Chapter 122 - Winning Nianshi

Ming made a strong whirlwind, wanting to wreck apart the growling horned statue as it tried to step out from the raging wind. Everything near the statue flew up with the dust, but it didn't touch the team. Ming concentrated the wind on one spot to keep them safe. 

However, Xinyi's attention was on Nianshi at this moment. She thought of sending the Hutyuns to help Nianshi but spoke through her mind. "No, I can bear this. Just make a run to the door." 

Balin made a huge blue fire on the fanged statue, thinking of incinerating it to ashes. Both of them did their best fighting against the statue while Nianshi groaned in pain. "Hurry! Inside!" 

Xinyi let half of the Hutyuns to bring her there with speed as a lightning, pulling the two men with her, while letting the other half strike the statue as an invisible sword. The statues tried to stop them, but they got there in time. She let the Hutyuns open it and brought them in before a giant foot crush them down.

The two silently in agreement, blasting a powerful wind united with fire, causing the statues to be blown away from the other side of the room. Xinyi took one last glance on Nianshi and a tear fell on her dusty cheeks. Yet, the lion-dragon, who was in pain, comforted her by giving her a thumbs up while Ming closed the door for them. 

Xinyi was totally sorry for not thinking and acting fast to prevent it from happening. She then recalled what Kaos said, that the Hutyuns would be a fearsome weapon she ever had. This was a lesson by heart. She planned on training hard if they were able to get out alive from this place.

Looking at the closed door, "Finally, you bastards are going to regret this," the horned statue said in a low but loud voice and waved its giant sword to finish off Nianshi but before they could celebrate their victory, Nianshi suddenly transformed into his original form.

Nianshi spat on his wound, which was deep right now. It closed up with his healing saliva. "Low life creatures, you can't even fight fair, so I won't either." 

If the statues were delighted with his presence, he missed fighting against those same sizes as him. He grinned in delight to see the three eyed lost a palm from Balin and Ming's blast earlier. He charged toward it, gnawing his teeth unto the statue and flew high toward the ceiling. 

When he felt happy with the height of his flight, he dropped the statue. As it fell hard to the ground, he followed a hard bang of his large feet onto the statue's head. In just one hit, the statue's head smashed to pieces. And its body ceased its movements.

"You two are next." 

He flew right at them but they didn't give him an easy fight. Both fought hard. Although Nianshi was bigger in body than both of them, they were swift, outnumbering him of which was troublesome. The one with the sword kept on attacking him from the left side as the one with the spear kept on aiming for his head. 

"You guys are annoying me." He gave off a loud roar and started focusing on one statue, while still being careful not to get hit by the swordsman. Finally, he was able to cut the spear statue's arm with his dragon's tail and hit its body next. Causing a loud thud to the cave's walls. Rocks and dust fell from the ceiling. 

"You fight well creature," said the last standing statue. 

Nianshi was shook as he heard the swordsman spoke. It sounded demonic. Any creature hearing its blood draining voice would run in fright, but not him.

"So you speak now, huh?" He said as he calmly stomped on the spearman's statue, crushing it in half. He grinned, hadn't fought a good fight in a long time. He flexed his neck and made a cracking sound. Although he was concerned with Xinyi's status but his warrior spirit kicked in. He was challenged, and he loved it. 

"Only I speak. I am Ro, a loyal guardian of this place. Just like you, I protect something but the difference between us is that I do not give in to the human's petty emotions. That's why it's a pity that I have to kill you and your friends." The statues grin grew wider and eerie as it spoke. It wanted to shake Nianshi's will. 

"Well, the difference between you and me is, I'm stronger," and with that note, Nianshi charged at it with full force, causing the cave to shake. He kept on clawing the statue with his sharp talons and yanked it. Banging it wall to wall, not even noticing the damage he had just made. 

His mind fixed on smashing it to pieces as soon as possible so he could join the team right away. And with his one last blow, he swiftly aimed his tail at Ro, splitting its body into two. He then pummeled the two parts to land on the opposite sides of the cavern. As it hard bodies hit the walls, the cave began rumbling. 

---- o ----

General Lofey and Sir Gib undressed their upper shirt and gathered the stones on it, when the cave trembled. It was a bit longer and some parts of the wall began crumbling down. Their hearts began pumping as stampeding horses. They hastily looked at the wall, the narrow path, exit, and each other.

"Let's go and get Tyriece. Hurry!" General Lofey said as he tied the shirt. Sir Gib did the same and ran out with a torch in hand. The spirits came out from hiding as they passed by but hissed, staring daggers at the cloth in their hands and sunk back in the walls.

----- o -----

Tyriece and the men turned their heads on the opening as they feel the ground quaked.

"Sir Tyriece," one of the men said. 

"Damn." Tyriece cursed looking at the entrance. He badly wanted to go in but remembered what his superior said. 

"In case we won't be able to come out for days, shut the whole place down."

He hated the thought of shutting it down without knowing what happened to them. His heart said "Go" but his mind said "Don't." Tyriece was in a dilemma.