STNS: Chapter 486 (Patreon)

Wu Jian did not need to be a genius to know that he could not afford to underestimate this woman. Zhou Wen was a foe unlike any he had ever faced before. The fact that she could destroy a terracotta guardian so easily was proof enough. He was amazed at how deeply this woman had hidden her strength, bidding her time until she was certain he was Wu Jian.

[Body of the Celestial White Tiger]

That was why Wu Jian started this battle off by unleashing his strongest technique. The dormant blood within him pulsated with power, flooding his body with a different kind of chi than what he normally used. His body transformed dramatically--muscles expanding, ripping through his garments as they thickened and hardened, his stature growing more commanding, more intimidating. His eyes morphed into the slitted irises of a predatory cat and exuded an aura of primal dominance. Even his hands and feet morphed into deadly claws that were sharp and resilient enough to rip through the toughest armors. As his hair grew longer, spiked, and changed from black to white, Wu Jian’s transformation was completed, and he unleashed a bestial roar that shook the ground before charging forward.

“Oh my… I see you can transform into a cat,” Zhou Wen said with a giggle. “Do you really think this increase in strength will be enough?”

Wu Jian did not speak. There was no need for words.

[Teleportation]

He disappeared without a trace, and in the next second, Zhou Wen was already raising her hands to block his attack. It was a fierce kick that would have broken a normal person’s bone. That Zhou Wen received the attack as though it was nothing irked him, but he didn’t let himself get discouraged.

[Teleportation]

Wu Jian appeared beneath Zhou Wen, hands on the ground, ducking low as he went for a leg sweep. His attack could have shattered a regular cultivators bones. Even someone a realm above him would not escape unscathed.

[Temporal Stasis Strike]

Eyes widening as Zhou Wen leapt over his leg sweep, he tried to pull it back but soon realized it wouldn’t move. He looked down. Swirling energies surrounded his leg, distorting it.

Before he could even figure out how to get out of this leg lock, Zhou Wen came down to solidly stomp on his knee, but she was blocked when Youmei erupted from a shadow and scratched her across the face. The attack didn’t harm her, however, and Youmei was punched with such force that she was sent soaring through the air. She landed on her feet and skidded across the ground.

[Vermillion Ascendance]

Wu Jian was not the only one who had decided to release all their limits. Shuchang had tapped into the power of the Vermillion Bird. His chi skyrocketed until he had enough chi to match someone at the Realization Realm. The flaming red aura that surrounded him looked like the purest fire in the universe, and yet, the heat it emitted seemed to only affect Zhou Wen.

[Vermillion Inferno Fists]

The flames gathered on Shuchang’s hand as he launched himself at Zhou Wen, attacking her with a relentless barrage. Over and over and over. Each attack caused small explosions that pushed the woman back, or that was how it seemed at first.

[Aeon Blade]

Zhou Wen channeled chi into her hand, creating a temporal sword that cut through Shuchang’s flames. The man’s eyes widened as he tried to retreat. Wings erupted from his back and he flapped them to soar away. He was too slow. The sword came back for a return swing that tore through his wings and then pierced his left shoulder. Shuchang grimaced but kicked the woman with a flaming foot that launched him away from her. As he landed on the ground, he pressed a hand to his shoulder as it quickly healed.

During that time, Wu Jian had overpowered the lock on his leg. He’d had practice breaking out of timelocks thanks to Wu Meiying’s training. She had sparred with him several times during their days at the Heavenly Sword Sect. All of that training had been for moments like this.

Wu Jian raised himself into a partial handstand and kicked. His attack caught Zhou Wen’s arms after she had crossed them. He wasn’t strong enough to injure her, but that did not mean his attack lacked power. The woman was lifted off her feet and sent sailing backwards.

That was the moment Hou Jingshu had been waiting for. The young woman blasted off the ground and into a sprint that had her closing the distance with Zhou Wen in seconds. She attempted to spear the woman with her weapon, but Zhou Wen was able to block her attack by infusing her clothes with chi. Still, Zhou Wen was blasted high into the air, and Hou Jingshu leapt after her, quickly ascending above Zhou Wen.

[Clawing the Heavens]

She charged chi into her hand, which took the shape of a massive dragon’s claw covered in glistening golden scales. Hou Jingshu roared much like a dragon as she swung her entire arm with all her strength. The attack slammed into Zhou Wen with so much power that she broke the sound barrier as she was blasted back to the ground. The rumbling shockwave echoed all around them, dirt and earth sprayed everywhere.

Wu Jian walked to the ledge of the crater that Hou Jingshu’s attack had created. The dust was suffocating and he couldn’t see anything, but he didn’t think that would be enough to kill Zhou Wen. He furrowed his brow as he stared into the dust. Why couldn’t he sense her?

“Are you looking for someone?” a person asked behind him.

Wu Jian’s eyes widened, but he didn’t have time to turn. He channeled chi into his back, reinforcing it, and it was a good thing he had done so. Something sharp and powerful struck his spine. Pain rampaged through him as his spine bent, threatening to snap. His feet left the ground as he flew forward. He managed to swing his legs around and landed on the ground, but he was forced to take a knee seconds later as the world around him spun.

A shadow appeared over him. It was Zhou Wen. She stared down at him with cold, amused eyes, like she was taking pleasure in his suffering.

“You don’t look so good. Perhaps you should take a seat.”

Zhou Wen snapped a kick that caught Wu Jian in the chin. He flinched, body jerking, as he landed on his backside. It felt like that attack had rattled his skull.

[Dragon’s Roar]

He was certain Zhou Wen would have tormented him even more, but a burst of potent chi erupted from Hou Jingshu, which she released in an immense roar that created a powerful shockwave. The attack slammed into Zhou Wen and pushed her back, though only by a little less than three chih.

[Shadow Spears]

Spears erupted from the ground, set to pierce Zhou Wen, but she shattered each one with her fists. That did not deter Youmei, who emerged from one of the shadows and bit the woman on the leg. A panther’s teeth were quite strong. The attack managed to break through Zhou Wen’s skin, causing blood to well up.

“Damn beast!”

Zhou Wen yanked her foot out of Youmei’s mouth and launched a kick at caught the magical beast in the ribs. Even Wu Jian could hear the loud snapping sound of bones breaking.

“YOUMEI!!!”

***

Zhou Lihua had been caught in a daze ever since Zhou Wen revealed the truth. Her own family had murdered the family of the boy she loved.

At first, she felt a profound sense of shock, of complete and utter disbelief. She had always known her family was not the best, that they had a hidden darkness, but she had still believed that they were relatively righteous and good. Learning that they had destroyed an entire clan was enough to pull the rug out from under her. Worse still, the boy she loved was part of the clan they destroyed.

Betray, anguish, confusion, guilt… all these emotions hit her immediately after. She felt betrayed by her family and anguished over what they had done to Wu Jian, confusion and conflict over her own loyalties, and guilt because while she herself might not have been responsible for what happened, the fact was that her clan had committed this act. She was guilty by association.

As she sat there on the ground, unable to move a muscle, a battle raged before her eyes. Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Shuchang battled against Zhou Wen. Up to now, she had thought of this woman as little more than a simple maid with a bad sense of timing. Now she knew the truth. This woman had been sent to spy on her because she was close to Wu Jian. Ever since this woman appeared, her purpose had been to keep an eye on Zhou Lihua. She felt sick to her stomach.

Wait. Where is Youmei…?

Zhou Lihua did not see Youmei at first, but then she spotted a black lump lying in the distance. Her heart dropped into her stomach. The battle between the four cultivators was still raging, and it looked like Zhou Wen was having little trouble fending them off, but she stopped paying attention and rushed over to Youmei’s side. She flipped the young magical beast onto her back. Youmei was breathing, which caused her to sigh in relief, but blood leaked down her mouth and her breathing was erratic.

She needs a recovery pill quickly.

Zhou Lihua summoned a recovery pill from her storage ring and pressed it to Youmei’s mouth. The young girl didn’t eat it. She bit her lip, then popped the pill into her own mouth, crushed it, and pressed her mouth to Youmei’s. She pushed the fluid into Youmei’s mouth and massaged the girl’s throat so she would swallow it. After the young girl drank all the liquid, Zhou Lihua watched and waited, only allowing herself to feel relieved when the young panther’s breathing became more even. She wiped the blood from Youmei’s mouth, then looked up as a massive explosion rent the air.

They’re still fighting…

Shuchang had released some kind of massive fire technique that she had never seen before. It looked like a gigantic bird of prey made entirely of flames. The bird swooped down and attacked Zhou Wen, who merely destroyed it with a punch, but then the bird split into multiple smaller birds and flew around her.

While she was distracted, Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu moved in to attack, keeping the woman occupied at close range. Wu Jian threw his greatsword, which missed his opponent and slammed into the ground. Then he closed the distance and attacked with his fists. He was an excellent martial artist. Each strike was powerful and precise. Beside him, Hou Jingshu carefully aimed for the gaps he created, her attacks coming in so fast they were almost a blur. Because of the threeway assault, Zhou Wen was unable to properly find her footing and forced on the defensive.

Or so it seemed.

Something is wrong here…

Zhou Lihua knew very little about Zhou Wen’s fighting style, but the woman did not appear flustered or on the back foot. She had a calm smile as though she knew nothing they could do would harm her. Did she have a secret weapon? She didn’t know, but Zhou Lihua bit her lip as her thoughts took a different turn. What should she do?

Zhou Lihua did not consider herself loyal to the Zhou Clan, but that did not mean she felt nothing either. She loved her father and wanted to live up to his expectations. However, knowing what she did now made her wonder about what she should be doing. Could she just sit here and watch as Wu Jian was captured by her own family? She feared the future--feared losing Wu Jian’s love and trust now that the truth had been revealed, and anxiety about the consequences this might have on her position within her family. What should she do? What could she do? Zhou Lihua didn’t know and it was driving her insane.

Just then, Zhou Wen’s chi seemed to skyrocket, and Zhou Lihua’s eyes widened as the entire world around her seemed to freeze. It was like the world around Zhou Wen within a ten chih radius had suddenly lost all color. She had never seen anything like it.

[Temporal Domain]

“You kids really are powerful. I might actually lose if I keep fighting you, but it’s all over now.” Zhou Wen’s smile was so malicious that Zhou Lihua felt her heart constrict even though she wasn’t the recipient. As the woman raised her hand, coated in powerful chi, Zhou Lihua felt her heart grow cold. “It is time for you three to die.”