The air warped as Silas activated his Crumbling Scythe Domain, his aura infused with the Lesser Dao of Crumbling, a force of destruction that crackled with violent energy. In a seamless flow, Silas shifted into [Reaper's Embrace], a scythe style focused on swift, close-quarters strikes that allowed him to weave between his opponents with deadly precision.
"Shing!"
His scythe collided with the spear of the nearest cultivator, and although the dao battle armor distributed the impact across the eight of them, Silas pressed forward, relentless. He then transitioned smoothly into [Black Harvest Form], using the extended reach of his scythe to create a defensive barrier, deflecting a flurry of coordinated strikes. The cultivators shared their qi, enhancing their strength and speed, but Silas's movements remained fluid, his scythe a blur.
As the cultivators pressed him from all sides, Silas shifted again, this time employing [Wraithblade's Dance], an ethereal style where he moved like a ghost, slipping between his opponents' attacks. He was everywhere and nowhere, his figure blurring as his scythe found gaps in their armor, slicing through with swift, vicious cuts.
"Shing!" "Shing!"
The first cultivator stumbled back, his armor glowing with cracks from Silas's relentless strikes. Then, using the destructive energy from his Crumbling Dao, Silas shattered the armor's defenses with an explosive pulse. The cultivator gasped as the cracks spread, weakening the armor, and Silas seized the moment, cleaving through him in one lethal sweep.
Another cultivator charged, but Silas met the attack with [Phantom Reave], his scythe dancing unpredictably in and out of range, each movement precise yet erratic, confusing the cultivator's senses. He feinted to one side, then struck from the other, the blade slipping past the defenses and slicing deep into his opponent's armor.
Three of the cultivators exchanged nervous glances, realizing how quickly they were falling. Their panic showed, and two of them broke formation, turning to flee. Silas's eyes gleamed with cold satisfaction.
He surged forward, his scythe spinning in a lethal arc as he caught up to the first fleeing cultivator. With one powerful swing, he cleaved through his neck, sending the body crumpling to the ground as the armor's protective glow faded. The second fleeing cultivator barely had time to scream as Silas extended a hand, sending his sickles racing after him, each one imbued with the fierce energy of the Crumbling Scythe Domain. The sickles cut through the air, whirling in vicious arcs before striking, slicing through the armor and ending him in an instant.
The last two cultivators watched in sheer terror, their eyes wide as Silas advanced on them. They attempted a desperate attack, lunging at him with synchronized strikes, but Silas's scythe met their assault head-on, his mastery over the daos of crumbling, rot, and cleaving, beating back their weapons on contact. Each blade was defeated the moment it touched the aura of destruction around him, leaving them defenseless with some of their weapons even forming small cracks.
Within moments, he had dispatched them, the remains of their armor scattered across the battlefield.
With the final cultivator down, Silas turned his gaze toward Kai, who was locked in a fierce struggle against the golem. He folded his arms, watching with a smirk as Kai engaged the creature, eager to see how his companion would fare in this trial by fire.
He stood at the edge of the battlefield, his arms crossed as he observed Kai's battle against the golem with a faint smirk. The golem was relentless, its massive greatsword slicing through the air in brutal arcs, each swing reverberating with raw power. Kai, nimble as ever, dodged and darted around each heavy strike, his claws occasionally extending in an attempt to gouge the golem's tough exterior. However, each swipe left only shallow marks, barely scratching the surface of the creature's fortified body.
It didn't help that thanks to the golem's body cultivation, each shallow wound was quickly healed.
"Come on!" Kai taunted, a spark of frustration leaking into his voice as he dodged another powerful swing. He leaped back, the ground shuddering under the golem's missed blow. "Is this all you've got?"
Despite his bravado, Silas could see the subtle signs of Kai's struggle. The golem, while clumsy, was built with a resilient frame, and Kai's attacks weren't making much progress. Silas narrowed his eyes, weighing his options, when a sudden, venomous shout echoed across the battlefield.
"You… killed them? All of my disciples?!" A figure emerged from the darkness near the mountain's edge, his voice thick with rage and disbelief.
Silas turned to face the new arrival, his eyes narrowing as he took in the man's seething expression. The robes of the master flared like dark shadows around him, his aura pulsating with an ominous, suffocating energy that made the air grow heavy. There was a fire of fury in his gaze as he looked over the battlefield, noting his fallen disciples, now lifeless on the ground.
[Human - Qi Cultivation: Early Golden Core]
"Phew." Silas let out a breath.
'This could be better but I honestly expected worse,' Silas thought as he looked at the Early Golden Core old man.
This entire time Silas hadn't been to worried because he figured the old treasure spirit from the inheritance realm would have a general idea of what was going on around him, and he surely wouldn't let Silas and Kai leave the inheritance realm if someone who could easily kill them was nearby.
"Pathetic!" he spat, fury masking his grief with a sneer of disgust. "Couldn't even hold off two intruders until my arrival! Worthless… All of them!"
Silas could sense the malice radiating from the man, and he knew immediately this was no mere threat. Silas's thoughts quickly turned to Kai, who was still wrestling with the golem. Without hesitation, Silas raised his hand, summoning his Ten Sickles of Requiem in a flurry around him. Dark energy coiled around each sickle, and with a commanding wave, they shot forward, positioning themselves strategically around the golem.
"Hold still, Kai," Silas commanded, his voice low but authoritative. Kai, recognizing the serious tone, ducked and leapt back, giving Silas space.
The sickles hovered in a circular pattern around the golem, each one thrumming with the energy of Silas's Crumbling and Cleaving Daos. Silas channeled his qi into the sickles, infusing them with his aura, until they glowed with an intense, pulsing energy. In a swift motion, he activated the formation, sealing the golem in a shimmering, ethereal cage of dark energy. The golem froze, its movements stilled by the binding forces.
Silas then rushed forward, scythe in hand.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" After three massive hits, the golem was defenseless.
Silas extended a hand, a swirling current of energy connecting his qi to the golem. With a flick of his wrist, the trapped golem vanished, transported into a secure room within his estate treasure. He sealed the room, ensuring the creature was contained, then focused a steady flow of qi into the golem's form within the treasure, gradually refining it from afar. It would take time, but he knew with enough time, he would completely refine the golem, and then he would gain a free golden core golem.
The master's eyes widened with fury as he watched his prized golem vanish. "You dare…?" His voice dripped with venom. The very air around him seemed to throb with dark intent as he faced Silas, his gaze promising vengeance.
But Silas merely smirked, unfazed by the looming threat. "I'd save that energy if I were you," he said calmly, his own aura flaring as he prepared for the battle ahead.
"Hmph… a mere boy who doesn't know the difference between heaven and hell," the old man scoffed.