The rippling of the water elevated as the mysterious creature thrashed underneath it as if it were threatening to break loose.
Their gazes were intently fixed on the water as they unsheathed their swords in high alert.
"Why are we being attacked every second? Shit!" Phoenix cussed beneath gritted teeth as she unsheathed her weapon.
"This is the yellow river. It harbours deadly creatures, and it never awakens until it discerns tremendous energy. Shouldn't you have anticipated that already?" Ying remarked lazily as he brought out not his sword, but rather an arced dagger embedded with onyx stones at the hilt.
The ominous creatures lurking underneath the yellow river were known to not emerge unless they sensed great energy emanating from powerful creatures, so humans were rather unassailable and unpredicted to be attacked by the unbeknownst creatures.
Phoenix's lips twisted with a frown etched on her face.
"Right. We just woke the sleeping beast from it's slumber." She emancipated on every word rolling off her lips in exasperation.
Zhulong playfully reeled his sword with a sadistic glint swirling in his golden eyes. The stench of blood and death sparked a dark thrilling sensation inside of him, making him crave for more like a crazed blood thirsty maniac.
They watched in intent alert, not tearing their gaze off the water that rippled heavily, splashing streaks of water on the ground in the process.
The dim moonlight shone down on the shimmering water as it gradually surfaced and ever so slowly a strange beast materialized from within it with heavy droplets of water dribbling from it's body to reveal a ragged creature with numerous tentacles linking to it's body.
A gill like structure stuck out of the sides of it's pale bony jaws and rattled as it snarled ferociously with glowering eyes that were all black with not an inkling of white in it.
It's extremely long rubbery tentacles thrashed in the water fiercer than before and with a rapid movement, it's numerous extended tentacles unfurled towards them with sharp spiky tips they hadn't noticed before.
They dodged the incoming attacks from the strange beastly creature they had never laid eyes on before.
A spiky tentacle lunged toward Zhulong with immense speed that could be compared in contrast to a vampire's pace. With a swift movement his sword penetrated through it, and he lacerated the tentacle lunged at him. The amputated tentacle dropped with blood gushing out on the ground before he averted his attention to Azure.
The four guardians didn't harness the same pace with vampires, so it was a bit of a hassle dodging the tentacles lunged at them but fortunately the vampire brothers assisted them.
A tentacle protruded from it's body and Zhulong caught a glimpse of it lunging toward Azure, ready to pierce her with its spiky tips amidst the hectic fight as the others swerved its attacks and sliced through its tentacles, making black sticky liquid gush out of its lacerated tentacles.
Zhulong moved with a rapid pace, feet gliding through the wind as he occluded the attack with his sword plunging into the tentacle before it could impale Azure who's face had turned pale with shock.
Black blood sprayed out of the deep gash he inflicted on it before he pushed his sword fiercely to split it in two, and the other dissected part plopped onto the ground while the other half sticking to its body retreated as it growled in pain, thrashing the water fiercely as the others impaled it.
"Thank you." She said in a low voice while averting her gaze back to the fierce creature who's relentless resolve to strike them elevated as more spiky tentacles protruded from its ragged body.
"Don't thank me yet." Zhulong muttered beneath his breath as he shielded her with his body and swiftly evaded an incoming attack before plunging his sword across the tentacle, making black blood spray in the air.
The creature persisted and more spiky tentacles emitted from its body and soon they were surpassed in numerical strength. Regardless of how fast the vampires were, the creature were equally parallel to their pace and soon, it was hard to keep up as the creature relentlessly attacked, not sparing them a bit of space in the process.
Although, the four guardians employed their remarkable powers, it couldn't alter the outcome as the lethal creature poured its wrath on them. Xuan emitted his ice on it, turning to frozen frost as much tentacle as he could and smashed the frozen tentacle in the process, Gai materialized earth spikes and impaled the beast in the process, Phoenix burned it with her fiery flame and Azure manipulated the water it resided in to drown it into the deepest depth of the river but still, it prevailed.
A low grunt of pain resounded and they whipped their heads to where the sound erupted from, to see Weng impaled in the chest by the spiky tentacle of the beast.
Blood spurted out of his mouth as he convulsed with his black eyes rolling backward to reveal only the white. Black web like veins formed on his neck to gradually stem upwards behind his cheek bones.
"I-its p-poisonous." Weng stuttered as he warned with a hoarse voice in between gritted teeth with blood spilling from his mouth.
The vampires and the four clans were busy with the creature as more tentacles ejected from its body lunging toward them, making it difficult and nearly impossible to save him.
"I'll cover you Zhulong!" Ying cried out in a slightly panicked voice as he slashed through the creature's tentacles motioning for him to save Weng.
It must have been the most sentimental he had ever seen him been before unlike his usual blank expression but now, it was different as his face was now etched with panic probably because he was the king.
Ying covered him as he lacerated the tentacles spearing towards him but he didn't move and instead, took a lengthened glance at Weng whose life was gradually being sucked out of him by the creature.
His gleaming black eyes turned dull in a breath and it turned slightly heavy as though it was almost shutting close. He would soon embrace death and the thought of it made a devilish grin split Zhulong's lips.
"Zhulong! Your brother's dying!!" Azure screamed hysterically as she tugged on his sleeve pleadingly.
Her panicked voice brought him out of his devious thoughts and he stared down at her to meet her doe jade eyes gleaming with unshed tears at the brim of her eyes.
The mere presence of her crying made him weak in his knees, but the thought of her looking at him like a monster pricked him underneath his skin, aware of the fact that he left his brother to die even though it was all for her.
The tears filling the brim of her eyes dropped to fall on her cheeks and his jaws ticked hard as he cussed inwardly before averting his gaze to linger at his brother.
He didn't deserve to live, at least that was what he personally thought. It would be much easier for him if his brother departed from the world. He was also a villain too, as far as he could recollect, his brother had snuffed out innocent lives, so redemption wasn't for people like him if one truly existed.
He felt her nudge him again and he stared at her with tears on her cheeks.
"Please..." She pleaded with a small voice that cracked like the earth beneath her caused by the creature thrashing its tentacles on it.
He clenched his jaws and pinched between his brows in frustration. She would look at him like a monster if he didn't save his brother which would lead to a second failure in being with her, so he regretfully had to save him, although there was always a second time.
With a deep sigh, he took off with a swift movement that couldn't be detected as a heavy gust of wind blew from where he stood.
His sword sliced through the tentacle plunging into Weng's heart and it dropped on the floor along with Weng's convulsing body.
The creature retracted its tentacles and with a heavy splash, it disappeared back into the water, retainig not a trace of it behind but only its decapitated tentacles and black blood stains on the ground, which left them all perplexed by its sudden retreat.