Dying or becoming one of the half-puppet half-braindead followers of his? Was that even a question?

"I will not turn into one of your puppets, it's better to die then" Bai Qi simply stated.

"Interesting..." As the being murmured, Bai Qi felt how his body began slowly floating into the air.

"So granting me a quick death is just too much wishful thinking?"

"Death? Death will not happen if you agree to serve me" And before Bai Qi could try to guess the reason, a whisper only audible to him entered his ears

"No, you will serve me, even if you do not want to do so"

"Why?!" A single thought ran through Bai Qi's mind. Why was this madman so bent on making Bai Qi his servant?

"A Sage Realm cultivator whose mind I can not enter? A simple human that does not shows any fear at my visage but trembles when seeing the 'Bonejade'? No, you are not something to be killed. At least right away" The whisper continued, and almost unwillingly Bai Qi sighed in relief. No, this cultivator, one fallen so low that evil wasn't even a word to describe him, and one that decided to become a real Demon had not found anything about Bai Qi.

"It would be better to leave him alone" Suddenly Wu Ren's voice resounded, and Bai Qi sensed that the aura around him became agitated...

***

"You... So you have been trying to hide your real strength? It was probably hard... And unneeded, as I have long sensed that you were only feigning" The being in the air turned his attention to Wu Ren, and spoke in the same dispassionate tone. No, it wasn't the same, something was off... Almost like it was just trying to put a facade?

"Hidden? Indeed, it probably has been a bit hard" Wu Ren grinned.

Bai Qi wasn't the only one that the self-proclaimed demon has been talking to, albeit in Wu Ren's case, the entire conversation had been via qi transmission. He had sensed Wu Ren's true cultivation, but he could not have seen what it could do, did he?

"At this point, it's just to fire and forget, right?" He thought and his eyes glimmered with the light of what anyone would assume to be... craziness.

"Young Friend Chen, after I make my move, kill this fiend as soon as possible!" Wu Ren sent a single qi transmission, and albeit the youngster asked something in return, Wu Ren did not even process the words.

"STOP!" Seemingly the demon sensed that something was not right, as his aura flared savagely, to the point that Bai Qi tasted blood and every fiber of his body as if penetrated by dozens of needles - even though he wasn't even the target.

Wu Ren's body faced the full brunt of the aura, but his own surrounded him as a shield, allowing him to chant some kind of mantra. Bai Qi did not hear the words, but from the fury of the demon, he supposed it was nothing good for the latter.

"Shenzi Forbidden Skill, Astral Even Field" As he pronounced the words he raised one hand and pointed the being, while his other hand pointed at Bai Qi. And as he activated the secret skill of his clan, one that was the cause for its destruction more than hundred-fifty years ago, Wu Ren fell unconscious, absolutely spent of qi, soul, and even mind power.

________________________________________________________________________

At the same time. Free District, Rooftop of the 'Persimmon Tower'.

"There it is again!" Deng Guiying exclaimed almost right as he sensed both the aura and his formation alarms.

"Did you two sense it?" He turned to the other two on the rooftop, only to see how their faces paled even more. Still, Lord Shou was by far not a coward, and so he recovered almost instantly and nodded in confirmation.

"I... also did. But, who could have such an aura? It was brief, but it was so cold, so... inhumane" The young woman, even a girl said with a slightly trembling voice.

"I do not know, but it was too brief to say anything except that its owner is nearby" Deng Guiying did not care about the strength or 'taste' of the aura as some called it, the only worry he had was that he could not locate it.

*Swoosh*

A message talisman flew towards them and landed into the hands of Lord Shou. After learning the contents, he immediately shared them

"The Locating Formation was brought up and the City Lord has already gathered three dozens of cultivators. Next time the aura reveals itself, Formation Grandmaster Li says he will be able to pinpoint it"

"I fear it may be too late"

"What do you mean, Elder Deng?" Surprised by the latter's sudden words and strange tone, Lord Shou asked.

"There is a youngster that I have been keeping an eye on, mostly because he is a good candidate for what you know what, and..."

Deng Guiying cut himself in the middle of what he was saying and shook his head.

"Ignore that, let's focus on the owner of this aura"

________________________________________________________________________

"Young Friend Chen, after I make my move, kill this fiend as soon as possible!" Wu Ren's cryptic words, after which he did not say anything, not even to answer Bai Qi's questions played again. But now Bai Qi understood what they meant. "A skill that forces two cultivators to be even for several breaths?!"

The information from the effect flowed into him as he was released from the demon's control, simply because the latter had been suppressed to a 2nd level Sage cultivation.

"I will have to learn more about that skill, and the reasons for Senior Wu or whoever he is to conceal the fact that he is a peak Warrior King, but not now..." Bai Qi indeed had no time to think about anything else except the opponent in front of him, and that he had to take care of him in less than ten breaths.

*Thump* *Thump*

Sages could not fly or walk on air, and so both of them fell on the ground at the same moment.

*Swoosh*

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Bai Qi impulsed himself forwards.

"Flaming Incarnation! Scorching Claw! Blazing Claw! Golden Wings!" Defense, Offense, and improved agility... Bai Qi was determined to finish it in a single bout!

"GAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I WAS INTRIGUED ABOUT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT THE SECRET SKILL OF THE SHENZI CLAN?! SUCH THINGS DO NOT APPLY TO A DEMON, NO, TO A GOD!!!" The evil cultivator, demon, or whatever he was suddenly laughed like mad while shouting. Nothing of his cold and detached manner remained, in turn, his eyes blazed crimson and his mouth, one covered with anything but human teeth turned to a savage grin.

Bai Qi did not stop, he saw his target, and he felt nothing stronger than a normal 2nd level Sage. He infused all of his remaining qi, even tapping on his normally concealed Soul power to make this single attack - the decisive one.

Just an instant remained until the clash, and the demon had not even turned to meet Bai Qi. Not that the latter had any qualms about killing him even if he did not defend himself.

"Die!" His flame-covered claws came down.

Just to be stopped just a hair away from the gray skin by an invisible force. And an instant later, all Bai Qi's skills were dispelled while he was frozen on the spot by the same aura from before...

***

"Die, huh? I will grant you that wish then!" Still grinning the demon simply turned his head to look at the immobilized youngster.

"How could a mere human hope to best a demon? a god? a being that has all of you ants below his feet?" The being slowly raised his hand and took Bai Qi by the neck.

"You don't understand, do you? My powers go far beyond what you call cultivation. Such thing as a level? a realm? Only words..." Slowly raising Bai Qi by the neck he continued speaking and when he finished, he simply slammed Bai Qi against the ground.

*CRASH*

Bai Qi did his best to force back the pain, but it was too strong. At least half of his bones were broken, and his insides turned into a pulp. And the demon did not stop there, he raised his beast-like leg made of bones and stomped on the mess that Bai Qi's body had turned into.

*Stomp*

The sharp claws tore through his back...

"Aaargh" Bai Qi could only scream, but even that was soon impossible, with blood filling his throat and forcing him to vomit it as to don't drown.

"I offered you a way out, just for you to ignore it. Now pay for your stupidity"

*Stomp*

This time the youngster on the ground did not even react neither to the impact nor the claws that tore through his skin and muscles, he simply could not...

"Gahahaha, so quick? I am truly disappointed"

*Slam*

A kick sent the body, or probably just a corpse, flying for a few feet...

***

Bai Qi's willpower was far stronger than a normal cultivator, if not, he could have never reached the heights he had during his past life. Still, even he was on the verge of failing to maintain himself awake. His act of laying still had saved him from being killed right away, but he did not know for how long. It was impossible for the demon, and Bai Qi was ready to accept it was a true one, to not notice that his presence was still lingering around.

But a breath passed, and nothing happened.

Bai Qi forced himself to open his eyes. The demon stood in the same place as before and had closed his eyes. Bai Qi's senses still said that he had a 2nd level Sage Realm cultivator in front... But the aura around it was at least a peak Warrior Emperor!

"The pendant! It isn't his aura but the 'Bonejade'!" It took him another breath to understand, but he did. Wu Ren's skill had worked fine, but it worked on a live opponent, not an object!

His body was a mess, and Bai Qi doubted that he could even stand, not to mention move in such a state...

His meridians were damaged and even though his dantian was spared, qi was absolutely out of question.

"I probably will die from trying to use a spell right now, but it's worth it" Bai Qi made his decision and slowly began gathering his entire mind power.

But...

"So you are still alive? How interesting" Suddenly the demon, no, in truth a simple container for whatever evil had been born from the 'Bonejade' opened his eyes, and Bai Qi felt how the still gathering mindpower dispersed...