Rise of Humanity

by <unknown>

  Sabres brandished across the sky, soil burst out from the ground, the Bei God pressed on him quicker and stronger. All Zhong Yue could see were the kaleidoscopic saber rays flitting around, blinding his eyes!

  From afar, on the Jiao Dragon’s back, Jun Sixie was intently watching the battle, her scalp tingled as she witnesses Zhong Yue undulating up and down like a Jiao Dragon soaring the air, trying to thread a way out of the silver net made from the intertwining saber lights. The sword of death was precariously hanging over his head by a thread and threatened to end his life at any time!

  The eighteen Coral Tree Sword Qis could not maintain their onslaught on Bei Shisong anymore, Zhong Yue had to summon them back and encircle the Sword Qis around him to ward off the sabers. The Xiang Dragon Sword Qi and Wooden Sword Qi were also summoned back. But even so, he was still being pushed back by Bei Shisong’s storming attacks!

  A small carelessness one inattentive moment and he would be dismembered into bits!

  As for the sword silk-like zither string, it was like a specter looming around in the air, akin to a sinister viper in the shadows searching for a flaw in Bei Shisong’s form, and waiting for the right time to deliver the final blow.

  Junior Martial Brother Zhong is still callow, his experience in fighting with the Qi Practitioners are too little; he would do fine with the mediocre, but if faced with a sly and cunning opponent like Bei Shisong, he’s going to have troubles.

  Jun Sixie could not help but get anxious and nervous, if Zhong Yue dies, she would be the next one after him.

  Seeing how the battle devolved, she was afraid that Zhong Yue would not be able to persist any longer under such a relentless onslaught that was akin to a raging storm!

  To prevent defeat and ultimately, death; Junior Martial Brother Zhong has to steer away from mistakes, he cannot afford even one misstep! But under these storm-like attacks, that is easier said than done! Furthermore, he didn’t have any skills that can penetrate through Bei Shisong’s defense, he can’t even hurt his opponent, enduring is all he can do!

  The two figures, one huge and vast, and the other tiny and petty; they fought a fierce battle in the Savanna Wasteland, their movements were swift but their attack speeds were even faster! In such a short while, they had already ravaged across over twenty miles of land, wherever they go, sabers unearthed the ground leaving countless trenches behind, the giant’s feet stomped on the soil and gouged out huge pits!

  A Jiao Dragon environed Zhong Yue and soared around his perimeter, strenuously protecting him. The Jiao Dragon carried Zhong Yue on it’s back, twisting and turning in all sorts of ways, steering away from the sabers. But as soon as the rays of sabers were brandished across the sky, the Jiao Dragon would be lacerated into pieces.

  In the time where the Jiao Dragon was slain, another visualized Jiao Dragon would emerge and continue carrying him away.

  “It seems like you are out of moves!”

  Bei Shisong’s laughter resounded the land, a sudden flash of sabre rays, and all the sabres slashed right down in a straight line towards Zhong Yue; where the first sabre slashed on him, the second sabre would immediately follow, landing at the same spot, continued by the third … this was until at least dozens of sabres had slashed on him in the blink of an eye.

  Zhong Yue mustered all his strength, he waved and swung the Sword Qi around to ward off the sabers, but the immense impact force propelled him away. His body quivered in stress, his muscles ached in pain, he was crippled and a mouth of blood spurted out involuntarily!

  “I shall grant you ... death!”

  Bei God Yuan Shen twisted its waist and took a step forward —Shua Shua Shua— sabers flashed across the sky like blinding lightning, slashing directly towards Zhong Yue who was in mid-air!

  Zheng-zheng-zheng-zheng….

  The sounds of metal clanking abruptly burst out like a heavy rain, a golden shield emerged out of nowhere in front of Zhong Yue and blocked down the sabers with the cost of it crumbling into pieces; following its destruction, another golden shield emerged and took its place, blocking down the saber strikes.

  While the crumbled shield disintegrated into Gold Qi in the air, they were gathered together and congealed into a new Xuan Wu Gold Spirit Shield, once again emerging in front of Zhong Yue, dutifully fulfilling its destiny as the shield standing stalwart in the protection of its master.

  At the same time, Zhong Yue could finally ease his stress a little, a blinding ray flashed in his eyes; he reached his hand out to the Fang Blade on his back and hurled it fiercely right at the Bei God Yuan Shen’s head, Bei Shisong!

  “No matter how hard you struggle to live, your death is inevitable!”

  Bei Shisong sneered, he lifts a hand up a slammed right at the Fang Blade. However, he was smart, he knew that the Fang Blade was forged from a god’s fang, his sabres would break immediately if they were to come in contact with it; hence, he controlled the sabers and struck at the spine and cheek of the blade, all he needed was to deflect the direction of the Fang Blade so that he would not be hurt nor will the sabers be damaged.

  Meanwhile, his other land raised and slashed down at Zhong Yue; a side-step and a twist at the waist, the twenty-floor high building-like body agilely spun a kick directly at Zhong Yue!

  The sabers and the two Xuan Wu shields clashed like a heavy rain poured onto the ground, right at this time, Bei Shisong’s kick was arriving, Zhong Yue’s Xuan Wu shields could have blocked the sabers down but they were useless against the gigantic body.

  HONG! Bei God Yuan Shen’s kick landed heavily on Zhong Yue, and launched him flying into the air!

  How strong was his kick?

  If the kick landed on a mountain, a huge chunk of the mountain would be chipped away, and now, Zhong Yue took the brunt of such a kick and was immediately launched away like a nocked arrow that had just been released, shooting towards Jun Sixie!

  Bei Shisong guffawed, he leaped into the air and was stomping down from above like a mountain on Zhong Yue and Jun Sixie with rays of sabers flashing around; if Zhong Yue had somehow survived taking the vicious kick, he would definitely be dead after the stompings.

  And even if he had escaped death from the stompings, he would not be able to walk away alive from the saber onslaught!

  It was at this moment, where Bei Shisong was suddenly alerted and the sabers were redirected away from their original trajectory towards his back —Zheng zheng zheng— sounds of metal clanking could be heard, and the monster beasts on the Bei God’s body suddenly felt the sabers in their hands were lightened, their sabres were broken away by a flash of blade that came from behind!

  Bei Shisong was shocked, he quickly turned around and look back, it was the Fang Blade! It flitted in the air as if there was someone controlling it, thrusting right at him!

  “What is this?”

  Bei Shisong’s face changed drastically, “You have yet to achieve the stage of Spirit Body as One, you can’t possibly control the god’s fang, how can it fly on its own?”

  He knew that Zhong Yue could not control the Fang Blade, hence he had ignored it as soon as he cast the Fang Blade aside, but who knew that the Fang Blade could be “controlled” and even more, slashing right at him.

  The Fang Blade was a god’s fang, sharp and incisive, more so than the zither string, it was superior to any other soul weapons; but just by merit of its divine nature, it was not so easy to control it, the soul could not possess it and hence, it wouldn’t simply be manipulated in accordance to the whims of a cultivator.

  But right now, the Fang Blade was in the air as if it was controlled, slashing right at him; fear blossomed like a thorny rose in his heart.

  All of a sudden, Bei Shisong noticed a faintly discernible thread of silk curling around the Fang Blade’s hilt, he instantly realized, “So that’s how you do it, with the zither string sword silk curling at the hilt, you can control the zither string as a proxy for the god’s fang.”

  The zither string jittered and the
Fang Blade moved along with it, the seventeen feet long blade whipped around and slashed incessantly.

  Bei Shisong’s brows quivered, he quickly turned the sabers around to fend off the Fang Blade, the sabers only slammed on the blade’s spine and cheek, warding off the blade from penetrating the perimeter.

  If the blade landed on him, not even the Hundred Shield Union Array would protect him!

  In the meantime, Zhong Yue was coughing blood out, he supported himself with his two hands and slowly, he stood up.

  Jun Sixie gazed at him, her eyes were suffused in worry; the young man’s face was jaundiced, his chest was caved in from the kick, and a few snapped ribs were protruding out his sides with blood trickling down them.

  Zhong Yue kept mum, he raised his hands and pushed the broken ribs back into his chest, he took a deep breath and the sounds of bone-rattling could be heard — crack crack crack — he was shifting his abdomen and back muscles to forcibly rejoin the broken ribs back together!

  Jun Sixie watched as the young man haphazardly remedy himself, not a single groan was perceptible from him, but his back and forehead were soaked, sweat blended with blood flowing down his body in rivulets.

  The young man from the Zhong Shan Clan straightened up his body and he strode towards Bei Shisong who was preoccupied with the Fang Blade.

  “Junior Martial Brother Zhong….”

  Jun Sixie wanted to say something but was hesitant, then she said, “Thank you for trying so hard to save my life.”

  His smile was all bright and sunny, he said, “Don’t you worry senior martial sister, the roles are switched now, may senior martial sister wait for me return after I’ve slain him.”

  Chapter 88: The Ice Field Soaked in Blood |

  Zhong Yue coughed and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood. He strode quickly towards the position of the Bei God Yuan Shen that was maneuvering around in evasion of the Fang Blade, as it continued to close the distance with Zhong Yue.

  Clearly, Bei Shisong knew very well of the adage of catching a snake by the head; Zhong Yue was severely injured, his prowess heavily impaired, and as long as he was killed, the Fang Blade would cease to be a threat.

  “Mister Bei, do you think you can still move?”

  Zhong Yue wiped away the blood trickling down his mouth with the back of his hand. The Great Sun Golden Crow, by the prompting of his, Yuan Shen, commanded the zither string to extended as long as it could. Soon, the zither string reached its limit, stopping at a length of three miles long!

  Immediately after, the zither string turned and spiraled around the Bei God Yuan Shen, encircling it like a hornet’s nest encasing it in the middle. Meanwhile, the Fang Blade also followed suit in winding around the Bei God while thrusting and slashing at it incessantly.

  The Bei God Yuan Shen’s movements were restricted and a cold sweat rushed out of Bei Shisong’s forehead. The zither string was very sharp and incisive, it was after all, the soul weapon forged and refined by one of Swords Gate successors, Jun Sixie. With his current prowess, it was true that he could ward off the zither string; but with the zither string encircling him in tens of rounds, he could only fend against the Fang Blade in hopes of disrupting the zither string so that it would not come close to him!

  However, the Fang Blade was thrusting at him incessantly, it pinned down part of his sabers, if he stopped defending, he would be slain dead by this god’s fang.

  These monster wolves and monster hyenas, there are fifty-six of them, which means fifty-six sabers; I’ve broken seven away, leaving 49 left. Bei Shisong’s Sabre Blade Array is now incomplete, there’s a flaw in it!

  Rays flashed in Zhong Yue’s eyes, he did not go straight for the Bei God Yuan Shen, instead, he was staring at its body. Fifty-six monster beasts, forty-nine sabers; the sabers were revolving around, the monster beasts were passing the sabers around to those that had their sabers broken so that they could ward off the zither string sword silk and seventeen feet Fang Blade.

  One had to admit that Bei Shisong was indeed clever and brilliant, a terribly strong and formidable opponent. Under his command, the forty-nine nine sabers were passed around in the hands of the fifty-six six monster beasts; and yet there was no incoherence nor chaos, everything was smoothly done in an orderly manner, showing no flaws in its form!

  What a smart monster Qi Practitioner, so hard to deal with.

  Zhong Yue coughed again and another mouthful of blood was spurted out, he lifts his head with a smile on his face, “But our roles are switched, you now are the one defending, and your sabres are lacking in number; the longer the time, the greater the chances you will make a mistake.”

  A ray flashed in Bei Shisong’s eyes, he smirked and said, “With my intelligence and control ability, how is it possible for me to make a mistake? Don’t you be proud so quickly, the intense battle between you and I will attract the other monster Qi Practitioners over; I only need to hold a little longer until their arrival, and fear not, it will be very soon.”

  Zhong Yue smiled and responded, “I’m not dead yet, be at ease, with me being here, you will make a mistake before they will be able to arrive.”

  His Yuan Shen controlled the 18 Coral Tree Sword Qis, Xiang Dragon Sword and Wood Sword Qi, and proceeded to launch a vicious salvo of the three right at Bei God Yuan Shen. However, he was not aiming at the monster beasts on the Bei God’s body, but rather, the sabers in their hands!

  Myriad rays of Sword Qi rained down like a storm upon Bei Shisong, leaving him no option but to block them all. But in the fleeting silence following the ferocious exchange, the distinct sounds of metal cracking would be heard – another two sabers were broken away by the Fang Blade!

  Cold sweat continued to percolate out on Bei Shisong’s forehead, he could immediately discern the growing difficulty of maintaining the defensive and offensive efficiency of the revolving sabers around his Yuan Shen body.

  Zheng!

  Another saber was broken away.

  “Forty-six left.”

  Zhong Yue said calmly, “And now, forty-five sabers left.”

  One after another, the sabers continued to shatter into oblivion and Bei Shisong’s forehead began flooding in cold sweat, this was the first time he has ever encountered such a dire situation.

  Lost – I’ve been defeated by a petty human child. Now, the only question is, the price I’ll have to pay for my defeat….

  His eyes suffused in a flashing light, suddenly, a sinister pair of wings spanned out from his back as he launched into the air, the Bei God Yuan Shen quickly following behind. In the meantime, the monster wolves and monster hyenas that were bound to the Yuan Shen dispersed, hurriedly chasing after Jun Sixie like a flood of ants.

  “Hahaha, this is being decisive to cut loss quickly, and the diversion tactic!”

  Bei Shisong’s voice grew indistinct as he flew away, he guffawed in conceit, “Brat, your identity will be exposed, after I leave, the true paragons of the monster race will be coming after you! Who do you think it’ll be, Gu Hongzi or Lang Qingyun?”

  All of a sudden, a calm and indifferent voice came behind him, “Whoever it is, your life can’t be salvaged.”

  His hairs tingled and his heart skipped a beat, he shouted in fear and shock as he saw Zhong Yue riding atop lightning as he flashed over to him accompanied by the cacophonous rumbles of thunder, “You … aren’t you incapable of flying?! You’ve come after me, what about Jun Sixie? Are you going to let her die in the claws of my wolves and dholes?”

  “You’re quite wrong, Mister Bei.”

  Zhong Yue flashed over at great speed, Krong! Breaking through the sound barrier, he controlled the zither string sword silk and thrust it over at Bei Shisong, his voice cold and imperious, “I never said I can’t fly, I just don’t have an airborne combat skill in my arsenal. My Horizontal Thunder Control is faster than any winged flying skill, it is just the agility that it is lacking; hence, I try to refrain from using it in such unpredictable situations such as combat.
But if you truly insist on competing with me in pure speed … then I am happy to oblige! After I’ve killed you, I’ll still have time to turn around and save Senior Martial Sister Jun!”

  In time taken to say this, he had already closed the distance between Bei Shisong and himself to a mile. No matter how hard Bei Shisong tried, the manifestation of his flying skill was a pair of wings, it was not easy for a pair of fully extended wings to break through the sound barrier – the flowing gale of the wind will always pale against the supreme velocity of lightning. He was doomed to fail the moment he opted to escape from Zhong Yue’s Horizontal Thunder Control with a mere flap of his wings.

  Chui——

  The zither string sword silk shot over, a slight jitter of the string and Bei Shisong was beheaded; but Zhong Yue did not stop there, with a shift of thoughts, the zither string twisted in the air and proceeded to eviscerate Bei Shisong’s head and body into mince, the different parts of his body no longer distinguishable from one another.

  After Bei Shisong’s death, Zhong Yue immediately turned around; the landscape then filled with a blinding flash of lightning as Zhong Yue shot towards Jun Sixie!

  Over fifty monster beasts were sprinting at full speed, howling and roaring as they wielded sabers in their hands, chasing after Jun Sixie who was on the Jiao Dragon’s back. Under Zhong Yue’s control, the Jiao Dragon condensed from his psyche ocean soared forward with unfathomable speed.

  The monster beasts howled in anger, suddenly, the alpha wolf visualized a pair of wings that expanded to a span of a dozen feet as it soared into the winds. It’s speed increased greatly as it flitted through the air towards Jun Sixie!

  The monster wolf drew closer and closer and it clenched the saber, lifting it over its head. The next moment, the saber came crashing down fiercely directly at the young lady in green on the Jiao Dragon’s back.