"I don't have any enmity with you three," I started choosing my words carefully. "And truthfully i'd really prefer to cooperate with you instead of fighting."
"Sure but how exactly do you plan on sharing the inheritance?" Zosia replied in that same monotonous tone she continuously used.
She had a point but even though I am excited about this treasure and the inheritance she just mentioned, My ultimate goal was to rescue master. So it's not as if I wouldn't leave them any opportunities.
"Also, the force from earlier will be subsiding soon and all the lower realm strength dragons will be able to enter at that time." Īone added before shaking her head in dismay her straight long auburn colored hair shimmering as she did partially obscuring her graceful features. "At that time in the ensuing confusion, do you think it'll be peaceful or easy to get the inheritance?"
"Fine then, if you're that insistent on doing this then I should warn you, the fellow from before wasn't very strong and he only managed to get the upper hand because I underestimated him. I won't be making the same mistake twice."
"No worries, we won't be underestimating you either!"Thalia chided, "in fact, you may not be aware of it but we've already started.
"Ugh," Era moaned softly while placing a hand to his temple. "Poison?" He murmured.
This was slightly concerning, it wasn't like I couldn't handle them, it's just with my current fatigue and low ki levels, three open realm strength dragons would definitely prove difficult.
Not to mention even though Era with his annoying confidence seemed to be ok-ish for now I knew his situation would progressively get worse.
This idiot did save me after all. If he hadn't then he'd still have the heart cleansing pill he used earlier and I can't repay kindness with enmity.
These damn strength dragons and their poisons.
Fine then.
"Give me the antidote and I let you guys have the inheritance." I offered.
"Sorry we can't afford it if you happen to renegade on your deal the moment we're under your thumb again." Zosia tossed finally pointing a sharp long needle like object at me. "With this we'll have eliminated the most potent threat."
Era suddenly held his chest while gasping for air. "Zosia, you…" he coughed before falling to the stairs.
"That's interesting." Zosia stated while showing nothing of her interest.
"Era, you've lied to us and I think lady shia'k will be pleased to hear about this development."
"Please…no, don't," Era groaned reaching towards Zosia.
The other girls giggled as if this was funny.
I pulled my sword, if I intended to save Era I would have to act now.
Using the law of wind I dashed towards the ringleader. "Zosia you need to go down first!"
A lightning fast downward cut which aimed to be lethal but my blade changed its trajectory at the last minute swerving at a sharp angle away from Zosia who stood unfazed.
I tried again, failed.
What?
Suddenly a blow caught my side lifting me from the floor, the force threatening to send me back down the stairs.
Luckily I braced myself with the law of wind, but the blow still hurt.
"Don't forget about us!" Both Thalia and Īone chided.
Thalia wielded a large hammer which had lifted me, while Īone brandished a sharp bladed whip.
This formation, defense?
For Zosia?
Why?
I landed few steps back.
"Right now you're probably confused as to why these two are protecting me right?" Zosia queried as she wiped something from the large needle she had pointed at me earlier with a cloth.
Just do us both a favor and give in to your demise, since you've already lost and all."
A stinging pain, electrified the area where I'd gotten hit before and it was all I could do to fall to my knees.
Did she stab me?
When?!
The area hurt, feeling like it had been put trough a meat grinder.
"Hghnnn!" I moaned loudly as the searing pain seemed to grow like sharp claws piercing my side.
My breath was rugged and my fatigue at an all time high but something seemed off.
My mutated golden black core pulsed violently, almost as if something inside it wanted to be freed.
Intense heat welled up in me and with the pressure came rage. This rage wasn't my own, it conjured vicious thoughts in my mind forcing me to exhale the surplus heat and compressed ki.
How dare they hurt me?
How dare they?
Do they not fear me?
They don't?
They're not afraid?
Then "if you don't know yet what true fear is," I started "Allow me to educate you!"
The three girls retreated a step, their expressions collectively expressing fear.
The rage welled up again and I could no longer suppress it.
This animalistic rage!
The ki-shroud grew like a flame, this time with intense heat, the surrounding mist burned with this new law, flame before slowly being absorbed into my internal space.
This law burned within me igniting and combusting around my golden black core and compressing itself until only a glowing ring of searing heat was as left.
It hurt.
A lot.
Even more so Did the ki it radiated which constantly grew, threatening to destroy my golden core's boundary.
Additionally the surrounding hou was Being converted to ki at an alarming rate forming complex and very visible torrents of hou threads which all flowed to me.
"S.stop her!" Zosia ordered with renewed urgency and Thalia jumping into the fray.
Her hammer came down hard and in my current state I barely managed to deflect the first blow the second slipping between my defenses hitting hard at center mass.
Even with the large hammer she was crazy fast.
I struggled to stand.
Without control of the ki-shroud or the law of wind, the heavy blow had knocked me back causing me to roll partially down the stairs.
"What?" Zosia stated in a relieved tone "ha, you actually had me scared for a moment there."
My hair partially covered my vision as I stood.
"Huuu!" The heat I breathed out this time had a substantial amount of ki mixed in it.
And I could feel the consuming ki burn at my clothes.
Suddenly the pressure subsided and in its stead was an energy I didn't know I had.
It was euphoric!
It felt like I could easily cover a few miles in a single bound using the law of wind.
I looked up at the three girls.
Thalia who had retreated some and Zosia with Īone who hid behind her.
I breathed in slowly before exhaling.
Everything felt as if it were within my grasp not to mention the fact that my golden core's boundary had once again grown exponentially.
Did I break through to a new realm?? If so what was it called?
The primal rage slowly faded and the ki-shroud returned with the control of my inner ki.
It was softer, this time I could easily feel the individual hou-strands and their complexities.
Era was out and it was easy to tell that he probably wouldn't last much longer.
All the hou inside the tower resonated with me forming a complex map more than a hundred times bigger than the tower had appeared from the outside.
I could feel it all.
Every crevice.
Was this what master had told me about?
True Divine sense?
I smiled, one of realization while flexing my fingers.
The tower had many rooms many of which had various herbs which could help Era.
Even if they didn't give me the antidote his life wouldn't be in immediate danger.
With ease I walked towards Thalia who dropped her hammer in fear.
I know my aura had changed, the purity of my ki made it apparent. I stopped right in front of her picking up the hammer. It was heavy and had good balance.
"Choose your opponents carefully next time."
She closed her eyes and braced herself.
"Here," I stated "this thing is your life in battle so don't drop it next time.
"Huh?" She took it her surprised expression impossible to miss.
I stepped past her, "wait!"
She yelled.
She seemed upset and as she fought through the fear she continued. "Don't you dare look down on me! I'd rather die than go back to the drifting flower pavilion with this shame!"
I exhaled, a sigh. "Im not," I replied sadly "if I fought you now, it would be unfair to you guys since I was already stronger than you all from the get go."
"Shameless bluff!" She retorted.
I looked her over, "ok, but try not to let this affect your divine martial heart."
I unleashed a small percentage of my ki.
A soft warmth enveloped me.
I slowly guided it to her before starting.
"My initial element has always been void, empty."
She looked around as it enveloped her.
"Senior sister, you have to help Thalia." Īone urged at Zosia.
"You two stay put!" I commanded with an outstretched palm condensing the hou around them to restrict their movements before slowly refocusing my attention on Thalia.
She was on the verge of tears.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" I asked with a smile.
She nodded and I continued. "My master always told me that even though my initial element was 'void' I shouldn't be disheartened. Because as useless as it may seem, it's actually the most profound out of all the elements."
She seemed confused by this so I explained further.
"In ancient times cultivators also wrote the word void in another way. "
I wrote in the air with my fingertip and ki as my ink, shaping the word 'End'.
"This signifies the termination of all, the end which devours everything. Even emotions."
I pulled back my ki in a swift motion.
"The pride you felt earlier, where is it now?"
She looked at her hands before sitting abruptly, tears streaming down her face.
I stooped by her before slowly and gently wiping a tear away. "You three are sisters from the same sect right?"
She nodded slowly and I smiled gently in return. "You're a strong and brave woman, don't be so quick to show your tears ok?"
I stood up and proceeded to the other two, "w,what do you wanna do?" Īone asked in a shaky voice.
Zosia hushed her quickly.
"What's the matter?" I asked in as glib and arrogant a tone as I could. "Not winning as easily as you thought?"
"I never said it would be easy!" Zosia responded seeming to choose her words more carefully now. "
"Hmph, you won't be winning at all!" I retorted taking pleasure in her dismay, my glee very much showing.
"Now, give me the antidote," I added slowly. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be.
"Sister, just give it to her." Īone pleaded softly.
She sighed before giving in.
"I'll give it to you," she started "but only if you let my two sisters go first."
I pretended to think about it before,"no you're actually gonna give me the antidote whether you want to or not."
She tensed at this before placing a hand between me and Īone after seeing me eye her.
"Your technique is actually quite good," I stated to Īone. "And you're quite fast too, that movement with the whip is what redirected my attack earlier wasn't it."
She stepped more behind Zosia in an attempt to hide.
"Now tell your sister to give it to me." I stated in a playful tone. "If He dies because of this then i really won't forgive you guys~ Ok?"