Qin Han and Ning Zu faced each other in a tense, silent standoff. The air between them crackled with energy, each ready to strike. Qin Han's eyes gleamed with the golden light of his Golden Crescent gu, a support-type gu that amplified his deadly vital gu: the Golden Moon. His hands bore the half-moon tattoo, glowing ominously. The elder's expression was calm but focused, a man prepared to finish this once and for all.
On the other side, Ning Zu stood in a relaxed stance, but there was something predatory in his posture, like a beast waiting for its prey. His eyes were cold, calculating, and unwavering, his broken blade glinting faintly in the low light of the forest.
Without warning, they launched at each other.
Qin Han moved with the speed of a gusting wind, the golden crescents trailing behind him like streaks of light. He closed the distance in an instant, the crescents swirling around him, prepared to strike from every angle. The first blade shot forward, aimed directly at Ning Zu's heart.
Ning Zu parried just in time with his long sword, but the sheer force of the attack made his arm shudder. He knew immediately that Qin Han's power was leagues beyond the previous squad members. This wasn't just a battle—it was survival.
An elder was not for show after all, they took care to many of the clans affairs, as they was only second in position to the clan leader himself.
Qin Han was relentless, launching crescent after crescent, each one faster and sharper than the last. The blades whistled through the air, a deadly symphony, each slice coming closer to finding its mark. Ning Zu barely managed to block or evade, his footwork impeccable as he danced on the razor's edge between life and death.
The elder's gu was merciless, each golden crescent blade moving with lethal precision. Ning Zu felt the pressure mounting as he blocked strike after strike, realizing that the elder had a method to his attacks. Qin Han's blows repeatedly targeted a specific point on Ning Zu's sword. Each time the blade clashed, a faint crack widened along its surface.
Ning Zu's eyes narrowed. The elder wasn't just trying to win—he was trying to destroy his weapon.
Then, with a resounding crack, the inevitable happened. The long sword, made of rank 5 moon vein, shattered in Ning Zu's hands. Shards of the blade scattered through the air. Qin Han seized the moment, unleashing a barrage of golden moon blades with ruthless efficiency.
Ning Zu moved to dodge, but they were too many, too fast. One blade sliced deep into his shoulder, another slashed his thigh, and one pierced through his side. Blood sprayed across the battlefield, but the worst came when a crescent moon cleaved his arm, severing it cleanly at the wrist.
Ning Zu staggered, his breath ragged, blood pouring from the open wound. His left arm was gone, but his expression didn't waver. Instead, a twisted smile crept across his face. Without a second thought, he bent down, grabbed the broken piece of his sword, and impaled it directly into the stump of his severed arm, replacing his missing limb with the shattered blade.
Qin Han froze, his eyes wide in disbelief. Ning Zu, without so much as a wince of pain, had turned his severed limb into a weapon. The grotesque sight made the elder hesitate for the first time.
"I've always preferred average swords," Ning Zu thought, flexing his new, makeshift weapon.
"Why?" Qin Han demanded, his voice heavy with confusion and disgust. "Why do all of this? What are you after?"
Ning Zu gave no answer. His mocking smile vanished, replaced by the same cold, detached look. The silence was more unnerving than any response could have been.
The battle resumed with a savage intensity. Despite his injuries, Ning Zu fought with terrifying ferocity. He used the broken sword-arm with deadly precision, slashing and stabbing at Qin Han, forcing the elder to fight defensively. Blood poured from his wounds, but Ning Zu seemed immune to the pain.
As the fight escalated, Ning Zu began using the corpses of the fallen squad members as shields, tossing their lifeless bodies in front of Qin Han's attacks. The elder grimaced in disgust but continued to press on, launching crescent blade after crescent blade. Each strike landed more injuries on Ning Zu, but he kept coming, relentless, like a force of nature.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, Mo Tien, the boy who had been lying injured on the ground, was caught in the crossfire. A stray moon blade sliced through his legs, severing them at the knees. The boy screamed in agony before collapsing into unconsciousness.
For a brief moment, Qin Han faltered. His attention wavered as he looked at the boy he had come to save. But that single moment of distraction was all Ning Zu needed. He lunged forward, driving his blade into Qin Han's chest, slicing deep through flesh and muscle.
Qin Han staggered back, blood pouring from the wound. He was still standing, but barely. Ning Zu's lips curled into a wicked grin as he raised his weapon for the killing blow, ready to sever the elder's head.
But before he could strike, a thick net of spider webs dropped from above, entangling Ning Zu in an instant. The sticky threads wrapped around his body, binding him in place. He struggled, but the webs held firm, immobilizing him.
An older, seasoned elder emerged from the shadows, his face lined with age but his eyes sharp with wisdom. He moved quickly, healing the boy and then Qin Han, though the wounds were too severe for complete recovery. The older elder spoke, his voice firm.
"Leave this mortal to me," he said, approaching Ning Zu. "I have questions."
Ignoring Qin Han's warning look, the elder stepped closer to Ning Zu, curious yet cautious. "Why are you doing this? What drives you?"
Suddenly, Ning Zu spat a thick glob of poison from his mouth. It struck the elder square in the face, burning his eyes. He cried out in agony, blinded by the venom.
Qin Han acted swiftly, dashing forward with his movement gu to pull the elder to safety. But Ning Zu was quicker. With a wicked grin, he hurled the broken sword embedded in his arm, sending it flying straight into Qin Han's forehead. The blade pierced through the elder's skull, killing him instantly.
The older elder froze, horrified as Qin Han collapsed, lifeless. Ning Zu's laughter echoed through the forest, cruel and triumphant.
Then, with a dark glint in his eye, Ning Zu recited a chilling poem:
"The moon may wane, yet shadows grow wide,
In death, the truth none can hide.
Cling to life, fight to stay,
But even warriors fall to decay.
Even if my swords breaks
As long as I am alive, the sword in my heart will never be a discard"
The elder's fury ignited. He activated his gu, enveloping himself in red moonlight. He was ready to kill this bastard, as he moved toward Ning Zu.
But suddenly!
He stopped in his tracks. His heart pounded as a wave of overwhelming killing intent struck him like a hammer. His confidence shattered as fear took hold, freezing him in place.
He couldn't believe it, this killing intent made him feel as if he was a child again, forgetting his position as a clan elder, pissing himself.
Ning Zu sneered. "You piss yourself from a mortal's stare, and you call yourself a gu master? Pathetic."
As the elder stood paralyzed, the Man as Bear Gu in Ning Zu's body finally ran its course. His strength faded, his body weakened, but Ning Zu was prepared.
Before the full backlash could consume him, he activated the **Soul Lotus Gu**. His consciousness slipped from his dying body, flowing into another hidden nearby. His old body slumped lifeless in the webs, leaving the elder standing alone.
Ning Zu had escaped.
...….
Ning Zu awoke in the body of Xiong Zi Rui, the young boy's senses replacing the exhaustion and pain that had weighed down his previous form. He took a deep breath, feeling the vitality of youth surge through him, a stark contrast to the damage and fatigue he had left behind. His hands, soft, flexed in front of him. There was no hesitation in his mind as he accepted this original body.
He pushed himself out of bed, taking in his surroundings. The small room was simple and familiar. Xiong Zi Rui was the youngest son of a prosperous family, pampered and loved, with all the trappings of a carefree childhood. But Ning Zu wasn't here for comfort or luxury, he had his own plans.
As he stepped into the hallway, he was greeted by a familiar voice.
"Big brother! Come play with me!"
It was Xiong Zi Rui's younger sister, Xiong Chu Er, her bright eyes wide with excitement. She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him toward the garden. Ning Zu looked down at her, momentarily amused by the innocent eagerness on her face.
"I just woke up, Zi Lin. Can't a big brother breathe some fresh air first?" he said with a playful grin.
Xiong Zi Lin pouted, her small face scrunching up in disappointment. "You always say that! You're just trying to get out of playing with me."
Ning Zu—no, Xiong Zi Rui—chuckled softly. "I wouldn't dare, little sister. I promise I'll play with you after I take a walk outside. I'll even buy you some sweets while I am outside, how about that?"
Her eyes lit up at the mention of the sweets, though she tried to maintain her pout for a moment longer. "Fine... but you better not take too long! Or I'll tell Father!"
Xiong Zi Rui leaned down and ruffled her hair, making her squeal and try to bat his hand away. "I wouldn't dream of it."
With that, he left her standing by the door, huffing and pouting, but smiling nonetheless.
As soon as he was outside, Ning Zu's expression shifted. The playful demeanor vanished, replaced by cold expression. He moved swiftly, heading toward the outskirts of the village. His pace quickened as he neared the forest, his senses on high alert.
After a few minutes, he arrived at the edge of a river. It was quiet, the water flowing gently, undisturbed by anyone. Ning Zu's lips curled into a satisfied smirk as he knelt by the riverbank, scanning the area. He dug into the soft soil beside the river, his fingers moving with precision and purpose, until they hit something solid.
A small, hidden box.
He wiped away the dirt and opened it, his eyes gleaming as the contents inside came into view. Inside were several Gus, carefully preserved and waiting for him, with some primeval stones and the despair core. The despair core especially was no ordinary material it had been painstakingly refined by Ning Zu in his previous bodies. Though the body had changed, the will he used to refine all the gu had had not. They still belonged to him.
He extended his will, and the Gus inside the box entered his aperture one by one, settling into place as if they had always been there. The sensation of power returning to him was invigorating, each Gu merging seamlessly with his new body's essence.
He looked at the despair core a bit, studying it, after all it was as fragile as glass.
'It was made with the previous body's aperture that had maximum capacity of 52 percent and the rest was refined with another aperture, meaning it's 52 percent full of my will.'
Ning Zu inspected for a bit more than hid the despair core and the primeval stones inside his pockets.
He had no reason to stay here now, Ning Zu turned and headed toward the Bai Village. There was one more thing left to do: meet his new little brother.
He smiled to himself, already thinking ahead.