“Although rooted in the sacrifice of life, the way of cultivation that the original dark sects have would be far more alluring for the average marital artist than the commonly used methods – and that is something that the people in charge of the Heavenly Star nation cannot allow themselves to happen. Our ways are far too efficient – the powerful martial artist that would be unable to be controlled would show up far too often for their liking. Sect leader here is one of the examples of that.”

Rhodes took a deep breath and continued, moving his hand and presenting the slightly uneasy Chloe.

“…what I get from that is that the Heavenly Archer sect and the Star Pagoda would not refrain from doing some really messed up things to get rid of the sects like yours…”

Zoemi furrowed his brows, turning his head to the side as if he was listening to something.

“Exactly. That person you mentioned, the one who betrayed the Great Ram sect and offered your friend that dangerous potion disguised as a monster lure. He must have been coaxed into joining the fake dark sect. Similarly, the distribution of that potion must be something that either the Heavenly Archer sect or even the Star Pagoda itself is responsible for. Which makes sense considering that they are the ones with established connection with the land of mana.”

Rhodes nodded his head, breathing in relief as it seemed that the black-haired man had an open mind unlike most of the Heavenly Star nation population that has been fed lies for decades.

“…I hope that I am overthinking it, but wouldn’t that mean…”

Zoemi raised his head and muttered under his breath, glaring between Rhodes and Chloe straight at the silent Aaron when…

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*RUMBLE* *CRUSH*

Before another word was spoken by either side, the echo of the unbelievable explosion reverberated through the surrounding rocks and ground, causing a partial cave-in.

“NOOOOOO!”

Chloe cried out and reached her hand towards the mass falling onto the buildings she created herself but she was a moment too late and even though the rocks and ground lifted up, many lives were already lost…

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM* *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM* *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM* *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The initial explosion outside wasn’t the last of it, and soon a series of blasts caused even more chaos and destruction upon the Blood Star sect.

“Wah…?!”

*WHOOOOOOOOOSH*

Zoemi didn’t wait for the signal to evacuate, he picked up Alan like a small child and ran away – not into the closing tunnel that Chloe created for them, though.

For everyone else, it seemed as if he panicked and charged off in a random direction after losing his cool.

“Sect leader! Aaron! We need to…!”

“Aaron, run away, I will…!”

Both Rhodes and Chloe called out to the boy standing behind them but stopped in confusion feeling Aaron’s hands on their back, stopping them from retreating.

“Law of Sagittarius.”

*STAB* *STAB*

“…eh…?”

“GH-UGH…! S-son…?!”

The girl stabbed through the chest and let out a small gasp before falling face-first onto the ground – as for the older man, the concentrated star power ripped a hole through his stomach so he did not die immediately which gave him the time to ask while coughing up a fountain of blood.

“To think an outsider would realize it sooner than the cautious big-shots of the elusive Blood Star sect.”

Aaron shrugged his shoulders, glancing to the side after the black-haired man who already managed to disappear from his sight.

“…but… but… why…? Aaron… your mother… you…”

“Dark sect members must die.”

While Rhodes was struggling to utter just a few more words, Aaron declared with a stoic expression.

…no, the boy’s expression wasn’t exactly stoic…

The more fitting description would be… blank.

He raised his hand and aimed it at his father’s face.

“Law of Sagittarius.”

*STAB* *thump*

The blast of spiritual power blew a hole clean through the man’s face and his lifeless body fell back and hit the ground while the entire cave crumbled, burying everyone in a grave the shelter that turned out to be their grave.

“Law of Aries. Law of Taurus.

Law of Capricorn.”

Aaron said before the mass of earth and rocks fell on him too s the barrage from the outside continued.

——-

“Did you activate your defensive star powers?”

Zoemi asked pushing through the debris burrowing everything so easily as if it was a spring drizzle.𝑜𝑣𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

“…yeah…”

Alan muttered in a muttered voice because of being pressed into the black-haired man’s chest.

“…he… I caught a glimpse of Aaron… he used the law of Sagittarius against the other two…”

The young man trembled, clinging to his protector, and muttered in a devastating voice.

“It looks like he never broke away from the control of the Heavenly Archer sect or something. Be prepared, it might get hard to breathe for you, just don’t panic, everything will be alright.”

“…okay…”

Zoemi embraced his employer a bit tighter, making sure that his head is protected, and said before ramming right into a wall of the cave on the almost opposite side of the cave that they arrived in.

“…!”

The scariest part of that way of traveling – to Alan at least – was the ease at which Zoemi was breaking through the earth and rocks.

Each time the debris brushed against the young man’s body he could feel the sturdiness of it, but the black-haired man carried him through it with no resistance. If not for the occasional bumps, Alan wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between being carried on the surface and to the surface of the earth.

As for the breathing that the black-haired man was concerned about, well…

Alan felt maybe not exactly comfortable but definitely completely safe, and let’s just leave it at that without pointing out the reasons.

Underground, it was very difficult for Alan to say where exactly they were going and for how long too. Honestly, Zoemi might have been carrying him to the center of the earth at the very moment and the young man would have no way of knowing.

But alas, before dark thoughts like that caused the panic attack that Zoemi was worried about, the black-haired man pierced through the surface of the earth, and the hot air filled his and Alan’s lungs…

…hot air…?