Deals and Betrayals

Looking at the second Sun appearing over the sky, Bai, Tang Chen, Xiaogang, and Bibi Dong were unmistakable sure that a god had appeared. As the most closer to become gods, they could feel the strong divinity emitted by it.

"Too late" Bibi Dong clenched her teeth "We will need to change the plans"

Xiaogang nodded "We need to hurry" Xiaogang stepped forward, their spirit fusion disappearing. Tang Chen and Bai put up their guard, attentively observing what Xiaogang was about to do.

Xiaogang lifted his left arm, its claws increased their side, darkness surrounding it "Crack!" Bai and Tang Chen opened widely their eyes surprised. Xiaogang had grabbed his own right arm and crushed it, breaking its bones, blood leaking from it.

"Bai" Xiaogang turned to Bai "I want to make a deal" he said with a forced smile due to his pain.

Bai didn't lower his guard glancing at him, his swords ready to attack at any moment "What would it be?"

"As I sign of goodwill, I will let myself fall unconscious" Xiaogang said "Yours is the sword, ours are the body and your scythe. Let's work together."

Tang Chen opened his eyes widely in shock somehow having an idea about what they were talking. He turned to Bai, but was too slow.

Bai was the first one to react. He flapped his wings, boosting his speed at the maximum. As he passed over Xiaogang, he grabbed him, dragging him with his right arm over his stomach while his left arm made a swift move, hitting Xiaogang's neck with the handle of the sword. Xiaogang didn't put any resistance, letting himself be dragged and the sword hit his neck, without any protection neither of spirit power or dragon scales, instantly falling unconscious.

Bai continued forward arriving at Bibi Dong's side releasing Xiaogang's body on the ground. Even at her side, Bai warily looked at Bibi Dong who even she didn't move at all had a glint of killing intent in her eyes when she saw Bai hitting Xiaogang.

Xiaogang had made a risky move, and for the moment it seemed that it worked. When Xiaogang saw Bai coming and saving Tang Chen from them. He was sure that it wasn't a kind move for Bai's part. The same as them, he wanted Tang Chen for his own interest.

Bibi Dong had previously talked about the Sword God, a strange god that shared his powers to swordmasters, forcing them to fight against each other to increase their strength while absorbing the other, some in Spirit Hall being his followers. Xiaogang had met before one of the followers, the 4th elder priest, Bi Ying. Bai should be related to him, as he could feel that strange vibe from him like Bi Ying that risked his own accumulated divinity.

In these conditions, once he saw Tang Chen invoke a divine weapon in the form of a sword, he theorized that Bai's objective was to take away the divine weapon, the faith of a death god accumulated in Tang Chen's body not necessary for him at all.

Xiaogang and Bibi Dong had come for Tang Chen to retrieve this divinity extremely compatible with Rakshasa and take the divine weapon to transform it for Bibi Dong. However, this objective changed when they saw Bai invoking a scythe.

This was it, there was no need for a change. That scythe undoubtedly was Rakshasa Scythe. The one that the god had planned to create. It was even charged with Death energy, meaning that all the blood collected in the war became meaningless. He didn't know how it reached Bai's hands, but it wouldn't have much use for him who specialized in swords arts.

The time was short and they must do it and Xiaogang had doubts about winning against Bai and Tang Chen. Xiaogang's plan was to work together. Their objectives shouldn't clash so he wanted to make a deal with Bai to work together and distribute the spoils of Tang Chen.

Of course, Xiaogang knew that Bai wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't accept a deal where he could finish fighting two powerful people like them if it went wrong and we betrayed him. For this, Xiaogang took himself out of the picture. Becoming, three different sides with one person at each..

It was a risky bet as he could have been killed without putting any defense. But Xiaogang had faith in two things, his intelligence and Bibi Dong. With his intelligence, he had hypothesized Bai's objective and even if Bai objective would have been also Tang Chen's body, he trusted Bibi Dong to be able to beat him and Bai preferring to fight against Bibi Dong rather than against Tang Chen in a 1vs1.

The only problem would be if Bai's objective was simply to save Tang Chen, acquiring his power for the war. But how could he know about the Slaughter King's identity and condition that even they ignored if not for the knowledge of a god? That god giving him the trial to obtain him. Xiaogang was right and his bet paid off, changing the battle with a deal and a betrayal, making it Bai and Bibi Dong against Tang Chen.

"So this was your objective" Tang Chen said clenching his teeth "You're also after my divinity, changing sides to take it. Your thinking too low of me!" the aura around Tang Chen exploded, red power overflowing from him, condensing into his sword as his rings shined brightly.

The truth was that Tang Chen wasn't in his peak. He had been greatly injured before recovering his body and his mental energy was exhausted after so many years under the influence of Rakshasa. Fighting such an intense battle just as he recovered was very taxing. He decided to finish it in the next attack, using all his strength.

Tang Chen lifted his sword, blood seemingly to bubble from it "<Great Sumeru Technique: Exploding Ring>!" He swung downward his Asura's sword, his rings position over it, being cut by the sword. Each ring cut exploded in energy, boosting the power of the sword that shined brighter with a strong blood-red energy "<Asura's Slash>".

Bai and Bibi Dong could feel the pressure, that sword could cut over reality itself, something like distance or defense lost all their meaning against it.

"The scythe, hurry!" Bibi Dong shouted hurriedly at Bai.

Bai didn't expect such a tremendous attack that didn't fall lower than that of a god. He didn't have any other option. From his aura, the purple scythe surged, throwing it towards Bibi Dong.

A flash of light occurred. Bib Dong's aura covered the scythe, instantly being accepted by it and making it hers. The purple scythe absorbed her previously scythe, jade lines appearing over the shaft as its power increased, Bibi Dong's aura boosting under it. She had obtained her divine weapon, the Rakshasa Scythe. Over 2 meters long, sharp tips and a high ominous aura around it, glowing with purple energy seemingly to beat alive in pain and grief.

Over Bibi Dong's hand, a red marble appeared. This was the concentrated blood drained in the Jialing Pass Battle. She pushed over her scythe that hungrily devoured it all, the purple glow over its blade becoming stronger as it burned the blood. "<Blood Sacrifice Boost>"

Bibi Dong's scythe didn't change its sized, but energy manifested around it making a mirage seemingly to. She swung her scythe "<Reaping Souls>!"

Both attacks that went against the world will, that should be suppressed by the world, clashed each other. Reality broke down over them, a crack forming at their collision, a black hole forming in it.

Both sides used all their strength, Tang Chen breaking his spirit rings that would need a lot of time to recover and Bibi Dong sacrificing a lot of her collected blood. Slowly, Tang Chen's attack starting winning over Bibi Dong's, showing his greater experience, unlike Bibi Dong, not being his first time doing it.

Tang Chen's attack cut through the black hole and Bibi Dong's attack, approaching her "Buahhh!" Tang Chen vomited blood, losing his concentration and his attack disappearing. A sword was impaling over his heart, being held by Bai.

Bai didn't stay still. Even if the power of both attacks was so strong that suppressed him, not letting him move, he took advantage of the clash and black hole appearance that created an instant void of the suppression. He cut over air and space, creating a void like another dimension over him, being capable of dashing and piercing Tang Chen's heart.

Tang Chen fell to the ground. His face was full of grief, pain, and longing. He looked at the distance with his eyes unfocused "I would have liked seeing you one last time, Saixi" He said full of sadness and repentance before closing his eyes for eternity, dead.

Bai had cold sweat falling at his back due to the might of the attacks. Only staying near them had tired him so much. He turned towards Bibi Dong. She was panting exhausted while holding herself with the help of her scythe.

Bibi Dong stepped forward using the scythe as a cane, positioning in front of Xiaogang. Evil aura started surging from the scythe surrounding her, her form changing to a demon. Her condition was much worst than Bai. However, if Bai decided to attack them, she was determined to sacrifice herself and take Bai with her. At least, saving Xiaogang who laid unconscious on the ground.

Bai slowly shook his head "Let's stop. Let's keep our words for now" Bai approached Tang Chen's corpse. From it, he retrieved his Asura's sword and also took away his identity token, a golden tael with the Chinese character of Tang written over it.

"You can take the rest" Bai's wings flapped, flying and disappearing in the horizon.

Sensing Bai's presence gone. Bibi Dong released her spirit, falling to the ground next to Xiaogang's, panting exhausted.