C1660 A Sneak Attack
Deep within the swirling sands, atop a suspended expanse of yellow-brown earth, Yin Tiehua, his face etched with lines of age, leaned on his crutch and gazed down at President Lyi, who was submerged in a pool of molten Earthfire. His expression was somber.
At this juncture, President Lyi was devoid of flesh and organs, reduced to a skeleton as durable as Sunsilver. Intricate magic diagrams were etched onto each of his bones, alongside minuscule symbols capable of channeling divine force. The quintessence of gold, silver, copper, and iron coursed through his skeletal frame like grains of sand.
"The flames here are too feeble," Yin Tiehua muttered, his brow furrowed in dissatisfaction with his creation. He shook his head, adding, "Your form is exceedingly unique. To perfectly integrate the magic diagrams with your bones, they must be tempered with the vast Earthfire of the Everlands. For your sake, I'm willing to brave the dangers of a return to the Everlands, but you must guarantee my safety."
Yin Tiehua had crafted holy weapons for the Otherkin from beyond the stars, and though few were privy to this fact, her past transgressions against the Everlands left her wary of Han Miaoyuan. This fear had kept her confined to the Ashlands for years.
The Ashlands' harsh environment was hostile to the humans of the Everlands, deterring the cultivators and evilkind, especially after the fall of a primordial spirit. Those who ventured from the Everlands into the Ashlands found themselves at no particular advantage.
Yet, many Otherkin warriors were aware of a secret within the Ashlands' depths—a hidden place where a notorious Everlands forger resided. She would forge weapons for any who could meet her price.
Thus, the majority of those seeking Yin Tiehua's forging skills were Otherkin. Believed dead by the Everlands and absent from her homeland for years, it was President Lyi's extraordinary physique that reignited her ambition for a lofty position, compelling her to risk a return to the Everlands.
"I will make the necessary arrangements," President Lyi declared, his voice grating like the clash of metals. As his connection to flesh and blood waned, his affinity for Sunsilver surged exponentially.
Within a hundred thousand-mile radius, he could sense any Sunsilver object the moment it appeared.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yin Tiehua's crutch, entwined with dark lightning tinged with blood, instantly formed an arcane circle known as 'Blood Sense.'
"Who's there?!"
Yin Tiehua lifted her crutch and thrust it forcefully into the ground.
Beneath her feet, the vast expanse of yellowish-brown land was suddenly etched with enormous arcane circles. Intricate patterns, like fiery serpents, writhed wildly across the earth.
The Blood Thirst, Soul Sense, Demon Moon, and other enigmatic magic diagrams all sprang to life simultaneously.
Members of the Crypt Clan and Fire Lizard Clan looked around in panic, yet they saw nothing.
President Lyi, ever vigilant, rose from the pool of molten Earthfire. His skeletal form was swiftly encased in layers of iron. His eyes, devoid of human emotion, whirled as he searched for something.
"A star is approaching rapidly, carrying black gold ore within it..."
Although the distance was too great for President Lyi to detect the presence of the Abyssal Leviathan, Youyu, Yu Yuan, and the others, he was aware of the black gold ore within the swiftly approaching star.
Now, he discerned people and objects by the Sunsilver items they carried.
Not by the individuals themselves.
Rip!
The sound of flesh being torn echoed from the bodies of the Crypt Clan and Fire Lizard people.
A pale red shadow, wielding a shield in one hand and a curved blade in the other, gracefully traced a dazzling arc of blade light, swiftly dispatching the Otherkin allied with Yin Tiehua with a mere cough and a whisper of death.
The multicolored blade light from the curved blade would sometimes blaze brightly in the midair, then vanish without a trace, before hurtling directly toward Yin Tiehua and President Lyi.
In the eyes of Yin Tiehua and President Lyi, the myriad blade lights appeared to dance gracefully.
The sharp blade light was elusive, disappearing from their gaze, from their soul's perception, and their sense of vitality, only to reemerge abruptly.
This cycle of vanishing and reappearing happened over and over, and with each reappearance, the blade light drew perilously closer to their necks, hearts, and minds.
They were unable to capture it, and they were unable to defend against it. They did not know if they would die the next time the blade light reappeared.
"Full protection!"
Yin Tiehua made a split-second decision. With a forceful stomp, the countless arcane circles inscribed on the ground transformed into a blanket of interwoven grids, enveloping the narrow space around her.
Yin Tiehua, leaning on her crutch, vanished from sight. The arcane circles became as impenetrable as walls of copper and iron.
Clang! Crack!
Simultaneously, President Lyi's body, forged like refined iron, was ablaze with fire.
Thousands of dazzling blade lights descended upon President Lyi like a torrential downpour.
It was as though numerous invisible, fierce cultivators were swinging their Divine Weapons, frantically attempting to hack President Lyi to pieces.
Sparks flew from President Lyi's body, and the magic diagrams Yin Tiehua had etched onto his bone and iron-like skin sprang to life.
Grains of gold, silver, and copper refined iron mingled together, energizing his sinews and flesh.
Wielding the shell of the Mirage of the Mind, Taixu, who had mastered arcane techniques, left dense cuts across President Lyi's body.
Yet, none could sever even a single one of his bones.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The yellow sand, like an overflowing river, and the roaring silver torrent scattered the dust, revealing the land that had been hidden in the mist.
High above, Yu Yuan, perched on the Dragon Slaying Stage, gazed upon the land emerging from the sandstorm, now engulfed by a sky filled with lightning blade lights that submerged both President Lyi and Yin Tiehua.
He didn't need to look closely to know that Taixu had conjured thousands of sword lights and shadows, seemingly omnipresent.
Yet, the vast array of sword lights and blade shadows could continually conceal themselves, eluding capture.
Had it not been for the Altar of Rebirth within Taixu's body, resonating with his Solar Spirit, Yu Yuan would have been clueless about Taixu's whereabouts and unable to track his movements.
Yu Yuan's gaze shifted suddenly to the Abyssal Leviathan.
The Abyssal Leviathan, which had previously sunk into the deep sea, was nearing its destination. Noticing that Taixu had already made his move, it reverted to its human form.
The Abyssal Leviathan's gaze was fixed on the land, observing as Taixu launched an assault on President Lyi and Yin Tiehua. Its face twitched ever so slightly.
"What's your take?" Yu Yuan asked, a grin playing on his lips.
"What do you mean, 'what's my take'?" retorted the Abyssal Leviathan with a huff.
"If Taixu were attacking you instead of President Lyi and Yin Tiehua, do you think you'd be in trouble?" Yu Yuan's mouth quirked.
Despite being a cosmic giant beast and having regained its strength from consuming the Mirage of the Mind, the Abyssal Leviathan's form was likely still no match for President Lyi at that moment. In its green giant fish form, facing the myriad slashing blades, it would probably be shredded in an instant. Its scales had gaps, and Taixu's masterful control of the blade lights meant that they could pierce through those gaps into its flesh, a defense nearly impossible to mount. Moreover, pinpointing Taixu's whereabouts was a challenge in itself.
"If I were prepared, I'd establish a Water Domain right away. Within my realm, I could discern the trajectories and paths of those blade lights," the Abyssal Leviathan considered carefully. "With preparation, I could avoid a lot of trouble and not be caught off guard."
"But Taixu excels at stealth attacks. If he were to strike unexpectedly, without any warning..."
"I'd be wounded instantly, and the injuries would be severe."
The Abyssal Leviathan was candid, not pretending it could effortlessly evade such an attack.
"An injury is just that—an injury. As long as I withstand the initial onslaught and successfully create the Water Domain, I can turn defense into offense. Once he's pinpointed within my Water Domain and fails to escape promptly, it will be an open and fair fight. He won't have the upper hand anymore."
"What if he launches a sneak attack first, followed by a fully charged Tianqi?" Yu Yuan asked, still smiling.
The Abyssal Leviathan fell silent.
"I'll head over there."
Youyu, who had been listening quietly, spoke up during the Abyssal Leviathan's moment of silence, "The current President Lyi, much like the golden dragon god of old, cannot be breached by Taixu's blades alone. His Sunsilver Body is impervious to such attacks."
"I must first destroy his soul."
Whoosh!
Youyu transformed into a streak of gray-white light, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Xuanli hesitated briefly, then decided to remain still. "This isn't my fight. I'm merely an observer. Surely, you all won't mind, right?"
Not having ascended to the rank of Supreme God, he was acutely aware that whether it was President Lyi, Youyu, Taixu, the Abyssal Leviathan, or Yu Yuan, they were all beyond his capability to confront.
He was not ready to engage in a conflict of such magnitude, especially after sustaining a serious injury.
Boom!
The Abyssal Leviathan, long propelled by the stars, came to an abrupt halt.
"Taixu, Yu Yuan."
On the ochre terrain, as President Lyi was being cleaved by the blade's light, his eyes shone with an icy metallic glint. He looked up at Yu Yuan, who stood amidst the stars.
He had realized the moment the first blade light vanished into thin air that the stealthy attacker was Taixu.
Taixu had shown him a clear path, leading him to assimilate Alonso's flesh and blood, advancing in a manner akin to the Otherkin.
Regrettably, the direction Taixu and the Boulderdawn Sect had indicated still fell short for him.
It wasn't enough for him to ascend to the ultimate pinnacle using the Metal Dao, to stand against Loong Jie, or to vanquish beings like the Blood King Sabonis.
—Hence his current decision.
In making this choice, he knew he had positioned himself against Taixu, Yu Yuan, and the Boulderdawn Sect. What he hadn't anticipated was Taixu's swift and resolute action.
—Launching a direct assault on him.
