Being Abducted

Sun Li was held in the grasp of the hand, utterly powerless to resist.

In that instant, he realized—this was yet another overwhelmingly powerful being.

Especially that face before him, those hollow eyes, sending chills of terror down his spine.

Fear and resentment nearly brought him to tears.

Had he forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home, or had he somehow offended the wrong person?

First, he’d encountered an absolute freak with the black box, and now this divine sword had led him to another one—a skeletal monstrosity, no less.

"Senior, senior, I was wrong. Please, spare me!"

Trapped in that iron grip, Sun Li’s face flushed red as he desperately begged for mercy.

"And why should this god spare you?"

The moment the words fell, Lu Benwei’s fingers tightened ever so slightly.

Crack!

The sound nearly snapped Sun Li’s neck in half.

The icy grip of death clawed at his mind.

"Senior, senior! I am Sun Li, the Third Elder of the Three Lives Sect! Our patriarch is also a master of the Fusion Dao Realm! Please, for his sake, spare my life!"

With his pleas falling on deaf ears, Sun Li resorted to name-dropping his sect’s patriarch.

After all, the Dao Realm was divided into stages: Touching Dao, Fusion Dao, Unity Dao, and Proving Dao.

Though he couldn’t discern Lu Benwei’s exact strength, he assumed it must be at least Fusion Dao.

Between peers of the same realm, some courtesy was usually extended.

"Fusion Dao Realm? What kind of trash dares ask for this god’s face?"

Lu Benwei held him by the neck like an ant, toying with him slowly.

"You—!"

The sheer audacity of calling a Fusion Dao cultivator "trash" left Sun Li choking on his words.

Such arrogance!

To dismiss the Fusion Dao Realm so casually—this was beyond lawless.

It dawned on him that begging was futile. So, teeth clenched, he switched to threats.

"If you kill me, you’ll be making an enemy of the Three Lives Sect and our patriarch!"

"Though you may be strong and your words proud, even you must weigh the consequences of provoking a Fusion Dao expert!"

"I advise you to think carefully, sir!"

Sun Li spat the words through gritted teeth, his face crimson with strain.

He refused to believe this skeletal fiend would disregard his threats.

Could this creature truly scorn the Three Lives Sect?

Yet, just as the thought crossed his mind, Lu Benwei’s lips curled into a sinister smirk.

That smile sent Sun Li’s heart lurching—a terrible premonition rising in his chest.

Sure enough, Lu Benwei’s other hand shot forward, piercing straight into the void.

---

In the grand hall of the Three Lives Sect...

Zheng Wu, the sect’s rarely seen patriarch, sat upon the high seat.

Below him, rows of high-ranking elders stood in reverence, heads bowed in submission.

"How goes Wen Chengyu’s progress?" Zheng Wu asked, hands clasped behind his back.

"Reporting to the patriarch, the awakening proceeds smoothly. All is according to plan," the sect leader replied respectfully.

"Good."

A satisfied smile spread across Zheng Wu’s face. "Wen Chengyu is our greatest hidden asset. The other two great Dao sects remain oblivious."

"Once Wen Chengyu fully awakens, a Proving Dao Realm expert in this backwater realm will be unstoppable!"

"We’ll swallow the other two sects whole, and the Three Lives Sect will dominate the Nine Realms!"

"By the time those sects think to call for aid from the Heavenly Domain, it’ll be too late!"

"And once we monopolize the reincarnated sage’s arrival... tsk tsk."

"With a Proving Dao expert and a true sage reborn under our banner, even a return to the Heavenly Domain would see us reign supreme!"

Zheng Wu raised a hand, his voice thick with triumph.

"Congratulations, patriarch! Blessings upon you!"

The crowd below erupted in fervent cheers.

"Why congratulate me? This glory belongs to the entire Three Lives Sect—to all of you!" Zheng Wu declared, his voice booming.

"May the Three Lives Sect endure for eternity!"

"May the patriarch live forever!"

The crowd chanted in unison.

Standing tall at the center of their adoration, Zheng Wu basked in the vision of his future—dominating the Nine Realms, even the Heavenly Domain.

Ah, the loneliness of invincibility...

But then—

A hand materialized above Zheng Wu’s head, seizing him by the neck and yanking him into the void.

"Ah—!"

A single shoe clattered to the floor.

The patriarch was gone.

Silence.

The grand hall of the Three Lives Sect stood frozen, the air thick with disbelief.

Their patriarch... had just been kidnapped.

Right before their eyes.