Chapter 51: Battle at Kong Sang mountain (2)

Just as Grey's fist, charged with Qi, came flying toward him, Chief Nian narrowly avoided the punch by twisting to the side. In a heartbeat, he retaliated, launching a ball of crimson Qi straight at Grey.

Grey quickly leaped back, dodging the attack with effortless agility. The ball of crimson Qi slammed into the ground with a deafening boom.

The explosion sent dust and shards of rock flying everywhere, creating a chaotic veil of debris that obscured the view.

Without missing a beat, Grey's eyes locked onto a sizable boulder nearby. In one fluid motion, he tore it from the cave floor and hurled it straight at Chief Nian.

The boulder shot forward like a cannonball, and just as it was about to connect, Grey's fingers flicked. Crack! The massive rock shattered mid-flight, the pieces disintegrating into a cloud of razor-sharp fragments, each one glowing faintly with Grey's Qi. The fragments fanned out, speeding toward Chief Nian like a deadly storm of arrows."Hmph, cheap tricks," Chief Nian sneered, raising a barrier of blood-red energy. His eyes glowed ominously as the translucent wall of Qi materialized, swirling with a dark malevolence. The shards slammed into the barrier, ricocheting off in all directions. But just as he was about to grin victoriously, his pupils shrank in realization."Wha—?" He barely had time to blink before Grey appeared right in front of him, a blur of motion breaking through the lingering dust."Gotcha." Grey's voice was low, almost amused.The red-haired leader's instincts screamed at him to react, but it was too late. Grey's fist, crackling with a devastating amount of Qi, crashed into Chief Nian's barrier.There was a split second of resistance, a thin crack, and then the entire construct shattered like glass.The shockwave from Grey's punch was immense, a concentrated force of power that detonated on impact.Chief Nian's body was thrown back like a ragdoll, slamming into the cave wall with a bone-rattling impact. The stone crumbled behind him, spiderwebbing from the sheer force of the collision. He slumped forward, coughing up blood, his vision blurring momentarily."Damn… you…" he rasped, struggling to push himself up. But when he looked up, Grey was already standing over him, staring down with that same maddeningly nonchalant expression, his hands clasped behind his back."You know," Grey mused, tilting his head slightly. "I thought a 'big bad demonic elder' would put up more of a fight. You've been pretty disappointing so far."Chief Nian's face contorted in rage. "You… arrogant… brat…!" He spat, forcing himself to stand. A surge of blood-red Qi exploded from his body, swirling around him like a vortex of malevolent energy. The air in the cave seemed to thicken with his aura, crackling with oppressive pressure.Grey simply raised an eyebrow, looking more interested than alarmed. "Oh? Are you going to take this seriously now?" He gestured casually. "Go on, show me what you've got."With a roar, Chief Nian condensed his Qi into a massive spear of crimson energy, its tip vibrating with destructive force. "I'll kill you where you stand!" he bellowed, thrusting the spear toward Grey's chest.But Grey didn't even flinch. Instead, he yawned, side-stepping the attack lazily. The spear shot past him, shattering the ground where it struck, but Grey didn't seem to care."Hmm," he murmured thoughtfully. "I'd rate that… a 3 out of 10." He glanced at Chief Nian's stunned expression and shrugged. "Oh, don't look at me like that. It's not my fault your best attack is boring."The red-haired leader's eye twitched, veins bulging on his forehead. "Damn you!" he screamed, gathering every ounce of his Qi. "Let's see you dodge this!" He spread his arms wide, and a series of crimson orbs, each one pulsating with destructive energy, materialized around him. "Blood Annihilation Array!"The orbs shot toward Grey from every direction, forming a deadly net of energy. Each one vibrated with a sinister hum, capable of pulverizing anything they touched.Grey's smirk widened. "Now that's more like it."Instead of dodging, he dashed toward Chief Nian, his body weaving and spinning gracefully between the deadly spheres. He moved with the ease of a dancer, each step precise, each motion fluid. The crimson orbs whizzed past him, missing by mere inches, yet he didn't break a sweat."Stop—moving!" Chief Nian roared, his frustration mounting as Grey closed the distance effortlessly. The orbs converged, a chaotic mass of energy aimed to crush Grey.But then Grey vanished."What—?!" Chief Nian whirled around, his senses screaming as Grey appeared behind him, one hand resting casually on his shoulder. "Surprise," Grey whispered, his voice dripping with mockery. Before Chief Nian could react, Grey spun him around and delivered a brutal knee to the man's gut. The force of the blow was like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind out of Chief Nian. He doubled over, gasping, only to be met with Grey's fist crashing down on the back of his neck."Gah!" Chief Nian crumpled to the ground, his Qi dissipating as he struggled to breathe. The crimson orbs flickered and died out, the energy dissipating harmlessly.Grey dusted off his hands. "Well, that was… anticlimactic." He shook his head, his gaze turning disappointed. "And here I thought you were going to make this fun."But Chief Nian wasn't done yet. With a snarl, he forced himself up, blood dripping from his lips. "Brat, you may be strong, but what about your companions?" he spat, his body suddenly flaring with a desperate surge of Qi. The cave trembled violently, cracks forming in the ceiling as rocks and debris began to rain down.Grey's eyes narrowed slightly. "Huh. That's one way to throw a tantrum.""Fall back!" Chief Nian roared to his lackeys. The remaining demonic cultivators, who had been watching the fight in shock, immediately obeyed, retreating further into the cave."Fuck you, old man! You sneaky bastard!" Grey cursed, eyes widening as he dashed toward his group. Unlike him, Lu Xueqi and the others didn't have bodies strong enough to withstand the massive rocks that were now falling, each one weighing several tons. If they weren't careful, they'd be crushed in an instant."Everyone, dodge!" Fa Xing shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. With a swift motion, he raised his hands, a brilliant golden light flaring to life around the group.The shimmering barrier sprang up, radiating divine energy that deflected the rain of debris.Rocks the size of fists ricocheted harmlessly off the glowing shield, but the larger chunks of stone still crashed down with terrifying force, sending tremors through the ground."Junior Sister Lu, watch out!" Qi Hao's shout rang out, sharp with urgency.Lu Xueqi reacted instantly, twisting to the side as a massive boulder slammed into the ground beside her, shattering into fragments.Her heart raced, her movements precise, but her attention was so focused on avoiding the rocks above that she didn't see the shadowy figure creeping up behind her.The demonic cultivator, eyes gleaming with malice, moved like a serpent in the darkness. His lips curled into a twisted grin as he closed in, sword raised, the blade glinting wickedly as it aimed for her unprotected back."Die, girl!" he hissed, his voice dripping with venom.Lu Xueqi's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow as she began to turn, dread chilling her to the core. Too late. She had no chance to block it.Wham!The world was blurred. One moment, the demonic cultivator's sword was about to pierce her back—then, the next, his head snapped back violently, his face contorted in shock and agony.A glowing fist, wrapped in deep blue Qi, had crashed into his jaw with bone-shattering force.The impact sent him hurtling across the cave, slamming into the wall with a sickening crunch.He crumpled to the ground, lifeless, a bloody smear marking the spot where he'd struck.Grey stood between Lu Xueqi and the corpse, his arm still outstretched, his fist clenched tightly.Wisps of energy coiled around his knuckles, dissipating slowly like smoke.His face, usually so carefree, was dark and dangerous, his eyes sharp with an almost predatory intensity."How dare you attack my cute Junior Sister?" he growled softly, his voice dripping with lethal promise.The sudden shift in the atmosphere made the air feel heavier, charged with tension.The cave around them seemed to be quiet, as if even the chaos of battle had paused to acknowledge the wrathful presence standing guard over Lu Xueqi.Grey stared down at the crumpled body of the cultivator, his gaze cold and unrelenting. In this world, he'd learned, hesitation meant death. Mercy was a luxury.The rules from his previous life didn't apply here. He couldn't afford to be soft—not if he wanted to survive, or keep the people he cared about safe.Killing was the price of peace in this brutal world. He'd come to accept that, no matter how much it grated against the remnants of his old self.Without another word, Grey turned, his expression instantly softening as he faced Lu Xueqi.Concern replaced the coldness in his eyes, and he began circling her, scanning her from head to toe. "You're not hurt, right? No injuries?" he demanded, his voice tight.Lu Xueqi blinked, still reeling. "I—I'm fine," she stammered, her breath coming fast.Her mind struggled to catch up with the sudden shift from imminent death to… whatever this was.The close call had shaken her, but now, standing so close to Grey, the way he looked at her—intense, focused, almost possessive—was making it even harder to steady herself.But Grey didn't seem to hear her. "That trash," he muttered angrily, glaring at the fallen cultivator as if he could crush him all over again just with his gaze."A sneak attack? Seriously?" His fists clenched, the knuckles white. "If I hadn't been here…! That bastard…""Senior Brother, I'm okay," Lu Xueqi repeated, her voice softer now. Something inside her shifted at the sight of his anger—an unfamiliar flutter in her chest.Grey halted his pacing, but his eyes were still sharp, searching her closely. "Still, Junior Sister, you were too careless," he murmured, a stern note creeping into his voice."You can't let your guard down like that. What if I hadn't shown up in time?""I—" She opened her mouth, then faltered, his words striking deeper than any reprimand she'd ever received.She wasn't used to being scolded like this—or fussed over. "Sorry, Senior Brother," she murmured softly, the words tumbling out awkwardly.Grey's expression softened, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. "Just be more careful next time, alright?" he said, his tone gentler now. "I don't want to see you getting hurt."A short distance away, Qi Hao and Shu Shu exchanged knowing looks, their eyes sparkling with barely concealed amusement."Did you see that?" Shu Shu whispered, nudging Qi Hao with his elbow. "He didn't even hesitate. Just jumped in and knocked that guy's lights out.""Yeah," Qi Hao agreed, a smile tugging at his lips. "I think our Junior Brother's got a bit of a soft spot for Junior Sister Lu."Shu Shu snorted softly. "More than a soft spot, I'd say." He watched Grey fussing over Lu Xueqi, gesturing animatedly as he continued to lecture her about situational awareness."If he keeps this up, he might end up scaring off every demonic cultivator within a hundred miles. They'll hear about the crazy guy who goes berserk if you even look at his junior sister the wrong way.""I wouldn't be surprised," Qi Hao chuckled, shaking his head. "But it's nice to see, isn't it? He acts so laid-back, but when it comes to her…" He trailed off, glancing back at the duo."Yeah, he's different," Shu Shu chimed in, his grin widening. "Just don't tell him that, or he'll never admit it."Meanwhile, Grey was still hovering around Lu Xueqi, his brow furrowed in mock seriousness."And another thing—you need to work on your reflexes! Did you see how slow you were to dodge that last rock? I almost had a heart attack! What if—"As Grey continued his over-the-top lecture, Lu Xueqi fought to keep a straight face, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.Shu Shu let out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "If this keeps up, soon there may be a marriage between Big Bamboo Peak and Small Big Bamboo Peak!"Qi Hao smiled, catching the light in Lu Xueqi's shy demeanor and Grey's exaggeratedly serious expression. "I also think…"Across the clearing, Li Xun sighed, his shoulders slumping as he watched the scene unfold.It seemed he had no chance with Lu Xueqi either. He just shook his head, feeling the weight of his unrequited feelings.