42 The Blue Vein (2/2)
Stars shone in Xiao Yue's eyes and she understood why the three disciples didn't want to give up the fight against the beast that was obviously too strong for them.
\”A good-grade treasure!\”
Xiao Yue was going back and forth in her head, wondering what to do. Judging by the power of the Ice Winged Serpent, she could probably kill it with almost no risk to herself.
The red robed disciples though, that was another deal altogether.
Xiao Yue didn't want unnecessary contact with other disciples, and also felt a bit bad about reaping the reward they were actively fighting for. Had it been someplace else and at another time, she wouldn't have thought about it twice, but here...
\”I really have to commend them. Already being this far deep into the second ring, these red robes have strength!\”
The trial had already been ongoing for a few months, but what was that amount of time compared to the length of the whole Rising Star Tournament? The fact that red robed disciples had succeeded in fighting off the cold of the second ring, making it this far this soon meant that they were well prepared, and deserved their reward.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a low shout from one of the three boys.
\”Now!\”
It was only then that Xiao Yue realized that the three of them were placed around the Ice Winged Serpent, forming a perfect triangle with the creature in the middle.
Rows of light shone on the ground, green lines connecting the three boys together and attacking the snake at the same time.
\”A green level spirit formation! They have this level of power?!\”
The surprise in Xiao Yue's eyes was underwhelmed only by the surprise felt by the snake itself. As the green lines wrapped around it, the snake was helpless. Like burning hot chains, the lines seemed to sink inside the beast's flesh, cutting slowly into scales and bones as if they were nothing.
A sizzling noise arose, drowned in the beast's cries of pain, until it was dead.
Panting, the three red robed disciples had lost a huge amount of energy by unleashing a spirit formation spell that was above their current power.
From what she had seen, Xiao Yue conjectured that the spell could probably be used by a single green talented disciple, but given their low power, the disciples had to be three in order to successfully use it.
The boy that seemed to be the leader told one of his two companions to retrieve the sword that stuck out of the Ice Winged Serpent's head, while the other was charged of finding the beast's core in the middle of the mass of charred flesh.
The leader then took out a fan from his bag of holding, revealing to Xiao Yue the reason for their strength.
The fan was rainbow colored and heavily damaged. The paper triangles were almost all ridden with holes and some of the wooden armature was broken.
As the boy was observing the fan, the last remaining paper part that was untouched suddenly ripped. Along with the tear, the fan caught on fire, green magic flames destroying it quickly, forcing the boy to throw the thing in the snow where it continued to burn unnaturally.
\”That was its last use... Thankfully we seem to have found a new weapon on par with it, brothers!\”
Xiao Yue understood instantly. The boys had repeatedly used the fan in order to pass trials and acquire treasures. That was how they managed to get this far already.
She was about to turn around and leave, having finally decided to leave them alone when a chuckle erupted from the boy on top of the snake head.
\”We? We have found a new weapon? I don't think so, Lao Wan. It is time to end our collaboration now that your precious fan is gone. NOW DIE!\”
In a flash, the red robed boy launched itself. In his hand the scaley short sword drew a circle in the air. Unable to escape and taken by surprise, the boy called Lao Wan couldn't respond in time.
The sword entered between the shoulder and the neck and almost didn't slow down until it had escaped the boy's body on the opposite side, just below the torso.
Without a word, the previous leader of the group fell to the ground, the white snow forever tainted by his blood.
The third boy of the group, obviously the youngest, was standing there, his eyes bulging out of their sockets with shock, unable to comprehend.
Xiao Yue saw his instinct kick in as he turned around to flee but too late.
\”With that sword in my hand, even orange robed disciples will think twice before attacking me, don't you think you can escape, Ning Ho!\”
The treacherous boy threw his sword, easily finding its target after six or seven spins in the air. Without having escaped more than fifty steps, the boy named Ning Ho fell, the sword planted deep between his shoulder blades.
Xiao Yue refrained a gasp. Even she had been unprepared for the scene that just unfolded in front of her.
When she looked back up, the last standing boy was wiping the blood of his newly acquired sword in the snow, laughing like a maniac.
Xiao Yue's eyes had already shifted from encouragement to hatred. If before she had scruples about getting the sword after their fight, now she only wanted to make him pay.
***
Shin Sumi opened her eyes amidst a sea of blue light.
The Vein of Hell Fire had dimmed by more than seventy percent compared to its brilliance from before.
Without wasting any time, Shin Sumi scanned her own body anxiously. Excitement rose quickly in her, messing her breathing rhythm.
\”Fifty second Shinsoo Door! I opened four of them in one go!\”
Just like last time, the Vein of Hell Fire had directly boosted her cultivation by what could only be considered an enormous leap.
Shin Sumi marveled at her newfound strength. She wondered if now she would be able to fare better against the giant crocodile from earlier.
Four Shinsoo Doors wasn't much normally, but Shin Sumi had long passed the Primal and Outer Doors. During the Spirit Doors phase, each one was way harder to break open than the last, needing an unimaginable amount of Shinsoo to break the barrier.
With the amount needed for the fiftieth door alone, one red robed disciple would be able to directly open the first twenty doors. Considering that most disciples would normally only break through a dozen openings in their cultivation, it showed how insanely unusual Shin Sumi's cultivation was.
Her meditation close to the Vein of Hell Fire and the absorption by the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword had emptied a good portion of the Shinsoo source. It was unknown how long it would take for its strength to grow back.
But as of now, the Vein seemed to be on the verge of extinction. In fact it was barely enough to sustain the environment.
The entire ring was directly linked to the Vein of Hell Fire, and due to the relative frailness of the ice, the ground started to tremble while Shin Sumi was checking herself.
Cracks started to appear in the walls of the cavern where the source was located.
A chunk of ice the size of a house started vibrating a second before it detached. Right above Shin Sumi.
It was at the same time that the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword finished its absorption. A golden arc of light broke through the air, instantly returning to Shin Sumi's hand faster than lightning.
The thin golden blade effortlessly cut the bloc of ice, equal pieces falling on either side of Shin Sumi.
The sword that had started like a rough and dull piece of metal was now closely resembling the leaf of some treasured plant.
Its slick profile was more refined than any weapon Shin Sumi had ever seen and the blade was so thin it almost was translucent.
It made no doubt to Shin Sumi that the blade had undergone a massive change in power.
Following the path opened where the block of ice had fallen, Shin Sumi leaped out of the cave in hope of finding a safe way back to the fresh air.
The cave crumbled on itself soon after, the Vein of Hell Fire now buried again for who knows how long.
Shin Sumi wrapped herself in her cloak. With the recent events, the cloak was now full of holes, barely covering the new set of robes she had donned. But Shin Sumi didn't feel the slightest cold.
She looked in the distance towards the yellow ray of light, her hand seizing from her bag the vibrating piece of jade.
She ignored how long she had been under the ice, and only hoped that Lan Hui had been found. With clenched teeth, she sent a sliver of divine sense into the identification medallion.