She had to give it to them; the barrier wasn't bad. Although Monique could break it with her divine skill, it was not destroyed. As she waited, the ripped curtain was quickly closing the gap she tore into it.
Pursing her lips, she stepped inside without waiting for it to repair fully, or for the answer from inside. Although the barrier could be repaired, the damage beyond it couldn't. Her spear had left a wake of destruction.
Where the gate had stood before was now a battlefield of broken beams and splintered wood. The guard had left this world together with the gate, but those standing a little further did not have the mercy to get whisked away by her spear in an instant.
The surroundings were littered with disciples skewered by the shrapnel of the gate. Huge wooden pieces had torn through their bodies or outright pinned them to floors and walls. Beyond the remains of the gate were the ruins of buildings that met similar fates and caused similar damage.
"You wretched beast..." a man missing an arm cursed at her, holding the bloody stump and spitting blood. Her gaze briefly rested on him, using
"An elder? Were you hiding close to the gate to make a grand entrance or something?" Monique mocked. If he were here the whole time, she should have come out and fought her. What had they been waiting for so long?
"Or maybe you knew you weren't my match and were actually hiding, relying on the barrier?" she asked with a bright smile. The man was more than 15 levels below her, and her own observation skill was enhanced by the armor. She was able to check his full status to a depth that the updating status ailments were like mind-reading. Fear, Anger, and she could even see embarrassment.
"You wretch! None of that!" he answered aggressively, but actually took a step back. Her wits had become sharper after she became the Chosen of Athena, and her remarks hit as precisely as her spear strikes.
In the meantime, a crowd of people attracted by the commotion had come running. Armored Guards, managers, warriors, servants, members, and disciples of the Fang Family were staring at the chaos and the kneeling elder. Even the lowest among them were lv.50.
"What happened?" "Heh, looks like that old miser is finally getting his due." "Who would dare to attack the Fang family?" "Who dares!" "You Fiends!" "Is that Elder Wu?" "This could be interesting." The crowd outside murmured.
A similar phenomenon happened there. Allies, enemies, and simple onlookers had come to gawk and witness the spectacle happening at one of the superpowers of the Western Expanse. It had been ages since someone challenged the established sects, and not everyone was happy about it.
However, Allies and enemies alike were doomed to be unable to intervene, as the golden curtain closed behind her. They could only watch, and cry, and comment. The audience had assembled, and the show could commence.
Not wasting another word on the man before her, Monique swung her spear without mercy. The elder flinched and instinctively activated what looked like a defensive barrier. It was like cutting through jello before the spearhead met his head with the sensation of crushing a coconut.
The crowds reeled back at the sudden fountain of blood spewing from the headless body. No fancy skill, no incredible power. A simple, precise strike had instantly ended the life of an expert in the Soul Severing Realm.
The Chosen of Athena didn't care about their chance of revival. She had left that consideration to someone else early on. All Monique had to focus on was crushing them in the cruelest, most overwhelming way.
"Who's next?" she asked the crowd with a smirk, pointing the bloodied spear at their faces. The plan was still to make this a spectacle. Her steely blue eyes traced over the stunned crowd before her, categorizing their potential power and judging their levels as she waited for someone to step forward.
"We will face you!" three voices called out in unison as three young men descended between her and the hesitating guards. They wore matching robes, resembling the ochre outfits of the disciples, but of clearly higher quality with a golden sheen to them.
"It's the Three Tiger brothers!" Monique heard their moniker from the crowd. Judging by the reactions, they were well-known disciples of the Fang Clan and part of their inner sect. Apparently, the disciples of some high-profile elder, unlike the headless corpse on the ground.
Shock made way for revery in the eyes of the crowd. Even hope. Monique couldn't quite understand their enthusiasm. All three of them were lv.135, much lower than the guy who couldn't even begin to resist her. What were they supposed to accomplish?
"Hu Lu!" "Hu Li!" "Hu Lang!" they introduced themselves with a bow, before taking their stance and attacking. The three moved with seamless cooperation, as if they were one mind in three bodies. They all charged at Monique.
"Triple Tiger Mayhem!" they cried in unison and began to attack Monique from all directions. Their bodies were clad in an orange aura, while their fists glowed in golden light. She was able to keep their attacks at bay, using her basic Spear Technique, which originally gave her the class of Turtle Warrior.
Still, the impact of their strikes could not be underestimated. Even more impressive was that Monique was unable to find an opening to parry and counter their attacks. She understood the crowd now. These three together easily outshone that elder.
But that was it. Their technique was impressive and their strength higher than their level suggested. But that only worked while she played along. Flexing her shoulder muscles, Monique swung the spear in a wide arch with a speed none of the three could keep up with.
A silver circle was drawn through the air around her, severing a raised foot, splitting an approaching arm, and crushing a torso that stood too close. In a single move, she crippled two of the Tiger brothers and turned the last one into a broken mess that was catapulted out of the barrier and into the crowd of onlookers outside.
The reverence was gone, replaced by shock and fear. Monique looked at them with a satisfied smile.
"Next?"
"Nobody?" she asked after waiting for a moment. Understandably, nobody was keen to face her, after the three brothers they hyped up so much were finished off after only jumping around like a trio of clowns.
"To think you would defeat the Three Tiger Brothers…Very well, this young master will stop your rampage once and for all!" A young, handsome man came floating over the crowd. He wore loose robes of shining ochre colored fabric, embroidered with dense black designs.
The crowd had gone quiet, only whispering his name at most. There was no information to glean from that.