Theron huffed out breaths. The puddles beneath him began to pool into foul swirls of crimson and violet, painting the ground a darker hue than the rain alone was capable of.
His body seemed to sway side to side in the wind. Any moment now, he could teeter over, collapsing to the ground.
…
“He’s at his limit,” Sigil said softly from a distance, his frown deepening.
He recognized the young man as an outer disciple of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect. In fact, he wasn’t just any disciple; he was ranked 17th in the Outer Sect.
The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was huge. The number of Duke, Marquisette, and Earl Clans that sent their young talents into their midst was uncountable. There were even some from neighboring Provinces that sent some of their youths for exchanges in diplomacy.
The number of Outer Sect Disciples was easily in the several thousands, approaching four digits. To be ranked 17th amongst them all… this young man would most definitely hold up a piece of the sky with his palm in the future.
Skyler Surgg.
Sigil wanted to take a step forward, but he felt an aura lock onto him. His eyes narrowed.
He didn’t understand.
At this point, there were enough spectators that anyone could tell that this was ridiculous.
But even as he had the thought, Sigil knew that he was being naive. When someone said words as boastful as Theron, the methods their enemies could use to twist them were simply far too many.
Plus… who was to say that these spectators couldn’t be compromised?
Was the crown prince that had pushed them into this corner in the first place really so foolish?
From start to finish, there hadn’t been a single scream, a single panicked shout or scatter. While there had been changes in expression, it was almost as though everyone here had already expected all of this to happen.
Was this a show of power? Was this the Nightingale Clan showing them how much influence they still had over Thistle Brook City?
Sigil’s frown deepened. Theron had suddenly stumbled.
…
Theron seemed to have truly stumbled, falling to a knee. But it was right by Beifong’s corpse. He pulled on it, taking it into his spatial device.
Since Dean Thistle had given him one with his last rewards, he could now use it openly. Plus, he had likely been overcautious in the past anyway. An Imperial Scholar of his talent wouldn’t raise any eyebrows by having such a thing in his possession. 𝖗ά𐌽ꝊВĚʂ
Slowly, Theron pulled himself back up to his feet, his breathing heavier after the strain.
He took a deep breath as Skyler still seemed to be curiously observing him from above. He seemed to find Theron’s actions odd, but all things considered, who in the cultivation world didn’t take their spoils of war with them?
But, taking spoils when you were about to die… well, that would never not be weird.
“You’re a bit of an oddball, kid. But I guess I’ve seen weirder fanatics than you. The Sect is full of them. I guess I’ll send you on your way now.”
Skyler hopped down from the building.
“I promised…” Theron spoke softly, “… to kill the number one Outer Sect Disciple of the Luminescent Moon Sect… in 20 moves… but… he provided me an interesting breakthrough opportunity… so… I ignored it.
“I think that… to make up for it…”
Theron slowly raised up a hand, his actions seeming labored and strained as he spread out his five digits.
Skyler blinked. “You want to give me a high five?”
“You will die in five moves.”
Theron’s voice fell, his tone incomparably gentle, and his eyes seemed to have lost their chilling cold entirely. In its place, an almost dull gentleness remained.
Veinsong.
Skyler’s heart jolted and his Dark Mana circulated. A circular ring of darkness formed around his feet and then he seemed to sink into the ground.
In an instant, he had appeared several of meters away, a cold sweat on his back and forehead, only for a danger to come from his back.
He hurriedly spun, a dark spear appearing in his palms as he thrust out several times in quick succession.
The [Water Scythe] that seemed to have manifested from nothing at all shattered, falling to the ground, only for it to form several tendrils of [Water Wraps] to burst out from them.
Caught off guard, one of them wrapped around his ankles.
Skyler swept out a blade, severing it in two, but then another caught his other ankle.
Droplets of rain swirled in the air, [Water Bullets] shooting at him from all sides.
The Obsidian Eclipse Sect Disciple had no choice but to ignore them, surging out with his Dark Mana to sever the second [Water Wrap].
BANG! BANG! BANG!
His body was bombarded by [Water Bullets]. His Mana skin shattered and he was suddenly soaked through by the rain. It was only the briefest instant of time before he had it back up, but it was enough.
[Bursting Water Shield].
A burst of water shattered Skyler’s robes and dissipated his Mana all at once.
All the while Skyler was fighting for his life against what seemed like the world itself, Theron had been walking over with slow, teetering steps.
Skyler didn’t even realize when Theron appeared behind him, the latter’s blade thrusting forward slowly.
It pierced into Skyler’s back and the Obsidian Sect Outer Disciple froze.
Skyler couldn’t even believe it. He almost thought that pain was imaginary, that some Spirit Mancer had gotten a hold of his mind and trapped him in this ridiculous nightmare. It didn’t even feel like he had a chance to use his full strength at all.
But… Beifong had been perfectly correct.
Theron could kill him whenever he wanted. He just preferred to use his blade for unknown reasons.
And now, that reason bore out.
Skyler simply wasn’t ready for this bombardment.
Theron’s blade moved with an almost agonizingly slow pace, almost shifting into Skyler’s body as though he was trying to fuse the two.
“I think that’s about enough,” a voice echoed.