Heavy steps and ragged breathing, his spiritual energy, was less than a third.

The fight ended without Kiel suffering any significant injury, his ear may have been sacrificed, but even that was his doing.

One might say it was a comfortable win against inexperienced enemies, yet only he knew that all of it resulted from luck and using fear and intimidation. His tank was emptied, and Kiel closed his eyes and surveyed his body.

'No major injuries.' Jabbing his temple using a finger, Kiel focused his mind and diverted his spiritual energy in his ear.

"A night is enough to heal a mortal wound." He then looked around, no presence appeared, and the souls of the dead already passed on to the [Astral Path of Souls].

The Astral Path of Souls was the golden road that all "surviving" souls tread to reach the Wheel of Reincarnation pass the Soul Suffering Lake.

No one could see the path, but everyone knew it existed. No one even knew when the name came about, but it was said that when the embodiment of life and death, the Soul Law, descended into this world and scattered the world's essence, he spoke of the truth of life and death and explained the layers of the path to the next life.

No one could actually see this path, and so couldn't Kiel. However, he knew of its existence just like how he knew what lies beyond the confines of this world, 'I need to head there soon.' He thought to himself as his rooted feet finally regained their mobility.

He gave the dead assassins one last look and then turned around. He was hundreds of steps from his home. He was now a bonafide cultivator, one who refined his body for twenty years without stopping. He was strong as he was patient, yet his feet dragged on.

He couldn't walk straight; he was with and without strength at the same time. He was left with an unstable footing, something that had not happened in the past.

His legs were heavy as if lead replaced his blood. His heart was beating widely, and his breathing ragged and uneven.

By the time he reached his home, he was already without strength within him. He was wheezing, trying to catch the breath that never left him.

Without knowing, he stumbled into his and Ame's room; he looked down on the bed and saw droplets trickling down from his eyes, down his cheeks.

Like a flowing river, it never seemed to end no matter how much he tried to stop it… it was too painful for him to bear.

His eyes revolved, the image of the serpent arrived, but it did nothing and only brought him into a silvery-white world.

A void opened on his chest and a tainted white string connected being of dark red hue appeared with him in that place. The one before him was but a mere blob, not bigger than a meter; it was nothing special.

Yet, time flowed, and the pain only grew stronger… and with this growth came the darkening of the blob. Slowly, its red shine was devoured and became a complete black. A grinning mouth appeared on its surface, and slowly, its body morphed and became humanoid.

A flowing body similar to goo, that's what this being was; its smile never disappeared as it watched Kiel, who was on all four.

'What is this? What's happening?' Kiel questioned, still unable to control this emotion of his. The now humanoid black blob appeared before him, taking the shape of his figure.

Kiel raised his head, and before him was himself, but tainted with the grime of darkness found within himself. This was his reflection of his soul and heart. It was his Heart Devil.

A Heart Devil was the culmination of a cultivator's distress that affects their soul. There were different methods in dispatching a Heart Devil, as no one really knew how to deal with them.

However, one thing remained as a fact, and that's the Heart Devil, attacking and devouring the soul of the original before seizing their identity.

“GRUAAAAAAAAAA!” The Heart Devil released a deep roar before sending Kiel flying with a kick.

BAM!

The sound of his body being punched echoed.

Kiel's face received the attack without so much as a problem. He looked up and saw the vastness of this place, and then a black dot from above came crashing down.

With untold swiftness, the Heart Devil descended from above and turned to a burning meteor and crashed on Kiel's abdomen!

BOOM!

Kiel coughed up black blood as he crashed on the ground. The black blood was then devoured by the Heart Devil… it gained an eye, and Kiel lost one of his.

He had now lost half his sight, yet that didn't matter. His tears kept streaming down his face as he felt his emotions getting heavier by the minute.

Kiel failed to grasp his emotions and tried to stifle the Heart Devil's movement by also making his move and running his hand to its chest.

"Settle down…"

Splash!

Kiel's hands went right through the Heart Devil, and for a moment, the Heart Devil stopped only for it to show a massive grin.

Fwu!

A gust of wind appeared as it turned liquid and encased Kiel inside a sphere-like prison. Inside that sphere, Kiel's body was pierced by tens of thousands of thorns.

He was now a soul, and despite his weak cultivation, his soul was peerless and untouchable; it would never lose. Yet, it was now entrapped inside the black goo. Kiel would have broken out without much effort if not for his memories and emotions being unearthed.

Kiel was without equal; he had the most experience and the most tricks up his sleeves. He was left without defeat in his previous life, stood before an enemy without mercy, and delivered the fatal blow without hesitation, but now he hesitated, for what was attacked was his weakened mind.

A grand surge appeared. A great tide of emotion bashed its way to scatter his mind and focus… and in a manner of moments, the Heart Devil succeeded.

Kiel's heart clenched, and his breathing halted as if he had been dragged onto the bottom of the ocean. It was painful and torturous.

His heart tightened.

It was no disease while memories soon followed, which increased the uncomfortable feeling.

Ava and Noah's figure appeared in his mind; they were scenes of the past when his family was whole and together. Quickly, his mind raced just like his heart.

These memories were his life's greatest achievement and treasure. It was the ones that made him cope with the sadness that came from his lonely and sad existence be more fruitful and worth living.

He used to look at these memories with a smile, but now, he couldn't even bear to remember it. The pain of remembering was much harsher.

Kiel urged them to go, to free themselves from any pain, but it was also this that led them to their deaths, 'It was all my fault!' and as he looked at himself, he saw blood on his palms.

A crack appeared in his psyche… the Heart Devil managed to take his hearing.

His eyes widened as his heart began to crumble.

He was slowly getting devoured by the dark emotions.

He who did not flinch in the face of a massacre was slowly losing his grip on his sanity against the Devil in his Heart.

It was eating away at Kiel; he was more vulnerable than he had ever been.

Memories such as these were the only thing that kept him justifying that letting his parents pursue the devil in their hearts was the right decision. But as he watched them again, the touching memories became smeared with blood. The more he remembered, the more painful it became, and the more he denied these emotions, the stronger the Heart Devil turned to be.

The feeling of Mortality settled, the idea of death appeared.

It felt like these kinds of pain in his chest was going to truly kill him, and as a last-ditch effort, Kiel chose to severe his emotions just like he did in the past.

But then, a solemn vow appeared in his mind it was an oath he created before being birthed into this universe, "I want to live!" He pushed out these words and overwhelmed his tears.

"If I am severe it again, I will be nothing but a hallowed walking corpse like before. This suffering… this pain… I know what this is. I know it, but I do not want to admit it — this is my Guilt."

The Heart Devil wavered, and then, Kiel remembered his parents once again. His chest began to tighten like never before, his breathing grew incoherent as he drowned in unfamiliar emotions that he had not felt before.

Kiel, who had no answer to this, did not dive into the pool of knowledge to search for an answer. He went to face it head-on to discern and understand it; the collection of knowledge was not something he should seek for answers. Thus, Kiel began his own search, and as he reached a door in his heart, he opened it and finally understood what it was:

"This… is sadness… that I kept for the thirteen years that I was left alone, the time I yearned for my family… this sadness, is the mass of emotions I instinctively kept in me… I want to live."

These words were the truth beyond despair.

Those who wish to claim their lives, wish not to leave the world but to search for an escape so they too could live.

They who despaired only search for life, and Kiel managed to find the Truth that allowed him to look death in the eyes and claim he wanted life more than anything else.

The Heart Devil continued its onslaught; it toyed with Kiel and slowly robbed him of his body parts.

Tears simply fell from Kiel's eye and hallowed socket, then the sphere trembled. Kiel's soul no longer wished to die, his desire to live grew strong, and despite the Heart Devil's attempt, its body exploded, and the prison disappeared.

Kiel opened his eyes and found himself falling headfirst.

Tongue, Eyes, Hearing, and many more were taken. Two legs, right arm, left eye, organs, skin, and hair remained… everything else was taken.

He watched the Heart Devil that had regained its form rushing to him with a wind-up…

The Heart Devil, who had gained a mouth and a tongue, roared, "DIE!"

It wanted nothing more than for Kiel to die so it could claim its place; however, Kiel suddenly decided to move. With eyes lonelier than the Northern Tundra, Kiel's clothes fluttered as he twisted his body.

He lifted a finger, and then, the Heart Devil's fist stopped at its tip.

'Welcoming the sweet embrace of death, and then feel its sweet release… is something even I would want, yet, such a fate is not mine to take — my fate is to live and reclaim what is mine.'

Kiel looked at the Heart Devil with clarity and purity; he then chose to whisper his words, "I shall reclaim what is mine, and you who had taken them shall accept this wrath the others failed to accept — don't break so quickly."

"FUCK OFF!" The Heart Devil roared and aimed for Kiel's head.

Kiel felt danger coming his way, but instead of evading this hand, he simply glared at it and moved his hand to grab its head as he darted forth!

FWU!

Inside this realm, everything was a soul, and this soul of his that had been brought to this World from the past could not be contained, not even by the slightest bit.

Kiel began reclaiming his parts, his arm, his tongue, his hearing, and everything else.

Kiel tore the Heart Devil to pieces, and as he stopped, he was before a kneeing Heart Devil.

The Heart Devil was without an expression, only its nasty grin remained, it then mouthed off, "I will never disapp…"

Slash!

Kiel didn't let it finish, for his answer was already predetermined, "I want it that way. You shall become my reminder."

Thus, the Heart Devil got absorbed by Kiel, and as Kiel opened his eyes, it was already the next day.

He stood up as he said, "I need to leave now."