Be it his mouth or his eyes. Be it his ears or his torso. His arms or his legs, his core or his mind. Wu Tian's entire being turned into a bloody fountain.

He was currently lodged inside a small crack formed in the wall. Few bones were left whole, even fewer organs still functioning. Somehow still breathing, air rushing into his collapsed lungs, Wu Tian's consciousness was on the verge of dispersing into the deep void. He had not even been forced to use a fraction of the martial method's true power, yet nearly died. In fact, he was not far from it.

Guizou was unsure. A Warrior's vitality was indeed incredible, but a human body could only take so much. "Kid, I won't let you die so easily!" Controlling Wu Tian, Guizou used his massive presence to command the surrounding Qi as usual. A tangible layer of whiteness enveloped Wu Tian, dragging him down slowly. His fall was cushioned, his withering flesh forced to sit cross-legged. Guizou did not waste time.

Can't believe I have to use this for such an unlucky mistake! Do I even have a choice though?! Dammit! [Absolute Vitality Converging Method]! A visible, dark vortex of a bloody shade appearing within Wu Tian's heart, it began to greedily destroy and create.

Guizou had used a high Heaven Grade forbidden method. The vortex grew more and more, stabilizing when its size reached a coin's width. Wu Tian's right arm was suddenly pulled, the flesh still fighting on it soon torn to shreds. It only took a minute for his entire right arm to disappear into the maw of darkness. All around his figure, mists of blood as if rain, pieces of torn flesh, fragments of bones, lumps of fat and much more. A gruesome sight to the shaken four.

His waning being was like a star, rings of itself orbiting. This same mess orbiting him melting. A deep yet strangely dark vitality shining from it. It did not take long for a divine halo of red to form behind his cracked head. The halo began to spin and spin and spin. Faster and faster.

Seconds passed, Wu Tian's life hanging by a thread. However Guizou had yet to accept his death. He would not let go of his work until now.

The red halo exploding, fragments of red lights rained down, melting as they touched his skin. His right shoulder soon formed a stump. His open chest closed, his bones mending. Flesh began to appear where it was needed. Muscles and fats, blood pumping across his vessel.

Guizou finally leaving the messy Wu Tian after two days, the young bearded man slowly opened his eyes. Tears trickled down. Be it from pain or grief, he himself was not sure.

Missing a limb was not a pleasant experience. Traumatic it surely was. Already feeling the problems. A body off balance, his habits forced to change through mistakes.

His head hung low, Wu Tian remained as a mute. His cultivation had stayed the same, nearly impossible to alter. However his battle prowess was indeed damaged greatly.

Worse of all, he could already tell without a mirror. He did not need to ask his master about it.

His lifespan had been deducted. "..."

Another day passing, he meekly spoke. "Master..." Only left with a question haunting his spirit. "How long can I live for now..?"

His master still contemplating. "I'd say... Aiz... you probably won't live past fifty now. And without pills or artifacts to prolong it, your lifespan as a Great Warrior would already mean death. Without help, your lifespan will fade down to ten years total before the Star Realm..."

Wu Tian was not angry.

He was not crazy either.

He was only left stranded in depression. Unable to hate no more. Too lazy to care for more. But a spark still resided. He was not on his own after all. He had the greatest expert as his master. Thinking about it this way, he felt all odds to still be in his favor. "Master, what do we do?" Guizou sighed. "Of course, we retreat. We shouldn't waste more time. My spiritual energy reserves are below a fifth, your right arm has been crippled to say the least."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

About to leave, Wu Tian stood up, interrupted by the group of four. "Leave everything you have behind." The young lady harshly commanded.

Wu Tian was speechless. His wide eyes unable to believe these words. Searching for the three others, he saw them glare at him. "I see..." He previously thought all hatred to have been extinguished from his being. Believing he would be unable to hate in the future. Clearly, he was wrong.

"Master, is it fine to kill them now?" Guizou was perplexed. "Obviously? Why ask when you already know? Though be careful of the young man. The young woman had a defensive Warrior artifact, the young man has an offensive one of the same level. It could injure you." Nearly ignoring his master, Wu Tian intended to clench both fists, but could only do so for one. A phantom pain was assaulting his brain. "Fuck... it's because of you!" Blaming the innocent, Wu Tian did not care. His feet firmly holding the floor before parting with it. His figure was already in front of the two middle aged men. "First, I'll deal with the peons!" His right arm missing, Wu Tian failed his right punch. His left follow up on the other hand was still a success.

The left side middle aged man was blasted into a worse state Wu Tian was in just a few days ago.

His left fist still going strong, he altered the trajectory, landing on the other one easily.

One instant to butcher two Mortals.

Feeling the bloodlust, the young lady ordered her artifact to shield them from him. But what could a damaged pathetically low level Warrior artifact even do? It only took Wu Tian's casual left kick to shatter the golden dome into pieces. His leg about to land back down, a sharpness burst forth, aiming for his head.

Ducking, a cold blade flung by. Yearning for the answer, Wu Tian saw the young man brandishing a longsword. "Bastard!" His rugged voice echoing, the sword's light illuminated his face. A few more wrinkles had appeared since his clash with the golem. "A mere Mortal..!" Recovering his stance, Wu Tian did not intend to back down. Sprinting, he closed the short distance in a heartbeat, passing by the young lady first. The cracked bell in her hand suddenly bloomed with golden lights, Wu Tian's abrupt left punch blocked. "The hell?! Shouldn't it b-" A tingling sensation grazing his right cheek, some blood flowed from it.

Without realizing it, the young man had slashed his face, barely missing enough to only injure this small area. "Fucker! A level eight Mortal! How dare you!!" Smashing his left fist again, the young lady still close to him was blasted apart. The bell was unwilling to protect its master a third time.

Feeling the seething rage from his opponent, the young swordsman began to sweat. "You're already on the verge of death! I want to see how strong a Warrior truly is! [Fifth Crimson Stab]!" A pinkish hue coating the longsword, the young man ran ahead with conviction. It was his time to make a name for himself!

"Bastard!" Almost puking from anger, Wu Tian's body absorbed the ambient Qi, his body covered in scales of stone and dirt. "I'll show you the difference between our cultivations!" The sturdy Wu Tian also ran, brandishing his left fist.

The longsword stabbing forward, its crimson shade elongated, as if extending the blade with pure energy. Wu Tian was surprised to see such a great maneuverability of Qi from such a low level cultivator. But it was too late to care. His left arm already punching ahead.

The tip of the sword Qi meeting with scales of Qi, a silent eruption of power forced a duel. Wu Tian being a Warrior, his punch exceeded a few thousand pounds of power. The sword was sharp enough to injure him, but the owner was not.

The young swordsman's arm shaking, his grip loosened one moment, his entire body flung away in the next. He rolled on the ground like a ragdoll, breaking bone after bone on impact. A few seconds of sliding later, his skin sanded away, he desperately tried to stand back up. Without realizing, the collision's shockwave mainly affected his side, injuring his organs, some popping into a bleeding mess.

Even without seeing it, the young man could guess his skin to have turned red and blue. The blood within him unable to get back into his vascular system was the same as losing it outside. His brain functions took a blow, less and less oxygen alimenting his flesh.

Red began to flow from his mouth. A dripping turning into a messy waterfall. He coughed blood each breath. He dared not believe so much damage to come from a single exchange. Even a Warrior artifact was not enough to cross the distance with an almost disabled opponent.

What was the point of cultivating so far?

Searching for his sword, he could not find it near him. Before long, he saw a pair of feet next to him. Raising his gaze with great difficulty, another pair greeted him. Bloodshot eyes filled with wrath. A bearded man holding a sharp longsword in his left hand. The blade hovering right above his neck. "Please..." Begging being insufficient, Wu Tian slowly lowered his left arm, the blade stabbing the target's neck, piercing it until the tip exited from the throat. "Thanks for the weapon I guess?" Sighing heavily, Wu Tian managed to find the scabbard, sheathing the weapon with the help of his right foot. "Too bad his clothes don't fit me." He was left almost naked from the whole ordeal.

A small expedition had cost him a whole limb and at least a decade of lifespan. All of it for a Warrior artifact.

"Dammit."