Cultivation Through Artifacts

Outside the mountain range that was continuously bombarded with powerful techniques that painted the sky with various colors, Bane was standing motionlessly below a huge colorful tree's shade in the distance, his short ash black hair fluttering to-and-fro whenever a gentle breeze came by as his ice-cold gaze was fixed on one sole point in the distance.

"I have found him! Right here!"

Suddenly, a loud and excited yell was heard from somewhere from the south, causing Bane's eyes to light up slightly before his body blurred and vanished from his spot.

"Who is inside there?" Bane immediately asked loudly the moment his figure appeared before a huge tunnel that was at least three meters high and five meters wide.

"It was Cloven who formed this path, Boss, and he is the only one currently inside. It has been about half a minute by now." a soldier replied with haste and respect when he noticed Bane's figure emerge in front of him out of thin air.

When Bane heard the soldier's explanation he lifted his head toward the peak and asked, "Is there any route that was found or formed to where the criminal is?"

"There is none, Boss. As a fact, the very moment Cloven yelled that he found him, I have ordered the rest of the soldiers to surround the mountain range and get ready to do anything if the criminal tries to force his way through!"

"We will immediately know if he tries anything fishy, but I hardly doubt it. I mean, Cloven has already reached the peak of the Third Cultivation Stage while that rat has only broken through! Cloven will be perfectly enough to capture it and bring him out!"

Bane hearing what the soldier said nodded mildly and gazed into the dark tunnel which was at least ten miles deep if not deeper than that!

Bane remained silent and waited patiently for Cloven to emerge, as he too thought that his subordinate, who was one of the strongest subordinates of his thanks to his terrifying physical strength, was enough to capture the human inside. However, when five full minutes have passed, Bane couldn't help but show a deep frown while something akin to a squeezing feeling began to appear in his chest, something that made him feel slightly uneasy.

"Something is not right." Bane said and was ready to move when suddenly the soldier on his side showed a smile and pointed forward.

"Boss, look! It's Cloven! He succeeded! Haha! That human has been killed!"

Indeed, deep inside the dark tunnel, a creature with a firm figure and bulging muscles that not even his armors were capable of concealing walked slowly toward their way, his long and deep dark hair that reached almost the ground swung from side to side with every step he took.

Bane narrowed his eyes into an almost slit as he examined Cloven's approaching figure, but no matter how long he stared and saw that it was indeed his mighty subordinate, the uneasiness in his heart yet to fade; as a fact, it only became worse and stronger while all of his instincts told him something was not right here and chaos will soon follow if he does not do something.

And as an existence that fought hundreds if not thousands of battles where his life was on the line, Bane knew he must act, hence quickly summoned a sword into his grasp and raised it.

"That is not Cloven, get ready to f-" Bane began to talk, but just as he was about to finish his order something golden flashed in his retina before the soldier on his side was torn to shreds and turned into a pile of bloody mess!

"What?!"

Bane's eyes widened with shock, not understanding what just happened, but before he could have had the chance to process one of his subordinate's death, another golden glow flashed from the dim mine, forcing him to raise his blade before his face hurriedly.

CLANG!

BAM!

Right after he did, a sweeping force crashed into his weapon, creating a powerful ripple that traveled far and wide with great power and speed, cracking the ground below his feet while crushing trees and boulders in the distance into dust and debris in a flash!

"What the fuck is with this ridiculous strength?!" Bane cursed through his clenched teeth and with a powerful push waved his weapon horizontally with all his strength, immediately freeing himself from the pressure that pressed down on him.

"I failed to kill him even with Moonshadow? Well, whatever... I am pretty sure I will be able to kill him, it's just a matter of time."

As Bane held his stance, ready to fight at any given moment, the creature seemingly Cloven walked out of the tunnel and moved his mouth, however, the deep and icy tone of voice that appeared was strangely off when he talked.

Or at least anyone who has yet to meet with Cloven in the past would feel like that, but those that already did meet with him and knew him, like someone like Bane, would right away realize that he was not Cloven, but a completely different individual!

"You are that human, right? What did you do with my subordinate?" Bane asked after taking a deep breath and calming his nerves down, his sword's tip already pointing toward his enemy's chest in a threatening manner.

Cloven, who was in truth Khal, showed a wide grin which was kind of cold and eerie, and said indifferently, "I killed him."

'...'

When Bane heard this, even though he somewhat expected such an answer, his expression darkened and the surpassed killing intent and rage in his heart was released at once like a tidal wave!

BAM!

The already cracked ground below Bane's feet was crushed even further, forming a small pit before the debris in it was further crushed that was shortly blown away from the shockwave and breeze in the air.

"You not only dared to break my rules on my own planet but also dared to kill three men of mine too! The sins you have done and the innocents' blood which had been dried to your hands are unforgivable, thus you must need to die today!" Bane said coldly, his razor-sharp gaze fixed coldly on Khal's disguised image.