Culture Shock
By using Bestial Senses in combination with Regal Challengee, Anoteros was able to evaluate the strength and threat posed by others from a distance… As such, he was able to detect that six individuals were waiting around inside the old ruins, with one of them appearing noticeably stronger than the rest.
Edrick took a few minutes to properly evaluate the situation, as well as to make sure that there were truly only six of them. Normally, these foreign cultivators shouldn’t be able to hide very well from him, and that was for a very simple reason: Their focus on ki in particular meant that their other inner energies were left unrefined, mostly outside of their control.
This wasn’t a problem for those much stronger, as their path of cultivation would eventually turn nearly every energy within them into ki, while they would learn to conceal the few that remained unchanged.
Bestial Senses would flare up if there was great danger, however. So, unless they had brought a true powerhouse for this poorly arranged meeting, there were really only six of them.
Anoteros walked the rest of the distance, leaving the horse a good distance away from the ruins. He didn’t make any attempt to hide his presence, and so, one of the cultivators standing guard noticed him and went to inform the rest.
Thanks to the spell, the scion was able to sense them as they got into position to look more threatening and professional.
‘How cute’
Edrick pushed open two heavy stone doors and came face to face with four of the cultivators, including the stronger one. The other two were remaining hidden, either for a planned ambush or ready for a sneak attack in case negotiations went south. Regardless, they weren’t hidden at all from the noble’s perspective. Even so, he acted none the wiser and crossed his arms.
“Judging by your attire and sun-starved complexions, I can only assume that you folks are from Yingzi Sect. Is that correct?”
They didn’t seem too pleased by his blunt remark.
“You would indeed be correct. Edrick, is it?”
“Ah, so you do know which name I go by! I was wondering whether it was intentional, or if all your mothers had pushed a little too hard on the soft spot of your skulls… Edrick Lucien Anoteros is my name. I read your message and got curious... What exactly do you have to offer me that I can not simply get on my own?”
One of the foreign cultivators sneered.
“You are a wretch within your own clan. You can not get anything on your own!”
“Mmh, so you know my name, but…? If I may ask–To you–Who did you get that intel from, exactly?”
The cultivator who had been speaking had not been the strongest of the bunch, so Anoteros addressed him directly, locking eye contact.
He frowned.
“I knew something was wrong the moment I saw you. A wretch shouldn’t have such a physique… It seems like Fenghuang Sect fucked with us... No matter! Listen, Edrick–We at Yingzi Sect have plenty of riches. We can get you money, resources, and as many women as you like! We can even get you Bloomins and Immunubils if you are into those! We only require you to be a spy for us”
“What about a plot of land in Journomanp? I hear the landscape is magnificent, and mostly uninhabited”
The foreign cultivator opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.
“Mmh… I suppose it could be possible, but…”
“You want me to sell out my clan and people, but can’t even extend enough trust to give me land in your country? How disappointing. Am I obligated to take it by force? I hear cultivators of Journomanp love to solve problems with force”
“Who do you think you are? You might not be the wretch we were described, but you are still a wretch before us! You are nothing but a lesser cultivator!”
“Personal attacks aren’t very conducive to negotiations, you know? But anyway… Lesser? Are you talking to me? You are… What is it called again? You must be at most in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and judging by how your ki acts… I think you have only recently reached this stage. Did you even begin to delve into the first sub-stage?”
“You…”
“Did I get that right? I was mostly guessing, to be honest. I am not very familiar with your stages and sub-stages. Your friends are all in the Ki Gathering Stage then… None of them seems anywhere close to establishing their foundation. Are they even real cultivators?”
“Frankly, I am a bit insulted that Yingzi Sect only sent you clowns. Are the two guys at my clan the ones who delivered the message? Whether that’s true or not, they are probably already dead right now. Not very smart to send a message like this. They should have sent it when they were leaving. It would have been a much more intelligent move”
“Don’t take it to heart, though. You people clearly don’t have a good grasp of how powerful we ‘lesser’ cultivators are. I guess the thought process was that it didn’t matter when the message was sent. I would take the bait immediately, and even if not, they probably thought that they would easily be able to escape”
“A bit of a tragedy, don’t you think?”
“You insolent bastard! I am an inner disciple of Yingzi Sect! Do you really think you can mock me and my sect without repercussions?!”
“Basically, yes. You haven’t done anything about it but whine. If you want me to apologise, why don’t you put on a dress? I am sure we can work something out depending on how much you can throat my cock”
“You motherfucker, die!”
He shouted, but the only thing that happened was that two mangled corpses fell from a hole in the ceiling.
Ansbach looked down from above with his face covered in blood and viscera.
Anoteros pointed up with a smile on his face.
“Looks like my dog is worth more than the two you trusted the most to attack me by surprise”
The cultivator manifested a spear out of shadows and lunged at the Elt scion. All the while, the other three focused on creating shadowy tendrils to restrict his movements. Anoteros dashed away, straight at one of the weaker cultivators and tackled him to the ground. Without waiting, he punched down, crushing the man’s skull against the stony ground.
He then grabbed the corpse and used it as a projectile against another one of the weaker cultivators.
The spear wielder quickly caught up to the scion, swinging his weapon with strength, but with a clear lack of proper training.
Anoteros summoned Arm Of Depravity, merely turning it into a sword to parry an attack before swiftly moving around the cultivator and kicking him in the back, throwing the strongest of the bunch to the ground.
Edrick sliced through the shadow tendrils directed his way, splitting a skull in half soon after, before stabbing through the corpse he had just thrown, piercing the heart of the cultivator caught underneath it.
Arm Of Depravity was unsummoned.
“I know it was only a recent development, but surely, you can show me how strong a Foundation Establishment cultivator is supposed to be, right?”
He looked around at the corpses of his companions and grinned.
“Since they are no longer in the way, I’ll show you something!”