Thunder roared, and fierce winds howled with piercing intensity.
Over a hundred "fellow Daoists" from Azure Cloud Region hovered in the air before the numerous avatars of Venerable Tian Xing, as torrential rain beat down upon them relentlessly.
For many years, they had been engaged in a guerrilla war against the avatars of Venerable Tian Xing, for they knew with stark clarity that even if they managed to kill some of Tian Xing's avatars, it would only serve to make the remaining ones—or Tian Xing as a collective entity—even more powerful.
They held their breath, focusing their spirits intently. Amidst this raging thunderstorm, they could even hear the pounding of their own hearts.
Though they had engaged in a battle of wits and courage against the avatars of Venerable Tian Xing for many years.
Yet, they had no choice but to admit that they were terrified, that they were filled with dread. If it were possible, they would have far preferred to flee to the remotest corners of the earth, to never again have to confront an enemy so terrifying as to be almost beyond their ability to defeat.
In all these years, they had never killed a single one of Venerable Tian Xing's avatars, employing instead the strategy of capture and imprisonment.
But today, slaughter was inevitable!
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint gazed at the numerous Tian Xing avatars who were staring at them with mockery and steadily closing in.
He had no choice but to admit that he was afraid; his voice was ice-cold, yet it carried a slight tremble. "Kuanghua," he asked, "will killing their avatars truly make them even more powerful?"
"Yes."
Li Kuanghua nodded gravely. She would not deliberately conceal the formidable power of Venerable Tian Xing merely to embolden these fellow Daoists to fight.
"Besides capturing them, are there any other weaknesses?"
The hand with which the Heavenly Star Sword Saint gripped his longsword tightened, his knuckles showing white.
"For example," he pressed, "could we use an array formation to lock down the power that disperses from them after they perish?"
"We've tried that," she said, "but it's no use."
Li Kuanghua gazed intently at Lai Teng. Twenty years prior, she had fought a battle against the cultivator ranked eighteenth on the Nascent Divinity List and had been defeated. And now, she wanted to test just how vast the disparity truly was between herself and Lai Teng, ranked third on that same list!
The others in her group likewise gazed intently at these Tian Xing avatars.
Daoist Shanchen let out a long breath, meticulously assessing the strength of these Tian Xing avatars.
"Two hundred and five individuals in total," he stated.
"Old Daoist Qu Yang is at the mid-stage of Divinity Transformation; I shall handle him. Apart from him, there are twelve at the Nascent Soul realm, one hundred and twenty-one at the Golden Core realm, and the remainder are all at the Foundation Establishment stage. Not a single one among them is a mediocre talent."
"Among those at the Golden Core realm, several are far from simple; they have already reached the absolute apex of that stage."
"This is going to be a brutal battle."
A brutal battle—yes, that was undoubtedly true.
They were isolated and without support, outnumbered by Tian Xing's avatars.
Moreover, unlike Tian Xing's avatars, they did not grow stronger when one of their own perished; for the enemy, the death of an avatar only served to empower the others.
When a Tian Xing avatar perished, other, more powerful manifestations of Tian Xing would simply take its place or absorb its strength. If they died, however, it was an absolute loss.
In their battles against the Wu Clan, it had, at worst, been a one-for-one trade, not a net loss. The current situation was entirely different.
This had never been a fair fight.
If they killed Tian Xing's avatars, they would, paradoxically, only be strengthening Tian Xing himself!
As if sensing the fear in his companions, Daoist Shanchen lowered his head slightly. His voice was low and somber as he asked, "So then, my friends, are you afraid?"
On the Mountain, the lightning punishment roared, and the heavy rain intensified.
Gazing at the steadily approaching Tian Xing avatars, though they themselves were powerful cultivators, every one of them felt a cold that pierced to the bone.
"Damn it!"
Liu Wuhuan gritted his teeth. "Mother always told me," he said, "that as the head of the Liu family, I must never act impulsively but should always adhere to the principle of maximizing benefits in all matters. It seems today I'm about to engage in a losing venture.
I am afraid, yes, but I... I will fight!"
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint glanced at this young man, and a sudden sense of release washed over him.
"If it's a fight they want, then a fight they'll get," he declared. "There's nothing much to fear, after all. My friends, should I perish today, I ask that you help me fulfill two final wishes hereafter. First, please tell Yaowen for me... that I never had the chance to speak to her of what is truly in my heart. Second, concerning Daoist Qingfeng of the Clear Wind Sect, he beat my brother to the very brink of death. I want his life."
As the words of these two individuals faded, the gazes of the numerous Daoist friends from Azure Cloud Region gradually hardened with resolve.
"To hell with that bastard Tian Xing! I, your old man, came here precisely to annihilate this bastard!"
"Excellent, excellent! Today, I truly want to see for myself just how terrifying this Tian Xing really is."
"Everyone always says Azure Cloud Region is some backwater place, and they truly treat us like uncultured country bumpkins from the wilds! If Senior Ye Xiu successfully ascends to the Divinity Transformation realm, then our Azure Cloud Region will also boast a true grand master! If this worthless life of mine can contribute to the rise of a Divinity Transformation expert, then come what may, it wouldn't be a loss!"
"..."
With each successive declaration, the fighting spirit of the Azure Cloud Region group surged, becoming awe-inspiringly resolute.
They knew with stark clarity: upon the Mountain was Ye Xiu—the same Ye Xiu who had stood with them on the battlefield against the Wu Clan, a comrade-in-arms with whom they had faced life and death together!
No matter how terrifying Tian Xing might be, they still could not—would not—retreat even a single step!
Sensing the collective resolve of the group, Daoist Shanchen let out a long breath, and a faint smile finally touched his lips.
In truth... he too had been afraid.
But now, a sudden understanding dawned upon him. Perhaps it was from that very day the Li family members had implored him to emerge from his seclusion, from the moment he first set foot in that contentious land of Azure Cloud Region and fought alongside these very "fellows"—from that day onward, he had already forged an indissoluble bond with all the people of Azure Cloud Region.
With a determined breath, he unleashed his spiritual power.
The very same continuous Great Wall that had once stood upon the Azure Cloud Region border now materialized, shielding the Mountain behind him.
He gazed coldly at the numerous Tian Xing avatars and, taking the lead, charged forward!
"Then, my friends, I ask you to fight alongside me! Do not allow a single one of them to enter the Mountain!"
"KILL!!!"
---
2/2
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [https://ko-fi.com/darktea] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 50 Chapters: Search for "Dark Tea" on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!