173 Multiple Battles (1/2)
While Haru was busy escaping from Bai Fang, Tai was caught up in his own battle against Sect Leader Ying. Their battle had created a large hole near the back-lines of the battlefield, as anyone that came near would either be incinerated by Tai's absolute hot or torn to shreds by the spatial tears that came from the clash between his and Ying's powers.
Tai frowned as their battle dragged on. His mana-core was slowly disintegrating, small dust-sized flakes falling off it and simply vanishing into his mana paths. His eyes narrowed. 'I can't afford to let this battle drag on.' He had already covered himself with his chimera scales and Camazotz bat wings. Confident in his own defense and powers, he started inching his way closer to Ying.
Ying's body was trembling as she was forced to maintain her absolute cold. She had exhausted most of her mana earlier when using her mountain artifact against the Purple Origin Sect's barrier. However, she was still an extremely powerful cultivator who had been around a very long time. How could Tai, who had merely stolen laws, possibly compare to herself? When she saw him moving closer, she clenched her teeth before doing the same.
The competing red and blue light between the two cultivators fought back and forth like flame and water. The closer they got to each other, the more intertwined the two powers became, increasing the devastation caused by the spatial tears ten-fold. The effects spread even further to their surroundings, destroying cultivators from both sides. Their battle was by far the most dramatic out of all the sect leaders on each side. While some of the other sect leaders were stronger, their fighting styles were far more reserved and cautious. Not many cultivators that fought with reckless abandon would make it to the top of the pyramid like these two.
Soon, there were only a few meters separating Tai and Ying. Each step Tai took felt as if he was bearing a new mountain atop his back. Even without factoring in their actual powers, just the pressure generated from their clashing hot and cold was enough to grind most cultivators to dust. Fortunately, Tai's strong body was finally starting to show its advantage. His Camazotz wings helped to reduce the pressure greatly, and if any streaks of absolute cold power made its way through, his scales helped reduce the impact. Ying was not so lucky, and her body was far weaker in comparison. Bloody wounds were starting to accumulate on her body, and she was struggling to even breath.
With his opponent unable to move any further, Tai was forced to close the rest of the distance himself. It took his utmost concentration for every step he took. Not only did he have to block Ying's powers, but he also had to keep an eye on his surroundings. Now would be a very bad time for a sneak attack, as a slip in his powers would certainly be fatal. He also had to focus on maintaining the ground beneath his feet. If he let his absolute hot sink into the ground, he would likely incinerate it. However, he still had to defend from any sneak attacks that could come through the ground. He was always watching it carefully, ready to strike the ground with his law at a moment's notice should the need arrive.
It seemed luck was on Tai's side, as everyone of any significant strength on the battlefield was completely occupied by their own fights. There was no one to sneak attack him even if they wanted to. Gathering the last remnants of his will, he shakily took the final step towards Ying. He stood before her, the pressure of their battling laws crushing down on them both. By now, each of his scales was completely cracked, and many were missing entirely. However, he looked much better than Ying, who appeared little better than minced meat.
”TRAITOR!” Ying struggled to shout in anger. ”Have you no shame?!”
Tai smirked mockingly. ”You didn't seem to mind letting me join your little alliance when you thought I had betrayed my father. You really only have yourself to blame since you chose to trust a traitor to begin with.” He struggled to raise his trembling right arm forward, reaching towards Ying's neck. ”Speaking of traitors, you're the one that betrayed our country. I worked so hard to recruit foreign espers to raise the overall strength of my sect and China, but you've ruined it all.” His eyes narrowed. ”You deserve more than death, but unfortunately, death is all I can give you.”
Flames sparked on Tai's hand as he continued reaching forward. The flames were even hotter than the surrounding red light that Tai's law had created. However, he was now reaching directly towards the source of absolute cold, his polar opposite. Spatial tears appeared directly next to his hand, ripping off bits and pieces of flesh as he continued moving his arm forward. To observers, this appeared to happen quickly, but to him, it felt like time was moving incredibly slow. He watched as his hand slowly became nothing but a sharpened bone.
'Now!' Finally feeling he was close enough, he shoved his arm forward with all his remaining strength. His arm was like a sharpened dagger as he stabbed into Ying's neck. The absolute flame he had created spread throughout her body.
”AGHHH!!!” Ying barely managed to release a bloodcurdling scream. The flames invading her body directly conflicted with her absolute cold, creating spatial tears directly within her body. A short instant later, she was gone. Her body had been completely torn apart by the spatial tears, and nothing remained behind.
Ying's blue light vanished, followed by Tai's own red light. 'I won.' He smiled, proudly holding his head high. He reached into his robe pocket, pulling out his usual fan. He waved it towards himself a few times, enjoying the gentle breeze. He felt completely at peace, as he had accomplished the main goal he had set for himself. Slowly, the fan began disintegrating, likely as a result of damage from the just-won battle. Tai turned towards the sky, watching his father engaged in a fight against Dongfeng. 'I've done my best, father. I've evened out the battle, just like I promised I would.' He peacefully closed his eyes, feeling what little of his mana-core was left. And then, it and his body turned to ash, joining with the wind and disappearing. A small streak of golden light remained, and it shot towards Sect Master Long before vanishing as well.
...
In the sky above the battlefield, Sect Master Long's eyes trembled as he felt his son's soul join his stream of golden faith energy. He closed his eyes in pain for just a brief moment before opening them again, resolute will burning within him. 'You did well Tai. It should have been me, but I wasn't strong enough.'
'It's okay.' Tai, appearing as a red and black soul, shook his head. 'I made this choice myself. I know that you and Uncle Fang are the best leaders for our country, and I trust you to do the right thing.'