Miserable Battle
Miserable Battle...
In the heat of the moment, the two Yuanfu cultivators of Heaven's Destruction had successfully ensnared Qin Wentian within their grasp.
"A fourth-ranked Divine Weapon," the eighth-level Yuanfu cultivator marveled at the lance clutched in Qin Wentian's hand. The potential bounty he represented was beyond their wildest dreams. With a long history of lethal endeavors, their coffers had been filled through the plunder of their victims. To them, the prospect of acquiring a fourth-ranked Divine Weapon was tantalizingly extravagant. And as for the fourth-ranked Puppets—the pinnacle of their art—there was no need to belabor the point.
Should they triumph in this mission, these invaluable treasures would all become their spoils.
"Gravity," intoned the eighth-level Yuanfu practitioner as he exerted the power of his Mandate. His Mandate, an attunement with the element of earth, manifested in the form of Gravity. In an instant, the very ground beneath Qin Wentian's feet seemed to transform into a quagmire, each movement laden with a crushing weight.
A surge of otherworldly energy, akin to a malevolent tempest, emanated from his bloodline, responding to the summon of his internal command. Bracing himself against the oppressive force of gravity, Qin Wentian sought to counteract the stifling sensation it imposed upon his mobility.
With a resonant "Boom," the eighth-level cultivator struck with astounding rapidity, spear stabs resembling a fusillade of explosive arrows. The power of Gravity amplified these thrusts, the ferocity of their impact leaving only two conceivable outcomes: grievous injury or death.
Simultaneously, Qin Wentian surged into action, the lance within his grasp propelling forth. Despite his discomfort grappling with the augmented gravitational force, his grip remained firm. Radiant black energy cascaded from his weapon, summoning the specter of a midnight dragon. The oncoming onslaught of spear thrusts clashed with this manifestation, the cacophony of the collision reverberating like thunder. The impact reverberated throughout Qin Wentian's body, causing his internal organs to quiver violently. The very will of the Mandate of Gravity seemed to infiltrate his organs, a torturous agony prompting an involuntary groan to escape his lips.
His adversary's prowess transcended the norm, surpassing the capabilities expected of an eighth-level Yuanfu cultivator. Were it not for his exceptional physique, Qin Wentian might have succumbed to grave injuries under the force of the strike.
"The fourth-rank Inscription embedded in this lance is undeniably vexing," Qin Wentian muttered inwardly. His Astral Energy surged feverishly into the lance, establishing a connection with the concealed Inscription. Unbeknownst to his opponent, the fourth-ranked Inscription was a formidable tool. However, its utilization necessitated an extensive supply of Astral Energy, an energy that Qin Wentian found himself scrambling to harness amidst the frenetic pace of battle.
Yet, amidst the chaos of combat, his adversary left no room for respite. In the wake of the initial strike, the eighth-level Yuanfu practitioner pressed on, delivering a second onslaught even more formidable than the first.
"Great Earth Tremor!" The spear whirled in serpentine patterns, its trajectory resembling that of a dragon in flight. It plummeted into the earth with bone-shaking force, sending seismic ripples rippling through the ground. The eighth-level cultivator had invoked his earth-based Astral Soul, granting him an almost gravitational weightiness that further amplified the potency of his strikes.
As the earth quaked beneath the onslaught, Qin Wentian pricked his finger, allowing his blood to infuse the Yellow Springs Monument. With a surge of momentum, the monument hurtled toward his adversary, disrupting the ongoing earth-based technique. Simultaneously, the sixth-level Yuanfu cultivator seized the opportunity, his outstretched palm conjuring a shadowy, phantom-like claw that bore down on Qin Wentian with predatory precision.
In an explosive collision, the Great Earth Tremor clashed with the stone monument. Qin Wentian shifted his gaze towards his remaining opponent, a fleeting exchange of glances carrying an unspoken challenge. Amidst the clash of forces, his heart thudded with unease—this foe was capable of projecting his Mandate's will through his eyes.
The ghostly claw closed in, its pitch-black fingers poised to ensnare Qin Wentian's throat. Yet, in the next breath, an abyssal aura surged from within him, his primordial bloodline surging to life. The overwhelming volume of demonic energy that permeated the air enshrouded the battlefield.
"Sleep-Immersion." Qin Wentian wielded his Mandate's power, casting an enveloping haze of drowsiness that swiftly overwhelmed his opponent's consciousness.
The ghostly claw, originally aimed at his throat, veered off-course, its grasp instead falling upon his arm. To the sixth-level Yuanfu cultivator's astonishment, Qin Wentian's arm bore a layer of scale-like armor, forged from demonic qi and resistant against his assault.
With a swift motion, the claw descended and struck the demonic armor, creating a fissure that welled with blood. Without hesitation, Qin Wentian retaliated, thrusting his shadow lance at the adversary. As his opponent hastily retreated, Qin Wentian's Garuda Movement Technique reached its zenith. A pair of majestic Garuda wings unfurled from his back, propelling his body forward like a launched projectile.
The sound of a puncture echoed as the shadow lance impaled the sixth-level Yuanfu practitioner's throat, then swiftly withdrew.
Shu Ruanyu, observing from a distance, was awestruck. The armoring on Qin Wentian's arm possessed an uncanny resemblance to a demon's hide, rendering it impervious to harm. Furthermore, the autonomous will of his stone monument had stymied the eighth-level Yuanfu Cultivator, affording Qin Wentian the chance to eliminate this sixth-level Yuanfu opponent.
"JUNIOR BROTHER!" An enraged cry reverberated, an intensity of fury that bore down on Qin Wentian like a mountainous weight. Overwhelmed by this pressure, his organs seemed to collapse within him. A stark pallor overtook his features as a splatter of blood left his lips. Hasting to channel his blood into the Yellow Springs Monument, its crimson radiance intensified, setting off a cascade of mini-explosions that detonated in the air. His opponent writhed in agony, his body convulsing as if afflicted by unimaginable torment.
The potent influence of gravity bore down on him, the torrent of blood rushing through his opponent's veins culminating in a wild, pounding rhythm.
The shadow lance surged with an increasingly formidable aura, its malevolent energy pulsating. In his previous encounter, when Qin Wentian drove the lance through the sixth-level Yuanfu cultivator's throat, he hadn't engaged the embedded Inscription. To unleash the weapon's full might, it necessitated an infusion of prodigious Astral Energy, a task a Heavenly Dipper Sovereign could perform effortlessly. However, given Qin Wentian's relatively low cultivation base, he could only strive to channel his energy into the weapon as swiftly as possible.
"Your death is imminent," his opponent declared, his earth-type Astral Soul radiating an intense brilliance as a protective Earthen Armor encased him. An unrestrained glint of animosity gleamed in the eighth-level Yuanfu cultivator's eyes as he lunged forward. Qin Wentian extended his finger, directing the Yellow Stone Monument to soar forth while simultaneously retreating.
Undeterred, his opponent pressed on, allowing the resonating shockwaves generated by the stone monument to wash over him. His Earthen Armor effectively dampened the bulk of the vibrations, minimizing their impact.
"Puchi!" The long spear, infused with the force of gravity, thrust forward with the speed of lightning. Hemmed in by the augmented gravity—eight times its normal strength—Qin Wentian's swiftness was severely compromised, rendering escape impossible.
Nevertheless, a chilling determination flickered in his eyes as his Garuda Wings enveloped him. His demonic qi surged to towering heights, cloaking the skies in an ominous shroud.
RUMBLE...
Thunderous shockwaves tore through the enshrouding demonic mist as the long spear bore through the Garuda Wings. The eighth-level cultivator's visage twisted into a grimace of desperation as he strained to thrust the spear further. Qin Wentian's death was his only objective.
"BREAK!" the cultivator roared, and the veil of demonic energy scattered—the Garuda Wings shattered. Amidst this violent rupture, Qin Wentian re-emerged, the long spear mere inches away from piercing the left side of his chest, threatening to puncture his heart. Simultaneously, as the Garuda Wings dissolved, the shadow lance hurtled from Qin Wentian's grip. Its obsidian radiance engulfed the firmament and earth, as the Inscription surged with its ferocious might.
The opponent's visage, contorted with hatred, transformed into one of unadulterated shock. Swift to react, he shot backward, his vertebrae rattling as a near-shattering explosion surged through his spine. The Yellow Spring Monuments hurtled into his back with explosive velocity, propelling him directly onto the trajectory of the shadow lance's deadly assault. An incisive, crystalline sound rang out—the shadow lance bore through the eighth-level Yuanfu cultivator's brow, its sinister aura resonating in his mind. In the span of a heartbeat, he shattered into an innumerable shower of fragments.
Qin Wentian wrenched the long spear from his chest, fresh blood staining his robes in a macabre crimson hue. Though his form quivered slightly, the chill in his eyes remained unwavering.
"Is he deranged?" Shu Ruanyu's heart shivered as she witnessed Qin Wentian's combat tactics. A fourth-level Yuanfu cultivator had triumphed over adversaries at the sixth and eighth levels? Although this accomplishment hinged on his fourth-ranked Divine Weapon and enigmatic stone monument, it showcased Qin Wentian's willingness to stake everything for a fleeting advantage. His ruthlessness was astounding. If the spear had penetrated only a few inches further, he would've met his demise.
Her discernment acknowledged that even without the fourth-ranked lance and the stone monument, Qin Wentian's combat prowess exceeded his cultivation level, a potency that left her wondering if he could vanquish sixth-level Yuanfu opponents without these aids. Evidently, he must have depleted his Astral Energy reserves, rendering the fourth-ranked Divine Weapon's activation impossible. It was to be expected—he remained a fourth-level Yuanfu cultivator, after all.
"Finish him off," Hua Xiaoyun ordered his protector from a distance. His guardian stood before him, encircled by a cadre of Puppets stationed at a safe remove. Among them, one Puppet ranked fourth while the rest were third-ranked.
"Young Master, your safety is paramount," the protector argued.
"Useless imbecile, why do I even keep you around? Can't you deal with these Puppets?" Hua Xiaoyun bemoaned.
"Master, I can easily handle the third-ranked Puppets. However, they are merely observing you from a distance. The fourth-ranked Puppet, on the other hand, is an intricate creation with immense value, surpassing even that of fourth-ranked Divine Weapons. The offensive Divine Inscription inscribed within carries the force akin to that of a Heavenly Sovereign's innate technique. Its one shortcoming lies in its agility compared to humans. If my duty wasn't to protect you, I could certainly defe..."
The protector halted, his unfinished sentence hanging in the air. Hua Xiaoyun's face darkened considerably. Did his protector mean to insinuate his ineffectiveness?
"Fear not, I shall handle the third-ranked Puppets for you," a voice drifted forth. Their gazes turned to the person approaching—features obscured by a silver mask—heading straight for the third-ranked Puppets. His sword glinted as it left its sheath, a frigid gleam accompanying its arc. In a display of blinding speed, the Puppet's defenses proved futile against his sharp, decisive strikes.
Swift, exceedingly so. His blade slashed through the metallic forms as though they were mere parchment. The third-ranked Puppet was sundered with an effortless grace.
"Such a fearsome sword," Hua Xiaoyun's protector mused, awed by the prowess of the mysterious newcomer. He pondered over the origin of this Yuanfu peak-level expert.
Meanwhile, Qin Wentian's focus sharpened. These third-ranked Puppets paled in power compared to the golden guardians within the secret realm—whether in terms of defense or offense. Moreover, did this silver-masked figure have ties to the carriage driver? Who would have anticipated such combat mastery?
"You are destined to die," Shu Ruanyu advanced on Qin Wentian. "The silver-masked individual is clearly here for you, arranging for the four assassins to end your life. Your unexpected resilience aside, he's certain to eliminate you once the remaining Puppets fall. Without your final trump cards, where does that leave you?" A cold smile played upon her lips.
"Have we met?" Qin Wentian studied the woman before him, sensing no familiarity.
"Not necessary. My knowledge suffices. Knowing you is ample." Her gaze icy, Shu Ruanyu's Astral Souls stirred, birthing a fiery figure of crimson.
In combat, most Yuanfu-level Stellar Martial Cultivators released their third Astral Souls automatically, as the third was typically the strongest. Shu Ruanyu's third Astral Soul, borne of the 4th Heavenly Layer, materialized enveloped in flames, radiating intense heat.
"Confident you can end me?" Qin Wentian's gaze turned glacial, the surging demonic qi surrounding him ever more potent.
"Cease this pretense. The Astral Energy within your Yuanfu must be depleted by now. You can't even activate the fourth-ranked Divine Weapon," Shu Ruanyu stated with a hint of arrogance.
Given the circumstances, she would be the one to avenge her aunt's husband, Zhu Sha!