In the ruins of what was once the glorious Thunder Law Sect, now stood only two individuals. One, kneeling on the ground, was missing their right arm, while the other stood tall, looking down condescendingly.

"Where did all your fighting spirit go, little monkey?" Shen Mingyue taunted, their featureless face partially shattered, with lightning rippling around the caved-in part.

Lei Tei didn't utter a single word. He simply stared down helplessly, his gaze filled with a mixture of despair and disbelief. He was completely and utterly beaten, only managing to partially destroy Shen Mingyue’s face.

Even with the power of the Thunder Qilin, he had failed miserably.

To make matters worse, Shen Mingyue hadn’t even fought him with his true body.

Lei Tei had lost to a mere false body!

What more was there to say?

For Lei Tei, his entire pride was thoroughly crushed. The once mighty warrior, now a broken shell, could only reflect on his devastating defeat. His mind raced with the implications of his failure—the collapse of his sect, the loss of comrades, and the shattering of his once unshakable confidence. The landscape around them, littered with the remnants of what was once a proud stronghold, only served as a grim reminder of his downfall.

Shen Mingyue suddenly slapped Lei Tei with the back of his hand, sending him tumbling across the shattered ground.

"You were a fool to think that you would remain safe under the protection of the Dragon Emperor," Shen Mingyue sneered.

"Why," Lei Tei uttered weakly, struggling to lift his head.

"Hmm?" Shen Mingyue responded, tilting his head in mock curiosity.

"Why did you attack our sect?" Lei Tei's voice was strained, his eyes filled with confusion and pain.

"Hmmph! Didn't I tell you already? Just wiping out potential trouble," Shen Mingyue shrugged, gathering Qi around his fist, ready to end it all.

WOOSH

Yet, the moment he swung his fist, Lei Tei spoke again, his voice barely a whisper. "It's because of his return, isn't it?"

In that instant, Shen Mingyue froze, his fist suspended in mid-air.

"So, you know as well?" he said, his voice laced with surprise.

"His ascension to Master isn't new news, you know," Lei Tei replied, raising his blood-dripping head to look directly at his foe, his eyes burning with a flicker of defiance.

Shen Mingyue's expression darkened, but there was a moment of acknowledgment in his eyes. "Whatever. You are indeed correct. His return will give our sects a fighting chance against Xia Fugui, so why not take it?"

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

With that, Shen Mingyue swung his fist again, this time with deadly intent.

The world seemed to hold its breath as the final blow descended, the air crackling with the intensity of the gathered Qi. The shattered remnants of the Thunder Law Sect bore silent witness to the unfolding drama, the ruins echoing with the ghosts of past glories and the cries of the fallen.

Yet at that moment, a thunderous BOOM reverberated through the air.

Shen Mingyue's very body was obliterated in an instant, disintegrated by an unseen force.

"You know, O Supreme Yin Master, you speak a lot," a mysterious figure announced as they appeared in the midst of the chaos, their presence seemingly distorting the air around them.

From the dust and debris, Shen Mingyue's body began to reform, the pieces of his shattered form drawing together with an eerie, unnatural speed. "You! Why have you come here?" he spat, his voice a mixture of shock and anger.

"Why not?" the individual smirked, gripping a bone staff adorned with intricate carvings and glowing with an ethereal light. The figure's eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and menace, their aura radiating an overwhelming power that seemed to distort the very air around them.

The mysterious figure's cloak billowed despite the absence of wind, and a palpable tension filled the space. "You think you can interfere with my plans so easily?" Shen Mingyue's reforming body growled, but there was a trace of fear in their eyes.

The newcomer chuckled, his voice dripping with confidence. "Think? Oh no, Sect Master, I know." He then shifted his gaze toward Lei Tei, who lay battered and bloodied on the ground.

"You should consider yourself quite lucky," he said, his tone almost casual. "The Dragon Lord himself has asked me to take you back to the capital."

"Die!" Shen Mingyue roared, his voice echoing with fury as he charged forward, his body a blur of motion.

The newcomer sighed, his demeanour almost bored. "You Sect Masters are always too arrogant, you know." With a graceful fluidity, he shifted his posture, the air around him changing as he prepared to unleash his technique.

"Dragon Martial Technique - Myriad Drops of Rain, Ling Clan Variation!"

From above, countless droplets of glowing energy descended like a torrential downpour, each one humming with lethal intent. The drops moved with a precision that seemed almost sentient, converging on Shen Mingyue with unerring accuracy.

BANG

BANG

BANG

Shen Mingyue's charge faltered as he was bombarded by the relentless assault. Each drop struck with the force of several of Lei Tie’s strongest attacks, battering his body and tearing through his defences. He howled in pain and rage, trying desperately to counter the onslaught, but the Myriad Drops of Rain left him no quarter.

The mysterious figure moved with an elegance that belied the devastating power of his technique. His bone staff twirled in his hands, directing the rain of energy with masterful control. "You thought you could intimidate the Dragon Lord's emissary?" he taunted, his voice carrying over the chaos.

Lei Tei watched in awe, his battered body trembling with a mix of relief and astonishment. The ruins of the Thunder Law Sect were illuminated by the radiant glow of the descending energy, casting eerie shadows that danced across the wreckage.

Finally, with one last, earth-shattering explosion, the Myriad Drops of Rain reached their zenith, leaving Shen Mingyue battered and broken on the ground. The Sect Master's defiance had been thoroughly quashed, his once formidable presence reduced to a pitiful sight.

“Damn you, Dragon General!” Shen Mingyue howled, his voice filled with fury and desperation.

“Oh, shut up,” the newcomer snorted, thrusting his staff forward. With a final, devastating strike, Shen Mingyue’s body was obliterated at last.

KRIEEKKKKKKKK

The screech of the Bingfeng echoed through the ruins as Qi rapidly escaped from Shen Mingyue’s nonexistent remains, dispersing into the air and flying off in all directions.

The Dragon General turned to look at Lei Tei, who was still kneeling, battered and exhausted.

"The name’s Ling Feng! Do you remember me, Sect Master!" he grinned.