Ch 757 - The Great One

No one could take their eyes off Naya's body. Her death had stunned everyone, even Louis.

The immortals eyed Alex, their expressions icy, but there was an unmistakable glimmer of fear in their eyes that hadn't been there a moment ago. Naya had been powerful, but there were others present who were stronger and more skilled than she had been. Still, for Alex to have beaten her so easily meant that he was a more serious threat than they had anticipated.

"Who are you?" asked an old man with a long white beard. He wore tattered robes, like a wizard from a children's book.

Alex didn't answer. He let his eyes close and dropped his chin, looking like a monk in deep meditation.

A ripple of unease ran through the immortals, but no one seemed willing to make the next move. Individually, they knew that a coordinated attack could easily flatten the young man, but teamwork did not come naturally to people obsessed with immortality. They even had ulterior motives for uniting for this attack on the spring water, and they would betray each other without a second thought. They expected the same of everyone else, and they were all waiting for someone else to strike first, betting that Alex would exhaust himself or get clumsy before attacking them. And if he managed to thin the herd, then that was all the better for anyone who was left.

Gil had had enough. "I don't care who you are," he said, striding forward. "I won't be stopped. Anyone who stands in my way will die."

Louis held his breath as Gil strode toward Alex, and the immortals watched carefully to see how Alex would respond.

The moment Gil's foot crossed the line, Alex's eyes snapped open. He held up his hand again, his palm facing Gil as if commanding him to stop. Then his hand began to glow softly, a faint green light playing across his raised palm. He rotated his wrist until his palm was parallel to the ground and pressed down.

There was a loud rumbling noise, like stone grinding against stone, and then an enormous palm made of green light formed above Gil and crashed down on him. Gil raised his arms, as if to ward off the blow, and smashed a fist against the palm of light. The palm flickered slightly, but continued to press down on him.

In a frenzy, Gil stamped his foot, and the earth seemed to shake. He roared like an animal and began to physically change, becoming taller and more heavily muscled. He grew to about nine feet in height, and then he pressed against the green light with both hands.

Alex calmly pressed his palm further down, pouring his inner power into his hand. The earth shook as Gil was forced down to his knees. The green light flared, and the giant palm slammed to the ground, crushing Gil beneath it like an insect. Then the light faded, and no one looked too closely at what had been left behind.

There was another moment of profound silence, and the white-bearded man looked at Alex with something like awe.

"The Great One," he whispered. "You're the Great One."

There was a collective gasp of recognition. None of them could have guessed Alex's true identity. Only the Great One could subdue a giant like Gil with a single palm. He was supposed to be a legend, a myth, but it was impossible to study the secrets of immortality without coming across references to him. Another wave of uncertainty flowed through the invaders. If the stories were true, then almost no one could stand against him.

Louis gaped at Alex in shock. He had had no idea of who Alex really was. How could I have been so blind? he thought.

Alongside the fear, a wave of fresh anger moved through the immortals. Fear of the legendary power of the Great One was mingled with scorn for the young man who seemed to just sit there insolently. That contempt fed on their fear and shame. This was the dangerous being whose recent battles had become cautionary tales for seekers of power? This young man?

Even so, no one seemed too keen on being the next person to challenge him. Knowing who he really was made it less likely that they would survive the full-scale attack they had been hoping for.

No one seemed to know what their next move should be. A straight fight was a long shot, but leaving was not an option. This might be their only shot at the tricolor flower and the spirit water, but facing the Great One was suicide. Even if they managed to survive, the shame of losing would be unbearable.

The bearded old man grinned, the fear in his eyes replaced by cruel hope. "The triune hasn't made their move yet," he said.

There was a murmur of agreement among the immortals. The triune were three immortals who had been moving through their hidden world for decades. Individually, they may not be as powerful as the Great One, but their combined strength might be a match for him. The small crowd parted to reveal three figures.

Reagan was armed with a longsword, and the Fool carried a cane. Asher did not appear to be armed at all—his hands were in his pockets.

Louis felt the blood drain from his face, and his confidence that they would get out of this alive faded.

"Why are they here?" he whispered.

The triune was known to everyone who sought immortality. They were rumored to be immensely powerful individually, and together, they would be unstoppable. Louis began to despair.

I don't know how we'll get through this, he thought. Why did I even start on this ridiculous path? I should have been a schoolteacher.

He sighed and looked at Alex. You're my only hope, he mused bitterly. He never thought he would have to face a power like the triune. Asher had been worshiped as a literal god of war, the Fool was the most powerful figure in the Five Poisons cult, and Reagan was supposed to be able to control lightning itself. They were three of the most famous immortals and masters of combat. Being afraid was the only logical reaction to their presence.

Louis was not entirely certain that Alex could match them, and he wasn't even sure Alex knew what he was up against. No matter how powerful he was, could he really take on this many enemies at once?

The triune had heard of the Great One, of course, and they were a little surprised that he had turned out to be just an ordinary-looking young man. They had expected to come into contact with him after getting their hands on the tricolor flower, but not here in the Valley of the Buried Heart.

But there was no doubt that Alex was the Great One. They watched him sit serenely in meditation, surrounded by some of the most dangerous immortals in the world who didn't even dare to take a step toward him. They had seen what Alex had done to Gil and Naya, and they knew he really was the Great One.

The Fool cleared his throat and spoke. "We're willing to drop any claim to the spirit water, but we're not leaving without the tricolor flower. It's coming back with us, and that's the end of it."

He had heard of Alex and acknowledged his skill, but it was clear he wasn't afraid of him. The Great One or not, he was just a young man stumbling through this world, and he was surrounded by immortal warriors. Why would anyone here be afraid of him, even after seeing what he had done to Naya and Gil? The Fool leaned on his staff, confident that Alex was no threat to him.

Alex slowly opened his eyes. "Anyone who crosses this line will die," he said again.

"You're just one man," Reagan pointed out. "No matter how strong you think you are, there are twenty of us and only one of you. Do you really want to gamble on those odds?"

"Enough of this," Asher hissed. His eyes began to glow with a golden light. "Let's just kill him."

The Fool began to chuckle. "Fine," he said. "Sorry, kid. You're out of time."

The triune fanned out to prepare for a fight.

Louis felt his hands and feet go numb, and his heart sank. He could see that Alex was never going to back down. The tricolor flower appeared only once every ten thousand years, so it was just too tempting a prize to seekers of power. If someone like Asher or the Fool got hold of it, then they would do anything to keep it. It seemed like Alex was going to take on the immortals alone.

If you manage to beat them, Louis thought, no one with any real power will be able to ignore you.

When he saw that Asher and the others had moved into an attack position, the bearded old man smiled wickedly. No matter how strong the Great One was supposed to be, there was no way he could stand against the triune.