"This is going to be annoying!" Lulu murmured, standing on a rapier's blade as she flew forward, a meter above the ground, with crossed arms before her chest, watching the setting sun. "I have more potent attacks during daylight…" She sighed, looking up at the sky. "At least it is going to be a clear night! The moonlight is not as strong, but still. Usable." She chuckled while she was drawing a trail of white light behind her.
Since Xendar perfected the crafting of flying weapons, most of the disciples above the 5th stage already had their own or were doing Sect missions to obtain enough points to exchange for it. There were multiple kinds, and with enough contribution, one could even design his or her own.
Still, using one required training, discipline, and enough strength as it consumed energy constantly if used the way Lulu did now. The only difference was that Lulu could easily afford to ride it, especially while the sun was out. With Ren's help, she developed a skill that let her convert sunlight into pure energy. She could use it to empower her spells or help using her artifacts, greatly reducing the energy cost and sparing her from exhausting herself way too early. Of course, it had its drawback; the more she did so, the more strain it put on her body, and if she overdid it or drew too much power from the sun, it could wreck her insides. There was one occasion when she overdid it, and if not for Leinor being there, she would already be dead from lighting her organs on fire.
"I can't wait to reach the same level as Master~" She smacked her lips, speeding up, imagining what she could do at the same level as Ren, flying even faster than now.
An hour or so later, she finally spotted a camp in the distance as she covered way more ground than a cavalry ever could in the same timeframe. It only took them a glimpse to notice her, and immediately, three horsemen were riding towards her at full speed.
"They have sharp eyes, don't they?" Lulu pulled out a small prism from her sleeve, holding it before her while the setting sun was shining at her from the back.
Lulu's body lit up gently, releasing a creamy-colored light that started concentrating in the prism as her eyes locked onto the closing bandits. They were wearing nomadic fur clothes and wielding sabers, already drawn, spreading out to surround their lonely enemy.
"I hope our guy is not amongst them. If he is… well… sorry~" She grinned before letting go of her collected energy.
It was a quick flash as the prism shattered, and three multi-colored beams shot out. They had no time to avoid or even react as her attack had already penetrated them through their eyes, exploding in their heads and turning their brains into mush. By the time the rest of their body recognized what was happening, they were long dead. Her attack continued on, undisturbed for dozens of meters before dissipating and the coming horsemen just fell down, lifeless, while Lulu flew past them with a smile.
"Well, let's see…" She produced another prism: "I have a few left; they are not cheap, but… heh, wealth is only worth something if it gets used!"
Her literally flashy attacks already alerted the whole camp, and they were getting on their horses. With only one person attacking them, they did not take her seriously, and relying on their numbers, they tried to overwhelm Lulu. Yet their expectations quickly turned to disbelief as a different, thick beam of light flashed right through them, turning multiple horses along with their riders into flaming, screaming, horrid fireballs.
"Scatter! Don't give her easy targets!" their leader screamed as they fanned out when the next, now multiple but slower, sparkling beams arrived.
This time, it was not as successful as before, especially because the leader could summon an earth shield before them, ripping out the ground itself, throwing it into their way, and blocking Lulu's attack.
"Well, well… a Harmony Expert is still a Harmony Expert." Lulu clicked her tongue. "I wonder how strong he is compared to our Elders!" She licked her lips before she sped up, ready to fight, but as soon as she did it, a cold, steel blade flashed amongst the horsemen.
In their ranks, a bulky, mohawk-wearing, half-naked warrior brandished his saber, decapitating the two others beside him who were his comrades in the past five years, going through raids and life-and-death situations many times, watching each other's backs. The surprise was still in their eyes as their heads rolled away, but he just jumped off of his horse, not sparing even a glance, flying towards the gang's leader, striking at him with his blade, shining in bright red light, spewing flaming embers all around him.
"Traitor!" his opponent shouted while meeting his blade with his own, recognizing immediately that the traitor's strength was on par with his. "You hid yourself well, but only two of you won't succeed!" he roared as they fought, rising into the air and exchanging blows quickly.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Huh. Well then, let me finish up the rest!" Lulu blinked her eyes as she reached them, jumping up from her blade, which immediately flew into her hand.
She was quick and precise, stabbing out multiple times in under one second, penetrating the soft leather armor her opponents were wearing. With her rapier, she was piercing through weak points with every forward jab of her arm, drawing flashing streaks of light behind it.
What the others saw was only a blinding flash before they were falling off of their horses. Most of them were considered strong in the gang, being at the 5th or even 6th stage of body refinement. They rampaged through caravans, killing guards and even taking the fight to the region's army if they were facing off the same number of people. This would still hold true against most forces, but the times were changing, and soon, the world would have to realize that the old way of determining strength was out of date. Someone who was a disciple of the region's first Sect could wield power far greater than those who cultivate by themselves, in vagabond groups, in the army, or even in wealthy families.
The new system that focused on solely improving one's strength, developing spells and new techniques, being at the forefront of innovation in cultivation, producing pills, artifacts, and other external help to raise a cultivator's strength and capability would outshine everything else around itself. Not to mention, only the most talented, promising people could gain entry, making one of the weakest members of the Sect still a powerhouse in his or her right in the outside world. One who wears the black and purple attire of the Immortal Wonders Sect would soon be known as someone who can only be challenged by others in a higher stage or even in a higher realm.
Lulu, who was in the 7th stage of the body refinement realm, wielded spells and power only seen carried by those who had already proclaimed themselves as Harmony Experts. These bandits, who trained by themselves, by the sword, and by battle, may have experiences that she lacked, but against overwhelming power, it meant nothing. Their inner strength and energies were weak and shallow compared to hers, unable to match Lulu and any defenses they put up got demolished as soon as they met her attacks, resulting in their swift and quick deaths. When she was done, letting the blood drip from her rapier, breathing a bit quicker than usual, she looked up to the sky where the two harmony realm experts were fighting, itching to join in.
"Mmm… which one was the leader?" She tilted her head, pursing her lips. "Oh man… Master would be angry if I just shot down both of them, no?" She shrugged, giving up the sudden idea of using one of her remaining prisms, and instead lifted her rapier up at them. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe~" then she shot out with a burst of creamy light, launching herself up to the sky as the tip of her rapier pierced through the back of the bandit leader who was preoccupied, fighting with the undercover agent. The mole, planted by the Empire, now bled from dozens of cuts yet still attacked with a determined, zealous expression, forgoing any defense to bring him down once and for all. Even if it would mean his own death.
"You-" the bandit leader coughed up blood when the rapier went through him. The pain did not even register in his mind, disbelieving that a surprise attack would come from the ground, not even thinking for a second that his men could fail to keep one girl contained. But he could say no more as his opposition jumped in quickly, cutting his head off and, before it could fall to the ground, incinerating it with another fireball.
"Thank you…" He said with a low voice, as blood flowed from his mouth, wobbling in the air before Lulu just tossed the headless body away. She pulled her rapier out, already falling backward to the ground, quickly standing on it, catching the injured soldier.
"Woah, you are going to the extreme, you know that?" She shook her head as she flew down, carrying him.
"I committed a lot of crimes… I just want to atone and die with a clean consciousness." He whispered content with dying.
"You were ordered to be part of this gang, no? Why go so far? Honestly… you just followed orders like a good sl- soldier." She rolled her eyes before producing a pill and putting it into his mouth, which dissolved immediately.
"Wha-?" He tried to ask, but soon, he really felt better, and energy returned to him. When Lulu landed, she put him down as he could already stand on his own two feet without any help. "How?" He asked, befuddled.
"Secret~" She winked at him. "You are lucky I have a Master loaded with the good stuff, or you would be dead in a few minutes! You lost a lot of blood, you know! Well… the scars are going to remain, but hey, a lot of girls find it sexy!" She stretched as the night slowly descended on them.
"Thank you for saving my life, My Lady…" He bowed to her as she giggled, clearly satisfied by his reaction.
"See? You didn't want to die in reality! You can be honest with me~ So chin up, you did a good job! You need to be decorated, not buried! Come, come, help me count them, and if there is even one who is missing, I need to find him quickly! I want to be back in the city before sunrise!" She laughed happily, swallowing a pill to regain energy and giving one to him, too.
In the distance, Ren was standing in the air with a satisfied smile and folded arms, floating way up from the ground.
"Well, well, well! Years of work finally pay off a little, huh? You lost a lot of your thorns, girl!" Ren chuckled with a satisfied expression, watching her cure the soldier. "But still… some remains… look at you, parading around like a savior and saint, ahaha… I still need to work on you more when we get back!" She shook her head, staying out of sight and senses, continuing to observe her, just as the remaining clone of hers followed Yanda on his part of the mission.