Zhubi hissed, undulating in the air. He watched the huge snake, not intimidated.
The huge snake looked down at Zhubi, a dismissive light in its eyes. It let out a low roar. Heat radiated from it, boiling in waves from its jaws. Huge fangs glowed, outlined in brilliant flas.
Zhubi trembled. His eyes flickered, and his head lowered.
Thats right. Cower! Gui Delun laughed.
The huge snake roared louder yet.
Shaking so hard his scales clattered together, Zhubi lowered his head until his body laid flat in the air. Still shaking, he rolled over, belly up, then went limp.
Looking over his shoulder as he charged toward the false peak, Hui scowled and slowed. Maybe I should turn around. I cant let Zhubi die! Dammit, what was that snake thinking?
Zhubi hissed quietly at Hui. He shook his head a little.
Hui blinked. What? Is Zhubi telling to keep going?
I I should trust him, but but Im worried!
No, no. Trust Zhubi. Zhubi is doing this for . Look at how long hes already held up Gui Delun! Ah, like a true villain, Gui Delun loves grandstanding and looking down on his victims! Zhubi is providing a distraction I never could, by pretending to be defeated by him. What a smart snake!
The illusion-clad peak lood up on Huis left. He raced toward it, speeding up. Okay. Ill let Zhubi do his thing, and take advantage of it to go get Fang Hua!
As he flew, he quickly cycled his body from crystal to flesh to plant. The wound on his side from Gui Deluns swordlight closed, and he cycled back to crystal.
Gui Delun threw his hand out. The fire snake charged at Hui.
Zhubi jumped up. Opening his mouth, he spat venom at the fire. Purple venom struck the fire snake, corroding the back of its head. The fire snake whirled around and charged at Zhubi instead, its mass outweighing Zhubis by tenfold.
Zhubis eyes flashed. In the space of a breath, his body swelled up, growing from thirty ters to three hundred, from three hundred to three thousand. Now dwarfing the fire snake, he gazed down on it. Hissing quietly, he licked his lips.
The fire snake fell back in surprise, its pupils turning round and fearful.
Eh? When did Zhubi get so big? Hui wondered. He reached the barrier and slapped his hand on it. Ripples spread over the illusion, disrupting the perfect scene. Now death qi wait, no. This was a death-qi-based barrier. Life qi!
Gold light pulsed from his hand. The Barrier rippled again, but this ti, the truth of the peak appeared in the gaps between the ripplesthe bare, dead rock and the wandering ghouls, the dead gray fog and dark energy. As the waves passed, the lively disciples running about the peak were intercut with the ghouls, ghouls taking up more and more ti as the ripples spread further.
As one, the ghouls looked up. Hunger flashed in their eyes.
The barrier broke. One last wave of illusion travelled over the peak, the happy disciples appearing for one more mont. When it passed, only the bare rocky peak and the ghouls remained.
Hui stared down fiercely. Co forth, Fang Hua!
Cold laughter echoed from the depths of the dark rift. A white dot appeared, a cot of black streaking after it, and then Fang Hua burst from the depths, pale face chased by her inky hair. She grinned, her fangs bared. Ive been waiting!
The other ghouls leaped up after her. A tide of pale flesh and filthy robes flooded off the peak. Fang Hua at their head, they charged into battle.
Away from the peak, Zhubi darted down, swallowing up the fire snake with relish. His belly glowed for just a mont, and then the fire extinguished. He swished his tail, flying over to Huis side.
What realm are you now? Hui asked, looking Zhubi over. I cant quite tell. Did my cute snake hit sixth realm while I wasnt looking?
Zhubi hissed happily and swished his tail again, nuzzling Hui with his massive muzzle.
aningless! Gui Delun shouted. Gold light burned around his hands.
Hui jumped up. Its my turn. Zhubi, will you fight with ?
Zhubi hissed fiercely.
Lets go!
Together, Hui and his snake leaped into the sky, blocking Gui Deluns path to the ghouls. Gui Delun charged back at them, his eyes narrowed in hatred.
This is pointless. Even if you succeed, this is a sect of exorcists. We excel at killing ghouls! Gui Delun snarled.
Ive done a great many pointless things, Senior. Most of them were more pointless than this! Hui shouted back.
Twisting his wrist, Gui Delun shaped his life qi into a whip. He lashed it over Huis shoulders toward the ghouls beyond him.
Hui cloaked his hands in death qi and reached up, clenching his hands on the whip even as it flew by. The death ducks swirled around his hands in miniature, letting out battle cries. The life qi ate into them, shrinking them away one by one. At the sa ti, the death qi corroded the life qi. Still, Huis qi moved too slowly. Gui Delun overpowered him, his life qi washing away Huis death qi.
Gui Delun laughed. A re fifth-stage cultivator what did you think you could accomplish?
The whip smacked down, knocking a hole in his crystallized shoulder. Hui fell back, his teeth gritted. II thought
Yes? Gui Delun asked impatiently.
It might buy ti! Huis eyes flashed. He zipped backward, hiding behind Zhubis coils.
Gui Deluns brows furrowed. He advanced toward Zhubi, his whip sizzling. It fluttered around him, dancing on the air like a living being. Buy ti? Dont act like youve won when youve accomplished nothing.
Have I accomplished nothing? Hui asked cryptically. A plant-form Hui stepped out from behind Zhubi, the hole in his shoulder quickly recovering. But Senior, what about my sect? What about yours?"
Scoffing, Gui Delun shook his head. I pinched your sect to death once. A small bug once pinched, is easily pinched a second ti. Your might is nothing compared to mine.
However I ought to thank you. This trifling skirmish is an excellent way to discover the malcontents among the sects. Once I massacre them, there should be no one left to oppose in the Southern Sect Conference. Finally, I can lead the Southern Sects to dominance, with no outliers or paltry idealists blocking the way!
Huis eyes grew large. I I wont allow it!
You wont allow it? Your pitiful army wont stop . They havent even forced to use my full strength yet. The weakened Patriarchs are nothing against my current might. You moved too swiftly, Im afraid. A hundred years to restore their strength, and this would be a different conversation. Instead Gui Delun brandished the whip again.
That may be so. Still, I think Ive done well, given my ten-year tiline, Hui said, defending himself.
Ten years? It hasnt even been half that. You move too quickly. A childs mistake, that deserves a childs punishnt. A hundred lashes. Gui Delun whirled the whip over his head.
Father-in-law, it doesnt work very well if you threaten with a good ti, Hui crooned, smiling malevolently.
Gui Deluns expression darkened. The whip smashed down on Hui.
Hui cowered. Im sorry! Forgive !
Spare my eyes your wling, pathetic self, Gui Delun sneered.
Eh, but isnt that what Senior wanted to see with the hundred lashes? Mixed ssages do no one any good, Father-in-law!
Gold light bore down on Huis head. He tensed, afraid. Inches before it hit his quivering form, the light broke apart into motes, dissolving away like soap bubbles. Gui Delun blinked, puzzled.
Hui stood upright, no longer cowering. He laughed in Gui Deluns face. Did you think I caught your whip in so vain attempt to dissolve it with death qi? Senior, have you ever encountered rot qi?
Naturally, Gui Delun said. He twisted his hand again, summoning another whip. And the best way to treat it is to cut it off at the source. His eyes narrowed at Hui.
That may be so, but Senior, theres still sothing you havent considered. Hui glanced around, then gestured Gui Delun to co closer.
Gui Delun flicked his wrist. The whip shot forth and coiled around Hui. He fought back, but to no avail. Gui Deluns greater strength outmatched him by a dozen tis.
Fingers latched onto Huis skull. Gui Delun stared him directly in the eyes. Use your last words wisely.
Hui giggled. He nodded to himself, then grabbed onto Gui Deluns hand with both of his. As quickly as he could, he pulsed death and life qi into Gui Deluns flesh, one rapidly following the other. Kill cells and regenerate them, over and over, as fast as I can! Take my attack. I call this one the Hand of Cancer!
Gui Delun scowled and closed his hand. Huis head smushed into plant goop, but he kept pulsing qi into Gui Delun. Gui Delun retracted his hand, but headless Hui held on as tight as he could, refusing to let Gui Delun retreat a single inch. Raising his hand, Gui Delun slashed at Hui with his palm blade. Pieces of Hui fell away, but they regenerated in the next mont. His head ca back, and he bead at Gui Delun.
Senior what I wanted to tell you, is that I did all this to buy ti!
Buy ti? Gui Delun looked over his shoulder. Fen Long still battled the bat far overhead. Chen Wuya circled as a thousand disparate crows. He scoffed. Who for?
Youll find out, Hui said.
Gui Delun put his hand on Huis head. Fire burned from his palm, eating up his plant body. Flas licked up Huis body, burning him faster than he could regenerate. In a breaths ti, only his black core remained, and then even that burned away.
Dropping his hand, Gui Delun looked around. Useless. Everything this fool does useless.
Thats not true. Ive done a great many useless things, but that that wasnt one of them! Rogue, thank you.
A thick wave of qi burst out from behind Zhubis coils. It roiled, doubling back on itself, the qi emanating fiercely out from sothingthen instantly absorbed back in.
Who? Gui Delun demanded, narrowing his eyes.
Light laughter. But you already know, Father-in-law.
Hui stepped out from behind Zhubi. His qi aura shuddered, bursting up as high as seventh stage one mont, only to fall as low as fifth the next. As little as is left of , I cant fully ascend to seventh realm. Not in the ti I had. Maybe not ever. But I can at least reach the pseudo-seventh stage! Itll set back my cultivation, but but who knows if theres a future for after this.
Focus on destroying Gui Delun. Everything that happens afterward happens!
Rogue blinked. He looked around, then laughed. No rest for the wicked, huh?
Elder Sister Reaper stood opposite him, her sword bared. She stepped forward.
Elder Sister, wont you tell your na? Your real na. Co on. Im already dead. What can I do? Rogue argued.
She shook her head and raised her sword.
Whats the harm in it? Rogue asked.
The sword fell.
Rogue scowled up at it. Well, fuck you too, then.
Slash!
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