A cold light suddenly flashed across the heavens, unnoticed by those below.
Its exploration... had begun.
___
A middle‑aged man with auburn hair falling halfway down his neck snorted coldly as his gaze fixed ahead. His deep‑red eyes, expressionless face, and crimson robes radiated a sinister aura. Before him knelt a young woman, trembling under the weight of his presence.
"Nonsense—how could he go out unnoticed all by himself?" the middle-aged man demanded, a deep frown then evident on his face. His poker‑like expression vanished the moment he heard the young woman's absurd words. His face seemed to have lost all color.
"Apologies, my lord. He couldn't have slipped out without some help." the young woman said, then immediately continued. "I will go with a team and search for him immediately. He's probably in the nearby forest." she guessed with pursed lips.
The middle-aged man sighed and waved his hand, "Just go with a team of five."
"Yes, my lord." The young woman left with a hidden tut. That kid had been really troublesome.
After the woman left, the middle-aged man sighed. Trouble never seemed to end with him around.
But a cold expression followed soon after, when a different thought crossed his mind.
I shall see to the end of this.
___
Sand‑scale City covered a large area of land, spanning several thousand square miles and ringed by towering walls.
In the eastern part of the city lay a grand manor whose grounds spanned thousands of square meters, covered by tall trees and plants that glowed distinctly. Most of its buildings were painted blood-red, except for the exquisite main building, the Main Manor, which was enclosed by walls etched with perfect, delicate lines.
This was the central region of the manor's territory.
A few minutes before the Marble Lord's short outburst...
"Quickly!" said a young boy with a worried expression as he struggled at the window. His back was bent through the window before he sat on its frame and passed his legs over.
His movements were clumsy—extremely weak.
A boy acting as support was below as the kid placed his foot on his back.
"Urgh…" he groaned when the weight hit his back.
The boy climbed down from his back and smiled faintly. "Ballock, I'm sorry you have to go through this, but this is the only way possible."
"I understand, Young Master." replied Ballock, a large smile on his face. He wasn't bothered at all.
"You're always like this." The kid smiled slightly although he was pained,
"And also, you know my name. I've told you severally to stop calling me that. Just call me Blood." he added roughly.
"Haa! Other servants address you the same, but you never complained." Ballock protested, dusting the dirt off his back. His face was red.
"Hmm, you always have ways to counter." Blood grunted.
Ballock smiled. The young master is so good to me. The other servants don't have such privilege. No wonder they are so resentful.
He thought, his smile even wider.
"Enough with the grin. It's annoying." Blood laughed, but quickly regained his calm.
"Let's go." he said in a low voice.
"Yes... Young Master."
"You are impossible!"
Blood shook his head and moved, followed closely behind by Ballock.
They quietly moved through the manor, slipping through shadows and walls.
The guards at the gate won't be any trouble.
___
In a large room hung with various paintings, the crude lines and sketches showed they were the work of an amateur. Sunlight streamed through the wide-open window. A kid sat on the sill, facing outward, their legs dangling in the air.
"He's going to cause trouble again." the kid muttered, a slight frown creasing her childlike face. "Hmm, it can't be helped." the kid added, watching her brother move from cover to cover with his servant.
___
Blood Marble was the third young master of the Marble family and had been home‑schooled his whole life, since he couldn't walk for more than ten minutes, sometimes less. It was linked to his physique; his body had not been strong enough to support it at his insignificant cultivation realm.
He saw others walking with powerful bearing and high cultivation bases; no one had ever seen him train and cultivate so hard. He deserved to go to the central academy, train harder, and pursue higher cultivation realms with proper resources. The manor couldn't provide all that indefinitely.
If only he could have reached the mid‑stages, he could have earned all that at the academy.
However, cultivation wasn't a walk in the park, and with the family's recent setback, resources had become much harder to find.
His two older brothers were already at the central academy, advancing their studies and cultivation. His younger sister would go next. Thanks to their parents' status, things were slightly easier for them.
Present…
Blood and his servant exited the Main Manor unhindered.
The guards didn't stop them as they left; they greeted them and let them pass. They only had to report it to the lord. Since the young master had managed to reach this point, without being caught, he had earned his leave and the guards on duty—their punishment.
Exiting the Main Manor's walls had been a hard hurdle. Now in sight were the plain fields, stables, and the buildings that had once housed previous residents. They passed them with deep frowns, rested for a while, and then began their journey.
They stopped often because Blood's body was too weak; he had to rest constantly. Their destination was the Sand‑scale Forest, about three miles away. Its location within the city made it a frequent destination for cultivators.
"The bees are on us again." said Ballock, glancing to the side.
"Let them follow. So far as they don't interfere directly." Blood replied. This was always the match up.
Eventually, the forest came into view.
"Get ready." said Yalva, who was appointed a team of five.
An ocean of trees and air of vitality washed over them when they entered its vicinity. Blood took in a deep breath before he looked at Ballock who nodded in understanding.
It was a silent signal.
The next instant, they took off in different directions.
Within a few steps, they disappeared from the sight of the people watching them from behind.
Six figures suddenly appeared at the spot where they had disappeared.
It's the third time.
They all thought as they looked around.
It was as if the duo had disappeared into thin air. They were confused how it had happened for the third time. Their attention had been fixed on them, but it seemed they had used the larger trees for cover. They would have to play hide‑and‑seek as usual.
Blood and Ballock reappeared deeper in the forest and laughed.
"It worked again!" Ballock exclaimed, a grin on his face.
They had discovered those spatial points months earlier when Ballock had disappeared while they were walking. Blood was puzzled and immediately searched for him. They met, ran some experiments, and discovered that the place where Ballock had appeared led to two points.
They tried those points several times, and it worked.
It was a strange spatial distortion hidden in the forest.
Ballock and Blood were jolted awake from their laughter when the sky suddenly reddened. The energy in the air was being corroded turning a shed of red. They could see the energy they cultivate.
It had condensed and was easily seen with the naked eye.
Blood's smile faded instantly.
They didn't have to try using their techniques before the energy entered their Spiritual space.
And then, they saw it.
A feeling of trepidation enveloped them when they saw a beam of red energy falling ever so fast.
But what should be noted was that it wasn't just falling, it was coming straight toward them.
It appeared so fast that they couldn't react.
The moment they saw the energy; it was already upon them.
However, it seemed Blood's thoughts were wrong as it wasn't aiming for them.
At the last second, he realized.
It was aiming for Ballock.
"Ballock...
However, it was too late.
It pierced right through his eyes and ran rampant through his body as the energy surged violently through his veins.
"No..."
Blood choked and rushed forward…