From the top of the stairs, Xunhue stared coldly at Han Fei. She got on a horse stance and threw a fist in his direction. A sonic boom resounded and what seemed like a ball of air blasted towards his face.
Han Fei did not have the time to think. He activated his speel. In front of the two women, he disappeared. And the air fist missed.
But Zhi Rui's saw clearly what he did. She charged right where he disappeared with her mace in hands.
One step. Two steps, Zhi Rui swung the mace from her top left to the bottom right. She could feel clearly his movements, he turned invisible and crouched down.
The sound of metal hitting meat, and a muffled grunt resounded. Xinhua widened her eyes.
Three meters away from them, out of the stairway, Han Fei reappeared, with a twisted arm and blood on the lips. The hatred in his eyes was clear, but he did not attack. Instead, He ran the opposite direction and went up the stairway Guan Jing used to get away.
Zhi Rui grunted and followed after. But before she went up, Xinhua's hesitant voice reached her ears. "Should we really do this? They are fellow brothers of the same sect."
Zhi Rui barely managed to swallow her frustration down the throat.
"Usually Han Fei is worthless and barely a threat. But now you just received an ancient inheritance. Do you think he won't find a person willing enough to risk the light sect's animosity? Do you know how many rogue cultivators are roaming the continent, desperately seeking for resources? There's also the elders that are coming! Do you think they won't have thoughts of greed towards your inheritance?"
With Zheng Li battling in the background Zhi Rui tried to convince the girl. With her renewed eyes he could see the girl's disposition clearly. And she continued.
"You had lived as nothing until now. You know better than most what happens when people find out about your valuables. To avoid that tragedy, Guan Jing and Han Fei MUST DIE!"
Xunhue's eyes flashed, and hesitation came over her.
Zhi Rui's scoffed inwardly but outside she looked frantic.
"This is not just about you anymore! If you do not do it, then you won't be able to become a phoenix and uphold your responsibility! the sealed great evil will reappear and millions will die! it all depends on your decision!"
Xunhue, though of her time until now. she lived like a rat eating scraps and barely managed to become a level two cultivator. She wanted to repay the grace of the one who made her special. Picturing her meteoric rise in the sect; Her eyes shined with resolution."Senior, Junior will honor the pledge."
A wave of strong wind exploded around her as she jumped straight up the stairs to look for Han Fei.
Smiling to herself, Zhi Rui followed. With her breakthrough her understanding of the ethereal increased, her eyes could see much deeper into a person. Now she could see, and feel the aura. And what came off of Xunhue was the plain old fear, She knew she had to do it, even more, she wanted to do it. but fear crept up. And she made up excuses to avoid it. Zhi Rui only had to give a reason and play with the girl's vanity. Then from fellow disciples, they became necessary sacrifices.
'Congratulations Roberta, today you created a truly representative of the righteous faction.' Zhi Rui laughed inside.
-----
"Zheng Li! What are you doing!?" stick Screamed. He laid wasted on the ground with a broken neck, yet his voice was as animated as ever. He couldn't move but he knew, his partner the hound was stalling Zheng Li as his neck healed.
Zheng Li used his spear, and the hound defended. feeling Zhi Rui going away. Zheng Lli's eyes shined. "I need to prove that my heart lies entirely with her." His eyes shone as a light blue aura surrounded his body.
"YOU'RE NUTS! MADMAN! BIANCA GAVE YOU EVERYTHING AND YOU ARE GONNA BETRAY HER!?"
The blue aura around Zheng Li become eerily stable. a tinge of light blue passed his eyes. "Bianca? No, she was merely a medium, Zhi Rui is the one I'm bound to. I was meant to be her guardian since birth, and now that she awakened. THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE!"
"CRAZY MOTHERFUCKER!!" With that scream, the true fight began.
-----
Han Fi sighed, the moment he ran up the stairs, he saw the none one was pursuing him.
Without a second thought, he ran to another of the four stairway and activated his powers. His first core was a bright chameleon. He acquired its camouflage trait, wit hit he stole and usurped until he managed to acquire a core to his brother. Even though he knew an attack type would be more useful, he convinced his brother of the contrary, and from then on he kept in the control since hir brother needed him to attack.
And then he chose his second core. By then, he understood himself well and did not hesitate with his choice. He picked up a stealth presence erasing trait. and become a full-fledged assassin. As his life passed through his eyes. the sound of strong wind came from where he was and he held his breath, in a second, it was gone. He felt relief and released his breath.
*tchuk*
He heard the sound of it smashing beside his head, the pain came after a few seconds he saw in front of him. A mace lodged into the wooden wall of the pagoda. He touched he raised his hands and felt the left side of his face in a daze. a prickling pain came over him. in the place of his ear as only soft meat and warm blood.
"I see you~~"
Together with the voice, a chill ran up his back. He did no thought for a second that if he stayed he might be able to win. In fact, he did think at all. He simply reacted to his instincts and ran away as fast as possible.
Zhi Rui condensed her inner energy on her legs and pursued, there was only one floor left, Han Fei would be outside. Zhirui clenched her teeth and gave her all. She tried to activate the weightless spell. but it was level one spell, her strength already outgrew its use.
Han Fei ran like a mad man, he could feel the beast reaching up to him, even though he trained his body a lot he knew she would be caught up with him soon. With a pained expression, he gestured with his hand and coughed blood. At once he turned into a blur and ran up the last stair.
Zhi Rui watched dumbfoundedly, and without a second thought, she forced her muscles to the limit. She shot off out of the pagoda.
The sun reached shined in her eyes. to her dismay. She was surrounded by the undead guards, in the entrance at her left Zhi Rui saw a disheveled Xunhue holding with her hands a burning slash wound that started from her shoulder and ended at the end of her ribcage. In front of her, Guan Jing was being attacked by ten undead. in a second Zhi Rui knew what happened, and knew the undead wouldn't attack her unless she threatened them.
Zhi Rui immediately refocused her energy onto her eyes to localize Han Fei. The moment she circulated her energy, she felt it Zhi Rui with all her strength shoved her foot on the ground and threw herself to the side, but as if not enough Zhi Rui materialized her energy in front of her chest. it broke, an invisible blade plunged right into her lung. Zhi Rui managed to hold it back before it sunk all the way. She felt Han Fei presence and punched away with her other hand.
THUMP.
Han Fei's image appeared as he smashed into one of the undead. Zhi Rui felt his ribs breaking with her punch.
Seeing the undead coming his way, He got up smirked venomously at Zhi Rui. and ran off to the distance. Zhi Rui knew she couldn't get him anymore.
Ahe clenched her teeth. And yelled "You're their owner now! control them!"
As if discovering a new world the wounded Xunhue widened her eyes. She willed it and the undead from the other three entrances joined to attack Guan Jing.
Zhi Rui looked at his state, and feeling her own she smiled, she took one healing pill.
stopping the bleeding.
"Xunhue, order them to stop and surround him." Zhi Rui said.
Xunhue hesitated. "Bu-"
"Do it, trash must die like trash. Why would I give him the satisfaction of a glorious death by perishing to forty undead at the same level as him, when I can destroy him alone?" Zhi Ru smirked.
Xunhue, felt it was a bad idea, but Zhi Rui's aura did not allow an objection. without a word, she willed.
Guan Jing saw the undead spread in a circle around him Zhi Rui and Xunhue. He immediately gulped down several healing pills. He gasped deeply, while Zhi Rui calmly walked towards him.
"Are you out of your mind? We must run away before those guys come to kill us. both of you are on the second level. That should've be your main priority." He said in the middle of groaning due to the pill's effect.
Xunhue looked with at Zhi Rui with surprise. Now that Guan Jing said she could feel Zhi Rui's level. 'Didn't she turned a level one a few days ago?' she thought.
Zhi Rui smirked, "Yes, us, The low level, should focus on running away so you, the big level three master, can safely runaway while we attract the enemy's attention."
Guna Jing's eye turned black "It doesn't matter my reasons, it still is the best option for you. I won't try and fight those three, with two heavy burdens like you both."
"HAHA! Another perfect one!" Zhi Rui laughed aloud and waved her right hand in the air, she was holding a hope rock.
"Did you know, since the beginning I've been recording your blunders. I was planning on using it to extort you. but now. I can only use it to extort your family."
Zhi Rui's eyes turned cold.
"Today, you'll die by the hands of a heavily injured level two, myself. And when everything settles, The sect leader's words about how safe this trip is will turn to shit, and I'm sure he'll put all the blame for this incident on your corpse. Your family will be dishonored. and your name will be the new word for incompetency.
Your little sister won't dare to show her face in public."
Guan Jing's face turned from red to white. he barely managed to keep his posture. He menacingly looked at Zhi Rui. "The premise being, that you can kill me." Without another word, he stood ready to fight.
Sighing in relish, Zhi Rui thanked God for the opportunity to destroy Guan Jing with her own hands, the way she wanted.