Sword and spear in his hands, and with twelve blades dancing in the appendages behind him, Bai Qi turned into a deadly whirlwind of edges.
Against and around him, twenty-nine cultivators. From them, a dozen of [Immortal's Cave Servants] armed with their stone staffs, each having a strength not lesser than Bai Qi's own. Another ten of saber and sword-wielding cultivators in cyan robes, whose power's name Bai Qi did not know. As for the rest, [Sky Grass Society] members were armed with different weaponry, a couple even fighting with bare fists.
In an authentic fight and even counting with all of his trump cards, Bai Qi could not assure his victory. But this one wasn't a fight to the death, at least for him.
Bai Qi wanted his name to be known, and for that, the only thing he required was to create chaos, destruction, and fear.
***
Three groups of enemies, but except for their numbers, Bai Qi did not consider this a poor match-up as neither group was something special. Or at least, no enemies of the level of Bu Zan were present.
The [Sky Grass Society] members fought by covering their weapons with qi and aura, not using skills to avoid wounding their companions and allies. And while their strength differed, with the even ground of the restrictions, Bai Qi felt no danger from any, even the 6th level Warrior Lord leader. Not that they were weak, but it was simply that neither had any prowess above their level.
The cyan-robed enemies used a similar strategy, albeit their mastery over weapons was good, and they also added their saber, or sword, intent behind each strike. But again, with no geniuses counting with prowess above their level, they did not feel like a threat to Bai Qi.
The only group that could be said to be a difficult one was the one comprised of [Immortal's Cave Servants]. Their strength was at the absolute peak of the restriction, and while they did not use visible techniques or skills, their increased power and reaction speed undoubtedly came from one used internally.
After all, it could not be possible for even a peak Sage to match Bai Qi's strength. Still, as Bai Qi had fought with them before, he had a clear idea of how to counter this specialness.
Counter hardness with softness was one of the most basic martial arts ideas. And while it could not be said to be an absolute, it turned out to be correct in this case.
***
*Clash* *Clang* *Shoosh* *Clank* *Thud* *Clang*
Fifteen breaths of the fight, and Bai Qi remained unharmed.
Bai Qi blocked at least a hundred attacks, and another equal quantity was dodged, sidestepped, and otherwise avoided.
This latter was already something of a feat, but Bai Qi did not think so. After all, what kind of feat could it be if he had only managed to lightly wound a couple of enemies and made one step back with a gushing wound on the abdomen.
But while he did not assume it as one, the enemies were of another mind. How could they not? With a single cultivator, and on an almost even ground situation, standing against twenty-nine of them!
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"Sincerely, I am surprised, yet again, by the fighting style of that youth." With Head Kongbai taking care of monitoring the situation of the towers, the vice-head of the Palace, Tao Xuegang, could spend some time observing Bai Qi's fight. And he enjoyed what he saw.
"In my opinion, this Bai Qi stakes too much on his prowess. His reserves did not recuperate enough, clear from his current state. And yet, he threw himself into a fight with such odds." Opposed to the battle-loving Tao Xuegang, Meng Chin took more after her master, Head Kongbai. And so, she considered that if there was a choice, then fighting under overwhelming odds should be avoided. She also monitored the unexpected ally since he had arrived, and while she did consider him a genius, she disliked how he mixed cunning plans, deceit, and sudden risks.
Such was Meng Chin's thought, and she had pointed it out twice already.
"It seems that you did not comprehend the Palace idea well enough. Cultivators have to adapt to anything they face, and constantly change, as the void does." Tao Xuegang knew that Meng Chin had gotten to her position by skill and knowledge, not just because she was Kongbai Meili's disciple. Still, he could not help but point her out as wrong.
As the young elder, just two years older than the 34 years old He Delan, turned to him in surprise, the Vice-head continued, "And what you consider a risk, I see as someone who knows his limits and constantly works to expand them. I, for one, am sure that as soon as he requires, he will escape from there."
"Vice-head may be right. But still, why is he trying so hard? It's not like his actions are a true gamechanger, at least for now, so why risk at all?" While she disliked the lecture, she did understand what the, actually, oldest member of the Palace meant. And so, she honestly asked the question that she could not find an answer to herself.
"Is memory loss something that occurs to all of you, youngsters?" Tao Xuegang teased with a faked sigh before answering the question, "Elder Gu's clearly explained the boy's motives, and his actions only reinforce the explanation. Fame, the most sought, one of the both most dangerous and hardest things that a cultivator desires."
"Haa, then I indeed do not understand him at all." Meng Ching responded as she observed, through a crack in the void, how Bai Qi's figure bent forward, avoiding two staffs, and his tail-like appendages began a crazed storm of slashes around him.
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Bai Qi could not say that the battle was easy, but as soon as he got used to the tempo of the different groups, he found enough time to react and even plan a movement or two ahead.
He did acknowledge that he would have been dead after the first two exchanges. Well, in the case that this was a battle without restrictions and more space for the enemies to act. Still, it was not, so why could he not enjoy himself a bit?
*Swoosh* *Swoosh*
And he did so, abruptly lowering on all fours and making his appendages turn into a whirlwind. One that was both unexpected and deadly for the enemies that would not react in time.
*Tear* *Tear* *Clang* *Clang*
It was deadly indeed, as one enemy fell dead and another was forced to retreat, practically losing an arm. The others did step back or block the consecutive slashes, but considering that Bai Qi remained unharmed, it was as if he was winning the battle even under such odds!
Bai Qi's thoughts weren't wrong, as the three local leaders for their respective powers had already decided on how to act.
Fighting against this mix of genius and madman was too challenging. He would fall at some point, but they could not allow more losses to happen. And so, if they could not fight him in close range, they should open it while maintaining the encirclement and overwhelm his defenses with skills and techniques.
Indeed, what else but switching to medium-range combat could mean the slowly expanding encirclement? The nearest ten still barraged him with weapon attacks, but the others were preparing to change to mid-range.
And as a confirmation that Bai Qi was on the right track, he felt how two of the farthest cyan-robed cultivators began gathering aura for a slashing skill.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
His twelve appendages grew closer to his body, and he defended against a staff, two swords, and a saber with only his spear and sword.
And then, using the minute respite that always followed before the next attack, Bai Qi inwardly commanded,
*Swoosh*
As if one, all the twelve tails turned towards one side and, in a quick and unnoticeable movement, threw the blades they held towards it.
*Swoosh*
And right after them, Bai Qi jumped while dispelling the appendages. He also activated the [Golden Eagle Wings] movement skill to improve his push. This latter skill did not improve his speed by much, and it did not allow him to fly either, but by adding the slight effect to the jump, he would glide for a few dozens of feet, and the wings could also protect him from a rear attack as he concentrated on the front.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang* *Tear* *Splatter*
He had targetted only two male cultivators from the [Immortal's Cave Servants] with the twelve blades, and while their reflexes were good, only ten were blocked, with two lodging into one of them.
*Slash*
And before the wounded cultivator or the nearby ones could react, Bai Qi appeared, slashing with his sword.
*Splatter* *Clang*
His mark dead, and the spear blocking the abrupt slash from a nearby cyan-robed saber wielder, Bai Qi did not spend more than an instant to command the blades to enter his [Void Ring] and then continued forward.
*Clang* *Clang*
"DO NOT ALLOW HIM OUT!"
*Splatter* *Clang*
"Encircle him again!"
*Clang* *Tear*
Bai Qi continued breaking through several cultivators while attacked from both sides and even the rear. It wasn't just risky but an actual death-wish strategy.
Bai Qi suffered not a single wound before, but as he, at last, broke out, both his crimson wrappings and the white robe below them were of the same color and torn into shreds.
Blood seeped from at least seven cuts, and while six were shallow, the one at his tight went so deep as the bone. He had also received a few bruises, and a heavy staff impact had come just a hair close from shattering his arm, only breaking a couple of ribs in turn.
But now that he was out, there was no need to hold back his remaining reserves, not more than a sixth part of his overall, and Bai Qi quickly released his qi, activating several [Flaming Impulse] techniques infused with the [Ghostflame].
Hardly a sure-kill technique and now weak to even move him, it forced back the nearest enemies. And as a bonus, the sudden release of flames scorched a couple of the ones slower on the uptake.
***
"Where the fuck is he?!"
"How did he disappear?!"
"Search for him!"
"Don't leave even a stone unturned!"
"Check underground. The bastard had hidden below the ground before!"
Such and similar shouts filled up the area where Bai Qi had disappeared. But no matter what the enemies did, they did not find any trace at all.
The ground was scanned, and a couple of cultivators even burrowed a few dozens of feet down, but all was to no avail.
***
But how did he manage to disappear in front of twenty pursuers? And to enter the tower without being discovered?
To answer both of these questions, one would need to know the specialness of both towers and the talisman interfering formation. Something that Bai Qi and the [Void Palace] members knew, but the attackers, to their regret, did not.
Using his remaining qi to briefly hide thanks to [Counting Steps], Bai Qi had, first forcefully embedded into his body, activated a concealment talisman. And then, by releasing a small amount of his aura to the side, he dashed into the tower while everyone assumed him to be somewhere outside it. Luckily for him, there was no one to see him on the first floor, so he descended into the basement and closed himself in one of the rooms.
And as the materials of the tower limited the use of senses and prevented sensing from outside, Bai Qi could remain there undiscovered at least until someone walked in and checked the room he was in.
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Three hours later, the undiscovered Bai Qi had recuperated enough to act again, and so he did. Although this time, he chose to attack the seven cultivators inside the tower. And by starting from the second floor and going up, no one outside found out that another seven members of the [Sky Grass] power had died.
After contacting the three people inside the Control Room and informing himself of the new developments, or the absolute lack of, Bai Qi took a brief rest. And then, he rushed outside the tower, leaving a surprised middle-tier Elder surnamed Zu behind.r
Bai Qi battled and disappeared, killed and wounded, got wounded and exhausted several times. All on this second day inside the [Void Palace] grounds.
Unknown to him, his objective of being known was slowly taking shape.
Although the moniker he was given by the besiegers, [Black and White Terror] was quite ironic, when considering that it was so close to [Black and White Evil], one of the many that fell to his hand on the [Seven Islands Plane]...