"..."
The silence that permeated the air was heart-twisting. The truth of the cultivation world was being revealed here. Why did powerful cultivators murder on the streets without care? Why did they eradicate entire families, clans, or forces to root any potential threat? With the power to exceed, you could do so openly and everyone would simply take it as par for the course.
"It was their own weakness!"
"This one person condemned the entire clan to death!"
"Her beauty was simply too great, calamity was bound to happen!"
Whatever reason it may be, the fact of the matter was: The strongest could do whatever the hell they wanted, and the other party would be blamed for their weakness, idiocy, or having things people coveted! This was strength.
It was the might to always be right.
This was the world of cultivation!
"Now, should I kill him or do you think I'm innocent?" Yan Zaizen smilingly said. Those words were spoken as if he was asking him if he wanted to eat here or there in total casualness. As if the choice itself was irrelevant. Dong Lin's expression was beyond ugly. Dong Sei had an even uglier one.
In truth, Dong Lin wasn't an idiot nor was Dong Sei. They knew that the moment Yan Zaizen displayed his incredible prowess, he had no reason to fear them thus no reason to lie. From just this display, his body cultivation easily rivaled a peak-True Essence Cultivator! He could kill them all easily if he wanted and everyone would only say they brought it upon themselves for falsely accusing someone or overestimating themselves.
After all, each difference in stage for the True Essence Realm was like the difference between the sky and the earth. Yan Zaizen's body cultivation could rival those at the peak-True Essence Realm, to those at the initial or mid-stages, it was like a Qi Unification expert versus an Origin Core expert.
Ma Xiuren's eyes shined brilliantly at Yan Zaizen's domineering display, while Tang Li's expression was solemn. Guàn Cui and her group also had a solemn expression. They all realized the truth of the circumstance. The crowd did as well. However, many had extra vigilance in their eyes. To think that a seemingly middle-tier group actually had such an ace hidden! What if they engaged in life or death battle for benefits against them, wouldn't they just die?
They were too cunning!
"We understand! You're innocent." Dong Lin calmly exclaimed. There was no reason to continue fighting at this point unless they had a death wish.
"Good! Good that you understand. Now, give me everything you have. Your spatial possessions, your clothes, your shoes, and your armaments. Then, if they satisfy me, I'll consider sparing his life. Oh, also yours." Yan Zaizen said with a warm smile. He wasn't a pushover. He hated being schemed against, but even worse, he hated being accused of something he didn't do!
If he was weak, wouldn't he be dead? Wouldn't they be extracting his spatial possessions, taking his clothes, his shoes, and his armaments from his corpse? So, he'll do the same.
"!" Everyone was shocked. So ruthless. However, they truly brought this upon themselves. It was already lucky Yan Zaizen didn't directly kill them and take their things afterwards. He pretty much was giving them a way out, and many cultivators, a vast majority actually, would directly kill these people and eliminate their entire force when they returned.
However, despite their ugly expressions, they gave up their possessions. This humiliation may be great but it's already lucky this was all that was asked for. If you could give them any positive points, they were decisive. Without their Ancient Emperor its likely they would suffer war and extermination when they returned, and if they all died here, their families and clan will definitely be wantonly raided by others. It'll be lucky if Princess Qin isn't taken as a slave.
"I like your decisiveness." After gathering everything, he placed them into the Meteor Ring. Various rebounds occurred, with everyone amongst their group spurting various mouthfuls of blood. It seems they had tracking formations or other things interconnected to them within their possessions.
SWOOSH!
Yan Zaizen tossed Dong Long like a sack of potatoes. Turning towards Tang Li and Guàn Cui, his eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment. If he was weak, they would've left him for dead, abandoning him with their actions. Despite their supposed team-up.
However, what could Yan Zaizen expect? He didn't blame them, because he would've done the same thing! He didn't know them outside of their names, why would he clean up their own mess? Especially if he felt disgusted at their actions.
He disliked being a hypocrite, so he tries hard to actively put himself in other people's shoes. "I'll consider my job as your guide terminated by your actions. Am I correct?" Yan Zaizen asked Guàn Cui.
Surprisingly, she didn't have any fear in her eyes only unyielding pride, "That's correct." Her words were neutral in tone but decisive. Nodding in understanding, Yan Zaizen landed near the Asura's Milk, his eyes flashing with traces of silver-blue light.
Hm?
Turning to the side, he saw a cute little girl in a flower dress staring at him. It was Ma Xiuren! She was fairly close in proximity. Her gaze was honed on Yan Zaizen and she was smiling brightly at him. With that, he understood and nodded. "Fine, I guess it'll be just you and me." Earlier, Ma Xiuren didn't physically retreat, not to mention, she didn't seem to have any ill-intentions.
Guàn Cui's expression was a little frustrated, but she didn't speak. Both of these characters were oddities with profound strength, and their decisions were theirs to make. As for Tang Li, his eyes flickered but he didn't step up.
"What's the base requirement for someone to pass this Asura's Milk curtain?" Yan Zaizen asked Pinaka.
"At least the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm or mid-True Essence Realm. However, with your cultivation, you should be able to harvest it." Pinaka said, her voice once again containing excitement.
"Could this help you recover?" Hearing her excited tone, he felt this must be important to her.
"Yes. Harvest as much as you can! Quickly, before others try!" She urged.
Nodding, his body glowed with a trace of dense silver-blue aurora light. This was the first time he revealed his soul energy cultivation base fully.
"What?!" Guàn Cui was stunned to a blank state. This person not only had a peak-True Essence rivaling body cultivation, but he also had a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base?! This…
The surrounding cultivators reeled in shock, their eyes displaying deeper fear than ever before. If a body cultivation that could rival the peak of the True Essence Realm was frightening, then combining that with a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base made him an absolute monster. Fortunately, his qi cultivation was severely lacking or else this person would be a demon at cultivation.
If they knew Yan Zaizen was under one hundred years of age, their expressions would be far worse.
Silver-blue soul energy flowed from his palms, directly manifesting a ten-meter hollow ball. Pushing it into the milk curtain, the ball started to slowly fill with pure white liquid.
"What! He's taking the white liquid!" One of the cultivator's exclaimed. The moment he said this, several individuals immediately executed their movement arts and landed near the curtain. They formulated a orb of true-essence similar to Yan Zaizen and attempted to harvest it in the same way.
"Ahhh!" A shriek filled with horrific pain resounded. It drew everyone's gazes as they looked at the shrieker, his cultivation at the initial-True Essence Realm, but his body started to be drenched in pure whiteness. It was remarkably similar to the inky, black moat's infection.
He attempted to fight back against the white liquid as it shuttled its way through his body, but it didn't seem physical. It was at that moment that everyone realized the white liquid was ethereal in nature without physical form.
Clutching his chest, his body was viciously fighting back against the liquid's attempt to wash his soul clean, but alas, his rashness led to his immediate erasing of vital components in his soul form. With a soft thud, he slammed powerlessly to the ground. Surprisingly, he wasn't physically dead. His body still exuded a vibrant lifeforce and it couldn't be considered dead.
Unfortunately, his soul flame was washed clean by the Asura's Milk, maliciously wiping out his memories, instincts, and consciousness. If he wakes up, he'll be like a newborn baby without any sense of self.
"This…" After that, no one else took action, immediately retracting their harvesting orbs of true-essence. Many were smart, waiting to see if others could do so before they attempted themselves. Others were lucky, their speed was simply far too slow so they couldn't take action. This saved their very consciousness.
As for Yan Zaizen, he didn't even consider anyone else. After his orb was filled, he waved his hand to send the soul energy ball filled with Asura's Milk into his Meteor Ring. Afterwards, he immediately created another of the same size.
After a while, others realized that Yan Zaizen was harvesting using soul energy and not true-essence. It was likely this very reason why it worked. Unfortunately, the person who tried to harvest next only had a Advanced Aurora Soul. Despite being able to resist its effects, it couldn't be harvested with such a little cultivation.
That person suffered the same fate - his soul washed clean.
Before long, nine thousand experts filled the room once more. Their eyes looked towards Yan Zaizen with curiosity, but didn't take action. From his soul energy fluctuation, his cultivation could rival late-True Essence cultivators. There was little reason to offend someone like that for white liquid that many didn't truly comprehend.
Before long, Wu Kun, the one who originally wanted everyone to work together in an attempt to deal with the Asura Golem, arrived with his allies. As a high-ranking member of the Wu Clan in the Xiantu Empire, a first-level heavenly-tier force, he had a unique arrogance about him.
Unlike others, he didn't have any fear to have a conversation with Yan Zaizen openly despite his soul cultivation. "How are you capable of harvesting this white liquid?" He inquired.
Yan Zaizen turned towards him with a slight smile, gazing at the Imperial Family members of Presba who were making their way towards the Wu Clan without proper clothes. His eyes gleamed with an intelligence, and he realized it was likely they were allied. He had some faint impressions of this Wu Kun individual.
"If you have a cultivation of the mid-True Essence Realm or Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, you can penetrate the curtain. However, if you wish to harvest it, you'll need a Perfect Aurora Soul cultivation base." He said truthfully. It wasn't like he cared if others knew. If they had the capabilities to harvest the curtain, then go for it.
From what Pinaka said, the Asura's Milk could fill an entire ocean. Despite filling several dozen ten-meter balls, the curtain showed no sign of disruption. It truly felt endless. Even if he spent several years harvesting, its unlikely he could take it all at the speed he was going. In truth, he had to do so carefully and focus all his energy into one ball as to not suffer any backlash of the Asura's Milk like the others. Therefore, his speed was rather slow.
"I see," Wu Kun nodded in understanding. After looking at the curtain of white liquid for a bit, his eyes flashed with even further understanding. It seemed he realized this was Asura's Milk from what Yan Zaizen said.
As for everyone else, their eyes flashed with intelligence and wariness. They originally didn't know the requirements to pass the curtain, but now they realized. As most of the cultivators were currently in the room, they understood the limitation. Unless a group could gain a mid-True Essence expert to protect them, it'll be unlikely for them to bypass this room.
Their journey would end here.