The Immortal Heir; The Absolute Cheat

Chapter 8

The two remaining inner disciples didn't hesitate. Spurred by the Deacon's roar, they flanked Kai, their sabers weaving a deadly web of steel. The air grew heavy under the oppressive weight of Deacon Fang’s Tier 5 earth aura, which sent tremors through the forest floor, pinning Kai’s movements.

"Die, beast!" the disciple on the left screamed, unleashing a flurry of consecutive slashes.

Kai didn't retreat. His pacing was relentless, a blur of motion driven by his newly acquired stats. He ducked under the first slash, the wind of the blade whistling past his ear, and parried the second with his bare palm—now reinforced by the shimmering, translucent dragon scales of his passive armor.

Clang!

The steel blade sparked against his skin, unable to pierce the Draconic defense.

Before the disciple could recover from the shock, Kai activated his newly stolen Fire Root Aptitude, combining it with his lightning. A volatile, purple-red plasma erupted from his fingertips. He drove his fingers straight through the disciple’s throat like hot knives through butter.

[Ding! Enemy defeated. Extracting...]

[Extracted: +30 Agility, +15 Strength.]

The third disciple turned to run, his courage completely shattered.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kai muttered.

With a burst of lightning speed, Kai closed the distance instantly. He grabbed the fleeing disciple by the back of his neck, slamming him face-first into a jagged boulder. The impact was absolute, silencing the man instantly.

[Ding! Enemy defeated. Extracting...]

[Extracted: +25 Strength, +20 Agility.]

[System Notice: Attribute thresholds reached! Advancing to Mortal Cultivator (Tier 5)!]

A localized tempest of spiritual energy exploded outward from Kai. The pure, unfiltered power of his breakthrough tore through the surrounding brush, shredding leaves and shattering branches. His muscles tightened, his senses expanding so aggressively he could feel the exact density of the earthen armor coating Deacon Fang just ten paces away.

Deacon Fang stood frozen, the color completely drained from his face. In less than sixty seconds, three of the sect's finest inner disciples had been reduced to corpses and stat points.

"You... you're a demon," Fang stammered, his heavy rock armor suddenly feeling like a tomb rather than a shield.

"A demon?" Kai walked toward him, each step heavy enough to leave a smoking, scorched footprint in the dirt. The blue glow of the status panel flickered in his eyes. "No. I'm just the consequence of your actions."

Fang let out a desperate, guttural roar, channeling every drop of his Tier 5 earth mana into his right fist. The rock armor on his arm expanded, forming a massive, spiked boulder of a fist. He lunged forward, swinging with enough force to shatter a fortress wall. "I'll crush you to paste!"

Kai didn't dodge this time. He wanted to test his limits.

He drew back his right fist, letting the gold-infused blood of the Divine Dragon God Bloodline flood his veins. The translucent scales on his arm turned a fierce, metallic gold, crackling with intense blue lightning.

Two fists—one of solid stone, one of draconic lightning—collided in the center of the clearing.

BOOM!

The resulting shockwave leveled the surrounding trees, sending a cloud of dirt and splintered wood flying into the night sky. For a second, the two energies clashed, grinding against one another.

Then came the sound of shattering rock.

Fang’s earthen armor cracked, splintering into dust under the sheer, primordial density of Kai's strike. The golden, lightning-clad fist punched straight through the boulder, continuing forward until it struck Fang’s chest.

Fang’s sternum imploded. He flew backward like a cannonball, crashing through three thick trees before finally slumping against a rock, coughing up massive amounts of dark blood. His eyes rolled back, staring at Kai in absolute, unadulterated horror.

Kai walked over, standing above the dying Deacon, his face expressionless. He reached down and placed his hand on the man's bloody forehead.

"Your cultivation," Kai whispered, "belongs to me now."

[Ding! Host is in direct physical contact with a valid target. Initiating Devourer Bloodline Extraction...]