C20 Berserk

The middle-aged man's laughter echoed through the air, a sound that was as twisted and perverse as the man himself.

This fellow was truly despicable. Even among the low-level warriors of the Sixth Hall within the Qilin Society, his reputation had sunk to abysmal depths.

Jie Mu's eyes blazed a fierce blood-red once more, his expression contorted with rage.

He glared at the middle-aged man, teeth clenched in fury. "You bastard, I'm going to kill you! I swear I'll kill you!"

But his swollen mouth muffled his words, reducing them to an unintelligible mutter to the bystanders who couldn't make out his threats.

The man didn't need to hear the words clearly to know Jie Mu was cursing him. He approached Jie Mu, seized him by the hair, and stared into his bloodshot eyes.

With a sinister laugh, he taunted, "What's the matter? Does it hurt? You little wretch, do you have any idea how I felt when my brother was killed? It's all because of you, because of you and that wretch!"

He slapped Jie Mu hard across the face twice more, not satisfied with his outburst.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. Miss Yu will be handed over to Young Master Lee Xian, but you—I will torture you slowly, make you suffer until death takes you!"

"Someone as foolish as you deserves nothing more than to watch the one you love being taken by another!"

The man's tirade continued, spewing vile insults that were harsh on the ears, seemingly drawing upon a lifetime's worth of vitriol.

Yet, in that moment, nobody noticed the lotus mark that slowly emerged on Jie Mu's forehead, transforming into a wisp of water vapor before vanishing.

As the Cold Ice Lotus mark dissipated, Jie Mu's body jolted, and the surrounding long blades shattered to pieces.

The unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard, but Jie Mu didn't hesitate. He surged into action!

With his hands outstretched, he seized the necks of the two nearest men, squeezing until they drew their last breaths.

He flung their bodies aside, causing them to collide with several others. Jie Mu stood his ground, his inner strength building, as an overpowering aura of dominance enveloped the area.

Above, the sky transformed dramatically; what was once a clear expanse was now shrouded in ominous clouds.

A sinister aura of killing intent permeated the entire forest, the pressure from the unleashed inner energy forming a terrifying cyclone that shrouded the trees in dread. At the heart of these strange occurrences stood Jie Mu, head raised, emitting roars akin to those of a wild beast.

His wounds were visibly healing, the cuts on his face returning to their normal state. Around him, the killing intent had taken on a horrific, blood-red hue. Everyone present began to tremble uncontrollably.

These were seasoned fighters, yet none had ever witnessed such a fearsome spectacle. The air was thick with the stench of blood, leaving them to wonder just how many had perished to create such an overwhelming scent.

Some yearned to flee, but a cold chill crept up their spines—a pervasive killing intent that blanketed the entire forest. It was the same individual who had previously toyed with Jie Mu and Yu Wen in the woods, now making a reappearance.

The dreadful killing intent merged with the bloody, frenzied aura radiating from Jie Mu, transforming the forest in an instant into a nightmarish battlefield.

The middle-aged leader, having never encountered such a scene, began to shake, his skin breaking out in goosebumps. His gaze shifted from disdain to terror as he locked eyes with Jie Mu, pointing and screaming at the top of his lungs, "Way of Heaven, you are a master of the Way of Heaven!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Jie Mu surged forward, closing the distance in a blink. He reached for the man's heart with a fierce grip. His formidable strength tore through the man's chest, and a still-beating heart was wrenched out, then carelessly discarded on the ground.

Upon witnessing this, even the most hardened killer's stomach turned, while the faint-hearted collapsed to the ground, vomiting, their eyes brimming with tears from sheer terror.

Yet, this was merely the beginning of Jie Mu's slaughter.

...

Meanwhile, in the vast laboratory located in the Silent Sea, the scene unfolding on the screen was met with eerie calm. Standing next to Chenmu, a man's face was ashen, but his eyes betrayed no fear as he watched Jie Mu. Instead, they sparkled with excitement.

Chenmu maintained his icy demeanor.

He observed Jie Mu's frenzied state without a hint of fear, his gaze tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

The ethereal woman reappeared, shaking her head as she looked at the screen.

"Sir, the convergence rate has reached thirteen percent," she stated. "Should we send someone to intervene, or should Du Sheng first withdraw his murderous intent?"

"Jie Mu's current strength is too fragile to withstand a high convergence rate," she cautioned.

Chenmu dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "No need for action yet. It's merely thirteen percent."

"Lishu, monitor the data closely. At twenty percent, notify Du Sheng and Hong Chiyu immediately. If Lee Huiye doesn't arrive in time, they'll join forces to restrain Jie Mu."

"Additionally, inform the Zhang family and East Prosperity that it's time to begin!"

With a nod, the woman vanished from the room.

Chenmu continued to watch the screen, his hand involuntarily clutching the handle of the leather suitcase at his feet. Ultimately, he sighed and set the suitcase down again.

...

From Crouching Dragon Slope to River Crossing Bridge, all the high-level warriors above the Innate Realm felt the immense pressure.

They observed the dark clouds gathering above the forest and the new, blood-red rain clouds slowly forming.

Inside the manor, Zhang Loong and Lee Huiye rose to their feet, their gazes fixed in the direction of the disturbance.

Without uttering a word, Lee Huiye signaled to his companion, who promptly handed him a box. He snapped it open, and the box shattered, revealing a pair of black, fingered sleeves that he slipped onto his hands.

Zhang Loong offered a slight smile and extended his hand. "Mr. Lee, after you. Since this involves a master of the Way of Heaven, the Zhang family will abstain from intervening."

"The Dragon Group is maintaining tight control, and we have no desire to needlessly deploy our experts and risk offending them. The responsibility falls to you."

Lee Huiye offered a reassuring smile. "Naturally, Mr. Zhang, rest assured. Currently, there are no warriors above the Way of Heaven level at the academy in Duross."

"Then it must be an expert from East Prosperity. Since he's crossed the river, I can't possibly allow him a peaceful return!"

With those words, Lee Huiye stamped his foot on the ground and sped away from the manor with such velocity that few could catch a glimpse of his departure.

Zhang Loong remained standing, the smile fading from his face.

At his side, Zhang Fan, the chief steward of the Zhang family, reappeared, bowing slightly before whispering something into Zhang Loong's ear.

Upon hearing it, Zhang Loong furiously shattered the wine glass in his hand. "That cursed Chenmu has indeed played me for a fool!"

"I knew it! That nagging sense of unease I've felt these past few days was connected to him!"

Zhang Fan bowed again and inquired, "So, Patriarch, what's our next move? Shall we call upon the Grand Upper Elder to intervene?"

"Intervene? Nonsense!"

"With the Dragon Group's tight reins, what can those old fools accomplish? Hmph, Chenmu, I've taken note of this offense. In time, I will settle our score at leisure."

Zhang Loong slammed his fist onto the table, his anger so forceful that the table splintered instantly.

...

Jie Mu's eyes snapped open to the very nightmare that had haunted him.

The sky, once aglow with golden light, had cleared after a torrential downpour into the creek.

Now, the creek ran thicker with blood.

The world was awash with the stench of blood, and a visible gray mist hung in the air.

Above, the colossal eye reemerged, causing the heavens and the earth to quake.

A soul-deep agony gripped Jie Mu's head, a pain so intense it was insufferable, piercing straight to the heart, his body quaking in tandem with the torment.

Simultaneously, his soul was experiencing a wondrous transformation.

The enormous eye gradually opened, revealing a beam of gray light that bathed Jie Mu's form.

As the light enveloped him, myriad blood-red and gray auras latched onto Jie Mu.

They coiled around him in layers, penetrating his body and permeating his soul.

Jie Mu's eyes were wide open, yet he was powerless to resist. The inner strength within him could not be summoned in the slightest.

The deathly and malevolent auras of the world began to coalesce around the beam of light.

Unhindered this time, the massive eyeball grew increasingly larger as the auras of death, blood, and malevolence thickened, its opening widening as well.

...

In the woods, Jie Mu was on a frenzied killing spree, resembling a wild beast devoid of reason. His attacks were chaotic, driven purely by his horrific instinct to kill.

His strikes were merciless, targeting the vital points with a mad ferocity.

With each person he killed, the stench of blood on Jie Mu intensified. The onlookers, being of too low a level, couldn't discern the blood-red and gray auras that swirled around him.

With a single palm strike, Jie Mu took the life of a nearby individual. As he continued his rampage through the forest, no one dared to confront him, their strength falling short of the Innate Realm, leaving them unable to even stand firm.

Suddenly, a long blade descended from the sky, aiming for Jie Mu's back.

Jie Mu spun around and delivered a punch, reducing the blade to fragments.

Two figures clad in black emerged among the trees—Innate experts from the Qilin Society's Sixth Hall, previously encountered at the dining table.

Upon their arrival, they exerted their formidable presence, striving with all their might to withstand the dreadful and blood-soaked aura emanating from Jie Mu.

The pair had approached together, initially underestimating the intensity of the aura from a distance. It was only upon drawing near that they were seized by fear.

Together, they managed to resist the overwhelming pressure, which they could not externalize, forcing them to bear it within themselves.

Internally, they cursed their haste. Had they known, they would not have rushed in so quickly. They recognized Jie Mu, of course.

Yet, who could have predicted that the one they once deemed a trivial fish, now stood before them as a revered expert of the Way of Heaven, exalted throughout the world?

An expert of the Way of Heaven is one who has transcended the Innate Union Strength Stage, where inner strength and Dark Strength merge as one, enabling them to harness the Cosmic Energy and wield the power of the universe itself.

An Enlightenment Realm warrior is impervious to blades and immune to the elements of fire and water. Though they lack the ability to soar through the skies or vanish into the earth, their capabilities far surpass those of ordinary mortals.

Yet, these two were seasoned veterans, battle-hardened over many years. With just one look, they recognized that Jie Mu's eyes were devoid of any semblance of reason.

This realization was precisely why they didn't turn tail and flee on the spot. They figured that even a warrior of the Enlightenment Realm, stripped of his rationality, was someone they could handle.