“Hehehe,” chuckled Haisha, watching the Blood Bakshi cultivators approach him with reckless abandon.
He was poised to activate the runic lamp in his hand, ready to unleash a spiritual attack on his enemies’ souls. But just as he prepared to do so, his attention was captured by Aksai’s sudden leap into the air.
Swoosh.
‘The guy can surely jump. Did he use an Advanced Light Steps talisman?’
Haisha pondered, his thoughts cut short. Initially, he intended to dismiss Aksai’s duel with Lian and focus solely on his own battle. Yet, witnessing Aksai’s swift and precise hand signs, weaving multiple Spirit Spells simultaneously, left him astonished.
‘What… What the hell is that hand-sign casting speed? Is he really a cultivator in the late-stage Spirit Refining? Not even a Spirit Refining Perfectionist would be able to do that. Is it… a Foundation Building Ex—. No wait. I shouldn’t get distracted.’
In a mere fraction of moments, Haisha’s mind raced through decisions.
From acknowledging Aksai’s confrontation with Lian, to recognizing the need to deal with both Lian and Aksai after dispatching the Blood Bakshi, to admiring Aksai’s prowess in casting Spirit spells—barely a second had passed.
And in the blink of an eye, the manifestations of Aksai’s Spirit spells materialized around them, followed by the sudden appearance of three additional players on the battlefield.
‘Not good. I have to hurry—’ Haisha’s runic lamp was a rare soul-based treasure capable of initiating spiritual attacks on opponents. However, it required a certain activation time, and Haisha had assumed he had enough to launch an attack.
Aware that he was a target for the Lakir Family’s forces, Haisha had prepared various trump cards, many of which he had already used. The runic lamp was his ultimate weapon against the Blood Bakshis.
However, Aksai’s sudden moves caught him off guard, delaying the lamp’s activation. In the next moment, Haisha saw the two Blood Bakshis, focused solely on him, closing in using their Light Steps.
With their backs to Aksai, the Blood Bakshis were unaware of his sudden activity, nor did they have the luxury of monitoring the fight between Lian and Aksai, trusting the third Blood Bakshi to protect him.
The subsequent events unfolded in rapid succession, as if meticulously choreographed for a climactic moment in a live performance. Each scene seemed to linger in slow motion for those paying close attention.
[ 1st scene ] In the first scene, Haisha’s arm, clutching the runic lamp, was severed by the leader of the Blood Bakshi cultivators, rendering him unable to utilize his ultimate trump card. Haisha cried out in agony.
[ 2nd scene ] In the second scene, the Blood Bakshi leader, his face splattered with Haisha’s blood, was poised to smirk triumphantly when he suddenly felt a sharp object pierce his back, targeting his liver. It was an attack from one of Aksai’s Scarecrow puppets, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Wood Vines conjured by Aksai’s parallel spell executions encircled the puppet, enhancing its effectiveness.
[ 3rd scene ] The third scene mirrored the second’s brutality. Haisha’s subordinate, engaged in combat with a Blood Bakshi cultivator, had inflicted severe injuries with his flying weapon slashes. However, the arrival of the runic soul lamp prompted the Blood Bakshi to abandon caution. Ignoring safety protocols, he launched a direct assault, impaling Haisha’s subordinate’s laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s Apple) with his spear, staining the blade with blood.
[ 4th scene ] In the fourth scene, the spear-wielding Blood Bakshi, victorious yet wounded, felt a sharp weapon slice through his nape. Unaware of the Scarecrow puppet lurking behind him, he succumbed to an unexpected attack just after securing his hard-won triumph.
[ 5th scene ] In the fifth scene, the third Blood Bakshi, intent on aiding Lian after administering a healing Spirit spell, found himself startled by Aksai’s sudden aggression. Before he could intervene, a masked female cultivator entered his line of sight. Despite his instinctual alarm, the Blood Bakshi pressed forward, seeking to prevent her from launching an attack.
However, the masked woman, unfazed by his approach, skillfully inflicted multiple lacerations, disrupting his balance. The ground trembled with the Earth Control Spell, further destabilizing him. Though the Blood Bakshi managed to pierce her arm with flying knives, the masked woman wielded her sword with her remaining strength, decapitating her adversary. Covered in Wood Vines, she revealed herself as Nesha, her mask dislodged by the initial onslaught, unveiling her face to the battlefield.
[ 6th scene ] In the sixth scene, Lian found himself forcefully repelled by Aksai’s kick, stumbling backward from the sheer force of the impact. Meanwhile, Aksai utilized the momentum to propel himself into the air, demonstrating remarkable agility. Despite momentarily being captivated by his opponent’s intricate hand movements during the Spirit spells, Lian quickly regained his focus, drawing upon his battle experience and training.
As he prepared to activate an Advanced Light Steps talisman for increased speed, Lian sensed imminent danger closing in from all directions. Reacting instinctively, he activated a top-grade 1st-order defensive treasure—a bracelet gifted to him by his Foundation Building Expert grand elder. In an instant, the ground shifted, and a multitude of Wood Vines emerged, resembling the sinuous limbs of an octopus as they lashed out at Lian from every angle.
Each vine wielded an Ice Spear, transforming innocuous tendrils into formidable weapons. Despite the onslaught, Lian’s dense Spirit essence formed an illusory shield, deflecting the barrage of attacks. Without the protection afforded by his defensive treasure, Lian would have surely succumbed to Aksai’s sudden assault.
[ 7th scene ] The Wood Vines encircling Lian were forcefully dispersed by the defensive artifact’s repelling energy. Simultaneously, the protective layer of Spirit essence dissipated, leaving Lian exposed and vulnerable once more. Despite believing he was immune to further surprise attacks from Aksai, an inexplicable urge prompted Lian to turn and glance in the direction of Damir, the third Blood Bakshi.
To his astonishment, Damir lay lifeless on the ground, his neck gruesomely severed, a growing pool of blood surrounding him. Lian’s mind raced with the question of who could have perpetrated such an act, just as he sensed a presence approaching from his left.
[ Scene 8 ] The resounding clash of swords echoed through the air as Lian instinctively parried a close-range strike from his assailant, whom he swiftly recognized as Damir’s killer. However, before Lian could fully engage his opponent with his formidable swordsmanship, he made the critical error of meeting the assailant’s gaze.
“Nesha! It’s you!”
Lian’s world turned upside down as he beheld the visage of Nesha—the woman who had haunted his dreams for the past two years. Her disappearance from his life was the source of his endless torment. Nesha’s countenance remained impassive, betraying no emotion as she deftly redirected Lian’s own energy against him with fluid swordplay.
“Nesha! It’s me!” Lian cried out in desperation, his misty eyes brimming red with anguish.
[ Scene 9 ] After unleashing a flurry of simultaneous attacks from his airborne position, Aksai yielded to gravity and landed with a resounding thud. Despite feeling a searing sensation coursing through his Spirit Essence Pathways from the rapid succession of Spirit spells cast through Automated Spell Casting, he disregarded the discomfort and approached Lian, who was entangled in a confrontation with Nesha, attempting to reason with her.
Just as Lian came to the grim realization that Nesha was no longer among the living, Aksai seized the opportunity to launch an assault on both of them.
[ Scene 10] Utilizing Nesha’s body as a shield, Aksai advanced towards Lian, uncaring of the well-being of his own Scarecrow puppet, using it to execute a stealthy strike against Lian.
Just as Lian prepared to distance himself from Nesha, she relinquished her sword and hurled herself towards him. With outstretched arms, the Wood Vines encircling Nesha’s limbs snaked towards Lian.
Emotionally unsettled by the sight of Nesha’s face and her unexpected actions, Lian hesitated momentarily.
This moment of indecision provided Nesha with the opportunity to close the gap between them. Before Lian could react, she embraced him, and the multitude of Wood Vines enveloped them both as if binding them together.
[ Scene 11 ] Aksai’s blade plunged into Nesha’s back, piercing through her from the leather armor she wore underneath her clothes. The attack then emerged from the other side and shattered Lian’s fragile Spirit essence barrier.
With precision, the sword tip found a narrow opening between Lian’s rib cage, driving into his heart before emerging from his back.
Employing his qi, Aksai imbued his thrust with enough force to penetrate two bodies in a single strike. Unconcerned with the lifeless shell that was Nesha, he utilized her to deliver a fatal blow to his primary adversary. As long as he got rid of Lian, he didn’t care about the Scarecrow puppet or the leather armor she wore.
[ scene 12 ] “Aaaaargh!” Haisha’s cry pierced the air as he narrowly evaded the attack, saved only by Aksai’s Scarecrow puppet’s surprise assault.
[ scene 13 ] “I’ll kill you!” The Blood Bakshi leader’s scream rang out, his futile attempts to staunch the blood flow from his grievous stomach wound betraying his desperation. Had the Scarecrow puppet possessed a higher level of Spirit cultivation, the attack would likely have proved fatal.
Enraged, the Blood Bakshi leader unleashed a barrage of strikes upon the puppet, severing its limbs and sending it crashing to the ground. Yet, instead of crimson blood, only a dark, coagulated liquid oozed from the puppet’s wounds.
Before the leader could react further, countless Wood Vines sprang forth, ensnaring his limbs and rendering escape impossible. Then, to his horror, he beheld a mid-grade 1st order fire-element explosive talisman nestled within the puppet, activated autonomously.
[ scene 14 ] Boom!
The puppet latched onto the battered and bloody Blood Bakshi leader before detonating, obliterating him in a close-range explosion that sprayed viscera and gore across the surroundings.
In the aftermath, only a severely injured Haisha, Lian teetering on the brink of death, and an exhausted Aksai remained among the living. The rest had perished in the brutal melee.
All fourteen scenes unfolded concurrently or sequentially within a mere four to five seconds. Despite the brevity of this interval, it was ample for the emergence of a definitive victor.
***
Aksai’s Qi Fusion Arts faltered under the weight of exhaustion, his Spirit Essence Pathways disrupted by both internal and external injuries, exacerbated by the explosive release of qi used against Lian.
His guise dissolved, revealing his true appearance.
“You! Aksai Everwood!”
Haisha’s cry echoed, his severed arm clenched tightly as he battled against the surging blood flow with Spirit Essence. Spotting Aksai, recognition flashed across his features, his face turning ugly. How dare a mere Spirit farmer conspire against him?
Aksai ignored Haisha’s cry.
Swoosh. Zoom. Chop.
Before Lian could react, Aksai struck again. With one slash down, he served his head and ended his suffering for good.
Turning to Haisha, he met the man’s gaze with icy resolve. “You’ve never been more than a nuisance, Haisha. Now, I see I was right all along,” he remarked, his tone cold and unyielding.
Haisha, speechless and horrified, reached for the runic soul lamp still clutched in his severed arm.
But before Haisha could act, Aksai closed the distance with a burst of speed from his Advanced Light Steps talisman.
Standing before his foe, he discarded his sword and unleashed a barrage of palm strikes, each infused with potent qi. Aksai’s energy invaded Haisha’s body, disrupting his blood flow and ravaging his internal organs.
Unable to retaliate with Spirit spells, Haisha could only watch in horror as Aksai, with bare hands, tore through his flesh, grasped his ribcage, and with a powerful yank fueled by qi, shattered it outward, exposing his quivering heart.
“You know what mongoose? You don’t deserve an easy death. Consider your actions in your next life before you exploit others.”
Aksai declared, his voice grim as he clutched Haisha’s crimson heart.
Crush!
As Haisha’s heart was obliterated, Aksai’s form became drenched in blood.
Relief washed over him as he realized the battle’s conclusion, the demise of all involved cultivators.