The Steward Demonic Emperor

rid of this eyesore.
And yet, he just couldn’t have the fool die without knowing his swag, that would be immoral.  

 

And so, the fiend in him doubled down on giving him the ins and outs of Ethereal Stage with utmost patience, “Kid, Ethereal Stage is a level beyond the Radiant Stage.
Even a hundred Radiant Stage experts can’t beat a single one.”

 

“Oh, so that’s how it is.
That makes you awesomer than Radiant Stage experts!” Zhuo Fan bobbed his head, enlightened.

 

Elder Lang chuckled with pride.
[Now that he knows to recognize greatness, next should be fear.]

 

[Once he runs, we’ll hunt him down, hi-hi-hi…]

 

Zhuo Fan had no such intention though, ever calm and ever baffling.

 

“Uhm, boy, don’t you know our greatness?” Elder Lang blinked.

 

Zhuo Fan nodded, “Of course, you’re Ethereal Stage experts, able to beat a hundred Radiant Stage experts, no? You already said that.
Don’t tell me you forgot.
Is senility setting in already?”

 

Elder Lang choked on his words and exploded, “Why aren’t you running scared? Where’s the horror, the panic? Why are your pants dry still?”

 

“Because…”

 

Looking back to see the house lords gone, Zhuo Fan snickered, “Because I can’t let you pass!”

 

“Say what?” The trio cried.

 

“When a Radiant Stage expert goes ethereal, his soul achieves enlightenment, free of the world’s bindings, crushing anything beneath 7th grade!” Zhuo Fan shook his head, his tone sarcastic, “I knew the instant you broke my arrays how strong you were.
I was only faking it, play-pretend, act the fool to yank your chain.
How else would those old buddies of mine make a run for it? What a stroke of dumb luck that I got stuck with you three morons to play twenty questions with.”

 

Pff!

 

Lian’er giggled and the others chortled.
The old ones were their helpers, but they didn’t win Touba Army’s respect in the least.

 

It sure livened them up seeing them toyed by a child.

 

Tuoba Tieshan nodded, [Old Dugu made the right choice, brave and shrewd, honorable and noble.
He is the best choice to be Dugu Army’s Marshal.
And yet…]

 

Tuoba Tieshan frowned.

 

“Rotten piece of scat! You dare to play me?” Elder Lang blustered, slapping.

 

A vile air gathered around his hand and that simple palm turned into a savage wolf, entering Zhuo Fan.

 

With a fierce headache, his soul felt gnawed at, his mind fading.

 

It was a perk of reaching the Ethereal Stage, soul destruction.

 

Radiant Stage could launch soul attacks, while Ethereal Stage took it one step further, making it materialize and even turn into a spirit.

 

Take Elder Lang for example, his soul turned into that of a wolf.
It would enter the target and feast on his soul.

 

Bam!

 

Zhuo Fan slammed into the city wall and got buried under the rubble.

 

Elder Lang wrote him off, turning away, “A puny Profound Heaven ant dares toy with us?”

 

“Ahe-he-hem, he only played you.
We’ve got nothing to do with it.” Fierce Tiger excused himself.

 

Obscene Snake nodded.

 

With how an Ethereal Stage expert was duped by a Profound Heaven pup, he’d have no honor left to face the world.
The best way out of it was to get that lame wolf to be the patsy.

 

Elder Lang was speechless realizing how honorless they were.
[Like you saw through the kid’s act of stalling.]

 

[But weren’t we all taken in? You’re no better!]

 

[How childish.]

 

“Alas, this shall be the second time in my long life that I shall mourn over the death of my adversary.” Tuoba Tieshan sighed, “First was old Dugu.
And when I thought of Zhuo Fan to be my next adversary, he would meet his end before we could even test ourselves.
Heroes always die young.
This victory brings me no joy.”

 

The others nodded.
Even as their enemy, Zhuo Fan had earned their respect.

 

Touba Lian’er sighed, recalling their ‘fond’ first encounter and was touched by sadness, “He did save me once, I guess.”

 

Hum~

 

The rubble lit up with a flash of azure…