“Kill!” At the sinister shout of Fan Lao, Qing Elder from the Sky Serpent sect gave no hint of hesitation, her expression dark as she howled back fiercely and the powerful Dou Qi burst out from her body. A massive aura of strength sent the leaves and debris nearby violently recoiling. Her bearing suggested that her strength must be at least near the Dou Wang rank.
Responding to her roar, over twenty experts from the Sky Serpent sect beside her swiftly withdrew their weapons, their Dou Qi surging around them. A multitude of serpentine Dou Qi flows, differing in shades from one another, twisted like sinuous snakes up their bodies before each erupted outward with terrifying impact force against the circle of red-cloaked warriors around them.
Jet streams of green and red slammed into each other in the middle of the field, where a ripple of raw violent energy radiated like a spreading wave. Amid the clash stood grim-faced warriors from Blood Sect, slicing at their enemies in eerie silence while radiating an aura saturated with bloodcurdling menace.
Conversely, the Sky Serpent experts too bore grimacing grim visages, their Dou Qi churning to maximum capacity, weaponized limbs cutting whistling arcs through the sky as they lanced cruelly for critical points across the enemy’s anatomies.
They were no mere rabid masses. Both sides clearly comprised formidable combat professionals, obviously disciplined to efficiency where actions counted over noise—every maneuver a life-depicted, death-invoking dance.
Each sudden thud where metal sank into flesh echoed through the hush, quickly answered back with splatters of crimson. Elder Qing now looked stonily over the clash in her hands’ control—a snake-shaped sword gleaming sinisterly.
The arc of its curved steel danced eerily each time it swiped, slithering through an opposing member of the Blood sect’s necks with a serpentine grace. Each graceful dodge and strike left her with another bleeding slash before a gush of fresh red sprayed. During these moments drenched with carnage, Qing drifted nimbly about; a poisonous mandrake viper—stealthy, swift and deadly.
Corpses blanketed the road in gradual accumulation—by now far more of Blood Sect warriors—but not exclusively. Regrettably, for all her skill slicing deep within their lines, waves of warriors kept surging endlessly towards battle from the nearby forest’s deep shadow. There she’d cut them down like flies trying to reach escape into thick cover, but they surged back again as if infinite.
Now, a sword’s point found a Brethren’s chest—a single deathblow before eyes quickly scanned all points for danger. Yet inwardly they sank further into a bitter realization—eight had survived from nearly twenty once strong!
The tip of the same weapon snapped rearward into a traitorous strike from behind; piercing deep into the windpipe of one such foe attempting stealth before a shrug sent them tumbling from her. Then with but a shake of shoulders, a radiant pair of wings—green with condensed Dou qi—sprouted forth.
Foot pushed sharply against the battlefield earth and Qing soared swiftly upward into the vast heavens, only narrowly escaping further pursuit—before from above emerged another shape, red cloaked and sinister.
A powerful, frost-touched ripple burst outward from where it moved through the upper air.
The descent bore so violently that midair thunderclaps heralded Fan’s furious dive.
Sensing this descent, Qing’s countenance shifted—her hands lifted rapidly; palms ablaze with green, forming defensive armor over her person just as impact roared down like mountain crashing skyward.
*BOOM!*
The attack struck down hard and shattered a shield glowing green.
A moment later came a subtle rupture followed by Qing’s strained cry of grievance as blood fled quickly to whiten her cheeks. Draped in crimson, shadow and wing overhead, Fan Lao’s silhouette blazed amidst wind scented of copper as blades carved a descent as a bat might on its prey: swift, ruthless, inescapable. Witnessing it head on, Qing’s visage drained again as a grimace overtook its features—but hesitation could not exist here, and steel flashed from the sheath one last desperate act of resolve to meet him, her Dou Qi now at peak output tearing even the surrounding air into faint undulations; for this moment of survival, her strength reached its height before the formidable Fan Lao looming with Battle Emperor-level prowess.
Watching grimly into that scene of chaos below, Peitian elder nodded as Xun Yan muttered with resignation, “Unless help arrives quickly, escape doesn’t look very favorable…”
“Indeed… To have stealthed an ambush this size and unnoticed until now required tremendous effort. As capable and cautious as Sky Serpent’s agents proved today, they remain trapped like mice cornered,” Elder Medicine affirmed softly.
Surveying the skirmish, Xiao Yan focused for a moment on Fan Lin—the enemy stood, blade dripping, in brutal confrontation with an unfortunate Serpent. Around him floated not one, yet two guardians—masters wielding spirit power—guarding closely with never more than inches’ gap between.
“Ideally do avoid engagement with your immediate target—such is our situation. Any hasty advance would draw unwanted interference from Fan Lao,” Elder Medicine cautioned with a voice deep in thought.
“It is the meddling of Hun Demonics what curbs my spirit’s reach and thus the might it once could provide freely—you must act prudently when dealing with such foes. Avoid confrontation until necessity makes movement imperative, if we intend on surviving.”
Understanding slowly settled in; with a final resigned breath at the restraint required, he set those emotions aside. For the time being, the tide would need to change on its own.
Despite superior numbers of the Blood Sect on the battlefield, none would doubt the Serpents still held the martial excellence edge. Blood flowed heavily as cuts painted crimson across warriors both—but with teamwork so synchronized survival endured where otherwise collapse was expected.
Even amidst the chaos, the airborn fight was an undeniable rout—Fan remained inhumanly fluid, an apparition at times too swift. And Qing’s face grew pale rapidly under repeated pressure—merely ten short skirmish bursts between their two airborne forces had left her drained considerably.
*BOOM again.*
This time, her Dou Qi surged as a palm crashed upon the battlefield, blood burst from her lips as she tumbled back helplessly—a perfect opening for a merciless attack!
Desperately pulling a small frost-coated case from robe folds, Qing screeched her challenge.
“Dare step closer, old freak—and the Yin Yang Xuan Dragongem turns dust now!”
Silent seconds hung… then a whisper-like movement brought his figure forward like an assassin. A whisper from him: “Destroy the Dragongem? Then your very spirit shatters. Chained eternally, you will live to serve my warriors—as their female dog.” The calm menace made blood frost over flesh at thought of it’s reality. Her face contorted. Her hold upon the artifact faltered; she trembled. Even so, her instincts kicked in.
Fan’s image suddenly blurred into disappearance—and moments later burst right in proximity, red lightning.
She had no moment to retreat—just before her vision filled was that terrifying arm of blood reaching forth in swift motion—and then a snap resounded—a sickening snap of broken bone! Qing shrieked once in pain—but it was a moment lost for even a breath.
He had stolen it—a flick of motion claimed her artifact before his laughter thundered into air as he tossed his find down.
“Run, Lin! Get the box first—you and Blood Warriors! Head to the Twilight city. I’ll block this fury!”
He nodded immediately, the box now vanished into his inventory rings—without hesitation, a command was given; Blood warriors disengaged in twisters while reforming a shield of sorts led by Fan Lin.
“You won’t be running now, you bastard’s seed. I’ll die for you to not escape!” Qing snarled. A surge in Qi sent shockwaves as it rose far beyond prior levels. Blood spilt outward from torn vessels. Driven mad now, eyes burning with revenge—a ghostlike wraith in all its wrath—Qing lunged forward, breaking sonic barriers.
“You think a last dying blow will harm me? No—you’ll fall regardless! He scoffed—arms curved, blade forming as if by coalesced viscera of blood itself; a grim weapon to match grim hearts.
Without fear he met her charge in turn. The collision of two titans lit the battlefield like solar dawn at war.
While these two titans clashed in mid-sky Xiao Yan silently withdrew stealthily to shadow the retreat party led by Fan Lim below.
A plan to pursue the box’s recovery. Yet as thunder rumbled above amidst their collision Xiao glances upwards at the clashing auras—hope still remaining that maybe Serpents survived.
However for now—he turned. With only one purpose in mind: to seize back the half-map at any cost—whatever fate befalls others. He could barely secure his own hide safely; aiding others meant walking into blade showers at best. Not to speak of how dangerous intervention was.
So silence remained his chosen way.
Now… one objective emerged… whatever awaited the path behind that box—there lay Xiao Yan’s next great challenge—vitality stoked, fury reawakened—and fate’s next turning.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage