"Damn it, fall back!" the leader shouted firmly, his skin tinged with red, and his muscles bulging. He dashed toward the tunnel, holding the rear as his men escaped. "FASTER!" he bellowed, narrowly avoiding the beast's colossal tail.
With some luck, they managed to make it back into the tunnel and sprinted towards the cave entrance. The serpent hissed and followed them, slithering through the tunnel.
Although the members all used movement techniques, they weren't able to outrun the wrathful beast. It closed the distance quickly, the disciple furthest behind feeling both its gaze and chilly frost on their back.
The leader shot a glance behind him and gritted his teeth, "Strike now!" he shouted at the disciples in front.
"B-but."
"Just do it!" the leader clenched his fists, "He won't make it."
The disciple far behind with the serpent inching closer to him suddenly felt a foreboding instinct as a wind blade shot in his direction. Although surprised, he managed to scramble together and deflect it with a sword sweep.
However, the momentary falter allowed the serpent to inch even closer, rushing towards him with an evil thirst in its ocular eyes. The fiery head revealed its inferno maw and scooped the disciple into it.
Before the serpent could swallow its prey, multiple wind blades whizzed its way, slicing through the air before cutting deep into serpentine flesh, blood gushing out.
Both of the heads hissed in pain as multiple cuts marred its scales further, a burst of spiritual pressure spread out, and the temperature rose. Screams bounced off the tunnel walls as inside the burning hot maw, the figure scorched within the growing ball of fire.
"Faster!" the leader's anxious shout rang out, "we're almost there," rays of sunlight streamed in, and soon the outside came into view.
With haste in their steps and speed fueled by adrenaline, they leapt out of the cave's maw.
Seconds after they emerged from the cave, a boiling blaze rocketed from within, melting the surrounding rock as the serpent's enormous figure appeared.
Its azure and crimson scales shined underneath the sun's glow. Even in its battered and bruised state, the terrifying aura still remained.
The six remaining Bloodlust Sect disciples ran to their positions, and the leader shouted, wearing a wide grin.
"NOW!"
Each of their spiritual energy reserves plummeted as they planted their hands into the rocky earth.
*VUUUUUUM!*
The ground trembled, quaking.
Spider-web-like cracks tore through the earth as fissures ripped open, and a metallic-colored fog streamed out of the cracks, covering the serpent's figure.
Soon the deep grey fog receded, revealing the serpentine figure entangled with a myriad of stone spiked chains, wrapping around it like a knot.
The beast hissed as its figure slammed into the ground, and it began to release flames from its maw in an effort to melt the chains. However, the disciples did not wait for it to do so, each charging towards it with renewed vigor.
The leader's skin released a faint steam as the reddish tinge intensified, his speed and strength along with it. He closed the distance between himself and the serpent quickly and resumed a combination of strikes and slashes that would put all other combinations he had done before to shame.
He wanted to see blood, more blood.
And he did.
Each slash tore the already weakened scales open, and they splurged out crimson liquids that covered the burly man's figure, who paid no attention and persisted in butchering flesh.
*HISSSSS!*
The serpent twitched and struggled, as the bloodthirsty cultivators bombarded it with attacks. They were like kids in a party striking at a pinata, but with swords instead of sticks, and the candy was the ruby blood that spurted out each time they met their mark.
Each was in a competition to see who could reveal the most blood.
This bloodied game continued, and the python released balls of fire and spears of ice, but in its current state, they were far from their previous power, easily avoided by the disciples who used every opportunity created to rip into flesh.
Its movements became sluggish as it weakened, its spiritual energy reserves soon ran dry.
––
Still hidden behind the large boulder a distance away, Silas and Zhihui watched with anticipation.
"You ready?" Silas asked with a smirk, staring at the beggar beside him.
Zhihui looked back at him and raised a brow, "Ready? More than that," he said.
'Sage mode'
"More ready than I've ever been." His tone was cold and indifferent, the air around him shifted slightly.
Seeing how the Bloodlust Sect disciples fought had fanned the flames of a certain feeling, a feeling he felt for a long time—ever since he stepped onto the cultivator path.
Excitement.
'Just how strong am I?' was a thought that plagued Zhihui's mind, making him restless.
His master couldn't be used for comparison; he was far too strong. He and Ai Min had sparred a couple of times, but that was it, a spar.
How someone would fight in a life and death battle was vastly different. And just how different, he was about to find out.
Excitement converged from his veins and onto the spear in his grasp, trembling with glee. Feeling the soles of his feet firmly planted into the earth, Zhihui squatted down and leaned forward. He grasped the spear in one hand and held his other palm out, glowing with spiritual energy.
Silas crouched down with his two swords held tightly, tiny sparks of what seemed to be purple lightning around his feet.
BOOOM!
Debris and rocks blasted out from their original position as they rocketed into the air, leaving a trail of grey and black blurs.