Above the southeastern resource point of the Yunxiao Sect, the fierce battle had reached a fever pitch. Elders Shao An and Feng Ren, both at the Golden Core stage, found themselves at a disadvantage against three formidable Golden Core elders from Xuanshao Sect and Tianque Sect. The enemy's combined assault of fire blades and poisonous mists surged like a relentless tide.
Shao An, his eyes narrowing, said in a low voice, "This isn't a fight we can win through brute force, Elder Feng. Let's use the Cloud Technique to create some distance and disrupt them."
Feng Ren nodded and quickly formed hand seals, reducing the size of his spiritual shield. The two elders shifted backward, shrouded by swirling clouds, attempting to retreat and reposition themselves for a counterattack.
"Do you really think you can run?" scoffed the fire blade elder from Tianque Sect. With a sharp motion, he swung his crimson blades, unleashing waves of searing flames that spread across the sky, threatening to vaporize the protective clouds.
Nearby, the poison elder from Xuanshao Sect let out a cold snort, his serpent-shaped staff vibrating as it summoned a menacing spectral snake that slithered through the cloud cover, trailing venomous green mist that devoured any surrounding spiritual energy and left a chilling aura in its wake.
"Keep moving, Elder Feng! We need to outmaneuver them!" Shao An called out as he channeled Yunxiao Sect's secret Cloud Technique. Billowing clouds surged around him, forming dense barriers that temporarily blocked the enemies' attacks and created illusions, making their positions harder to pinpoint.
The enemy elders, however, were relentless. The fire blade elder sneered and crossed his blades, igniting an intense surge of fire energy that coalesced into a storm, sweeping toward Shao An's position.
Shao An deftly maneuvered through the sky, guiding the living clouds to evade the flames. Yet the intense heat still licked at his defenses, evaporating parts of the cloud barrier and leaving thin cracks in his protective shield.
Meanwhile, the poison elder swung his staff, splitting the spectral snake into several smaller forms that surrounded Feng Ren and Shao An from all sides. The snake projections exuded a noxious energy, inching closer with each moment.
"This poison user is truly troublesome!" Feng Ren muttered through gritted teeth, slicing through the spectral snakes with his blue-glowing sword. But the mist persisted, seeping into his shield and creating fractures in its surface.
Shao An's eyes tightened in frustration. "We can't keep this up. We need to divide their focus and navigate around the poison for a counterattack."
Just as Feng Ren was about to adjust their strategy, the other Tianque Sect elder, wielding a blazing war halberd, advanced suddenly. His weapon radiated scorching fire as he charged, the spiritual power sweeping forward like a tidal wave.
"Hah!" The elder's shout reverberated as the halberd's fire surged outward, forming a dragon-like projection that lunged at Shao An. Shao An's expression darkened as he flickered backward, dispersing into smoke with the Cloud Technique, allowing the fiery dragon to pass by with a deafening roar.
The flames continued to spiral around him, gradually cornering him. Clenching his teeth, Shao An rotated the cloud energy around himself, attempting to break free. Feng Ren, seeing this, infused his blade with earthy energy and unleashed a slashing arc that parted the encroaching poison mist, giving Shao An a moment to escape the flaming onslaught.
However, the trio of enemy elders quickly closed in again, their combined attacks of fire blades, poison mist, and halberd strikes hemming Shao An and Feng Ren in. Their shields dimmed under the pressure, and the toxins began seeping through, hindering the flow of their spiritual energy.
"Elder Feng, we won't hold out much longer at this rate," Shao An shouted, his voice strained as he poured energy into the Cloud Technique, spreading a thick fog to obscure their presence. He and Feng Ren fell back into the swirling mists, creating distance and using the cloaking ability of the clouds to evade further assault.
But the enemy elders did not relent. The fire blade elder smirked and said, "Think you can hide? Yunxiao Sect's little tricks won't save you!" With a flick of his blades, he sent dozens of fire serpents slithering through the mist, searching for their targets.
Hidden within the clouds, Shao An's spiritual energy waned. He muttered, "Elder Feng, we're running out of time."
Feng Ren nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "Then we must make our move. We lure them deeper, and then we strike."
Acting in concert, they split up, Feng Ren stealthily laying a quick formation within the cloud cover while Shao An channeled the Cloud Technique to its fullest, weaving a labyrinthine maze to confuse and delay their pursuers.
The enemy elders, undeterred by the thickening clouds, pushed forward, unaware of the hidden trap. As they reached the center, Feng Ren appeared at the edge of the fog, his blade glowing with earthen energy as he swung at the fire blade elder.
The elder frowned and parried, the clash of fire and earth sending a shockwave through the air. Simultaneously, Shao An's clouds condensed around the poison elder, momentarily blinding him and disrupting his senses.
Realizing the ambush, the poison elder mustered his spiritual energy to dispel the fog, but Shao An had already repositioned, using the momentary distraction to launch a black mist blade at the elder's shield.
"You dare!" the poison elder roared, unleashing another venomous projection to block Shao An's strike.
The battle teetered at an impasse, but Shao An and Feng Ren were reaching their limits, their energy depleted and their cloud barriers thinning. Just then, a distant, resonant gong rang out—a signal from Yunxiao Sect calling for reinforcements.