I parried Murderous Crow's first murderous strike with Azure Frost, and then backed away when she executed a series of ferocious strikes that gouged the earth. Clods of dirt and clumps of grass were flung violently into the air as she hacked and slashed without care, cackling wildly while giving into her thirst for blood.
"What's the matter, kid? C'mon! Fight back!"
I tried to block the next blow, but almost had Azure Frost torn out of my grip. Gritting my teeth, I deflected Murderous Crow's next thrust, and then spun away from a slash that would have cut me from my collarbone to hip. Sparks flew as our blades collided once more, and I found myself hurtling back from my opponent's superior strength.
My feet hit the ground and I stumbled, only to bend backward and dodge the next strike that would have eviscerated me. Murderous Crow halted her heavy sword and twisted the trajectory of her strike to cleave me apart, but I managed to roll away before parrying her follow up blow. Panting, I exchanged a few more blows with her before being thrown aside.
Crashing onto the ground, I rolled back to my feet swiftly, my sword up. This time, I drew Azure Dragon as well and used both my treasure weapon and spirit sword to block Murderous Crow's attack. Crossing the blades, I caught her heavy sword and locked it between my two swords, just barely stopping the huge weapon from carving into my skull.
"Oh? Not bad. So you have a treasure weapon too!" Murderous Crow cackled and pressed down on me. I found my knees buckling, so I decided to go with the flow for now. Dropping to the ground, I swept my leg out to kick her heel and trip her up, only for my opponent to jump up. Fortunately, that meant the pressure on me lightened, and I was able to quickly retreat.
Hopping back to my feet, I deflected the next blow and retaliated with a riposte using my second sword. Blood spilled from a graze across Murderous Crow's cheek, but she simply laughed and knocked my first sword aside. I winced when a cut opened up across my forearm, blood dripping and staining my sleeve.
Before I could counterattack, Murderous Crow whirled about and kicked me in the gut, sending me flying. While I was flung across the clearing, she ascended before swooping upon my position like a bird of prey, intent on cleaving me into two with her heavy sword.
Murderous Crow snarled when I spun to the side, her blade sinking deeply into the ground. I seized the opportunity to close in and strike with both of my swords, but she let go of her weapon and leaped away. Instead, feathers and blood blades bombarded me when I advanced, and I was forced to halt and cut them down with my two swords. Frost and water swirled around me, freezing and washing away the blood and feathers.
By the time I cleared my area of the sinister projectiles, Murderous Crow had already retrieved her weapon. Resting her heavy sword on her shoulder, she tilted her head and stared at me, looking a little disappointed.
"Really, kid? Is that all you've got?"
Then she vanished into a blur. I managed to parry her next blow, but I felt blood spray from my shoulder. Biting down on my lip to prevent myself from letting out a cry of pain, I swung one sword and defended with the other, but another blow seared into my chest. A shallow but long cut, it stung enough for me to stumble back. Frustrated, I lashed out, only for a new injury to appear on my left arm when Murderous Crow almost casually countered.
Laughing manically, she struck once more, and despite blocking her blade, I felt her plant a foot on my hip and kick me to the side. I staggered, only to cross my blades and parry her follow up strike. My arms ached from the blow, going numb from the sheer impact, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. I then twisted my body just out of the way of her next kick that would have hit my abdomen, but a backswing knocked into my head and sent me careening to the ground.
I rolled away before she could stomp on me, and slashed out at her legs. She gleefully jumped over my sword and plunged her blade down, stabbing the ground after I flung myself back. grabbing the hilt with both hands, she dragged out her sword, spraying me with dirt and obscuring my vision.
Then she burst through the clods of earth to ram her sword into me. However, I was prepared this time. While I parried and countered, two torrents of fire scorched the air to hit her.
"Hmm?" Murderous Crow leaped aside once more, evading the flamethrower attacks from Xiao Huo and Xiao Huo Long. Even though they fired from different directions, she was still able to escape. I didn't give up, pursuing her relentlessly with strikes from both of my swords, even as I coordinated my attack with Xiao Huo and Xiao Huo Long. fireballs came from multiple directions, matching the pacing of my strikes.
However, Murderous Crow was able to deflect, evade and block each and every one of them. Her body was almost a blur as she spun about gracefully, twisting her head out of the way to avoid being burned, her heavy sword stabbing upward to knock away my blades, and then elegantly waltzing out of the way of another fireball. She looked as if she was dancing, dodging fire and steel by narrow margins while still somehow managing to counterattack.
"Ugh!"
I deflected her strike, but her chop didn't have as much power because she was preoccupied with the fireballs coming from two different directions. Half distracted, she pulled back to evade a fireball before twirling her sword about to cleave a second into embers. Seizing the opening, I tried to slash at her seemingly vulnerable side, but she spun her heavy sword about and blocked my thrust with her heavy blade.
At that moment, Xiao Huo launched a fireball at her back, but she simply threw a hand out and caught the flames. The fireball detonated in a muffled manner, leaving soot on her scorched palm, but otherwise Murderous Crow was unscathed. She shook her head and snorted.
"Yellow ranked spirit beasts? Did you really think elemental attacks from Yellow ranked spirit beasts will hurt me?"
"Well, it did."
"Just a minor injury," she sneered. "It stings a bit, but that's about it."
Well, a minor injury was still a wound. Death by a thousand cuts. Provided we survived long enough to do that much damage, of course…which was looking increasingly unlikely. Murderous Crow had pulled her heavy sword out and retaliated, and I couldn't evade in time. Despite blocking it, I felt the immense blow knock the breath out of me. Numbed and winded, I crashed several paces away, almost blacking out.
Murderous Crow ignored the fireballs that pelted her from behind, lunging to stab me with her heavy sword. I understood her killing intent. As long as she slew me, my summoned spirit beasts would naturally disappear.
However, her blade bounced off Da Hai's shell. Even though Da Hai successfully blocked the blow for me, he was still sent hurtling a few meters away, a crack in his armor. He groaned and lay still before being dismissed back to my dungeon.
I couldn't believe that Da Hai was taken out by a single attack. Then again, Da Hai was only peak Yellow Rank, whereas Murderous Crow was Earth rank. The difference in cultivation realms was far too much for his incredible defense to withstand.
A freezing beam shot through the cloud of dirt, but Murderous Crow swatted it aside with her arm, only for her limb to be encased in ice. Irritated, she shattered the ice and turned to glare at Xiao Ke. Before she could throw her blade at him, she was forced to swipe at a fireball from Xiao Huo, and then she cocked her head to avoid being burned by Xiao Huo Long.
"More Yellow ranked spirit beasts? Do you really think they can stop me?"
She let out a deafening screech that knocked my three spirit beasts aside. I winced and dropped to the ground, clutching my ears, while my spirit beasts wailed. Grimacing, I glanced up and saw Murderous Crow deliver a barrage of blood blades and black feathers in all directions. Though I could shoot them down with my arrows after hastily drawing my Obsidian Drake bow, my spirit beasts were not as fortunate. I was forced to recall them after they were battered senseless by the incredible strike.
"Any other tricks, boy?" Murderous Crow taunted as she loomed over me. I had kept my bow and picked up both swords once more, only for her to blast her back with another strike. I coughed out blood as I landed on a heap, rolling to avoid her stab. She then smacked me with a huge yank of her sword, the broken earth softening the blow and consequently not killing me outright, but still dealing enough damage.
Wiping the blood from my mouth, I then leaned on my swords to try and stand, but Murderous Crow showed no pity as she approached, spinning her heavy sword about. She chuckled.
"Well, it was fun, but I guess this is it."
Then her eyes widened and she jumped aside right before Hei Ba smashed into her. A huge crater was carved into the ground from the colossal impact, but even as Murderous Crow leaped away, a black tail whipped out and hit her. She managed to parry the blow with her Annihilator, but she was sent wheeling into a tree with enough force to uproot it before she was buried under its splintered trunk.
Before Hei Ba could celebrate, though, the massive tree trunk was hurled right at him, only to shatter ineffectually against his armored bulk. He hissed in rage and glared at his victim, but Murderous Crow stood, looking unhurt apart from a few bruises and some blood from her mouth. She let out a laugh.
"You have more helpers? Good! Very interesting!"
Then she looked up when a shadow was cast upon her, and she chortled when she saw eight Guardian Golems.
"Just how many spirit beasts do you have? And how are you pulling them out of nowhere?"
I didn't reply, and she sniggered.
"Of course you have no intention of sharing your secret. Still, kid, I'm impressed. Unlike the Yellow ranked weaklings from earlier, these are all peak Mystic rank. Not bad. Not bad at all!"
She gripped her Annihilator with both hands and smirked. "I guess I'll have to get a little serious!"
"Get a little serious?" I echoed. Before I could press her, Murderous Crow disappeared into a black and purple blur once more. the next thing I knew, there was a thunderous crack. One of the Guardian Golems turned slowly and caught her heavy blade, only for an explosive qi the color of blood to engulf him.
My eyes widened when I saw his immense bulk hurled across the clearing, crashing and flattening several trees as he skidded across the Spectral Forest.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"No! Not at all! This is fun!"
Cackling madly, Murderous Crow slashed the next nearest Guardian Golem who lumbered toward her. He staggered, trying to keep his balance, but the demonic cultivator tackled his torso like a bullet. There was another resounding thud before he doubled over and dropped to his knees. Murderous Crow kicked him in the head and sent him toppling over.
"How…?" I spluttered. The Guardian Golems had higher defense than even Da Hai, and yet they were being dismantled by just a few blows? Was the difference between Earth rank and Mystic rank really that vast?
"Come on." Landing in the middle of the remaining Guardian Golems, Murderous Crow beckoned them and a viciously hissing Hei Ba over. "Is that all you got?"
I gritted my teeth, trying my best not to let frustration get the better of me. Even so, I knew I still needed to fight on. Long Wang evidently was still not done setting up his spirit array yet. I was hoping to save my trump cards, but Murderous Crow was tearing through them with astonishing ease. I couldn't afford to hold back, not if I wanted to survive the next few minutes.
"Sorry, guys, but just hang in there." Taking a deep breath, I drew my bow and readied myself to provide long range support even as they were taking heavy hits from Murderous Crow. "As long as we don't give up, we'll eventually wear her down!"
Or so I hope, but the chances of that were increasingly looking bleak with every passing second. Especially when Murderous Crow charged a third Guardian Golem, laughing manically as she hacked and slashed. Even as shards of stone and debris flew into the air, my heart sank when I saw my sturdy spirit beast go down in a few blows.
This was not looking good at all.