Prologue 5 - A Case of Mysterious Deaths
...2 years after the competition...
10PM, curfew. At this time, the usually busy roads would be mostly empty of civilians.
Centuries ago, this curfew wouldn't exist, but after the world realized that the incidents involving demonic cultivators often occur at night where the victims are oftentimes alone or in small groups, authorities warned it's best to stay at home or at some place with many people.
Afterall, if a demonic cultivator harmed a large group at once, they are much more likely to be captured since there would most definitely be evidence left behind. Not to mention, many residential areas now have security guards who came from the Upper Realm.
It's just a pity that because these incidents are handled well by Upper Realm cultivators patrolling the areas, many begun to relax their guards, after all, nighttime is the highlight of some of their lives! What are the chances of them meeting with a demonic cultivator whose faction is on the decline?
But on a certain night, such a group of guys wandered down the sidewalk with their arms around each other, singing and humming nonsense.
They are drunk...
Their voices reached far in the empty streets, where the numerous street lamps only dimly lit the road. Their surroundings are filled with trees without signs of nearby civilizations.
One of these guys whose mind is way over his head suddenly became quiet. He squinted.
"Hey, is that a girl I see lying there?"
His pals looked in the direction his friend pointed at and stared.
"Oh shit! It is a girl, is that blood on her?"
The group of drunk guys slowly wandered over and checked up on this barefoot girl who is wearing a tattered white dress. She looked young, only about 16 or so, but had extraordinary features and silky black hair. However, this pretty image became utterly distorted by the large amount of blood she's covered in.
"She dead?"
"let me see."
One of these guys went up to her body and checked her breath.
"Yep, she's good, breathing. But damn, she's pretty." he exclaimed.
"Dude, don't go committing a crime now."
"I was just saying-, what do we do now, call the police?"
"You joking? We'll get blamed!"
As they talked, the girl on the ground stirred. Slowly getting up in a sitting position, she slowly rubbed her eyes.
"Oh, you're awake? Hey, don't go pointing fingers at us later got it? We're just passing through this area." said one of the guys.
But the girl did not answer and kept rubbing her eyes with her head down. Her straight bangs covered half her face, so the group could not make out her expression.
"Hey, girly, you alright?"
"..."
"Hello?"
She finally raised her head. On her exquisite face is a small, well shaped nose and a pair of red lips so bright it seemed it could leak blood. But what's more startling is her eyes.
Large, red, slitted eyes.
Her tender little lips slowly parted, then suddenly widening even more until the slit reached her ears, revealing rows of sharp and bloodied teeth. It then released a bloodcurdling scream.
"IT'S SO PAINFUL!!!"
In the light casted by a nearby streetlight, the faint shadow of the girl morphed into a grosteque flower like shape. It's petals twisted around the multiple running figures, twisting and ripping them apart, then throwing the limbs and torsos into what seemed like a bulb. Piercing screams echoed for a short moment before they stopped, leaving only the sounds of what seemed like the chewing of flesh and bones.
.
.
.
In the morning, the police received a call regarding a homicide and quickly went to the scene.
Most of these officials had never seen such a gruesome scene even with other demonic cultivators who had strange obsessions...
It's almost as though the culprit had ripped the victims into as many pieces as possible and then smearing the pieces of flesh and blood over as large of an area as it could.
When the police came to the scene, they could not even tell how many bodies there were...
The pungent smell of blood and flesh had attracted various species of bugs, rendering the police speechless in fear and disgust.
The complicated scene, the strange and violent cause of death, and the identity of the victims... It's most likely a demonic cultivator... but since when did these demonic cultivators become so twisted?
After determining that this incident was most likely caused by a demonic cultivator, several cultivators came to help investigate. Like usual, it's the disciples from the righteous sects who would take up these task. The ones who came this time are inner sect disciples of a Heavenly Cloud branch sect whose cultivations were around mid Qi gathering stage. The leader of this small group walked past the officers and winced at the scene. suppressing his nausea, he pulled out a uniquely shaped device from his sleeve.
After performing some hand movements and inputting some qi in the core of the device, it floated to the scene and began to glow a bloody hue.
"That proves it, demonic qi is sensed in this area." The youth said. "Officers, you should go back. This demonic cultivator did not conceal their whereabout and might be nearby. It would dangerous for you all to follow. And fellow disciples, follow me to track down this demon."
After saying this, the youth took out his flying sword and flew in the direction the tracking device went with his group following behind him.
"No matter how many times I see this, I'm still awed..."Said one of the officers as he witnessed the speed at which those cultivators flew.
"It's a pity that cultivators are forced to stay out of Lower Realm affairs. If the incidents they deal with include criminals other than demonic cultivators, the crimes would be much easier to solve."Said another.
"What are you saying? If cultivators from the Upper Realm have to deal with everything, eventually there will be no place for us normal people. A world like that is exactly what the demonic cultivators strive for! Luckily there's the righteous faction in control, or else the world would be much more chaotic than it is now....."
.
.
.
At this time, the group of young cultivators flew far into a nearby mountain. The tracking device continued to track traces of demonic qi as it then flew into a grove of trees.
"This demonic cultivator, I don't know if they're stupid or what but they didn't even bother to suppress their qi when escaping. Isn't this no different from turning themself in?"
"Well, now, don't complaint! This just makes our tasks much easier. What's there to unhappy about when we can easily get ourselves some task points? After this, I'll have enough points saved up for the set of lightning talismans I had my eyes on for months!"
The squad leader turned and glared at the lively group behind him.
"All of you, be quiet. Do you all want to alarm that demon?"
After the device had gone through the trees, these young cultivators had also gotten off their sword and are currently walking by foot through the forest.
"And be careful, this demonic cultivator might have intentionally let out its qi on purpose to lure us. we'll flee immediately if the situation is dire."
"Senior brother, don't you think you're worrying too much? Most demonic cultivators don't even get proper resources, all the ones we subdued are at highest, Qi gathering stage. Right now our group can even take down one at Core Formation stage!"
------------------------
Current Stages to be Known:
1. Physique strengthening
2. Qi gathering
3.Core forming
4.Core Shaping
------------------------
But right after that youth spoke, the demonic qi tracking device suddenly spun in place and grew brighter. With the sun mostly blocked out by the trees, the blood red light it emits warped the scene into what seemed like a scene from underworld!
With the atmosphere suddenly becoming eery, the group each drew out a sword and stayed close together. The frantic eyes of these youths darted back and forth between the trees, hoping to figure out the enemy's location.
But before they could, The group leader heard a scream beside him.
"Senior brother!"
Then the junior that was beside him got dragged away. The ambush happened so quickly that he couldn't even lay his eyes on what it was.
A piercing scream sounded right after, and the group is able to hear clearly the horrendous noise of something being ripped apart.
...The scream went away as abruptly as it began.
And from the dark, a hair raising voice muttered.
"It hurts....."
Suddenly, the tracking device let out a high pitched hum and spun like a top.
At this sight, the group leader ordered:
"Everyone, escape!"
But it's too late...
From the shadows, a strange entity which seemed like elongated limbs shot out, grabbing the nearest of the group. The group leader just had to turn around at this time and witnessed how the strange organ crushed his junior to death, then used the rest of its 'arms' to rip the limp body apart...warm blood sprayed through the air, painting the sky red...
"Junior!" He cried, but he had no choice but to keep running. At the very least, he needs to get this information back to his guild.
Since when do demonic cultivators looked like that? Even demonic beasts have a more normal appearance! That thing... that thing... that thing does not look like anything that should exist in this world!
Behind him, he could hear even more screams and pleas for help, but he did not dare to look back and kept running. Once he reached a clearing, he quickly got out his flying sword.
Then something pieced though his chest.
It was so abrupt that he only realized he was wounded when he looked down and saw the gaping hole which used to contain half his torso.
Before he fell, his hands reached to the floating sword before him.... so close.... he was so close....
As he lost consciousness, his outreached hand fell lifelessly down onto the soil.
.
.
.
A week later in the Upper Realm, Heavenly Cloud Sect.....
As the Master Disciple, Chang Mingyue no longer need to reside in the same residence as other core disciples. Along with his status, a large residence with a historical eastern layout was built for him.
The Manor specifically designed to his needs contained a room for his personal caretakers, a personal library, a personal training room, a personal.....anything that could be thought of.
But even with all these rooms, Chang Mingyue prefers to cultivate in the garden located at the center of the manor. This garden boasts a large white magnolia tree which had been tempered for years in the upper realm standing tall and magnificently in the center of a clear pond. Usually, he would take his time reading and practicing scriptures or honing his sword skills near the pond. Today however, he welcomed the presence of the sect leader.
"Master Disciple Chang." Chang Fenglan began.
"Yes, honorable sect leader?"
"There's a task I want you to take."
"Task?" With his new identity, Chang Mingyue no longer needed to do tasks that would usually raise ranks or provide points for him to buy resources. As Master Disciple, whatever he needs, the sect would provide for him, just like this residence. Moreover, tasks are usually considered too 'lowly' for someone of his status, as there's no need for the grand, master disciple to personally run around doing tedious missions.
"Yes. This is a strange case that had already caused a large number of casualties. It first began with a violent slaughter of multiple civilians, then it escalated as inner disciples who were dispatched from one of our branch sect are killed with no survivors. After the branch sect leader sent me this notice, I sent a few of our own core disciples to deal with this matter but they too, are killed."
"Even the core disciples." Chang Mingyue also showed his doubt.
"As the Master Disciple favored by the world, you have what it takes to complete this task. Usually this task would be assigned to the direct disciples of other elders, but I believe it's the most suitable for you. This target... is not simple, it's best to end this without any more casualties."
"I understand, this disciple obeys."Chang Mingyue then took the mission scroll and skimmed through the content.
'This location...'