An aura of energy battered the Iron Sect without restraint. Outer Circle disciples fainted like flies across the grounds.
A deep sigh took hold of the room. "How the hell could he lose?" His face expressed nothing short of intrigue and rage.
The Second Sword of the sect moved in front of the First, offering a slight nod of his head in polite greeting.
Returning to his normal posture, he remarked, "The Leader of the Iron Sect and First Sword should not behave in such a manner." He finished with a twitch of his mouth, as if he had just tasted something foul.
The First Sword of the Iron Hand Justice Sect directed his gaze at the man before him. "Watch your words…" he paused after a quick up-and-down inspection, "…boy."
The Second Sword's breathing grew slightly more agitated. "What on earth is happening?" He placed his hand in position to draw his blade at a moment's notice.
The leader of the Iron Sect turned toward the window, narrowing his eyes into the far distance. "See for yourself, boy." His hands clasped behind his back, and the aura in the room condensed to such a degree that breathing would prove difficult for anyone with fewer than eight cores.
The Second Sword turned his head, fixing his gaze upon the relic rack in the Sect Leader's chamber.
Each relic sat side-by-side, labeled above from one to six. Upon the sixth, a fracture ran down from the top all the way to its base.
"The Sixth Sword of the Great Iron Sect has fallen by enemy hands." His hand returned to his hilt. "This cannot go unaddressed, Leader." With disappointment in his eyes, he turned back to seek an answer from the First Sword's back.
At the corner of the Great Iron Sect Leader's mouth, a faint smile formed. "The Heaven Sect."
Deep within the Beast Forest, four individuals witnessed the head of the Sixth Sword of the Great Iron Hand Justice Sect leave his body. Reason no longer guided the thoughts of Lin Ren or Yan Wu; their eyes refused to believe what had just transpired right before their noses.
The two Iron Hand cultivators replayed the scene second by second to determine their next logical step. "Zhu Zhi lost," Lin Ren's voice gripped his companion. "Do it now!"
Yan Wu made a swift movement with his hand, grasping a curtain of air with his fingers and twisting them to raise a cloud of dust spanning a four-meter radius.
"Take it now!"
Panting and the clash of metal against metal roused Shoneyi, who woke up unable to comprehend what was happening. Concealment Matrix, he whispered to himself, crawling forward without making the slightest sound.
A deafening roar shattered the air. "Get back here, you cowards!" Kuan fell to one knee, coughing up blood. "Brother… where are you?" Turning his head from side to side required an inhumane effort.
Collapsing to the ground, the son of the Heaven Sect Leader leaned on his weapon, right on the brink of unconsciousness.
"Not bad, huh?" said a voice emerging from the brush.
Kuan's thoughts were far from calm, yet his astonishment at realizing the boy had hidden his presence from someone with nine cores was something he had never experienced before.
"Hey! It's your turn to protect me," Kuan managed before succumbing. He began to slump over, and Shoneyi caught him, letting the elder youth lean against his shoulder.
"Rest easy, Big Brother," a small smile appeared on Shoneyi's face.
At the foot of the Heaven Sect's mountains, a guard bellowed, "Who dares approach the Great Heaven Sect? Identify yourself!" Sharpening his gaze, he realized the figure approaching was familiar. It's the boy with the leg tattoo.
The energy of a core in its final stage ceased controlling the surrounding area. "It's… it's…" The guard's eyes could not believe what they saw. "Young Master Kuan!" His voice rang shrill with shock.
As fast as he could, he pulled out a XinXi to send a message: Second Master Jui. Young Master Kuan, mortal danger. Short, simple, and concise.
Shoneyi continued trudging forward, trying to ease the burden of the Sect Leader's heavy son. Kuan's body bore a massive scar running down from his neck to his chest in a single slash. Its depth worried Shoneyi deeply.
"Hold on, Brother… we're almost there." With his final step, Shoneyi collapsed flat onto the ground right before the guard's eyes.
Barely three seconds had passed since the XinXi was sent when a colossal wave of energy swept through the area. Both the guard and Shoneyi could do nothing but bow their heads under such immense power.
The Second Heaven Master had just teleported to the location.
"There was no need for you to come, my friend."
A bald, shirtless man teleported half a second after the Second Master. "If you think I'm going to leave my badly injured son lying around, you're out of your mind, Yi!"
Behind the Sect Leader, another man arrived in pursuit. "Leader, you should execute the other boy." His gaze reflected nothing but contempt. "Judging by the wounds, I am certain he had something to do with what happened to the young master."
The Second Heaven Master looked toward the Sect Leader to dissuade such an atrocity, but to no avail.
Acting on instinct, the leader barked, "You are right, Gian Ju. Arrest him." He took his son into his arms and finally met Yi Jui's eyes. "Do not kill him," he added through gritted, grumbling teeth.
Rage consumed the Sect Leader's advisor. "I will handle the trash." With a simple flick of his spiritual energy, Gian Ju forced Shoneyi to float into the air and teleported alongside him.
Moments later, high atop the Central Cloud, the Leader, his advisor, and the Second Master of the Heaven Sect gathered in a brief assembly to decide young Kuan's fate. Everyone in the room could feel the elephant in the room.
"A white light, and an azure one…" Tan Kuan kept muttering beneath his breath.[1]
[1] Hey everyone! I’m working on the next parts of the story and wanted to check in with you all. Are you enjoying the journey so far? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback—it really keeps me inspired to keep writing! Let me know in the comments.