**Chapter 37: The Butcher's Bill**
The destruction of the **Heaven Board** was not just an act of vandalism. It was an act of economic terrorism.
Without the Monolith, the Merit Point network crashed. Disciples couldn't buy food, pills, or rent. The entire economy of the Inner Sect evaporated in seconds.
"You lunatic!" a disciple screamed, clutching his now-useless jade token. "Do you know what you've done?!"
Kaelen ignored the whining. He sat on a piece of the broken obelisk, waiting.
*WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.*
They arrived.
Twenty figures in crimson armor dropped from the sky, forming a perfect circle around the ruins. They held jagged spears made of blood-iron.
**The Law Enforcement Hall.**
Leading them was **Vice-Hall Master Zhu**. He was a short, fat man, but his aura was sharp enough to cut glass. **False Core Realm.**
"Kaelen," Zhu spat the name like a curse. "You destroyed the Gate. You crippled a Top 100 disciple. And now, you destroyed the Server Monolith."
Zhu raised a golden decree.
"By the order of the Dean, you are declared a **State Enemy**. The penalty is immediate execution."
He lowered the decree.
"Kill him."
The twenty crimson guards moved in unison.
"**Formation: Blood Spear Grid!**"
They thrust their spears. Crimson Qi linked the weapons, creating a contracting net of laser-like energy beams. It was designed to slice a target into cubes.
Kaelen didn't stand up.
He looked at the approaching energy net.
"Boring."
He stomped his foot.
*RUMBLE.*
The ground beneath the guards erupted. Kaelen didn't use Qi; he used the **Titan's Ribcage** to channel pure kinetic force into the earth.
The shockwave knocked the guards off balance. The energy net flickered.
Kaelen vanished.
He reappeared in front of Vice-Hall Master Zhu.
Zhu's eyes widened. "Fast!"
Zhu drew a saber. "Die!"
Kaelen caught the saber blade with his bare hand. The sharp edge sparked against his skin but couldn't cut deep.
"You're in my way, fat man," Kaelen said.
He headbutted Zhu.
*CRACK.*
Zhu's nose exploded. He stumbled back, dazed.
Kaelen raised his **Nameless Slab**.
"**Smash.**"
He swung the slab like a baseball bat. It hit Zhu in the ribs.
*BOOM.*
The Vice-Hall Master was launched out of the plaza. He flew over the heads of the screaming crowd and crashed into a noodle shop three blocks away.
The twenty guards froze. Their leader had just been swatted like a fly.
Kaelen turned to the sky.
"Is that it?" Kaelen roared at the clouds. "I broke your favorite toy! Where are the big dogs?!"
As if answering his call, the clouds above the **Summit** parted.
The sky turned red.
A smell of copper—thick, metallic blood—filled the plaza. It was suffocating. The weaker disciples fell to their knees, vomiting.
A voice, heavy and wet, dripped from the sky.
"You are noisy, little maggot."
A figure descended. He didn't fly on a sword. He walked down on stepping stones made of solidified blood.
He was massive. Bare-chested, covered in scars, wearing a necklace of shrunken heads. He carried two massive meat cleavers on his back.
The crowd went pale.
"It's him..."
"**Rank 10.**"
"**Gu The Butcher.**"
Gu landed on the ruins of the Monolith. He looked at the debris.
"My name was on that rock," Gu said, his voice a low growl. "I worked hard to carve it there."
He looked at Kaelen.
"Now I have to carve it on you."
Kaelen smiled. A genuine, happy smile.
"Finally," Kaelen said, sensing the dense, high-quality Blood Qi radiating from the man.
"A full meal."
Gu drew his cleavers. They were **High-Grade Spirit Weapons**, dripping with a dark, corrosive aura.
"I will peel you layer by layer," Gu promised.
He moved.
He was deceptively fast for his size. A red blur.
*SLASH.*
The cleavers crossed in a scissor cut aimed at Kaelen's neck.
Kaelen raised the **Nameless Slab** to block.
*CLANG.*
The impact was heavy. The ground beneath Kaelen sank two feet.
"Strong," Kaelen noted. "But can you take a hit?"
Kaelen dropped his guard. He let the cleavers slide off his slab.
He stepped in.
**"Nine-Fold Collapse: First Fold."**
He punched Gu in the stomach.
*THUD.*
The air collapsed.
Gu's eyes bulged. He coughed up a mouthful of black blood. He stumbled back, looking at his stomach. There was a perfect circular bruise, purple and black.
"Space Art?" Gu wheezed. Then he laughed. A manic, blood-filled laugh. "Good! Good! Pain makes the blood flow faster!"
Gu's skin turned crimson. His muscles expanded, tearing his pants.
**Forbidden Art: Blood Berserker.**
"EAT THIS!"
Gu swung both cleavers in a frenzy. A tornado of red energy blades engulfed the plaza.
The crowd ran for their lives. Buildings were sliced apart.
Inside the tornado, Kaelen stood his ground.
His black robes were shredded. Cuts appeared on his arms and chest.
But he wasn't dodging.
He was inhaling.
The red mist of blood energy released by Gu's technique was being sucked into Kaelen's pores.
> **[Blood Essence Detected.]**
> **[Devouring...]**
> **[Regeneration Speed: +200%.]**
Kaelen healed faster than Gu could cut him.
"Is that all?" Kaelen taunted from inside the blood storm.
He stepped through the whirlwind.
He grabbed Gu's wrists.
"My turn to butcher."
Kaelen opened his mouth. His jaw unhinged. The **Demon Soul** surfaced.
He didn't bite Gu's flesh. He bit Gu's *aura*.
*CHOMP.*
He tore a massive chunk of red energy straight out of Gu's protective barrier.
Gu screamed—not in pain, but in violation. His cultivation base plummeted instantly as his essence was ripped away.
"You... what are you?!" Gu shrieked, trying to pull away.
Kaelen swallowed the energy. His eyes glowed red.
"I'm the health inspector," Kaelen said.
He raised his Slab.
"And you failed."
*CRUNCH.*
The slab came down.