As the week progressed, the Grasslands became a zone of bloodbath, unlike anything anyone has witnessed before.
Several reports of experts from various factions running into experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect emerged one after the other. Inevitably, when the two sides met, battles erupted all over the Grasslands.
The experts of various factions were beaten up until only an inch of their lives remained. This caused the tension to ramp up inside the Grasslands. For the entire week, sounds pertaining to the battle were heard all over the Grasslands.
Some fights lasted mere minutes, while others lasted for hours on end.
One by one, the experts from various factions were beaten up and driven out of the Grasslands in a brutal manner by the Heavenly Demon Sect experts. Those who listened to the warnings were left alive.
However, if they failed to heed the warnings, the experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect didn't bother much with them. They started killing indiscriminately causing a mass panic to envelop the Grasslands.
Not just them, but even the demonic beasts inside the Grasslands seemed to be in a frenzy. At least, if they met experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect, they had a chance to escape alive.
But, if they met demonic beasts, it was either they killed the beast or they became food for the beast. Such an uproar sent shockwaves throughout the entire cultivation community.
Despite these events, there were several people who were keen to step foot into the Grasslands. Earlier, there had been no substantial evidence to indicate that there was a Heavenly Treasure inside the Grasslands.
However, with the firm stance of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the frenzy of the demonic beasts, many people were now convinced that there was something very rare and important present in the Grasslands.
Thus, the experts who have been waiting on the sidelines and looking to see if there was anything worthwhile for them to act, began to act as well. This invariably sent the tension and conflict inside the Grasslands up a notch.
Even then, the experts from outside the Grasslands were in a miserable position. Heavenly Demon Sect also adopted a tough stance and started killing indiscriminately causing several factions to lose their experts.
This caused an uproar of unexpected proportions throughout the surrounding regions.
After all, each expert was someone any faction spent countless treasures and wealth to nurture. Having them dying in droves inside the Grasslands sent the entire world into a tizzy fit.
Demands on Heavenly Demon Sect to stop massacring people were sent over. However, the Heavenly Demon Sect only sent one sentence in response to those demands.
If you step inside the Grasslands, be prepared to leave your life here.
No one expected the Heavenly Demon Sect to be so stubborn. While many factions were indignant about it, they could do nothing in response. With most of their experts already beaten until they were within an inch of their life and losing several others inside the Grasslands, they were left with nothing to do but fume in anger.
However, the same couldn't be said for the real experts who have stepped foot inside the Grasslands. They battled countless demonic beasts and experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect and made steady progress toward the interior region.
Liu Kong was one of these experts.
According to his initial analysis, the Heavenly Demon Sect should have capitulated once demands from several factions were aired. However, he never expected the Heavenly Demon Sect to be so stubborn.
This created a huge problem for him as his plans were now moot. If everything had gone as per his plan, he would only reveal his presence at the end and sneak away with the treasure while others were fighting amongst themselves.
But, with the Heavenly Demon Sect conducting such a bloodbath, things changed and he was forced to take action far sooner than he had originally planned.
And the most worrying thing of all was that the Heavenly Demon Sect looked like they didn't plan to confront the Level 7 beast present in the interior region.
This meant that others who were interested in the treasure like himself will be forced to confront the Level 7 beast. That wasn't something Liu Kong wanted to do.
With all his plans foiled, Liu Kong was left seething in anger. He currently had no other recourse. He had to step into the limelight and lead the charge. Because, if no one else did, then the other experts might leave thinking that this was too much of a hassle.
If such a thing happened, then he would be left alone to fend off both the demonic beasts and the Heavenly Demon Sect. Any one of them alone could crush him easily. So, that must never happen.
Still, he held out hope that someone else might take the lead instead of him.
*****
As a bloodbath commenced in the Grasslands, the entire Starmist City was on high alert.
Not just Starmist City, but rather, all the cities, towns, and villages bordering the Grasslands were on high alert. The Star Imperial family had issued strict orders on rooting out any unsavory elements that tried to stir up trouble at this time.
Xing Wukong, the Third Prince of Star Empire, was like a man possessed. He ordered each and every expert inside the Star Empire to stay put. Anyone refusing to listen was summarily executed in a brutal manner.
Several old timers, thinking themselves to be above the rest, had tried to challenge the decree. However, the prompt and swift reprisal had sent them reeling. Those who listened were forgiven, but those who were still obstinate were made example of.
And Xing Wukong was really brutal in his examples.
Not just the experts, but even the factions and families behind them were implicated in Xing Wukong's reprisal. The moment any expert from Star Empire stepped foot inside the Grasslands, their clan/faction/family was surrounded and pummeled by the Generals and other experts from the Imperial Clan.
No one had expected such drastic action from the Star Imperial family. Their brutality left chills down the spine of several experts who were beginning to think that they were above the rest of the empire.
Jian Wufeng was one such expert.
Being a Level 5 cultivator, he had always considered himself to be invincible inside the Star Empire. Under his auspices, the Jian family had grown into a local tyrant that controlled over two prefectures.
When the scramble for the treasure inside the Grasslands began, Jian Wufeng was also one of the experts that had been waiting in the wings. As a local near the Grasslands, he had ample amount of experience in navigating the terrain.
So, he decided to wait and see the situation before committing himself to the treasure hunt.
When several experts from other regions appeared and asked him to come along with them, he refused stating that he had received orders from the empire to not move. While displeased, these experts could do nothing regarding Jian Wufeng's excuse.
So, they left him and traveled onwards.
However, Jian Wufeng was really a crafty old fox.
The real reason that he didn't join them was that he didn't want to create a wedding dress for others to wear. Rather than joining these rabbles, he wanted to obtain the treasure for himself.
While he used the Star Empire's decree to shake away these unwanted flies, he was also preparing secretly to head into the Grasslands.
When he received word of the Heavenly Demon Sect's fierce response, he was rather elated than worried. He knew that the Heavenly Demon Sect would not make such a ruckus if there isn't anything truly valuable.
This proved to him that the rumored treasure inside was indeed true and it also seemed to be very valuable. Obtaining such a treasure can help him a lot in his cultivation.
So, Jian Wufeng had prepared himself to set off into the Grasslands.
However, his intention had however been leaked and a missive from one of the Generals stationed nearby came. The General ordered him to stand down and threatened severe consequences if the order was not obeyed.
Jian Wufeng was not deterred. He knew that the Star Imperial family could not do much to him. Being a Level 5 expert, there are truly very few people who could stop him in the entire Star Empire.
No sane monarch would create an issue with an expert like him over some trivial matter like this. So, Jian Wufeng was not worried much. The Jian family might earn Imperial disfavor, but if his strength increased, it would be all worth it.
So, he put the missive aside and slowly began making his way into the Grasslands.
But, who knew that the Star Imperial family really went crazy? The moment they confirmed that he had left his family, several Generals and experts from the Imperial clan joined forces together and began to attack his Jian family.
Angered beyond belief, Jian Wufeng returned hastily to stop their attack on his family. After all, the Jian family was something he had taken countless years to cultivate. And his own sons and daughters were present there.
Jian Wufeng thought that the experts would give him a face and stop the attack once he returned. However, the reality was entirely different. When he returned, he was besieged from all sides and attacked ruthlessly.
Unable to believe that the Star Imperial family was really ruthless enough to attack him, Jian Wufeng had been a little sluggish in the beginning. By the time he realized that this was real and the Star Imperial family was hell-bent on killing him, he was already severely injured and unable to escape.
Once the experts from the Imperial clan and the Generals dispatched were done with Jian Wufeng, they summarily executed the entire Jian clan to warn others not to test the Imperial family's patience.
This incident sent shockwaves throughout the entire Star Empire and even beyond. Several forces which were looking to stir up some trouble were really disturbed by this cold-blooded action by Xing Wukong.
