Deviant: No Longer Human

The barrier was not only for defense—it also hid the monastery from prying eyes, its presence masked in the world.

His eyes narrowed further, tracing the energy points that sustained the barrier. They formed a distinct pattern, a network of interconnected nodes. Something about it tugged at his memory, reminding him of something he had encountered just months ago. The pattern was too familiar to be ignored.

"What is this?\' Wang Xiao mused. The arrangement of the barrier\'s critical points aligned with something he had seen before, something that had been bothering him ever since.

His mind raced, connecting pieces of a puzzle he hadn\'t even realized he was solving.

It was old, but functional—almost elegant in its simplicity.

He turned to Shi Xin and spoke with a tone of casual command, "This barrier...? How did you create it? Bring out the books on that as well."

Shi Xin nodded, not questioning the request, and motioned for a disciple to retrieve the copies. Before long, dozens of ancient tomes lay at Wang Xiao\'s feet.

The sheer number of them would have overwhelmed any normal person, but Wang Xiao merely waved his hand, and in an instant, they disappeared into thin air. The monks around him gasped in shock.

Wang Xiao noticed their stares but remained unbothered. He could feel Shi Xin watching him with cautious skepticism, so the Abbot spoke, "This formation is complex. The principle is the same as invoking the will of the heavens, but the arrangement channels the energy in a way that suits the barrier\'s purpose."

Wang Xiao had already comprehended the essence of the formation by just a glance. "The talisman," he said, his tone thoughtful, "is a sacred command to the world itself. The Aether-infused ink simply guides it."

Shi Xin\'s eyes widened in disbelief. \'How had he grasped the core of their teachings so quickly?\'

It had taken his monks years to understand the subtleties of Aether, yet Wang Xiao absorbed it as if it were second nature.

For Wang Xiao, it was simply another method of interacting with the world. He had always used his own strength, his will. The world around him bent to his command—not because of any talisman, but because of the force of his mind and spirit.

He could curse someone with a thought, and the world would comply.

What difference was there between a talisman and his will?

The only difference was that the monks wrote their commands on paper, while his will echoed directly into the world.

Random scribbling wouldn\'t work, of course. The symbols had to resonate with the forces around them, just as his thoughts did when he commanded reality to shift.

It reminded him of Eveline\'s enchantments, though her methods were less flexible, relying on strict patterns.

This, however, was more versatile, more in line with how he operated.

As for the barrier, he had quickly deduced its structure. It was nothing more than a basic arrangement of Aether that formed an intricate web, linking specific points of energy to mask the monastery\'s presence and provide protection.

It was effective but rudimentary in concept.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Wang Xiao disappeared with a breeze. The heavy tension in the air dissipated instantly, leaving everyone behind in stunned silence.

"M-Master, who was that senior?" Jiang Tian\'s voice was weak, but he managed to stand, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

His confusion was evident as he looked around, still dazed from the encounter.

Shi Xin turned in surprise. "Jiang Tian...?" He blinked, stunned to see him alive and standing. \'The spear hadn\'t killed him?\' He had fully expected Wang Xiao\'s attack to take his life.

Wang Xiao could have killed him. The truth was, Jiang Tian had been nothing more than an example, a means to Wang Xiao\'s end.

Shi Xin realized what had happened: Wang Xiao had wanted to instill fear—but not at the cost of completely destroying Shi Xin\'s authority.

If Wang Xiao had killed Jiang Tian, it would have undermined Shi Xin\'s leadership. The Abbot was still the figurehead of this monastery, and if his guest had killed one of his disciples, the monks would have lost confidence in him as a leader.

But Wang Xiao was clever.

He had shown his ruthlessness by attacking Jiang Tian, ensuring that the monks understood his power. And then, by sparing Jiang Tian and allowing him to heal, Wang Xiao achieved two things: he left an indelible mark of fear and awe in their hearts, but also let Shi Xin maintain his authority.

The balance between respect and fear was subtly preserved.

Shi Xin took a deep breath, reflecting on this. People often assumed Wang Xiao acted on arrogance, that his sheer strength made him careless.

But Shi Xin now understood that Wang Xiao calculated every move, even if he never explained himself. Every action was deliberate, a part of a larger plan that only Wang Xiao seemed to see.

He sees everything, hears everything, and waits until it is time to act.

The air around the monastery felt lighter, yet the atmosphere remained thick with the uncertainty of what had just transpired. The monks still stood in stunned silence, trying to comprehend what had happened.

Some, like Mei Lian, remained frozen, too shaken by Wang Xiao\'s casual dismissal of power. Others, like Jiang Tian, struggled to recover from their shock and awe.

"Master... I didn\'t understand," Jiang Tian said quietly, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and confusion.

Shi Xin smiled faintly, his hand resting gently on Jiang Tian\'s shoulder. "It is not meant for us to understand everything, Jiang Tian. What you experienced was a glimpse into something beyond our comprehension. Be grateful that you survived. Wang Xiao is not a man to be trifled with."

Jiang Tian nodded weakly, still shaken by the encounter.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiao moved through the mountain pass, his mind piecing together the events that had led him here.

Whoever was manipulating things from the shadows was getting bolder, setting up traps, sending forces against him. The attack on Eveline, Red Boy, the Luohan monk, and now this beast—they were all connected, threads of a web being woven around him.

Someone was hunting him, but not just to kill. No, they were playing with him first.

Wang Xiao\'s expression darkened. Whoever was behind this had miscalculated if they thought they could toy with him.

If they wanted to kill him, they should come at him directly.

He let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Come head-on," he whispered to himself.

When the time came, the battlefield would be his.

And on that day, he would crush them all.