Outside the Blood Sanctum. Lord Samus peered down below with a troubled frown. Before he took a glance back at the teal orb, floating above him.
When the damning images and videos first surfaced from Zeke, Samus had thought of recalling this item. However, he quickly changed his mind, knowing that the current recording wasn't a live broadcast.
Having plans to doctor the video feed at a later time. He had the intention of excluding any incriminating evidence that was heaped upon his fellow associates and partners in crime.
' That damn rat bastard! How dare he even attempt to make a fool of me! Tsk, I wonder how he even acquired information that should've never seen the light of day? No matter, once I get a hold of him, I'll be sure to search his soul for the answer.'
Even though his plans had hit an unexpected bump in the road, Samus still believed that he was in complete control of the situation, nonetheless. Taking it upon himself to clean house of those who could expose their dark secrets.
He felt pleased that this absolute debacle, originally stemming from his marital partner, was finally bearing fruit.
Concerning his first wife, Ema Samus, the matriarch's cultivation level, which was at a Stage 4 Grandmaster Rank, could no longer help sustain her youthful appearance, which she once took pride in.
Driven insane by her perceived loss of beauty, pushing over the age of 400, she commissioned the act of sacrificing a random village of thousands for a notorious Rejuvenation Pill. Unbeknownst to the patriarch until it was too late.
She had colluded with an infamously known demonic elder of the Blood Cult in her demitted pursuit.
Eventually, they were found out due to their poor planning and hasty execution. In a bind, she decided to frame Zeke, having a longstanding vendetta against him.
Despite his displeasure with her unrestrained and unbecoming actions, the patriarch relented to Ema's spite. Rather than resorting to the alternative of publicly condemning one of his "beloved" wives. Getting back on track, he continued with his show of bravado,
" Your measly act of provocation brings me more disappointment and shame than anger. Using a prime staple of the Blood Cult, your every action further proves how low you've truly sunk. So, allow me to reiterate.
In case you mustered any false hope brought about by your little stunt. That any single trick you could conceive will ultimately fall before me!"
Not missing a beat, his Qi began to skyrocket. Following suit, the muddled sky gradually grew darker. With everything falling under Samus' watchful eyes, quaking violently in response.
Eventually, an overwhelming golden aura began to emit from his body, illuminating the environment. He crossed his right leg over the left thigh while clapping his palms in unison, into prayer hands.
Summoning a giant, gold, statuesque image of the Buddha deity, Guanyin, manifesting ninety-nine majestic arms, that bloomed like a field of unworldly sunflowers.
Soon, the land that was screaming in fear suddenly became deathly silent. Signaling the calm before the storm, he made a subtle hand gesture.
In accordance with his action, time seemed to freeze for a moment while he remained in the same stance. Nearly breaking the speed of sound, a platoon of thunderous palms stormed the Blood Sanctum below. Disrupting the momentary silence with a godlike bombardment.
Everything falling within a 4km radius had become collateral damage. No life was guaranteed as a nearby Divine Beast imploded from the pressurized shockwaves.
The surrounding forest was easily uprooted, as tall trees easily blew away in the roaring winds like torn petals. Thousands of chaotic combos landed all around Zeke's position in a matter of seconds, forcefully rearranging the landscape.
Exhibiting signs of waver, ripples spread throughout the entire formed array with each crushing blow. Samus surmised that the barrier wouldn't last more than a minute longer.
Hearing vast tales that spread across the martial world. 'The Blood Sanctum' had become infamous after a certain incident. When a single demonic cultivator successfully resisted the combined force of several other Stage 5 Grandmasters.
However, this particular situation was different because Zeke stood at only a Stage 5 Disciple. Simply put, he didn't have enough Qi to maintain the impenetrable Blood Sanctum.
' My fame will soar to new heights once I single-handedly destroy this folklore.'
He gloated in his mind before yelling aloud,
" It's only a matter of time before I demolish that devilish shell of yours!"
Half a minute had passed by as the unrelenting might of his ultimate technique didn't lose any steam. Assured victory, within a split second, those odds changed as someone familiar jetted out from inside the Blood Sanctum, approaching at a breakneck speed.
" Kang-Min!?"
Samus shouted in shock, locking eyes from afar with a fellow Stage 5 Grandmaster. While the distance between these two remained vast, as he stayed high in the sky.
From underneath, Kang-Min naturally left a trail of afterimages that resembled a swarm of pesky flies trying its damnedest not to get swatted. He avoided the volume of outstretched palm strikes that mimicked lightning bolts in a whirling hurricane.
This chaotic obstacle made it almost impossible for him to gain any substantial ground upward. Swiftly dodging a hefty number of simultaneous slaps just by the skin of his teeth. In a span of three breaths since Kang-Min surfaced. He had already lost count of all the attacks Kang-Min slipped through, after exceeding 6,000.
' Well, I'll be. How in the hell did I end up getting myself thrown into this sh** show?'
Kang-Min had this lingering thought pinned to his conscience ever since exiting the Blood Sanctum. He couldn't help but recall the arrangement that he and Zeke had discussed, with some trepidation.
Going back, moments before Samus activated his ultimate technique. An undisclosed conversation had taken place within the sanctum.
....
" Where am I?"
Kang-Min immediately blurted once he suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar place. Being a short, elderly man, wearing a cream-colored robe. He slowly scratched at his balding head in confusion.
" No time for idle chit chat. It's about time I cash in on the favor you owe me."
Zeke quickly remarked. Sitting cross-legged at the center of the crater. His eyes were shut, concentrating on keeping everything afloat.
" Oh, I remember you! We shared several drinks at the White Crane Inn on a few separate occasions! What a joy to see you again! Anyways, not to be rude, but I heard through the grapevine that you've now been deemed public enemy number one.
But don't worry because those with a nose for this corrupt game can easily sniff out the foul stench dealt by those self-righteous pricks.... Hey, just between us, you're innocent, right...?"
Kang-Min idled, chatted without a care in the world as he went on, not giving Zeke a chance to explain.
"Forget I asked, that's your prerogative. It just breaks my heart to see such a good drinking pal of mine go through so much internal nonsense. Say, didn't I forewarn you about letting your guard down to that monster disguised in fine linen?
Mentioning, time after time, that your negligence would ultimately come back to bite you right in the Keister. Shoot, before you were even born, that father of yours has always shown himself to be a sly devil. By the way, did I ever tell you the story of back when..."
" Enough already! I should've expected this to happen since you're known to jabber on, but despite that, I trusted that a man of your rare integrity wouldn't be one to take a sworn oath so lightly, right?"
Zeke interrupted in frustration, trying not to let the anxiety of every passing second get to him. Finally sensing the urgency of his predicament, Kang-Min became serious, nodding his head in agreement while, uncharacteristically, shutting his mouth and listening.
Zeke quickly broke down the dire situation and what he required of him.
...
From then to now, Kang-Min was presently in the middle of fulfilling his particular role. Meanwhile, Samus had diverted half his efforts from the Blood Sanctum onto Kang-Min. Eventually, a few minutes had elapsed since Kang-Min appeared.
Their exchange was still held to an unexpected stalemate. What surprised Lord Samus wasn't that his old rival could keep up with him. The real anomaly lay in the fact that the Blood Sanctum was still left intact.
' What kind of sorcery is this? The Blood Sanctum before me should only be a mere paper dragon, under his inferior power and control. Wait a minute.... sorcery... that's it!'
He exclaimed, coming to a sudden realization. Immediately after his discovery, the scene before him became distorted. The illusion he was apparently under suddenly vanished, replaced with an unsettling reality.
Unable to react in time, as a diamond-encrusted blade held by Kang-Min viciously slashed at his neck.