Chapter 3: Sickly Sister

Tammy held the brocade box as if it were a treasure and approached the bed.
There lay Iwao, critically injured and on the brink of death, his breath barely perceptible.
"Brother, as long as you take this elixir, everything will be okay. Even if you can't cultivate anymore, sister will protect you for the rest of your life..."
As Tammy spoke, her voice choked up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
In seven days, she would be marrying the young master of the Clayton family as a concubine.
This was the last thing she could do for her brother.
"It's my incompetence. If only I could cultivate, I would stay by your side forever to take care of you."
Tammy wiped away her tears and carefully placed the elixir into Iwao's mouth.
The elixir dissolved upon contact.
Its poison instantly spread throughout his body.
Iwao's remaining vitality was invaded by the toxin, causing his meridians to reverse instantly.
His complexion improved somewhat, flushed with blood rushing due to the stimulation of his heart.
But it was clearly in vain.
"Rest well, brother. Sister will come to see you tonight."
Dragging her weary body, Tammy left the room.
On the bed, Iwao's last bit of life was being devoured by the backlash.
"Am I... going to die?"
Iwao's remaining consciousness felt himself floating upwards.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself amidst an endless cosmic expanse of stars.
At the far end of the vast starry sky, a terrifying giant tree covered in green light was expanding and spreading madly.
This giant tree was overwhelmingly powerful, covering countless star systems in the blink of an eye!
Where its vines grew, countless stars were drained of their spiritual energy, becoming withered like dry rocks.
Countless stars were no match for the sweep of this terrifying giant tree!
The scene was shocking and terrifying!
"What... what is this thing?"
Iwao was utterly shocked, his breathing even halted.
At that moment, a tear appeared in the cosmic sky, forcefully torn open.
A man, shrouded in darkness, descended from it.
He stood with hands behind his back but exuded an aura of dominance.
"Surrender!"
The man pointed a finger, his voice low.
Like a king standing at the summit of the universe, causing countless worlds to shatter into pieces.
With these words, Iwao's blood boiled, his veins almost bursting!
The terrifying giant tree in the distance also bred fear and began to flee madly.
But the black light arrived in an instant, imprisoning the terrifying giant tree's boundless body, compressing it infinitely until it turned into a sphere of light covered by Secret Mark, silently floating in the void of the universe.
"Isn't that the light ball from my Illusionary Birth Space?"
Iwao's pupils contracted crazily when he saw the light ball, realizing that everyone has a marvelous "Illusionary Birth Space" since birth.
The Illusionary Birth Space hatches Illusionary Beasts that fight alongside their owners.
Iwao's Illusionary Beast was called the Crimson Rage Blood Wolf!
It was on the Fifth Rank, extremely formidable!
Apart from the Illusionary Beast, within his Illusionary Birth Space, there were nine other spheres suspended, covered with countless secret runes, emanating an ancient and overpowering mystical aura.
These spheres had been present since birth, yet their true nature remained a mystery.
At this moment, within Iwao's Illusionary Birth Space.
The first sphere was trembling, covered in cracks, exuding a terrifying primordial aura, as if something was about to emerge!
At that moment, everything went black for Iwao, disconnecting from the cosmos.
His consciousness returned to his body.
But it felt as if his soul was imprisoned, unable to move.
In the room, a young man stood there, unnoticed until now.
Even without opening his eyes, Iwao recognized him: Kenyi, Ensio's younger son, the Grand Elder.
Kenyi looked at Iwao on the bed, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Iwao, my cousin, you're finally dead. Remember how brilliant you were? You oppressed us so much, making it impossible for our lineage to breathe. But in the end, you still ended up losing your life?"
"Do you know who wanted you dead? It was Lord Mateo!"
"He gave my father a Deadly Elixir. As long as we poison you to death, my brother and I can enter the Wind Sword Sect to cultivate. We will become esteemed Sect Disciples, and our Leach Family will flourish forever!"
"A year ago, you avenged me by charging into enemy territory, single-handedly slaying a hundred thousand troops. That scene was terrifying. You made us all feel fear. Your grandfather suppressed mine for a lifetime. Do we have to live under your shadow forever?"
"You're a genius, but so are we!"
Kenyi shouted frantically, releasing all the suppressed emotions of these years.
"Iwao, you're dead, and it's good! It's just a pity for your sickly sister, who married the young master Clayton as a concubine to save you. But little did she know, the elixir she sought at all costs was a Deadly Elixir! Haha!"
"And your grandfather, I will erase his name from the family records, crush his memorial tablet, and move his remains out of our Leach Family cemetery! From now on, it's my father's Leach Family, my brother's Leach Family, and mine!"
Kenyi laughed loudly, his face contorted in a grimace.
He deserved to die! He deserved it!
Iwao's heart cried out in anguish!
But he couldn't even move a finger.
He hated it!
So much!
To have sacrificed so much for the family, only to end up with such a fate!
Get up! Get up!
Iwao roared in his heart, tears of rage streaming down his face.
"Hmm?"
Kenyi frowned and approached cautiously.
He wanted to feel Iwao's breath with his hand.
But before he could get close, a hand grabbed his neck.
Then, he met a pair of fierce, bloodthirsty eyes.
Not human, but like a savage beast!
"Iwao, you... you're not dead?"
Kenyi's pupils almost popped out of their sockets.
How come the Deadly Elixir didn't kill him?
"Thank you, cousin."
Iwao gritted his teeth, each word punctuated with bitterness.
He harbored a deep-seated hatred for this family!
"N-no, don't kill me..."
As Kenyi was about to summon his Illusionary Beast to resist, he was horrified to find that Iwao's arm had transformed into countless wooden tendrils and vines, tightly wrapping around his neck.
Then, his life force began to drain away rapidly.
"Ah!"
With a stifled scream, Kenyi's skin visibly withered at an alarming rate.
All his vitality was drained by these vines, turning into nutrients.
After dropping Kenyi's lifeless body, Iwao looked at his arm in disbelief.
What was the connection between these vines and the terrifying giant tree from his previous illusion?
His consciousness sank back into the Illusionary Birth Space, where he found that there were only eight spheres left out of the original nine!
Where did the missing one go?
Iwao was bewildered.
Swish!
Suddenly, a small sapling appeared before him.
It was about the size of a palm, with four limbs like a human, fingers slender, and a tuft of bright green grass on top, vibrant with color.
"So, what do you think, kid? Impressed by my skills?"
The little sapling looked smug, its demeanor cheeky.