Hong Cao was fighting, to be more specific she was kicking ass. Two Demonic Cultivators, both around the Middle of the Meridian Cleansing stage, both having undergone Demonic Transformation. Cao Danced, she weaved around them her mastery over her original Technique, Shifting Waters flowing Breeze, was perfect, neither could touch her.

Lashing Waves, cutting winds, was the new technique she had gotten. From her feet blades of wind and whips of water flew, cutting and bruising, slicing and breaking. She kept her distance, whittling down the two fighters with superior technique and focus. Except she was almost out of Qi.

"Stop jumping around little Flea!" Roared one of the Cultivators, a Metal one that, while slow, was annoying resistant to her attacks. The Other, a water cultivator himself, tried repeatedly to disrupt her techniques.

"Catch me if you can, you ugly bastard" Cao retorted back, Yi would tell her that provoking them was pointless. To that she would have told him to stop being such a stick in the mud. Heavens she hoped she would live to tell him that again.

"Actually, gentleman, I think I'll take my leave" she said, and flipped into a handstand. Then, like a break dancer, spun on her hands, legs splayed. A tornado of water whips lashed out knocking both men back.

Following the momentum of her spin she whirled to her feet and bolted. Behind her the two men shouted as they got up, and she could hear them begin to give chase, but this wasn't the time to play around. Sure, she could have beaten them anytime, she absolutely wasn't scared, it was just that she needed to report to her Elder and find her best friend. Yeah, not scared at all.

In the sky five Core Compression Cultivators fought. In one area, two Elders of the Raging Stormy Moutain Sect against one Demonic Elder. In another the other two fought, Elder to Elder.

Zhou Lingxin, the famous four Attribute Elder, more than held his own against a more powerful Demonic Elder. Wind whipped, lightning Cracked, fire and water blasted out in a maelstrom. The Woman in front of him, less grotesque than the weaker demonic Cultivators but clearly inhuman, cackled.

Metal and Wind Qi met the other four elements as she dances through the sky. The massive leather wings spread out behind her seemingly delicate, yet easily shrugging off the lighting and fire. Blades of mixed Qi tore through Elder Zhou's defenses but he still held his own.

"You'll never win Demon!" He cried Heroically. "The Raging Stormy Moutain will Neve-" He gagged, deep red blood spilling from his mouth. The sword protruding from his neck was pulled out and then swiped through, decapitating him.

A third Demonic Elder Shimmered into Existence, he licked the blood from his sword and flew over to join his sect member. Together they went to where the other two Raging Stormy Mountain Sect Elders were fighting. The Battle was now three against two in the other direction. Nobody even watched as Elder Zhou Lingxi, the famed Four Attribute Elder, fell lifeless to the ground.

Luo Chin, Senior Luo to his Juniors, Little Chin to his mom, was fighting for his life. Among the Flowering Jade Pavilion, he was considered to be one of the more martial Cultivators, often times training two or three times a week. However, by the standards of most Martial Cultivators he was lacking.

Still, he was an Inner Disciple, at the Peak of Meridian Cleansing. Another year and he was going to finish his last Meridian and become a Core Disciple in the Body Refining Realm. He was not a Weak person, as the four Demonic Cultivators were discovering.

Fire raged, and in the center Luo Chin was Calm. On the ground, keeping low, were two Juniors, neither from his Pavilion, they just happened to be on the same path when everything went to hell. Still, they were all one Sect, the Raging Stormy Mountain, and while some looked down on them for being a middling Sect, Luo Chin was Proud of the badge on his chest.

His three Opponents, two wind a wood and rare ice cultivator, were all in the early meridian Cleansing Stage. Still, they were remarkably sturdy, each wielding a Dao, Chinese Sabor, and bravely charging through the fire to get to him. Of course, for their trouble they only received a face full of Exploding pills. He was an Alchemist first after All.

As the fight Continued and his Qi Supply Started to wear thin, he looked down and wished he had a reliable Junior To assist him. Like Dong Yi, or even his fighting maniac friend Hong Cao. Chin Liked those two, and hoped they were doing better than he was.

It had been about twenty minutes since Yi had been forced to hide out in the Bath house. He finished wrapping his arms with bandages covered in a thin herb paste, downed the rest of his tea, and stood.

His arms burned, his shoulders ached, and his Qi supply was only half recovered. Still, he couldn't wait any longer, stuffing the rest of the herbs into a bag at his hip he walked out of the bath house for a second time. This time however he moved more carefully, staying slightly off the path and suppressing his Aura.

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Distant noises kept him on edge, explosions, cracks of thunder, yelling and screams. Knowing there was little he could do Yi simply kept moving through the mountain paths. A few close calls where only Bao'ers warning saved him, until he stumbled across a scene that he couldn't ignore.

Two Disciples stood off against a Demonic Cultivator, both Yi recognized as from his Pavilion. However, since they were both female, he hadn't really interacted with them, only occasionally crossing paths.

They were around middle Meridian Cleansing but the Demonic Cultivator, also a woman, felt like peak Meridian Cleansing and the Disciples were barely hanging on. Yi guessed they had been on their way to their Elders home when they had been waylaid by the Demonic Woman.

Blades of wind were blocked by bursts of water and wood Qi as they attempted to disengage from the more powerful Cultivator. Unfortunatly wind Cultivators always practice some form of powerful movement technique and so the two women couldn't find an opportunity to flee.

From his position in hiding Yi briefly sent some energy into his heart Meridian, his blood pumped, and his adrenaline surged. It wasn't an actual technique, more of a trick to stimulate himself and grant a brief surge of energy. He waited for a gap in the Demonic woman's attention and charged.

What followed was not pretty, closer to a fight between drunks than cultivators. Yi's tackle bore the Surprised woman to the ground, he scrambled to straddle her, dark green gauntlets forming on his hands as he proceeded to rain down blow after blow.

The scene was actually similar to his fight with one of his fellow disciples from before, but a great deal more brutal. The difference being that the Demonic Cultivator was no pushover. Despite the blows she still had enough presence of mind to summon a burst of wind that launched Yi a good ten feet away.

He hit the ground with a heavy 'oof' and was briefly winded. At this point if he had been alone the surprise attack might have been wasted, but the other two Disciples took action.

Twin Qi whips, one a bright warm green and one a dark purplish blue lashed down repeatedly at the fallen enemy, leaving her no chance to recover. By the time Yi had his breath back and was up for a second round the Demonic woman had fallen unconscious. He approached cautiously, but finding her truly knocked out, finished the woman off.

"Thanks" Yi said to the other two panting slightly.

"Thats our line" said the Water cultivator, smiling. Her companion nodded in agreement. "I'm Kong Xun and my friend is Yao Bi, are you also from the Flowering Jade Pavilion?" The Water Cultivator Kong Xun asked.

"Yes, my names Dong Yi" He replied smiling at the looks of recognition. He had a bit of a reputation after all.

"The craz- I mean, uh, the guy who likes tea?" Xun finished lamely.

"I do love a nice cup of tea" Yi agreed amicably.

The three joined together for the remaining trip up to Elder Taos home. Another ten minutes went by in tense silence until they saw his small mansion in the distance. Practically running up the hill they joined a small group near the entrance being led by two Core Disciples of the Elder.

They were all welcomed by one of the Core Disciples and soon Xun and Bi both joined with some friends while Yi stood slightly to the side. He was anxious to check on Cao but knew it was stupid to wonder off without knowing the situation. He tapped the shoulder of one of the Older Seniors he vaguely recognized and asked for the update.

The Demonic Sect Member had all attacked shortly after a series of explosions that someone had set up within the Sect. It was believed that these were set off prematurely for some reason, possibly one had been discovered too soon.

Quickly all the Elders had mobilized to protect the Sect and that included Elder Tao. Information was trickling in with the other Disciples, some said they witnessed a battle in the sky, others saw the Sect master fighting three Demonic Elders by herself. The true status of the Sect was still a mystery and until an Elder came to inform them, they were to stay in place.

Time passed slowly, agonizingly, almost an hour later and Yi was prepared to head out himself, regardless how foolish it was, when an Elder appeared. Elder Lang Bi, the Punishment Hall Elder looked worse for wear. Her complexion was pale, her right arm and half her chest was bandaged, and she had a nasty burn all over the right side of her head and face.

"Aunt!" Shouted someone and Yao Bi, the quiet wood Cultivator girl, ran up to hug her. Odd, their family names were different, maybe Yao Bi was named after Lang Bi?

"Niece!" Elder Lang sighed in relief; it was clear the person she had come for was Yao Bi. After hugging for a second Elder Lang looked up with a stern expression. "Elder Tao is dead" There was gasps and murmuring, several people burst into tears. Yi himself felt a little blurry eyed, the old man was Dead? How?

"He took a Last Burning Flame pill and Directly Killed a Demonic Elder in the Eighth Stage of Compression." There was more mutters and gasps.

The Pill in question was very rare and hard to make, it only worked on fire Cultivators and could grant them power well beyond their realm. However, taking it meant you would be crippled at best, since it burned through all your Meridians, and most would simply die. But it made sense, Elder Tao was only a Second Compression Core Cultivator. To kill a someone at the Peak of his own realm, a demonic one at that, he would need drastic measures.

"There is more, while the Demonic Sect has been repelled Eleven Elders have fallen. The Sect master and Grand Elder were also both severely injured. And many Disciples have been killed. Worse, it seems their real goal was not simply to harm us but rather to capture some of our Disciples." Yi's felt his stomach drop. No, not this, not this you damned Plot.

"Two whole Pavilions have gone missing. The Thousand-man Pavilion, which as many know is the largest. And the Raging storms Pavilion, which is generally considered to be the strongest. I know many of you are worried about your fellow disciples, but I assure you, a rescue mission is being organized. Right now, I need-"

Yi tuned her out. The Raging Storm Pavilion, Cao Cao's Pavilion, he knew it, those bastards. His Qi Boiled, a faint green mist wafted off of him. He would kill them all.