The ancestral Ping family compound was quiet.
Thirteen elders sat in a crescent formation. Black and gold robes.
Their expressions were stone cold as they watched the recording crystals always pre installed and automatically recording.
They saw a figure in the center of the mining field, looking a lot like Liu Ping.
But they knew Liu Ping had only broken through to Chakra Bloom through pills and an immortal's baptism ritual.
He wasn't that strong. Someone a genius was impersonating him.
The figure moved with grey blue flames erupting from his hands.
Red meant a normal cultivator. Orange meant Chakra Bloom.
But grey-blue? That was unheard of. That meant the person was hungry for power. Practicing black arts.
"That color shouldn't exist.
Two colors unprecedented," Elder Xian whispered.
"Same here. We have to look into this and bring the offender in personally. He shows potential to become an immortal."
The recording showed a figure taking hit after hit without dodging or moving an inch.
Meridian fists crashing into his skull and bones.
And he just stood there absorbing it.
The recording ended when flames exploded.
"Where is Paige Ping?"
A Chakra Bloom servant stepped forward.
"He is dead, sir. But his body wasn't found.
None of the 2,000 Meridians or the young lord's body was found.
It seems he has that heaven defying furnace."
"How does a Chakra Bloom Level 5 get killed so easily?"
"He poured all his power into an attack that should have killed the ghost.
His power dropped to mortal level, and he was killed by the ghost."
Chen Ping appeared. They all bowed.
"My cousin got himself killed trying to kill a ghost.
Someone whose true identity is unknown?"
"Yes, sir. As it seems."
"What's the enemy's cultivation level?"
"His body seems mortal. But his methods are strange.
As if someone is Dantian Genesis Level 1 or an invincible Chakra Bloom.
The fight with your cousin didn't pass five minutes."
"Wow. Impressive. A mortal who kills 2,000 Meridians on his own.
Survives a Chakra Bloom's full assault.
Walks away with grey blue flames." Chen Ping's eyes narrowed. "Find him. I'll make him my disciple.
He can fight two tiers above him if he gets everything he wants.
Two tiers higher than him can still fall.
I need such a talented, peerless genius."
"What happened to cousin?"
"It's natural selection. Survival of the fittest, Elder Feng.
This slave has shown potential to kill two tiers above him while mortal.
He can become an immortal and end the entire Xuan family.
Find him and bring him to me. Make sure he's alive.
Send four Level 10 Dantian Genesis. He'll be my disciple."
They bowed.
"Understood, Master."
The guards had been pulled.
The entire place was put in a formation that only Chakra Bloom could jump out of.
It was a free day for all slaves eat all they wanted. Free for once.
I opened the doorway into my pocket dimension. We both entered.
I poured out enough crystals to start a small kingdom. Then I poured about 500 Meridian blades in various sizes some like teeth, some like fangs, some like needles.
I fed ten weapons to the furnace. It created one weapon at least twenty times stronger.
[Current forging ability can merge Meridian blades to form Level 10 Meridian blades.]
"Wow. It's so beautiful and strong."
"Like you. This is your sword now. Put your blood on it to imprint it."
"Fine. I'll take it as another gift.
And I name it Ghost Promise." She grinned. "Who knows? I might accidentally stab you in the heart as an Eternal Sovereign."
We both laughed.
"What's Eternal Sovereign?"
"Don't know. Just saying random crazy stuff."
I went through the others to find armor. Chestplates. Gauntlets. Most were standard Meridian armor. And a special Meridian captain armor a hundred times stronger.
Then I saw one special-looking armor. Perfect black. Seemed to absorb light like crazy. The armor was as hungry as my furnace.
[Shadow Meridian Armor detected. Super rare quality. 80% boost in stealth and invisibility when worn. Immune to detection by all techniques at Meridian level.]
I put it on.
It fit perfectly as if fate had prepared it for me.
I looked dangerous. Like a perfect villain.
Then I checked the most important thing of all money.
500,000 spirit stones.
According to the system, I could buy a modern house for 150,000 spirit stones.
Set up a business.
Have a normal human life. I could also buy a Level 10 Pulse Awakener for 20,000 spirit stones.
Makena was worried about our safety.
But I knew strength was the best precaution the best safety ever.
The system alerted me about the Chakra Bloom heart.
It was still pulsing in my hand, as if still alive rushing to be dead.
[Chakra Bloom Heart can be used to forge a Chakra Bloom weapon, create breakthrough pills or elixirs from Pulse Awakening to Meridian, or be put inside a host body to experience Chakra Bloom power for a short time.]
When we were together, I asked Makena aside from training or killing in disguises what else was running on her mind.
"My past life. My family. Those who died so I could still be alive. I wish I was powerful enough to bring them back and give them a happy life."
"I think about my mom. The day I got separated from her. I promised myself I'd end slavery. I'll never die a slave."
Back in the Ping family compound, Chen Ping had issued an order for 2,000 guards at Meridian Level 10 to secure the perimeter.
He repeated the order: the ghost was to be brought to him to become his disciple.
He gave a decree to be read to all the slaves so the ghost would come out willingly.
Become my disciple.
Become a free man.
Get the chance to set your entire race free if you can reach Dantian or higher to genesis immortal lord.