Both Xia and the ponytail cultivator look at the wooden number one on the floor. Both felt enticed to pick it up, but they also knew that the archer that has join the battle will use such bait to easily deal with them. Xia looks at the ponytail man. Their eyes lock in with each other.
Without speaking both knew what each other wanted. Their eyes move away from each other as they scan their surroundings. Kathako's old ghostly voice echoes in Xia's mind.
"Going off the direction of the arrow, the archer must be behind you"
Xia did not react to the old man's statement. He breathes in as he turns and runs towards the wooden number one. He has bitten the bait. Like every excellent hunter, the archer shot an arrow toward Xia. The ponytail man channels his Qi as he sees where the arrow came from.
Empeopling his body heat around the sword as he swings it down. Creating a fire slash that flew toward the tree where the archer might be. Xia grabs the wooden number one by its rope as he turns around and swings it at the upcoming arrow.
Just like he imagen, a visible force field appears around the number as it blocks the arrow. Making it fall to the ground as it lost all its momentum. These numbers are very important, the fact that there is an enchantment attached to them means that there must be some sort of defense enchantment on the wooden number.
No arrows came as the fire slash finally arrive at its target. The top branches and the leaves of the tree caught on fire. Producing a bright red bonfire for all to see. Smoke coming out of the tree makes pinpointing their location a piece of cake. Xia's untrained eyes notice a shadow moving between the treetops.
"They are on the run."
Kathako narrated what just happen.
'I know old man! No need to say it.'
Xia said to the old ghost in his head as he and the ponytail cultivator rush after the shadow. The new trio getting farther away from the burning tree. Five arrows were shot at them, but with simple dodging they got away scar free. The ponytail man coated his sword once again in his body heat as he swings it down as he ran.
The sword created a fire slash that travel to the crow of a nearby tree. The tree caught on fire like normal. The shadow seems to stop for a second as it tries to rethink its escape route. Xia took this opportunity as he grabs a nearby rock. He infused Qi into his arm.
His arm muscles bulge with strength as he throws the rock with the strength of five men. The rock flew at a frightening speed. The rock surface began eroding away at a mind-breaking speed. The archer's shadow notices the rock too late as they got hit on the body.
Making them lose their balance. But their keen sense was able to stop them from falling to the ground. The ponytail man came under the tree where the archer is on. Using the last bit of his Qi he does another fire slash. This slash travels toward the archer.
Who in a moment of desperation, jump down from the tree. As the figure became clearer, the duo rush towards it. The archer landed on the ground without that much difficulty. Reveling an average-looking man with short blue-gray hair. On their back is a wooden bow and hanging from their waist is a sword.
The ponytail cultivator was the first to reach the target. He swings his sword at the archer, who jumps out of the way as he takes out his sword. Xia rushes at the archer, now that he is grounded they must take care of him as fast as possible. For if he escapes then the previous situation of them being hunted will play out.
Xia arrives next to the archer as he aims an attack to the side. The archer uses his sword in a skillful way as he makes the hammer miss him. But before he can fully prepare his counterattack, the ponytail man flanks him. His sword was now bright red and emitting smoke.
He swings his sword and leaves a large cut on the archer's left arm. Blood spills and paints the grass a deep red.
Boom!
Another attack hits the archer, this time from the left side. Xia's hammer broke some of the archer's ribs. The archer not even having time to scream as a punch land on his face. Breaking his nose and causing a nosebleed. The archers fall to the ground and are knocked out cold.
The duo breathes heavily as they look at each other. The next second Xia aims an attack at the ponytail man. Who in turn tries to block the attack with his sword. Making a crucial mistake.
"Shit!"
The ponytail cultivator screams as he saw his sword scatter into countless pieces and not wanting to suffer the same brutal fate as the man before him. He takes out his wooden number and throws it on the floor.
"I give up."
He said as he is taken away by Mors like the green hair man from before. A smile surfaces on Xia face as he grabs the wooden number two. Making his total now eight. He turns around as he takes off the knockout archer a wooden number three. As he puts on the number three, light enters his eyes and he gets a weird sense of dejavu.
He becomes blind for a few seconds. As the light disperses he blinks a couple of times, regaining his vision as he finds himself in a medium size wooden building. There are already some people here, all he recognizes as being the ones that got the wooden number five.
Wei's voice echoes in his ears as she looks at him.
"Congrats on gaining ten points."
"Thanks, you"
Xia said a large smile on his face that he got to pass the final test.
With this, the sect trials finally came to an end for the young Xia