CG C123: Wang Lin VS Elder Bu

I should be relaxing in the sect, not risking my life out here, Elder Bu thought bitterly as he floated high into the sky. A dozen years left to live, and they send me on this mission. If I die, no one will even care.

His gaze drifted briefly to his companions below. The two Core Formation cultivators were already locked in combat with the Azure Sky Sect members. And young Huang Tao...

Poor kid. Talented, but clearly offended the wrong person to end up here.

Elder Bu pushed those thoughts aside. He had bigger problems. His eyes locked onto the figure floating opposite him - a man in black robes.

So young...this can only be Wang Lin.

"I see that the rumours are true," Elder Bu called out. "You've broken through to the Nascent Soul realm."

A small smile played on Wang Lin's lips. "Indeed. And I must say, Elder Bu, I've taken many heads of Nascent Soul cultivators in my time. But yours will be the first as a Nascent Soul cultivator myself."

The casual way Wang Lin spoke of killing powerful cultivators sent a chill down Elder Bu's spine. He had heard tales of this young prodigy - not only was he a genius in cultivation, but a master of combat as well. If left unchecked, there might come a day when even the Sect Master of the Crimson Phoenix Sect would be no match for him.

If only those assassination attempts on had succeeded. How many times had the Crimson Phoenix Sect tried to nip this threat in the bud? But each time, this boy had somehow survived, and now he’s standing before me as an equal.

Elder Bu knew he had to end this quickly. He couldn't afford to let this fight drag on, it would only give the genius more time to analyse and breakdown his attacks. He took a step forward, though he stood on nothing but air. His robes began to smolder, then burst into flame. They burned away, revealing his body now covered in crimson fire.

"Crimson Phoenix Flame Body," Elder Bu called out the name of the technique that had helped him slay countless cultivation experts in the past. It was his trump card, and he hoped it would be enough to overwhelm the young upstart before him.

Wang Lin seemed unimpressed. He casually swung the plain black sword that had appeared in his hand. The air around the blade shimmered with an unnatural darkness, and Elder Bu watched in horror as the trees beneath them withered and died at the mere aftereffects of the sword's qi.

"Death qi," Elder Bu muttered. He had heard of Wang Lin's mastery over this rare and dangerous energy, but seeing it in action was something else entirely.

Not wanting to give Wang Lin a chance to attack, Elder Bu vanished in a burst of flame. He reappeared behind the young cultivator, his flaming fist aimed squarely at Wang Lin's head. When he saw no movement from his opponent, Elder Bu's heart soared - Wang Lin wasn't going to be able to dodge!

But at the last second, the young man's form dissolved into black mist. Bu's fist passed harmlessly through the shadows.

"An illusion?" Bu gasped.

"Not quite," Wang Lin's voice came from behind him.

Elder Bu spun around, only to see Wang Lin reforming from wisps of black qi.

"Death Step," Wang Lin explained. "A technique of my own creation. It allows me to temporarily transform my body into death qi."

Elder Bu stared in disbelief. To create such a technique at his age...

He looked down at his fist, still wreathed in flames. But the fire seemed dimmer now, less intense. "What did you do?"

Wang Lin's expression remained neutral. "My death qi doesn't just harm the body, Elder Bu. It corrodes qi itself. Even your Crimson Flame Body isn't immune."

I…I can’t beat him.

They were both beings at the Early Nascent Soul realm, yet the gap in their abilities was clear. Unlike many other cultivators, Elder Bu still had enough rationale left to know when he was outmatched so for a brief moment, he considered fleeing. But the importance of this mission held him back. He couldn't abandon his duty, not when so much was at stake.

What had happened to the Boundless Earth Sect members? Had Wang Lin already dealt with them?

But no, Elder Bu realized, shaking his head. Wang Lin had said this would be his first Nascent Soul kill as a Nascent Soul cultivator. That meant the Boundless Earth Sect cultivators were still alive, perhaps delayed by some means.

A plan began to form in Elder Bu's mind. If he could hold out long enough, surely the qi disturbances from their battle would draw the attention of the Boundless Earth Sect members. With their help, he might stand a chance against this monstrous young cultivator.

"What's the matter, Elder?" Wang Lin called out, his voice tinged with amusement. "Having second thoughts about our little dance?"

Elder Bu gritted his teeth. "You're skilled, boy, I'll give you that. But don't think for a moment that your youth and talent will be enough to overcome centuries of experience!"

With that, he charged forward once more, his body a comet of crimson flame. The elder knew he couldn't win in a direct confrontation, but perhaps he could buy enough time for help to arrive.

***

As the two Nascent Soul cultivators clashed high above the forest, a very different battle was unfolding below.

Yin Mengshuang stood face to face with Li Yuan, both Core Formation cultivators sizing each other up.

"Well, well," Li Yuan smirked. "What do we have here? A little girl playing at being a cultivator?"

Yin Mengshuang's eyes flashed dangerously. "This 'little girl' is about to teach you a lesson in respect, old man."

Li Yuan laughed. "Big words. Let's see if you can back them up!"

He lunged forward, his fist glowing with fiery qi. Yin Mengshuang didn't move, a small smile playing on her lips.

Just as Li Yuan's fist was about to connect, Yin Mengshuang's form shimmered and vanished.

"What?" Li Yuan stumbled, his momentum carrying him forward.

"Over here, old timer," Yin Mengshuang's voice came from behind him.

Li Yuan spun around, only to find himself face to face with... himself?

"Like what you see?" his doppelganger asked, wearing Yin Mengshuang's mischievous grin.

"An illusion?" Li Yuan growled. "You'll have to do better than that!"

He lashed out with a kick, but his foot passed right through the illusion.

Laughter echoed around him. Suddenly, he was surrounded by copies of himself, each wearing that same irritating grin.

"What's wrong?" they all asked in unison. "Can't tell reality from illusion?"

Li Yuan gritted his teeth. "Enough of these games!"

He closed his eyes, focusing on his qi sense. There! A flicker of real qi among the illusions.

With a roar, he charged forward, his fist aimed at the real Yin Mengshuang.

But just as he was about to strike, the ground beneath his feet turned to quicksand. Li Yuan sank up to his knees, thrown off balance.

"Too slow," Yin Mengshuang taunted, appearing a few feet away. "Maybe if you spent less time talking and more time training, you wouldn't be so easily fooled."

Li Yuan's face turned red with anger. "You little brat! I'll show you the power of a true Core Formation expert!"

He gathered his qi, preparing to break free of the illusory quicksand. But before he could, silver threads shot out from Yin Mengshuang's sleeves, wrapping around his arms and legs.

"What is this?" Li Yuan struggled against the bindings.

Yin Mengshuang smirked. "Dream Binding Threads. A little technique I picked up. They're quite useful for dealing with overconfident fools."

Li Yuan roared in frustration, his qi flaring as he tried to break free. But the more he struggled, the tighter the threads became.

"Now then," Yin Mengshuang said, her voice suddenly serious. "Let's have a real fight, shall we?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, Qi Liaxuan faced off against Zhao Xiuying.

Unlike the heated exchange between Yin Mengshuang and Li Yuan, these two Core Formation experts regarded each other with cold calculation.

"I've heard of you," Zhao Xiuying said. "Qi Liaxuan, master of the Dao of the Flowing Abyss."

Qi Liaxuan inclined his head slightly. "And I've heard of you, Zhao Xiuying. Your fire techniques are said to be quite impressive."

"Flattery won't save you," Zhao Xiuying snapped. She raised her hands, flames dancing between her fingers. "Prepare yourself!"

She unleashed a barrage of fireballs, each one hissing through the air towards Qi Liaxuan. But the Azure Sky Sect cultivator remained calm. With a wave of his hand, a wall of water rose up before him, extinguishing the flames in a cloud of steam.

"Fire against water," Qi Liaxuan mused. "A classic confrontation, wouldn't you agree? Like the eternal dance of yin and yang."

Zhao Xiuying's eyes narrowed. "Save your philosophizing for someone who cares. I'm here to fight, not chat."

She charged forward, her body wreathed in flames. But as she neared Qi Liaxuan, she found herself slowing. It was as if she was trying to run through thick syrup.

"What... what is this?" she gasped.

"The Dao of the Flowing Abyss is not just about water, you see,” Qi Liaxuan smiled. “It's about flow itself. Time, space... all can be manipulated if you understand the true nature of flow."

With a gesture, he sent a wave of water crashing towards Zhao Xiuying. But this was no ordinary water. It moved in impossible ways, splitting and reforming, defying gravity.

Zhao Xiuying tried to dodge, but in the warped space around her, her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. The water struck her, not with physical force, but with something far stranger. She felt time itself wash over her, years passing in seconds.

When the wave receded, Zhao Xiuying found herself gasping for breath. Her hair had streaks of gray in it now, and her skin felt looser, older.

"What... what did you do to me?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

Qi Liaxuan's expression was almost pitying. "I simply showed you a glimpse of the Abyss. Time flows differently there. But don't worry - the effects are temporary. Probably."

“How can you do this to me? This is power beyond the Core Formation realm!” Zhao Xiuying snarled as she gathered her qi, preparing for a massive attack. But before she could release it, Qi Liaxuan spoke again.

"Tell me, Zhao Xiuying. Have you ever considered the transient nature of our existence? How we are but ripples on the surface of a vast, uncaring universe?"

Despite herself, Zhao Xiuying found her concentration wavering. "What are you talking about?"

"Life, death, victory, defeat... in the grand scheme of things, do they truly matter? We fight, we struggle, but to what end?"

Zhao Xiuying shook her head, trying to clear it. But Qi Liaxuan's words seemed to echo in her mind, mixing with the lingering effects of the time distortion.

"I... I don't..."

"Perhaps," Qi Liaxuan continued, his voice soft and hypnotic, "it would be better to simply... let go. To allow yourself to be carried by the current of fate, rather than fighting against it."

Zhao Xiuying felt her will to fight draining away. A part of her knew this was wrong, that she was falling into some kind of trap. But another part... another part just wanted to rest.

Qi Liaxuan watched as confusion and doubt played across Zhao Xiuying's face. He knew his words were having an effect, burrowing into her mind, weakening her resolve.

The Dao of the Flowing Abyss is as much about the mind as it is about physical techniques, he thought. Break the enemy's will, and victory is assured.

But he knew better than to let his guard down. Zhao Xiuying was still a dangerous opponent, and if she broke free from his mental assault, her anger would make her even more formidable.

So, he prepared himself, gathering his qi for his next move. Whatever happened, he would be ready.

***

As these intense battles raged on, Kai and Shen Yu found themselves facing off against the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Huang Tao and Jin Ling.

Kai eyed them warily. Being in the Qi Refining realm, he knew he couldn't underestimate them. Foundation Establishment was a significant leap in power.

"Shen Yu," he said softly, "how do you want to play this?"

Shen Yu's face remained impassive. "Take the girl. I'll handle the boy."

Without another word, Shen Yu dashed forward, his movement so fast it left afterimages.

Huang Tao’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly recovered, raising his hands to defend himself.

Kai turned his attention to Jin Ling, who stood ready with a short sword in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed Kai.

"A Qi Refining cultivator?" Jin Ling scoffed. "They must be desperate to send someone like you."

Yes, underestimate me. That's the only way I survive this. He knew his only chance against a Foundation Establishment cultivator was to catch her off guard. The more she looked down on him, the better his odds.

Outwardly, Kai allowed a flicker of uncertainty to cross his face, as if Jin Ling's words had shaken his confidence. "I... I'm stronger than I look," he said, his voice deliberately wavering slightly.

Jin Ling's smirk widened. "Oh, I'm sure you are," she mocked, twirling her sword in the air. "This will be over quickly, little Qi Refiner. Try not to embarrass yourself too much."

That's it. Keep thinking I'm no threat. You have no idea what's coming.