Chapter 127 – Clash
On the deck of the flying ship, chaos reigned.
The protective wards of the vessel glowed in shifting colours as waves of demonic cultivators swarmed in from every side. They leapt on the ship as a section of the barrier temporarily faded under the assault, swooping down on grotesque spirit beasts to land on the deck.
The air was filled with the sound of clashing weapons, explosions of Qi, and the cries of anger and pain.
In front of Jun De, Zhao Wuxian was like a force of nature. His bare chest gleamed with sweat and blood, but his grin was wide and arrogant as his enemies closed in around him. Laughing like a madman, he drove his fists forward, each strike blasting apart demonic cultivators in the middle levels of Qi Condensation as though they were made of straw.
Bones shattered, bodies flew, and he still managed to boast and brag between each strike.
“Ha! Is this all you bastards can muster? Come on! Let me show you how a true genius of the Tranquil Mountain Sect fights!”
Behind Jun De, Shen Ruolan, and Lin Yue stood shoulder-to-shoulder despite their earlier rivalry. They were both intent on keeping him covered as the battle pressed in from all sides. Lin Yue’s eyes were sharp as she hurled talismans that ignited into flames, crackled with lightning, or burst into explosions of light, all forcing the demonic Cultivators back.
At her side, Shen Roulan’s flying swords, the Azure Kingfishers, darted and weaved through the air like the living birds they were named after. The blades left behind streaks of swordlight that sliced through flesh and bone, painting arcs of blue radiance across the bloodstained deck.
While they were handling those Demonic Cultivators in the 3rd, 4th and 5th levels of Qi condensation, Jun De focused on the stronger ones in their midst.
He fought at the center of his group of friends, his body shining brightly with radiant Qi as he moved using the Luminous Step. His form would flicker like starlight as he evaded strikes and closed in on his foes.
Jun De’s palms glowed with the blazing brilliance of the Falling Star Palm, each blow landing with devastating force while leaving afterimages of light before they crashed into his enemies with enough power to shatter bones and turn several of the weaker cultivators into a bloody mist.
He was no longer concerned about taking a life, as he knew it was them or him during this battle.
They weren’t the only ones drawing the attention of those fighting around them.
To the side, Ren Qiu was a blazing inferno of Qi. His cultivation at the 5th Level of qi Condensation surged violently as flames wreathed his body. The Ren Clan’s secret techniques burst out from around him in fiery torrents that incinerated anyone foolish enough to approach him.
“Ren Sihan! Coward! Show yourself and face me again!” Ren Qiu roared, his voice carrying across the din of the battle.
The name burst from his throat with raw fury and grief, but no answer came. The only response was a renewed focus by the demonic cultivators that were pouring through the cracks in the wards, seeking to slaughter the Disciples and seize any Blood Essence that could improve their own cultivations.
All around them, the battle raged on. Elders in the Core Formation clashed with their counterparts from the Demonic Sect above and below the ship. The sky turned into a maelstrom of light and shadow as fire and explosions erupted from the collision of Qi. The air stank of blood and the burning smell from the fizzling wards.
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But the true clash of titans was occurring in the air far above the flying ship.
A cold silver light cleared through the murk of demonic Qi as Mu Yanyu unleashed the power of her Moonfrost Sword. The blade shimmered like a crescent moon, and each stroke chilled the air, crystallizing the scant amount of moisture.
When she swept out with her sword in a wide arc, the temperature plummeted and ice bloomed across the battlefield, freezing the howls of nearby demonic beasts into silence before they shattered against the ground in glittering shards.
Before she could change the tide of the fight, Ren Tianyu appeared in front of her. Although the former Patriarch of the Ren Clan carried the scars of instability in his foundation, the sheer amount of combat experience he had was evident in his every movement.
His presence was oppressive, like a storm that pressed down on everyone who came near him. Even his fellow Core Formation Elders of the Demonic Sect were wary around him.
With a shout, he unleashed his cultivation and summoned a roaring flame Qi that churned with violent instability, but struck everything around him with terrifying force. He may have transitioned to the Demonic Path, but he still retained all the secret techniques of the Ren Clan.
“The Moonfrost Sword?” Ren Tianyou’s voice thundered with contempt as he deflected her strike with a sweeping backhand, his palm cloaked in hardened Qi that erupted with sparks on contact.
“It is a fine treasure that is wasted on someone like you.”
The sound of his redirecting her Qi was thunderous, but Mu Yanyu didn’t flinch. Her face was as cold as the frost that covered the blade in her hand as she danced in the air, flowing through the Sword Forms.
“First Bloom: Flower Petal Cascade!” Mu Yanyu shouted. The Moonfrost sword drew on her Qi, leaving trails of freezing radiance that formed flower petals around her. With a sweep of the blade, she sent thousands streaking toward the former Patriarch.
Still, his years of experience showed. Ren Tianyu managed to find a single weak point in the attack and exploit it, twisting his body slightly as he struck out with his hand, knocking aside several frozen flower petals of Qi and avoiding the others.
As the battle between them progressed, the differences became more apparent. Mu Yanyu’s movements were crisp and precise, whereas Ren Tianyou relied on cunning and experience to bridge the gap. Each time her blade seemed certain to land, he would shift slightly.
But Ren Tianyou had his own flaws, and they couldn’t be overcome. As the fight dragged on, the flaws in his unstable foundation grew clearer. His Qi would fluctuate each time he drew upon his reserves, and his movements would grow a bit heavier and slower; every strike cost him more stamina and energy than it should.
Mu Yanyu began to press the advantage, and with a flick of her wrist, she neatly cut across his chest, and the patriarch was forced to retreat a step.
He touched the slice across his black robes and snarled in anger.
“Damn girl. You think you can beat me!? You’re a hundred years too early to be my equal!” He spat out, and his Qi flared chaotically.
“Your cultivation is cracked at the root because you didn’t earn it. No matter how many battles you have fought, experience cannot mend what is broken. You should have been content with what you had already achieved, not sacrifice everything for a tiny bit more.” Mu Yanyu retorted coldly.
Her words cut Ren Tianyou more than her sword had, and his expression twisted. Rage boiled inside him, fueled by his Inner Demons and the effects of the Crimson Rebirth Sutra.
Knowing that he couldn’t win fairly, he resorted to other means.
With a shout, he waved his hand, and his Qi seized dozens of nearby Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivators that had been hovering nearby, seeking an opportunity to strike at the flying ship below them.
The Demonic Cultivators froze in horror as an invisible force seized them. Their screams were cut short as they were hurled into the air, forming a ring around Mu Yanyu.
Her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do, a moment too late to stop it.
“You!”
“Sacrifice is the duty of the weak!” Ren Tianyou bellowed. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and the cultivator’s bodies ignited into pillars of flame. Their Qi was wrenched free of their Dantian, congealing into a vortex of fire.
Mu Yanyu barely had time to shield herself before they fully detonated in unison, their essence fusing into Ren Tianyou’s technique.
The world around seemed to burn as a colossal pillar of fire descended upon her. She raised the Moonfrost Sword, and frost expanded outward in a desperate defence. For an instant, the ice and fire clashed with a shockwave that split the clouds.
But the power was too great, and Mu Yanyu was forced backward. Her robes were scorched, and her skin was pale as blood sprayed from her lips. She reeled, and the Qi around her flickered and dimmed while the backlash from the barrier raged through her internal organs.
“Do you see? Talent and treasures are meaningless against those willing to sacrifice everything to achieve their goals!” Ren Tianyou laughed.
Mu Yanyu wiped the blood from her lips, and her breathing was ragged, but she raised her sword and charged forward once again.
