Wu Guang's talk, if it could be called as such, with the eagles' leader continued for a few minutes.
It could be more or less be resumed into the same phrases as the first exchange, that the eagles did not know that the territory was occupied and that Wu Guang did not like visitors.
Anyone would feel that such an exchange would not lead to anything, but both parties had a reason to play for time.
When the hostilities, sudden as they may appear to an outsider, began, they were initiated by the eagles.
Regretfully for them, what would have appeared as sudden, was by far not so. They had not counted, and they could not, with Wu Guang's ability to intercept qi transmissions, and so when their captain, Yuan Xiuying gave out orders, they did not know that their opponent perfectly heard them as well.
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"Our exchange shows that he is not sure of taking all of us three together. Seems that even though he is strong, he is only a level or two stronger. Seemingly he does not intend us to go, but neither he is attacking first. So or he is waiting for reinforcements or preparing something. Which means we have a chance if we act now. He has not been reacting to our aura, even so, we will concentrate it entirely on him. Right then, you both launch and flank him to restrain his movements. As soon as I get the message glyph out, I will join you" Gold shared her observations and made up a plan.
The other two were her subordinates, and even though they could only act on their current commander's plan, it went along their own vies and so they only crisply responded affirmatively before preparing to lunge.
"Go"
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Wu Guang's aura had not yet stabilized enough as to be expanded, still, when the three waves of suppression came crashing down, he simply shrugged them away. It was easy to do, after all, even before he entered the Soul realm, he could resist suppression from the 1st and 2nd levels easily enough. What to say now, that his body was protected by a superior, innate 3rd level of the Soul realm aura?
Still, his opponents were well trained, and so did not stop even momentarily noting the ineffectiveness of their auras. With the swords in hand, both of the subordinates launched at him from the sides, intending to catch him into a pincer attack.
Their intention to attempt and slice him in half with a full downward slash was apparent, and if their opponent did not expect such, they may have a chance. Regretfully for them, again, Wu Guang saw through their speedy, but direct, movement technique and could easily find a way to counteract them.
*Grip*
Summoning the 'Gravity Slasher' and taking a firm grip was a momentary thing for Wu Guang, even so, the attackers were almost on him by the moment he prepared to block.
*Clang*
As both curved swords aimed at their target, they were blocked by a saber seemingly made of bone. The force behind the saber wasn't low, still, it was not enough to completely block an attack from two Soul level cultivators, that also had enough momentum thanks to the movement technique they added to their lunge.
*Clink* *Splat*
"Huh?" Only such a reaction followed the exchange, during which the blocking saber was swatted back, and fell to the ground.
The reaction was understandable, as there was no one in front of them! One could think that they had just attacked an illusion... but the saber was real, and both of them knew it.
"RED, GUARD YOUR REAR!" Suddenly the commander shouted.
But the shout came a bit late, and Wu Guang's claw covered in the green-colored, poisonous martial skill he had already gotten accustomed to, penetrated the soldier's defensive qi.
*Splat*
Blood splatter from an open wound right below the left shoulder, and a few moments later...
*Grip*
The Eagle Kingdom soldier, operative, or whoever he was truly did not even know how he was killed. Oh, he did feel the pain from Wu Guang's claw... But he simply had no manner to know that a moment later, Wu Guang's claw grasped his heart, and simply shattered it.
Cultivator bodies were akin to metal compared to a mortal, but they were akin to the latter against someone stronger than themselves.
In this case, though, Wu Guang applied force comparable to a 4th level of the Soul realm cultivator, easily breaking through the qi, and shattering the strengthened organ.
And even though most cultivators of such level could live, at least for some time, with severe damage to their inner organs, Wu Guang's technique was also a poisonous one. Allowing him to impede any attempts of the opponent's qi to heal, cover-up, or at least maintain him alive.
"You bastard!!" Seeing his companion go down, quickly and in a so savage way, the one's called Blue emotions flared. And even military discipline did not help him maintain his calm.
*Slash*
Jumping forwards and slicing wildly, he fell into the mistake that only inexperienced cultivators made... He forgot that the opponent would not allow himself to be attacked, at least not without doing something in turn.
Wu Guang himself did not like such a way of fighting, but well, he had to even the field. These two weaker cultivators were of no real threat to him either way, but allowing them to run around and distract him from the real fight could be... unwise. He had sensed that the woman in command was stronger, far stronger than her subordinates. Even so, it was only now that her full aura attempted to suppress him, that he could gauge the extent of her strength. Making a comparison, her aura alone was slightly stronger than both of her subordinates' ones together.
And albeit aura was not the best way to completely evaluate one's battle prowess, such a difference still told Wu Guang that he could have found a match.
But returning to the moment. Blue's sword was slashing down at Wu Guang's extended, still buried into his victim, right hand. Albeit a dodge was still possible, he did not want to fully open his back to the commander, who knew if she would have any funny ideas, and so Wu Guang jerked his hand, along the body, using the latter as a shield against the incoming sword.
*Splatter*
At the same time as the sword entered the already dead body, Wu Guang called out a simple sword from his storage ring, and gripping it with full strength bellowed while sending a horizontal slash
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"Imperial Blade!"
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Yuan Xiuying, for the first time in her almost 6 years of service felt real dread.
A moment before, she was fully secure that her observations were right. The youth in front of them was strong, but he wasn't so strong as to easily kill the three of them. The fact that he conversed with them in place of directly crushing them with his aura confirmed it. As well as the small vestige of a 4th level Soul realm aura she managed to sense from him when their combined auras attempted to suppress him. Granted, he had an advantage in cultivation, but he was young enough to suggest a lack of experience. Something that was practically proven when he appeared so brazenly and did not react, or at least seemed to not react, to the quick attack made by her subordinates.
But she was wrong, not only did he somehow manage to see through their lunge, which was an application of the quickest, albeit straight line, movement technique known in the Eagle Kingdom, the 'Arrow Flight', but he also blocked the two swords with a single slash of his saber. Even more, he somehow made it while disappearing from the spot! And the slightly slowed down slashes only cut air and his afterimage.
But when he reappeared behind Red and killed him almost instantly... Yuan Xiuying knew that she was mistaken.
Blue, who had been with her since the initial training did not take well the loss of his brother, and losing his head charged ahead while slashing. She had to stop him, but she simply did not react in the time given that she was occupied mentally transferring information and a message into the glyph.
But lack of reaction was not something that could be said about their opponent, a youngster that looked like only 16 or 17 years old who reacted with tyrannical coldness.
He used the body, her subordinate body! As a shield, and then without any emotion, suddenly sent a visible, and destructive blade of qi using a sword from behind his improvised shield.
That skill, or whatever he called 'Imperial Blade' not only cut the poor Red body in half, but it continued its path, and clashed, then penetrated Blue's abdomen. It even flew farther, crashing into the wall and leaving a deep cut on it, as if casually cutting in half two bodies, one dead and one alive, was absolutely nothing.
And then... the youngster turned to face her. He did not look like he was enjoying it, on the contrary, he seemed absolutely calm. But a tinge of mock could be heard behind a single phrase he threw at her before dropping the half corpse that remained in his hand and beginning to slowly, almost as if taking a walk, move towards her.
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"Hmm, you seem to have forgotten to send that message glyph you are holding behind your back" Wu Guang did not intend to mock her, but somehow it did sound like that.
Right now, he was greatly surprised that the 'Imperial Blade' was so destructive. He had trained with it for a bit, but even so, it never damaged the array he set up during the process, an array more-or-less equal to a 3rd level of the Soul realm strength.
Granted, the one that was killed by it lost his cool and did not shield himself with his aura, but the natural qi barrier around a Soul realm cultivator was a good defense, that should resist at least part of any attack. But seemingly it was by far not enough.
The gore, guts, and organs of the two severed bodies were strewn for a few feet around Wu Guang. And their blood had actually splattered even more. Even so, while he walked to meet his last, if not the only real, opponent in the room, any observer would be surprised to note Wu Guang's apparent cleanliness. As if he had not just fought, killed, and was the one behind all this.
There was a reason behind his slow approach, as Wu Guang was analyzing his condition. Albeit his qi and soul power amounts were several levels over a normal cultivator, the fact was that he had used a lot of it was clear. Not only he had stopped amidst a cultivation session, during which he had spent at least half of his reserves, but he had also then proceeded to use techniques and skills several times. So right now, he was down to about a third of his peak. Plus, he had to take care as to not kill his opponent, and the inability to restrain her with his aura, his only real option was to fight her until she dropped, or until he managed to incapacitate her.
Also, he could not ignore that she should be the strongest opponent he would be facing since his breakthrough, something that his senses now fully confirmed.
Overall this meant the battle would be a challenging one. Oh no, if he was simply to kill her, Wu Guang did not think it would be too hard... But facing her with only his normal means as he intended, and not killing her on the way? That would indeed be a challenge.
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Yuan Xiuying understood that she would have to fight with all of her strength to at least have a chance. And so, she decided to take on the initiative.
"Fly" Muttering under her breath she threw the message glyph she had been holding in her left hand, behind her back, and which contained a report of what they had learned as well a request for relief, citing their encounter with a strange but powerful local. She even added that both her subordinates were dead, hoping that it would make the Commander send one of the nearby teams to look.
Albeit she did not know why the youngster had not used his aura, except for a slight defensive cover, mostly innate than formed, but... That allowed her to dedicate her entire aura to defense. Which she promptly did, covering herself with almost a finger thick qi cover. Which even without an added defensive technique should be enough to at least resist that fearful attack he had just used. Albeit she would prefer to not test it.
And then, she immediately lunged forwards, intending to either land the first blow or at least prevent her opponent from intercepting the glyph. After all, glyphs would need a few seconds to begin moving, and they weren't exactly durable.
"KILL!" Shouting while drawing almost a tenth of her qi into 'Arrow Flight', her speed easily doubled the one that her subordinates had used...