"That guy's really something… His skin split open—then closed right back up. He's not human," Tianming muttered, awestruck.
"Watch your mouth, kid." Shaoyu rapped him on the head. Tianming stuck out his tongue and gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"This Pixiu's gifted—body like iron, fangs like blades. Not easy prey," Chi Lian said coolly from behind Wei Zhuang, brows knitting as she watched the beast wheel in the sky.
"Looks like this assignment won't be simple," Gongshu Qiu admitted, feeling pressure for the first time. On deck stood nothing but first-rate elites: Yin-Yang's Da Siming and Shao Siming, Protectors Xing Hun and Yue Shen, Quicksand's Wei Zhuang and Chi Lian, and high above the circling Bai Feng. With a lineup like that, could they really not bring down a single beast?
But they'd run into the anomaly named Goku. Because of him, the Pixiu's strength now touched this world's peak. One-on-one, none of them—not even the enigmatic Yue Shen—could match it. Still, it was ultimately a creature of this realm; its ceiling was the realm's ceiling. It was not invincible.
"Over there—someone!" a Qin soldier cried, pointing at a dune.
"Not good. We've been spotted," Shaoyu blanched.
"Oh? Then we have our angle," Wei Zhuang said lightly, a sliver of cold intent flashing in his eyes as he glanced at the trio.
Without waiting for orders, Da Siming, Shao Siming, and Chi Lian vaulted from the ship, their figures flickering as they rushed to encircle Xiao Li and the boys.
"Roar!" Pixiu bellowed, wheeling to aid them—only for three vicious strikes to crash into its flank, a sting of real pain following.
Yue Shen, Xing Hun, and Wei Zhuang streaked up on a mechanical raptor to cut it off. Sword-light and qi-blades lanced from their hands. However fierce Pixiu fought, the three top experts together forced it into a grinding deadlock.
Yue Shen's yin–yang force poured out, a mire that slowed Pixiu's movements. Her brows drew tight. Even under her seal, the beast rampaged with barely a hitch. "Worthy of legend… it's resisting my yin–yang curse."
On the ground, Da Siming and Shao Siming flanked Chi Lian to bar the trio's path. Qin troops flooded in, sealing every exit.
"Well then," Chi Lian said, hips swaying like a serpent's, her charm veiling an icy edge, "how should we dispose of you?"
"What do we do? They're monsters—we can't take them," Tianming hissed, fists clenched.
"What else? We break through. Once Pixiu's free, we're fine." Shaoyu's eyes flicked for a gap.
A razor aura surged from afar. The three women turned; shock flickered, then chill hatred. "Him?!"
"He… looks hurt?" Chi Lian's eyes widened. The man who'd floored Wei Zhuang in one move—injured, and badly? Who could have done that?
"Injured? Good. Time to wipe away that humiliation," Da Siming snapped, abandoning the trio and striding straight for Goku. Chi Lian and Shao Siming followed, eyes cold as knives.
"Bad—they've found Brother Goku!" Shaoyu lunged to intercept and was swallowed by a press of Qin spears. He seized three shafts and heaved; the soldiers flew into him, and one sweeping kick bowled them and a swath of comrades over.
Xiao Li and Tianming moved at once. Against common soldiers, their skill was more than enough.
The three women closed on Goku. They watched, stunned, as cracks scored his skin and then sealed, strange sigils flickering around him. From those sigils bled a pressure that pricked at instinctive fear.
They did not hesitate. Da Siming struck first.
Scarlet light surged across her palms, weaving a blood-red taiji that thrust for Goku's vitals.
Just as it neared, the law-sigils wreathing him flared with thunder. A terrible wave pulsed out, snuffing Da Siming's strike as if it had never been—and rolling on. Blood sprayed; all three were hurled back. Midair, cracks crept over their bodies, blood seeping from spreading seams. In another heartbeat they would have shattered.
"Honestly… reckless," Goku sighed, eyes opening. He swept his sleeve; divine light poured out and wrapped the women. Time halted—then rewound. The fissures vanished. The glow faded, and the three dropped from the sky.
They touched themselves down, dazed—whole. Their hearts hammered. They looked back at Goku with naked fear. In that instant, they had seen their own deaths.
Goku coughed another mouthful of blood. Wiping his lip, he offered a rueful smile. "Come on—we don't have a blood feud. Why do you keep trying to kill me? To save you, I aggravated my wounds."
The three frowned and rose. Seeing the blood soaking him, their hatred thinned despite themselves; they knew he'd just taken backlash to pull them back from the brink.
"Hmph. Beating a man covered in wounds is no victory. I'll spare you today. Next time, I won't." Chi Lian turned with a cold snort, serpentine waist swaying away.
Da Siming smoothed the hair over her brow, shot him a frosty look, and left without a word. Shao Siming's bright eyes lingered a long beat on Goku before she followed.
Watching them go, Goku rubbed his nose and smiled. "Took some damage, but boosted the favor of three ice queens. Worth it."
He turned toward Xiao Li—and paused. A man with a long sword had appeared at some point, standing before Tianming and the others. His blade flashed; several Qin soldiers fell at once. His light footwork and elegant killing stroke cut a striking figure.
"Ge Nie? When did he get here?" Surprise flickered in Goku's eyes.
With Xiao Li covered, Goku finally looked skyward.
Pixiu was mired in Yue Shen's swampy yin–yang technique, with Wei Zhuang and Xing Hun hammering it from the flanks. Steel-on-steel shrieks rang through the air. Pixiu roared, gold blazing, wings hurling out tornadic wind.
Yue Shen's hands gleamed deep blue. Inner force poured like a spring, binding Pixiu tighter. Every time the beast heaved, her spirit shuddered as if struck. Seeing the stalemate, she called out sharply, "Stop dragging this out. I'm running dry."
"Hmph. Didn't expect its hide to be this hard. My sword hasn't left a mark," Wei Zhuang said darkly. Pride bleeding, he let the cold harden in his eyes—and his aura sharpened like a drawn blade.
"So you're finally serious. Then I'll stop playing." Xing Hun's qi-blade thrummed, space rippling at its edge as his expression turned grave. The three peerless experts had been stalemated by a beast. If word got out, where would their faces go?
Wei Zhuang's sword-intent climbed to its summit, his whole being becoming a lance of killing light. He shot forward, sword-song like a dragon's roar spiraling to the ninth heaven—an overwhelming strike.
"Hundred-Step Flying Sword?" Goku watched the thrust and smiled faintly. "Impressive—but impressive for this world." He flickered—and stood before Pixiu.
His sleeve fluttered. A blast of wind.
Cling— a shrill note, and the sword-aura vanished. Wei Zhuang stared, disbelieving, at his blade—caught once more between two of the man's fingers. Shock filled his eyes, followed by a tidal rage. White hair whipped in the gale as he looked half-mad.
The Hundred-Step Flying Sword was one of his hidden trump cards. To see it stopped like this—again—was unbearable. He had defied his master to learn it; was it truly so flimsy? Did that negate everything he'd done? What meaning was left?
"I don't believe it! I refuse to believe you're this strong—die!" He slammed his left palm toward Goku's chest, killing intent drowning reason.
Before it landed, Goku's robe whispered. Wei Zhuang flew like a ragdoll, smashed into the sand, and spat blood, face chalk-white—badly hurt.
Onlookers—Yue Shen, even Ge Nie—were stunned. Wei Zhuang, a top master of the age, had been dispatched that easily?
_____
T/N:
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