambling to obtain cultivation techniques and power.

I want your help smuggling me to clients that will pay me a fortune to do both for them."

Evalyn was stunned by his words. "I don't understand. Why do you need me to do that?"

"I need someone to do it, and I'm already near you. It's convenient." Kaze replied with an unchanging expression.

"So you're following me regardless of my aid?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Correct." He confirmed shamelessly.

His offputting remark made her lock her eyes with his, fighting through his distracting appearance.

"Why? If you're interested in me, having me help whore out your body won't win me over." Evalyn laughed breathlessly.

Kaze's eyebrow twitched, and he scoffed in disbelief. "I'm not [whoring] out my body; I would never stoop so low."

Evalyn was satisfied to get a reaction from him but was also nervous about its effect. While his mannerisms were mild, she could tell he was serious.

"Then why would you give out your body for money?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Because I need sex to increase my power and satisfy my needs." Kaze replied, "I also need copious quantities of cash for the weeks ahead. It's convenient."

"Just like me?" Evalyn mused mockingly.

"Cor~rect." He replied with a charming pause.

"What do you need [copious] amounts of money for?" She asked, averting her gaze.

"I'm raising an army." Kaze replied casually, "I assure you that starting a faction requires far more resources than you can imagine. And doing it without financial officers multiplies the difficulty exponentially."

Evalyn took a deep breath. "Why can I never tell if you're being serious?"

Kaze laughed. "I've never lied to you, woman. You can't tell if I'm serious because you refuse to believe me, even though you're staring at the truth."

He gave her a mocking smile with his pristine face.

"I see… and what are you offering?" Evalyn asked with a serious expression.

"Can I touch your forehead?" Kaze asked with a slight smile, "I want to show you, but I don't want you to [snap my spine in half in slow motion]."

The corner of her mouth twitched after his brazen, mocking statement. She turned away, unwilling to let him toy with her.

"Come now. I'm certain you've already experienced something similar, yes?" He goated.

Evalyn's eyebrow twitched, and she snapped her face forward and gave him a [what are you waiting for?] expression. Kaze chuckled and touched his index finger to her forehead.

Her eyes immediately widened in shock, and she stumbled backward in disbelief, knocking over her chair.

"What did you just give me?" Evalyn cried.

"That question was offensively pointless." Kaze scoffed in annoyance, "I gave you the nuance of Frosted Blades. Surely, you understood that. Yes?"

"Yes, I know that." She growled while picking up her chair and sitting back down, "How do you have this? It's a unique skill for my physique, or was that a lie?"

"It was a frivolous lie." He smiled slightly, "However, I know it because I can see the future."

"In other words, I'm not getting rid of you?" Evalyn asked in a haze.

"I'm not sure why you'd want to, but you are correct." He chuckled.

"Thank you, love." Kaze said while grabbing an oyster platter from the waitress with a charming smile.

"Is that really set in stone?" Evalyn asked with a serious expression while accepting her plate.

"No. I'd never stalk a woman who didn't find me amusing." He said with a strange, almost lonely smile, "But I will risk my life chasing a woman for a century if she does."

The smile captivated her, breaking her out of belief he was endlessly maddening.

They sat in silence for ten minutes as she ate oysters. Kaze wasn't eating, so it was extremely awkward.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Evalyn asked in confusion.

"Of course, I'm just waiting for it to pass." Kaze replied, "I mentioned the next influx. However, I didn't bring my phone, so we wouldn't be interrupted. As a result, I don't know what time it is. Even I cannot handle it senselessly."

"Wait the next Qi wave—"

Kaze pointed out the vortex in the distance just in time for her to see the ripple of warping space spreading through the area.

Everyone on the patio choked as a wave of Qi pulsed through the atmosphere, suffocating many. Half of the people suddenly developed strained veins on their faces as they choked.

Evalyn wheezed, uncertain how he could remain calm with his eyes closed.

Kaze wasn't calm. With the Paradigm of Divinity cultivation technique, his body got assaulted with the full power of Qi levels reserved for the Sky Plane. He used his full concentration to circulate it and keep his mind sane.

Only a few people on the patio recovered completely. Most began coughing and looked nauseous.

"You really know the future?" Evalyn asked after a minute of silence.

"Something like that." Kaze replied in a serious voice.

"Then what's going on with them?" She asked while tilting her head toward the people choking with veins on their faces.

"Qi sickness." He replied somberly.