Mana 6 Chapter 20 (Patreon)

My mana beasts were still with me. Their spells flew all around me as they pelted every Bishou they could see. Fire, lightning, steel, claws and fluffy tails murdered the Bishou before they could get to me.

“Isaac.” Lanhua tried to get my attention.

“We are getting you out of here; can you walk?” I was half afraid she’d still sacrifice herself. Whoever had captured her and set up the trap clearly scared her.

“Yes, put me down. But he’s coming.” She replied as a huge swell of cultivation rose up in the base.

“He’s seventh rank!” Aurora shouted.

She was right, and they were all too exposed. “Back in your rings. Lanhua, hurry.”

I stopped all attacks and used Lumi’s lightning mana to speed ahead.

Lanhua burst into petals and shot after me.

A dagger shot at me, and I blocked it with my sword, sending sparks into the air. The motion was enough of a delay that the thrower reached me.

But I used my sword intent to cleave right through him, eliminating the threat.

The seventh rank cultivation was rising up in the air behind me, and I could almost feel his attention on me as we raced towards the mine shaft.

I just needed to reach the entrance. I trusted my friends were ready to collapse the entrance behind us and hoped that would buy enough time for us to get out the other end and get lost in the jungle.

If we hid our cultivation, it would be sheer luck for him to be able to find us. I wasn’t sure how we’d find another way out, but at this point, I needed to focus on survival.

I raced through the streets, cleaving through any Bishou that got close.

When we rushed through the entrance to the mine, I spotted Jonny and Steve ready and waiting.

“Now!.” I shouted as I came to a stop behind them and turned.

A brown-haired cultivator in pristine gold robes was there at the entrance, his cultivation overflowing with power. It was the first time I’d felt a seventh rank unleash their cultivation at me.

I stared at him, engraving his face into my mind. He’d chained Lanhua up, and somehow, he had terrified her. One day, I’d end him.

The seventh rank stood in the entrance as Jonny and Steve’s spells went off, blowing the side wall of the mine and the supports.

But even as the rocks came down, he calmly stood at the exit with his hands in his sleeves, watching us with a smile.

“Come on.” Lanhua grabbed me, pulling me away from watching the seventh rank cultivator. “Even he will take some time to clear that. Good thinking.”

“Why was he just waiting?” I asked, running along with Steve and Jonny.

“Edmond is cocky and vicious. He likely wants us to run so he can play with us.” Lanhua shivered, a haunted look on her face.

“Who is he to you?” It felt like there was more between them, some sort of history.

“We grew up together in the Leon Family. He was… he was always my tormentor.”

Now that he’d gotten his hands on her again, I can only imagine what he threatened. “Who is he in the Leon Family?”

“Their newest elder. He stepped into the seventh rank a few years ago. He’s why I hid myself out in Pavilions away from the big cities.” Lanhua replied between breaths as she hurried through the mine with us.

We followed the twists and turns, and the final shaft appeared before us. We needed to get across the canyon, but then we’d be into the jungle and able to hide.

I knew it would take more than the few days I had to get back to the fake greenhouse entrance, but I didn’t know any alternative options.

We made it around the canyon without interruption, racing into the shaft into the jungle.

It only took a few steps before we skidded to a stop as Edmond descended into the exit, floating in the air.

“Lanhua, darling, please quit these charades. This is the man you reject me for?” There was an evil glint in his eyes as he turned his attention to me.

Jonny and Steve caught up behind us, clearly not sure what to do when matched up against a seventh rank cultivator.

I’d lived long enough to be able to know the character of a man pretty quickly. Edmond tried to appear civilized and lofty, but I could see it in his eyes. There was a brutal man who got off on inflicting pain floating in front of me.

I was nothing to him but someone to break in front of Lanhua to break her further. And I didn’t care to play his games.

“No one wants to speak?” Edmond prompted us further.

“Edmond. Let them go. I’m the one you want.” Lanhua was on the verge of tears.

She was such a strong woman, but this man had left scars on her soul. It was clear in her eyes. He’d tormented her since childhood and left its mark.

“Do you enjoy this? Tormenting her?” I asked.

“Of course I do. I’ll break her down limb by limb until she begs for me to pluck her little flower. This is exciting. I think breaking you in front of her might just be the final straw to bind her to me. My obedient little Lanhua.” Edmond smiled like it was his birthday.

I rolled my eyes. “Then what?”

“Then I move onto the next one.” He turned to focus on me. “I heard you have a harem of your own.” Edmond licked his lips. “I wonder if I can start breaking them after you are dead or if they’ll already be broken and compliant? Either way, I’d be happy to take them under my wing.”

My knuckles cracked as I fisted my hands, unable to contain my anger at the thought. And what I hated more was that he might be able to follow through on his threats. He was a seventh rank cultivator. He had the advantage.

I hated that he was able to play with us.

I wasn’t sure I could match him, but I was going to try.

Closing the distance between us, I slashed my sword. Wanting him to underestimate me, I kept it free of sword intent.

Edmond’s head turned, his face a cocky smile as he waited for my blade to stop against him.

Right before I hit, I added sword intent. The sword glowed as I was able to slip past his defenses and cut into his side.

I savored the moment where his eyes flashed with fear, but he recovered quickly. He moved, catching my blade and slapping out at me.

His hand came at me with overwhelming force; I knew my body would be injured. “Run.” I shouted at my allies before pulling out another sword and abandoning my first to block his attack.

His attack felt like I’d been hit by a charging bull. I blasted away from the entrance of the mine shaft, flying down the canyon.

Edmond disappeared like a ghost and appeared before me again, striking at me with the same tyrannical power of a seventh rank cultivator.

I’d only felt one thing like it before: Terrance’s attack. But this one was weaker than Terrance. Bringing my sword up again with sword intent, I blocked him once more, sliding along the bottom of the canyon until I came to a stop.

Giving it my best shot, I activated my Pixiu bloodline and that of the heavenly dragon bloodline.

“Two bloodlines. So the rumors are true.” Edmond stopped before me, feeling the wound on his side. His hand came away bloody, causing him to scowl. “Tricky, tricky. Sword intent has always been a powerful tool to break ranks, but it will not save you. The gap between the sixth and seventh ranks is larger than heaven and earth. Your skills won’t save you, and neither will your bloodlines.”

Edmond’s own bloodline flared to life on his forehead before he disappeared.

I spun, following the guidance of the Pixiu bloodline and blocking to my left.

Once again, I was able to block the hit, but the energy of it had to go somewhere. I smashed into the opposing wall of the canyon.

My back crashed against the rock, sending it spraying, but I didn’t have time to worry, launching myself out of the wall of the canyon.

The wall I’d left exploded with the force I’d used. Tons of rocks sprayed into the air like a giant had just planted its fist into the wall.

Edmond flew at the center, his fist extended. “Oh, fast. Let’s see you dodge this.” He raised his hand, ready to chop.

At that moment, lightning crashed high overhead and rain started to pour down around us. The clouds began to swirl as a funnel started to descend from the center of them, all moving towards his hand.

I need to move. I scrambled away, but it was too late. It was like Edmond was pulling the whole sky down on top of me with his attack.

There was something there that tickled at the back of my mind like I was seeing more than just a simple attack.

Shooting out of the canyon, I tried my best to get clear of the attack.

The canyon exploded with his attack, a new branch in the canyon forming as the swirling cloud crashed down into its side and tore through the jungle. Trees were ripped up and shattered, fragments of wood shooting past me like dozens of spears, blowing through more trees.

It was more like a natural disaster than an attack.

When it finally crashed into the ground, I was clear, but the rush of wind and debris picked me up and threw me through the jungle.

I wrapped myself in metal and life mana, hoping to protect myself as I tumbled through the jungle.

When I finally came to a stop, huge splinters of wood had managed to tear into my side and I groaned, feeling myself bleeding heavily.

Grabbing the wedge of wood, I yanked it out and poured life mana into the wound in an attempt to close it.

My body was beaten and bruised. I now understood why seventh rank immortals fought in the void. They would destroy this world if they fought each other directly.

Edmond appeared before me with a smile that begged to be punched off his face. “This is so delightful. I haven’t been able to let loose like this before.”

The jungle around us was flatted for miles. It was all just scrap wood.

I could only hope that Lanhua and the others had gone a different direction.

And Phoebe’s direction was proving true. Sword intent that required holding a sword would not be enough to take on the next rank. I needed to be able to manifest the sword intent.

Flicking my sword, I shot a ray of sword intent at Edmond, giving it my best shot.

His eyes flashed with surprise, but he blocked my attack, skidding several feet back.

I rolled, attempting to get my feet under me, but a foot caught my ribs, cracking them and sending me tumbling.

“Oh, please get up again. I probably need to soften you a bit before I bring you back to Lanhua. But not too much; I still want her to see the fire in your eyes disappear.” He kissed his fingers. “It’s the best part.”

I tried to get up, but my body was refusing to work.

“Now to finish this.” He reached down for my throat.

I watched his hand descend, helpless to stop him, when it stopped a few inches away.

A slender, pale hand held his arm perfectly still. “You were told not to use the full strength of your seventh rank while on the world by your elders. Even they don’t dare disobey that command.” Bai said, holding onto Edmond’s arm. “This was your first mistake.”

Edmond’s arm cracked and contorted with an extra joint that humans don’t have.

“The second mistake was touching him. Now, get lost.” Bai hit Edmond hard enough that his face contorted, and his punched a hole in reality.

My head hurt; a part of me wondered if I wasn’t having head trauma or some sort of traumatic response to nearly dying. “Bai?”

“Yes, it’s me, dumb dumb. I couldn’t let my baby’s father die before they have a chance to meet him.”

I wasn’t sure which one hit me harder, Edmond’s attack or the fact that Bai was pregnant. But she held her stomach gently, and it spoke to me. Our child was precious to her.

I sat baffled for a few more moments before realizing she was waiting for me to say something. “Congratulations. I’m excited to meet our little one.”

Bai blushed. “We still need to get you up and out of here. I’m not supposed to lift a hand, but he caused enough destruction on this planet that I could act.”

“Rules? Your mother?” I asked.

“Grandfather. I can’t kill that man; he’ll only be gone for a couple of days.” Bai scooped me up. “There are rules to preserve this world and others, so they can grow.”

“Got it. Don’t destroy the world.” I joked.

Bai gave me a serious expression. “If the seventh rank immortals of this world went to war, they would literally destroy this world. It almost happened once before.”

Given the attack from Edmond, I didn’t question her.

“So, what can you do?” I asked, focusing back on the task at hand.

“I slapped him out to the void, and I can return you to your friends.” She replied.

“Can you help us get back to Cloud City?”

“Indirectly.” She sighed, tossing her head. My eyes were drawn to the white antlers on her head as they shook back and forth.

She paused for a moment before speaking again. “Even picking you up and taking you to your friends is bending the rules.”

I didn’t want to push her too far, not knowing the consequences, nor wanting to endanger her. “Thank you for bending the rules for me.”

“En.” Bai nodded; the world blurred around me, and we were suddenly back in the jungle.

Jonny, Steve, and Lanhua burst past.

It was Lanhua who stumbled, stopping and turning to see me. “Isaac!” Tears were streaming down her face.

I waved weakly from Bai’s arms. “This is Bai.”

“Oh my, what happened to you?” Lanhua rushed over to take me from Bai. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

“Edmond is still alive.” I told Lanhua. “But Bai said it will be two days before he’s able to return.”

Jonny and Steve came back, seeming to realize Lanhua wasn’t following them any further.

“I haven’t seen this mana beast of yours.” Jonny said, waving at Bai. “I’m Jonny.”

“Bai. I’m not one of his mana beasts.” Bai replied, and Jonny just stood there staring at her antlers, trying to figure out what he was missing.

“We are looking for a structure that contains a teleportation enchantment that will take us back to the Leon Family.” I told Bai, hoping she might be able to at least help direct us.

She paused and turned to look in a direction. “I can’t tell you where it would be.” She continued her hard stare before turning and smiling at me.

“I understand. Thank you, Bai. Can you at least stay for a while to talk?”

She shook her head. “Not now. When our kid is coming, I’ll find you again. Until then, stay alive. Don’t make me get my great aunty to pull your soul from the afterlife.”

Something about that made me shiver. That did not sound like a pleasant experience.

Bai folded Lanhua’s hands over me. “Take care of him.”

Lanhua looked shocked when Bai disappeared before our eyes, leaving the four of us standing dumbly in the middle of the jungle.

“So that just happened?” Jonny asked. “I wasn’t just seeing a woman with white anters?”

“It did. Now do me a favor and notch that tree right there.” I pointed in the direction that Bai had indicated. “We’ll rest here, and then tomorrow when the sun is up, we will get our bearings and head that direction.”

Everything in my body hurt, but I’d been in worse conditions before. A little meditation with life mana would make me able to travel the next day. As overwhelming as Edmond’s attack had been, I’d mostly taken secondary damage from all the flying debris.

My cultivation was fine.

“Set me down? I need to get a tent ready and get some rest.”

Lanhua put me down carefully, like I was made of glass.

“You two are probably tired; the two of us will rotate watch tonight.” Jonny flexed his arm and bobbed his eyebrows at me.

I fished an enchanted tent out of my spatial ring, and Lanhua blew aside the brush for me.

“Are we going to talk about who that was?” Steve asked.

“Her name is Bai; her mother is terrifyingly strong. She appeared and smashed Edmond literally out of this world. I met her once, had sex with her, and apparently she’s pregnant.” I said it all quickly, wanting to move past it and get some rest.

“Oh.” Jonny made a face. “You really should use protection. There are these sheepskin gloves for your… you know.”

I raised my hand to stop him. “I’m well aware, but the situation was complex.”

“Guess that makes fifteen.” Lanhua said, unrolling a bedroll in the tent.

“Fifteen?”

“Wives, if she’s pregnant, you have fifteen.”

I sighed. I wasn’t sure if Bai even wanted that type of commitment, but she was a wife in my mind. Even if we didn’t spend much time together, I was going to help and support her. “Yes, I guess I have fifteen wives. And I think I’m going to have another soon.”

Lanhua paused in what she was doing, her eyes darting up to meet mine, hope sparkling in them.

I grabbed her hand, pulling it up to my lips. “When we get out of here, you should stay with us in the courtyard.”

Lanhua’s lips curled up into a smile. “If we get out of here.” But there was a darkness in them, like she didn’t believe she was going to survive this.

“Oh, we are getting out. Of that I have no doubt.” I injected as much confidence as I could into my words.

At the moment, we had a much better chance of survival than we’d had just a half hour earlier. Things were moving in the right direction. We’d follow Bai’s directions in the morning, and I hoped to make it back before my family cast out my wives and children.

“Then come in and rest for tomorrow.” Lanhua pulled my hand, and I was keenly aware of the pleasure that touching her brought me as she zipped the tent closed.