Cut Off
Robber Seven moved his eyeballs, straining to listen to the battle on Shao Xuan’s end. He wished to look into that direction but his neck wasn’t complying at all. Perhaps this was his rawest and innate instinct- the long-fanged sharp-clawed monster that was nearest to him should be his priority. The monster was definitely life-threatening.
Creak—Bam!
The metal chains around Gan Qie snapped apart violently at each link. This seemed to trigger a chain reaction.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
A quick series of crisp snappings could be heard. Gan Qie had broken the chain into tiny pieces and its remnants were scattered on the ground.
Sand-yellow flames rolled out of Gan Qie’s body in waves. It spread around the area. Countless flying grass bits dried up mid-air and fell to the ground like a rain of sand.
Each breath taken by Gan Qie sounded like heavy breathing of a vicious beast devouring flesh and blood. The red glow in his eyes had gotten much more intense. His tough and sharp phalanges were like ten top-grade blades scratching against the metal chains. It created an ensemble of piercing noises and fire sparks.
The six dark-clothed figures weren’t the only ones in shock. Even Ci Du and the others, who felt like they knew Gan Qie considerably well, were slack-jawed at the current situation.
Those weren’t human fingers, were they? It would’ve been more reasonable to call them tough weapons made by an excellent blacksmith! Or else, how was it possible for THAT to deliver such an effect?!
Gripping the broken metal chains that were threatening to escape tight, Gan Qie gave it a sudden tug, pulling a dazed dark-clothed figure to his front. Before the enemy could escape, Gan Qie’s palm was already clenching at his jugular. Judging by his momentum, Gan Qie was probably thinking about landing a bite. Yet, before he could deliver said damage, he instinctively threw the person away like a sack of rubbish. He acted almost as if he had smelled something rancid off the enemy.
The thrown dark-clothed figure landed violently in the woods nearby. After breaking several thick tree trunks, he finally came into contact with the ground. The harsh momentum made him skid across the grass patch for a while before everything halted. He let out an agonizing groan, finding it difficult to get up again.
Gan Qie’s blood-red eyes couldn’t care less about the condition of his enemy. He looked away from the woods and began moving towards another dark-clothed figure.
Locking gazes with the terrifying crimson eyes, that particular dark-clothed figure’s weapons in his hands began to tremble. This was such a rare occurrence for him.
After the rattling of chains came another heavy slam onto the ground that was accompanied by a short scream of horror.
There was a shift in Si’s expression. Yet, he wasn’t the least bit distracted. He did not look into that direction but made a mad dash for Shao Xuan instead. Following his intense speed, his long black robes swayed with the wind. The force produced by his garments were enough to clip the tips of the grasses in proximity. The distance between Shao Xuan and Si was not far. Si’s running form was unsettling- despite the long-handled Xi in his grip, the staff grazed the top of the grass blades like a breeze. It was almost as if it weighed nothing.
Si swung his arm out and a rounded curve was drawn by the cross-shaped long-handled Xi blade that looked like a beast fang. The sharp edge of the Xi was concentrated with a suffocating killing intent that threatened to harvest all souls. Within a blink of an eye, it had arrived in front of Shao Xuan.
The icy metallic blade clawed towards Shao Xuan face-on. It pierced the wind with eerie sharpness, birthing a whistling sound that brought pain to the ears.
Shao Xuan did not move away. At this moment, he had no plans to spare more time on this battle. He could not be bothered to probe Si’s weaknesses anymore. Instead, he chose to draw an end to the battle in the most direct, most violent and most brutal approach- Flaming Horn styled.
The highly rampant totemic force began flowing throughout his body. It was almost if multiple air pockets were busting on the surface of his body. At that moment, Shao Xuan was ferocious and incredibly dangerous.
Clang!
The clash of metal continued with no end. The collision of blades birthed countless fiery sparks that were stark in the dark.
Every time Shao Xuan stepped forward, the ground under his feet would sink instantly with a thunderous sound. The whole floor looked like it was trembling profusely.
The initial leaves brought by the wind as well as dirt and glass debris shaken up by the commotion were mostly scattered at first. It was like a light drizzle. But as the two parties gathered their forces and let it erupt in each confrontation, it quickly turned into ruthless storms and violent winds. The bright green that was forcefully torn apart, the withered yellow that lost its moisture and the brown soil with the occasional rocks were reduced to nothing but grey crumbs under the moonlight. It moved with the motions of the two figures, curling and scraped afloat without care.
Si’s loose black robes were torn at different spots. Every arm movement would return with another hole in his garment.
Clang!
Shao Xuan sent tremours through the sword with a violent block. He stopped a traversed attack.
Borrowing the momentum, Si backed off. In that short moment of inactivity, Si and the dark-clothed figures did not stop raising their brows. Their pants were fast and uncontrolled. Doubt flashed through their contracted pupils, they no longer possessed their initial dominating presence. Si felt like things were gradually spiralling out of his control.
The strange man guarding Robber Seven was a problem. The other problem would be this Flaming Horn tribesman in front of him. After that brief exchange, his initial assumption could now be confirmed.
From the intel he had gathered and everything sourced from Ji Fang, there was only one identity that could be associated with this person before him——-the Grand Elder of the Flaming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan!
Though he had heard from Ji Fang that Shao Xuan was a relatively dangerous entity, experiencing it first hand was much more impactful than hearsay.
How could a tribesman be so powerful?!
Yet, if this was the extent of his abilities, there was no need for excessive worry.
As the collision of their aura and powers continued, Si felt like he had gotten a general idea of what Shao Xuan was capable of.
During their first collision, Si felt like his whole arm was about to be fractured by the sheer force. It was almost as if he was facing off a gigantic fearsome beast instead of a human. There really was some legitimacy to the rumoured beast-like Flaming Horns!
But he also knew how to use an opponent’s brute strength to his advantage.
A calculative glint flashed in Si’s eyes but in the next second, he felt the skin on his back tense up. He couldn’t be bothered with it now because he realized that Shao Xuan was gearing up for the next attack.
There’s more?!
Ruthlessness in his eyes, Si retracted his chest and abdomen as he began to move back quickly to create enough time for response. With great force exertion, he stomped his right foot into the dirt and rotated his body by twisting his waist and knees. With a flip of his palm, the cross-shaped weapon was thrown up. He reached for the cross junction of the handle with both hands and began turning it vehemently.
Instantly, the cross-shaped long-handled Xi blade began rotating like a meat mincer. The presence of his blade was so sharp that it shattered flying leaves before it could even come closer. Judging by Shao Xuan’s aggression earlier, Shao Xuan himself would certainly sustain heavier damage than his target through brute collision. No one would be willing to lunge at a meat mincer. Anyone who had thrown themselves at the rotating Xi blade in the past had all ended up as a pile of meat mince.
However, Si’s assumption was flawed.
Shao Xuan’s current aggression level was way higher than earlier.
At that moment, Si couldn’t help but wonder if Shao Xuan had gone stupid.
Or more rather, Si felt like there was something wrong with his own vision. There seemed to be white flames peeking out from under Shao Xuan’s sole. Its appearance was brief and vague, just like the blurry fog that emerged without notice and vanished as it pleases.
With slightly bent knees, Shao Xuan lowered his body. His stance was akin to a forest beast ready to pounce on its prey. Soon after, he stomped the ground and the long grass blades that went over their knees were flattened! Even the ground sank!
Utilizing the thrust force, Shao Xuan’s body shot out like an arrow. The wicked wind his lunge created was so strong that it could flip a huge bear into the sky. His sword-wielding arm swung out following the huge impact and the air mirrored his motion. It produced whistling wind and thunderous noises. The dirt and gravel, grasses that were uprooted from the force and flying sand particles floating over from Gan Qie’s side were rolled to the sides in the rush of air. It was as if tyrannical beasts were roaring and trying to chase the elements away maddeningly.
Without evasion or any other techniques, Shao Xuan charged ahead without any reservations!
The ground trembling with every step, Shao Xuan’s sprint had shaken the terrain greatly. Si felt like he was rocking amidst the waves. He couldn’t balance himself and so there was no way of exerting force. Under such circumstances, his combat techniques could not be fully realised!
Si’s heart sank. Shao Xuan’s move had greatly exceeded his expectations. At the sight of a berserk Shao Xuan, Si came to a realization that he might not be able to block off Shao Xuan’s attack.
Anyone with a bit of hunting experience would know how fast and powerful a beast was when charging at its prey. At this moment, Shao Xuan’s momentum was much stronger than the notorious beasts in the forest!
Feeling the threat of the incoming sword, Si’s heart began to palpitate wildly. If there was enough illumination, one could notice that Si’s expression had morphed into something ugly. The man had gone pale.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bam! Bam!
The clashing of two brute forces was so violent that the whole ground felt like it was about to be flipped anew. Qu Li, Ci Du and the others felt like an earthquake was happening beneath their feet.
So many sparks flew that they concentrated into a line of striking fire, piercing through the night. The blinding lights burned into their eyes.
The power that travelled through the cross-shaped weapon all towards Si’s arm was spread across every inch of his being. His arms had gone numb.
Rrrrrip! Rrrrip!
Multiple tears appeared in Si’s black robe in that instant. The torn fabric floated towards the sky and then further reduced to smaller pieces by the pulsating airflow.
Si was thrown a few tens of metres backwards. His legs were knee-deep in the dirt and his unkempt hair was erected obliquely towards the back, courtesy of the wind. Cold sweat that had yet to drip flew off his forehead as soon as they emerged.
The whistling sound of the rotating Xi blade died.
The sword in Shao Xuan’s grip obstructed its rotation, just like a steel bar that was forcibly driven into a rotating fan blade.
Bang!
One of the horizontal bars of the cross-shaped weapon was cut off!
The muted thud that followed the fall of the horizontal bar was a painful strike to Si’s heart. Si felt the urge to spit out a mouthful of blood at the pitiful sight.
Qu Li and the others, who were avoiding the ongoing fights as they couldn’t be of help, fell silent. They looked at Gan Qie, who was in the middle of torturing his enemies. Then, they looked at Shao Xuan, who had cut off the handle of the weapon wielded by the legendary observer, Si.
...Nevermind. It would be better for them to focus on protecting themselves. Going forth as aid would probably bring more trouble than good.
Though they did not wish to admit it, this was the reality. Shao Xuan and Gan Qie were monsters. They weren’t on the same level as the rest.
Abruptly, Ci Du stared into a distance with intense concentration. He nudged Lu Zhai, who was next to him, with his elbow.
“What is it?!” Lu Zhai was observing the fight anxiously. He was so focused on the battle that Ci Du’s sudden nudge had jolted him. It was only natural for his tone to be sour. Though they weren’t required to be involved, it was always beneficial to keep an eye out on their surroundings. He wasn’t too keen on listening to Ci Du’s nonsense at such a moment.
“Look over there.” Ci Du pointed at a location behind Gan Qie.
Lu Zhai was prepared to only spare a quick glance but as soon as his gaze had settled on the pointed spot, the man’s eyes widened. He could not believe this. He blinked twice and stammered, “Where... Where is he?”
Qu Li and Mu Fa, who were beside them were confused. They turned around and looked in the same direction. Immediately, they were stunned.
A rope cocoon was the only thing left behind on the boulder where Robber Seven was initially placed. Their prisoner was nowhere to be seen. While they thought that Robber Seven had merely retracted his head into the rope cocoon, a closer inspection when Gan Qie was about done with the enemies had proven otherwise.
It was empty!
“It’s empty!” Qu Li exclaimed in shock.
They scanned their surroundings. Robber Seven was nowhere to be seen.
Gan Qie, who was excitedly torturing his enemies: “...”
Where the heck was the little thief?