Mutagen

Day 364 - 6:48 PM - South Area, 38th Satellite Settlement, Muria Sacred Fortress, Mount Muria, Kudus Regency, Central Java, Indonesia

At the same time, when the enemies in the north began to move, the group of [Face Wearers] lurking in the south did the same.

Different from the other two groups, all members of this group of [Face Wearers] had tall, bulky, and muscular bodies. They have large forearms and fists not proportional to the size of their bodies. It was not wrong to say they looked a little similar to the enraged green mutated hero from the West.

The members of the group of [Face Wearers] in the north specialized in assassination with their stealth and high movement speeds. At the gates, the enemy group was in a more balanced category, with its members having a variety of roles they specialized in.

Different from the two, the group of [Face Wearers] in the south specialized in destroying things.

Looking at how the groups were structured, the goals of the groups to the north and south would become more apparent to the investigative eye.

The group to the north was tasked with assassinating someone. A person or maybe two.

On the other hand, the group to the south was tasked with destroying something.

"Move."

The leader of the group said as the defensive battle of the Moon Chasers intensified.

There was a distinct characteristic displayed with the members of this muscular group. They did not talk much. With just a single word from their leader, they began to act and follow the order.

It may be because their intelligence was sub-par? The way these [Face Wearers] moved seemed simplistic and calm. They were not in a hurry like the others. They moved at their own pace, confident with their own strength.

However, the leader suddenly stretched out his right arm to stop his members behind him. The three members were confused at first until they saw what their leader was staring at.

In the middle of the south clearing between the forest and the vicinity of the settlement, a woman stood alone.

A frail-looking woman standing before them in the middle of the night. Would these [Face Wearers] get the hint?

"Kill."

The leader only stared at the woman for a few seconds and gave his order. Their simplicity was not only in their behavior but also in their thought process.

At the leader's given command, all three members began charging towards the woman. At the least, they were not going one after another. They were not that stupid to think that there would be no danger.

No. It was not right.

The three attacked without cooperation. It was more like these [Face Wearers] were contesting who would turn the woman into meatpaste the fastest.

However, the speed of the three were roughly the same. They were slightly slower than a weaker [Face Wearer], but their movements were still faster than a regular human would be able to react to. The three arrived at the same time before the woman, and they all threw their punches at her.

BOOM!

The fists of the three collided before slamming to the ground with a loud sound. But to their confusion, there was neither the sound nor sensation of a human body being splattered into their fists.

It was when the three realized that the woman was now standing a step away from their collided fists. Did they miss? All three of them? They were confused. However, it did not matter. In their eyes, the woman must have been scared silly to stand there without moving.

With their other fist, the three gave the woman another punch.

BOOOM!

Another collision of fists made the surroundings tremble. A shockwave even spread out as they all attacked stronger than before.

But to their surprise, the woman was still not hit. Worse, the woman was now standing above their collided fists.

The leader was also flabbergasted by this outcome. It was time they finally noticed something was not right with the woman.

***

Feng Zhiruo stood on the fists in silence. And if one was to look closely, she actually had her eyes closed all this time.

"No. It's not right."

Feng Zhiruo muttered inaudibly.

Ever since the time Feng Zhiruo failed the [Trial of Regrets] imposed by Magwayen, she had been pursuing things she thought she was lacking.

The [Trial of Regrets] made Feng Zhiruo remember something. The world was the playground for the rich and the powerful.

Feng Zhiruo came from a small village in the mountains in China. But her village was slaughtered, and her family were all killed. She was the only survivor of the massacre.

In the [Trial of Regrets], Feng Zhiruo was made to relive the fun life she would likely have had if the nightmare never happened. She failed the trial as she was indulged in its illusion.

Feng Zhiruo then knew. She was not strong enough to face reality. Or, at the least, the anger in her heart was not as strong as she believed to counter the illusion.

If there was one thing Feng Zhiruo realized after the trial, it was that she hated herself.

The massacre of her village never came to the public. Everyone who knew it and would likely speak about it was silenced. In the first place, the cause of the massacre came from the failure of Cultivators to fulfill their duties. And the Cultivators were also the ones who perpetuated the cover-up in cahoots with the government.

But Feng Zhiruo, the survivor of that ordeal, became a Cultivator following a sect. No wonder she came to hate herself deep inside her heart and mind.

Maybe it was because of fear or just straight-up trauma, but Feng Zhiruo had been lying to herself all this time. Feng Zhiruo made herself think that, by being a Cultivator, she would gain the strength she needed to protect herself and her loved ones.

Feng Zhiruo was picked up by a sect and grew up in it. However, she was never able to step out of being a lower disciple, no different from an errand girl.

Feng Zhiruo and everyone thought she did not have much talent in her. That was why she was stuck in the same position and cultivation for years.

But after the trial and realizing the hate she had for herself, Feng Zhiruo finally understood why she stagnated.

It was clear that Feng Zhiruo's cultivation had a massive boost after Mark took her. At first, she thought it was because of Mark's guidance and the energy of the Night Everred Pure Spirit Tree. But while those might have a significance, it was not the core.

Within her heart, Feng Zhiruo became relieved that she was not following her sect anymore. The anger within herself lessened, allowing her to grow further.

A free Cultivator, unbound by any sect's rules and traditions.

Feng Zhiruo did not hate cultivation. She hated herself for being a Cultivator of a sect that likely caused her problems.

But now, Feng Zhiruo felt the shackles once more. If there were several chains tying her down in the past, only a few had been unbound. It was the reason why Feng Zhiruo went with Mark's group on their journeys. She wanted to find how to unbound the chains remaining in her heart.

Feng Zhiruo felt the shift of her hate. It was not towards herself anymore. It was towards the cultivation she was using.

That was why Feng Zhiruo was in contemplation, especially in the face of the enemies.

Feng Zhiruo wanted to feel what was wrong. She wanted to know what to change.

WHOOSH!

A loud whipping of the wind entered Feng Zhiruo's ears as a giant arm was swung at her.

Feng Zhiruo, eyes still closed, fell backward, making the arm pass above her. She then kicked the fist she was standing on and spun backward before landing on her feet a few meters away.

At this time, Feng Zhiruo finally opened her eyes. A giant fist was already coming straight at her.

Feng Zhiruo stepped to the side, leaving an afterimage. The fist of the [Face Wearer] passed in front of her. Another fist followed, and she swung to the opposite side to avoid it.

It was an amazing sight as Feng Zhiruo effortlessly dodged the punches of three violent brutes. Each of her movements left an afterimage like an illusion.

Feng Zhiruo finally gripped her sword. There was a slight pause as she hesitated to use a technique she learned from the sect.

CLANG!

Feng Zhiruo drew her sword, slashing at the arm of one of the [Face Wearers]. Unexpectedly, her sword was unable to slice through it, causing a metallic sound instead.

The enemies were surprised to see her counterattack, especially her sword's speed. However, their faces showed an expression of mockery as her sword failed to even scratch their skin.

Another flurry of blows followed suit. Feng Zhiruo could only dodge before retreating.

"As I thought, I need to use a technique."

Feng Zhiruo sighed as she steeled herself.

Turning her gaze straight, Feng Zhiruo began to move her sword like a wave.

The waving actions of Feng Zhiruo's sword made the leader of the [Face Wearers] freeze as he felt his sense of danger fluctuating.

On the other hand, the more simplistic three failed to notice the danger. The three all charged at Feng Zhiruo without regard for anything.

"[Heavenly Dragon Wave]."

Feng Zhiruo uttered as her blade shone blue before releasing a flurry of slashes, which turned into an illusory image of an eastern dragon.

The three [Face Weares] did not even have time to stop their charge as the blue illusory dragon rushed through their bodies.

After passing through, the dragon vanished like a mirage, leaving the three [Face Wearers] frozen in place. And without their bodies falling to the ground, they straight-up turned to ash.

Feng Zhiruo finished three enemies in one attack. However, she did not look a tiny bit pleased. Her hand was shaking, not due to fatigue but due to repulsion. At this stage, the more Feng Zhiruo used techniques of her sect, the more she found it repulsive and disgusting to use.

Unfortunately, the Cultivation and Sword Techniques of the Heavenly Blue Dragon Sect were the only things she had. That was why Feng Zhiruo was struggling.

While Feng Zhiruo was in another stupor, the leader of the [Face Wearers] was now in utter shock. His subordinates had just been killed in front of him.

The woman before them was dangerous. That was what the leader had in mind.

That was why...

The leader decided to run away.

These muscular [Face Wearers] were simple. There was no need to struggle. The enemy was strong, and it was reasonable to flee. In the first place, wasn't that their nature? The [Face Wearers] had escape first in their minds. It was very rare for them to fight up front and face their enemies.

Unfortunately, the simplistic mind of the muscular [Face Wearer] did not account for something important. It was to never let his back face the enemy.

WHOOOM!

The leader felt an impact on his back and pain passing through his chest. He then saw an image of the familiar blue dragon appear and fly through his body. At that moment, he lost control of his body as a gaping hole was punctured through it.

Just like his subordinates, the leader turned to ash while standing. Their deaths were so instant that their bodies made of ash could not even hold onto their shape.

The group of [Face Wearers] failed. Feng Zhiruo did not even struggle to fight them.

However, that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

With her arm and sword still outstretched in front of her, Feng Zhiruo blankly stared in front in surprise.

For some reason, there was no repulsion and disgust after using that attack just now.

"What is going on?"

Feng Zhiruo muttered as she looked at her sword in askance.