70-75

Chapter 70: Let The Intersect Tournament Commence!

Zack walked into the grand arena, casually taking in the sights around him. The massive stadium had been hastily constructed by the Black Rose Sect in preparation for the upcoming Intersect Tournament.

The entire structure looked freshly cut from black marble, with towering stands that would soon be filled by thousands of spectators.

It was clear that the Black Rose Sect had spared no expense when it came to hosting the tournament.

Despite the early hour, the stands were already beginning to fill as disciples and spectators alike fought for the best views of the tournament stage below. Excited chatter hummed through the crowds as friends called out greetings and rivals traded taunts.

Zack's gaze swept over the disciples gathered in the arena's centre, all clustered in their sect groupings. He spotted a few familiar faces from the Black Rose Sect and walked over to join them.

"Junior Brother Zack!" a cheerful voice called out.

Zack turned to see Hughie elbowing his way through the crowd towards him, a wide grin splitting his face.

Once he reached Zack, Hughie clapped him on the back, "Man, can you believe this place? The tournament's gonna be epic!" Lowering his voice, he added, "And when you make it into the Sealed Realm, your senior brother's got your back. My luck's gotta rub off on you at some point!"

Zack laughed. Having Hughie's notorious bouts of fortune on his side certainly wouldn't hurt. He still remembered how it saved the Main Body's hide a few times. "I'll hold you to that, Senior Brother."

To Zack's surprise, he and Hughie got on quite well. Unlike with the Main Body, Hughie seemed quite laid-back and relaxed around him, he even made a few jokes here and there.

Noticing two more familiar figures, Hughie waved them over. "Caelum! Amelia! Come join us!"

As the two walked over, Amelia gave Zack a slow, heated once-over that made him resist the urge to take a step back.

Really, being cursed with such devilish good looks can be a hassle at times, Zack sighed as though it wasn't the Main Body who meticulously crafted his body. Well, I guess with great power comes great responsibility.

"Let's join the other disciples in the waiting area," Caelum suggested. He gestured towards the tunnel leading under the arena floor. "We'll be summoned when it's time."

The group nodded, moving to follow the steady stream of disciples. Zack glanced around, realising that one disciple was missing.

"Has anyone seen Nomed?"

The disciples glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"You know how he is, always wandering off on his own for who knows what," Hughie said. "I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."

What was that kid up to when he vanished like that? Zack wondered. Eh, it's not my problem, keeping disciples in check is the Main Body's job!

Shaking his head, Zack turned his attention to the other disciples filling the tunnel. With over a few hundred Foundation Establishment contenders, seeking out potential troublemakers would prove tricky.

Someone's watching me…

A prickle on the back of his neck made him glance over to find none other than Ziven staring back at him.

No, not me.

The Heavenly Light disciple was actually glaring at Amelia, the animosity was nearly palpable even from a distance.

Glare all you want; you don't have long to live anyway.

Scanning the crowds again, Zack spotted another knot of disciples gathered around one Heavenly Light disciple in particular. The slender youth ignored those vying for his attention, though his posture suggested that he enjoyed the fawning.

It was none other than Arkan, a well-known prodigy even in the Heavenly Light Sect. According to Morvran's intelligence reports, the youth resented Ziven for stealing some of his limelight as a newcomer to the sect.

Now there was a possibility worth entertaining, Zack mused.

Stoking the flames of rivalry to spur Arkan into confronting Ziven during the tournament could produce some entertaining chaos and who knows, it may even weaken the Son of Heaven.

If you want to kill a Son of Heaven, you gotta play dirty.

Before Zack could further ponder this, shouts erupted from his left. Whipping his head around, he spotted a hulking White Tiger Sect disciple stomping through the passageway. Zack guessed that he had to be at least seven and a half feet tall.

As the White Tiger disciple strode by, even some of the Core Formation competitors shuffled out of his path. The man's cultivation base fluctuations identified him as a solid Peak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

A dual cultivator! Zack felt a spike of excitement.

He hadn't expected to see another cultivator like himself.

The White Tiger Sect was notorious for producing beast-like combat fanatics.

And a dual cultivator had 'difficult opponent' written all over him.

An image of the huge disciple and Zack exchanging earth-shattering blows flashed through his mind.

Smirking to himself, Zack decided finding the opportunity to face off against this brute in the arena could make the tournament somewhat less monotonous.

The Main Body wants me to breeze through the competition, but where was the fun in that?

Zack's musings were cut short by another commotion, this time it was to his right. He glanced over to see a cultivator from the Black Heart Sect go flying through the air before crashing into the wall.

"Keep your filthy hands to yourself, worm!" a familiar voice snapped.

Zack blinked in surprise to see Amelia standing there, wiping her hands as she glowered at the fallen cultivator.

Interesting.

He had naturally assumed the girl must have started the altercation given her…volatile temperament. Apparently, there was more to the situation.

Slowly sitting up, the Black Heart disciple wiped blood from his mouth with the back of one hand. The air around him rippled with qi as he fixed Amelia with a venomous glare.

"You should be grateful that I would even spare you the slightest notice," the man spat.

Zack scrutinized the disciple, sensing the cultivation base of a peak Core Formation Realm cultivator.

Not bad but I don't think he has what it takes to beat Amelia.

Before the man could stand, a sudden pressure slammed down on him, forcing him back to his knees.

Caelum's eyes had sharpened, bearing down on the Black Heart disciple with overwhelming intensity. Even though he knew Amelia could handle herself, he couldn't help but get involved, he hated those who preyed on women.

"A sword cultivator!" someone exclaimed.

Only someone who had attained the rare Sword Soul Realm could exert such formidable pressure without leaking the slightest bit of energy.

Sneering, the Black Heart disciple moved to stand but before things could escalate further, an ear-splitting chime rang out through the arena.

"Take your places, disciples! The first competition will soon begin!" Elder Fred's voice boomed overhead.

"Guess playtime's over," Hughie said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go prove why our sect's the best!"

Zack took one last sweeping look across the arena, imprinting the faces of the more interesting opponents to memory.

When next they met, it would be as enemies.

"Right," he murmured. "Let the games begin."

Five Minutes Ago…

Seated comfortably in the highest booth overlooking the arena, Slifer stroked the scaly head of the baby dragon perched on his shoulder. Little Val peered down at the bustling crowds below, her slitted eyes bright with curiosity.

"Why can't I join the tournament too?" she spoke up, turning her big eyes up at Slifer. "It looks like fun!"

Slifer chuckled, reaching up to stroke her scaly head. "I'm afraid not, little one. The tournament is only open to human disciples below the Nascent Soul stage."

And Val was neither human nor below Nascent Soul.

Val's eyes rounded in surprise. "Oh! Val is too strong for humans?"

Slifer laughed. "Yes, far too strong for them, I'm afraid. You'd gobble them all up without even trying!"

He tickled her belly, and she released a small burp of flame in protest, though looking rather pleased by the assessment of her skills.

"So Val can't play with them?"

"If you played with them, it could be considered bullying," Slifer explained patiently. "We need to let the others have a fair chance to compete as well."

The lie rolled smoothly off his tongue. The tournament was rigged to favour his disciples, Slifer didn't care about playing fair. Playing fair in a xianxia world only got you killed.

But Slifer didn't enjoy lying, especially to little Val.

However, it was his job to turn her into a righteous dragon.

If there even was such a thing.

Val mulled over Slifer's words for a few seconds before nodding. "I don't want to be a bully," she declared. "Master said being a bully is bad."

"Exactly right," Slifer praised, smiling at this small sign of moral development. He popped a cinnamon candy from his robe pocket into her mouth as a reward.

It wasn't the human meat she craved, but it would do the job.

For now.

One by one, the Ascendant cultivators from the other sects began filing into the adjoining booths reserved for them. Slifer greeted them lazily through half-lidded eyes.

When the last booth remained empty, Astrid broke the silence. "Where is Kaelius? Did anyone see the Black Heart Sect Master arrive?"

The other Ascendants shook their heads. None of them had seen the Black Heart Sect Master since yesterday.

"Funny you should mention that," Slifer remarked lightly as he reached into his spatial ring.

He brought out an item - a gold key etched with black runes.

"One of my patrols found this dropped near our sect's southern border."

Zofia's eyes narrowed. "Why do you have Kaelius' key fragment? What have you done with him?"

"Now hold on," Leontius interjected gently. "Let's not jump to conclusions. I'm certain there's a reasonable explanation."

"Was there any other sign of Kaelius?" Astrid butted in.

Slifer shook his head, keeping his expression neutral. "My men scoured the region thoroughly but found no traces. As you know, when an Ascendant truly does not wish to be found..."

He trailed off with a shrug. The implication was clear - if Kaelius had gone into hiding, no one short of an Immortal Realm expert would be capable of locating him against his will.

"Preposterous!" Zofia snapped, crossing her arms. "You expect us to believe an Ascendant cultivator just happened to disappear without a trace while visiting your sect? Do you take us for fools?"

Ah Zofia, always quick to think the worst of people, Slifer resisted the urge to rub his temples at the headache he could already feel developing.

However, he couldn't blame her, it did sound suspicious.

He had known revealing Kaelius' key would arouse the others' suspicion. But if he had withheld it only to produce the artifact later during the opening of the Sealed Realm, it would have made him appear even more untrustworthy.

If he was the Ascendant cultivator that he pretended to be, then avoiding conflict wouldn't matter to him.

And unfortunately there was simply no graceful way to handle the Black Heart Sect leader's unexpected disappearance.

"While I don't claim to know what happened to Sect Master Kaelius, I can assure you I played no part in it," Slifer said evenly, meeting Zofia's hostile gaze. "Are you really suggesting I have the ability to overpower and dispose of a cultivator of Kaelius' level without anyone else detecting anything?"

Zofia's eyes flashed, but she held her tongue.

Cultivators at their level could be defeated by others in the same realm, but they were incredibly difficult to kill, they just had too many life-saving treasures.

And for one to go missing without being able to alert anyone? Even she knew that sounded ridiculous.

"Enough speculation. If the Black Rose Sect intended to attack us, why wait until now? They could have ambushed us from the beginning." She eyed Kaelius' key fragment. "All that matters is we have his piece. I'm sure Kaelius will turn up eventually."

With a huff, Zofia settled back in her seat. Unless the Black Rose Sect Master completed his breakthrough, the Black Rose Sect simply didn't have the qualifications to threaten any of the other major sects.

And if such a breakthrough were to occur, then the mysterious phenomenon that accompanied it couldn't be hidden.

Crisis averted, Slifer held back a sigh.

"Please inform us if you learn anything more of Kaelius' whereabouts," Leontius requested.

"You have my word." Slifer inclined his head, though he was sceptical whether the word of a demonic cultivator meant anything.

He certainly wouldn't be naïve enough to believe it.

Slifer had his suspicions about the Black Heart Sect Master's sudden disappearance. But voicing them now would only rouse further suspicion.

Better to keep it to himself for the time being.

Satisfied that the Ascendants were appeased, Slifer signalled for Elder Fred to commence with the opening proceedings.

It's showtime.

Right on cue, the tunnel entrances around the arena's perimeter shuddered open. What appeared to be a solid stone wall slid apart, revealing the competitors standing ready in the passageways.

"Welcome to the Intersect Tournament!" Elder Fred's voice boomed through the arena. "You have met the criteria to enter the tournament. Now is your chance to earn a slot to enter the Sealed Realm!"

The disciples below stood straighter, pride and excitement on their faces. Entering the Sealed Realm could change their fates, those that were destined to die as mediocre could become the rising stars of the younger generation.

"Two parallel tournaments will take place simultaneously over this coming month," Fred continued. "One for the Core Formation disciples, and one for Foundation Establishment."

The disciples listened intently. The tournament structure was familiar to them already.

"Five total spots to enter the Sealed Realm will be awarded to each group," the elder said, holding up five fingers.

"Now, onto the first stage." He waved a sleeve, conjuring glowing images of two contrasting environments. "It will take place in two pocket realms we have prepared."

Pocket realms were similar to mini-sealed realms. Like the name suggested, they were much smaller in size. It was normal for sects to have a few in their possession.

"The Foundation Establishment group will be entering the Forest of Whispering Shadows." The image depicted a misty, gloomy woodland. "As for the Core Formation group, they will enter the Valley of Scattered Flames." This realm showed a fiery landscape of lava flows and smoky fissures.

"Participants will be divided randomly into teams of three. Each team will be sent into separate pocket realms containing one Yin scroll and one Yang scroll."

Fred allowed dramatic pause before continuing. "And of course, all team members must remain alive to pass," Elder Fred added. "The rules are simple - work together and survive."

This announcement was met by muted mumbles as the disciples sized up potential allies and enemies. Teams would cut across sect divisions, forcing cooperation with rivals.

The demonic cultivators in particular seemed disgruntled. Trust did not come naturally to them under the best circumstances. Relying on unknown teammates could prove disastrous.

For once, the righteous cultivators shared their reluctance. How could they place their fates in the hands of those who walked the demonic path? Even with rules compelling cooperation, they still hesitated to trust those deviants.

Could they truly cooperate?

Raising his hands for silence, Elder Fred went on. "The team assignments will now be determined."

With another gesture, a wooden barrel etched with glowing symbols appeared on the ground. "Each of you, come forth and draw a marked stone. The number will assign you to your team."

Before the first eager disciple could rush forward, a powerful pressure abruptly weighed down on the arena, stopping everyone cold. Gasps and shouts erupted as all heads craned skyward.

There, a flying ship broke through the clouds before descending towards the tournament grounds. The disciples could make out a dark, hooded figure standing atop the deck.

The cloaked man leapt over the side, landing cat-like on the booth holding the Ascendant beings. Pulling back the hood, the figure revealed itself, it was the Black Death Sect Master!

"What is the meaning of this, Vowron?" Zofia demanded, on her feet. "The Black Death Sect forfeited their tournament rights by not attending the Ascendant Meet."

The Black Death Sect Master chuckled, unbothered by her attitude. "Come now, let's not fuss over technicalities between friends." He walked towards the empty booth. "Surely one more competitor would make things...interesting."

"Absolutely not," Astrid declared, rising to join Zofia. "The rules clearly state any sect absent from the Meet relinquishes their entry eligibility."

"It sounds like you're making excuses, do you fear facing true competition?" Vowron raised an eyebrow.

"Why you-!" Zofia looked ready to leap down and throttle the man herself. Only Leontius' hand on her shoulder kept her rooted in place.

But the Black Death Sect Master merely smirked at the Ascendants. "If you brought the Heavenly Light's esteemed Sect Master, I may have backed down," he purred. "But against the likes of you? I think not."

To emphasize his point, he unleashed the full pressure of his cultivation base. The sheer power forced Zofia and Leontius back into their seats. Only Astrid managed to remain standing, though uneasily.

Peak Ascendant Realm!

The Ascendants all turned to Slifer. Not only was he supposedly the most powerful amongst them but he was the host, this was his mess to deal with.

Dammit, why does this keep happening? What should I do? I can't afford to reveal my trump cards, at least, not so soon.

Chapter 71: A Traitor?

Insight!

Name Vowron

Realm Half-Step Immortal Realm

Known Techniques N/A

Known Affiliations N/A

Dispostion N/A

Comprehension 5

Luck 5

Talent 6

Will 5

So, the man already has a foot in the Immortal Realm. It seems this tournament just became a little less boring, Slifer held back a frown.

He wasn't happy.

Boring was good, boring was safe!

Based on Vowron's attitude, Slifer guessed that the Black Death Sect Master likely aimed to goad him into a confrontation, then use him as a punching bag to show off his new cultivation to the other sects.

However, Slifer had no desire to be anyone's puppet, least of all a punching bag!

Like hell I'm humiliating myself for your amusement, Vowron.

As much as Slifer wished to put the arrogant devil in his place, he knew revealing his trump cards this soon would be unwise.

Diplomacy it is…

Rising to his feet, Slifer felt the anxious gazes of the other Ascendants fix on him, anticipating and perhaps even desiring a clash between the two.

"Vowron is absolutely right," Slifer declared, flashing a carefree grin. "The more competitors we have, the more exciting the tournament will be!"

Vowron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was clearly not the reaction he had expected.

Slifer smiled and waved a hand invitingly. "By all means, join us! I look forward to seeing what your disciples can do against the best of our sects."

Recovering quickly, Vowron returned Slifer's smile. "You are too gracious, Supreme Elder," he said smoothly. "I appreciate you seeing reason."

The other Ascendants exchanged wary glances, suspicion etched on their faces. Clearly they wondered whether the two demonic cultivators were in collusion against them.

Little Val tugged worriedly on Slifer's sleeve. "Master, that strange man feels scary," she whispered.

I agree! Slifer cried.

However outwardly, he smiled and gave the dragon a reassuring pat. "Not to worry, I won't let anyone hurt you, little one." He slipped her another cinnamon candy to distract her.

It worked.

Val's small face immediately brightened. "Master is the best!"

With Vowron now seated, the Black Death Sect disciples disembarked from the flying ship and joined the other competitors on the arena floor. Slifer watched as the team allocation process resumed.

When it came time for Hughie to draw his number, Slifer had to resist a knowing smile. Through a bit of trickery beforehand, Elder Fred had secretly marked the stones corresponding to the qi of Slifer's disciples.

Just as Slifer anticipated, Hughie picked up a stone carved with the number nine.

Excellent. Now to get the other two on the same team.

Shortly after, Amelia approached and also selected the stone marked with the number nine. She shot Hughie a smile as she came to stand beside him. Finally, Caelum drew the same stone.

"Well, well, what a fortuitous coincidence," Zofia remarked drily, casting Slifer a pointed look. "One might even say this assignment process seems downright rigged."

Slifer simply laughed. "Come now, Zofia. You can only blame the Heavens for my luck."

He glanced down at Val who bobbed her head in fervent agreement. "Master said lying is bad. He would never ever cheat!"

Slifer nodded, ignoring the twinge of guilt he felt at the baby dragon's trust in him. Sometimes cheating was necessary, he reassured himself.

"Of course not," Zofia said flatly, clearly unconvinced. With a resigned sigh, she settled back into her seat.

A sect securing small advantages for its own members was simply expected when hosting tournaments such as these. Her own Heavenly Light Sect had certainly rigged things in their favour during previous tournaments.

At least the teams appear evenly matched otherwise, Zofia noted.

The random assignment process resulted in most groups comprised of disciples from different sects.

In comparison, Slifer's handpicked team of top Black Rose disciples would have a distinct edge in cooperation. She hated to admit it, but they did have an advantage this round.

Thirty minutes later…

With the Core Formation teams allocated, it was time for the Foundation Establishment disciples. Slifer watched idly as they approached one-by-one to draw their numbers. Most knew better than to outwardly react to their new teammates, though Slifer noticed more than a few poorly concealed grimaces.

When William stepped up, Slifer observed closely. He remembered William. During the Disciple Selection Ceremony, the other Grand Elders expected Slifer to take him on.

However, Slifer knew that whilst the boy's stats were decent, they were not enough to catch the eye of a Grand Elder, let alone a Supreme Elder. He didn't know how he did it, but Slifer knew that William had cheated.

He was a motivated young man, willing to do whatever it took to succeed. And that was what Slifer was looking for.

He could be a good teammate for Zack.

William drew a stone engraved with the number three. Though he kept his face impassive, his breathing quickened. Slifer could sense the boy's anxiety. William knew that passing the first stage greatly depended on having good teammates.

Haha, don't worry lad, I've got that sorted for you, Slifer held back a laugh, he could get used to playing the strings behind the scene.

A few more disciples were given their numbers before Nomed, who had arrived just before Elder Fred's announcement, stepped forth.

Slifer wasn't surprised when Nomed also selected the stone marked three.

Zack, Nomed, and William... Together, they should be one of the stronger groups in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

William's eyes narrowed slightly. He did not like or trust Nomed. Though he would never admit it aloud, he felt inferior to the talented village boy who had risen so quickly in the sect.

However, remembering his family's fate depended on him entering the Sealed Realm, William swallowed his pride. Nomed's skills could help him pass this stage.

I guess I could partner up with a village boy, William thought, giving Nomed a slight nod as the other disciple joined him.

After several more team allocations, it was finally Zack's turn!

Zack sauntered up to the stone barrel, fully expecting the number three to be etched into the one that called to him. The Main Body already rigged this entire process in his favour, after all. This would be child's play.

He plunged his hand inside, grabbing onto the fragment that he felt calling to him. Without even glancing at it, he turned to head towards William and Nomed's side. But halfway there he froze, smile disappearing as he read the number on the fragment - five.

Five! How was that possible? Did the Main Body somehow make a mistake? Zack snuck a look at Slifer, who with his wrinkly face couldn't look anymore disinterested. But Zack could tell by the slight twitch on his forehead that the Main Body was just as stunned as him.

The Main Body didn't know…which means...sabotage!

Someone or something interfered.

Has my identity been exposed? But why target something so trivial as team assignments?

It…it doesn't make sense!

Unless... A chill ran down Zack's spine. Could this be the work of Heaven's Will itself? Striking back against the Main Body?

A pointed cough from Elder Fred jolted Zack from his spiralling speculation. "If you're quite done gawking, boy, move along now. Others are still waiting for their turn."

"Er, right. Sorry." Zack shook himself out of his stupor and headed over to join the other disciple who drew stone number five.

As he took his place, Zack looked at his new teammate – a pale, silent girl from the Black Death Sect.

She spared him a single impassive glance before turning away.

Zack resisted the urge to scowl. Well isn't this just fantastic…nothing says "fun times ahead" like getting partnered with the living embodiment of a K-drama gothic vampire.

Hopefully the third member would be more talkative. As much as Zack enjoyed listening to his own voice, talking to himself grew tedious and would probably draw unwanted attention that he did not need.

After several more students, a tall, wiry Black Death disciple shuffled over to join them. Sharp cheekbones, sunken eyes, sallow complexion - yep, definitely some undead blood in this one. Maybe a zombie?

Plastering on a friendly grin, Zack stuck out his hand. "Name's Zack! Let's all get along now."

The boy ignored his outstretched hand, face expressionless. Zack let his arm drop, smile growing strained.

O-kay then. Looked like sparkling conversation was off the table.

Noticing the unexpected grouping, Vowron called over to Slifer, "It seems our disciples will be teammates. How fortunate!"

Slifer forced a smile. "Yes, my disciple is lucky to have yours." Inwardly, he thought the opposite. He did not trust these Black Death disciples one bit.

Vowron shook his head. "Come now, let us not pretend luck had anything to do with this." His knowing look made Slifer's eyes narrow.

The Black Death Sect only arrived as the Intersect Tournament was beginning, they didn't have time to interfere with the stone markings.

Unless…there's a traitor!

It wasn't unusual for spies to be hidden within the ranks of sects. Only a foolish Sect Master would refrain from sending spies to other sects. What troubled Slifer was that the traitor was targeting Zack or maybe…him?

The Black Heart Sect Master's disappearance…the traitor targeting me…Slifer's eyes flashed.

Ever since he had entered this world, it was one problem after another.

He was not surprised that a tournament was no longer a simple tournament.

Something was going on, and he needed to find out what.

"Morvran, I need you and Kalin to…"

With all the teams decided, Elder Fred raised his hands. "The first stage will now begin!"

He lifted two cubes in his palms - one fiery red, one emerald green. With a flick of his wrists, he sent them flying towards the disciples below. The red cube landed amongst the Core Formation competitors, while the green one reached the Foundation Establishment group.

"Take hold of the cube with your team to activate the teleportation portal," Elder Fred explained. "Do not let go until you have crossed over, or you may become separated."

Cries of shock and excitement rang out as the disciples hurried to follow his instructions.

Hughie, Amelia, and Caelum grabbed hands around their cube.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Hughie muttered. "Going through weird portals never ends well for me."

"Oh, stop whining." Amelia snatched his hand along with Caelum's. Before Hughie could protest further, she channelled her qi into the cube.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Hughie's panicked voice echoed back right before a fiery portal enveloped the trio.

Zack watched as the Foundation Establishment teams disappeared into green portals. Elder Fred's words rang in his head, if he didn't keep a hold of his teammates, he would be separated.

The criteria to pass the first stage stipulated that all team members must be alive. But…it never mentioned anything about being crippled.

He shared the Main Body's suspicion. He knew that demonic cultivators should never be trusted but something about these two was dangerous, very dangerous.

And Zack definitely did not want to be trapped alone with them.

As much as he craved excitement, Zack did not want to die.

No! I'm too young to die, I'm only a few weeks old!

The Black Death disciples closed in on either side of Zack, each grabbing one of his arms just before the jade stone arrived.

So, they ignore me when I want a handshake yet this is okay? Zack sighed, feeling their grips tighten around his wrists like iron shackles.

These guys are too shady and I don't have any cards to keep me safe, I need to get out of here! Zack decided as the stone's teleportation field enveloped them.

He quickly jerked his arms free and leapt backwards.

The Black Death Sect members' expressions darkened, reaching forward to grab him.

"See you never," Zack laughed, waving as he disappeared into the vortex.

Chapter 72: Valley of Scattered Flames

Valley of Scattered Flames

Hughie let out a startled yelp as he tumbled out of the portal, landing face-first into a pile of thick, mushy muck.

"Ugghh, gross!" he exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. His face was covered in sticky, pungent gunk. He grimaced as he tentatively sniffed the foul substance.

"Oh no...is this what I think it is?"

Of course he would land smack into a pile of Silverspine Ape dung - known throughout the realm for producing the largest, smelliest piles of faeces.

They weren't even native to warm terrains, what was the bloody ape doing here?

"This is why I hate portals!" he groused miserably.

The old man's laughter rang in his head. "Serves you right for not jumping in yourself, boy! A little crap will do you good."

Scowling, Hughie looked around for something to clean himself with. Finding a clear puddle, he hurriedly bent down to splash the water on his face.

"That's much better-" he broke off with a strangled yelp as Amelia emerged behind him, biting back a smile.

"Pretty sure that puddle is ape piss, Hughie."

Hughie reeled back, every inch of his face burning with humiliation. Just his luck - shit and piss in one fell swoop.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

Seeing his expression, Amelia laughed.

Oh yeah, laugh it up! Hughie shot her a venomous look as he desperately wiped again at his face.

This was all her fault for shoving him into that blasted portal.

As the two bickered, Caelum emerged from the portal. His gaze swept over the fiery landscape - rivers of lava, plumes of toxic gas, jagged cliffs - taking in the Valley of Scattered Flames.

It was a harsh, unforgiving environment.

Caelum closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense out in all directions. As a sword cultivator, he had honed his spiritual perception to extend exceptionally far.

Amelia watched Caelum closely, arms crossed. "Any other teams close enough for me to play with?" she asked. Though her tone was nonchalant, her eyes glinted with that familiar sadistic gleam.

After a long moment, Caelum opened his eyes and shook his head. "No one else seems to be nearby," he reported. Given the vast size of the pocket realm, he hadn't really expected to detect anyone right away. "We appear to be alone for the time being."

Amelia sighed. "That's a shame. I was hoping to get my hands on some arrogant righteous disciples." Cracking her knuckles, she added, "I would have enjoyed teaching them some manners."

Having finally cleaned himself off using a non-urine puddle, Hughie walked over to them. "Alright, we made it here in one piece. What's the plan?"

Caelum paused, considering their options. Master had informed them that the scrolls they needed were protected from traditional spiritual sense somehow. However, he did give them a map.

A map that marked the location of several scrolls!

Normally, Caelum frowned on cheating. As a sword cultivator that now followed the righteous path, he valued honour and fairness.

Master said we must do whatever it takes to succeed, he reminded himself. For the greater good.

Pulling out the map, Caelum pointed to a spot circled in red ink. "A scroll is hidden somewhere near here. It's close by, so we'll start our search there." He traced a finger along the route. "Stay within signalling range in case of trouble," he advised. "There could be dangerous beasts about…or worse, humans."

Hughie nodded seriously. After his face-first introduction to the local wildlife, he was taking no chances.

Caelum stored the map back inside his storage ring. "Let's begin. And remember, do not take any unnecessary risks."

The three disciples split up, moving deeper into the scorched valley.

Hughie picked his way carefully over the rugged terrain, not daring to fly. Caelum had warned him that it would only expose him to any beasts hidden on land.

The earth rumbled beneath his feet and he eyed the bubbling lava pits warily. One misstep would cook him quicker than a chicken drumstick at a barbecue. The thought made his stomach grumble - when was the last time he'd eaten?

"Scared, boy?" Li Fenghao sneered in his mind. "And to think you joined a demonic sect!"

Hughie scowled. Just because he didn't want to plunge to a fiery death didn't mean he was afraid! He was just being careful. Caution was perfectly rational.

"If you say so," Li Fenghao said, clearly unconvinced. "Just focus on finding that scroll."

Hughie nodded, extending his spiritual sense, looking for signs of the hidden scroll. His search proved fruitless.

Master was right, he sighed.

The scroll had a concealment inscription which prevented detection through spiritual sense.

I guess I'll have to locate it the old-fashioned way.

A hiss was his only warning before a snake lashed out from the shadows. Hughie yelped, narrowly evading the surprise attack. The serpent's fangs grazed his sleeve as he leapt aside.

A tiny, brightly coloured snake lay coiled a few feet away, flicking its tongue. Hughie snorted - this little thing was six inches at best? How cute.

"I'm a little big for you fella, don't you think?" He laughed as he raised his foot.

He prepared to stomp the Late Core Formation stage reptile to death, but the little thing was a slimy one, easily dodging his attacks.

The two got into a stalemate where neither was able to touch the other.

Noticing the acidic venom spat by the snake, Li Fenghao face-palmed.

The boy was confident, too confident. He clearly needed more humility beaten into him. But the old man stayed silent. Better to let the boy learn from experience.

"Nice try little guy," Hughie laughed as he slipped past another venomous strike." Now, ta-"

Suddenly, the ground beneath Hughie's feet trembled and began caving in! "Whoa!" He quickly leapt onto his flying sword, staring around in bewilderment as a sinkhole began to form.

What was going on here?

"The snake's venom targeted the ground, you fool!" Li Fenghao snapped.

"So? I can fly just fi- GAH!" Hughie's retort ended in a strangled yelp as an ear-piercing shriek rang out.

Hughie jerked his head up just as a dark shape plummeted from the smoky sky towards him. Talons slashing, the hawk-like beast barely missed disembowelling him as he desperately rolled his sword aside.

"Okay, flying - very bad idea", Hughie clutched at the long gash torn in his shoulder. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Li Fenghao sighed loudly. "Do I need to explain everything, boy? Use that lump on your shoulders called a brain."

"Uh, yes please explain," Hughie said sheepishly. He knew he could be dense sometimes. "I'd appreciate it, Master Li."

The Greater Immortal pinched the bridge of his nose before responding.

"Clearly that pathetic snake has been hiding from that hawk-like creature," Li Fenghao lectured. "It lured you into the air to make you bait it out."

Hughie's eyes widened in understanding as he glanced around for the now-vanished serpent. "Ooohh, so it made me a distraction to escape! Clever girl."

"No, it didn't escape. It's hiding, it wants you to deal with the bird."

"Sneaky little bastard," Hughie grumbled. "Oh well, I'll leave Feathers up there to Caelum. Fighting airborne sucks."

Hughie shot a quick pulse of qi into the sky to summon his senior brother.

Moments later, Caelum burst into view, sword at the ready as he took in the situation. His gaze flicked from Hughie's bleeding shoulder to the circling hawk beast and back again.

"I'll handle this," Caelum said calmly, deflecting an aggressive swoop from the hawk. "You focus on the scroll."

As the two squared off in a blur of feathers and steel, Caelum added, "This is the serpent's territory, so the invader was likely brought in here by the sect." He swerved around the predator's claws. "Check its nest, the scroll is probably there."

Brows furrowing, Hughie asked, "Wait, how can you tell this is the snake's turf? Couldn't the bird be the native one?"

Caelum concealed his exasperation, focusing on the battle. "The acidic venom spatters on the ground are characteristic of the Diamondback Trickster snake, there are quite common in this realm. As for the bird, it is a Heartclaw Battlehawk, native to the Desolate Mountains, not here."

The hawk screeched in fury as Caelum's sword strike interrupted its attack. It pulled up sharply, circling around for another dive.

Caelum turned back to Hughie. "Does that satisfy your questions? Now, go find that nest while I handle this."

Seeing Hughie's blank look, Caelum's eye twitched. "Did you not even read the briefing scroll Master gave?"

Hughie chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ahaha, maybe skimmed it. But hey, that's what I've got you for, Mr. Encyclopedia!"

Caelum sighed deeply but Hughie was already scampering off.

Turning his focus back on the bird, he gripped Bloodthorne tightly. This was no ordinary hawk - it had clearly reached the Half-Step Nascent Soul Realm.

He would need his full concentration for this battle.

Amelia was annoyed.

She had specifically chosen to venture out further than their agreed area in hopes of encountering stragglers.

Sadly, her search only yielded stupid beasts so far.

A rumbling growl reverberated from down a rocky passage just as she had the thought. Amelia's eyes lit up. Perhaps this time it would be something interesting!

She slipped silently towards the sound, pressed against the canyon wall. Peering around a boulder, she spotted the source - a hulking Goronox foraging through a pile of bones and debris.

What a beauty…

Standing over six feet at the shoulder, the giant armoured boar was known for its wicked tusks and ill-tempered manner. Few would dare approach this Late Core Formation beast for the fun of it.

Come to mama, Amelia smiled, accepting the challenge.

She enjoyed playing with beasts almost as much as cowardly disciples.

With a laugh, she launched herself from cover right onto the oblivious Goronox's back. The beast snorted in surprise, immediately bucking and thrashing to dislodge the unwelcome rider. But Amelia's legs locked tightly around its bulk as she clung on.

"Let's have some fun, piggy!" She blasted its unprotected ears with a soul attack, laughing as it squealed in pain.

Whipping its huge head around, the Goronox managed to clamp its sharp tusks onto her calf. Amelia smiled deepened at the pain.

She ripped a horn from its armoured skull, raising the makeshift weapon high. But rather than stabbing down, she threw the horn into the sky.

The Goronox followed the flying object with its beady gaze. As the Goronox was distracted, Amelia unleashed her Soul Render technique, a blade of soul qi slashed the creature's legs. With a surprised squeal, the huge boar toppled over.

Catching the horn, Amelia leaned on the beast's head, letting her blood fall onto its face. The Goronox thrashed its head in frustration.

"Aw, tired already?" she mocked. "But I'm just getting started!"

Ignoring its muffled squeals, Amelia examined the ugly horn she held. Its jagged edge could do some beautiful damage on soft flesh. She traced it almost lovingly across the beast's face, leaving faint red lines in its rough hide.

Maybe if she was lucky, some disciples would come investigate the pained cries. Amelia smiled dreamily at the thought. She couldn't wait to see their faces when they stumbled into her playtime.

Humming cheerfully, she carved elegant spirals into the Goronox's tough armour. Their little game was just getting fun.

Forest of Whispering Shadows

Zack tumbled out of the portal, transitioning smoothly into a roll before springing back onto his feet.

"Ha! Nailed the landing," he grinned, dusting himself off.

His smile faded as he took in his gloomy surroundings. Murky fog shrouded the damp, marshy woods around him. A bog stretched out nearby, surface shimmering with oily black water.

"Lovely place," Zack grimaced, glancing back at the empty space that once occupied a portal. "Yeah...this looks like a fantastic place for a vacation. Maybe I should build a summer home here."

Shaking his head, Zack fished out his map, scanning for tell-tale markings. None. "Damn. No scroll here," he muttered, returning the map to his ring.

Sloshing noises drew his gaze back to the swamp. An enormous, beady-eyed creature surfaced, jaws gaping wide to swallow him whole!

Zack immediately channelled lightning qi into his legs, the energy crackling over his skin as he nimbly jumped clear of the attack. "Whoa now! No need for that."

The beast sunk below the murky waters once more, glaring at Zack before slowly submerging.

Zack wagged a scolding finger. "Ah ah ah, too late to back out now. You wanted a snack, well now I'm not leaving until I get a new pair of boots."

That sneak attack sealed this dumb creature's fate.

Clenching his fist, Zack channelled his qi into a glowing orb of lightning. With a casual flick, he lobbed it into the swamp waters, where it exploded in a brilliant flash.

The entire bog lit up with branching arcs of electricity as the energy surged through every living thing in the murk. A chorus of strangled croaks and hisses rang out as the swamp dwellers spasmed and thrashed before falling still, roasted by the lightning blast.

Zack made a tugging motion with his hand, and the creatures' corpses rose to the surface, floating over to pile at his feet.

"Perfect. Plenty of materials to work with here." He casually stashed the dead beasts away into his storage ring. Never know when creature parts might come in handy for pills and the like.

Just then, Zack sensed three figures entering the range of his spiritual sense. Masking his presence, he slipped into the cover of the trees and silently observed the group pass by a few minutes later.

"I'm telling you, we need to split up! It's our best shot at grabbing two scrolls before the others," argued the burly, dark-robed boy Zack recognized from the Black Heart Sect.

The slender blonde girl in blue Heavenly Light Sect robes shook her head firmly. "No, we barely know anything about what we'll be facing. It's too risky alone."

The final member of their team, a tall White Tiger disciple, nodded in agreement. "She's right, we stand a better chance sticking together."

The Black Heart boy scowled but didn't argue further. "Whatever, we do it your way. But when your plan inevitably costs us this stage, don't say I didn't warn you."

The White Tiger disciple spoke up hesitantly. "Well, splitting up might not be the best idea...but we're not totally unprepared." He patted the bronze medallion hanging around his neck. "I have a treasure-seeking artifact from my sect. It can locate precious items under Nascent Soul level."

The Black Heart disciple's glare transformed into a greedy gleam at this news, though he quickly masked it. "An intriguing trinket," he remarked casually. Too casually.

"That's great! We can track down the scrolls with no problem then," said the Heavenly Light girl happily.

But the White Tiger boy shook his head. "Not exactly. The medallion doesn't register the scrolls as treasures - those don't give off an aura. It's only helpful for locating a second artifact once we have the first scroll."

The Black Heart disciple sneered. "Then what good does it serve now? Seems you've wasted everyone's time boasting about useless junk."

"It's not useless!" the other boy protested. "It can still help with the second scroll later. I just wanted to let you both know it's an option."

"Enough bickering," interjected the Heavenly Light disciple. "We focus on securing one scroll first. Your medallion can assist us after that. Agreed?"

Both boys nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we should just ambush whoever finds the first scroll and steal it?" suggested the Black Heart boy casually. "Save us the trouble of searching."

His teammates quickly vetoed this idea, refusing to stoop to such dishonourable tactics. Their argument faded into the distance as the mismatched trio moved off.

From his hidden perch, Zack chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Oh, this is just perfect! Duty calls, idiots."

He would follow these three buffoons until they acquired the first scroll, then take it along with that delightful treasure-seeking trinket.

How generous of them to hand over such useful tools! Whistling cheerfully, Zack stealthily trailed after the group.

Chapter 73: A Deadly Ambush

The mismatched trio trudged through the murky woods, boots squelching in the damp earth.

The Heavenly Light disciple wrinkled her nose at the dank atmosphere. "What is that awful stench?"

"It's the natural musk of the swamp, princess," Leif said with a smirk. "Not all of us grew up in cosy temples and libraries."

The blonde girl shot the Black Heart disciple a withering look. "My name is Isolde, not princess. And I'll have you know the Heavenly Light Sect temples require gruelling physical training."

"Oh yes, gruelling training in how to properly fold robes and recite poems about rainbows, no doubt."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion, Leif." Isolde gave an exaggerated sniff. "Honestly, what kind of name is that for a big, scary demonic cultivator anyway? It sounds like you should be the one frolicking in flower fields."

Leif bristled, his face flushing an angry red. "Hey! It's as intimidating as any other name!" He jabbed a finger at Isolde. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once and scout ahead instead of complaining, Little Miss Sunshine?"

"Little Miss Sunshine? Why you-" Isolde began hotly before Orion stepped between them.

"Enough bickering. We need to focus on the task at hand," the tall White Tiger disciple said sternly.

Leif rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Isolde bit her lip. Orion was right, but that arrogant demonic cultivator just rubbed her the wrong way.

"So where to next?" she asked Orion, pointedly ignoring Leif. "Any signs of beasts ahead?"

The older boy crouched, examining a disturbed patch of mud. Running his fingers over the imprints, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"These are feline tracks, most likely a large predatory cat of some sort," Orion reported. "But something isn't right."

"What do you mean?" asked Isolde. Beside her, Leif scowled impatiently.

"Well, if I'm right then the tracks belong to a Stonestalker tiger, but…they typically prowl mountain ranges, not swamplands," Orion explained, rising back to his feet. "I believe someone deliberately released it here to guard something."

Understanding dawned on Isolde's face. "The scroll! This must be on the right track then."

She turned eagerly to Orion. "Think we can sneak past the tiger and grab the scroll without a fight?"

"What's the matter, afraid to break a nail?" Leif snorted. "We're cultivators, not helpless maidens."

Isolde bristled at his mocking tone. "I'm not scared," she retorted. "I'd…I'd rather avoid a deadly battle this early if we can."

Before Leif could respond, Orion stepped in. "I'm afraid confrontation is inevitable. Stonestalkers are clever beasts, it will detect us once we're within its territory."

Leif cracked his knuckles, an eager glint in his eyes. Isolde took a deep breath and smoothed her robes. She really hoped Orion knew what he was doing.

Guided by the tracks, it wasn't long before the trio found themselves peering into a rocky overhang sheltering the tiger's den. Snarls echoed from within the darkness.

Isolde tensed. "Definitely our tiger friend in there," she murmured.

Peering inside, her breath caught at the sheer size of the beast dozing just inside. It was as big as a carthorse! But that wasn't the worst of it, that aura…

She met Orion's stare with her own wide-eyed one and mouthed 'Pseudo Core Formation!'

Isolde trembled slightly - she had never faced anything above Foundation Establishment before. They were insane to consider this.

Orion clasped her shoulder, whispering. "Don't worry, we can handle this challenge together."

Leif just snorted at their words. Weaklings, both of them. If they experienced the ruthless lives of demonic cultivators, they would not be hesitant so quickly at danger.

"Let's just get this over with," he muttered. Without waiting for a response, the Black Heart disciple slipped into the cave entrance, sticking to the shadows as he stealthily circled around behind the tiger.

Isolde and Orion had no choice but to follow suit. They split up to surround the predator before it noticed their presence.

Unfortunately, their efforts proved futile as the tiger suddenly lifted its shaggy head, pupils dilating. Letting loose an earth-shaking roar, it bounded towards the cave opening to confront the trespassers.

Isolde cringed as the gale nearly bowled her over. So much for stealth!

The Stonestalker swiped a massive paw at Orion. He narrowly dodged the blow meant to decapitate him.

"Aim for its legs!" he shouted, unleashing a series of claw quick strikes to the beast's shoulders. "Slow it down!"

Leif nodded, sweeping his leg out in a blazing arc. "Cinder Whip!"

A fiery lash coiled around the tiger's hindquarters. It snarled in pain but kept charging towards Isolde. She froze for a tenth of a second before her training kicked in.

Twisting aside, she pointed her palms at the oncoming beast. "Solar Flare!" Dazzling light exploded forth, blinding the Stonestalker. It veered off course, smashing into the cave wall inches from Isolde.

Her joy at her success quickly morphed to alarm as the tiger shook off the collision and rounded on her once more. Before she could react, a swat from its massive paw sent her flying across the cave.

"Isolde!" Orion cried. His distraction cost him as the beast pivoted, clamping its jaws around his left arm. Cursing himself for lowering his guard, Orion jammed his fingers into the tiger's eye. It reared back with a pained yowl, releasing his bleeding arm.

Leif darted behind the Stonestalker, hands flying in a complicated pattern. "Death by a Thousand Cuts!"

Razor-thin discs of qi sliced across the tiger's hindquarters. It spun, catching Leif's shoulder with an extended claw. He rolled away, clutching the deep gash.

Isolde struggled to her feet, shaking off the dizziness. Her heart leapt when she spotted a scroll tucked into a rocky crevice. That had to be it!

Before she could move, the wounded tiger rounded on her once more. Thinking fast, Isolde pointed her fingers like a gun. "Solar Shot!" A pulsing orb of light burst forth, catching the beast right in its snarling mouth.

It reeled back, pawing at its muzzle. Seizing the opportunity, Isolde lunged for the scroll. Her fingers had just grasped it when an enormous paw slammed down on her leg.

Isolde's agonized screams echoed through the cave as the bones splintered under the tiger's crushing weight. Orion and Leif rushed to help, but the Stonestalker easily swatted them aside.

Pinned and helpless, Isolde feared the end had come.

Then Orion stepped forward, his entire body beginning to ripple and transform. Fur sprouted across his skin as his face distended into a fierce muzzle. Claws tore through his fingertips as he dropped to all fours.

Within moments, a hulking white tiger with the aura of a Pseudo Core Formation beast stood before them.

"I can hold this form for three minutes," Orion growled. "Get the scroll now!"

With the Stonestalker's attention fixed on this new challenger, Isolde gritted her teeth and dragged herself free. Cradling her mangled leg, she clutched the scroll to her chest.

They'd done it!

Orion and the Stonestalker collided in a whirlwind of fangs and claws. Evenly matched, the two tigers battled fiercely, neither willing to up give up an inch. Isolde watched anxiously as Orion narrowly avoided the repeated swipes at his neck.

Leif circled the two beasts, waiting for an opening. When the Stonestalker reared up to slash at Orion, he struck.

"Phoenix Arrow!" A spear of condensed flame shot forth, piercing deep into the Stonestalker's chest. It sank to the ground with a final anguished roar, blood splattering the rocky floor.

Panting heavily, Orion's body rippled and reverted to human form. He looked down at the dead beast. "You fought well, brother tiger. May your spirit run free in the heavens."

He then turned to his teammates. "Nice work you two," Pulling out an Earth Rank healing pellet from his ring. "Here, it's not enough to completely heal that leg but it should be enough to travel."

"Thank you," Isolde swallowed the pellet.

As for Leif, his gaze lingered on the corpse. "Do either of you mind if I harvest materials from our fallen friend? Waste not want not, as they say."

Isolde shrugged indifferently as she watched her injuries heal. "Go ahead, better you than leaving it to rot."

Orion turned away, he didn't like killing tigers, let alone harvesting them. However, he knew it wasn't his place to force his beliefs on the others.

After Leif had salvaged what he could from the corpse. The trio were ready to depart.

One scroll down, just one more to go!

Hidden in the upper branches of a tree, Zack watched the trio emerge from the cave. His eyebrows rose when he spotted the happy expression on their faces.

"Well well, it looks like they brought me a scroll," he murmured. "How kind of them."

Circulating his qi, Zack prepared to drop down and ambush the unsuspecting disciples. Caught up in their victory, they would never see him coming. This was just too easy!

He tensed, ready to strike...then paused. Faint qi-signatures approached from the right, steadily moving closer.

Another group? Interesting, Zack's eyes narrowed.

Stilling his breath, he calmed his aura and observed the scene unfolding below.

Moments later, an ice spear burst from the woods straight at Isolde. Crying out, she tried to dodge but it still grazed her shoulder, drawing blood.

"Ambush!" Leif yelled, hands blazing as he whirled to face their attackers. Beside him, qi covered Orion's hands, forming claws.

Three teenage boys walked out from the trees.

Zack recognized the Black Heart robes on one burly boy and the flowing white garments of a Pure Soul disciple. The third, a tall, handsome lad in rich black and red robes, was apparently from the Black Rose Sect if his arrogant expression was anything to go by.

Not wasting time on pleasantries, the Black Rose disciple pointed a finger at Orion's group. "Hand over the scroll if you wish to keep your lives." Icy vines burst from his sleeve, slithering towards them.

With her injured leg not ready for battle, Isolde could only defend as the vines entangled her. But Leif quickly conjured a wall of flames to keep the ice at bay.

"Back off, Torin," he snapped at the Black Heart disciple. "This is our scroll."

Torin laughed coldly. "Oh Leif, you know it doesn't work that way." He hurled a fireball towards Leif's face. "We're all enemies here."

But the Pure Soul disciple stepped forward, trying to convince the other group. "Please, don't make us kill you! Just surrender the scroll and you can walk away unharmed."

Torin scoffed. "Where's the fun in that? I intend to leave a trail of bodies behind me before this trial ends." He laughed at his companion's baffled reaction.

"Fight now, regret later! Take them out, Mael!" Torin ordered.

The Black Rose disciple - Mael - nodded and sent another icy spear flying at Isolde. But this time Orion intervened, deflecting it with a swipe of his paw.

"We won't make this easy," he shouted.

Despite not having the ability to activate the partial transformation again in such a short time-span, he would not back down without a fight.

With a roar, he charged at Mael, his claw-like hands glowing brightly. Caught off guard, Mael hastily raised an ice spear to block the slash at his throat.

Meanwhile, Leif squared off against Torin, both hands wreathed in flames. "Let's see who the better pyro really is!"

Torin just smirked, casually blocking Leif's fireballs with his sleeve. "Still just a helpless whelp. You bring shame to the Black Heart Sect."

With a howl of rage, Leif launched himself recklessly at Torin, only to be ensnared by thorny vines bursting from the dirt.

"I don't want to kill you," the white-robed youth said. "Don't make me."

He flicked his wrist and the vines tightened, making Leif cry out in pain.

Isolde hung back near the cave. She was in no shape for another fight after that tiger battle. All she could do was hope her teammates could defend her.

The clash was brutally one-sided. Orion only had one good arm left but still tried to shield Isolde. A well-placed spear thrust sent him crashing down with a hole in his thigh.

Seeing an opening, the black-robed boy sent a coil of icy vines shooting towards Isolde. She screamed as they wrapped tight around her wrist.

"Give us the scroll or I start removing pieces," he giggled. "We can do this the fun way, or the really fun way."

Sobbing, Isolde removed the scroll from her storage ring. This was all her fault! She should have listened to Leif.

The black-robed boy reached eagerly for his prize, grinning with glee. Victory was at hand! These fools had practically gift wrapped this scroll for him.

Until a bolt of lightning sliced through the air, severing Isolde's hand at the wrist in one clean strike.

Everyone froze in disbelief as her severed hand and the scroll it held were snatched out of the air by a newcomer.

In the blink of an eye, the twisting bolt of lightning solidified into an unfamiliar young man.

"Yoink! Thanks for doing all the heavy lifting, suckers."

Stashing the scroll in his ring, the boy darted over to Orion. Before anyone could react, he ripped the medallion free from Orion's prone form.

"I'll take this too. Pleasure doing business with you all!" With a jaunty wave, the lightning boy took off into the woods, leaving behind a severed hand.

For one heartbeat, both groups just stared after him in absolute shock. Then Torin roared in outrage.

"After him, fools! We can't lose that scroll!" The three boys immediately abandoned their attack on Orion's team to give chase.

Alone now, Isolde could only pick up her severed hand and sob. They had lost everything in one ambush. She had never felt so hopeless and defeated.

This trial was surely over for them now.

Zack ran through the shadowed forest, grin still stretched wide. Things had played out even better than he had hoped!

One scroll, one tracking medallion, zero effort. Those idiots made it too easy. No one thought to look up and be wary of a surprise aerial strike.

Trees blurred past as he rapidly increased the distance from his three pursuers. Their angry threats echoed behind him. As if those losers had any hope of catching a lightning cultivator in the woods!

Still, no reason to take chances, Zack changed direction abruptly, heading towards one of the Ying scroll locations.

Let those idiots run themselves ragged chasing a cold trail. With his two precious new tools, Zack could easily find the next scroll!

Chapter 74: The Yang Scroll

Three young cultivators were making their way through the valley. One wore the robes of the Black Rose Sect, while the others bore the insignia of the Pure Soul and White Tiger Sects respectively.

As they searched for the scrolls, a faint squealing reached their ears. The three exchanged glances, debating whether to investigate.

The White Tiger disciple closed his eyes, extending his senses. "There's only one aura over there," he reported, brow furrowing. "They're at Peak Core Formation level."

He opened his eyes, glancing between his companions. "For someone to be alone, either they're overconfident..." He paused meaningfully. "Or extremely dangerous."

The two Late Core Formation cultivators shared a cocky look.

"Please, the three of us can easily handle a lone Peak Core disciple," scoffed the Black Rose disciple. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

The White Tiger disciple shook his head sharply. "Fear just breeds defeat. If we work together, we can overcome anyone in this mini-realm."

The three exchanged confident nods before heading towards the strange sounds. As they drew closer, the muffled squeals grew louder and more pained. The Pure Soul cultivator couldn't help but cringe at the cries.

"What kind of freak enjoys inflicting pain like that?" he muttered uneasily. But he didn't dare suggest turning back now, he didn't want to propagate the already wide-spread belief that Pure Soul cultivators were cowards who would do anything to avoid confrontation.

Turning a corner, the three disciples froze at the sight before them. A silver-haired girl sat casually on top of a massive, armoured boar. In one hand she held a jagged horn, using it to slowly carve patterns into the squealing beast's hide.

The pattern looked like a name…

The Black Rose disciple's face drained of colour. "Amelia!" he choked out. Before the others could react, he spun on his heel and fled back the way they'd come.

The White Tiger and Pure Soul disciples stared after him in confusion. Over his shoulder the fleeing cultivator cried, "Run, it's her!"

Exchanging bewildered looks, the two disciples ran after their companion. Once they'd put some distance between themselves and the crazy cultivator, they grabbed the Black Rose cultivator's arm.

"What are you doing?" the White Tiger disciple demanded. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little girl?"

The Black Rose disciple shook his head frantically, still trembling. "You don't understand! That's one of Supreme Elder Slifer's personal disciples."

The other two looked even more puzzled.

"So what?" asked the Pure Soul disciple. "She's still just one cultivator."

The Black Rose disciple's eyes were wide with fear. "You don't get it. Amelia's not just strong, she's completely insane! She loves torture and pain." He shuddered. "We can't beat someone like that in a fight and if she gets a hold of us..."

The White Tiger disciple shook his head firmly, he did not take kindly to cowardice. "You should never run from someone just because they're stronger. Don't you have any courage?" He turned to the Pure Soul disciple. "With the three of us, we can handle her."

But seeing the Black Rose disciple's stricken face, he felt the first twinges of doubt. Someone who could inspire such primal fear in a demonic cultivator was clearly dangerous.

The Black Rose disciple seemed near tears. "You don't understand, I've heard Amelia's defeated even Nascent Soul cultivators before. We wouldn't stand a chance!"

The White Tiger disciple paled slightly at this revelation. As a Peak Core Formation cultivator himself, he was quite confident in his strength, he knew he was only able to match Half-Step Nascent Soul enemies currently. Having help could allow him to stalemate a weak full Nascent Soul...but defeat one? Impossible.

The Pure Soul disciple nodded slowly. "Ah, I see. Well in that case, good call on retreating," he said, clapping the Black Rose disciple's shoulder. "I'd rather not tangle with someone unhinged enough to torture beasts for fun."

The Black Rose disciple nearly sobbed in relief at their understanding. But a chill suddenly ran down all three of their spines.

"Oh? Who are you calling unhinged?" a soft voice questioned from right behind them.

They whirled to find Amelia standing there, idly playing with the bloody boar horn. An unsettling smile graced her lips as she tilted her head at them.

"Demon!" The Black Rose disciple yelped, nearly tripping over his own feet to get away. The Pure Soul disciple also backpedalled furiously. Only the White Tiger disciple stood his ground. He raised his sword warily at the girl.

"Though I'll agree, I do take pleasure in certain...acts," Amelia continued lightly. But her gaze turned hungry as it passed over them. "I'd be happy to show you just how much, if you're interested."

Caelum's eyes narrowed as he was pushed back by the hawk-like beast. It let out an ear-piercing screech, claws swiping dangerously close. He sighed, raising his sword defensively. Through his master's teachings, Caelum had converted some of his demonic techniques into righteous ones—but unfortunately not all of them.

Hopefully I won't need to resort to any demonic techniques to defeat this creature, he thought.

As the hawk swept in for another strike, Caelum activated his Sunrise Slash technique, vanishing and reappearing behind the bird. He slashed at its head with his sword, but the hawk somehow sensed the blow coming and dodged aside at the last second. It immediately countered, its talons grazing Caelum's arm and nearly tearing through the sleeve of his robe. He leapt back just in time, grimacing slightly at the near miss.

"Tch, this thing's instincts are too sharp."

"Nine Lights Mirage," Caelum muttered. Suddenly, eight identical images of him appeared, each wielding its own sword. They surrounded the hawk in a circle, then attacked simultaneously from all sides.

The hawk let out an enraged screech, pushing back several of the images with a powerful wind blast. Though it destroyed three of the images, the technique allowed two of the real Caelum's sword strikes to land. The hawk squawked in pain as gashes opened along its flank.

Finally!

Caelum's lip curled in satisfaction, but it quickly turned to alarm as the injured hawk's eyes suddenly burned red. With an echoing shriek, its aura began climbing exponentially, quickly reaching the power of an Early Nascent Soul cultivator.

It's still climbing! Caelum's eyes widened. He couldn't allow the beast to fully enter its berserk state! At this rate, it would become too powerful for him to handle without suffering from severe injuries. He had to end this now.

Hissing through his teeth, Caelum thrust his sword forward. "Thorned Lash!"

The blade seemed to shoot forward, extending and elongating until it struck the frenzied hawk directly in its thick neck. The razor-sharp point pierced deep, cutting off the creature's building scream.

Caelum quickly retracted the whip-like weapon back to its normal sword form as the mortally wounded hawk collapsed, its aura fading away.

"Just more death…"

As a former demonic cultivator, Caelum was no stranger to violence. Yet he would avoid ending lives when he could.

He let out a soft sigh, watching almost sadly as a long, tongue-like appendage emerged from his sword, devouring the beast's qi.

Though Caelum now followed the righteous path, Bloodthorn would always remain a demonic weapon. Swords couldn't change their nature even if their master wanted them to. He made a mental note to seek out a righteous blacksmith, to see if the sword could be reforged.

Or maybe Master could help, it was him who gifted Bloodthorn to me in the first place, Caelum nodded. His master had a knack for surprising others, pulling out miracles left and right. If he could turn a mortal girl into a cultivator then perhaps he could show a sword the righteous path.

But before then, Caelum was handicapped. Fighting with a demonic sword whilst using righteous technique doesn't give him the opportunity to bring out the full extent of his battle prowess. However, the bond between the two was too strong for him to consider using a replacement.

"We live and die together," Caelum whispered as he flicked the blood from his blade.

Bloodthorn growled in agreement as it continued to feed.

Reflecting on the battle, Caelum sighed. I still have far to go before I can call myself a true righteous cultivator. This battle only proved how reliant I still am on my demonic abilities.

As Bloodthorn burped in satisfaction, Caelum suddenly sensed a spike of energy from the direction Hughie had gone.

"Hughie," he muttered, quickly flying toward the disturbance. Whatever trouble his junior brother had found, Caelum only hoped he wasn't too late.

Hughie picked his way carefully across the fiery valley, focused on finding that hidden scroll.

Caelum was off battling some giant bird, which sounded way too troublesome. As for Amelia, he honestly had no idea what his Senior Sister was up to, but it likely involved a lot of screaming…and not the good kind.

"You're supposed to be cultivating a heart of iron, boy," Li Fenghao's voice rang out in Hughie's mind. "Yet a mere walking pace has you wheezing like an old man!"

Hughie scowled, but couldn't deny the complaint. The rocky terrain combined with the oppressive heat was sapping his energy fast. Which made him feel uneasy, a Core Formation cultivator feeling tired from walking? Something was off.

"Hey, give me a break! This place is like a bloody furnace," he grumbled back. "I'd like to see you do better in this heat, geezer."

The immortal's disdainful huff nearly blew Hughie's eardrums out. "Excuses, excuses. Focus on your mission or I'll double your training."

Since his master had that conversation with the Greater Immortal, the old man had been motivated in Hughie's training. Far too motivated.

What a Greater Immortal considered adequate training, Hughie considered torture.

That threat spurred Hughie to quicken his steps. The temperature seemed to climb even higher in response, and he grimaced at the sweat dripping down his back. Ugh, disgusting. At this rate, he'd pass out from heat stroke before ever finding the scroll.

Just then, his foot snagged on a half-buried boulder, sending him sprawling face-first onto the ground. "Owww, son of a..."

Hughie's voice trailed off as his gaze landed on the object his fall had inadvertently revealed - a small chest tucked into a cleft in the rocks. Heart pounding, he scrambled over and wrenched it open.

There, nestled inside, was a scroll sealed with crimson wax!

The Yang scroll!

"Ha, yes!" Hughie cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Who's the man? I'm the man!"

Li Fenghao snorted. "Yes, truly your intellect is unparalleled. Falling on your face and blind luck, a masterful strategy."

"Hey, a win's a win," Hughie shot back, ignoring the sarcasm. He had done it! Wait until he showed Caelum the scroll. His Senior Brother would be thrilled. But more importantly, he could tell Oliviare how he was the reason why they all passed the first stage.

She'll be so impressed! I can already imagine the look on her face!

Tucking his prize safely away into his storage ring, Hughie's facial expression turned serious as he glanced around cautiously.

Other teams could be lurking, looking for an easy ambush. He needed to regroup with the others immediately.

Suddenly, Hughie sensed a flash of movement overhead. He looked up just as a dark figure plummeted from the smoky sky towards him.

Twisting desperately, Hughie narrowly avoided the diving kick aimed at his head. He caught a glimpse of black robes and a porcelain mask etched with a black skull.

"A Black Death disciple!" he gasped, ducking under a flurry of punches. What rotten luck to run into one of them here, and a crazy aggressive one at that!

But Hughie quickly realized something was off about his attacker. Rather than using any techniques, the person stuck solely to physical strikes, as if...holding back?

Cryptic words continued spilling from behind the mask between attacks. "Fight...me...useless...die!"

Hughie's danger sense blared as he sidestepped an elbow strike at his throat.

Who was this weirdo?

Chapter 75: What The Hell Are You?!

The three young cultivators scrambled to get away from Amelia, but she continued trailing after them. She wouldn't let her prey off so easily.

"Leaving so soon?" she called out in a sing-song voice. "But we were just starting to get to know each other!"

The Black Rose disciple risked a panicked glance over his shoulder, only to find the silver-haired girl less than ten feet behind, still casually twirling the bloody boar horn in her hands.

He pumped his legs harder, internally cursing his luck. Of course they'd run into one of Elder Slifer's deranged disciples!

The Pure Soul disciple ran alongside him, wheezing slightly from exertion.

She vanished, reappearing directly in their path. The Black Rose disciple yelped, nearly crashing into her.

"Come on, at least introduce yourselves before running off," Amelia chided, tilting her head. "It's only polite."

The Black Rose disciple paled, stumbling back a step. The Pure Soul disciple grabbed his companion's arm, urging him to keep moving.

"Let's go, don't engage with her," the Pure Soul cultivator muttered under his breath.

Amelia's smile turned predatory as she watched them try to skirt around her. Every time they changed direction, she flickered in front of them again. It was like a twisted game of cat and mouse.

The White Tiger disciple's expression darkened with each repetition. His companions pleading glances did little to curb his rising irritation.

He'd had enough.

The White Tiger disciple stood his ground and glared at Amelia. "It seems you have no intention of letting us leave. If you want a fight, then stop these childish games and face me properly!"

"Oh? Don't tell me you're actually planning to fight me?" Amelia looked him up and down. "How brave..."

"If you won't let us pass freely, then we'll force our way through," the White Tiger disciple stated evenly.

The Black Rose disciple clutched at his sleeve. "Don't be stupid! We need to run!"

Shaking him off, the White Tiger disciple flourished his sword. "A tiger never retreats from a battle. If I must stain my hands with more blood to reach the Nascent Soul stage, then so be it!"

Without warning, he suddenly plunged the tip of the blade into his own stomach. The Black Rose and Pure Soul disciples recoiled in shock as blood leaked from the gaping hole that was staring right at them.

"Have you gone insane?!" the Black Rose disciple shouted.

But then the hilt began melting into the White Tiger disciple's skin, merging with his flesh. Strange black and white striped markings started spreading across his body from the entry point of the sword.

His muscles bulged and a bestial aura erupted from him, it quickly climbed to the level of a Nascent Soul cultivator. The White Tiger disciple's handsome features grew longer and more feral as he shouted, "I am the claw that shreds the heavens!"

White fur sprouted all over his body and sharp claws protruded from his fingers. With a roar that shook the entire valley, the transformation was complete.

In the White Tiger disciple's place now crouched a massive White Tiger, easily over ten meters long. It fixed its predatory gaze on Amelia, baring its gigantic fangs.

"Oh my, I wasn't expecting that," Amelia remarked, looking genuinely delighted.

The White Tiger disciple was able to combine his sword cultivation with his transformation; it was a rare feat.

This was going to be fun.

"But I've got some tricks of my own."

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, only glowing blue sockets stared back at them. Her creamy skin paled to an unnatural white as dark veins ran across her face.

When she grinned this time, it was with a mouth full of jagged teeth.

"A demon's ghoul transformation!" The Pure Soul disciple recoiled with a gasp.

Amelia's aura rose in waves as her cultivation base also ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, matching the White Tiger beast. She cackled, flexing her elongated claws.

"Now then, who wants to play first?" she purred.

With a roar, the tiger lunged toward Amelia, but she easily danced out of reach, her speed doubled by the transformation.

"Ah ah, too slow!" Amelia chided, wagging a clawed finger. Then she casually flicked her wrist, sending a ribbon of purple energy slicing towards the beast.

"Soul Render!"

The tiger tried to dodge, but the technique still grazed its side, making the beast yowl in pain.

The Pure Soul disciple's expression turned grim at the sight.

"A demonic soul technique! Be careful, if it lands clean, it could destroy your soul completely!" Turning, the Pure Soul disciple began tracing glowing symbols in the air around his companions. A soft blue light enveloped them both as one of his protective soul techniques took effect.

"Oh, how precious! Look at you two helping each other," Amelia laughed, leaping backwards. "But don't think your little soul shields can stop me. I'm not a one-trick pony."

To demonstrate, she curled the fingers of one hand. A ball of flames sparked to life in her palm. The Pure Soul disciple paled at the sight.

"Burn!" Amelia cackled, sweeping her arm out. The fireball went flying, exploding against the canyon walls. More flickering flames joined it as she sent them spraying recklessly in all directions.

The White Tiger beast snarled, trying to slash through to reach her, but Amelia revealed a pair of purple wings from her back. Beating them once, she launched into the air, easily evading each swipe.

"You said she was unhinged, but this is just absurd!" the Pure Soul disciple cried, he should have expected that the sadist was also an arsonist!

The Black Rose disciple grit his teeth in frustration, he wanted to flee, it was a hopeless situation. But if either of his companions died here, it would eliminate all of them from the tournament.

He couldn't give up, not yet.

Clenching his jaw, he stopped hesitating and joined the fray. "Fireball Barrage!" he shouted, sending a dozen flaming orbs at the ghoul.

Amelia laughed wildly, retaliating with her own fireballs. "Yes, let's burn it all!"

The two fireballs collided, exploding violently. The Pure Soul disciple struggled to maintain the soul barriers against the shockwaves as flames rained down around them.

Over the roaring of the explosion, Amelia's shrieks of glee could be heard as she evaded the White Tiger's increasingly sluggish strikes as it tried to reach her in the air.

The beast was too large to fly on a sword!

After mocking them from the air, she noticed that the Pure Soul disciple was left unguarded.

"You're mine!"

She dove down and clasped her claws around the Pure Soul disciple's face before he could react.

"Gotcha!"

She then slammed him face-first into the rocky ground. The Soul shields around his companions shattered as he lost consciousness.

Amelia crouched over him, claws digging into his cheeks almost gently.

The White Tiger froze mid-swipe, its eyes locked on the fallen Pure Soul disciple.

"Ah ah ah, don't move now," she cautioned, tilting her head with a smile. "You don't want me to crush his pretty head, do you?"

Panting heavily, the great tiger lowered its head, it had failed.

The time limit on the transformation had run out.

Dark markings began receding from its body. Its muscles shrank and the fur shed until only the ordinary human form of the White Tiger disciple was left.

The Black Rose disciple, seeing this, sighed. There was no point in further resistance. Clearly this fight was over.

"There now, that wasn't so hard. Just be good boys and you might live to see tomorrow."

She extended a hand towards them. "Now then, I believe you owe me a little something. Hand over your scroll."

The Black Rose and White Tiger disciples exchanged uneasy glances.

"We uh...don't actually have any scrolls on us," the Black Rose disciple admitted.

Amelia blinked. For a moment her smile faltered. Then it returned, brighter than before as she thought of an idea.

"Well then! It seems you'll have to work for me until you can obtain one." She clapped her hands together. "Oh this will be fun - my own little worker bees!"

The White Tiger disciple bristled, pride stung. "A tiger cannot be tamed so easily!"

But the warning look from his companion made him swallow his protests. They clearly had no choice in this matter.

Gritting their teeth, both disciples bowed their heads.

Amelia's smile turned satisfied as she studied them. So this was how her master felt, having others bend to his will.

Yes, she could definitely get used to it.

Hughie grunted in pain as another series of quick jabs connected with his chest, driving him back several feet. The Black Death disciple pursued him relentlessly, not giving him a chance to catch his breath.

"Gah, what's with this guy?" Hughie wheezed, narrowly dodging a knee aimed at his stomach. The attacks themselves weren't too powerful, but the constant barrage of punches and kicks was keeping him completely off-balance.

He'd barely lasted thirty seconds against this weirdo and hadn't even had a chance to activate a proper technique!

It was the classic advantage body cultivators held over those focused on spiritual power - the ability to unleash attacks instantly compared to the split second needed to activate arts and techniques. And this Black Death cultivator was exploiting that gap masterfully.

Another fist hammered into Hughie's chest, blasting him backwards and knocking the breath from his lungs.

"Oof!" Inwardly, he cursed as he gasped for air.

"Pathetic, truly pathetic!" Li Fenghao's voice boomed in his mind. "Is this the limit of your skills, boy? To be tossed around like a ragdoll?"

Hughie scowled, leaping back to avoid an elbow jab at his throat.

"Oh shut it, you senile geezer! This freak's not normal," he shot back mentally.

But couldn't help but agree with the old man; being constantly rocked around by someone using only basic punches and kicks was just embarrassing!

The Black Death disciple hadn't said a word since appearing and ambushing him. The voice that taunted out earlier phrases was clearly being distorted by some artifact in the mask.

Hughie just couldn't wrap his head around this guy's deal. One moment mocking him for being weak, the next holding back on actually hurting him or using any techniques. It made no sense!

"Excuses as always!" Li Fenghao harrumphed. "A true warrior would have defeated this stick figure in the first exchange."

Hughie ignored the old man, he didn't have time to deal with him.

But thinking about it, the immortal did have a point. This Black Death cultivator didn't seem to be emitting the sort of overpowering physical aura one would expect from someone who had only trained their body.

So what was going on here? Hughie's eyes narrowed as he continued evading the barrage of strikes. There was definitely something off about this guy. And he was going to find out what it was!

To do that, he needed to fight back, but the Black Death cultivator refused to back off even an inch or give him any room to activate a technique!

Well, if that is how the creeps wants to play it...

When the next punch came rocketing towards his face, rather than dodging, Hughie stepped forward to meet it head-on. The devastating impact exploded against his face, fracturing his cheek bone and launching him like a ragdoll through the air.

Finally!

He ignored the white-hot pain and wetness of blood, focusing on activating his go-to technique.

"Bloodforge Ascension!"

The malignant red qi of the demonic art swirled around Hughie's body as he flew through the air. His muscles bulged and the injuries knitted back together.

He landed with a heavy thud, the impact causing spider-webbing-like cracks on the rocks beneath him.

Hughie's eyes flashed a demonic red as his hulking figure emitted the aura of an early Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Let's fight for real now!"

For the first time, the Black Death cultivator seemed startled.

"A demon's art!"

But Hughie didn't give the disciple the chance to react. He instantly appeared before the disciple with a roar, delivering a punch directly into his midsection.

The disciple doubled over with a grunt as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet and tossed him into the air. But he managed to flip and land in a crouch, one hand braced on the ground.

"Tch, not bad," the figure admitted, straightening slowly. He seemed unaffected by the attack that would have pulverized a normal Peak Core cultivator.

Hughie's eyes narrowed. Just what was going on here?

Trading more blows, it quickly became apparent Hughie's enhanced state gave him a sizable advantage in strength and speed. Yet oddly, the Black Death cultivator continued to rely only on punches and kicks to fight back.

I can't maintain this for long…

It was getting harder for Hughie to stay in control as the demonic technique stoked his bloodlust.

Sensing this, Li Fenghao's voice echoed in Hughie's mind. "Control yourself, boy! Don't lose your soul to mindless violence."

At the reminder, Hughie grit his teeth, reigning in the dark impulses trying to cloud his mind. Oliviare's smiling face flashed in his mind's eye. For her, he would get through this!

Across from him, the Black Death disciple seemed to come to some sort of decision.

"I can't waste anymore time, I need to end this now," the Black Death cultivator whispered.

Blood-red qi flared around him.

The porcelain mask cracked and fell away, revealing red skin and bulging black veins beneath.

That aura...that qi...this guy is a real demon! Hughie's eyes widened.

Demonic cultivators had red qi that contained hints of black and other colours; only a true demon had pure red qi.

Hughie tensed as the Black Death cultivator's demonic eyes glared at him from a face that could give babies nightmares for life.

No wonder the creep had been hiding his techniques, Hughie realized his opponent must have been trying to conceal the fact that he wasn't human.

"You will die here today, abomination!" the demon growled. Crouching low, it suddenly launched itself at Hughie in a blur of claws and fangs.

Grunting in surprise at the sudden boost in power and being called an abomination, Hughie raised his arms barely in time to block the strikes. He skidded back from the force of the blows.

This is bad! The demon is easily at the mid-Nascent Soul stage now. Hughie could already feel his defence weakening.

"Fool, use your transformations before he rips you apart!" Li Fenghao snapped urgently.

Li Fenghao didn't understand the boy at all, why beg him to teach techniques if he wasn't going to even use them?

The boy does have a knack for transformation techniques, maybe he could turn this around…

Cursing under his breath, Hughie quickly activated the first transformation. Fur erupted all over his body as he shifted into a black wolf easily the size of a small house.

Before the demon could react, the ginormous wolf's powerful jaws closed around its torso.

Howling in rage, the demon smashed into the ground hard enough to form a crater. But despite the heavy blow, it didn't seem majorly injured.

Hughie realized his mistake too late as he was blasted away by a shockwave of force from the demon.

Right, this thing was finally using its own techniques.

Hughie really was outclassed here.

The gigantic wolf crashed into a boulder a few hundred metres away. As it struggled back to its feet, the form blurred and morphed into an equally massive three-eyed toad.

Not waiting for the demon to attack again, Hughie shot out the toad's long tongue. It wrapped around the demon's torso in an iron grip.

Got you now! Hughie thought, swinging the tongue down to smash the demon repeatedly into the ground.

"Ahhhh" Hughie yelped, tongue instinctively retracting.

The demon had put itself on fire!

Panting, Hughie resumed his human form. This wasn't good at all. His transformations let him fight toe-to-toe against the demon, but none of his attacks were powerful enough to severely injure a Mid-Nascent Soul realm demon!

"Boy, you need to run! Use your movement techniques to escape."

Hughie shook his head stubbornly. "Ain't no way I'm running from this freakshow! I'll fight him 'til my last breath if I have to."

He was only putting on a show of bravery; he was in fact more than ready to run if he had to, but the old man didn't need to know that.

A surge of pride appeared in the old man's voice, believing the brat had finally developed some courage. "Spoken like a true warrior. But this is one battle you can't win, it's better to-"

The Immortal grew quiet before continuing, "Nevermind, boy. Help is coming."

Help? Hughie blinked in confusion. But then a minute later he sensed it too - a wave of power approaching rapidly, like the blade of a guillotine plummeting down.

In the next instant, a figure dropped from the sky, sword raised high and wreathed in killing intent.

Hughie's eyes widened in recognition and relief.

"Senior Brother, you made it!"

The demon froze mid-charge, its red eyes darting between the two figures before it. It was certain it could defeat the funny-looking one, but it felt a dangerous aura from the newcomer...

"Hahaha, it's over for you now! Even a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator can't touch my Senior Brother!"