Chapter 72: Eh? Did I Forget The Signal?

Chapter 72: Eh? Did I Forget The Signal?

Bai Xue and Li Xiang leaped back, breaking apart. Opposite them, Zhang Zhou stood, expressionless as always. Curse marks roiled over his skin, morphing and changing with every moment.

Panting, Bai Xue wiped blood off her cheek. Li Xiang frowned and held her sword one-handed, other sleeve bloodied.

Blood spurted from Zhang Zhous chest. He staggered backward, shuddering. Not even a shred of pain flickered over his face.

Light flickered overhead. All three of them looked up. The barrier shook, quavering. Waves spread through its surface.

Do you think Huis done it? Li Xiang asked.

There was no signal, but Bai Xue glanced down. She sighed. I bet he forgot. Let me check.

She leapt up. One of her fans swooped around under her feet, and she zipped into the sky.

Zhang Zhou leaped after her. Li Xiang threw her sword. It slashed past Zhang Zhous arm, drawing blood. She narrowed her eyes and hooked her fingers. Her sword whipped around and struck at Zhang Zhous stomach.

Zhang Zhou caught the sword, curse marks burning red around his hands.

Li Xiang pulled with her hooked hand. The sword hurtled down. Silver light blasted off its blade. Zhang Zhous hands began to bleed. The blade touched his stomach.

Li Xiang leaped up. Her off-hand glowed with the same silver light. She jabbed at Zhang Zhous back.

Curse marks twisted together on his back. The black mass blocked her blow, burning red at the center.

Focusing, Li Xiang pressed from both sides. Sweat ran down Zhang Zhous forehead. Blood trickled down his hands and stomach. On his back, the red spread through the black marks.

Zhang Zhous lip twitched. A mere third-stage

Master always said I could fight a fourth-stage cultivator if I really tried. Its easier than I expected! Li Xiang replied cheerily.

His lip twitched again, deepening into a scowl. He lifted his hand and murmured. All the curse marks lifted off his body and began to rotate, swirling around him.

Li Xiang leaped back, calling her sword to her hand, and fell into a defensive stance.

The black marks swirled around him in an orb. They shredded the rock beneath him with an awful grinding roar, swirling faster and faster.

In the midst of the swirling marks, an un-marked Zhang Zhou stared at her with dark eyes. The curse is broken. I cannot best you, and then Bai Xue, in a fair fight, and my tricks have been played. Theres no reason for me to remain. Tell Bai Xue she may have escaped today, but one day, Ill return for my prize.

anything else? Hui tried, a little tired but very dry.

She squinted. All at once, her eyes widened. An earnest smile spread across her face. Youve broken into the next realm!

Hui grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. It takes battle to stimulate a true cultivator to progress!

Eh? Did you fight someone down there? Li Xiang asked, tipping her head.

Awkwardly, Hui coughed. Battle did stimulate me, kind of, if you count breaking the barrier as a tactical part of this battle anyways! Lets not worry about the details, elder sister. Have the barriers broken?

Only the one overhead. The other one Either the lotus is sustaining the barrier, or its self-sustaining, Li Xiang said.

Mmm. That is troublesome, Hui muttered. He frowned and looked around. There isnt anything else that might support the barrier? Nothing leaped out at a glance. He turned back to the lotus, remembering the roots seething with death qi. It probably powers its own barrier, converting the death qi to power the same as the overhead barrier. But unlike the overhead barrier, the lotus is a living creature. It can consume and store the death qi as energy, and then use that energy for its own barrier, as opposed to the spell array-based barrier, which broke as soon as the energy was cut off. Its like the difference between not watering a plant and yanking out the batteries. Without the batteries, the electronic dies almost immediately, but the plant can live on for a while without energy.

Ehwait! Nows not the time for theory!

Swords clashed behind him. Hui jumped and whirled to find Li Xiang battling a demonic cultivator. She stepped aside. Their sword grazed past her. She spun, robes swirling, and cut at their neck. The cultivator staggered back, a hand to their neck, blood rushing over dark robes.

See anything? Li Xiang asked, jogging over to his side.

I see you, elder sister! Remind me never to get on your bad side! He glanced behind her, at the other demonic and Bai clan cultivators. They rushed about, panicking, but none of them looked directly at him and Li Xiang.

Ah I understand. I wouldnt want to fight Li Xiang, either.

Looking around the cave again, he frowned. Nothing that would support a barrier stood out at a glance. Motion caught his eye, and he turned.

A slumped shape lying in a crater against the wall twitched. Hui craned his neck, then ran over. Li Xiang followed, sword drawn.

Jingwen twitched, her head swinging from her neck, feet shifting. Hui crouched beside her. He reached out and put a hand on her neck.

Ah, cold! Jingwen startled and bolted upright, away from Hui.

Hui grinned. Water sucked the heat out from without and death qi from within. Im confident I have the coldest hands in this cave, even with the Bai clan cultivators all around!

Li Xiang darted at Jingwen, sword drawn. Jingwen fell back, hands out. Wait, wait!

Li Xiang, wait, Hui said.