Deep in the heart of the dark forest, a man dressed in a black, patched-up, and low-quality martial uniform was sitting in the lotus position, meditating. The man was rather handsome, his physique was lean and athletic. He stood at about 180cm tall.
As he meditated, strange and mysterious ripples were being emitted from his still figure at a special frequency that seemed to resonate with the world around him.
These ripples spanned tens of kilometers and covered a wide area.
When the ripples radiated out of the man, the surrounding plant life grew rapidly and flourished; when they retracted, all that previous vitality got squeezed out of them as the plants withered dramatically.
The inhabitants of the dark forest, except the trees, had fled this part of the forest years ago due to this man's presence.
After a few seconds, he opened his eyes which flashed a piercing black light then golden yellow, and finally a fusion of both. He observed the surrounding forest stoically, it was now green and lush; it looked like a genuine paradise.
"Phew...My cycles of life and death art has finally reached grand completion."
The man said to himself, then he stood up. He began to slowly and methodically do some stretches which then transformed into sets of martial arts katas after a few minutes.
His punches and kicks flowed seamlessly into one another and had a peculiar rhythm to them. As he practiced for hours which turned to days, his body began producing that same ripple from earlier but this time it was restricted to his moving form, his steps brought and destroyed life, and his fists could crush all hope as well as revitalize the hopeless.
His form became a golden blur at times which radiated overwhelming warmth and vitality, while at other points he became a dark figure that reeked of death and decay which seemed to hunger for all the life force around him.
After a few days, he finally stopped. He was tranquil and seemed deep in thought. He then took out a scroll and wrote on it with his bare finger. A stream of energy gathered on his finger which he used to scratch some words on the scroll. He might be a martial master but his calligraphy was practically chicken scratch.
When he got done, the scroll rolled itself up and vanished, he then sat back down in the lotus position and meditated.
******
In the Crimson Sun sect, legions of disciples numbering in the millions were currently moving about and practicing their martial arts.
The disciples were dressed in their standard red and black martial uniforms as they moved around, each disciple had a number of stars pinned to their attire's shoulders ranging from 1 to 9 stars.
A 7-star disciple was currently rushing out of the investigations pavilion, it seemed he had something urgent to report.
"What's the rush brother Tian?"
A guard stationed at the elders' pavilion asked while the 5-star disciple, now known as Tian, handed his identification token.
Tian just spoke his head and responded.
"I'm not at liberty to say, Brother Luo. This matter is too sensitive."
The guard just nodded understandingly and let him through. As Tian walked into the pavilion he could see the only 9-star members of the sect, the twelve elders, who sat in a semicircle. Seven were male and 5 were female, Tian walked in and stood at the center of the meeting room then bowed.
A beautiful and refined young woman dressed in pitch-black attire spoke first.
"So, what happened for you to declare a sect emergency, Ri Tian?"
Her voice was melodic and had charm to it that would uplift the mood of most who listened to it. Ri Tian finally raised his head and answered.
"We received a message from Qing Long"
This caused the expressions of a few of the twelve elders to change. A middle-aged man in red battle armor and a pitch black glaive resting next to his seat said.
"Are you sure? That year, the supreme elder himself fought Qing Long to the death. He was certain he had gravely injured him."
"I'm quite certain Elder Tu, Qing Long's aura and calligraphy are unmistakable."
"Did you bring his message with you Ri Tian? If so then please read it for us."
A silver-haired woman chimed in, she looked to be in her late 20s.
"As you will, elder yin."
Ri Tian then took out the scroll and read.
"Wandering the dark forest from a hazy of blood. The Crimson sun sets, fading into an eternal night, a golden dawn has risen and will shine throughout the world"- Qing Long
The elders heard this and went quiet, even though most of them had never met Qing Long personally they knew he was a mortal enemy of their sect, and from the content of that scroll his enmity with them solidified.
"He is most likely in the dark forest right now, I'm going to take nine thousand blood warriors to probe his condition. You all should notify the sect master and supreme elder, that message gave me a very bad feeling."
The glaive-wielding middle-aged man said after some contemplation. The other elders now had grim expressions.
"Elder Tu, I will come with you as well. All eleven of us are not required to pass this information."
A dark-haired woman who had not yet spoken said. She wore a white dress and was currently fanning herself with a white and elegant fan.
A young man in black and white martial attire also chimed in, he looked like the youngest out of all the elders. He looked very athletic and handsome and when you factor in his piercing blue eyes and golden blonde hair, he looked like a hero of myth brought to life.
"I want to come as well, humph this Qing Long could only run rampant in the past because I, Wu Xiang, wasn't born yet!"
Elder Tu just nodded at both of them then he stood up and placed his glaive on his back.
"We are moving out in 2 hours."
He said simply and vanished in a streak of red light. The woman who spoke first then said.
"You can see yourself out Ri Tian."
Ri Tian just bowed again and left quietly. The rest of the elders sat and discussed this pressing issue for the 2 hours Elder Tu gave them, when he got back the 9 elders who opted to remain activated their tokens and contacted the sect master while Elder Tu and the other two led an army 9000 strong to the dark forest.
————
"We march out today to curb the rise of our greatest mortal enemy. Under these skies, the Crimson Sun sect can not exist alongside Qing Long! Blood warriors! Prepare your spears and sharpen your sabers! We match out seeking blood!!!"
The army of 9000 roared following the speech from Elder Tu. They all wore crimson armor similar to elder Tu's and wielded spears in their hands and blood-red sabers on their backs.
"As expected of the legendary blood haze general, that speech has my blood pumping! But there's one thing bothering me though elder Tu, aren't you making a mountain out of a termite nest? I feel like just us three should be more than enough to take care of this Qing Long.?"
Wu Xiang praised Elder Tu before he grumbled slightly.
"You shouldn't underestimate a man capable of surviving a fight against the supreme elder Wu Xiang, do you think as you are right now you can survive 10 exchanges against the supreme elder?"
The female elder asked
"No, I can't elder wei, but can Qing Long? During their "fight" didn't he just tuck his tail between his legs like a scared mutt?
To this, the woman didn't respond and just looked to elder Tu who spoke as he turned around to face them.
"That... is untrue. That year, when Qing Long attacked our sect, eleven of the twelve elders at that time were slain by him. I only survived because the sect leader came in time to hold him back but she was not his match."
These words made Wu Xiang's expression change. Elder Tu continued.
"With our death at hand, the supreme elder sneak attacked Qing Long and heavily injured him, but even though his martial technique was still incomplete he survived this grievous blow and even fought the supreme elder to a standstill for over an hour. Only when the supreme elder began overwhelming him did he escape. As it is right now we can only hope his technique is still incomplete or else our sect will face its biggest tribulation yet."
When he finished speaking his expression was grave. As he heard all this, even the arrogant Wu Xiang became somber and took this mission much more seriously.
Elder Tu ordered everyone to move out and they took airships to travel to the distant dark forest. They traveled for 3 days and 2 nights even though each ship could shuttle through folded space.
When they got to their destination, Elder Tu took out a strange flat device that had the cardinal directions on it and placed Qing Long's scroll on it. The scroll was absorbed by the device and its scale pointed at a specific direction which they headed towards.
They continued on foot since bringing their airships would attract very unwanted guests.
As the army of nine thousand blood warriors matched through the dark forest they naturally ran into roadblocks which came in the form of the forest residents.
Traceless leopards, red-fanged vipers, volcanic termites, and gravebloom vines were just a few of the creatures they had to battle and slay to go through the forest.
The 3 elders didn't have to act in any of these battles since the blood warriors were more than capable of holding their own, after all, they were the Crimson Sun sect's most powerful force for a reason.
This changed when they ran into a creature that could cause some very serious casualties to their soldiers, the quake behemoth. This creature was as massive as its name entailed, it was about 15 meters tall on all fours.
It looked like a cross between several creatures but its most prominent characteristics were its 4 horns which rested on its tiger-like head, its massive eagle wings, massive bear paws, and a long lizard tail which made up a decent amount of its length.
When it noticed the humans encroaching on its territory, it let loose an ear-shattering roar that would rattle the souls of most mere mortals and kill them on the spot.
It then spread its wings and took flight high into the sky and came down like a bird of prey, it was trying to annihilate the army in the most brutal way possible.
"I got this. Put your shields up, I don't want to accidentally kill you guys."
Wu Xiang said confidently before he leaped into the sky, and seemed to hop from one invisible step to another.
The quake behemoth saw him and roared again, this time its roar released a blast of intangible energy which made the very air struggle and crack as it shot towards the human who dared to attack it in its domain.
Wu Xiang just formed a fist with his right hand, a cerulean blue dragon created from pure energy wrapped around his clenched fist and he punched out, roaring.
"Sky culling fist: True dragon's roar!!"
His fist struck out faster than the speed of sound which caused it to be accompanied by a deafening roar that overwhelmed the behemoth's.
It smashed through the beam like a sledgehammer through an empty vase, and an instant later, his fist smashed into the behemoth's head. The resulting shockwave from the blow flattened the surrounding hundreds of meters.
The behemoth didn't even have the opportunity to wail before its head was destroyed by this one overwhelming strike.
The behemoth's corpse crashed to the ground with a heavy bang and Wu Xiang landed on the ground with ease, a confident smirk on his face.
'He has mastered the Sky culling fist to this level? No wonder he is so confident. That one strike delivered over 90% of his power with no wind-up time required, it seems our sect has hope after all."
Elder Tu thought to himself as he watched Wu Xiang, that attack truly impressed him. Elder Wei smiled at this display and asked.
"Why are you yelling out your technique's name as you attack? Are you worried your opponent won't be able to evade it?'
Wu Xiang just scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly but he replied in a low voice, which a lot of the people around him heard thanks to their superhuman senses.
"It helps me concentrate..."
This caused Elder Wei to laugh while Elder Tu just chuckled. Wu Xiang was most definitely the child of the group.
Elder Tu then checked the compass and said.
"Alright, let's pick up the pace. We are getting closer."
The soldiers moved out following the elders, the display from Wu Xiang didn't seem to phase them one bit.
After they walked and fought for some hours, Elder Tu gave an order through each member's sect token.
«Halt. He is about a hundred kilometers out, if we move any closer we will be noticed. It's time to set up the blood paragon formation.»
When the army heard this, they all immediately stopped and stabbed their spears in front of themselves and took out their sabers.
Almost in sync, they slice into their palms drawing blood. The blood then took on a radiant glow as all of it floated in front of them and they dipped their fingers into it and used the blood to draw esoteric symbols into the air in front of them.
Each diagram they drew was similar yet unique in their own ways, when they were finally done, the diagrams floated higher in the air and fused to form one massive symbol that now covered all nine thousand of them.
The sanguine glow radiating from it obscured the sun's rays for a few moments before the symbol shrank and split into 3 separate symbols and fused with each elder. The elders immediately felt a difference in their power and the most inexperienced of them, Wu Xiang, couldn't control it properly as his aura bursted out.
A crimson shockwave was released from him that was so powerful it created a crater 10m wide crater where he stood.
"Such power..."
Elder Wei said in awe as she felt the power coursing in her veins.
"Okay brothers, hang back while we confront Qing Long. If you receive my order to retreat, do so without hesitation."
The soldiers beat their chests and roared in unison to send off their leader, and given how grave his command was, this may be the last time they would see the blood haze general alive.
Wu Xiang, Elder Tu, and Elder Wei then took to the skies as they flew toward Qing Long at breakneck speeds, their expressions tense and serious as they mentally prepared for a battle to the death.
About 5 or 6 seconds later, they saw him, Qing Long was seated at the same spot he sent the scroll from, still in the same lotus pose. He then opened his eyes and stood up slowly.
"Have you made all your preparations Tu Sheng? Let's see what you have learned after spending all these years in that rat hole of yours."
Qing Long spoke calmly, his tone was light like a teacher asking a student to show him their assignment.
Tu Sheng didn't reply, his tense expression became steely as anger flashed in his eyes. He removed his glaive from his back and took a simple stance. A crimson aura began rising from him but someone tapped his shoulder. It was Wei Feng.
"Don't let your anger cloud your judgment elder Tu. If he is as powerful as you think he is, we should fight together and make him eat his words."
She said calmly. Wu Xiang smashed his fists together and spoke.
"Well said elder Wei. I will be the vanguard, you guys just follow my lead."
Before they could comment on Wu Xiang's "plan", he had already fully released his aura and charged out.
"Sky culling fist: Coiling dragon descends the mountain!!"
Wu Xiang appeared a few meters above Qing Long as he smashed down a devastating axe kick straight down at the crown of his head. His body was now covered in a dark blue energy that had a purplish undertone, it formed a simple but elegant dragonic armor over his body.
Qing Long's expression didn't change as he just raised a hand, which was coated in a golden light, a caught the strike.
The expected shockwave didn't occur which shocked the confident elder. Before he could think of another move, Qing Long smashed him into the ground like a whip.
Clouds of dust rose from the crater, suddenly a crimson energy pierced through the dust and headed straight for Qing Long's head.
He just used Wu Xiang as a weapon and struck at the attack. Just as the crimson energy and dark blue were about to clash, the dark blue blur suddenly picked up speed and struck something invisible to Qing Long's side, the crimson energy also accelerated and cut off Wu Xiang's leg and he used the opportunity to make his escape.
When the dust fully cleared, the 3 elders were now standing 200m away from Qing Long. Wu Xiang was battered and bruised, his right foot was missing but he was relatively fine.
His wounds were healing rapidly, to the point where it was visible to the naked eye.
"As expected of the Blood paragon formation, if not for this cockroach-like survivability, I would have raised your rotten sect to the ground long ago."
Qing Long said lightly, the golden light from his hand now spreading all across his form, giving him the appearance of a golden figure. His aura began to spread, covering kilometers on end with its gentle ripples that bared an overwhelming and tenacious life force.
These ripples caused the three elders' expressions to change as they felt the golden ripples press in on them from every angle.
Wu Xiang's wounds visibly started healing slower due to the golden ripples but at this point, he had already healed enough to be fully functional in a fight.
"Attack!!"
Tu Sheng roared and unleashed a mighty thrust with his glaive, it produced a crimson glow that extended off the glaive’s edge and pierced towards his foe at lightning speed. He was going all out as the crimson beam shattered the sound barrier in an instant.
Wei Feng waved her fan in front of herself multiple times, her movements were so fast that it seemed like she had 4 left hands which all sent out tens of wind blades in an instant.
"Sky culling fist: Heavenly dragon claws at the firmament!!"
Wu Xiang roared as he clawed at Qing Long, an image of a dragon coiled and fused with his hand. His form became a blue-black blur as he rushed at Qing Long at hypersonic speed.
His claw strike was accompanied by a powerful dragon roar as his hand accelerated so fast that the air ignited as he struck out. Ready to slay both ghosts and gods!
"Cycles of life and death: All life belongs to me."
Qing Long said casually, all the golden ripples that had been spreading, retracted into his form at light speed. A radiant golden light then pierced out of his form, he looked like a living sun and would've instantly blinded all 3 elders if they were mere mortals.
In his vision, all three elders were already moving in slow motion before, now they were practically frozen in place. He casually sidestepped Wu Xiang's strike and delivered a swift palm strike to his face, it instantly eviscerated his head turning it into crimson blood mist, he then retracted his hand and moved on to his next target.
He walked up to Tu Sheng who was still roaring and thrusting his glaive, he tapped the flat of the glaive nine times in succession with one finger. He then stood his side and smashed him away with a powerful palm strike to the chest, his armor seemed to be doing its job though, as it exploded out as fragments after absorbing the devastating palm strike.
He then moved over to Wei Feng and placed two fingers on her head then retracted his hand. After that, he slowed down and released his golden ripples again.
Tu Sheng rag-dolled on the ground for a few seconds, he dug out an impressive trench with his face, not understanding why he was currently gravely injured, his glaive's blade had vanished leaving him with a metal stick.
Wei Feng simply collapsed to the ground, dead. Even in her final moments, she didn't understand how her death came. Wu Xiang however, was now a headless corpse that fell to the ground with a dull thud, all the dark blue energy leaving his form.
Tu Sheng got to his feet he looked on towards Qing Long in fear as he exclaimed. His voice shook and cracked.
"This... This is impossible!!"
"You should have stayed in your hole, Tu Sheng. At least then I would have annihilated you all in one fell swoop, saving us all the trouble."
Qing Long said indifferently, to him it seemed like he was just trying to crush a pesky bug under his heel.
Looking around at the corpses of his two fellow elders, Tu Sheng's face hardened, and his next words caused Qing Long's expression to finally change.
"True sacrifice formation: My will and life belong to the Crimson Sun."
"You dare use that technique in my presence?"
The surrounding temperature instantly dropped by a few degrees as the golden ripples turned pitch black as Qing Long asked coldly.
"I'm already a dead man, my death should at least benefit my sect."
Tu Sheng replied, his expression now tranquil as he suddenly thrust his hand into his own chest, removing his still-beating heart.
When he did this, frost had begun to build up on the ground and surrounding trees as temperatures got lower and lower, but for some reason, Qing Long chose not to attack him.
Tu Sheng then crushed his own heart and immediately crumpled down, he was dead. His body though, turned into a crimson energy that moved over to the corpses of the others and turned them into crimson energy as well.
This energy then vanished like it was never there. Qing Long then extended his senses to the blood warriors who thought they were outside his range to see that they were mysteriously gone
"Tu Sheng, you finally did something honorable in the moment of your death but you forget to realize, I am heading for your sect, and at that time no one will be saved."
Qing Long said ominously, he then started walking in the direction of the Crimson Sun sect to continue his rampage.