Chapter no.48 A Close Battle

[ POV Change ]

In the Murim world, alongside human cultivators and demon beasts there exists creatures that look like humanoids and demon beasts also known as Spectres.

Unlike more animalistic demon beasts, specters are incredibly intelligent creatures that can be found throughout the Murim.

Similar to demon beasts, humans fear specters for the power their bloodlines possess, and like their ancestors who found a way to mimic the bodies of demon beasts, humans integrated specters into their clans using forced marriages. Even though the Spectre's bloodlines weakened when they integrated with a human's bloodline, a hybrid between a specter and a human created a monster whose bloodline while weaker had the added trait of man's insane level of adaptability. Seeing the monstrous children that were made from the merger of the two species resulted in many battles being fought throughout the Murim world as sects fought over the specters. These battles resulted in many pure-blooded specters going into hiding out of fear for man and his greed. They say if you see a specter walking through the Murim, they will never be a pure-blooded specter hence many in the Murim joke around saying that seeing a pure-blooded specter is rarer than finding an inheritance of some ancient sect.

...

Zhongli charged towards the white-furred Spectre and twisting on the balls of his feet, he lashed out in a kick that didn't seem to faze the specter one bit as it glanced at Zhongli, its eyes filled with a crazed look as it prepared to unleash its power upon Zhongli. With a sudden movement, it pointed its sharp claws toward the oncoming warrior, and a brilliant ball of energy shot toward him.

But Zhongli was not one to be underestimated. His arm, as dark as the midnight sky, contorted and transformed into a formidable axe. In one swift motion, he sliced through the energy projectile, the force of which was so strong it pushed him back.

Zhongli hit the ground with a heavy thud, his eyes immediately drawn to the Spectre as it raised its hand to the sky. The air behind it was suddenly filled with hundreds of energy projectiles, each one hurtling toward Zhongli with deadly precision.

" Fuck !"

With a sudden movement, Zhongli contorted his axe into two, his grip on the weapons tight as he prepared for the oncoming assault. Zhongli's phantom footwork was a thing of beauty as he weaved and dodged, slicing through the projectiles with ease. The energy bolts exploded around him, the force of the impact tearing apart the ground and leaving nothing but a wasteland in its wake.

Zhongli stood his ground, his axes whirling in a blur as he fought against the overwhelming odds. The sound of metal clashing against energy filled the air, and for a moment, it seemed as though he would fall. But Zhongli was not one to be defeated so easily. With a fierce determination, he pressed on, slicing through each and every projectile until there was nothing left but dust.

The dust cleared to reveal a scene of destruction. The ground was ripped apart, and the only patch of land left intact was beneath Zhongli's feet. Despite the toll the battle had taken on him, Zhongli's grip on his axes was firm while his hands bleed, the result of his intense grip on the axes. But Zhongli did not let the pain show.

In an instant, Zhongli disappeared and reappeared beside the Spectre, his fist flying toward the creature with lightning speed. But the Spectre was quick to react, its claw already raised, and a projectile shot towards the warrior. The energy bolt sliced through the air, heading straight for Zhongli's jaw.

The warrior barely had time to react, but he was not one to be caught off guard. He jumped back, his body moving with the grace and agility of a seasoned warrior. Despite his quick reflexes, however, the projectile was too fast, cutting into Zhongli's jaw and leaving a deep laceration in its wake.

Zhongli's hand flew to his jaw, the pain of the wound searing through him. He stood there for a moment, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and anger as he glared at the demon. The creature stood tall, a sadistic smile on its face as it reveled in the warrior's pain.

' How did it know that I was going to appear there ?' Zhongli wondered as the phantom footwork was such a movement technique that it allowed him to phase into the mirror world, a dimensional space that exists beneath this reality, for a few seconds before he shoots out and in those few seconds he can determine the location of where he appears. This movement technique was such a powerful technique yet the creature before he knew where he was going to appear.

How?

[ No, that's not something special. Even if you disappeared from the creature's front, it doesn't mean you'll appear somewhere out of its field of vision. Look behind it, the creature is standing on the edge with its back to the ocean, it's purposefully limiting the number of positions you can appear in. ]

Hearing the words of the Ego Artifact, Zhongli's eyes widened as he realized that this creature wasn't some mindless beast.

" Any idea how I can defeat it ?"

[ You could run away. ]

" You say as if this creature is going to let me run."

Zhongli moved with lightning speed, dodging the specter's projectiles with ease as he searched for a weakness in the creature's defense. His mind raced as he considered his options, his eyes scanning the battlefield for a way to turn the tide of the battle in his favor.

And then, in an instant, inspiration struck. Zhongli leaped into the air, his ethereal armor shimmering in the sunlight as he gathered his energy and released a shockwave attack. The force of the attack stunned the specter, sending it reeling backward. Zhongli was certain that he had won, but his triumph was short-lived as the specter's yin telekinetic energy wrapped around his legs, twisting and crushing them as he fell to the ground.

Zhongli's pain was intense as the specter's telekinetic energy crushed his legs. He felt his bones snap and grind against each other, the force of the attack sending a searing agony up his spine. He gasped for air, his vision blurring as he struggled to remain conscious through the pain. Every nerve in his body was ablaze with agony, the sensation of his legs being crushed almost too much to bear. He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as he fought to stay focused, using his will and determination to push through the pain.

The Spectre stood above him, its claw outstretched as it charged a powerful projectile. Zhongli could feel the energy radiating from it, the weight of its malice pressing down on him as he struggled to get back to his feet.

Just as the Spectre was about to unleash its attack, Zhongli disappeared into the ground, his body phased out of existence as the ground beneath them was destroyed by a powerful shockwave attack. The Spectre was caught off guard, its body tumbling into the ocean below as Zhongli reappeared above it.

With a fierce yell, Zhongli drove a black rod into its eyes, channeling a massive amount of yang energy into the weapon. The Spectre screamed in pain, its body writhing in agony.

" Give me something to kill this thing !"

Zhongli screamed out with the ego Artifact responding.

[ Got it ]

A huge amount of information appeared in Zhongli's mind as Zhongli's nose began to bleed. He was not deterred, however, as he unleashed the War God's First Kata: Inferno Fist, engulfing the Spectre in a blazing inferno. The Spectre's screams echoed across the ocean as the two bodies splashed into the water, marked by the fiery blaze of Zhongli's wrath.

.......

Lin Lai approached the edge of the lighthouse's destruction, her eyes taking in the devastating scene before her. The once proud structure was now nothing more than rubble and twisted metal, scattered across the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. The ground beneath her feet was littered with broken glass and splintered wood, the remnants of a once magnificent building.

Lin Lai's shoes crunched against the debris with each step she took, the sound echoing across the desolate landscape.

As she approached the cliff's edge, Lin Lai gazed out over the sea below. The water was calm, its surface rippling gently in the light of the setting sun. The only sound to be heard was the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore.

Lin Lai stood there for what felt like an eternity, lost in thought and contemplation.

With a click of her tongue, Lin Lai broke from her reverie. She turned to leave, her coat billowing behind her as she walked away from the destruction.

"It's a shame, " Lin Lai said to herself, her voice breaking the silence of the desolate landscape. " So much destruction... so much loss. If only you had quietly submitted to me."

....

The deep blue sea was quiet as the body of a demon slowly sank to the ocean floor. The Spectre was sleek and menacing, with sharp claws that were now dulled and charred from the intense heat. Its once shimmering white fur was now cracked and blackened, its once-formidable presence now reduced to a lifeless husk. Zhongli, on the other hand, was the one responsible for its demise.

The Spectre had let out a final scream as the chains shot out of Zhongli's arm, piercing its flesh and wrapping tightly around both figures.

"You will not defeat me," the spectre had hissed, its voice a raspy growl.

But Zhongli was victorious, and the chains had finally succeeded in pulling the spectre's burnt body to the ocean floor. The chains were now impaled through the spectre's corpse, securing it to the ocean floor as if it were a trophy. Zhongli was now unconscious, but the chains had already retracted back into his arm.

The ocean floor was a bleak and desolate place as suddenly, the chains shot out of Zhongli's arm once more, this time lashing onto the cliff wall beside the ocean floor. With a sudden jolt, the chains began to reel Zhongli and the spectre's body up and out of the water. The chains snaked their way up the cliff, winding through the rocks and crevices until they reached a dark and foreboding cave. The chains tossed the spectre's body into the cave, leaving it there as they retracted back into Zhongli's arm.

The sound of metal clanging echoed throughout the cave as the chains disappeared into Zhongli's arm. The body of the spectre lay there in the darkness, its once-threatening presence now reduced to a mere memory. The ocean floor was now free of its malevolent presence, leaving behind only the memories of the battle that had taken place.

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[ Boiling Bay Prison - Outside ]

The giant jade slab was a sight to behold. Its polished surface gleamed like a green sun, reflecting the light from the intricate array of symbols that surrounded it. The guards that stood in front of the slab, row upon row, were dwarfed by its size, their armor and weapons looking small and inconsequential in comparison. The warden, Wong Fei, stood at the front of the guards, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the scene before him.

As the slab was placed in the center of the array, the air around it grew charged with energy. The symbols etched into the jade began to pulse with a golden light, growing brighter and brighter until they were almost too bright to look at. Suddenly, the jade slab exploded, sending shards of green flying in every direction. The sound was deafening, like the thunder of a thousand storms.

At the center of the blast, a portal formed. A vortex of light that seemed to lead to another world, it swirled and pulsed, drawing the eye like a black hole. Wong Fei watched in contempt as the portal grew in size.

The figure that stepped through the portal was Wei Chen, a middle-aged man with white hair that flowed down to his waist. He was dressed in the garb of a master, his clothes made from rich, dark silk that shimmered in the light of the portal. His garments were simple but elegant, cut to fit his form perfectly and adorned with intricate embroidery.

In his hand, Wei Chen held a weapon unlike any that Wong Fei had ever seen. It was a staff, long and slender, but with a curved blade at one end that gleamed like a star. The staff was made of a dark, almost black metal, with intricate designs etched into its surface that seemed to glow with an inner light.

"Warden Fei," Wei Chen said, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Behind him, rows of prisoners file out, shackled and surrounded by glowing talismans. The prisoners look defeated and fear is evident in their eyes.

" Wei." Wong Fei answered back.

" What, not gonna greet your old rival ?"

" Old is right."

" Ha, I don't like to spend a fortune on youth restoration pills unlike you."

" Oh, don't worry; when you're back hurts you can ask me for some pills."

" I'll remember that." Wei Chen answered with a smile as he asked," You know I heard that you were having a tournament between your prisoners. A shame really, your business got ruined because they got to go home."

Wei Chen's words made Wong Fei click his tongue as the situation of the Murim Alliance was becoming shaky these past few days.

With no common enemy to settle the differences between the various factions, in fighting had become such an issue that the heir to the Martial Society was killed by the rising phoenix of the Mount Hua Sect.

The tension and fights that resulted from this had caused many of the sects to call back everyone resulting in everyone leaving Warden Fei's tournament.

" Don't worry about my business, why are you dumping all your trash in my place ? Doesn't you sect have any ability to handle them." Warden Fei taunted Wei Chen who just smiled and placed his hand on Wong Fei's shoulder.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the sky darkened as clouds gathered overhead.

Wei Chen's aura was a blazing inferno, with bright red and orange flames licking at the air. His eyes burned with an intense fire, and his hair whipped about him in the wind as if it were alive. Wong Fei's aura was a deep, rolling ocean, with waves that crashed against the shore and mist that rose into the air. His eyes were calm and serene, like the depths of the ocean.

The two auras collided with a deafening boom, sending shockwaves through the air. The ground split apart, and the sky roared with thunder. Lightning bolts struck the earth, creating craters and setting the ground ablaze. The wind howled, and the rain fell in sheets, drenching everything in its path.

The two cultivators stood at the center of the storm, their auras continuing to clash. The heat from Wei Chen's aura was so intense that it caused the rain to evaporate before it could reach the ground, creating a wall of steam that obscured the area around them. Wong Fei's aura, meanwhile, caused the rain to gather into massive waves that crashed against the walls of the steam, sending plumes of mist skyward.

As the two auras continued to collide, the sky changed from dark and stormy to a brilliant spectrum of colors, with rainbows appearing in the sky. The air was filled with the sounds of the elements, as the wind howled, the rain fell, and the thunder roared. The two cultivators stood at the center of it all, their auras blazing brighter and brighter until they reached a climax, and then... silence.

The two cultivators looked at each other, before Wei Chen smiled and turned to leave just before stopping.

" Be careful,"

Wei Chen's words were short but Wong Fei got the message loud and clear.

' I wonder how much time the Murim Alliance will last before it breaks.'