novelraw Chapter 428 - 427 - Dao of Life and Death
Chapter 428 - 427 - Dao of Life and Death
The misty illusion seemed solid as ever as the demons guarded the rough tunnel entrance. The ground around them was clearly paved dirt but the grass encircled them with mist to demarcate the start of it.
The demoness in charge felt her storage bracelet vibrate again and she sighed. She was one of the other team leads but most of them were inside the tunnel awaiting to spring the trap they laid out.
Now, they were alone.
"Saman and Galder are dead." She spoke to the air but she saw several more cloaked bodies emerge. There 6 of them in total outside the entrance.
They were all tier 5 Nightfalls as each team lead had to be but now they were all grim faced. They should not have lost 2 of them so easily even with an illusion but now they had to rethink their strategy.
The demoness pulled out 2 artifacts that were actually quite normal. Demonic Qi flowed and gave feedback she could interpret. Her bright crimson eyes narrowed.
"This is a formation from the Mistress of Illusions. Based on the density I am seeing, it will last at least a day. If there is a way to recover Qi, it will go on indefinitely." The other 5 demons flinched at her announcement but immediately pulled out their weapons.
It was well known how terrifying that tier 5 aether child could be! Her illusions had made the Heavenly Maiden Sect finally garner victories on several branches of their organization and fellow agents.
Even a Star Tier had rated her work as exemplary.
Such praise was not small by any measure when the cultivator was only a Sky Realm at the time! She would only improve!
"We should retreat back outside the city. Even a tier 2 Sky Realm could kill us in this place." One of her colleagues immediately made the call but she only laughed at him.
"What is so funny Kira?" She simply pointed around them.
"Do you think if they had access to this they would make it so easy to leave? Remember Galder's failed attack. He tried to retreat and was forced to sacrifice half his men." Her words made all 5 men flinch. They had indeed forgotten as they had not suffered under that failure.
They all realized while they were a trap, the traps around them could be myriad!
"What do we do then?! Just wait for death?!" Kira looked at the pale violet eyes of her fellow leader. He was not flustered but clearly frustrated. They all were. The death of Galder was one thing.
He was rather hot headed when it came to fights and had already suffered a loss. Once in the illusion, retreat was not an option so his death had not bothered them, but Saman was cautious.
He had outlived many things that would kill cultivators 9 out of 10 times.
His death told them that their target had either recovered her strength or was working in tandem with the illusion to lethal effect!
None of them even considered Lind Frey a threat at tier 2, even if he had advanced to tier 3, the gap between the lower tiers and mid tiers was just too great to overcome.
"We prepare for the enemy. No trap, actually dig in and be ready to fight to the death. Either the illusion breaks or we kill our targets, there is no other way out." Kira was coldly analytical when it came to their situation.
Panicking would not help nor would pride serve them. Assume the worst case and ensure their survival. Nothing else mattered to her mind. The others quickly nodded and summoned the rest of their men.
Very quickly, nearly 100 demons quickly deployed artifacts and changed the tunnel entrance into a foxhole. The demons tried to send a message to the last few outside but their stones did not seem to work.
Whether that was an illusion or not mattered little, the result was the same.
The fences with spikes were being set up when Kira felt something warn her of danger. She slowly stood up and looked into the mists. A shadowy figure was there but they were far too slender to be a man.
The exquisite ratio was clear to her eyes to confirm it was a beautiful human female but none of that registered. All her instincts were screaming not to confront that being!
Slowly, the mist parted as a pristine white battle dress was exposed to the moonlight. The armor was of extremely high quality, at least high grade 5, and the sword that was over 2 meters long was the same quality.
The soft brown hair was mixed with white but the youthful face and amber eyes were of a warrior despite the braids in the hair. Her entire way of moving made men lose all sense of time as women were entranced by her grace.
"T-the Fierce Fairy!" Someone spoke and broke the spell but the feeling of danger did not diminish to Kira. The Fairy was peak tier 5! That was impossible in just 10 years after a heart demon! The best healers in the world could not accomplish that!
"You wanted to see me?" Her voice was cold but Kira felt her Fiend Qi react strangely. It was as if it was afraid! Why was her Qi afraid?
"You are recovering, but it is too late! We will claim your life tonight!" The same pale violet demon leader spoke. Kira was about to yell at him when something terrifying happened.
"Die." It was a single word but the Fierce Fairy had vanished from in front of them and had beheaded the demon! Kira did not see her move! No one could react as blood fountained from the now headless body.
She expected the body to try and consume someone, but it just fell over! Why?!
"I see, so you can be killed. I understand now." The Fairy spoke but Kira was confused by her words. What did she mean she understood? A glance into those amber eyes made Kira's breath freeze in her throat.
They were glowing! Qi was throbbing in those amber eyes! The Fierce Fairy was in the middle of an enlightenment!
"She is in communion with Heaven and Earth! This is Dao!" One of the other leaders figured it out but Kira sneered at his stupidity. As expected, he was bisected between one eye blink and another. There were no intervening movements, she just seemed to appear there!
Kira felt her heart thundering in her rib cage. They had to fight!
She signaled her warriors who instantly moved. Fiend Qi flew as attacks that tried to slice, melt, or any form of attack, but the Fierce Fairy merely waved her hand with a smile.
The vicious attacks were struck down by lightning as were the attackers. Heavenly lightning! Kira glanced up and finally found the source of her fear. Black clouds that had not previously been above them were boiling in the sky!
"She is connected to Heaven, do not use Fiend Qi!" Kira wanted to slap the idiots! Stop shouting! As if her thought was seen by the Fairy, she did exactly that! The slap shattered the skull of her comrade as if it was a piece of pottery!
Dead, all dead in only a few breaths!
Their numbers were already down to 43 and not a scratch could be given to the Fierce Fairy. She was only tier 5 but she may as well have been tier 9!
Kira now understood why she was so dangerous to them. Only a true genius could explore a Dao and fight at the same time!
"I grasp it, the Dao of Life and Death. I walk the line to end and give life. I am the razor's edge." The words thundered through them all. Speaking of a Dao directly could kill if done in public.
Kira thought her brain would burst but her fear only increased. She knew of that Dao!
It was not simple and the words did not do it justice. The Fierce Fairy must have only just started but the power increase was ridiculous! She only just grasped the Dao and it did that much?!
It was said that those that wield the Dao of Life and Death could be awe inspiring healers or warriors that could hardly be touched if they mastered it. Death would fall with every swing while only life would protect them!
She now knew why her comrades died so easily! The soul itself was killed by her blade! There was nothing to keep it alive!
Suddenly, the Fierce Fairy frowned.
"I killed something else, something deeper. What was that?" Kira felt hope kindle, if the enlightenment could be broken, they would have a chance! A Dao in enlightenment was nearly impossible to explain once it ended. The cultivator would have to comprehend and learn to master it afterward.
It meant the Fairy would no longer be able to use it! The window to kill her would be right there!
The clouds began to disperse as she closed her amber eyes. Kira glared at all the survivors and raised her hand. Everyone froze and waited. Kira never took her eyes off the clouds until the mists fully returned.
"NOW!" Attacks flared once more as vicious looks appeared on the demon's faces. Kira also launched her full strength with her spear. She took no chances with a dagger attack as the Fairy was still an accomplished swordswoman. Only a fool would take her lightly.
"Fools." The Fairy spoke as her sword lit up with a sword aura! It was not just intent but the full sword aura! It was too late to stop and there were still 4 tier 5 Nightfalls left. They should be able to pierce her defenses.
The battle dress suddenly lit up with profound formations but that was not all! A flame of emerald light burst from in front of them! What was that attack and from who?!
The Fierce Fairy danced among the attacks like at a ball. Kira was mesmerized despite herself. The blade attacks shattered each threat and swiftly moved as if the woman had eyes in the back of her head!
Her footwork never stopped as she moved her body like a true work of deadly art. Nothing could touch her as she brought death all around her.
Unlike before, she shattered the cores or sent sword aura tearing through limbs as the bodies kept moving after lethal attacks. They could not stop her!
As the emerald flames closed in, Kira only had one thought.
'No wonder she knows the Dao of Life and Death, she already uses it from every aspect of her style!' Kira suddenly felt something break inside her. Something dark and twisted tried to burst inside her dantian but then the emerald flames washed over her.
The feeling vanished but so did any connection to her body. A strange smile was on her face as she fell dead on the ground. The last thing she saw was the blood drenched battle dress and dripping sword standing over the dead demons.
They had stood no chance. The mistress should never have come to Yinande, yet Kira was glad that was her final vision as oblivion closed in.