Chapter Nine: Slaughtering Wolves in Purgatory

The space within the abyss was drenched in blood, and the Reaper found himself wandering aimlessly across an endless plain, his mask now removed.

He was a young man with a cold expression, his eyes dark and bright. "Where is this place? How did I suddenly end up here? Could it be that crimson light? What exactly is it?"

"Reaper, is it? You won't be able to escape. In this world, I am the master, and everything is under my control. If you're willing to cooperate, I might consider sparing your life!"

Cold Sky appeared in the void of the abyss, smiling down at the Reaper on the plain.

Suddenly looking up, the Reaper's eyes widened in surprise as he gazed at Cold Sky. Fear began to creep into his heart for this young man who had imprisoned him here. How could someone so young possess such profound cultivation? This person had not been mentioned in the information he'd received about the Ye family’s convoy. Was he perhaps a hidden genius from the Ye family?

Seemingly reading the Reaper's thoughts, Cold Sky spoke, "No need to ponder. I have no ties to the Ye family. I’m merely a mercenary who took on a escort mission. I captured you just to understand the situation. Do you think you could cooperate with me?"

The Reaper stared at Cold Sky for a long moment before responding, "What do you want to know? I'm just a pawn, following orders from above. As for what you wish to uncover, I can only say that I have no comment. You may kill me now or keep me trapped here; either way, I’m dead if the mission fails!"

The Reaper spoke boldly, and Cold Sky could tell he was telling the truth. "What, do your own people kill you too?"

"Ha..." The Reaper gave a self-deprecating smile. "Being an assassin is already a profession looked down upon. Killing or being killed is quite normal; there’s always competition. I am already a dead man; living to this point is already a gain!"

Cold Sky regarded the Reaper with a knowing look. "It seems you have a story to tell! I happen to have plenty of stories of my own. Why not sit down and share them?"

"Why not? Do you have any wine?"

Cold Sky laughed heartily. "Of course!" His form flickered and appeared beside the Reaper, producing two flasks of wine. He handed one to the Reaper and opened his own, taking a hearty swig. "Refreshing..."

The Reaper, not one to refuse, took a large gulp, wiped the wine from his mouth, and asked, "What shall I call you?"

"Cold Sky."

"Is 'Reaper' your real name, or just a code name?" Cold Sky took a sip and countered.

"Call me Reaper; that is my name!"

"You seem destined to be an assassin, even your name seeks to take lives!" Cold Sky laughed brightly.

"Are you mocking me? That's fine; I’m used to it!" A hint of resentment crept into the Reaper's tone.

Cold Sky looked at him oddly but said nothing, simply continuing to drink. The two fell into silence, and before they knew it, they had consumed six flasks of wine, laughing heartily after draining Cold Sky's supply.

"How about we stretch our legs a bit? Let’s compete to see who can kill more. Let’s see if your reputation as a Reaper holds true or if I’m the better one!" Cold Sky proposed, gazing toward the horizon of the plain.

The Reaper raised an eyebrow, eyeing Cold Sky. "How do we compete?"

"Just wait a moment, and you'll see!"

Moments later, the Reaper suddenly looked up. In the distance, the once lush green grass began to take on a yellowed hue, swiftly transforming into a billowing dust cloud.

He felt the ground tremble slightly, as if a furious tide was surging toward them, a massive herd of beasts emerging from the dust.

"A wolf pack!" Countless giant wolves were sprinting toward them, their fiery red fur gleaming, towering bodies, sharp fangs bared, and eyes glinting with cold ferocity.

An overwhelming ferocity rushed toward them, painting the plain in red.

The thunderous sound of their pounding feet drew near, accompanied by swirling dust, their formidable presence consuming everything in its path until they were but a short distance away.

This was the trial ground that Cold Sky had created in the abyss, a spontaneous act to relive the passionate fervor of his youth!

"How about it? Want to test your skills against me and see who can slay more wolves?" Cold Sky gripped his weapon, Blood Stain, and shot forward!

As the wolf pack loomed large before him, the Reaper felt a fire ignite within him. With a thought, his crimson gauntlets enveloped his fists. With a fierce shout, he charged forward!

The two entered the throng of wolves. Cold Sky moved swiftly, the blade of Blood Stain dancing, and with each strike, a giant wolf’s head flew, blood spraying.

The Reaper, like a ghost, weaved through the wolves, his deep purple fists smashing heads with each swing!

These two harbingers of death lunged into the pack like famished wolves among sheep, the fierce fire wolves before them crumbling like fragile lambs, easily slaughtered!

The abyss was originally a primitive realm, though incomparably inferior to the fully realized world of the Crimson Peak Continent, its innate power of creation was not to be underestimated.

Cold Sky, as the master of the abyss, simulated the grassland and massive wolves, yet he did not anticipate that in this refined world, the laws and powers of creation were still in operation.

This meant that the laws of the abyss were not complete; they remained in their infancy, but Cold Sky had nurtured them, leading to the true emergence of those fiery wolves in some areas of the abyss that he could not yet control.

In the future, the lives born within the abyss would aid Cold Sky significantly, including one powerful beast that would become one of his greatest assets!

But those were matters for another time. Currently, Cold Sky and the Reaper resembled messengers of hell, harvesting the lives of the giant wolves!

Cold Sky moved with incredible speed, each step accompanied by the flash of a blade, blood bursting forth like a fountain, each kill following another.

With each circular movement of his footwork, a vacuum formed around him, and within this circle, every giant wolf was swiftly slain!