The reverent silence was broken by curses and rumbles from the valley. The triune watched intently, wondering what was about to happen.
***
Louis frowned and took a deep breath, his attention focused on the man who was shouting as he moved toward them.
"Stop right there!" he yelled, clenching his fists. He wasn't as powerful as Alex, but he had improved after drinking the spirit water for several days. He could feel his inner power surge through his fist as he threw a punch. Like a furious wave, the force of his punch roared through the air, leaving a furrow in the earth as it sped more than thirty feet from his fist.
An ordinary warrior would have been shocked by the otherworldly display of power, but then again, an ordinary warrior could never have reached the Valley of the Buried Heart.
The man charging toward them was called Gil, and he was the chief disciple of a sect called the Masters of Heaven. He was incredibly powerful, and he simply walked right through the shockwave Louis had produced and stood there defiantly. Louis calmly gathered his strength and swung his fist again.
Gil smirked as he tracked the path of Louis's punch. Then, without trying to dodge or block it, he took the full force of the blow to his chest. His arms were outstretched, as if he wanted to give Louis a hug, but no doubt, he would be more likely to crush the life out of him.
Something's not right, Louis thought. The force of his blow should have been enough to split a tree trunk, but it felt as if he had punched an iron plate. He winced at the pain of the impact, shaking out his hand. Needing to regroup, he spun away from Gil's outstretched arms to put some distance between them. He was more annoyed than anything else. He had never come across someone powerful enough to shrug off a grand master's attack.
Gil didn't give him any more time to think. He rushed to close the distance between them, roaring like a lion. Louis knew he wouldn't be able to avoid or evade him, so would have to continue the fight.
Every blow he landed on Gil, no matter how much force he drove into his strikes, seemed to only tickle his opponent. Fortunately, he was far more agile and nimble than Gil, so they were more or less deadlocked. Neither fighter had a clear edge, but while they tested each other, a dozen or so people, all immortals, started pressing forward, their expressions mocking and cruel. Louis felt his heart sink.
For all he knew, Gil might be the weakest of them. He was tough, yes, but being hard to hurt did not necessarily make him a serious threat. He could just be their battering ram, and the powerful among them were just waiting for an opening.
There are too many masters here, he thought, starting to despair. Each of them is at least as strong as me, and some may be even stronger. He knew they were after the tricolor flower. His eyes found Alex, who had hidden his true power from the world, and he hoped he would be able to stop them. He was losing confidence in his own abilities, and Alex was the only one he could count on. There were close to twenty grand masters gathering in front of him, and he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
One of them, a woman who moved gracefully and seductively, watched Alex as if he were prey. Then she gestured at Gil, motioning for him to stand down. Louis breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"I like this one," she said, smiling at Alex. "All that smooth skin and young muscle. He's mine."
Alex shuddered theatrically. "I know that was meant to be intimidating, but you sound like a witch in a fairy tale. Careful you don't choke on my bones."
A chuckle rose from the invading immortals. They had already seen Gil fight someone as powerful as Louis, so none of them expected to face a real challenge from a man who looked like he was barely out of his teens. They knew he would have no chance against Naya.
She was the widow of an immortal called the North Wind, and she was said to have been born in the Ural Mountains of Russia, a land of ice and snow. Every inch of her skin was covered in tattoos that looked like the scales of a snake, including her face. The effect was beautiful, but eerie. She had trained with a cult called the Five Poisons, who worshiped venomous creatures. She was as light on her feet as a spider, as fast as a scorpion, and as deadly as a viper, and she carried the venom of each. Among immortals, Naya commanded respect.
She walked sinuously toward Alex, and each step was like part of a dance. Her green eyes never left Alex's, and she focused on him like a predator on the hunt.
"Don't be scared, little one," she said with a chuckle. "I'll be gentle."
Alex ignored her. He simply held up a hand and gathered his inner force. With a sudden cutting motion, he released his power like an invisible blade.
Naya leaped high into the air and back flipped away from the blow, landing about thirty feet away. She adopted a defensive crouch, but when she looked up, she realized that Alex had not meant to hit her. He was just clearing space, forcing her and the others away from Louis, the spring water, and the tricolor flower. She hadn't expected him to have that level of skill.
Alex sat on the ground with his legs crossed and used his power to draw a line a few inches in front of his knees. "Anyone who crosses this line will die."
The immortals were silent, but they all watched Naya to see how she would react. They were all masters from different sects, pursuing or preserving their immortality through strength of will and sheer power. If Naya allowed herself to be intimidated by such a young man, then she would lose their respect and support. If she showed weakness in front of them, she would be driven from their ranks.
Annoyed with herself for overreacting to Alex's show of power, Naya realized that her own position was in jeopardy. Her expression was stony as she stared at Alex.
"Big talk from such a young man," she purred. "But we'll see if you still dare to threaten us once I've dealt with you."
With her shoulders back, she stepped closer to Alex and his imaginary line. The immortals watched intently as she slowly approached the seated young man. It took only seven steps for her to stand in front of him, and her toes were just beyond the line. She grinned.
Alex smiled faintly and raised his hand again. With his index finger, he tapped just beneath her sternum. His inner power surged through him, slamming into Naya like a freight train. There was a flash of light and sound, and then she flew backward like a rag doll, landing in a heap several feet from where she had been standing.
Everyone gasped when they realized that she was dead. Alex had killed the infamous Naya with only a literal flick of his wrist, and his smile had never faltered.