Richard teleported us to the location of Tulip, at the entrance of the Immortal Sun Sect. The sect master, Emperor Sun, was holding Tulip with a knife to her neck. His eyes had a slight change, turning grey.
Next to him stood the genius of the sect, Tai Yang, with an evil grin on his face. What shocked me was that his eyes were also grey, not just him, but also a hundred or so cultivators behind him.
Tulip was not struggling, not even a bit. In fact, it seemed like she had no life left in her at all. But, no. No, that wasn't it. If she was dead, then the madman wouldn't be threatening us with her.
At most, she was under a hypnotic spell or something like that. But that was more than enough to let every thought in my head turn into the most extreme and utmost anger.
I started to walk towards the Emperor but was stopped by Richard with a tap on my right shoulder.
"Welcome, my dear Junior Brothers and Sister," bellowed Emperor Sun. Then, he faked a bow and addressed Richard, "Teacher."
"Release her," Richard threatened, his tone filled with killing intent. He ignored the fake greetings and went straight to the point. "Don't open the gates of hell on you. Release her, and this little group of yours will walk away today."
"Oh, Richard. Richard, who will exactly kill us? You?" Emperor Sun smirked and mocked.
Richard fell silent and looked troubled. I couldn't understand this reaction, so I said, my voice low, "Richard? What are you waiting for? Kill them and save her!"
"He can't!" the Emperor taunted.
"I'm not talking to you!" I shouted at him. I looked back at Richard and told him, "You're the Lord of Chaos. Kill them! Or at least incapacitate them if you want them alive! Just save her!"
"Oh, but he can't! He can't kill us. He can't even get near to us. When facing us, the Lord of Chaos is useless."
"What's he talking about?" I was more confused than ever, and from Richard's silence, whatever was said was true.
"Easy there, lad," Mimir interjected, "this isn't something you should be concerned about right now."
"As long as Tulip is in danger, every damn thing should be of my concern!"
"Good words, Evil," said Emperor Sun. "Alas, you are useless against us as well. After all, you are a clone of Richard no matter how many reincarnations you undergo!"
"Evil?" When he spoke, he was addressing me. Yet I could not understand why he would call me that.
Richard frowned, "That's enough!"
"Enough?" the Emperor replied, "You haven't even told him about it? Oh, Richard, he would have known anyway, but at what cost? Will you risk him getting away? He deserves to know, after all; I tried to kill him once by sending one of us as an assassin."
"That was you?" I asked. He was referring to that assassin that attacked my friends and me. That was when I first fused with Pangu.
"I will take care of this," Farbauti stepped forward and got the double-bladed axe that was hanging on the back of his armor.
"Let's not be hasty, giant," the other threatened, "Take one more step, and she will be dead."
His threat stopped Farbauti in his tracks. The situation was looking bad, and no one was doing anything about it. I had to do something. Just as I was about to take out my sword and attack, Tulip's eyes blinked, and it seemed that the hypnotic spell on her was broken. She saw us all and said meekly, "Orion…"
"Oh?" A genuine look of surprise appeared on Emperor Sun's face. "I didn't expect you to be able to break the enchantment. But after all, you are a disciple of the Mansion of Night. In any case…"
The blade he was holding to her throat pierced it as blood flowed from the wound and from her mouth. Tulip was still looking at me when her eyes became lifeless.
"Everything is going to be alright, I promise you."
"I... am... S-s-sorry!"
"Oh, how touching!" said Emperor Sun. "Say your goodbyes, lovebirds!"
After he said that, the blade in his hand slid past Tulip's throat and killed her mercilessly!
I dropped to my knees as I felt my body weaken. I couldn't believe it. She was gone!
At that moment, I had a vision.
Years from now, outside the once Immortal Sun Sect, a field of over a hundred black tulip flowers bloomed. But in the middle of the black sea, a red tulip distinguished herself from the others.
A tulip of blood...
End of Book 2: "The Sword of Pangu"!
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Updated on 25/5/2026