"It's a shame, really. I would have gladly given you guys the spirit stones if you had just agreed to my terms. But it seems I'll have to put them to better use elsewhere."
As Wang Chen dropped the spirit stones on the stone platform, a surge of energy rippled through the air, causing the disciples to feel a strong force that made them step back in fear. The platform started to tremble, and the stones beneath their feet began to vibrate.
The disciples watched in awe as a bright light shone from the platform, illuminating the entire area. The light was so intense that it was difficult to see anything else around them.
As the light dimmed, a red-colored formation slowly emerged on the platform, glowing with a pulsating energy that seemed to be emanating from the spirit stones.
Suddenly, a transparent, round wall lit up at the end of the platform, revealing a space within. Without hesitation, Wang Chen stepped inside the wall, and the wall closed behind him, leaving the disciples to wonder what was happening inside.
Despite the chaos and commotion around him, Wang Chen stood calmly within the wall, seemingly unbothered by the events that had just transpired.
Yue Mingluan's eyes narrowed as he sensed something was off. "Attack Wang Chen! Don't let him get away!" he commanded his disciples with a fierce tone.
Some of the disciples, unsheathing their weapons, charged at Wang Chen with determination. "Die, you traitor!" one of them yelled
But just as they were about to strike him, a blinding light emitted from the transparent wall surrounding Wang Chen. "What's happening?" a disciple cried out.
The light grew brighter, and suddenly, the disciples collided with the wall and were flung backwards. "Aaaah!" they screamed as they landed several feet away from Yue Mingluan.
As they saw their fellow disciples flung back by the mysterious wall, the rest of Yue Mingluan's followers froze in fear and confusion. "What kind of sorcery is this?" whispered one disciple, while the others looked on in stunned silence, unsure of what to do next.
Yue Mingluan furrowed his brow, convinced that Wang Chen was merely defending himself with some trickery. He turned to his disciples and bellowed, "Do not let his trickery deceive you! Strike him down with all your might!"
"But, Master Mingluan, we saw what happened..." one of the disciples spoke up, fear quivering in his voice.
Yue Mingluan's eyes narrowed as he glared at the hesitant disciple. "Do not question my orders! Attack!"
"We have to try, we may still break through that shield if we continue to attack," Yue Mingluan insisted.
The disciples exchanged anxious glances but ultimately obeyed, charging towards Wang Chen with weapons drawn. However, their efforts were in vain as the shield remained impenetrable.
Wang Chen simply watched with a sly smile as the disciples grew more frustrated with their futile attempts to defeat him.
Wang Chen's gaze flickered towards the spirit stones he had scattered on the ground. He noticed that the stones were slowly diminishing in number, and he was certain that more than 10,000 had already been consumed. Suddenly, the rate of consumption accelerated, but Wang Chen remained calm and a faint, sly smile appeared on his face.
'Let the games begin,'' he thought to himself, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
….
Mu Lan saw an opportunity to regain Yue Mingluan's trust by defeating Wang Chen. He believed that if he could break through the transparent wall and behead Wang Chen with the help of the other disciples, he would earn forgiveness and even shift the blame onto Xoung He and Zhu.
As he approached the wall, Mu Lan could feel his Qi surging within him. The wind howled around him, and he could see the determination on the faces of his fellow disciples as they charged alongside him.
"DIE" With a fierce cry, Mu Lan launched a powerful strike at Wang Chen, pouring all of his Qi into the attack. He was determined to succeed and prove his worth to Yue Mingluan.
But just as his attack was about to connect with the transparent wall, a powerful ray of energy shot out from behind him, catching him off guard. Mu Lan only had time to turn his head and see what was happening before he sensed a powerful attack hurtling towards him.
In a desperate attempt to defend himself, Mu Lan tried to shift his attack trajectory towards the incoming attack, but it was too late. The energy blast tore through his chest, leaving a gaping hole where his heart once was. Mu Lan gasped for air as his life force began to fade away, the pain unbearable.
Mu Lan's life was slipping away from him as he lay on the ground. He looked up at the ceiling of the hall and muttered his last words, "Would Young Master Mingluan forgive me if he knew the truth?"
"What truth?" one of the disciples asked, stopping his attack on the wall to look at Mu Lan's lifeless body. He saw the hole in Mu Lan's chest and the blood dripping from it, and then he looked in the direction where the fatal attack came from.
The other disciples followed his gaze and saw the dragon statue on the upper part of the east side gate. Its mouth was glowing with a red light, the same light that had killed Mu Lan.
Suddenly, three more shots were fired, but this time they came from different directions. "What's happening?" another disciple exclaimed.
The red light came from the tiger statue on the north side, the phoenix statue on the south, and the turtle statue on the west. One after another, the three disciples fell, just like Mu Lan had.
[A/N: Alright folks, let's break the fourth wall and have a quick chat. Do you want me to add more length to the fight scenes? Or should I focus on more descriptions or dialogue? Let me know in the comments below. And for those of you just reading without leaving feedback, remember that I can't improve without your criticism. So speak up and don't leave me hanging like a cliffhanger in a Chinese novel!]