Chapter 169 Three-For-One

"Why is Crux Pyron under a treason investigation despite going missing in the Mortal Realm?" Kaze asked Jacob coldly, "Two sentence answer, or you die."

A crushing pressure assaulted the cultivator's back after his warning, indicating the man had no chance of escaping.

"C-Crux went into the Mortal Realm without notice and hasn't returned even after the gate reopened." The cultivator stammered, "Since nothing poses a threat here, she deserted for a purpose."

"How many people did they send to find her, and what skill level are they?" Kaze asked, increasing the pressure slightly.

"T-Team of ten." Jacob winced, "Seven high-Heaven Realm cultivators, two early Divine Realm, and one Sky Lord."

The emperor smiled, seeing that the Killian faction respected her strength so highly they sent someone ostensibly stronger than her with nine high-level helpers.

"Last question: where are they searching for her?" Kaze asked coldly.

"On this continent, loosely in this area, where she was summoned." The cultivator replied.

Without another word, the man lost consciousness when the emperor used a technique to knock him out.

"One down." He whispered, waving his hand and walking through another portal. A moment later, he dragged Martha through the portal.

Her eyes widened in shock. "W-What are—"

Before she even spoke her sentence, a technique hit her neck, and he laid her beside Jacob. Once they were in position, he walked into another portal and knocked out Jacob's helpers and planters.

Using the silent spatial technique, no one saw him before it was too late. It was devastating.

With all the cultivators taken care of, he ensured that the three winners were in the distance.

Then he gathered all the seeds and dragged all of the bodies except Martha's into the field.

"And now for an improper planting calamity." Kaze said coldly, dropping an Ergo seed onto each of their bodies. Once ready, he closed his eyes. "Reap."

A slow cyclone of golden light highlighted the emperor's clothing, wearing Jacob's white robes and using a minor illusion to appear like a woman.

Once ready, he waved his hand, and all the Qi washed over the ground, pinpointing the 35 seeds on each cultivator's body.

Each seed glowed bright gold momentarily, making it look vibrant and healthy. However, the emperor kept loading in Qi without pause.

Eventually, their color reversed, darkening and becoming black.

Kaze didn't stop. He kept loading in Soul Qi until the seeds cracked and a sickening miasma poured out of them.

"W-What is this?" Jacob wheezed, waking up. His eyes turned bloodshot, his throat strained, and black veins pulsed in his face.

"Soul corruption." Kaze replied coldly, hoving over the man from the skies above, "This is what would have happened to your body if you absorbed even a percent of the Soul Qi from Meridian City.

However, you didn't. You killed up to a hundred thousand people and cultivated less than a percentage of their lives."

"W-Wait…." Jacob wheezed, his eyes developing blood in his tear ducts. He was soon for the world but survived longer than everyone else because he had a full Soul Core fighting back, "Y-You misunderstand."

"What is there to misunderstand?" The emperor asked coldly, "You're lying with the dead bodies of the desperate murderers you spawned. Now, you're breathing in those peoples' souls."

The cultivator's heart pulsed, and he began coughing up blood. He tried crawling away, begging, and explaining, but neither his body nor mouth would move.

"It's futile." Kaze said coldly, "The miasma you're breathing is eating the hundreds of souls you collected needlessly. This world is collecting what it rightfully owns.

Then, the miasma will eat your soul, permanently removing you from the cycle of life. Whether there is an afterlife or not is now irrelevant to you. Such is the price you pay for this indelible sin."

Jacob stopped struggling, letting the emperor's words cycle through his mind over and over, stuck on repeat like a broken record. With every play-through, it became hazier, more confused, and muddied. On the sixth playback, he exhaled, and darkness clouded his eyes.

After the man died, Kaze flew down, put the man back into his white cultivator robe, changed, and headed back to the forest.

…

"Wha…." Martha groaned when a jolt awoke her, looking up and seeing a familiar face. However, it wasn't Kaze Lexicon's face. "Rayton Blackfoot?"

"Do not dare utter the Blackfoot name." [Rayton] scoffed, "Tell me where your other operations are."

She blinked twice in a haze. "What do you mean?"

"Are you blind, woman!?" He scoffed, "The planting operations. If you divulge the Killian faction's schedule now, I'll make your death swift and painless.

Otherwise, I'll use Dark Shards to shred your body from bottom to top, creating tourniquets every few inches until you speak to me."

Martha's eyes widened in shock. "W-Wait, I'll talk. Just… what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to wipe out your forces in your weakened states!" Rayton laughed coldly, "As it turns out, even the Panthera equalize to a mere Heaven Realm on the Mortal Plane.

Once everyone's on the same power base, it only takes numbers to kill anyone. Isn't that something?"

The cultivator woman's eyes widened in shock. "W-Wait, you killed Lady Pyron? You betrayed Killian?"

"Lady Pyron?" Rayton scoffed, "Don't treat that Pyron whore like a noble. Her beastly nature was all that made her strong.

She didn't even have enough brains to avoid getting led into a trap on the Mortal Plane.

Also, do not accuse the Blackfoot Clan of [betrayal] when Andrew Killian has funded the Panthera's campaigns to step on us."

"I-I see…." Martha dry-swallowed, "So the use of Darkness earlier, was you?"

"That's right; the Panthera whore's been dead since the last closing." Rayton laugh-scoffed in disbelief, "However, you and the rest are still alive—that's why we've come to collect your souls and resources."

He unveiled a massive pile of satchels. Only moments before, he cleared out the rest of the storage to play his ruse.

"God this feels GOOD!" Rayton yelled at the top of his lungs, "Finally telling you swine how I feel—how [we] feel! With that off my chest, I'm officially ready to kill you. So tell me everything you know, as I lack the patience to care about my role here!"

—Three Hours Prior | Immortal Skye—

"It's been too silent." Evalyn whispered under her breath, standing on the south side wall, looking at the devastation Kaze had wrought, "Only one more jet squadron… I'm not sure what Kaze did, but they haven't attacked since."

She eyed the mountaintop, lined with unstable, jagged wood chunks and green pine needles. One heavy wind would send a brown and green avalanche sliding down the mountainside.

"The explosions were massive yet…." She whispered, "It's hard to believe they wouldn't try again. If we were strong enough to defeat them, they'd know that defeating us tonight was their only chance for survival."

Evalyn turned around. "Michaels, it's time to open up communication. Our policy is not to engage, only listen. Let's speak privately; Kylie, you're with us."

General Michaels and Kylie nodded as the blonde jumped off the wall, leading both to a central point where the soldiers and faction members were in sight but couldn't hear them.

Once they were isolated, he pulled out a handheld device and entered a code.

The group waited for less than thirty seconds before a signal came in.

"General Michaels, do you read me!?" General Payton asked frantically.

Evalyn looked at Kylie, who nodded, then turned to the ex-general and nodded.

"Yes, I'm here." General Michaels replied dryly.

"Good." The man said with false confidence, "We've stopped striking Immortal Skye to negotiate a cease-fire. We are currently holding Immortal Skye's and your soldier's families hostage.

If you are unwilling to cooperate, we will move bases, killing all of your families before leaving. If we are dying regardless, we will not take baggage."

General Michael and Kylie's eyes widened in horror. Even though both of their families were secure, thinking of everyone elses' dying was unbearable.

However, Evalyn took the receiver and hit the button. "This is Evalyn Skye.

If you kill any number of our people, our Shadow Cat will track you down by smell and slaughter you wherever you are.

Considering she can run over 200 miles an hour without concern for barriers or obstacles, we'll send her to butcher you and your troops tonight."

The general on the other end opened and closed his mouth in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

However, considering the video footage of her in her panther form, he didn't deny the claims. It finally dawned on him that they had lost. Kaze proved that missiles were ineffectual, and he now knew that Immortal Skye chose when they died.

"If I'm already dead, then why would we prolong your family's lives?" General Payton asked, "Why would we waste our resources if you're planning to kill us?"

"[I'm] is an apt word, general." Evalyn said coldly, "[You] will die for your crimes. However, your soldiers will live, protection and agreement permitting.

Will you foolishly sacrifice [all] of your soldiers' lives today?"

General Payton fell silent on the other line after a depressed breath. After a minute of silence, he got back onto the receiver. "I will reign in my troops if you agree to spare them.

However, we cannot guarantee the lives of any of your people, as they're facing off against our soldiers. They have already triggered a considerable amount of bloodshed. We aren't responsible for—"

"You're not responsible!?" Evalyn scoffed in vitriolic anger, shocking everyone present, "You're fucking responsible! Go down there and reign in all your soldiers.

I'll spare three soldiers' lives for every guilty soldier you turn into me.

One-fourth of your military base is guaranteed to die. Unless you want it to be 100%—tonight—I'd start making an extensive fucking list!"