Shen Fei's burst of laughter was as good as any answer when it came to Liang Chen's question. Although, the answer was one that would lead to a rather grim scene so one could argue that perhaps laughter wasn't the best answer to such a question. Of course, Liang Chen wasn't the type of person who gave much thought to something like that so he simply gave a quiet nod of his head before he turned to leave.
"Oh no, don't you even think about just heading off like that, not alone you ain't!"
Shen Fei hurriedly called out to stop Liang Chen, wriggling his body as he struggled to sit up. He still had several broken and cracked bones so he looked rather comical when he finally managed to roll into a sitting position. He quickly drew in a deep breath, a faint shimmer of rainbow-coloured light starting to swim beneath his skin.
"The clown is supposed to follow the circus, especially when the circus is moving about to stir up shit wherever it goes. And there is no way I'll be absent for the great big spectacle that will follow when you and that demoness end up meeting. I got my ass completely handed to me, I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll deal with her."
Shen Fei's movements were a bit stiff and stilted, the light swimming beneath his skin was a bit familiar so Liang Chen guessed that he had probably used his Authority of Dreams to trick his body into thinking that he was healed. It wasn't something that could be kept up for long since it seemed to drain a lot of Qi, but that was probably how much he wanted to see Liang Chen's escapades.
"Suit yourself, just make sure you don't interfere. And I wouldn't say I'm a circus, things are generally pretty quiet wherever I go."
Liang Chen shrugged his shoulders lightly as he turned again, Yumao and Sheng Lian following close by his side as he headed for the door. Shen Fei moved after him, fine-tuning his control as he moved so that he could smoothen out the movements. His lips had curved into a somewhat wry smirk, true, things would generally go quiet when just about everything around you had been decimated.
The group left the house and continued their descent with the new addition, moving through the empty streets as they headed for the sect that awaited them at the centre of the city. But Shen Fei could tell that there was something new hanging in the air, something that the demoness hadn't brought with her even as she scurried about, starting fights and beating up everyone.
Death, the slightly sweet yet sickly scent of death now hung in the air, subtly noticeable with each breath he took. If he opened the doors of the houses around them, how many people would still be alive? They had gotten through the fierce battle with the unknown girl, but the arrival of Liang Chen was something else entirely.
But even all that death only made the smirk on Shen Fei's face extend a fraction. This was why he had decided to head over to Purgatory's Cradle after learning that it was Liang Chen's target. It was a place that went completely against him, a place he would not be able to leave alone. Bloodshed would meet bloodshed, and both sides would be forever changed once everything was over.
"Oh, right, did you and Kuan Niu ever end up meeting? I never got a notification that a new King was crowned by the Multiverse list, did you talk it out or just never meet?"
Shen Fei spoke up as they were walking, seemingly just remembering something as he was thinking back to when he rushed over to the cradle. He looked rather excited to hear the answer, but the answer Liang Chen could give that question was really only a single word.
"Who?"
Quite a lot had happened since Liang Chen last met Shen Fei, there practically hadn't been a single moment where he could rest or relax. As for the number of people he had fought and killed in that time, it was to the point where he didn't even want to think about counting it. As such, it was inevitable that a name or two would slip his mind.
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"Kuan Niu? King of Heaven Embracing Justice? The Unbreakable King? He's the stupidly sturdy guy who wanted you to duel with the woman whose Wrath Title you stole. You seemed like you were in a rush so I didn't think that you were going to sit around and wait patiently for that duel. Or did you go along with what he said?"
Shen Fei showed a rather incredulous expression as he refreshed Liang Chen's memory. Kuan Niu had gotten the King title on the Multiverse List, it was an honour so grand that his name would be known in several universes, he was a borderline celebrity. To forget who he was despite having met him directly... really showed just how little Liang Chen actually cared about some things.
"Ah, him, yeah. We met at a pretty bad time so I was forced to brute force my way past him, but I don't think I hurt him to the point of death, or even grievous injuries so he should still be fine."
Shen Fei's remarks did indeed help Liang Chen remember that particular person, he had blocked the entrance to Purgatory's Cradle by the time Liang Chen got there. Sadly for him, Liang Chen was being pursued by the Tranquil Lake and the Sky-Piercing Sparrow at the time so he couldn't afford to sit around and wait.
"So you won. And yet you haven't been crowned a king yet, man, the world really must hate you, what a poor sod."
Shen Fei could barely even muster up the energy to chuckle at just how casual Liang Chen's expression was as he spoke about beating someone who had gotten the King rank. It was laughable really, he beat down a king yet was refused the same rank, it was as if the Bloodwind Codes had a personal grudge against him.
But at the same time, he felt that this would make certain things interesting. First would be his meeting with the demoness, she didn't seem like she would give up on a fight as good as the one Liang Chen could provide. And then there was him, the only other person in this universe who held one of the Wrath ranks on the multiverse list. If he and Liang Chen ended up meeting, just what sort of carnage would it end up causing?
He almost felt light-headed as he walked, he and Liang Chen had barely caught up and there was already so much carnage in their future. Well, Liang Chen's future at least. He truly was a walking circus, bright dazzling lights to draw in all manner of freaks no matter where he went.
"This is their defensive array? Feels weaker than the one that Wyvern's Wrath used."
Liang Chen's group stopped in front of the Wrath of Man sect, the star-shaped building towering above them despite the angle they approached it from. Liang Chen's hand rested on the transparent curtain that seemed to envelop the building and the land around it. It felt softer than the array used by the Wyvern's Wrath sect, more pliable and prone to tearing.
"You've already been to the Wyvern's Wrath? I'd ask how things ended up, but since you're able to comment on the strength of their defensive array then I don't even need to guess. Unlucky bastards. Guess I'll take a trip over eventually to see what remains, you seem like the careless type that leaves behind some good stuff on accident."
Shen Fei clicked his tongue, defensive arrays like these were only used in the worst type of situations, if the Wyvern's Wrath had used theirs against him then their current state could only be imagined. Of course, he was a bit off the mark, there wouldn't be anything left for him to see even if he went there, the entire city had already vanished. But Liang Chen felt that there was no need to tell him that, his gaze roaming across the shimmering curtain.
"Hmm... Yeah, it should work even in this state."
He muttered quietly to himself after observing the array for a bit, his spear appearing in his grasp. He didn't bother messing around with testing attacks or looking for weak spots, he just instantly launched the Fourth Step and pierced a glaring hole into the curtain.
"Yeah, it really was weaker. How curious."
He murmured once again, but in doing so he forgot to account for one important fact. The array the Wyvern's Wrath used to block him was one they could only activate by draining the very treasures they had been founded on, it was something that went beyond a 'Worst Situation trump card'.
The group stepped through the hole Liang Chen had torn in the shield, Shen Fei studying the edges with a slightly solemn expression. He felt like he had a good grasp on Liang Chen's strength thanks to their previous battle, but if things went as he calculated then Liang Chen would have needed at least three or so attacks before he could make a hole like this. And yet he only needed a single one... it seemed like things really were going to get interesting once he bumped into the other monsters that made this place their home.
Liang Chen didn't pay attention to Shen Fei's expression, his poison had already spread out to cover the entire sect so that he could take in the entire situation. Soul after soul unravelled in front of his senses, countless memories flashing by as life after life was laid bare. He took them all in with a calm gaze, shifting his eyes over to Yumao after a short moment.
"Sorry, but can you bring out Hui Xin and the other disciples? This seems like a good chance to teach them a lesson about that thing called mercy."