Chapter Seven: Shattering the Kill

The markings did not fade with the passage of time; instead, they surged across the entirety of his body like a current, hidden beneath his skin and cloaked by his garments, invisible to the eye. Yet the aura it emitted was unmistakable—like waves breaking against the shore, relentless and powerful, coming one after another.

“Ha!” Bai Qi raised his head and shouted to the heavens, his voice tearing through space itself, echoing with the force of a battle cry.

In that instant, a surge of azure energy erupted like a beam of light, shooting toward the sky and spiraling outward, its diameter spanning several yards. Bai Qi was not unfamiliar with this blue hue—it was the same shade he had encountered in his enigmatic dream, during a state akin to chaos.

The three assassins had been like ravenous wolves eyeing a feeble lamb, their hunger palpable, intent on tearing him apart. The storm descended upon Bai Qi in the blink of an eye, threatening to shred him and his companion as if they were caught in the blades of a meat grinder. Before this, the assassin clad in gray had curled his lips in a faint smile, confident in his lethal strike—a move that had never failed to bring despair and death to his adversaries. He awaited his flawless victory with the patience of a hunter lying in wait, savoring the moment. But as time stretched, the smile on his lips twisted into a snarl, his throat trembling, his voice erupting in disbelief.

“How can this be?” The assassin in gray and his two companions cried out in unison, their shock, confusion, and frustration threatening to overwhelm the sound of clashing currents of spiritual energy. Bai Qi’s own spiritual power, blended with the mysterious azure force, had multiplied beyond comprehension—fierce and unstoppable.

With a thunderous roar, the collision of energies shattered the trap array, revealing a patch of forest nestled among green mountains. The shockwave sent rocks flying and snapped trees in half, terrifying the spirit beasts and birds, who scattered in all directions.

...

Time passed, and the once-chaotic forest grew eerily silent.

From the debris and earth emerged two figures, battered and trembling.

Upon closer inspection, it was Bai Qi and Kun. Bai Qi, wounded and unconscious, was slung across Kun’s back; Kun himself limped toward the edge of a massive pit, digging into the soil with one hand, clawing his way out. Blood dripped from Kun’s mouth, splattering onto the dark earth. Slowly, painfully, he dragged himself out of the pit, finally collapsing against the broken stump of a tree, panting for breath. From his robes, Kun produced a small black pill, fragrant and faintly sweet. Upon inhaling its aroma, his mind cleared, and a trace of spiritual energy stirred within him.

The pill lingered in Kun’s palm for only a few moments before he gently fed it to the unconscious Bai Qi. The medicine melted into a fluid, rushing into Bai Qi’s core, soothing and repairing his shattered bones, damaged meridians, and staunching the blood that seeped from his wounds.

After some time, seeing Bai Qi’s breathing steady and his vital signs return, Kun exhaled deeply, relieved.

This battle had been a nightmare—Bai Qi’s organs had been displaced, held together only by the pill’s temporary effects, which could not address the underlying injuries. Kun was bewildered by Bai Qi’s sudden surge of strength and the mysterious force he had unleashed. He had never seen anything like it before. The azure energy was particularly rare; among those he had fought, aside from the five elemental attributes and the less common ones like wind, thunder, ice, and rain, none had exhibited such a hue. Lost in thought, Kun failed to notice that the markings on Bai Qi’s chest shimmered like a living fish, then split and flowed through his body like branching streams. Within his chest, an invisible hand seemed to rearrange his internal organs.

With a metallic chime, the luminous markings shot into Bai Qi’s abdomen, expanding within his core. The pill’s effects, stimulated by this electric surge, were absorbed completely, restoring him further.

Watching Bai Qi slowly recover, Kun felt reassured, though he knew many questions remained. The passive activation of the Guangling Zither and the mysterious azure current had swept through like a primordial force—ancient, eternal, and heavy, bearing the weight of countless eras. Kun could not fathom how Bai Qi, his companion of many years, could harbor such power within him. Judging by the earlier explosion, Bai Qi had no control over this force, its activation eerily similar to that of the zither—passive and unpredictable.

This power was overwhelmingly devouring. Kun had watched the terror in the eyes of the gray, black, and red assassins—a fear deeper than despair, rooted in their souls. When the two currents collided, their fate was like a planet engulfed by a sudden black hole, vanishing without a trace, leaving only the despair etched in their pupils and the terror branded upon their souls.

Reflecting on the event, Kun himself was shocked. Had the three assassins been facing him, not Bai Qi, he would have been obliterated, not even a trace remaining. His gaze flicked toward the fragments of colored clothing near the pit’s edge, his eyes cold and murderous. Their survival was a miracle, owed entirely to Bai Qi’s desperate struggle. The enemy had expected an easy capture, but instead met their end here, without a shred of regret.

Kun leaned against the broken tree, shifted his weight, and sat upright, entering meditation. After a while, the spiritual energy around him, thin as chopsticks, slowly streamed into his core, restoring his strength bit by bit.

Trembling, Kun grasped the tree trunk and stood, dusted himself off, took a few steps forward, and hoisted Bai Qi onto his back once more.

He knew returning was impossible; they could only retreat deeper into the mountains for now. Kun had long ago prepared a cave in the depths of the Green Mountain as a refuge for emergencies—now, it was needed. The villagers could not be saved; if he disappeared, they would lose their value to the enemy. As for consequences, he was powerless for now… If fate allowed, he would avenge them one day.

The two staggered toward their destination. Meanwhile, Soul Sparrow, whom Kun had knocked unconscious earlier, opened his eyes to a slit, squinting as he watched them leave. Blood still stained his lips, but he quickly sprang up, crouched, and scanned his surroundings. His mouth curled into a sly smile, the same expression he had worn before, when facing Bai Qi and Kun. Soul Sparrow had witnessed everything—the activation of the Guangling Zither, Bai Qi’s eruption of azure energy. Though he didn’t know why his superior pursued the zither so relentlessly, nor its exact purpose, he had seen the blue current clearly and suddenly recalled fragments of ancient legends and records. Soul Sparrow realized he had learned a forbidden secret, one he dared not reveal. If he spoke, he would be the first to die. He was eager to know how Bai Qi had obtained such power, but could only investigate covertly. Anything related to the “ancient” was treated as taboo.

Soul Sparrow glanced at the site of the explosion, his lips curled in contempt as he observed the remnants of the three assassins—only scraps of clothing remained. He snorted coldly, “Arrogant fools, they died without even knowing how.” He touched his forehead, muttering, “I’ll report this to the master first. As for the other matter… it’s time to return to the old place.”

As the crowd dispersed, the scene was desolate, occasionally pierced by the distant growls of spirit beasts. No birds or animals dared approach the former battlefield, leaving it empty and oppressive.