"What happened?" Ren Tai wondered as he strained to push a heavy boulder off his chest. Blood dripped from a deep gash on his forehead, but his body was already beginning to heal.
"They've attacked," he realised, his gaze sweeping over the ruins of the White Blade Sect. They had known the Empire might strike, but this level of devastation was beyond anything he had anticipated.
"Ah, my back…" a groan reached his ears. Ren Tai turned to see Zhou Qianfeng nearby, clutching his lower back in pain.
"You're still alive?" Ren Tai asked, more out of surprise than anything else.
"What, you wanted me to die?" Zhou Qianfeng retorted with a grimace, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
Ren Tai exhaled in relief. "Well, if you're still kicking, that means the other two are probably alive as well." Zhou Qianfeng was known for his offensive prowess but lacked strong defensive capabilities. If he had survived with just a broken back, it meant the others stood a good chance.
"The Empire attacked," Ren Tai confirmed, piecing together the obvious.
"Yeah, I can see that," Zhou Qianfeng replied, his eyes shifting upward. Ren Tai followed his gaze, noticing something odd about the sky. Above them, the air seemed to twist and shimmer, as if it were refracting light in a bizarre, imperfect pattern.
"That's a domain," came a voice from beside them. Ren Tai turned sharply to find a middle-aged woman standing there.
"Xuehua! You're ali—" Ren Tai began to exclaim, but his words faltered as he took in her condition. Liu Xuehua, one of the formidable Four Great Blades, was in a dire state. A large portion of her lower abdomen was missing, the flesh and bone barely holding together.
Blood streamed from the gaping wound, only to be regenerated almost as quickly as it was lost. But the regeneration was uneven, the tissue failing to fully reform before it decayed again, leaving her in a perpetual state of bleeding.
"What happened?" Zhou Qianfeng asked, his voice heavy with concern and confusion.
"The Dragon got me before Sect Master could react," Liu Xuehua explained, her voice strained but steady. "My regenerative factor is barely keeping up with the constant decay effect of the Dragon's remnant lightning. If it weren't for that, I'd have healed by now."
"The hell's a domain, by the way?" Zhou Qianfeng asked, rubbing his sore back as he tried to make sense of the bizarre scene above them.
Ren Tai couldn't help but smirk at the question, but before he could respond, Liu Xuehua beat him to it. "I think you should've been an elder for those muscle heads instead of the White Blade Sect, Qianfeng," she remarked, shaking her head slightly. "But I'm not surprised your dull brain doesn't know."
Zhou Qianfeng scowled, but Xuehua continued without missing a beat. "Domains are formed when space is compressed and folded by Qi, leading to a denser, more concentrated space. The inner dimensions of a domain can be unpredictable and unstable—almost like another world within this one. The only one who can influence the laws is the very individual who has formed the domain with their Qi."
She paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. "In simple terms, it's a controlled battlefield, where the one who creates it holds the advantage. Think of it as a personal arena, designed to either amplify their power or restrict their enemy's movements."
Zhou Qianfeng nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back up at the distorted sky. "So, we're dealing with something that's more than just a fancy technique… it's like they're fighting on their own turf, even when they're standing right in front of us."
"Exactly," Xuehua confirmed. "And if 'that' muscle head is the one who created that domain, then Sect Master Hao Linhua is in for one hell of a battle."
Ren Tai was about to continue speaking, "Well, we've found you two, but where the hell i—" when his instincts screamed at him to dodge.
In an instant, he shifted his body just in time as something flew towards him at an alarming speed.
WHOOSH!
The projectile missed him by mere inches, slamming into the ruins behind him with a deafening impact.
BOOM!
The force of the explosion sent debris flying, and a section of the ruins crumbled into dust.
"Who's there!" Zhou Qianfeng demanded, his voice laced with tension.
"Who the hell do you expect, Qianfeng? Did you really think The Empire wouldn't consider the possibility that we'd survive?" Xuehua snapped, her battle-worn body shifting into a defensive stance despite the gaping wound that continued to regenerate slowly.
As Ren Tai regained his balance, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure. The man, barely in his twenties, exuded an aura of deadly calm. His steps were measured, confident, as if he had all the time in the world.
"Whoever you are, surrender!" Ren Tai shouted, his voice carrying the authority of a Justice House Master.
Zhou Qianfeng scoffed. "Ren Tai, do you actually think they'll surrender?"
Ren Tai didn't break his focus. "Of course not! It's a formality, a Justice House tradition," he retorted, extending his hand forward.
With a surge of Qi, the air around Ren Tai shimmered.
White Blade Sect Justice House Technique—Weapon Manifestation: Type—Greatsword of Equality
A brilliant flash accompanied the summoning, and in an instant, a massive greatsword materialised in his grasp. The blade gleamed with an ethereal light, its weight comforting in Ren Tai's hands, even if it wasn't his true weapon.
"This should be enough," Ren Tai muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Without hesitation, Ren Tai launched himself forward, the greatsword cutting through the air. The figure approaching him didn't falter. Instead, he grinned—a cold, predatory smile that sent a shiver down Ren Tai's spine.