The once bustling village near the Celestial Blade Sect had fallen eerily silent. Shattered carts and abandoned stalls lined the streets, with wares scattered about as if left behind in haste. A tense air hung over the place, broken only by distant cries of panic and the occasional clatter of overturned objects.
Jian and Li Xue arrived at the outskirts of the village, accompanied by a small group of sect disciples. The sight before them was enough to send a shiver down Jian's spine. In the village square, a man stood hunched over, his form distorted and twisted by the Arcane Blight. His skin had taken on a sickly hue, pulsating with dark veins that spread like roots across his body. His eyes, glowing faintly with a crimson light, darted about in a frenzy.
"He's already in the advanced stages," Li Xue observed, her voice cold but steady. "If we don't contain him, it could spread to others."
Jian unsheathed his blade, his muscles tensed in anticipation. "We need to move fast," he said, glancing at Li Xue. "You take the left side; I'll go right. We'll corner him."
She nodded in agreement, drawing her own weapon—a slender, finely crafted blade that reflected her skill and status. "Be careful, Jian. We don't know what he's capable of."
The infected man let out a guttural scream as the two closed in, thrashing his limbs wildly. His movements were erratic, as if he was battling an unseen force within. Jian darted to the right, slashing at the air to get the man's attention, while Li Xue circled around to his other side. The man turned to Jian, baring his teeth with a snarl, and lunged forward with inhuman speed.
Jian met the charge with a deflection, his blade ringing as it connected with the man's claw-like nails. "Stay back!" he shouted to the other disciples, who stood ready but hesitant.
Li Xue seized the moment, darting in with precise strikes aimed at the infected man's legs, trying to slow his movements. She landed a hit, cutting deep into his calf, but the man barely seemed to notice. Instead, he spun around and lashed out at her with an arm, forcing her to leap back.
"It's like he feels no pain," Li Xue remarked, her brows furrowed as she quickly assessed their options.
"We need to overwhelm him with force," Jian replied, his grip tightening around his blade. "If we can weaken him enough, we might be able to restrain him without killing him."
Li Xue's eyes narrowed as she considered the plan. "Very well. Let's try—"
Before she could finish, the infected man suddenly let out another piercing scream. His veins pulsed violently, and his skin began to crack, releasing wisps of dark energy. The change was rapid; his body started to swell as if something inside him was trying to burst free.
Jian's heart sank. "He's transforming further… we're running out of time."
The other disciples, sensing the escalation, moved to intervene, but Li Xue raised a hand. "Stay back," she ordered sternly. "It's too dangerous for you to engage directly. Jian and I will handle this."
She then met Jian's gaze with a determined look. "We may have to take him down completely if he goes any further."
Jian didn't like it, but he knew she was right. There was no telling how much more damage the man could cause, especially if he fully succumbed to the Arcane Blight. Together, they prepared for what would come next, knowing that the true battle was only beginning.
The infected man, now fully consumed by the Arcane Blight, lurched forward with newfound fury. Dark symbols, unfamiliar and ominous, began to form in the air around him—Runic Invocations. The symbols floated, glowing with a sinister light, pulsating as they formed a twisted pattern. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and an invisible force pressed outward, sending faint tremors through the air.
Jian's eyes widened in alarm. "He's using magic—Runic Invocations!"
Li Xue clenched her jaw, recognizing the urgent threat. The longer they allowed the infected man to tap into the runic arts, the more his corruption would spread, and the more lives would be endangered. "We end this now."
With a cold determination, she raised her blade in both hands, the polished metal reflecting the dark aura surrounding her opponent. She shifted into a low stance, her every movement precise and controlled, betraying the rigorous training of the Ironspire Sect.
"This will be over in a moment," she murmured, her voice carrying a deadly promise. She began to focus her energy, drawing it from deep within her core and channeling it into her blade."
Li Xue took a steadying breath, her gaze locked on the infected man who had begun invoking runic symbols in the air, each twisted sigil radiating with dark, corrupted energy. She knew the risk was mounting; this needed to end now.
Her grip tightened on her blade as she prepared to unleash one of the Ironspire Sect's elite techniques—an art as powerful as it was destructive, known for toppling even the most unyielding defenses.
"Descent of the Iron Pinnacle," she whispered with deadly focus.
A dense, dark aura enveloped her weapon, casting a shadow across the ground as the air around her thickened. With her blade held aloft, the weapon radiated a fiery, molten glow, heat rippling outward as if it were being forged anew in an inferno. This was no ordinary slash; it was the embodiment of the Ironspire Sect's enduring strength, combining discipline with merciless force.
The Descent of the Iron Pinnacle relied on an intricate balance of control and raw power, channeling every ounce of her strength and discipline into a single, deadly strike. She became the very essence of an iron-clad judgment, capable of leveling even the most formidable of opponents.
With a powerful arc, her blade sliced through the air, creating a shockwave that morphed into a colossal projection of iron energy, resembling the jagged peak of a spire crashing downward. It collided with the infected man, overwhelming him in an unstoppable torrent of force.
The impact was devastating. His torso collapsed under the pressure, bones shattering and flesh splitting open as the iron-spiked energy tore through him. Dark, infected blood sprayed outward, spattered with fragments of his own shattered form, the blackened tendrils that held him together writhing in a desperate, last attempt at survival. But Li Xue's attack left nothing in its wake; even the corrupted essence smoldered and dissolved, unable to withstand the onslaught.
His mangled body remained for only a moment before it slumped to the ground, an unrecognizable, broken heap. Dark, foul blood pooled around him, hissing and evaporating as her energy seared through every last trace of the infection.
The villagers, immobilized by terror, looked on in silent horror. Li Xue stood motionless, her expression unyielding as she sheathed her blade in one fluid motion. She had acted decisively, without hesitation or remorse.
Jian, observing from a distance, felt a surge of both fear and admiration. In that moment, Li Xue embodied the strength and determination of the Ironspire Sect—an unwavering force, bound by duty and conviction.