The traitorous elder that was crying his eyes out as he saw death approach him, was begging for his life as he suddenly felt a hand around his neck that lifted him up.
Lex's Heaven Mortal ranked body could easily lift the elder as he glared deep into his soul.
With the Arctic Claws activated, Lex punched into the man's leg, digging his claws deep in as he began to slowly twist his hand causing him excruciating pain.
The wound that Lex was causing wasn't enough to grant him a quick death, but would give him an agonising and slow death as he lost blood slowly from the wound and his energy attempted to recover the wound, but couldn't heal the sliced artery without external assistance.
It was a ruthless way to kill as Lex flung the Voltiac spy's body crashing into the wall and flicked his hand to remove the blood off his claws.
"Where is Mason currently" inquired Lex with an authoritative aura as he slowly approached the screaming man.
All those watching were shocked by his ruthlessness, despite their cultivation.
Most of those within the Earth Country had gotten used to peace and prosperity without battle and the most they would do to experience combat, was battle beasts in groups.
Which was why their progress was slow and hindered compared to others that would push themselves to their limits through dangerous and extreme exploits.
The man continued to scream at the top of his lungs in pain as he clenched his wound with his hands in the hopes of slowing the bleeding.
"Answer me" roared Lex as he placed his foot on his wound and pressed down, inflicting him even more pain.
"Please, I don't know anything" he wailed as Lex continued to increase the force he placed on the wound.
Lex was unbothered by the screams of agony as he continued to put more pressure on the wound.
After half a minute, Lex was beginning to get frustrated without any answers and lifted the Voltiac Spy up by his quite long hair.
"If you have no information to offer about the Voltiac Guild's plans and the location of Elder Mason, then your life is worthless" stated Lex without remorse as he stabbed the claws sticking out of his left knuckles into his stomach.
The Arctic Claws pierced straight through his body easily like a hot knife through butter as it punctured through his internal organs.
Flinging the screaming man into the corner, Lex retracted his claws as he turned to the rest of the elders.
"Old man, get the rest done properly, we don't have the luxury of mistakes" ordered Lex sternly as he left with Ella beside him, leaving 3 dead bodies and a dying man who continued to writhe in pain as he cursed at Lex.
"Don't you think your ruthlessness will put a gentle lady like me off and I may no longer accept you as my pursuer" Ella asked jokingly.
"I am ruthless and have my own inner demons, but so do you and everybody else that is pursuing strength in such a cruel world that is only has a single law. Survival of the fittest" replied Lex with a calm expression as he took off his hood.
Hearing his reply and looking at his expression she could also see he had been through a lot and was going through a growth stage.
However, compared to Ella's expression that always seemed innocent and unknowing, Lex was still haunted by his past and hadn't reached a stage yet where he was unaffected by what goes on around him or what has happened to him as Ella had.
As they climbed up the stairs, exiting the underground lair, Lex closed off the exit with the bookshelf that covered it before and walked out of the room they entered to reach the secret lair.
"Ella, see you in 2 days, I will be concentrated on my cultivation and think I might have been enlightened from our brief conversation back" stated Lex as he entered his room.
"Good luck" she called out as she returned to her room that was next door with a smile as she watched Lex grow.
'The fate I felt around him when I first met him was stronger than anything that I have ever seen and even linked us together, and it still hasn't subsided' thought Ella to herself as she sat down on her bed.
' I wonder what exactly that boy is and how far he can grow. The only thing I worry is that if he can't progress at fast enough speeds and he may be taken out before he can reach the heights his potential is capable of ' Ella continued within her mind as she entered a deep state of cultivation.
Meanwhile, Lex had also sat on his bed but didn't have the intention of cultivation like he told Ella, but wanted to confront the Originator Eye Demon that was residing within his soul.
What he said to Ella about inner demons, reminded him of a profound and powerful demon he had within his soul that he had continued to avoid and suppress, instead of confronting the inner demon directly and using the power it could grant him.
Thinking about the system, it reminded him of the rewards from all the cultivation realms he broke through over the 6 months he had cultivated.
The system had already alerted him of them, but he had never had time to open them and he was more focused on battling the ice leopard straight after his seclusion and after that things always came up before he had a chance to.
[System show me my rewards, before I go and talk to the bastard Eye Demon] decided Lex who had, had enough of delaying it and knew he would forget about it in the future because of all the things that he has to deal with and do day-to-day.
{Ding the host has 1 unopened reward, the Mortal LVL 100 packet, but it will give you the Earth Mortal LVL 50 packet and so on, to open when you reach that stage. So, therefore, the host as 6 unopened reward packets that can be opened at your current cultivation level.
Sky Mortal LVL 100 Packet} the system informed him.
[I have 5 reward packets that can all give me incredible items, skills, methods, Eye Powers and or anything. I really am grateful for having such a miraculous system that is helping me defy my fate of being a poor trash and helping me live a great life] thought Lex to himself as he was once again reminded of the position he would be in without the system.
"Open everything" stated Lex with an excited expression.
{Ding, Mortal LVL 100 Packet opened - Reward: Mortal Elemental Ascension Method: a cultivation method that allows the user to have an affinity with every element and use energy from all elements, however, this method can only be used by you due to your special constitution.}
{Ding, Earth Mortal LVL 50 Packet opened - Reward: 20 Earth Mortal Recovery Pills, 20 Earth Mortal Energy Recovery Pills}
{Ding, Earth Mortal LVL 100 Packet opened - Reward: 10,000 system points}
{Ding, Sky Mortal LVL 50 Packet opened - Reward: 20 Sky Mortal Recovery Pills, 20 Sky Mortal Energy Recovery Pills}
{Ding, Sky Mortal LVL 100 Packet opened - Reward: Cinematic Vision: The skill gives the host the ability to record things you see, to watch, replay or relay to others to see at a later date}
Lex was bombarded with notifications as his joy continued rising by the continuous gain of rewards.
He couldn't help but smile as he heard everything he gained and now felt that the seclusion really was a great investment as his strength increased by leaps and bounds.
[System show me my status, how many system points I have, and the valuables that I have]
{Ding, the host's valuable items include: Kano, 20 Earth Mortal Recovery Pills, 20 Earth Mortal Energy Recovery Pills, Sky Mortal Recovery Pills, 20 Sky Mortal Energy Recovery Pills and the ring that the host is currently wearing}
With the break down from the system, he was pleased with the state he was in, but at the same time, the shadow of Ella's capabilities continued to loom over him as he still felt that he was falling short in comparison.
[System how is the ring valuable] asked Lex who realised he still had the ring on his hand that no longer had evil energy within it after the Eye Demon absorbed it.
{Ding, the ring has an affinity with evil energy and is able to store it and is therefore valuable} the system stated.
Knowing that, it didn't make Lex ant happier, as it wasn't much of a use to him as he returned it to the inventory.
"Time to confront that bastard Originator Eye Demon"