Xue steadied his breath, his thoughts racing. Why waste time fighting? he wondered. Rescuing the bodies is more important. Making up his mind, he launched a flurry of ice shards toward Eve, forcing her to retreat momentarily. Using the distraction, he dashed toward the coffins he had spotted earlier. They were positioned inside a glowing magic circle, with a staff planted in the center as the focal point for what appeared to be a sinister ritual.
Just as he approached, a blur of motion caught his eye, and before he could react, a massive punch struck him square in the chest. The force sent him hurtling into a nearby tree, splintering the bark on impact. Gritting his teeth, Xue groaned as he looked up to see Eve walking toward him.
"My bad," she said with a sly smirk. "I couldn't catch up to you. You were just too fast."
Before Xue could reply, a sharp voice cut through the air. "How are you even ranked third if you can't handle one person?" The tone was filled with disdain. Turning his head, Xue spotted a new figure approaching—Raelyn. Her mocking eyes fixed on Eve, making no effort to hide her disappointment.
And then, another voice joined the scene, casual and laced with amusement. "Now, now, Raelyn, don't be too harsh on Eve," Raoul chimed in, stepping into view. His presence sent a wave of cold dread through Xue. Raoul was the very demon who had stolen the bodies in the first place.
Xue quickly pieced the situation together: he was now facing three members of the 12 Seats of the demonic continent.
Before they could act, Xue lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of wind slashes aimed at all three of them. "Aren't you always rude, Elite of Darkness?" Raoul mocked, effortlessly deflecting the attack. His smirk grew wider. "While I must admit you're strong, you do realize that you're up against three of the strongest beings in the demonic continent, don't you?"
Xue straightened, his calm demeanor betraying none of the turmoil inside. "You're strong," he replied evenly. "But don't forget—I'm also considered one of the strongest."
As the demons chuckled at his defiance, Xue used the moment of their overconfidence to discreetly spread his mana throughout the area, enveloping nearly 75% of the battlefield in his control. In the blink of an eye, he surged forward, appearing near the coffins with astonishing speed. Raelyn's eyes widened in shock.
"Stop him!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the tension.
But before the three could react, Xue had already planted a teleportation spell on the coffins. All he needed now was a single moment to activate it. Yet, just as he prepared to trigger the spell, attacks rained down from all sides. Xue barely dodged, the searing heat and crackling magic from the trio grazing him as he rolled to safety.
The demons had caught on. Their combined pressure was suffocating, and Xue knew he was running out of time. Without hesitation, he pulled out the mana elixir he had received earlier and downed it in one swift motion. Instantly, his body surged with power, and the atmosphere around him shifted.
Dark energy radiated from his form as he charged at the three demons, his sword now infused with elements coated in his signature darkness. Fire, ice, lightning—all laced with the ominous energy of the Elite of Darkness. The three demons were momentarily taken aback by the sheer ferocity of his assault. Even Raoul, usually mocking, found himself struggling to keep up. Eve's blood magic and Raelyn's precision strikes barely managed to hold the line.
Xue wasn't fighting to win; he was fighting to create an opening. Gathering an immense amount of mana, he concentrated it into his sword, causing the three demons to instinctively shift into defensive stances. The air around them grew heavy with tension. And then, in a moment of blinding speed, Xue redirected the concentrated energy into the teleportation spell on the coffins.
Raoul's eyes widened in realization. "No!" he roared, charging toward the coffins. Just as Xue and the coffins vanished in a flash of light, Raoul used the same vanishing technique he had employed during the conference, reaching one of the coffins at the last second.
When Xue reappeared in a safer location, his heart sank. Of the three coffins, only two lay before him. Raoul had taken the third.
With a heavy sigh, Xue stared at the two coffins before him, his shoulders slumping. He whispered under his breath, "Damn it." Disappointment laced his words, the failure of retrieving the third coffin weighing on him like a physical burden.
Before he could collect his thoughts, a rush of energy signaled the arrival of the elemental leaders. Drawn by the surge of mana from the teleportation, they appeared one after another, their expressions a mixture of concern and urgency. What they saw was a worn-out Xue, his breaths ragged, his posture tense yet defeated.
Alpine stepped forward, his gaze scanning the coffins before locking onto Xue. "You're back… but where's the third?" he asked cautiously.
Xue exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I could only save two," he admitted, his voice firm yet tinged with frustration. "The lack of information about the enemy's strength and tactics cost me. There were three of them—members of the Twelve Seats. Raoul, Raelyn, and Eve. Raoul managed to escape with one of the coffins."
The air grew heavy as the leaders exchanged glances. Even without Xue needing to say more, the sheer difficulty of his task was evident. The marks on his armor, the tired flicker in his usually sharp eyes—all spoke volumes about the battle he had endured.
"Two is better than none," Alpine finally said, trying to temper the disappointment. "But this confirms our fears. The Twelve Seats are formidable—and well-prepared."
Xue's voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but the weight of his words filled the room. "The third body... it's already beyond our reach. They had already prepared for whatever they had all that was left was to use the body as the medium". He clenched his fists, frustration flickering in his eyes. "By now, they've integrated it into their plans. Wherever it is, it's fortified with layers of magic and defenses we can't breach without knowing more. Trying to retrieve it now would be suicide."
The leaders didn't press further instead, they focused on securing the two coffins and preparing for the inevitable confrontation to come.
Seraphina hurried towards Xue to heal him. While Alissa kept glancing over xue who is currently exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. For Alissa and Seraphina Xue was like a big brother who always looked after them, always there when they were in danger, it was heart wrenching for them to see him suffer yet couldn't help him much.