173 Multiple Battles (2/2)
”Huo!” Dongfeng called, interrupting Sect Master Long's thoughts. ”I'm sorry for your loss.” He shook his head while sighing. ”Truthfully, I never thought I'd be fighting against you like this. I expected the Purple Origin Sect to quickly surrender and for this to be a very brief battle.”
”What's done is done.” Huo shook his head. ”I didn't want to fight an old friend either, but I won't let my son's sacrifice be in vain.” He held up a hand with two fingers. ”I'll give you two choices. One, you surrender right now and agree to wear a mana-collar for the rest of your life, serving as a slave dedicated to China.” He lowered his index finger, leaving just his middle finger up. ”Two, I'll end you right here and now.”
”The sides have already been chosen.” Dongfeng shook his head. ”Do you think I'd be willing to become a slave? I at least have some pride you know.” He self-mockingly smiled, seeming to think of something from the past.
”Fine then.” Huo nodded. The flames surrounding his body increased in intensity and coalesced into a compact ball. A streak of gold joined the flames, quickly turning them gold in color. It was as if he had turned into a flying meteor as he rushed towards Dongfeng.
”I can see why they paired you up against me.” Dongfeng shook his head while easily dodging. ”You're the fastest one of us after me, but our gap in speed can't be closed so easily.” Dongfeng continued dodging, acting as if he was sliding on air. Huo's meteor-like form couldn't even graze him, let alone catch him. Unfortunately for Dongfeng, he lacked heavily in the firepower department. He occasionally shot compact blasts of wind at incredible speeds, but the attacks simply shattered when hitting Huo's meter, like an egg smashing against a rock. Both cultivators clearly lacked the proper toolkit to defeat one another, yet that didn't stop them from continuing to try.
...
While the sect leaders were busy with their battles, a big change was occurring on the battlefield. Sect Leader Ying's death had triggered a loss of morale, leading to many more defeats amongst the Water Snake Sect cultivators. Tai's death had the complete opposite effect, driving the Fire Dragon Sect cultivators into a mad frenzy of slaughter. Between their battles and the Purple Origin Sect's foreign cultivators, the battle was slowly tipping against the Seven Sect Alliance's favor.
Suddenly, the Purple Origin Sect barrier lit up once again, appearing completely undamaged from before. It seemed that Sect Leader Fang had been waiting for Sect Leader Ying and her mountain to leave the battle so that he could reactivate the barrier. Perhaps the barrier had never truly been shattered in the first place, and he had only made it appear that way so that he could preserve its strength for a better opportunity later in the battle.
Hordes of elemental giants once again began exiting the Purple Origin Sect's barrier and entering the battle, devastating any enemy cultivators they passed. Flames, lightning, ice, and all sorts of elemental abilities flashed everywhere. This was the final straw that broke the camel's back, devastating the Seven Sect Alliance's forces.
...
Just as things were finally escalating to the final stages of the war, Ed returned to the battlefield. He was alone, having chosen to leave Flair behind with their recently acquired goods. 'Let's see...' He calmly looked over the battlefield. 'Where's Tai and Sect Leader Ying?' He wondered before disregarding the thought. Reddish-black Ed was still in charge of the body, and truthfully, he didn't really care what happened to either of them. 'The Purple Origin Sect's barrier is back up... that's going to make this a pain in the ass. Looks like things will finish up soon too... I need to hurry.' His eyes flashed with greed as he decided to find Yuki and infect her with his red shadow. He planned to manipulate her emotions, finally making her his property just like she should be.
Ed walked through the battlefield, dead bodies and rivers of blood flowing everywhere. Occasionally, cultivators of both sides attacked him. This made sense, as no one really knew what side he was on. Logically, he had appeared to be an important figure in the earliest stages of the war, however, he had fallen unconscious and hadn't participated at all until now. Additionally, he was known to be Tai's close friend, but he had also attacked Sect Leader Fang. It was only natural for both sides to view him as a potential enemy.
”AHHHH!!!” A Wind Hawk Sect cultivator screamed in agony as his skin melted. Ed used his purple shadow to corrode any cultivators that came near him, making it clear he would fight only those that attacked him. This intimidation tactic seemed to work, as very few cultivators were willing to start a fight with him over nothing. After all, they still had plenty of enemies to battle on each side.
Suddenly, two familiar figures flashed past Ed. One was Haru, who seemed to be running for his life, and the chaser was Bai Fang.
Bai stopped abruptly and turned to look at Ed. A devious grin crossed his face as he halted his pursuit of Haru. ”Perfect!” He shouted with glee. ”I've been wanting to have a rematch with you, and you even gave me the opportunity. To think you'd be so stupid as to betray the Purple Origin Sect!” He pointed his large blood sword towards Ed, readying himself for battle.
Ed frowned. So far, he had avoided any serious battles, and a fight with Bai Fang would definitely delay him significantly. He was short on time, and he knew he wasn't really a match for Bai Fang in his current state. Additionally, even if he won, what would he have to gain? If anything, it would ruin any possibility of smoothing things out with the Purple Origin Sect. 'Oh well.' He sighed while grinning. 'I'll just have to maim him before making him my slave!' A hint of madness sparked in his eyes as his purple shadow weaved and danced in front of him. At long last, he would torture the bastard that had dared to have designs on his woman!