How could he

The wind roared over the hailing rain and Yuan Xuelan was drenched to the bone. 

But he refused to believe that Jin Juwan would simply flee. And if he had, then Xuelan would not allow it.

How could he? 

Jin Juwan was no better than a dog. A dumb creature lost in the thralls of madness that could no longer see or understand what it was they wanted. Or what it was they needed.

He scoffed at the thought, not allowing it to take hold or distract him from his task. Yuan Xuelan unleashed a blast of lightning that ate through the earth and devoured everything around him.

At first there was nothing. 

But he didn't relax.

Suddenly, the earth rippled like the surface, dipping toward Yuan Xuelan before forming a deep crater beneath his feet. He leaped up with relative ease but by then the ground shifted once more, forming elongated spikes that chased after him relentlessly.