Chapter 32: Geometric Endgame

Wang Mie felt the weight of exhaustion bearing down on her, her qi reserves nearly depleted. Yet, a glimmer of hope sparked within her as she saw the silver basilisk frozen in its icy prison. This was their perfect chance—Ning Rong was free, and the beast was momentarily immobilized.

"Switch!" she shouted, her voice ringing with determination. Drawing her last arrow, she activated her unique ability. The arrow glowed with a golden hue, infused with the properties of her decay concept. Wang Mie’s special ability allowed her to transform anything she touched into a conduit for her qi, releasing it upon her command to cause decay or corrosion.

Memories of her struggles with this ability flashed through her mind. Unlike Li Liang, whose own abilities brought him considerable pain and difficulty, she had managed to gain control over her power.

This shared hardship fostered a special kinship between them, one rooted in mutual understanding .

Meanwhile, Lin Ji charged at her with his sword drawn, eyes filled with malice. But Wang Mie remained unfazed.

She knew he could never outrun Ning Rong, especially now that she had revealed her dual mid-level concept physique. The revelation of Ning Rong’s lightning abilities had been shocking, even to her.

The basilisk’s eyes moved, fixing its gaze on Wang Mie. She could feel the pressure mounting, knowing she had to act quickly. If she didn't give her best effort and the beast survived, they would all be doomed.

She focused on her arrow, channeling every last bit of her qi into it. The arrow hummed with energy, glowing brighter with each passing second.

She took aim, targeting the basilisk’s eyes—one of the few parts not completely covered in ice. It was a risky shot, but it was their best chance.

With her wind concept enhancing her shot, she released the arrow. It sliced through the air with incredible speed, a golden streak aimed straight at the basilisk’s vulnerable eyes.

As the arrow flew, time seemed to slow. The golden hue intensified, the arrow a beacon of decay and destruction. Wang Mie watched with bated breath, praying that her aim was true.

The arrow struck the basilisk’s eye, sending a shockwave through its frozen form.

Wang Mie watched with anticipation, expecting the golden energy to spread rapidly from the point of contact, activating the decay concept and causing the flesh around the eye to wither and rot.

But that’s not what happened.

Instead, the basilisk seemed to fracture like a delicate mirror. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and then, with a final, almost delicate shattering sound, it broke apart into countless pieces.

The fragments dissipated into the air, leaving no trace behind, as if the creature had never been there.

“What…?” Wang Mie thought, momentarily stunned. Her mind struggled to process what she had just witnessed. Before she could make sense of it, a deep rumbling of thunder announced the arrival of Ning Rong, her form crackling with pink lightning.

She appeared beside Wang Mie in an instant, her presence a beacon of power and determination.

Lin Ji, having stopped a few meters away, felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of the pink lightning. He turned to flee, cursing himself for his hesitation.

He should have run the moment Wang Mie had said 'switch,' but his hatred for her had clouded his judgment. He hadn’t expected Ning Rong to arrive so quickly—less than ten seconds.

Desperation fueled his movements, but as he tried to turn and escape, his body betrayed him. He froze in place, a paralyzing sensation gripping him.

It was as if his soul had been yanked from his body, leaving him helpless. His eyes glazed over, and all he could see was a vortex of dark pink energy swirling in front of him.

It felt as though it was sucking his soul away, an all-consuming force that left him unable to move.

Suddenly, Lin Ji jolted, coming back to his senses. The world snapped back into focus, and the first thing he saw was a head of silver hair in front of him.

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An odd sensation enveloped his neck, and realization dawned on him with horrifying clarity. He tried to react, but it was too late.

The world began to spin as his head was separated from his body. He fell to the ground, his vision tilting and blurring. The last thing he saw was his own headless body, blood spurting from the neck.

“So, I’m going to die like this,” Lin Ji thought, his final moments filled with regret and despair. His vision darkened, and he knew no more.

Wang Mie, still catching her breath, looked down at the lifeless body of Lin Ji. She felt a mix of relief and dread.

"I think you are out of qi. You should rest," Ning Rong said, her voice calm but tinged with concern.

Wang Mie, still panting, gave a bitter laugh. "I think all of us are going to 'rest' permanently soon enough," she said, pointing slightly to the left, where the basilisk should have been.

As she pointed, a shimmering haze began to clear, and an oppressive presence filled the air. The enlarged basilisk revealed itself, stepping into view.

It was colossal, its body now comparable to a house, and it radiated a fierce, ominous energy. Remnants of ice clung to its scales, slowly melting and dripping off, evidence of the powerful talisman that had temporarily restrained it.

The basilisk's body shimmered again, and it began to radiate a dark, smoky aura. The ice that had encased it melted completely, steam rising from its scales.

With an ear-splitting hiss, the basilisk locked them with it's soul sense, as a terrifying fluctuation of qi spread in the environment. Wang Mie and Ning Rong braced themselves.

But it was futile all they saw was world distort in front of them as found themselves sinking in a swamp of snakes.

But at that instant, a calm and authoritative voice rang through the air. "I think that's enough."

The basilisk looked in the the direction of the voice and saw a little maggot the size of his one scale.

It snorted in disdain at the little bug but was little surprised as to why he was't in it's illusion nonetheless it gathered energy in front of it's face as a concentrated ball of qi the size of that human's head formed in front of him.

He released it with a grunt but to it's surprise the little maggot didn't run instead he raised his right hand and swung.

The moment he did that, eight searing chains made of fire qi materialized out of thin air. One of the chains raced towards the incoming beam and slashed it in half as the beam dissipated.

After that the chains wrapped around various points on the basilisk's massive body, encasing it in a triangular bipyramid structure formed entirely out of fire qi.

The chains glowed with an intense, almost blinding light, and the heat they emitted caused the air around them to shimmer and distort.

The only expression if it can be considered one on the face of basilisk was that of utter confusion and disbelief , it screeched as if trying to say something, the mere thought of such a powerful beast having this level of intelligence sent a shiver down my spine.

Ning Rong and Wang Mie escaped the illusion as they gasped for air.

Ning Rong's face lit up with a mixture of relief and amusement. "So you managed to cast that in time," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "I thought I was going to be kicking your ass in the afterlife."

"Since your old man never showed up, I thought I might as well save his little princess since she can't do that herself," I replied with a smug smile, stepping into view.

Wang Mie, her face a mask of shock and confusion, sputtered as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. "Wait—what? How can a high-level grade 2 formation just pop out of nowhere? And what do you mean by he managed to cast it? He's not even at the body tempering stage yet!"

I chuckled, enjoying the look of bewilderment on Wang Mie's face. "It's all about preparation and understanding the principles of formations," I said.

"I've been studying and practicing, preparing for a situation just like this. It’s not about the stage you’re at, but how well you can manipulate the qi and understand the formation and of couse all of you bought me enough time to cast it.”

The chains tightened around the basilisk, which thrashed and hissed in fury, but the formation held firm. The beast's eyes glowed with a malevolent light, but it was clear that it was now trapped, its immense power rendered useless by the constraints of the formation.

Ning Rong shook her head in disbelief, but her eyes sparkled with admiration. "You always manage to surprise me," she said.

"I aim to please," I replied, my voice light but my gaze serious as I watched the basilisk struggle. "Now, let's finish this while we have the chance."

Wang Mie, still stunned, finally nodded in agreement. "Alright," she said, her voice steadier now. "Let's take this thing down for good."

As we prepared for the final strike, the fire qi chains continued to burn bright, holding the basilisk in place. The formation was a testament to the power of preparation and knowledge, a high-level technique executed perfectly despite my current cultivation stage.

The basilisk, sensing its impending defeat, let out a final, defiant roar, its eyes blazing with hatred. But it was too late. We were ready to end this, once and for all.

With a coordinated effort, we launched our final attacks, combining our remaining qi and skills to deliver a devastating blow. The basilisk's roars turned to screams of agony as our combined might overwhelmed it.

The fire qi chains tightened one last time, and with a brilliant flash of light, the basilisk was consumed by the overwhelming power, its form disintegrating into ash.

Silence fell over the battlefield as the dust settled. The once mighty basilisk was no more, and we stood victorious, our bodies battered.

"I guess you won’t be kicking my ass in the afterlife after all," I said, breaking the silence.

Ning Rong laughed, a sound of pure relief. "Not today, it seems."

Wang Mie, finally recovering from her shock, looked at me with newfound respect. "You’re full of surprises," she said.

I shrugged, a satisfied smile on my face. "Just doing what needs to be done."

......

"Ning jian why don't you look your usual cocky self today?" Elder Lin said as he lifted Ning Jian up by his hair.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA , mock me now would you?" Elder Lin laughed maniacally as he remembered all the times he was humiliated.