The moon hung high above the black eerie sky in complete silence. Zhuo Fan sat in a shoddy house, eyes closed and an azure flame flashing on his forehead.
He had little clue about how to use Kunpeng’s gift initially, but the sacred beast had pointed out that it was second to none when it came to soul refining.
With the flame nurturing his soul, it grew clearer and stronger, faster than ever.
But a frown set in on Zhuo Fan’s face due to the cawing outside and the azure flame faded out.
“Zhuo Fan, wake up! We have to gather…” An aged voice echoed with anxiousness, followed by Elder Yuan opening his door and pulling Zhuo Fan outside.
Zhuo Fan inquired, “Elder Yuan, why all the rush?”
“Oh, right, you’ve just arrived. Two sirs have called for all the laborers. We’ve got to move fast or our lives are forfeit!” Elder Yuan’s eyes swam with panic.
Zhuo Fan was even more baffled, “Two? Wasn’t the Labor Office under your administration?”
“I only have an honorary position. Whenever there’s someone stronger around, he’s the one in charge. Look at my cultivation, can I just call myself king?” Elder Yuan pulled Zhuo Fan faster.
[This place must have some lurking snakes too.] Though Zhuo Fan didn’t care much since even if the dragon had a tough time quelling the snake, he was the Soaring Demonic Dragon piercing the sky. [No matter the snake, I’ll waste him the second he looks at me funny, humph…](StarReader: the dragon and snake is an idiom referring to ‘not even law can tie a mafia boss down’.)
Zhuo Fan let himself be pulled.
They arrived at the Labor Office’s deepest part, a man-sized black hole carved into a mountain.
People were coming from all over, like them, and entering the cave.
Elder Yuan cried out, “Sigh, so few left outside. That means we’re late and everyone’s inside!”
“So? Since there’s still more people coming over, we’re not the last ones.” Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow.
Elder Yuan shook his head, “You can be late, but I can’t.”
And pulled harder on Zhuo Fan towards the cave.
Torches graced the cave with light from each side as people followed the tunnel deeper, to an even brighter area.
It was a large open space dug up in the mountain, tens of miles in range. Tens of thousands of people were already there, watching the two people on the dais.
One was a girl with a scorpion drawn on half her face in purple and black. Her vile eyes and powerful vibe put her in the 3rd layer of Radiant Stage.
The other was a tall and sturdy man with a stubble on his face, wearing black and had a cold smile. His aura had Zhuo Fan take him for a 4th layer of Radiant Stage.
“So even the Labor Office is a den of monsters.” Zhuo Fan said.
Elder Yuan pulled his sleeve, whispering, “They were all inner disciples casted out to the Labor Office due to a serious offense. Their lives are over, making their mood even worse. Don’t taunt them, even if you have four executives behind you. They have an elder’s protection, so don’t get carried away and end up dead…”
“Elder Yuan, what are you still doing down there? What are you muttering?” The boorish voice got everyone to look at the savage face of the man on the dais.
Elder Yuan shirked, then gave Zhuo Fan one last look before going up with a nice smile, “Sirs, forgive my tardiness!”
“Humph, geezer, the only reason you get to keep your stinking rotten life is because you’re too damn useless even as a training target. You just keep getting slower!” The man glared.
Elder Yuan nodded with the same smile, “Thank you so much for your mercy, Sir Kui Lang, ha-ha-ha…”
“Take out the roster already. I want to see the numbers.” Kui Lang cursed, “Wretched filthy sack of bones. Using you as an ingredient will ruin my cultivation.”
“Yeah, yeah, ha-ha-ha…” Elder Yuan put on a lowly face, presenting the roster.
Kui Lang went through a roll call, “Li Ergou, Hua Tieshu…”
Kui Lang’s booming voice rang in everyone’s ears, showing off his power. The men being called raised their hands, while the hesitating ones earned a harsh rebuttal.
Wrapping up with the names, Kui Lang’s attitude never changed, until he got to the last name, “We have a newcomer? Zhuo Fan!”
“Here!” Zhuo Fan raised his hand.
Kui Lang eyed him and snickered, “He-he-he, as a newcomer, he must be taught the rules…”
“Young master Kui, please show mercy.” Elder Yuan panicked and pleaded, “Young master Kui, four executives brought him with explicit warning to not be touched. Harming him will forfeit my life. “
Kui Lang balled his fists, ignoring him, “What about executives? I’ve got an elder. Here, we all must follow the rules.”
“Young master Kui, those executives care very much about him, even going to the Sect Leader to petition for his sake. Would the young master’s elder do the same?” Elder Yuan’s eyes darted everywhere as he pointed out.
Kui Lang paused in thought.
All the people here were sect rejects, with even their own masters seeing them as hopeless, they couldn’t care less about leaving their lives to fate. The only upside to all this was paying their master a visit for some crumbs.
As for getting the master to stick his neck out, it was a total no no.
With the executives behind Zhuo Fan going to such lengths for him, even risking going against Sect Leader’s command, roughing him up would end with the culprit getting thrashed, or worse.
He didn’t feel like getting the executives on his case.
“Kui Lang, since the kid is so important, it’s best to tone it down for now.” The girl reminded him.
Kui Lang nodded and relaxed his fists.
[The risks outweigh the gains.]
Kui Lang turned solemn, “I’ve called you all here for one reason. Today, the Asura Circle begins anew and only the winner may leave this place!”
“What?!”
The crowd went wild, “Is this a joke? Asura Circle is once every three years. Why is it being held again after only six months…”
Kui Lang snorted, “Regardless of the time, the result doesn’t change. Only the strongest can live. The losers, will become the sects’ resource for training. In this very cave, the first bell starts the fight while the second stops it. Is that clear?”
The crowd panicked, caught totally unprepared.
They figured the gathering was for something they had planned, like some elder’s birthday. But nobody expected it to be the Asura Circle.
[Did the inner disciples run out of target practice already?]
Elder Yuan was worried for Zhuo Fan and pleaded, “Young master Kui, Zhuo Fan has just arrived and does not know the cruelty of Asura Circle. Could he not participate?”
“Rules are rules. I won’t target him on account of those executives, but the rules state all laborers must participate, or I’ll have to answer for it.” Kui Lang snorted.
The girl eyed Zhuo Fan, “Old Yuan, he’s a 6th layer of Profound Heaven cultivator, he’ll live so don’t worry.”
Kui Lang nodded.
[They’re letting him in not because they don’t care about the executives, but because Zhuo Fan will be fine.]
Elder Yuan nodded as well with a sigh.
“Twisted Faced Rakshasa Yue Ling, Black Yama Kui Lang, that’s f**king bullshit!”
A man from the crowd pointed at the two on the dais and swore, “I know the sect has no demand for target practices. With the outer sect promotion test coming up, you want your little sister to have all the materials to train. I’m reporting you to the sect! “
The man in the 2nd layer of Profound Heaven Stage flew for the exit.
Kui Lang snorted and a black wind shot for the man. He cried out in pain as he spat blood and slumped on the ground from the dizziness.
The rest trembled in fear.
Zhuo Fan squinted.
[Soul attack, but a brutal one at that. It must be related to his cultivation method, something insidious that has twisted his soul to such a degree.]
Zhuo Fan turned and watched everyone around him. [With so many prime materials around, no wonder… Not like it’s any of my business.]
Zhuo Fan’s eyes took on a sagely light as he shook his head inside.
A sound then came, that of a bell as Kui Lang struck the copper bell next to him, “Let the Asura Circle begin! Deserters will be killed…”
