Tainted will

In a dimly lit room, two figures were seated facing each other.

The air in the room was heavy.

Bai Ming's eyes lazily glanced at the cup of tea in his hand.

Teng Zhe intently stared at Bai Ming with a gaze like that of an eagle's.

​ Bai Ming sipped on the tea and nonchalantly said, "Old man, I have been cursed and you can't do shit about it. Quickly hand over the top soul art of the Red lotus sect."

Bang.

Teng Zhe fiercely slammed the table; he lowered his voice and roared, "Yi Yun! Don't even think that you can keep on extorting me again and again just by knowing my one weakness. I am old and don't have long to live, so at worst I will just give up on this opportunity and accept fate! Hmph, I can accept cooperating, but I will definitely not receive any threats!"

"I won't allow what happened that day to happen again! The first time I gave you one million sect points but you were not satisfied and came begging for more, you were already stepping out of you're bounds then and now you are repeating the same mistake, you will surely regret it! You really think I can't do anything to you, heh, don't be so naive."

"Young people these days don't know the immensity of heaven and earth.."

Bai Ming didn't reply, his gaze was eerie as he let Teng Zhe continue to berate him.

When Teng Zhe had slammed the table, his aura was astonishing like that of a dragon, but as Teng zhe continued to speak his aura gradually started to get weaker and weaker and in the end, he appeared to be in a deficiency of energy showing lack of confidence.

Only when he no longer spoke did Bai Ming leisurely smile and say, "Old man, don't get so mad. I am indeed in need of that soul art, remember it was you who had informed me that there is a chance that the curse planted on me might affect my spiritual essence."

"What will I do when my spiritual essence runs wild as I fight against those twins to seize the spirit herb and not to mention all the difficulties I have to face in the mystic realm, my hands are also tied in this matter. I'm a hundred percent certain that you are more aware of the dangers in the mystic realm than I am, Now tell me is my demand really unreasonable?"

Teng Zhe snorted, and he spoke slowly, "You don't lack soul arts, I am aware of the fact that you had previously brought three soul skills. And even if your spiritual essence turns chaotic, you can depend on your superb formations and high body cultivation, am I wrong?"

"But even if it is so, I still want to learn the devil hand soul art. You should know that if I can have learnt those mid-grade soul skills those twins can also learn them, but the devil hand soul skill is the only high-grade soul skill in the Red lotus sect and only those with the status of inner elders and above can learn it. I understand that you're worried about the fact that if the news of you teaching me that art gets leaked you will have to pay a heavy price." Bai Ming said in an understanding tone.

"Yes, since you understand that. Let's not..." Teng Zhe's words were immediately cut off by Bai Ming, getting cut off by a spirit realm brat made him cuss at Bai Ming secretly.

"Old man, let me just ask you one thing." Bai Ming stared Teng Zhe deeply in the eyes, making Teng Zhe subconsciously straighten his posture. Bai Ming paused momentarily before continuing to speak slowly while maintaining deep eye contact, "Since when have you become so weak?"

Teng Zhe was immediately taken aback, not understanding Bai Ming's deeper meaning.

'Weak? Who me? I'm a supreme realm martial expert and he called me weak?...what kind of nonsense is that!?' Teng Zhe scoffed in his heart.

Bai Ming saw Teng Zhe keeping silent, his eyes shifting around. And Bai Ming instantly knew he succeeded in catching Teng Zhe's attention and making his mind wander.

The next moment, Bai Ming's voice rang in his mind: "Are you laughing at my idiocy for calling you, a supreme realm grand expert a weakling? Laugh to your heart's content but the fact that you are weakling won't change!"

Teng Zhe's gaze shifted from the floor to Bai Ming once again, but his gaze wasn't as menacing as it usually would be, it lacked a sliver of clarity.

Teng Zhe saw the faint smile hanging on Bai Ming's mouth.

This smile made Teng Zhe's heart chill.

Anger rushed through his mind, "This kid acts so calm, does he think he has me trapped within his palm?!"

Bai Ming took another sip of the tea before crossing his legs and staring at Teng zhe with unconcealed contempt, he spoke in a tone filled with overwhelming arrogance;

"Old man, how weak you have become. You have become so weak that you need to argue with a lowly spirit realm cultivator like me over merely a high-grade soul art, it's saddening. These years, you have lived an easy life and have become accustomed to the righteous lifestyle, and it has corrupted your cultivator's heart."

"Just take a look at you're rival Zhou Yi, what has he not done to achieve his goal. First, he sent assassins to kill me, that too within the vicinity of the sect. Then, he also went as far as placing a curse on me. He is training his two disciples, possibly three disciples with everything thing he has to offer."

"But what have you done to succeed, have you sent assassins after his disciples? No, you haven't. Have you placed a curse on them? No, you haven't. You haven't done shit. I'll tell you what have been doing. No, you were not being cautious but instead, you were busy being a coward. You're so scared of losing your rich lifestyle that you have accustomed to, that you've become afraid of taking risks."

"Strength is an incredible thing, but sometimes power corrupts people. Old man, you must have worked extremely hard to reach such a stage in your life but this very strength has corrupted your true self, you have become comfortable. Your desire to run after your aspirations and ambitions have grown weaker. With such a weak mentality, how could you ever succeed?...you have lost already."

The color on Teng Zhe's face faded as it turned ashen, immense anger surging through his mind.

Teng Zhe was really old, the youthful heart of his has been suppressed for far too long. Riches and danger went together. No matter which world, if you desired to obtain something, you need to pay its price. If it was a few decades earlier, Teng Zhe would have not minded but now he had his reservations.

Did Teng zhe not want to reach the divine astral realm and once had for all surpass his lifetime bestfriend less rival? Of course, he wanted. But was he willing to stake it all or nothing for this goal? No, he wasn't. With time he had gone soft.

"Yi Yun, how dare you!!" Teng Zhe spoke through gritted teeth, his breathing was rough as he fiercely stared at Bai Ming with indignation in his aged heart.

Those cruel yet factual words of Bai Ming had struck a sensitive cord in Teng Zhe's heart.

He couldn't persevere to walk his original path, so he went on another path. This right here is one of the main distinctions between victors and losers.

Bai Ming was emotionless; he did not say anything. The two pairs eyes of gazed at each other.

Teng Zhe's eyes were filled with anger, frustration, and helpless indignation. And Bai Ming's two orbs were like crimson moons. These cold and uncaring eyes could not help but make Teng Zhe feel a strange oppression.

Not long after Teng Zhe subconsciously turned away his gaze and looked somewhere else as he clenched his teeth.

Anger kept on surging in his heart, but he didn't know where or at whom to direct this endless anger on. He was at a complete loss.

Soon...

The pent-up anger in his mind had turned into deep frustration for his soul.

Bai Ming leaned back on the chair and stared at Teng zhe indifferently thinking internally, 'Human nature is so fragile, even us cultivators cannot escape it. Hmm, if one can conquer his mind then the mind will be his greatest ally otherwise it can be his greatest enemy.'

'The play is over, it's time to close the curtains.' Bai Ming placed the empty teacup down on the floor, he glanced at Teng Zhe, and spoke calmly, "Teng Zhe, reflect on what I have said before and ask the cultivator inside you what is it that you, Teng zhe really seek. And thank you for the tea, I'll be taking my leave now."

Saying that Bai Ming didn't wait for Teng Zhe's response, he quietly walked toward the exit.

Taking a few steps Bai Ming stood in front of the door, he twisted the knob and opened it. But just before exiting, he said one last thing;

"Ah, I completely forgot about it. Please get me an extremity-grade sword as well." Bai Ming gently trapped his forehead, but the wide grin on his face was evident for everyone to see.