Without an ounce of hesitation, I clenched my hand tight into a fist. The heart burst right into my hand, its blood sprinkling all across my body.
As a few droplets landed on my face, the others realized.
What they had killed wasn't a mere crippled child, but the only thread that kept me tied to my sanity.
But now? The thread was gone. And my consciousness had ever since become dormant.
They say a person's qi is the most vital and intricate part of one's body. Although it is present in one's body from birth and can accumulate over time, it can also change in nature and shape according to the person's desires.
For a healthy and happy mind, the qi would reflect the positive shine of the sun. For a gloomy and sad mind, the qi would recreate a silent, dead night.
There were set predicaments that one had to face for experiencing each emotion... except for one.
Rage.
An emotion so reckless that it perfectly blinds one's intelligence and allows one to cross human limits unintentionally.
But for cultivators, this emotion was a hazard. Why? Because its effects were everlasting. And if one were to fall into the enticement of this emotion, their inner qi—one's lifeline—will be burnt.
Best case—crippled for life.
Worst case—death.
I knew of these risks since my childhood. Gauging my rage, I knew that my fate was the worst.
But in that moment, something inside of me kept screaming.
'My world has died, so has my love... This world of hypocrites... Why should I long to stay in such a dirty place?'
With that, I willingly accepted my rage and let my raw emotions take over my body. In an instant, I fell into Qi deviation.
My eyes turned demonic, and veins bulged all over my body. My power skyrocketed exponentially.
With no restraint left in my mind, I treated this place as my grave. My inner qi had begun to burn.
The cultivators that surrounded me seemed to have sensed this little change. Their expressions changed drastically as they realized what a foolish decision I had made.
"Th-This...!!"
"Run, everyone! This fool is trying to get us all killed with him!"
Several fearful screams arose from the already wavering crowd. The cultivators with lesser strengths suddenly channeled every bit of their energies in unison.
Countering my suppression, they open a small crevice in space. They were trying to escape the scene.
But it seemed as if they had forgotten that I had lost my mind.
Seriously... What were they thinking...? Turning their back towards me... fufu...
*Squelch!*
My body moved before my mind.
One.
Two..
Three...
Before long, I lost count. Count of the souls that ceased to exist because of my hands.
In less than a fraction of a second, I chased each of the fleeing perpetrators. Standing before them, I briefly looked into their eyes.
With a swift movement, I beheaded their necks cleanly with the same dagger they used on my son.
Before they could notice or feel the last sensation of sharp pain seethe through their spine, I returned to my spot.
Time, which seemed to have slowed down for me, resumed once again.
The world was turned upside down for several cultivators as they let out a final shriek before going silent forever.
While the murderer of my son... My Wusheng... Dropped to the ground right before my eyes.
But that wasn't enough... No... It was far from over...
Even though the main perpetrator was dead, I kept hearing his voice. Wusheng's crumbling voice.
"Kill them, Father. You have to avenge me."
"How could you let me die, Father?"
"I hate you."
Such remarks only fueled my aimless rage. Recalling the loss, I wailed loudly in rage.
"AAAARGH!!" My voice—laced with my rampaging qi—reverberated through the entire world. Rippling through trees and the unbound sky, it suppressed all that existed around me.
The high and mighty cultivators, in an instant, fell to the ground. As they lay helpless on the ground amongst the corpses of their comrades, unable to move even an inch of their bodies, the look in their eyes changed.
Forgiveness.
Their eyes begged for forgiveness. Mercy.
But I couldn't tell.
To me, the loss of my son far overpowered the pity towards them.
Without an ounce of hesitation, I raised my hand high in the air. Channeling every last bit of vitality into my palm, I stared silently as tears welled in their eyes.
The energy condensed into a small marble in the middle of the palm, levitating as it shimmered in a bright crimson hue.
My eyes, silent and void of emotions, shone not with life but with a hint of death.
Even as I cried blood and smiled recklessly, something inside of me stayed awake all along.
Moments before I launched my last attack, a plea left my lips, aiming for those who no longer existed in this world.
"I'm... sorry..."
The marble jumped high in the air and expanded rapidly. I, however, did not lower my hand. I simply extended it towards them.
The Qi, as it continued to expand, soon reached a size comparable to covering the entire Mt. Qingmao.
Then, almost instantly, the energies bent, curved, and shaped themselves into a replica of my hand. A streak of blood-red qi leaked through the crevice of my eyes as, for the last time, I glanced over at my enemies.
Maybe... Just maybe...
Even as I fell into Qi Deviation, a part of me wished to see him smile for the last time. Hug him for the last time.
"I swear... Wusheng..."
"I will... take... revenge..."
With that, I lowered my hand. The giant palm-shaped energy in the air trembled and struck them down.
Their bodies were crushed in an instant. But my attack didn't stop there. It continued.
Moments later, the entire mountain, something that could be classified as one of the tallest peaks in the world, was reduced to nothing.
All the while, a massive handprint appeared over the ground.