The old man's eyes gleamed with interest, his gaze shifting to Crimson Shadow. "Is this true, Crimson Shadow? Do you have such a hostage in your squad?"
Crimson Shadow met the old man's gaze with a steady, unyielding stare. "No, Master. He might be better than the others, but he is not the best. He lacks in many ways."
Thunder Palm scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "Crimson Shadow just doesn't want to give up the kid as a host to the Master. He's being selfish."
Crimson Shadow's eyes flashed with anger, and the shadow aura around him reverberated as though it was roaring. The cave trembled slightly, the air thick with tension. His voice was a low growl that was filled with a chilling warning.
"Do not interrupt me when I am speaking, Thunder Palm. You overstep your bounds."
The old man raised a frail hand, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Enough. Both of you, stop this nonsense."
Crimson Shadow reluctantly ceased his display of power, but his eyes remained locked onto Thunder Palm.
Iron Fang stepped forward and asked, "Master, what should we do about the adult hostages? Should we kill them?"
The old man's eyes narrowed, and with a cold and calculating voice, he responded, "Not yet. They will be useful as fuel for me until the suitable host is prepared."
A heavy silence fell over the cave as the commanders exchanged glances filled with a mix of understanding and unease.
The old man continued, his voice filled with authority. "The remaining hostages will be fed properly and treated with care. Any of them could be chosen as the host, and I do not want a malnourished and scarred body. The adult hostages shall be given enough food to stay alive, nothing more."
All the commanders nodded in agreement.
Then, Lin Xueya stepped forward. "Master, what about the training of the children hostages? Should we give them another task?"
The old man rubbed his chin, his eyes thoughtful. "Yes, announce the next task for the children hostages. They must achieve Qi Manifestation."
He explained, his voice filled with a sense of importance, "It is a crucial step in their cultivation, akin to the first stage of the muscle strengthening and bone forging realm. This stage will test their control and mastery over their Qi. Whoever has the best control over their Qi will become my host, my new body"
The old man then dismissed the commanders with a wave of his hand. "You may leave. Ensure that the hostages are prepared for the next stage."
The cave fell silent as the commanders departed, leaving the old man alone with his thoughts filled with desperation. He looked down at his frail hands and muttered to himself, "I do not have enough time."
The hostages were still kept in the training ground, some still celebrating passing the test, while others were worried about their friends who had failed and been taken away. Some held onto the hope that their friends would return soon, but that was never going to happen.
Liam was sitting with his team, chatting and laughing. He was seated beside Rin, who was subtly touching him in a way that others couldn't see. Her fingers traced patterns on his thigh, her touch light and teasing.
Liam would glance at her, signaling and gesturing for her to stop, but Rin would just tease him even more. She leaned in closer, her breath warm on his ear as she whispered, "What's the matter, Lee? Afraid of a little touch?"
Liam's eyes narrowed playfully, and he leaned in to whisper back, "Keep it up, and you'll see what happens when we're alone."
He had decided that he would take his revenge by fucking her so roughly and senselessly that she would beg for his mercy.
Rin's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Is that a promise or a threat?"
Liam chuckled softly. "Both."
This new side of Rin was something Liam hadn't seen before, and he wasn't hating it. He was happy that Rin had opened up to him, showing a playful and mischievous side that he found incredibly attractive.
Suddenly, the commanders arrived, their presence demanding everyone's attention. Iron Fang stepped forward, his voice booming across the training ground. "Gather yourselves in the squads under the commanders you were serving."
'Man, that bastard has the loudest voice of all the five. They should let him do all the speaking, honestly.' Liam thought to himself.
The hostages quickly assembled into their respective squads. Crimson Shadow's squad, which had seven remaining members, gathered together. Joon Ho, Soo Min, Joon Seok, Liam, Hye Rin, Kai Jin-Ho, and another girl, who was a bit older than Rin, stood in a tight group.
'You have got to be kidding me! Only us seven?! I get it that Crimson Shadow had exchanged me with 20 hostages, but we had 40 members in our squad!'
The older girl looked around at her squad members and introduced herself with a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Mi-Na. I don't think we've all had the chance to meet properly."
Joon Ho nodded in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Mi-Na. I'm Joon Ho."
Soo Min waved shyly. "I'm Soo Min."
Joon Suk gave a small nod. "Joon Suk."
Liam and Rin exchanged a glance before Liam said, "I'm Lee, and this is Hye Rin."
Kai offered a friendly smile. "Kai Jin-Ho here. Good to finally meet everyone."
With the introductions out of the way, the squad turned their attention back to the commanders. Iron Fang stepped forward once more, his voice booming across the training ground. "Congratulations to all of you who have passed the test. You have shown great strength and determination."
The hostages cheered, their faces filled with pride and relief.
Liam looked at them and muttered, "The fuck is wrong with them?"
Iron Fang continued, "From now on, you will be given meals twice a day, with enough portions for all of you."
Liam immediately became suspicious. He questioned the sudden change in treatment, realizing that there must be something more behind it. He referred to the situation as a 'fish's bait,' sensing that the commanders were planning something.
Stone Ox stepped forward and shouted in a deep voice. "Now, listen carefully. Your new task is to achieve the first stage of Qi Manifestation."
The hostages fell silent as they glanced at each other with their eyes widened in fear. Stone Ox explained, "Qi Manifestation is the ability to externalize your Qi, making it visible and tangible. There are three stages and three sub-stages in the lower realm of Qi Manifestation."
"System." Liam muttered under his breath. And a screen with details popped up.
[1) Initial Manifestation
-Sub-stage 1: Qi Visibility
-Sub-stage 2: Qi Control
-Sub-stage 3: Qi Projection
2) Intermediate Manifestation
-Sub-stage 1: Qi Shaping
-Sub-stage 2: Qi Solidification
-Sub-stage 3: Qi Manipulation
3) Advanced Manifestation
-Sub-stage 1: Qi Integration
-Sub-stage 2: Qi Amplification
-Sub-stage 3: Qi Mastery]
Stone Ox continued, "You have seven days to achieve the first stage of Qi Manifestation."
Before he could finish, Thunder Palm interrupted, his voice crackling with energy. "Seven days is too long. You have three days to complete this task."
The hostages gasped, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. Even the other commanders had the same reaction as the hostages.
'What do you think you are doing, Thunder Palm?' Lin Xueya asked using the whispering technique. 'Three days is an incredibly short amount of time to achieve such a complex and demanding task.
Thunder palm scoffed and responded, "This is the best way to weed out the trash among them. The most talented will be able to complete the task, and that… will be the most suitable host for the Master."
Other commanders didn't oppose the idea and stayed silent.