“What did I do to her, you ask?”
Aksai chuckled ominously, narrowing his eyes on Lian before responding.
“I did many things with her. I still remember there was a black mole on her special place. You want to know something else? She couldn’t help saying I was a better performer in bed than a pretty boy like you.
Hehe. rest assured. She died with a smile on her face. Now the question is– what are you going to do about it?” he asked Lian mockingly, tightening his grip on the sword.
Aksai had seen Nesha naked once when he asked the puppet to change its clothes in order to wear the leather armor underneath them.
As such, he found it easy to mix some truth in his lies to create a perfect concoction of deceit. Although he was still technically inexperienced with the ladies, he was still a better liar.
“You,” Lian’s face flushed red with anger. His subconscious mind recognized that Aksai might have said those words to provoke him. Yet, the effects of the words were so potent on Lian’s psyche that he couldn’t help but fall into Aksai’s trap.
“I’ll fking end you right here!”
Lian screamed, using his Light Steps spell to approach Aksai without coordinating with the third Blood Bakshi cultivator who stood beside him for support. Even the Blood Bakshi was caught off guard by how quickly Lian had reacted.
“Hahaha, getting angry over the death of his slave? My little nephew is still immature. Not that it matters. Let’s fking start.”
Haisha also saw an opportunity to strike at Lian’s group when the stalemate was broken by Lian. To counter them, Lian’s split group stepped forward.
Chaos erupted on the battlefield as Lian charged at Aksai, with the third Blood Bakshi right behind him.
Simultaneously, a full-fledged battle broke out between Haisha’s team and his enemies from the same family.
Aksai began retreating backward while still keeping his eyes on Lian, using his Light Steps to create a safe distance between himself and the approaching Lian.
“Young master, Lian. Please wait,” the third Bakshi screamed as he followed behind Lian. Lian kept his gaze locked on Aksai as he spoke.
“Damir, don’t you dare interfere. Let me handle this bastard with my own hands,” Lian said, the flames of vengeance consuming his heart.
Aksai heard Lian’s words and decided to act immediately. He stopped retreating and launched himself at Lian with such force that the two soon clashed, their weapons drawn, metal meeting against metal.
Damir was forced to watch Lian and Aksai fight from a distance. Yet, he also couldn’t approach the previous team to help them in their battle against Haisha’s team. He was tasked with protecting Lian and needed to ensure that Aksai didn’t launch any threatening attacks on him.
***
As the clash between Aksai and Lian erupted, the forest echoed with the clang of metal meeting metal. Lian’s swordplay skills were masterful, each strike precise and calculated.
However, thanks to his Bronze Body cultivation, Aksai’s agility and strength were formidable, allowing him to evade Lian’s strikes and retaliate with lightning-fast counterattacks.
Aksai was still yet to employ his qi to empower his attacks. However, he decided to wait for the right time.
“You… where the fck did you learn this swordplay?” Lian screamed at Aksai as they engaged in combat. He could tell that some of Aksai’s moves closely resembled those of Nesha.
Although Aksai’s sword skills needed refinement, he was already better than most average drifting cultivators of his generation due to learning from someone like Nesha. With his body cultivation prowess, he could easily defend himself against someone like Lian.
Aksai chuckled but didn’t answer. Not everything had to be articulated to his enemies. It was better if Lian let his emotions drive his actions while Aksai observed in silence. That way, Lian would leave openings that Aksai could exploit.
‘No wonder this silly fish liked Nesha. He is a good sword cultivator himself.’
Even Aksai realized that Lian was a better swordsman than him. Despite practicing with Nesha for two years, Aksai was still far behind someone like Lian, who had been trained in various cultivation arts from a young age due to his well-established family background.
‘It might be a bit difficult with that Blood Bakshi paying attention to the fight but I can probably overpower him with my Qi Fusion Arts. But… let’s stretch this battle for a while,’ Aksai thought as he kept his tabs on the battle between Haisha and his enemies, which was taking place not too far away from him.
Aksai had planned to launch a sneak attack on every single person present in a few minutes. However, he knew it would be better if the number of his enemies was reduced to a minimum before he could do so.
Aksai danced around Lian, his movements fluid and graceful. With each exchange, he chipped away at Lian’s defenses, landing multiple strikes on his opponent within a short span of time.
When he thought that the time was appropriate, Aksai slowly but surely started employing his bronze qi into his moves. Despite Lian’s superior swordplay, Aksai’s relentless assault began to take its toll, leaving Lian with bloody wounds.
In return, Lian managed to land several strikes on Aksai, but they were not as serious as the blows Aksai inflicted. With each blow, Aksai’s body cultivation techniques proved their effectiveness, absorbing and mitigating the damage.
Meanwhile, Damir watched the intense battle unfold, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Seeing Lian’s injuries mount, he knew he had to intervene.
‘Young master Lian might get severely injured at this rate. I… I must intervene. But since I can not take part in the battle directly, I can only support him.’
With a desperate resolve, Damir unleashed his heretic Spirit spell, channeling its power to mend most of Lian’s grievous wounds.
As Lian’s injuries began to heal, he renewed his attack with renewed vigor. Aksai found himself facing an even more formidable opponent as Lian’s strength seemed to be replenished.
However, Aksai refused to yield, his determination unwavering. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch an attack that nobody would see coming. From the corner of his eyes, he looked in Haisha’s direction and knew that the moment to act was very close.
***
In the backdrop of their duel, the battle between Haisha’s team and their enemies raged on. Despite being outnumbered, the two-man Blood Bakshi team proved to be a formidable force, managing to suppress Haisha and his two subordinates.
With precise strikes and coordinated maneuvers, the Blood Bakshi cultivators leveled the playing field, turning the tide of the battle in their favor. One of the Blood Bakshi cultivators landed a severe blow on Haisha’s previously gravely injured subordinate, ultimately taking his life.
As the dust settled, only two opponents remained standing against the Blood Bakshi team, including Haisha himself. Despite their valiant efforts, Haisha and his remaining subordinate found themselves outmatched by the relentless onslaught of the Blood Bakshi cultivators.
By this point, Lian’s team had exhausted many of their special measures against Haisha and his subordinates. In return, Haisha’s side was also forced to reveal their trump cards. The two sides had almost run out of the tricks they could use against each other to secure a seamless victory.
“Don’t think you have won yet,” a bloody and beaten Haisha screamed as he took out a runic lamp from his storage. The expressions of the Blood Bakshi cultivators changed drastically when they saw Haisha’s move.
“Not good. Attack,” one of the Blood Bakshi cultivators said to the other as they approached Haisha’s side without caring about the incoming attacks. The cultivator by Haisha’s side also launched himself towards the approaching enemies in an attempt to intercept them and make them halt their advances so that Haisha could finish using the runic lamp.
‘Now’s the time.’
Aksai thought to himself as he sensed Haisha’s condition, making a split-second move. He channeled his qi into his legs and kicked Lian away.
At the same time, he used Lian’s shoulders as a stepping stone to launch himself into the air. Powered by the qi and Light Steps spirit spells, Aksai created sufficient distance between him and the ground by propelling himself into the air.
Holding his sword in his mouth by its hilt, Aksai freed his hands. Before the bewildered Lian and his Blood Bakshi reinforcements could realize what he was up to, Aksai had launched a series of attacks on all of his opponents at the same time with an unbelievable speed that nobody could keep track of with their eyeballs alone.
[ Earth Control Spell ]
[ Wood Vines Spell ]
[ Ice Spear Spell ]
[ Automated Mudra casting ]
[ Automated Mantra Regulation ]
The pseudo hand-weaving maestro was back at it again.
Aksai didn’t stop at automated Spirit spell casting.
He spread his Spirit Sense around him and made his Scarecrow puppets make their debut on the battlefield. Before anyone could realize who the new players were, Aksai and his puppets had made their moves against all of them.