"You're Marcus!"
"Hahahaha!"
When Wu Yan called him out, Marcus laughed out loud with resentment and malice hidden within his manic chuckle.
"So, you do remember me! Yes! Just like how I engraved your name into my soul, how I wished I can tear you to a million pieces!"
Wu Yan grinned as he stepped on top of a boulder.
"Yeah, where have you been these last few days, doggie without a home?"
That stopped Marcus. His dark qi increased as he blew away the pebbles and soil around him.
"Yes, I lost my status, my home, and my clan..."
The skull within the hood bobbed up and down. He continued while snarling.
"It was all thanks to you, Wu Yan!"
"You ran away, put on a sharper pair of fangs and you came back for seconds?"
Wu Yan took a verbal swing at the guy.
"You shouldn't have gone through that much trouble, oh, great and mighty second-in-command of the Cyto Clan..."
Marcus got enraged, he lost the ability to keep cool after Wu Yan taunted him.
"When I stomp your head on the ground like a mongrel, let's see how you can beg for mercy when I tear your jaws away from your skull!"
"Oh?"
Wu Yan chortled with amusement.
"Maybe you can, with your new abilities I mean..."
"Keep talking while you still can!"
Marcus giggled like a crazy person.
"Let me show you the difference between you and I!"
Dark qi were emanating from his body, he showed off his tier 9 powers. He was expecting Wu Yan to show a look of surprise or some sort of shocked reaction. He laughed at Wu Yan.
"Lo and behold, I am now in the realm of tier 9, you lowly ant, know your place!"
Wu Yan watched him with a serious look. His eyes shone with a weird glint as he examined Marcus' aura.
He's not intimidated by the clown. He already handed the demigod Beast King his butt on a silver platter, Marcus looked more like a fool than a threat to Wu Yan.
He's so serious because he's trying to figure out Marcus' rapid increase of power. He was at peak tier 8 a short time ago. How did he ascend so quickly. Also, where is Cyto Clan's unique Ice dou qi, why did his aura change into a corrosive dark qi?
He's also feeling a slight sense of unease from the dark qi he's releasing.
His blood raged as it sent warning signals to his brain.
This wasn't a joke.
His blood rampaged around his body, to a vampire, especially a true ancestor like him, the blood is more important than his heart and brain.
His blood raced, a sign that he's facing something insidious here.
Wu Yan can tell that his blood pressure is increasing as his heart pumped faster and harder. It's like his blood is getting ready to face the invasion of another similarly powerful foe, not unlike when the King of Beasts meets another regal invader, only one can live.
In other words, this dark qi came from a source that rivalled the True Ancestor Bloodline.
This sensation, it's not a difference of power or superiority in any aspect. It's because the lifeform that gave rise to this dark qi stood at the apex of all lifeforms too.
A lifeform on par with the True Ancestor?
His face darkened. True Ancestors are apex lifeforms towering above others. However, Wu Yan knew the True Ancestor couldn't fight back against Counter Force. Notwithstanding that, True Ancestors are revered as gods in some worlds.
His blood is responding to the presence of a similar entity. They were both wary of each other and they couldn't stand each other.
Wu Yan can tell Marcus must have gone through some transformation to elicit such strong reactions from his True Ancestor bloodline.
"Master!"
Ikaros and Astrea descended near Wu Yan. Their arrivals woke a manic Marcus up, he realized his current position.
Ikaros is stronger than him, as for Astrea, he couldn't be sure but since she instantly dispatched his lackeys, she must be capable too. Plus, there's Wu Yan who easily slaughtered Andrew.
Marcus calmed down as hesitation slowed him down.
He's stranded in enemy territory without allies. He's confident his dark qi barrier can keep prying eyes away, however, he's not if he can win against these three.
Retreat?
His pride couldn't take that.
If he didn't retreat, he would most likely be captured again. Damned if he's going back in a prison again.
What do I do?
Marcus explored his options. His hatred for Wu Yan kept him here, however, he's sober enough to weigh the probabilities of victory in a fight as dismal as this. With no chance of winning and retreat isn't an acceptable end, Marcus got stuck in this logic loop.
In the end, rationality prevailed over his grudge with Wu Yan. Marcus chose to run!
With only one life available to him, he decided that revenge can wait for when Wu Yan isn't so lucky.
As Marcus got ready to depart, a sentence stopped him in his tracks.
Wu Yan narrowed his eyes as he read the rat's mind with ease.
"Ikaros, Astrea, don't interfere with this fight."
Marcus looked up as he saw Wu Yan beaming back at him with a sarcastic grin.
Ikaros and Astrea flinched. Astrea panicked.
"But, master, that meanie is stronger than before, we should..."
"It's okay, trust me!"
Wu Yan stopped Astrea.
"I am more than enough..."
Ikaros and Astrea still wanted to help but they listened obediently to him anyway. They retreated back as Marcus watched with glee, he erased any thoughts of running away.
He can always run away after murdering Wu Yan. He reckons his current power would allow him to leave Ikaros and Astrea in the dust when he's hightailing it.
You're gonna wish you didn't say that, Wu Yan...
With the two girls away, Marcus laughed out loud before he started unleashing a storm of dark qi.
Bam
Marcus jumped forward with an explosive leap. Like a black lightning bolt, he went straight for Wu Yan who stood atop the boulder.