Near the Central Camp of the Scarlet Demon Sect disciples, Meng Lin moved swiftly through the dense foliage, her form blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment thanks to the Formless Cultivation Method.
As she approached the central camp, she noticed a few patrols, their vigilance heightened. She crouched low, her eyes scanning the area, and made mental notes of the enemy's positions. The teleportation formation should be at the heart of the camp, in the biggest tent.
As she waited for the signal, the distant sound of an explosion from the south reached her ears—the barrier-disturbing talisman Wu Dao had activated.
With the explosion ringing out, it was time. The barrier around the central camp flickered briefly, distracted by the attack on the southern ridge. Meng Lin seized the opportunity.
She darted forward, slipping inside the barrier when it flickered out of existence. Moving quickly and silently, she positioned herself on a boulder, waiting patiently.
The Scarlet Demon Sect disciples were in a state of confusion, rushing to respond to the sudden commotion at the southern ridge.
Meng Lin waited for ten whole minutes, taking advantage of their distraction as they focused on the south.
She leaped from the boulder, her form a blur as she glided through the shadows. She maneuvered around the perimeter of the camp, avoiding the few guards around the tent.
Although she knew she could easily use brute force, she wanted to see the effectiveness of the Formless Cultivation Method.
As she walked toward the tent, she suddenly sensed something. Her eyes widened as everything in her field of vision turned black. It didn't take long for her secret technique to react, but it was too late.
Peng!!!
The force of the impact sent Meng Lin flying, flying through the air with bone-jarring force. Her body slammed against a large boulder, crushing it, the impact leaving her breathless and disoriented.
She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her mind. Her secret technique, the Stellar Soul Shield, had activated just in time to mitigate the illusion attack, but she couldn't put up any physical defenses to prevent herself from being thrown across the clearing.
Her eyes sharpened as she pushed herself up from the ground, blood dripping from her lip and her chest. She could feel the lingering pain of the attack; she had been hit by a spear. The world around her came back into focus, and she realized with chilling certainty that she wasn’t alone.
Zhao Ren, Li Jiu, Yin Xue, and Mei Ling stood in a circle around her, their auras radiating a dangerous intensity. Four Soul Wandering Realm cultivators—two at the peak stage, one at the late stage, and one at the medium stage. Meng Lin’s pulse quickened as she realized just how dire her situation was.
Her mind raced. So, this was their plan. They anticipated our every move. The teleportation formation... Was it a trap?
Meng Lin’s eyebrows furrowed; the first thought after being found out wasn't fear, but rather confusion. How had they figured it out?
"You guys are quite the strategists," the man at the lead, holding a golden spear, said with a soft chuckle. "But we're always one step ahead of you."
Meng Lin’s eyes flickered with recognition as she studied him. The figure was none other than Zhao Ren, the one Wu Dao described.
Meng Lin’s expression remained unreadable. "How did you know? Did you plant spies within our ranks?"
Zhao Ren tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "Spies? I wouldn't call it that. More importantly, you hid yourself quite well to take a thrust from me and survive."
Meng Lin's gaze turned icy as she wiped the blood from her lips. She straightened her posture, her aura stabilizing as the pain subsided; if she hadn't been wearing the immortal lotus robe, that would have been a fetal strike. Her chest still hurts.
Her eyes darted to each of her opponents, carefully assessing their stances and positions. The overwhelming pressure from their combined auras was intense, It was something she certainly hasn't faced before.
Zhao Ren smirked, his golden spear shimmering ominously in his hand. "You should feel honored. It’s rare for someone to endure my Heaven-Crushing Strike and live to tell the tale. But I wonder... how long can you hold out against the four of us?"
Li Jiu, wielding a crimson sword, chuckled darkly. "Let’s not drag this out, Zhao. She’s just one person. Even if she’s tough, she doesn’t stand a chance."
"Don’t underestimate her," Yin Xue interjected coldly, her pale fingers tracing the hem of her clothes. "She’s not just any normal late stage. Someone who can take both of those attacks isn’t ordinary."
Mei Ling, her slender figure radiating an eerie demonic aura, stepped forward. Her figure blurred as her body pulsed with malevolent energy. "Enough talk. Let’s see what this prodigy of the Soul Shattering Sect is truly made of."
Meng Lin exhaled slowly, her breathing steadying as her vision began to turn blurry; however, the Stellar Soul Shield flickered faintly around her, its celestial glow returning the world back to normal.
'An illusion attack again,' she thought as she summoned a giant axe from her inventory. The Armor Shattering Axe appeared, its blunt edge imbued with the water elemental Qi.
"So, this is how the Scarlet Demon Sect handles things—four against one," Meng Lin said, her voice steady despite the tense situation. "Are you afraid to face me alone?"
Zhao Ren’s smirk deepened. "Confidence doesn’t suit the cornered. But if it’s a fight you want..."
Without warning, Zhao Ren launched forward, his spear thrusting with lightning speed. Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed as she sidestepped, her form disappearing as she evaded the attack by a hair’s breadth.
Meng Lin retaliated instantly, her axe slicing in an upward arc. Zhao Ren twisted his body, deflecting the blunt edge with the shaft of his spear. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the sound echoing through the clearing like thunder as they separated.
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Li Jiu and Yin Xue joined the fray next. Li Jiu's crimson sword burned with intense fire, the fire elemental Qi imbued in his sword as he slashed across, sending out a crescent fire toward Meng Lin.
Meng Lin quickly spun her axe, the water elemental Qi around it surging outward in a protective wave. The water and fire clashed violently, creating a burst of steam that clouded the battlefield momentarily.
Through the haze, Yin Xue struck. Her fingers formed a series of intricate seals, and spears materialized mid-air, shooting toward Meng Lin with pinpoint precision.
Meng Lin's eyes flashed coldly as she slashed forward with her axe, the blade meeting one of the spears mid-flight.
However, instead of cutting through, the spear passed right through her axe as if it were made of ethereal energy. Meng Lin’s heart skipped a beat as the realization struck her: the spear was not physical. It was a soul attack.
Peng!
The Stellar Soul Shield flared into existence around her, shimmering with a protective glow. But the spear, infused with soul energy, still connected with her, sending a wave of force through her body.
Her focus sharpened in an instant. She could feel her soul core vibrating from the impact. If not for the shield, the attack might have actually killed her.
She steadied herself, her feet touching the ground lightly as she came to a stop, at the same time Mei Ling's shadowy figure appeared behind Meng Lin. Her claws, brimming with dark energy, slashed down toward Meng Lin's unprotected back.
Meng Lin didn't turn but lightened her stance, her Stellar Soul Shield flickering to life just in time to block the soul attack. The claws collided with the barrier.
Peng!
The impact reverberating through the battlefield as Meng Lin was sent flying forward, closing the gap between herself and Yin Xue in an instant.
Yin Xue's eyes widened as Meng Lin's axe came down, but before it could land, a shadow flashed between them. Zhao Ren's spear intercepted the blow, sparks flying as the two weapons collided.
"You won't get to her that easily," Zhao Ren growled, pushing against the weight of Meng Lin's axe.
Meng Lin smirked, twisting her weapon and forcing Zhao Ren to stumble. She spun on her heel, delivering a sweeping kick that caught Zhao Ren off guard and sent him skidding back.
Meng Lin landed gracefully, her breathing steady but her expression colder than ever. She realized that dealing with these four was much more difficult than dealing with the two peak stage bandits.
Not only was their spiritual Qi way stronger, but they also had elemental Qi as well as soul attacks, which made their strikes unpredictable and far deadlier than the brute force tactics of the bandits, It seems they weren't prodigies for nothing.
"Enough of this!" Meng Lin growled.
She slammed the Armor Shattering Axe into the ground, causing a shockwave of Qi to ripple outward. Circulating the Elemental Qi Convergence Method, Meng Lin used its only technique.
"Elemental Qi Convergence: Elemental Domain!"
Rumble!!
The ground beneath Meng Lin's feet shimmered as a radiant, multi-colored aura spread outward, enveloping the entire camp. The air shimmered with different elemental Qi as various glows began to appear.
The elemental energies of Water, Erosion, Mud, Fire, and Darkness surged together in a harmonious yet destructive way, creating a space where Meng Lin's aura became even more brutal.
The ground shook violently as Meng Lin's Elemental Qi converged, the domain expanded, the air itself warping under its weight.
Li Jiu and Mei Ling were the first to feel the air around them grow thick, and before they could react, dark tendrils shot up from the ground, coiling around their limbs and bodies, restricting them with an iron grip.
“What... What the hell is this?” Li Jiu gasped, struggling against the tendrils that tightened around his chest, restricting his breath.
“I can’t move,” Mei Ling hissed, her blurry figure flickering as she fought to break free. “This—this power... it’s suffocating.” Her illusions, which had once surrounded her, were now useless as the tendrils kept her immobile.
“What is this... technique?” Zhao Ren gasped. His body was pushed back by an immense force. The air itself seemed to press against him, trying to crush him under its weight, his voice strained as he struggled to keep his footing. “This isn’t possible!”
“Just who is this person?!” Yin Xue’s voice cracked, her breath coming in surprise. “No one can control this many elemental Qi at once!”
Zhao Ren shot a glance at her, his face flushed with exertion. Suddenly, a rumbling sound filled the air as clouds began to appear in the sky.
Rumble!!!
The thunderous crackle of his lightning-infused spear grew louder as the elemental Qi of thunder began to gather in the air.
Zhao Ren's aura flared in response. He stood tall, thunderbolts crackling all around as he transformed into a golden thunder man.
Seeing this, Yin Xue sighed, her eyes glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light as she activated her innate ability. Her yellow pupils dilated, revealing two deep, swirling vortexes within them.
The very fabric of the domain seemed to ripple in response to her eyes. Meng Lin felt an intense gaze locked onto her, and her eyebrows furrowed.
She suddenly felt an intense flood of emotions surge within her—a torrent of sorrow, doubt, and regret began to surface in her mind.
Her vision blurred as she stammered, "What... what is this?" she murmured, her voice cracking as tears began to fall down her face.
The radiant colors of her Elemental Domain flickered, dimming as her emotional turmoil disrupted the harmony of the elements.
The memories of her past flashed before her eyes—memories she had long forgotten, each one a haunting echo of lives lived and lost.
The faces of those she had loved and the mistakes she had made surged through her mind, a relentless tide threatening to drown her in despair.
In a flash of clarity, a realization struck Meng Lin like a lightning bolt: 'This was not my second life.'
"No... no! This can't be!" she gasped, her fingers clawing at her temples as she was thrown from one sorrowful memory to another. "I’m, I'm sorry... I!"
The floodgates opened, and her once-controlled elemental powers spiraled out of her grasp. The radiant colors of her Elemental Domain morphed into a chaotic storm of wild energies, clashing against one another in a frenzy of light and sound.
Yin Xue recoiled, her eyes raised as she wondered what was happening. This was the first time the Grief-Binding Gaze had such an effect.
Zhao Ren, seeing the chaotic situation, gritted his teeth and lunged forward, his speed as fast as lightning. He appeared over Meng Lin and struck with his thunder-infused spear aimed directly at Meng Lin’s chest.
Crackle!
His spear crackled with a blinding light, the energy of the storm itself coursing through it as he thrust forward. The strike was fast, aimed at the heart of Meng Lin.
Suddenly the air around Meng Lin distorted as her forearm began to glow. The arm moved on its own to stop the attack, but the Crimson Tortoise Dragon had reacted too late.
Peng
Puchi!!
The spear’s tip ricocheted and plunged deep into Meng Lin's stomach, the crackling energy of thunder surging through her body as a shockwave of pain exploded within her.
Meng Lin gasped, and her eyes snapped open; the searing pain in her chest caused her to regain her consciousness.
And her pain was replaced by a surge of raw power. She immediately entered the Brute Qi state, her body radiating an overwhelming force.
"HA!"
With a fierce cry, she swung her giant Axe in a wide arc, releasing an intense destructive wave of Brute Qi.
Boom!
The Axe smashed into Zhao Ren, crushing him instantly, his body reduced to a mangled mess, and the force of the swing reached Yin Xue, who was a few meters away.
"Ahh!"
Yin Xue screamed as the shockwave tore into her, her body flung through the air like a broken doll. She crashed into the scorched ground, her robes in tatters and her flesh burned.
Smoke rose from her charred body as she struggled to move, coughing up blood with shallow breaths.
Meng Lin stood motionless, her hammer resting heavily on the ground, her Brute Qi state still pulsing with raw, unrestrained energy. Blood poured from the wound in her stomach and her face was pale.
A chaotic storm of Elemental Qi raged around Meng Lin as the Crimson Tortoise Dragon appeared, the dragon lowered its head, nuzzling her gently. "Mistress."
Meng Lin’s vision blurred, her strength rapidly fading. With trembling hands, she reached up and patted the dragon's scaled head. “Take me… back…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The dragon carefully scooped Meng Lin onto its back, its movements gentle as it flew toward the south, on its back Meng Lin lay with a dazed expression, a spear stuck in her stomach.