Success with life on the line.

In the Gaoliang District, inside one of the clans.

A figure in a black robe and hood was kneeling with a head bow. Another man with his long shiny black hair tied in a ponytail was standing with his hands behind his back with his eyes gazing at the bright stars hanging in the sky through the window in front of him.

"What is the rumor that I am hearing about that crippled cultivator of the Lu Clan?" The man calmly asked the unknown figure kneeling on the ground without turning to look at the person.

The gender of the figure was unknown whether it was male or female.

"The rumor might be fake news because it is still not yet confirmed. Our spies in the Lu Clan had reported back to us that the figure of Lu Shang isn't yet seen around the ….." The figure wasn't able to complete the statement before he or she was interrupted by the cold voice of the man looking at the beautiful scene up in the sky.

"Shut up, don't try to fool me with your words. I asked a simple question and you are supposed to give me the accurate answer I need, not an unnecessary answer. DAMNIT!" The cold voice of the man resounded in the ears of the figure, sending shivers into him or her. The cold voice of the man was accompanied by a powerful aura that was released from his body.

THUD!!!

The aura of the man was pressing down on the unknown figure making the knee of whosoever it was to be plugged violently into the ground with gritted teeth. 

The man turned to face the figure whose head was facing the ground. "I gave you a simple task to carry out and you failed. Just to eliminate the young master of the Lu Clan who is a crippled cultivator or do you want to give me an excuse that he is too powerful for you to handle?" The man yelled at the figure, walking closer to the kneeling figure with anger on his face.

"I made… sure *cough* that the task was perfectly done. I instructed one of our spies that works as a maid there and she poisoned the food of the young master. I saw the lifeless body of Lu Shang before leaving," 

The figure paused, coughing blood before continuing. "The poison given to him was powerful, the maid who carried out the task reported back to me that Lu Shang wasn't dead but was still alive. I didn't believe it and I immediately went back and confirmed it was true, but I wasn't able to intrude into the Lu Clan because their security was tight at that moment. I stayed around the vicinity for days until another shocking news came to me that Lu Shang had entered into a strange state making him half-dead. I waited for weeks but Lu Shang didn't awaken, with that I assumed that he had finally died" The figure explained with a bittered expression, as the pressure was too great to bear.

"I gave you a task to carry out and you passed the task to another person. What a foolish fellow you are and now see the result, you spoilt everything," The man scolded, with that more aura was released from his body making the pressure in the air increase.

It was becoming unbearable for the figure and might give up anytime. The figure was throwing out more blood.

"I give you 2 weeks to make sure you eliminate that bastard or else don't blame me for claiming your life. This time I don't want any failure" With his final words, he stretched his hand forward and grabbed the air before casually slinging his hand. 

The unknown figure on the ground felt an invisible hand raise its body into the air before flinging its figure to the dark corner of the room.

"That's only a small punishment compared to what I am going to do to you when you fail in my task."

"Just 2 weeks," the man said.

The man began to walk out of the room. 

The unknown figure groaned in pain on the ground, many bones in the figure's body had been broken by the force of the man. The figure looked at the man with gritted teeth as he walked out of the room.

The last statement of the man was echoing within the figure though.

*****

Within the room of Lu Shang.

He was still passing through the torture of the resounding thunderous sound that was resounding inside his body.

He couldn't bear the torture, as he coughed out blood and blood ooze out of his ears and nostrils.

His body was shaking violently from the impact of the booming occurring within his body. The pain was unbearable, even worse than death. "Pain is nothing but a passing thought that last for a certain point in time compare to power." With gritted teeth, he struggled to say these words slowly with a painful tone.

Spiritual energy was rushing into his body in a large quantity, providing him with the necessary energy needed in his body.

Soon, the air around him seize, and from within his body was released a bright light, that engulfed his body within

His body was raised into the air in a swift motion and the next moment his body was forcefully banged into the ground again.

"Dam*it, this pain is fu*king terrible" He managed to say through his gritted teeth before his body was raised into the air again and the next moment forcefully banged into the ground.

This strange action continued for five times before stopping.

Thud!

This time, his body landed heavily on the ground causing one or two bones to shift from their positions.

"Fu*k, this is not easy as I thought it should be," He said trying to stand up but fell to the ground weakly.

Soon, his door was banged by someone. The person tried to open the door but unfortunately, the door was locked from the inside.

"Young master, is anything the problem?" The urgent voice of a guard drifted into the room.

Lu Shang breathed down in relief before replying. "Yes, everything is fine here. You don't have to worry about me, just go con…"

He answered weakly but wasn't able to make his statement when another booming sound resounded inside his body which made him close his mouth, trying to surpass the painful cry that wanted to come out from his mouth. This time the impact was greater than the rest that had been happening.

The guard had a confused expression on his face when he heard the loud boom sound but what can he do when Lu Shang had already admitted that something wasn't wrong? He walked away, continuing his duty.

He waited for the continuous torture of the thunderous sound but none happened which rouse a questioning thought in his heart. 'Have it stopped finally?'

His body was in a pitiful state, his clothes were filled with blood, and the state of his body was unknown.

'Crack'

At this moment, a breaking sound rang out from his heart region.

An unbelievable expression showed on Lu Shang's face. "How come and how did it happen?" He was observing his body from within and outside of it.

The breaking sound was from his martial core which had been covered with cracks. His martial core that was covered in cracks wasn't longer there but a brand new sparkling red-colored martial core was floating in the space there.

"What the heck? A brand new martial core" He asked the thin air with twitched eyebrows. "I was never expecting that my luck was this damn good." 

His face which was covered with a painful expression was now covered with a happy expression. "At least all the pain wasn't for nothing."

"Success"

Success with life on the line.

He stopped his cultivation and fell to the floor, weak of energy.

After some hours, the cultivators of the Lu clan discover that the spiritual energy has appeared and could be cultivated again.

Lu Shang fell asleep on the floor from exhaustion, but deep down he couldn't let go of the situation that had happened.

At that moment, he had gone through an amazing journey from which nothing could escape, not even death.