The Third Realm - Chapter 8 preview (Patreon)

Morning mists, something that rarely happened in the outer world was more common in here. From the absent conversations he overheard, it was a new phenomena in the mystic realm, a change that had happened in the last few decades. Muttered grumbling about disrupted control formations and over-abundance of water chi was overheard, but Wu Ying found himself soon lost.

As much as he struggled to understand the details of formation creation, the intricate details of building the scaffolding and strengthening the barriers in a mystic realm was on a whole other level. It was the difference between building a single story peasant hut, with mud walls and simple roofs and the multi-storey pagodas that dominated cities and temples.

One required an eye for basic foundations and the following of traditional forms and formats. Every farmer had helped their neighbours or family in the rebuilding or construction of such a building at least once in their lifetime. There was nothing too intricate in such development.

On the other hand, a pagoda was a multi-storey affair, one requiring exacting measurements and well cut joinings. Understanding the kind of woods to use, support beams and structural loads were an artform that no peasant was privy to.

Still, a peasant who worked on the construction of the pagoda might learn a thing or two. And Wu Ying was always good at listening and learning, borrowing pieces of knowledge that might come in use. He still would not dare construct a pagoda himself, but luckily; he already owned one.

He just needed to help control its flow.

Late at night, when the others slept, he delved into his World Spirit Ring. Testing boundaries and comparing his senses. Perhaps pagoda and huts and mansions were bad metaphors. For if the mystic realm was an edifice of formations, built upon the corpse of a half-Immortal snake, his World Spirit Ring was a nascent palace.

A week nearly of travel and they finally reached their destination, passing through cloudy landscapes. They moved more quietly now, the presence of their prey close on-hand. Over the last few days, they could sense it, the pressure of the Nascent Soul-level monster’s core exerting pressure upon all those around.

Conversely to base expectations, rather than having fewer monsters to battle, they found themselves beset on the regular by ever more members of the snake-men tribe. Rather than waste their member’s energy, the Core Formation cultivators exerted themselves to a greater extent, striking down the monsters in greater numbers in the beginning.

Yet, eventually, the sheer numbers drew such concern that they chose to hide their presence, the Elders and Wu Ying exerting their own auras to dampen the energy surrounding the other cultivators. Along with Wu Ying’s own wind techniques, they began to actively avoid battles, leading them here.

Standing in silence, feeling the pressure of the energy, the group triggered a series of silencing talismans before speaking.

“It’s around here. A Nascent Soul snake, birthed from within the corpse of the monster has already begun its journey to immortality. A mutation, a variant monsters, greater in strength than anything he had ever expected to see,” Elder Pan Hai murmured. “It is this monster, hidden in the depths, wily and camouflaged that grew without our knowledge; only to strike with great viciousness and drive us out of this mythic realm.

“Now, today, we’ll take back our land.”

The group nodded, acknowledging his words. It was the entire reason for their journey here after all. If they had more time, the clan would likely have waited for Pan Cheng to breakthrough to at least Energy Storage. What was a half a decade, when they had lost their mythic realms already for half a century. But events had driven them to this, and with Wu Ying’s addition, the clan could attempt to take back their mythic realm whilst keeping guard of their main lands.

“Check your Hundred Li talismans. If things grow too dangerous, retreat.” Pan Hai’s gaze fell on Pan Chen. “Stay close to Pan Yin. If she informs you to retreat, do so. You are under her command. And remember, she has a Nine Lantern Shield formation.”

Pan Chen looked, very briefly, angry before he calmed himself and bowed in agreement. Pan Hai nodded, then looked at Liu Ping, frowning.

“I know. I’ll try to be careful and control my bloodline.” The wandering cultivator grinned. “But when it gets angry, it’s hard to control. A bear once aroused is not easily calmed.”

The other elders of the village snorted at her reply, but no one chose to gainsay her. Not only was she correct, in the end, she was just hired help. Her choices were her own and while they might dislike the outcome if she died, it was her path to walk. She was not, in the end, family.

Just like Wu Ying.

“We three Core Formation fighters will pin down the monster. It will be up to the rest of you to implant the formation flags for the Nine Heavenly Spear Slaughter Formation. While we might win a straight battle, there is no reason to do so.”

There was no further talk required. After all, much of this was just a reminder of what they had discussed before.

A brief gesture, and the silencing talismans faded. Wu Ying nodded one last time to the group and then took to the skies, flowing far ahead of the team before he pulled at the winds, sending it gusting out in all directions. He released his own control of his aura at the same time as he searched, the curls of mist pushing away from them all to reveal the land and monster below.

Playing bait. For the monster that would arrive.

***

It came, rising from the mists. It’s head the size of a large mansion, it’s body nearly half a li across and multiple li long. It was enormous, patterned white and yellow scales that faded into the mist and the low light of the surroundings. A monstrous, powerful creature whose strength had grown with each decade, viperish fast.

Head extended, mouth wide as it stretched towards Wu Ying. No poison – it was not that kind of snake. Big, long, crushing. It would batter him aside, crush him and swallow him, but it would not poison him. Small graces.

He floated backwards, using the air it disturbed to aid him as he flew away. Sword in hand, he concentrated his attack, unleashing the projection of blade, wind and killing intent to strike the monster as it finished its initial attempt.

Scales split, blood flowing as Wu Ying’s attack left a long scar along the tip of its mouth. The creature jerked back and hissed, the mist beneath boiling over as it shifted.

Already, Wu Ying formed another blade strike, darting to the side as the creature recovered. The aim of the game was not to kill, but to injure and keep its attention. Thrice more, the pair played fly and fly swatter, the monstrous head shifting and darting through the air. Blood, pale white-yellow dripped from wounds, flying through the air in tiny rainfalls as his attacks wounded the monster.

Then, it paused. Pulled back.

Intuition had Wu Ying darting higher in the sky, his footsteps still a little uneasy in the air. Stronger, more stable than ever before compared to previous, dancing on footsteps of air as his lightened body floated like a leaf.

Eyes, lidless, stared at him. Killing intent, honed over centuries lanced outwards. No dodging it, no way to avoid. He was struck by the honed ego and soul of the creature, projected through its gaze. He froze for a moment, before he dropped, his chi flow disrupted.

Frozen, he could only watch as the monster angled its head, tracking his fall as it waited for him to come down. Frozen, he waited for his death.

It blurred as it struck, head darting forwards to swallow him. Only for the entire body to be thrown aside, as a spear thrown directly upwards speared its head. It missed him, by a dozen feet – all too close for something so big, so fast – as the Saint-level spear pierced scales and tore into the monster’s body.

Killing intent disrupted, he churned his chi, attempting to control his descent, righting himself and lightening his body. Insufficient time to stop his body ploughing through the ground, for skin and flesh to bruise as he bounced along the grassy slopes. Time enough, to ensure he was only injured, not killed.

Another spear, blasting upwards, caught the monster as it turned and twisted, searching its new prey. It found Pan Hai wielding a third spear, already angling forward to cast it forward. The snake flinched, the spear lodging just above its eyelid.

Then it lunged, even as Pan Hai extracted another weapon. On his feet, Wu Ying struggled to form an attack to save the Elder.

Moments before it impacted, earth rose. The third Core Formation Elder, forming a long rise in the earth that the monster ploughed into. Embedding itself, compressing loosely packed earth but slowing with each second. Its head rose, bouncing off the earth, leaving Pan Hai to embed another spear into its soft underbelly.

Earth, churned and twisted, rose up further, trapping and slowing the monster. Earth mixed with water, turning into boggy mud that pulled and sucked at the monstrous reptile, slowing it down.

Wu Ying took to the air again, casting attacks from his weapon onto the monster’s upper body even as the Mud-aspected Core Formation elder pulled the creature into the ground, trapping it. Pan Hai in the meantime backed way, joining Wu Ying in the skies as the pair drew the snake’s attention with their attacks.

Each attack no more than a pinprick, but painful pinpricks.

Attention drawn to them, the other members of their party took to the battle, focusing their attention on the trapped portions of the body. They struck as a team, Liu Ping tearing off defensive scales with her greater strength, the pair of elder and Pan Shui embedding formation flags in the revealed location. And all the while, called forth to its defense, snake-men rushed the team, held off by Pan Yin and Pan Chen.

All according to plan.

Wu Ying darted back and forth, lashing out with his sword. He dodged, within a foot of the creature that attacked him and with a push of energy, landed on the monster’s scales. He ran along the body, a rushing wind holding him tight to its scales as he plunged his sword in, hardening and sharpening its edge such that it tore into the monster.

A sudden, hard shake threw him off, but he had managed a half-dozen feet before he was cast aside and then, in the air, forced to block the swinging body with his own weapon and a cushion of wind. Yet, before it could attack him again; Pan Hai was on it, driving a spear deep into the snake’s body. All the way to where his backhand held it still.

Another hiss and scream.

It turned back towards Wu Ying but he had gusted upwards, farther higher and higher. Another spear, drawn from a spirit ring was plunged through another scale. Unable to fight the wind cultivator, hampered in its movement, it turned to Pan Hai.

Allowing Wu Ying to ready himself, as he pulled the air towards his body, building up the wind. He launched himself downwards, sword trailing behind him as he cut across the lower half of the monster’s body. Extended spirit blade and energy, such that he would not shatter his weapon on too hard scales.

Passing within feet of his friends who fought onwards, pulling upwards even as blood gusted after him, the wake of his flight tossing snake-men into the air and aside. Then, he came up, swooping into the air, touching upon his Core and checking on the stores of energy.

Grimacing, for he had used too much for that showy – if effective – attack. A moment’s debate, even as the Never Empty Wine Pot churned, drawing in yin-aspected chi; fire and wind and wood and more, all transforming as it ran through his meridians and he landed on the ground.

Footsteps, the Twelve Gales, taking him forwards to join the fight below for a little while. Conserve energy, for this was a battle of endurance rather than flashiness.