Journey of True Cultivation-Chapter 68: Sudden Betrayel

Sitting in the carriage, the young boy, Zhen Li, was currently being fed by Amalia, which made Zhen Li's face flush red with embarrassment.

Amalia only chuckled at his reaction, finding his shyness somewhat endearing. But as she continued to feed him, Jack occasionally glanced their way, his expression growing increasingly sour.

Seeing this, Emilia couldn't help but make fun of him.

"Dare to say that again!" Jack snapped, his eyes blazing with anger. His sudden outburst instantly alerted Ron and the previously silent, still eating Anna.

"What is it that I won't dare to say?" Emilia taunted, her voice mocking and playful. "I'll say whatever I want, however I want! And I'll always say that you really li—"

Before Emilia could finish her sentence, Ron shot her a glare as cold as ice, his eyes sharp and unyielding. The intensity of his gaze made both Emilia and Jack shudder, their words freezing in their throats.

As if nothing had happened, Ron turned away and calmly resumed eating his soup. Emilia and Jack exchanged uneasy glances before following suit, quietly finishing their meals.

Once they had finished eating, everyone packed their belongings into their bags of holding and climbed into the carriage with Zhen Li.

Unlike before, no one entered a cultivation state. This time, they all remained awake, talking openly about various topics. They joked, laughed, and carefully tried to learn more about Zhen Li's past.

Zhen Li, meanwhile, grew increasingly tired. He eventually lay down in the carriage, his body relaxing as if he were about to drift off to sleep.

But as his head rested on the makeshift pillow, Zhen Li's eyes turned cold, his expression hardening before he allowed his eyelids to fall shut.

As Zhen Li's eyes closed, Emilia, who had been glancing around idly, suddenly felt something strange, something she hadn't experienced in years.

The sensation grew rapidly, swelling within her chest like a poison spreading through her veins. An old memory surfaced, clawing its way into her mind.

Nearly three years ago... A young boy who had joined the sect alongside her. The poison her grandfather had used to bind him to her,to grant her control over him.

She recalled the brutal act, and the horrific cries of the boy as his spirit was shackled.

Until now, she had completely forgotten about him. After hearing that, despite being the first to become an inner sect disciple, he was still weak and unsupported, she'd dismissed him as irrelevant.

Just another pawn who failed to meet expectations of her grandfather and so ignored him.

But now...

The faint, distant connection she'd felt all those years ago suddenly roared back to life. But it wasn't just there.It was burning.

Agony.

"Cough, cough!" Emilia choked, her throat tightening as she hacked painfully, her hands clutching at her chest.

Her coughing grew worse, more violent. Amalia and Jack turned to her, alarmed by the sudden fit. Even Anna looked up from her quiet place in the carriage, her usually impassive expression showing a hint of concern.

"Everything alright? Do you need something?" Ron asked hastily, his voice tight with worry.

But Emilia couldn't answer. She collapsed to her knees on the floor of the carriage, her body convulsing as fresh waves of pain tore through her mind.

The bond,whatever remnants of the poison still linked her to that boy,was tearing at her spirit.

"Cough! Cough!" Blood splattered from her lips, staining the floor as her entire body trembled.

Seeing her condition, Ron immediately yanked the leash, forcing the Demonic Mountain Horse to halt. The carriage lurched as it stopped, but Ron didn't care.

Amalia, Jack, and Anna rushed toward Emilia, their faces pale with panic.

"Hey! Wake up! What's happening?" Jack shouted, his voice frantic. Without thinking, he slapped her cheeks a few times, his strikes firm enough to cause pain but not harm.

"Come on, Emilia! Snap out of it!"

But his efforts were useless. Emilia didn't react to his voice or the pain. Her eyes were glazed over, her breaths ragged. Blood trickled from her lips as her body continued to convulse.

The pain she felt wasn't just physical. It was something deeper,something bound to her very soul.

"I have a blood pressure pill that will help stabilize her blood flow and clear her mind, but only for a short while," Amalia said hastily. She reached into her bag of holding, her fingers fumbling through the contents in desperate search of the pill.

While she searched, Anna and Ron scanned their surroundings, eyes sharp and wary. Possible ambushes were the first thing on their minds.

Meanwhile, Jack held Emilia tightly, his spiritual blood flaring as he tried to assess her condition.

None of them understood what was happening to Emilia. Everything had changed so suddenly.one moment, everything was calm. The next, chaos erupted.

But in their frantic scramble, they forgot about one person.

Zhen Li.

The boy's eyes snapped open, his gaze cold and indifferent.

From his sleeve, Zhen Li drew a small, razor sharp dagger, gripping it firmly with a killer's precision. With deliberate, silent steps, he moved behind Amalia, who was still rummaging through her bag of holding. Her focus was entirely on finding the pill, on helping Emilia.

She never saw the attack coming.

With a swift, merciless slash, Zhen Li's dagger cut across Amalia's exposed neck. Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering across the carriage.

She collapsed instantly, eyes wide with shock. Dead before she even understood what had happened.

Ron and Anna noticed the blood first. Their heads snapped toward Zhen Li, who stood above Amalia's body, dagger gleaming red.

Their eyes widened. First in shock, then in rage and betrayal.

"What the hell?!" Ron roared, fury twisting his expression as he drew his sword from his bag of holding and lunged toward the boy.

Anna followed, her movements just as swift and merciless. Her sword slipped free from its sheath with a cold, metallic hiss.

But Zhen Li wasn't finished. His next target was Jack.

He lunged forward, dagger aiming for Jack's throat. But Jack's reflexes saved him, just barely. He jerked to the side, the blade whistling past his neck.

Zhen Li's attack missed.

For a split second, their eyes met. Jack's face twisted with confusion and fear. But Zhen Li's gaze remained calm.

He prepared to strike again, but the others were too close. Anna and Ron were upon him, their weapons raised and fury burning in their eyes.

Realizing he would be overwhelmed if he stayed, Zhen Li leaped from the carriage and darted away, his small form moving with surprising speed.

As Amalia died, Emilia's pain vanished like a candle flame snuffed out. Her body relaxed, but her eyes widened in horror as they locked onto Amalia's half severed neck, blood still pouring from the wound.

Confusion and shock twisted Emilia's expression. Tears streamed down her face, falling uncontrollably as she stared at her dead companion.

But while she crumbled, Ron and Anna were locked in a frantic clash with Zhen Li.

Their blades slashed and stabbed, their movements swift and precise. But Zhen Li slipped through their attacks like water, dodging each strike with unnatural agility. They were nearly helpless against him.

Gritting his teeth, Ron let his spiritual blood surge through his body, his muscles trembling with the effort. He poured everything into his movements, increasing both his speed and strength.

Anna mirrored his actions, her eyes narrowed and her breathing steady as she focused.

But even then, Zhen Li dodged every attack. His small frame danced between their swords, his smile calm and mocking.

Rage bubbled over in Ron's chest. His movements grew reckless, each slash more desperate than the last.

"Why did you do this, you bastard?!" Ron roared, his voice cracking with fury. "She helped you!"

Zhen Li's response was nothing but a silent smile, his lips curling into something both innocent and sinister.

Anna's eyes narrowed as she watched him. Something was wrong.

It wasn't just Zhen Li's skill that disturbed her. It was his eyes.

They were black azure.

The realization hit her like a blade to the chest, and she instinctively took a step back, her mind racing.

Meanwhile, Ron's fury only intensified. He charged forward, his sword swinging wildly, abandoning any semblance of technique or discipline. Pure rage drove his every move.

Amidst the chaos, a new sound tore through the air.

A scream.

But not a war cry. It was the sound of someone shattered, a soul fractured beyond repair.

"WHYYYY!"

Jack's voice was raw, ripped from the deepest part of his chest. He had collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head as if trying to hold his mind together.

Tears streamed down his face, his eyes bloodshot and wild. His sanity teetered on the edge of collapse, madness twisting his features into something almost unrecognizable.

"WHYYYY!" he screamed again, his voice echoing across the clearing, a desperate wail that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves.

Jack's scream shattered the air, raw and desperate.

The sound snapped Emilia out of her grief, her eyes blinking as if she'd been torn from a nightmare. Even Ron's fury melted away, his body stiffening at the sudden, jarring cry.

But that moment of hesitation was all Yuan needed.

His dagger shot forward, aimed to pierce through Ron's stomach. Ron managed to twist at the last second, but not enough to avoid the blow completely. The blade drove into his waist instead, sinking deep.

"Argh!" Ron gasped, his body crumpling as blood spilled from the wound. His sword clattered to the ground, forgotten as he dropped to his knees and coughed up blood.

Yuan's eyes remained cold and calculating. He moved to pull the dagger free, but Anna's sword came slashing toward him, her strikes wild and vicious.

Forced to retreat, Yuan released the dagger and stepped back, narrowly dodging Anna's furious assault.

"Damn you! I'll kill you!" Anna roared, her voice laced with both rage and panic. She struck again and again, each swing intended to take Yuan's life.

But Yuan danced away from her attacks, his movements smooth and controlled. To her frustration, he slipped through her strikes like an flink wind, his black azure eyes gleaming with icy precision.

Amidst the chaos, Emilia pulled her own sword from her bag of holding. Her hands trembled as she pointed it toward Yuan, her chest heaving with shallow breaths.

No. This wasn't just some boy.

She finally saw his eyes clearly.

It was him. It was a pair of eyes he would never forget, but she still forget about him.

The one her grandfather had poisoned and bound. The one she'd dismissed as unimportant, abandoned to struggle on his own.

And now, he had returned.

Emilia's voice shook, but her eyes remained locked on Yuan's. Regret, fear, and confusion twisted her expression.

"Why...?" she whispered, her voice strained. "Why are you doing this? Why did you kill her? Why... why didn't you just kill me instead... Yuan?"

Her words hung in the air like a curse, her expression pleading for answers even as her hands continued to tremble.

Emilia's words hung in the air, echoing like a curse. Anna's eyes widened in shock. She stumbled back, her gaze locked on the boy standing before them.

Did Emilia just call him... Yuan?

But before she could process what that meant, the boy smiled. A chilling, empty smile that sent a shiver down her spine.

With a smooth motion, he reached into his sleeve and drew out a sword. The blade gleamed in the daylight, sharp and merciless.

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips, the sound cold and hollow.

"Why, you ask, Emilia?" he said, his tone mocking and almost amused. "You really want to know why?"

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Before their horrified eyes, his body began to change.

The innocent looking child's features twisted and shifted. Blond hair darkened, strands turning as black as night.

His green eyes bled away, replaced by a unique and unsettling shade. Black azure, sharp and unyielding.

He grew taller, his body expanding, muscles filling out until he stood at a height of around 1.70 meters. His hair cascaded down to his hips, framing his indifferent, almost bored expression.

The transformation was swift and unnatural, like a nightmare given form.

Anna's hands trembled, her breath shallow. Beside her, Emilia stood frozen, eyes locked on the figure before her.

But Jack's screams of anguish continued, his sanity shattered beyond repair.

Yuan's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. His black azure eyes pierced through Emilia's crystal like black eyes with a chilling intensity.

"You really want to know why?" he continued, his voice smooth but devoid of warmth.

"That's simple, Emilia." His words were a blade cutting through the air. "I just want to get rid of all your little friends. To erase everything connected to you."

"So that you can be forgotten."

The smile on his face widened, amusement flickering in his gaze.

"It's just that simple," he said with eerie calmness. "So, die."