Absolute Denial
Vreth was waiting for his reward to knock on his door when suddenly...
♢Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission♢
♢Level Up +1♢
♢Gold Point Obtained +1♢
♢Reward: Skill - Absolute Denial♢
"Finally!"
♢Absolute Denial: This skill can be activated for 1 Gold Point per use. It has the power to deny anything. However, it is currently bound by 100 Virion Infinity Seals, restricting 99.99999999% of its power, as the Host is currently deemed unworthy of accessing its full potential. In its current state, the Host cannot deny a very powerful existence.♢
"Absolute Denial... 0.00000001% power... Anything... And obviously, I'm not worthy enough again! -_-"
Vreth was thinking through what the skill could be of his use and suddenly something struck his mind....
"So Sage, if I say something like, 'I deny having a demonic sword,' then—"
*Zzz*
Before Vreth could even finish his sentence, a mass of red and black essence began gathering around him. The energy coalesced into a pointed shape, glowing dazzlingly before finally,
*Shrr*
"This... This is a... sword!?"
Vreth stared in shock at the energy before him. It had taken the form of a sword, yet its shape fluctuated, like molten iron fresh from the forge, solidifying and adjusting as it formed.
Cautiously, Vreth reached out, his fingers barely brushing the sword's gleaming red and sinister grip for a mini second. But before he could grasp it for a few more seconds..
*Swosh*
The essence instantly dispersed, vanishing into the air, mixing with nature, like it had never existed.
"What... was that just now?!"
Vreth stood frozen, his mind racing.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a wave of vision flooded his mind with bunch of memories.
"Aaah!"
Vreth screamed in pain, putting his hands on his forehead, as he saw...
A vision of pure terror.
"Terrifying!" he muttered in horror, his eyes dark and hollow, as if they were being gouged out by invisible blades.
*Drip. Drop. Drip.*
The once Vreth's white semen painted ground was now stained with blood red, or to be more specific, it was actually painted with blood.
Vreth's face was drenched in blood. His eyes were crying blood, veins bulging as they pulsed with an unbearable force.
"Sa-ge... wh...at is th..at?!" he panted heavily, trying to process the horror that had unfolded in his mind.
The vision had shown him something beyond human comprehension.
---
Millions of cultivators hovered in the sky, their robes flowing like banners of war. They radiated an overwhelming presence, almost looking down upon every living being and their eyes were fierce and exuding killing intent for someone. And before them stood,
A lone man.
A man with just one sword.
The sword did not shine with divine radiance. Instead, it exuded a killing intent so overwhelming that even the air around it seemed drenched in blood. The blade appeared to be forged from pure blood and the bones of the prey of it.
The man stood atop a mountain, not of rock, but of flesh and blood. His crimson robes were in tatters, his long hair wild and unkempt. His entire body was drenched in fresh blood, his body was covered with wounds, dripping with blood.
Yet, despite the countless cultivators radiating killing intent towards him, standing against him, he stood firm and unmoved.
That man was none other than the "Ancient Demon Star," Tian Xuoni.
Master of the demonic arts. Follower of darkness. Grandmaster of demonic cultivation.
He was feared for his ruthlessness, selfishness, and his complete lack of morality.
Even at the very start of his cultivation journey, he had slaughtered his entire family bloodline. He had skinned his own lover, refining her skin into a spiritual armor to protect himself.
Tian Xuoni had massacred billions of cultivators, reducing their bodies to ash with his "Renegade Demonic Flame." With their souls and essence, he had forged a single weapon,
A sword that had made history the moment it was created.
Within the blade, billions of souls resided as if they were its very cells. The mere act of forging it had summoned 667 heavenly tribulations.
For 2.7 million years, Tian Xuoni endured those tribulations, refining the weapon in defiance of the heavens themselves.
The sheer chaos the sword had caused in the cosmic order led him to name it,
"Heaven Piercer."
A weapon that could split universes in half with a normal single slash from its tip.
Yet even with such power, Tian Xuoni had made too many enemies before reaching what is called the 'absolute strength', he didn't possess the power to look down on millions of power houses at once... In the end, he faced an army of millions of cultivators alone, instantly sealing his fate.
That day, Tian Xuoni, the "Ancient Demon Star," met his destiny.
Despite possessing unparalleled power, he had lacked in some points.
To reach the pinnacle of existence, one needed more than just strength. They needed intellect. Insight. Foresight.
But Tian Xuoni never had the chance to realize this, and when he got the live example of it... His body was cut in small pieces and his body parts were thrown in eternal void, as the food for void creatures.
---
This was the memory Vreth had glimpsed in that brief instant of contact.
A single moment that felt like an eternity because he saw all of Tian Xuoni's life experience in a mini second.
Tian Xuoni had lived for over ten million years. For 95% of his lifespan, he had slaughtered indiscriminately, men, women, children, the elderly and burned all of them alive by his "Renegade Demonic Flame."
Vreth had experienced all of it in just a mini second.
Every scream.
Every agonizing plea for mercy.
Every soul being slowly, cruelly refined, torn apart cell by cell.
*Aaaaghh...!*
Vreth let out a primal scream, his hands clawing at his blood-soaked face. His mind felt like it was being ripped apart.
He kept screaming.
And screaming.
And screaming.
♢If Host wishes to disable the instant memory transfer function, Host can—♢
The system's voice was abruptly cut off by a serious and emotionless voice.
"Huh? Disable the function? Nah, I...am totally fine!"
Vreth removed his hands from his face, revealing a twisted, manic grin, a disgusting smile that can send shivers down the spine...
"My body can't handle this pressure... but my mind can handle much more than this!"
*Thud, Thud, Thud!*
With that declaration, he started to slam his head against the stone floor continuously
Again.
And again.
And again.
Like a madman lost in the abyss of his own mind.