"Enemy!" The mercenary on watch duty yelled, sensing something was wrong. Like a shot, everyone bolted out of their tents, instantly on high alert and ready to face whatever threat was coming their way.
"Hahahaha, eleven Martial Masters in total, aren't we? Three High-Rank, eight Mid-Rank. Soul power is a little lacking, but not bad, not bad at all." That bone-chilling voice slithered through the darkness once more, sending a wave of unease rippling through the group.
"Enough with the games! Show yourself if you have the guts!" One of the mercenaries, smaller in stature compared to his comrades, shouted out into the darkness, his voice echoing through the trees.
'Is this guy brain-dead or something?' Xing Jue thought, utterly gobsmacked, stopping in his tracks. He'd been about to make a run for it when this fool just had to go and provoke whatever it was out there. 'Can't he sense how absurdly powerful that aura is?! Now is not the time to be playing hero. It's time to run!'
As if sensing Xing Jue's apprehension, the mercenary next to him leaned over and explained, "Don't worry about him, kid. They call him the 'Trap King' for a reason. He may only be a Mid-Rank Martial Master, but the traps and contraptions that guy can cook up… Let's just say you don't want to be on the receiving end of one of his masterpieces. We're talking serious firepower. One wrong step, even a seasoned Martial Master would be lucky to walk away from that."
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" A series of explosions erupted around them, blinding flashes of light illuminating the forest. A collective gasp of anticipation ran through the mercenaries. It seemed the Trap King's handiwork had found its mark. But their cheers of victory died in their throats a second later when they heard that chilling voice speak again.
"You call those parlor tricks? Did you really think you could stop me?" A shadowy figure descended from the darkness, landing gracefully amidst the mercenaries. An oppressively powerful aura emanated from her, washing over them, sucking the very air out of their lungs and replacing it with icy dread. Their expressions morphed from confident to terrified in an instant.
"A Martial Venerable?" Xing Jue breathed out, his voice barely a whisper, his body locked in place by the sheer pressure of that aura. He'd heard whispers of such beings, legends really, capable of wielding such power. He'd never believed them… until now.
The woman stood before them, every inch a vision of seductive power. A figure-hugging black dress clung to her curves. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful; bewitching eyes that seemed to pierce straight through you, full lips stretched in a captivating smirk. If it hadn't been for the sheer terror that emanated from her and that bone-chilling voice, she would've been the most stunning creature he'd ever seen.
"Might I inquire as to why we've been graced with such… attention, esteemed senior? Surely, there's been some sort of misunderstanding…" The tall, lanky man stammered, his voice trembling with barely suppressed terror. Beads of cold sweat dripped down his face.
"Heehee… Tell me, do you find me attractive?" Ignoring the man's question completely, the black-clad woman glided towards him, her movements like a phantom in the night. Tilting his chin up with a delicate finger, she stared deep into his eyes, her voice dropping to a husky whisper.
"B-Beautiful… Absolutely breathtaking..." The tall, lanky man stammered, mesmerized. It was as if his soul was being pulled right out of him, his eyes glazed over with something akin to… lust.
"Then would you allow me to kiss you?" the woman purred, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Y-Yes… Yes, of course…" he gasped out, completely enthralled.
"No! Don't kiss her!" The Heavenly Dragon Commander's voice rang out. But it was too late.
The woman pressed her lips to the man's, a look of predatory delight on her face. What happened next was the stuff of nightmares. The tall, lanky man's body went rigid, then began to tremble violently. He withered away right before their very eyes, his body shrinking, collapsing in on itself at a terrifying rate. In a matter of seconds, all that was left was a withered husk; a pale, lifeless corpse, contorted in an expression of pure horror.
"Soul Devouring Seductress! You're the Soul Devouring Seductress!" the Heavenly Dragon Commander cried out, his eyes widening in recognition. His words sent a wave of pure terror crashing over the rest of the mercenaries, their faces ashen. Only Xing Jue seemed unaffected, his expression a mask of confusion. But judging by the reactions of everyone else present, it was safe to say that this Soul Devouring Seductress was bad news. Really, really bad news.
"My, my, someone remembers me. I'm touched." She licked her lips, her gaze sweeping over the terrified mercenaries like a predator eyeing its prey before finally settling on the Heavenly Dragon Commander. "Now then, where were we?", she purred.
"No, no, this can't be happening," the Heavenly Dragon Commander muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief as the Soul Devouring Seductress stalked towards him, her eyes glowing with a predatory light.
"AAAAARGH!!!" Suddenly, the Soul Devouring Seductress shrieked, clutching her head as if in agony. Her body spasmed and convulsed, her beautiful face contorted into a mask of pain. The oppressive aura that had held Xing Jue and the others captive vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Run!" Xing Jue, sensing the shift, was the first to react. "Everyone, scatter!" he yelled . In a flash, the mercenaries, spurred by a surge of adrenaline and terror, bolted like startled gazelles, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Soul Devouring Seductress.
"You think you can escape me?" Enraged, the Soul Devouring Seductress raised her right hand, her palm glowing an eerie red. With a flick of her wrist, a dome of crimson energy expanded outward, encompassing the entire clearing in a heartbeat. A force a hundred times stronger than any of them could imagine sucked the air from their lungs, yanking their bodies backwards mid-stride. Those who touched the shimmering barrier screamed as waves of agonizing pain surged through their bodies, their life force draining away. One by one, they collapsed to the ground. Unconscious.
'This is the power of a Martial Venerable?' Xing Jue thought, his heart sinking. The might of her attack was beyond anything he'd ever witnessed. It was terrifying, awe-inspiring… and utterly hopeless. They were like ants beneath her feet..
Xing Jue dug his heels in, desperately clutching at a large banyan tree for dear life as the force of the vacuum threatened to rip him from his makeshift shelter. If a High-Rank Martial Master could barely hold his own against a Martial Ancestor with powerful techniques, then a Martial Venerable… A Martial Venerable was on another level entirely. Against that kind of power, they were completely outmatched.
"Aaaaargh! Damn you! DAMN YOUUU!" The Soul Devouring Seductress howled in pain, her voice echoing across the mountain. The crimson dome flickered, pulsed erratically, then winked out of existence as swiftly as it had appeared. The terrifying pull vanished with it, leaving the remaining mercenaries gasping for breath, clinging to life. Xing Jue didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline pumping through his veins, and ran for his life, plunging deeper into the shadowy embrace of the Death Mountain Range.
"That crazy witch…" Xing Jue gasped, collapsing under a thicket of ferns, his lungs burning. He'd been running flat out for hours, pushing himself beyond his limits until he could no longer sense her chilling presence. Only then did he dare to stop and allow himself a moment's rest.
"Psst, psst, Xing Jue!" a familiar voice hissed, breaking the silence. Xing Jue spun around, his body tense, ready for anything.
"Xing Jue, my friend! It's me!" To Xing Jue's surprise, it was the Heavenly Dragon Commander. Though judging by his appearance - clothes torn, battered, and bruised - he had fared far worse than Xing Jue.
"I knew it was you," Xing Jue said, greeting the Heavenly Dragon Commander with a relieved laugh. He'd sensed someone else's presence following him for a while. But he knew it couldn't be the Soul Devouring Seductress. If it were, he'd be a withered husk by now, just another name to be forgotten in the annals of the Death Mountain Range. Only one other person could have possibly made it out of that alive.
"It's not safe. These mountains… They whisper secrets. You're still new here. I couldn't very well leave a fellow survivor to fend for himself, now could I? Especially as capable as you are." The Heavenly Dragon Commander explained, his tone sincere. "There's strength in numbers, in these dangerous times."
Though touched by the sentiment, Xing Jue couldn't help but feel a wave of bitterness wash over him. He'd been as helpless as a newborn cub against the Soul Devouring Seductress's might. Escaping her clutches was nothing short of a miracle.
Shaking his head, Xing Jue turned back to face the Heavenly Dragon Commander. "So, this Soul Devouring Seductress…" he began, his voice low. "You seemed to recognize her. Just who is she?"
"That... well, it's a long story and even I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it." The Heavenly Dragon Commander sighed, taking a seat next to Xing Jue beneath the protective cover of the ferns.
"It's said that centuries ago, a powerful sorceress terrorized the Death Mountain Range." The Heavenly Dragon Commander began, steeling himself before continuing with his tale. "They called her the Soul Devouring Seductress. Her beauty was legendary, said to ensnare the very souls of men. But beauty is a fickle mistress."
He paused, lost in thought for a moment, eyes distant.
"The sorceress preyed on travelers and mercenaries alike, growing stronger with each soul she devoured. They say she reached the level of a High-Rank Martial Venerable." The Heavenly Dragon Commander's voice dropped to a hushed whisper.
Xing Jue's eyes widened. To possess strength rivaling even the elders of the Jade Wind Pavilion… This Soul Devouring Seductress was more formidable than he could've imagined.
"The mercenary guilds of Gathering Town were powerless to stop her reign of terror," The Heavenly Dragon Commander continued. "It was said she was invincible, that no man could touch her. Desperate, the guilds pleaded with the Jade Wind Pavilion for help."
The Jade Wind Pavilion. One of the most powerful and respected martial arts sects in the Tianwu Continent. Their disciples trained in both martial arts and mystical arts, their strength unmatched.
"The Jade Wind Pavilion, in their infinite wisdom, decided to intervene and sent two of their strongest elders - each a High-Rank Martial Venerable - to deal with the threat. It's said the battle raged on for days, shaking the very mountains themselves. But the sorceress, with her beguiling beauty and dark powers, was too strong, too cunning."
Xing Jue held his breath. To be able to outmaneuver two of the Jade Wind Pavilion's elders… It seemed this Soul Devouring Seductress was much more than just a bloodthirsty sorceress. She was a force of nature, a walking calamity.
"In a last-ditch effort, with their strength failing, the two elders poured every ounce of their life force, their very souls, into a powerful sealing technique. They trapped her within these very mountains, sacrificing themselves to save the world from her evil." The Heavenly Dragon Commander paused, shaking his head in disbelief. "A legend. It was nothing but a child's bedtime story… Until now."