The inner courtyard of the stronghold sprawled before me, a labyrinth of stone walls, raised platforms, and hidden traps. The air vibrated with immense power — the combined presence of three Desolate Lords and two peak Ethers Lords pressed on my senses like an invisible vice. Below them, the remaining enemy cultivators moved like shadows, ready to react at the first sign of weakness.
I drew a deep breath, feeling my dual-path power surge within me. Qi coursed through my veins, weaving with my mana in a perfect symphony, amplifying speed, strength, and perception. Years of training, battles, and survival had led to this moment — one I had dreamed of since the night our family was slaughtered.
The five high-tier lords turned in unison, recognizing the Qin empire's armor and insignia. "These soldiers dare enter our domain?" the mid-stage Desolate Lord hissed. "Do they know who they face?"
They didn't know me. They didn't know Alex. And they had no idea how deadly the storm before them truly was.
I moved first. Dual-path mana flared along my arms as I launched myself toward the nearest Ethers Lord, blending qi-infused strikes with bursts of raw mana energy. The courtyard trembled under the force of our collision — stones cracked, dust rose in clouds, and the sound of energy colliding rang like thunder.
The Desolate Lords coordinated, combining telekinetic force with devastating physical strikes. One swung a massive sword imbued with destructive qi, cleaving through the air, while another summoned a cyclone of energy designed to pin me in place. I countered with a pulse of spatial energy, creating a barrier that absorbed the brunt of the attacks and sent shockwaves back at them.
Mana and qi intertwined, twisting the battlefield into a chaotic storm. I rolled under a Desolate Lord's sweep, feeling the wind of the blade brush against my skin, close enough to draw blood. Pain fueled me, igniting every inch of my being. I struck back, sending a dual-path shockwave that sent one Lord crashing into a wall, shattering the stone beneath him.
Below, our squad engaged the remaining cultivators. True Spirit Realm and Mystic Realm enemies pressed hard, but my soldiers had matured in combat. They moved with synergy, exploiting traps, talismans, and their own latent strength. I felt the subtle vibrations of their movements, adjusting my strikes to protect them from interference.
The courtyard became a living battlefield. I twisted mid-air, unleashing a mana-infused qi blade that tore through an Ethers Lord's defense, only to have another swing at me in return. I barely deflected it, feeling the raw power of their attacks vibrate through my bones. The clash of energy sent shockwaves into the stone pillars, shaking the battlefield.
One of the Desolate Lords attempted a combined spell — a sphere of concentrated energy with jagged spikes designed to pierce both mana and qi defenses. I countered by splitting my energy along multiple vectors, redirecting the sphere harmlessly into a wall, but the force still knocked me back several meters. Pain radiated through my body, yet I pressed on. I couldn't falter. Not now.
I drew deeper into my dual-path reserves. Ethereal mana surged with qi, amplifying every movement, every strike, every defensive maneuver. I became a blur of light and shadow, weaving through attacks with lethal precision. A Desolate Lord lunged from above, and I countered with a vertical strike, fusing mana and qi to cleave through their armor and force them to stagger.
The other Lords attacked in tandem. I spun, using spatial energy to create duplicates that forced them to miscalculate. A misstep from one allowed me to strike another in the side with a concentrated burst of mana-infused qi, sending him sprawling. I could feel their frustration mounting. They had underestimated me.
The squad below finally pushed through their enemies. Ten cultivators fell, while the remaining regrouped under our tactical pressure. Even wounded, they fought with unity and strength that reflected months of training and discipline. Their survival allowed me to focus fully on the high-tier threats.
With one final surge, I unleashed a combination strike: a spiraling qi blade fused with a torrent of ethereal mana, targeting the mid-stage Desolate Lord and one Ethers Lord simultaneously. Both were thrown to the ground, battered, struggling to maintain control of their energy. I followed up immediately, striking with spatial precision, ending their resistance.
The remaining Lords roared, their aura cracking, but even the peak-tier cultivators could feel the tide had turned. They attempted to retreat, yet the squad below blocked every avenue of escape, forcing them to face the full force of our assault.
Breathing heavily, body trembling from exertion, I surveyed the battlefield. All five high-tier enemies lay defeated or incapacitated. Stones, smoke, and shattered talismans littered the courtyard. The squad, bloodied but triumphant, regrouped.
I lowered my arms, the dual-path energy slowly retracting. The wind carried the scent of sweat, blood, and mana-charged stone. The inner stronghold's defenders had been shattered — our assault had succeeded.
Alex's battle raged in parallel, and I knew that together, we had carved a path to the heart of the stronghold. Tomorrow, the Sacred Lord and the peak Cosmos Lord would face the full weight of the Vardar brothers'.