36 Unreliable (1/2)
The two cultivators stared at each other. Their earlier exchanges left both sides evenly matched. Now was the calm before the storm.
Shura had not been fighting with his full strength earlier. He had held back to see the bottom of his opponent's strength. But now that he had fought him this long, he realized that his opponent was not someone he should fear at all. Not only did he not need to fear this opponent, but he was also capable of subduing them as well.
The formation he had set up along with the countless enhancement spells he had cast on himself had pushed him to a level of strength that was formidable enough to oppress the opponent.
A Six Star cultivator and a Saint had a halo of mystery around them and could be a threat to Shura, but not a Five Star cultivator, and not this hooded figure in front of him who was acting mysteriously.
Now that he knew he could easily take on this man, Shura was no longer cautious. Instead, he became excited. He was in a rush to proceed with his plan.
His plan was to somehow force the Saint behind the Five Star cultivator to help him find Claira. No, it didn't need to be that particular Saint. Any Saint would be interested in this book. He could deal with anyone. The more righteous and upstanding a Saint, the better. He wouldn't get scammed or die randomly somewhere when dealing with someone like that.
Still, one doubt floated in the back of Shura's mind. What if a Saint couldn't do it?
A Saint was the strongest existence one could become in the Higher Realm. If a Saint couldn't do it, then he would have no choice but to once again cultivate tirelessly and somehow reach a higher peak of strength and ability.
This was the first time in his life that his goal involved others doing something for him. He did not like the feeling at all. It was different from cultivating to achieve something that he was used to. As long as he cultivated and became stronger, he could solve his problems by himself. The only factor was himself, there were no other variables either.. But this problem was different. He was out to convince another person to do what he wanted them to.
Who? Where? When? Why?
The end result wasn't up to him, but someone else. He felt like he wasn't in total control. Shura didn't like this feeling. He didn't like relying on others, because they were, by nature, unreliable. Why would they care about what he wanted? They only cared about themselves. He would manipulate them so that what he wanted was good for what they wanted.
It was all new and confusing to Shura. He really was a greenhorn when it came to interacting with people aside from killing or fighting.
But he had to do this. Since he was going to do this, he was going to make an unreliable thing reliable.
Coercion, blackmail, force, he'd employ anything necessary as long as he could get a Saint to find Claira for him.
But again, could a Saint do it?
The plan itself was ridiculous in the first place. How would he force a Saint to do his bidding? Use the book to negotiate? What was there to negotiate if the Saint can just kill him and take it? He still had to think through many things.
There were so many holes in his plan. But he couldn't think of anything else better so he had jumped right into it as soon as he thought of it, and since he was here and things had come to this point, he couldn't take it back. He'd have to see this through to the end.
And the first thing he had to do was deal with this man in front of him, which wouldn't be difficult at all.
”Tell me everything you know about this 'book' and your Saint master and I'll let you keep your life,” Shura declared.
”Are you crazy?” the hooded figure said in a disbelieving tone.
”I'll prove that I am not then,” Shura replied.
He was impatient.
Shura attacked the hooded figure. Shura's crimson sword danced about madly in the air. These motions, these slashes, they were things he had done countless times before against many enemies. Now they had become a part of him. It was easier and easier for him to fight.
He could do it! He could definitely do it!