"Fine... Gu Zhan. You can have the fun and take this fat prize of 20 strokes," the leader, Wei Cao, said with a bored yawn.
The way he was looking down on T-800 like he was nothing, not even worth his amusement, his arrogant expression was louder than his voice.
"A Twenty-Stroke Mark is a rare find in these outer fringes. It should be worth at least fifty points in the Heavenly Execution Tournament."
The small girl giggled from behind them, adjusting the heavy spirit-sealing box strapped to her back.
"Don't play with your food too long, Big Brother Zhan! We still need to collect a Ten thousand total strokes before the Boundless Seal Gate reopens. Do not forget that the Sect Master promised a Flawless Core Condensation Pill to the team that brings back the most Marks!"
The muscular youth, Gu Zhan, grinned after getting the permission, cracking his heavy knuckles.
He looked at the T-800 like a butcher eyeing a prize cow. "Don't worry, Big Brother Cao and Big Sister Mo Qili…it will only take three strikes."
Lin Feng's blood froze hearing their words.
"Outsiders..." he choked out. "...from the Upper Realm!"
It was not a news to T-800 as he read all the basic, foundational and trash books in the library, he is now aware of multiple realms and what is this Boundless Seal Realm.
But this sudden Heaven Execution Tournament? It was news to him and Lin Feng. None of the books mentioned anything about it.
His neural processor quickly re-contextualized the entire social structure of this world.
They hunt the prisoners. They harvest the Branded criminals, the Penance Marks like skinning rabbits and trophies.
It is a game to them, a contest of status and wealth. The Boundless Seal Realm is nothing more than a private hunting ground for the elite, and its inhabitants are merely cattle raised for slaughter.
"Hey, Big Guy," Gu Zhan taunted, stepping closer while lazily dragging his sword tip through the mud like a villain. Its weight creating a deep furrow.
"Usually, you evildoes scream. Or beg. Or run. Running is my favorite part because I like the chase. Are you frozen stiff from the moon's curse? Or are you just stupid?"
T-800 didn't respond, didn't react but his posture didn't say he was frozen stiff because of Penance Moon's curse, fear or being plain stupid.
That threw them off. Gu Zhan was hoping for some fun, looking for the usual script of despair and begging.
20 strokes is a prize but it's like finding a shiny stone in a sand, its value is compared with the mud and sand, it's not a gem or gold.
For them it's not worth anything but a curious timepass fun.
However, T-800's plain standing posture was not of a man frozen in fear.
It was a stillness that irked their martial senses that they were not facing a scared prisoner.
No trembling muscles, no leaked Qi, not even the faint rapid heartbeat of terror. He stood there like a corpse, like a statue and yet a faint red in the eyes screaming to not misjudge him for a prey.
He was a loaded weapon if these martial idiots could understand the meaning behind this phrase.
Suddenly a steam started to rise up from the T-800 body, the frost covering his body started to vapor away.
[Nuclear power cell at maximum output]
The Yin Ice didn't stand a chance as the nuclear power cell in his case-hardened subassembly inside the triple-armored hyperalloy torso, exactly where the human heart resides.
"Hmph! Are you showing off your Yang Body Cultivation? Your Northern Freak!" Gu Zhan slurred out. He raised his sword using only his one hand as showing off.
"Give me your shoulder, you dumb meat."
Gu Zhan casually swung his thick heavy blade but from Lin Feng point of view, it felt like a tide crashing down on him and he was not even the target, he was not even standing closer to get affected by it.
He smelled a faint scent, a gag rising in his throat, he tasted blood.
"Killing intent…" He murmured as he figured it out what he just felt. He wanted to yell out for his Master to watch out but it was too late.
SWISH!
Or what he thought because his master Tie Yuan, the T-800 was faster. Like a ghost he moved leaving behind the silhouette of steam of his previous self.
"Watch out!" Both Lin Feng and Mo Qili cried out but for each other's respective ones.
Before Gu Zhan could snap out of his casualness and carelessness, an Iron grip grabbed hold and stopped his sword mid air.
Lin Feng's jaw dropped as if he was seeing the same method his master used the previous time.
Tie Yuan's iron grip intercepted the falling sword before it could hit his shoulder by rushing forward and grabbed it by its handle.
But he would not be T-800 if precision was not part of his calculation and something extra added to it.
His grip was not only gripping the blade's handle, it was also gripping Gu Zhan's fingers.
"You dummy brute…" Mo Qili mocked.
CRUNCH!
Before Gu Zhan could understand what just happened his hand got crushed under the hydraulic squeeze.
"AHHH…GHO!" Gu Zhan cried out but before he could scream more, a punch in a gut squeezed the wind out of his gut.
"Fool…" Wei Cao shook his head in disappointment but stayed on his spot, watching Gu Zhan gag.
To him, this wasn't his junior's pathetic carelessness.
He didn't even bother looking at T-800, in fact for him the crushed fingers and the shattered pride of his sect brother was more of his own ...personal annoyance.
To see a noble disciple of the Radiant Star Sect humiliated by a mere prison slave was a loss of face.
"YOU…cough cough!" Gu Zhan lost his weapon as he was gasping for air on his knees.
But instead of using the new weapon in his hand T-800 swung it to feel its weight and stood waiting.