Listening to those words, a sneer of disdain appeared on Xiao Mei's face.
"Impressive how your arrogance managed to seep out of that thick skull of yours, but I think it's time to show you where you truly belong."
Tired of being threatened, Shan Luong stomped on the ground. Earthen spikes emerged from the soil and shot toward the disciples of the Flying Sword Sect.
"Scatter!" Xiao Mei commanded her companions.
The enemy's attack fell on their location like rain, colliding with the ground with the impact of cannonballs.
But it was far too little to affect the Wind cultivators. With their agile movements, they dodged the projectiles with ease.
Only one member of their group almost got hit. Unlike his companions, Jin's movements were slower and clumsier. Even so, he managed to escape unharmed, even when a projectile landed near him, scattering fragments around. Parts of his clothing were torn, but there were no visible injuries on his body.
"If this is the best you can do, rockhead, I must admit I'm disappointed," Xiao Mei shouted mockingly.
"Advance! Show these fools what it means to challenge the Flying Sword Sect!"
At her command, the disciples of the Flying Sword Sect charged toward their opponents, crossing several meters in an instant.
Seeing the skill with which their rivals handled the attack from the strongest member of their group, the Earth cultivators manipulated the ground around them, creating stone blocks the size of bricks and hurling them at their enemies.
Chen Bo was at the forefront of his group. He reached Luong first and brought his sword down on him in a vertical strike. Luong, who had already covered his arms in earth, used them to block Bo's attack.
Luong launched a series of punches at Chen Bo. His movements were slow, but his fists carried enough power to threaten to break his opponent's bones with a single blow.
Bo felt somewhat pressured by those attacks and retreated.
Xiao Mei approached him and said, "Help the others; I'll handle him."
Mei dashed toward the Earth cultivator and unleashed a series of diagonal slashes with her sword. Her blade moved so quickly that it seemed like a phantom. Thin red lines appeared superficially on Luong's skin; her strikes struggled to penetrate his body.
"No matter how fast you are, little girl, your attacks are useless," he declared, his voice deep and disturbingly calm.
"So what? If that's not enough, I'll strike a thousand more times. Let's see how long you can last," Mei exclaimed, adjusting her stance. She prepared to use her Ten Feather Slash technique, aiming to turn Luong's abdomen into a sieve.
However, when she stepped forward, her foot found little firmness—the ground had been softened.
Luong smiled and took advantage of her momentary imbalance to strike her with his earth-coated fists.
Mei felt her blood run cold. She manipulated the wind to push her body back and escape her opponent's brutal attack. Luong's fist grazed her face, leaving a small bruise on her cheek.
Outraged, she gathered all the essence she could and directed it to her legs.
She shot toward him, feinting an attack at his abdomen. When the rival disciple tried to block, he realized too late that it was just a diversion.
Mei quickly redirected her essence to her arms and changed the direction of her sword. She thrust her blade into Luong's thigh. A bubble of air formed within his leg, tearing through his muscles. He gritted his teeth against the pain of the injury. His left leg could no longer support his weight fully, but he refused to let his knee buckle.
Luong stomped on the ground, causing a two-meter-tall wall of earth to rise in front of him. He moved it toward Xiao Mei, aiming to bury her alive.
***
Tristan traveled sideways along the mountain range. The path was narrow, but with his martial artist's senses, he could balance even on the smallest stones.
As he walked, bored by the journey, he reflected on what he had discovered about the strange item in his possession.
'I wonder where I can find a forgemaster to work on my seed. I've seen some masters with magical artifacts in the sect, so maybe there's someone in Zaguhan who can create something like that.'
Of course, he also considered the possibility that they had bought them from someone in the eastern region.
'The problem is how I can contact them, as if it wasn't enough that the city is full of...'
Tristan didn't have time to finish his thoughts. Something wet hit his head, interrupting him abruptly. He stopped, confused, and ran a hand through his hair to identify what had hit him. His fingers found a transparent, viscous liquid—something he didn't immediately recognize.
Before he could react, another wet smack struck him. He frowned and murmured to himself:
"It can't be rain... not here. Did the snow melt or what?"
Tristan quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked up, trying to understand the situation. Immediately, he saw something unusual. High above, a figure stood out against the terrain. What he saw made his heart race.
A colossal head, almost the size of his entire body, was staring at him. The creature bore sharp teeth in a menacing expression. It had a canine appearance but was disturbingly unnatural. Its face was completely hairless, revealing pinkish-white skin, taut and irregular.
The monster raised one of its massive paws and struck the rock face above Tristan. The impact was devastating: stones broke loose, rolled, and fell, destroying the path he was walking on. He lost his balance and couldn't leap to the nearest rock. Tristan felt the ground vanish beneath his feet, and before he could react, he was falling.