The Battle Intensifies

The Battle Intensifies

Only six participants remained in this grueling challenge: Qin Wentian, Lou Bingyu, Lin Xian'er, the Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect, Poison Scorpion, and the enigmatic man adorned in opulent robes.

Qin Wentian fixed his gaze intently on Poison Scorpion. His intuition had been spot on—all that remained now were formidable adversaries. The Sky Poison Valley, as one of the Nine Great Sects, had proven itself as a force to be reckoned with, and the brown-eyed youth before them had undoubtedly shaken Lin Xian'er to her core. This enigmatic figure had already showcased his chilling prowess, sending an ominous message to the surviving contestants.

Although his single strike had been delivered covertly, through the insidious means of poison, it only magnified his threat. A lapse in vigilance could lead to an agonizing death shrouded in mystery. He had dispatched four Heaven Chosen effortlessly, a feat that would have demanded considerable effort and risk for anyone else.

"It does seem more comfortable now," Poison Scorpion quipped as the group reached the midpoint of their ascent. The radiant glow from above intensified, reflecting the growing anticipation in Poison Scorpion's eyes. The summit of the pagoda, their ultimate objective, was drawing closer with each step.

The remaining contenders engaged in a silent, wary assessment of each other. They sought to discern potential alliances and identify potential adversaries. To the young man in opulent attire, however, all five of them were deemed adversaries.

"May I propose a strategy?" The well-dressed youth suggested, his deep eyes brimming with a hint of malevolence. "Let's take turns attacking, starting with one of us. When it's your turn to attack, none of us shall interfere until the weakest among us falls, or unless the attacker decides to relent and pass on the role. What say you?" His gaze lingered briefly on Lou Bingyu as he spoke.

"What guarantees do we have that everyone will adhere to this agreement? What if someone attempts to sabotage it?" Lin Xian'er countered gently, her gaze drifting toward Poison Scorpion, who remained silently vigilant.

"Caution will be our safeguard," the opulently dressed young man replied, seemingly unperturbed by the potential risks. "For instance, when I'm the attacker, anyone who joins in will engage in a private battle with me. Yet, the moment I cease, their attack will affect all of us. It's in our best interest to cooperate, or history will repeat itself, and Poison Scorpion will claim more victims." He grinned nonchalantly, appearing untroubled by the dangers that lay ahead. "Of course, for those who prefer not to assume the role of the attacker, we can simply skip their turn. In that case, they may continue defending."

"I have no objections," Poison Scorpion chimed in, his eyes gleaming with a trace of amusement, leaving others to conceal their sardonic laughter. Of course, he wouldn't object. If the conversation revolved around sneak attacks, it was his specialty. The others wouldn't stand a chance against his crafty tactics.

"In any case, this approach should bring some order to our battles. I, too, have no objections," declared the Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect, displaying unwavering confidence in his own abilities.

"Since you've all agreed, I shall do the same," Lin Xian'er concurred, her soothing voice masking her underlying resilience. Her willingness to adopt a submissive stance was peculiar, given that prior contestants had perished without the opportunity to plead for mercy. However, as a woman, she was afforded certain advantages. Few could muster the resolve to harm such a beautiful figure, a privilege she intended to exploit. If it had been the Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect, he would never have stooped to such humbling words.

Qin Wentian remained silent, contemplating the proposal. Lou Bingyu refrained from voicing her opinion but appeared amenable to the plan.

"In that case, I shall volunteer as the first attacker," the elegantly attired young man declared with a smile. As he spoke, his aura intensified, radiating a menacing heat. With an uplifted palm, a surge of fiery qi, pulsating with destructive power, burst forth.

From the perspective of the others, it felt as though his attack was hurtling inexorably toward each of them.

Qin Wentian raised his palms, releasing a powerful blast, but the young man before him maintained a chilling smile. Fiery energy surged around him, and a pair of blazing wings unfurled behind his back. Waves of searing heat enveloped the area as he extended his finger, summoning a blood-red phoenix imbued with immense power. The crimson bird streaked toward Qin Wentian with unwavering determination.

Qin Wentian's blood raced as a vibrant crimson aura erupted around him, ascending into the heavens. He donned a formidable demonic armor, his fist clenched with unyielding might, ready to confront the approaching blood phoenix. As their forces collided, he felt a powerful tremor coursing through his arm.

The phoenix let out a resounding cry that reverberated through the skies, spewing forth black flame lotuses of annihilation, each brimming with devastating energy. Qin Wentian retaliated with a double-palm strike, the thunderous impact tearing through the very fabric of space as his attacks clashed fiercely against the destructive flame lotuses.

Following their agreement, the youth in opulent robes continued to unleash a barrage of attacks, while the other five maintained their defensive positions. However, being the sole attacker meant he had to focus on a single target among the five. Currently, his sights were set squarely on Lou Bingyu, adjusting his attacks to counter her defenses.

This young man bore the surname Li, hailing from the Li Clan in the Southern Domain of the Royal Sacred Region. Li Hantian, as he was known, happened to be the elder brother of Li Hanyou, a personal disciple of the Plum Mountain Sword Sovereigness. Aware of Lou Bingyu's standing as the senior apprentice sister favored by the Sword Sovereigness, Li Hantian sought to challenge her. In the past, the Plum Mountain Sword Sovereigness had forced the Human Emperor Ye Qingyun to extract treasures from his own body as a gift for Lou Bingyu, leaving his Li Clan in a humiliated state.

Now that their paths had crossed, Li Hantian aimed to determine who held the greater strength.

"Have you had your fill of attacking?" Lou Bingyu's voice, tinged with an ominous aura, pierced the air.

Li Hantian, undeterred, responded with a flirtatious tone, "Even when angered, beauty remains alluring."

The icy demeanor radiating from Lou Bingyu intensified, causing those in the vicinity to shiver involuntarily.

"Fighting an opponent like you is a waste of time," she retorted coldly.

Her words were like an icy blade, slashing through the tension in the air. Lou Bingyu took a step forward, her resolve apparent. In that moment, Qin Wentian and the others sensed the oppressive pressure around them lifting. The radiant pagoda light engulfed both Lou Bingyu and Li Hantian, leaving the rest unscathed.

Evidently, Lou Bingyu was genuinely provoked. With her sword in hand, she summoned an arctic storm, cloaking the area in a frigid chill capable of freezing even the mightiest of mountains and rivers.

A single sword strike gave birth to a tempest of frost and snow, blanketing an area spanning a thousand miles. Sword qi wove intricate patterns in the air as the fiery phoenix found itself encased in an icy prison. A look of sheer astonishment washed over Li Hantian's face. In this moment, he sensed an irresistible force emanating from Lou Bingyu's very being. He had grossly underestimated the favored personal disciple of the Plum Mountain Sword Sovereigness.

Lou Bingyu's attack unfolded like a symphony of snowflakes transformed into blades. Its power dwarfed her previous strike by twofold. Li Hantian attempted to retreat, only to discover that the relentless snowflakes converged, coalescing into a colossal frosty blade that surged towards him at lightning speed. As he desperately sought to exit the treasure pagoda, the sword cleaved through his form. The biting cold was so intense that his splattered blood froze instantaneously.

Yet another Heaven Chosen had fallen.

Among the Nine Great Sects, the Battle Sword Sect was renowned for its unparalleled prowess in individual combat. Though not every disciple was a powerhouse, their elites had a reputation for outshining their peers in the same generation. While Lou Bingyu might not have been as famous as Ji Feixue, an era-suppressing genius, her brilliant swordsmanship left no doubt that she was not far behind. Furthermore, rumors circulated that her master, the Plum Mountain Sword Sovereigness, had extracted a treasure from the Human Emperor himself, enhancing her already formidable strength.

With a graceful retraction of her sword, Lou Bingyu returned to her original spot. Her fellow participants had watched her duel with Li Hantian with bated breath. Such was the unique aspect of the pagoda's rules.

Now only five contenders remained. They ascended yet another step, drawing closer to the pinnacle. But their hearts remained far from at ease. All knew their remaining opponents were formidable adversaries.

"Poison Scorpion, your turn," declared the Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect. Brown eyes scanned the group before Poison Scorpion unleashed his assault. A noxious gale swept through, forcing Qin Wentian and the others to hold their breath. Swords materialized into a protective barrier around Qin Wentian, dispersing the toxic miasma.

The toxic wind grew more intense, blurring the vision of all present. Qin Wentian frowned as he observed an immense scorpion king emerging from the heart of the poisonous haze. It charged straight at him, its stinger poised for a deadly strike.

"Is Poison Scorpion human or demon?" whispered fearful voices among the group. Qin Wentian summoned a blood-red halberd, thrusting it towards the scorpion's stinger. Their clash splintered the stinger, sending a spray of crimson droplets hurtling towards Qin Wentian.

With haste, Qin Wentian's left palm surged forth, disintegrating the perilous droplets. But the relentless scorpion continued its relentless approach, thrusting its stinger forth with unyielding determination.

Qin Wentian hesitated for a fleeting moment, his mind racing as he assessed the unfolding situation. A cold glint pierced through his eyes as he summoned the unyielding might within him. With the ancient halberd gripped firmly in his hands, he struck out decisively. The resulting cacophony of piercing sounds reverberated in the air, shattering the scorpion into countless fragments. The scorpion's blood burst forth, transforming into a malevolent sea of venom.

Acting swiftly, Qin Wentian pointed his finger skyward, conjuring a surge of destructive, blood-red light that surged upward, voraciously devouring the torrent of venomous blood raining down. His assessment of the situation was clear – one must not come into contact with the blood of that poisonous scorpion.

As he contemplated the dangerous encounter, a sudden cold glint raced towards him, sending a jolt of apprehension coursing through his heart. Yet, just as the impending danger threatened to overwhelm him, a melodious voice shattered the tense atmosphere, dispelling the imminent threat. Qin Wentian's eyes scanned the scene before him and were met with the sight of two figures locked in combat beneath the silvery light. The Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect had attempted a clandestine attack but found his intentions thwarted by none other than Lin Xian`er.

"Hehe, it seems that the time has finally come for a sparring match with Fairy Lin," the Saint Child of the Supreme Demon Sect chuckled, reveling in the clash.

Another voice chimed in, expressing similar sentiments, as Poison Scorpion joined the fray. He unleashed a ferocious beam of blood-colored light in Lin Xian`er's direction.

The comment from Lin Xian`er herself was laced with both sarcasm and defiance. Her eyes gleamed with a determined spirit. She contemplated leaving the tumultuous battlefield, but her realization came swiftly – once one was ensnared in this relentless combat, there appeared to be no voluntary escape until one of them met their demise. It was a dire situation that forced them to grapple with the consequences of their choices.