The Path Of Least Resistance. Chapter 24 (Patreon)

The Void Mantis hidden final boss of this dungeon was waiting for our arrival into it's boss lair. And I knew that little shit was doing just that as I could feel it's naked icy killing intent as it hid from our view.

But that... Blatant intent to murder the hell out of us made it a beacon to our senses. So the moment the human sized giant mantis stepped out of a spatial fold behind us. As it's arm blades came down together to cut Dao Xuan in half.

We were ready with it's spatial energy-enhanced blades crackling with power as they fell upon a peak tier three shield talisman that she activated to defend herself.

And while the Void Mantis's spatially enhanced forearm blades stabbed through the shield. The shield itself remained strong which didn't allow the Void Mantis to actually harm Dao Xu.

It's arm blades were quickly wrenched out of the shield as Dao Toubi and I slashed at the Void Mantis, both of us sending an arc of sword light that the Void Mantis hurriedly blocked with it's own arm blades.

Then a pillar of freezing water that had countless icy blades hidden invisibly in the water smashed into the Void Mantis and launched it across the room and into the wall with such force that the dungeon shuddered as the wall was cracked with the force.

"We can't use more Golden Core-ranked attack talismans, or the dungeon will punish us!" Dao Mengdi said hurriedly as she threw aside the burnt-out scroll that once housed the powerful spell she certainly couldn't cast on her own.

The Void Mantis however, being hit by a full-power spell a full realm higher then it's own cultivation. Wasn't doing well at all. While it did have an exoskeleton that provided an enhanced raw defensive line. 

That exoskeleton was strong, yet brittle. And the force of that spell had broke that exoskeleton in multiple places that was leaking purple blood into the ground as it forced itself back up into a standing position.

'Dao Mengdi didn't have that powerful talisman in the canon timeline? Otherwise, she woudn't have died in the original fight.' I thought with a slight frown before I shook my head and refocused on killing the Void Mantis.

I summoned up several Beast Fire Cannon's from the roots I had been already filling the ground in case I needed to block the Void Mantis's teleportation. Then my face twitched as Dao Xuan and Dao Xu pulled out an entire armload of much lower quality talismans which they ignited with a shout of their qi filling the talisman's with power.

Dozen's of water and icy spells were shot out like a shotgun of exploding elemental effects which hit me with a blackblast of icy water that sent me flying across the room with a shout. "Watch the friendly fire! What the hell, it's almost dead!?"

And in answer, the Void Mantis teleported and dodged most of the wild talisman's that the two willful young mistresses pissed away at it's injured form.

My senses screamed at me, and I swung my saber towards the side. And as my sword hit the arm blades of the Void Mantis. I ripped my feet out from under myself as my low-grade sword shattered into three pieces as those spatial enhanced arm blades carved through my sword without so much as a fart of resistance.

'Fuck, fuck fuck!' I mentally cursed as the Void Mantis leapt at me with pure speed but was forced back as a powerful explosion of purple Beast Flames exploded from my hand and the Wood Fire Cannons I had turned towards it.

'I am NOT a good close-range fighter.' I reminded myself helplessly before a loud hiss rang out and I grinned as I managed to use the thick conjured roots that had filled the ground to snap around the legs of the Void Mantis.

And the Void Mantis's hissing was well deserved as the roots that were wrapped around it's limbs were glowing with the great heat of the beast flames I had absorbed.

So not only was it's limbs being crushed, but also being burnt horribly as it was forcibly held in place. 

"It's can't teleport!" I called out in realization as it's form shuddered turning almost see through before violently expeled blood from it's mouth and it's other wounds as it coudn't teleport my root network that was anchoring it in place.

And that backlash clearly did ALOT of damage. Possibly just as much internal damage as Dao Mengdi's Golden Core-level talisman.

Between violently vomiting a pint of blood and some mulched internal organs, the Void Mantis barely was able to raise up it's arm blades to block Dao Toubi's powerful directly sword slash.

And unlike my own poor swordsmanship that failed against its arm blades covered in spatial energy. She was able to cover her sword in actual sword qi, which protected her sword enough to meet the cutting spatial energy on the edge of the arm blades.

While Dao Toubi matched the monster in raw swordplay, that gave me and Dao Xu time to reinforce her as Dao Xuan leaned against one of the larger primary root's I had filled the massive room with.

Dao Xuan's gentle cool water-attributed qi merged with the root's raging fiery qi I was controlling. And for a moment, I was worried they would conflict due to my Fire coming from an absorbed Beast Flame.

But instead the cool watery qi only merged with and helped fuel the wood qi that formed the framework of my technique. Highly increasing the wood qi's lifeforce and allowed it to move all the quicker as it grew.

A powerful root turned into more of a tree trunk in but moments as it crossed over and Dao Toubi used it as a shield to block the mantis's arm blades that sunk into the fiery glowing tree trunk sized root.

Seeing the chance for what it was. I ripped the mantis's arm blades and body itself up into the air partially before the arm blades cut through the wood to free it's limbs.

But in that motion. As the Void Mantis's arm blades were forcibly raised, it's limbs still tied down to the countless lesser roots that prevented it from teleporting outwards. It was open for Dao Toubi who didn't miss the chance I gave her.

Dao Toubi's sword flared with sword light as she stepped forward and as she swung her sword.

Her weak Fortune Halo exploded with color as true Sword Intent flared from her form as the sword light condensed with the Void Mantis was cut in half, with a long gash being sent through the ground ahead of Dao Toubi.

'Wow! Besides Dao Xu herself who wanted to bring everyone here to this damned death trap. She is the only one whose Fortune Halo only got weaker with how I took the Gu.' I thought helplessly as a new dungeon chest and the dungeon portal formed after the Void Mantis was slain.