Chapter 113 - Minor Inconvenience

The next eight months, he spent making the biggest array he had ever seen, spanning around eighty thousand kilometers in radius. He had to create small flags and add them along its side.

One wrong move and he wouldn’t get any benefits. All souls would just ascend to the next life! Thank god there was a way to check whether the formation was in the right order or not. Otherwise, he would’ve gone mad.

Next, all he did was wait. He learned intent—not just sword intent but intent itself. Humans, beasts, nature, everything had an intent.

He could sense a being’s intent towards others. Like while hunting a beast, he could see threads of intent—anger, fear, sorrow towards him, towards the beast’s child, and for death.

There were millions of intents. Cale could see them but couldn’t exactly guess what was what always. ’If I could do that, what would even be the point of living? Understanding everyone’s intent even before they do something, I’d become an expressionless block.’

’Sigh, is it about time...’

He wondered, sitting on the edge of a cliff with legs suspended below, eating a roasted leg of a spiritual beast in one hand.

"Right... I should take a bath."

Yes, he just realized he hadn’t exactly taken a bath in the past. Well, who knows how many years.

So he took a good bath, had some meat, and waited for the realm portals to open.

Four days passed. Then it happened midday. Hundreds of portals with qi leaking from them opened, and through them entered hundreds of thousands of people from all over the entire world. All below Emperor Stage.

Fiora Velard too was one of them. Along with Niva Xercs as her guard and a few others alongside, she entered.

As soon as they entered this mystical realm, all started exploring.

Fiora looked at the sky with the same cold expression. ’It’s about time we meet again, my fiancé.’

While she started her search for Cale using the mark talisman, Cale found himself locked in a predicament.

"Demon spawn! We can sense your demonic qi leaking all the way here! Surrender all your items and leave the demonic side!" said an old man.

"You vile man, such bloodthirst! We could sense it from the gate opening, leading all the way here!" screamed a young woman.

"Hehehe, you should surrender here! Our elders from the sect are not so vicious. They will spare your life, but you’ll have to give everything you have in that cave!" said an arrogant young master.

’Sigh, what a situation have I found myself in.’

Cale was just about to leave to search for Fiora but found presence near his cave. These people were eyeing all the items—from swords to precious herbs he had put inside. Though he could put them in the mindspace, he’d grown them here given the abundant qi of this realm.

’Looks like that was a mistake. But damn, daylight robbery? Just because they found traces of demonic qi on me? Just because my constitution can be considered demonic by others’ perception?’

Cale sighed. "I don’t know who you people are. And aren’t you ashamed of yourselves, ganging up on me like this? So much for the so-called righteous sects."

He sneered.

The old man lost his cool. "How impudent! Child from demonic origins, you don’t know who you’re facing—"

Cale cut in. "Since you all seem unwilling to even hear me, why don’t I beat you all one by one, heh? Believe me, this trick works on everyone."

He took a few steps forward. "In this world, might is the best true representation of virtue, isn’t it?"

He narrowed his eyes. "But since I’m stronger than you, isn’t it natural for all of you to give me all your supplies? Since you’ve caused me mental harm~"

"W-What? Mental Harm?! You don’t—"

Cale laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I don’t know who you are. But why aren’t you attacking?"

Cale knew what was happening. Although his cultivation was near nonexistent, these people were wary. No one could gather all those things alone—either he had subordinates or he was hiding his cultivation. The latter seemed more likely given that Cale was literally at Beginner Stage.

By the time they talked, around twenty more people joined them, all wearing the same white and grey robes.

Cale couldn’t help but sigh. ’More cannon fodder! Just leave me alone, will you?’

His barrier talisman had been broken by them, letting these people sense just how much stash he had in the cave. It was so much that one could literally establish a sect on their own.

"He’s too shameless! We have to kill him!"

’And... they just decided to kill me.’

Cale looked at them. Ah, these pitiful souls, just wanting him to absorb them. His soul cultivation hadn’t improved a bit since entering this realm. Apex Stage was way too huge of a deal. He couldn’t ascend to Mid Apex Stage in all these hundred years!

Cracking his neck, "Come. Should I suppress my cultivation? Oh wait... I’m just Beginner Stage. Oh my, I’m scared~"

They all rushed at him.

"Kid, you’ve gone too far!"

"Insolent fool! Let’s see how you survive this!"

"Let me teach you a lesson!"

First, a young man came with his fist fused with energy. Cale waited for the very last second, and using Three Illusionary Steps, appeared on the right, punching the man’s face. The man fell. Another blink, Cale appeared near the man’s lying form and using his leg, squashed him like a bug, absorbing the dead guy’s soul.

He killed a Grandmaster Stage cultivator with just physical force. Easily at that.

All of them stood stunned, staring at him.

"H-he killed him! Wasn’t he Grandmaster Stage! How could he kill him in one move!"

"He didn’t even use spiritual energy or a weapon!"

"I-it must be some kind of artifact, right!"

"He is a vile demon! Now that he has killed one of us, we must avenge Mu-won!"

Cale appeared yet another step ahead. "You should stop blabbering and come at me all at once."

’Guess I won’t need to go out for treasures today. They’re all coming to me.’

"Let’s attack him together! I’ll see how he acts then!"

And they all rushed towards him.

A girl jumped at him, trying to stab him with incredible speed. Deflecting the sword with his bare hands, Cale punched her face, throwing her aside, breaking her nose.

Three people weaved signs, and talismans glowed around them. Tens of others prepared their swords too.

Cale moved fast, cutting all the talismans, then using swift movements to kill everyone behind them in a straight line.

Tens of heads fell, blood spurting like a fountain from their headless bodies.

"M-monster! Argh! He’s a monster!"

"Y-you don’t come close! We... we will leave from here! Isn’t that what you wanted?"

"We will even give you all our collected items! Just... just let us go!"

Elders from all sides prepared tens of flying swords, attacking him.

Cale dodged most, while parrying some. Then he found out they had created a formation in that time.

"Haha, let’s see you escape this!"

They started shooting elemental attacks like fireballs and windblades.

"You’re wasting too much time. I’ve already sensed my princess, so I can’t entertain you more," he said with a smirk.

Then, with just three slashes infused with intent, they all were killed. The formation broke with them.

"Phew, she’s nearby. Let’s go..." But then he stopped, turning back. "I’ve gotta take the loot from them, right?"

He pillaged their bodies, collecting all sorts of items. Spiritual stones, talismans, weapons—nothing particularly impressive, but it all added up. His lips curved into a slight smile.