༺ The Slanted Ceiling and the Mountain of Laughing Corpses – 4 ༻
The invisible sword lunged at the Earth Sage. Clang. Her five bracelets met the blade sequentially, deflecting it.
The regressor used Chun-aeng’s speed to target the Earth Sage’s neck directly, but instead of blocking or evading, the latter simply let the attack through with a slight tilt of her head before retaliating with a punch.
Typically, the sword held the advantage against a fist, but that logic didn’t apply in a duel beyond the norm; the very basis of engagement differed.
The sword pierced the Earth Sage’s earring as she channeled her energy, using Qi Deflection powerful enough to repel the wind. Given the unstable manner in which Chun-aeng was wielded, her deflection resulted in the blade merely grazing her neck.
In contrast, even if the regressor activated her defensive Qi, the Earth Sage’s punch would deliver its full impact. She was the one with the sword, yet she was the one losing out.
“Tsk!”
Switching her focus, the regressor retracted Chun-aeng to aim a slash at the Earth Sage’s bracelet-free left arm. She inflicted a long gash that instantly welled with blood.
But a brief grunt from the Earth Sage seemed to heal the wound. No, rather than heal, she had merely compressed the injury using her Qi Arts and the muscles of her whole body. Nevertheless, the distinction seemed negligible.
As repayment for the slash, the Earth Sage’s powerful fist mercilessly surged toward the regressor. The regressor managed a last-second defense with Chun-aeng and block, but the mighty blow proved hard to stop using the sword alone.
“Argh!”
Even with the dimensional force she had stored in Chun-aeng unleashed, the regressor couldn’t neutralize the attack and was blown backward.
Observing her opponent, the Earth Sage readied her palm once more. If the regressor had failed to learn her lesson and landed on the ceiling again, she intended to make mince of her this time for sure. And should the regressor drop straight to the ground, she would employ shockwaves to attack instead.
But the regressor chose neither the ceiling nor the ground.
Skyblade Art, Storm Cloud. Chun-aeng began to slowly gleam a radiant white beginning from its hilt. The sky, a vast expanse brimming with passion and wind, birthed high clouds from the dance of heat with liberated air.
Skyblade Art, Stepping Cloud.
The point of her shimmering blade fluttered like a butterfly, taking form in the void. What materialized appeared as a solid cloud. The white fluff looked as though a piece of the sky was compacted like a brick.
The regressor performed an aerial flip and landed on the Stepping Cloud. Though it seemed her feet might sink into its softness, the cloud supported her as steadfastly as solid ground.
“Haah…”
With heaven and earth inverted, she bent her knees and assumed a stance. Chun-aeng gleamed with light. She coiled herself, focusing her energy.
Absorbing her power, the cloud’s hue deepened, reminiscent of an immortal artist’s ink stroke, growing more profound with each moment.
Clouds weren’t always white. On tempestuous days, when the heavens were enraged, clouds would sometimes menacingly roar toward the land below. Such a transition in color was an omen of the sky being filled with power.
With the regressor creating a foothold for herself, the Earth Sage missed her window to counteract. She hastily used geomancy to pull the nearby concrete walls to her, but she was a moment too late. The regressor’s figure disappeared.
Skyblade Art, Thunderhawk.
Lightning flashed, and the abyss was pierced by the biggest, thunderous echo in the world.
Lightning was a bridge between heaven and earth, its raw force heralded belatedly by thunder’s roar. But by the time thunder sounds, divine judgment would already have been exacted.
Hence, thunder was the sky’s echoing afterthought. Once its voice was heard, it was already too late.
The regressor’s silhouette reappeared behind the Earth Sage, leaving behind a trail of lightning. The ambient static faintly mapped her path of movement. The crackling, remnant energy enveloping her caused her hair to bristle.
The regressor exhaled sharply as she turned around.
Crack!
Her bladestrike materialized in the form of lightning. A bolt of energy descended, bridging the gap between the looming storm cloud and her.
The Earth Sage’s concrete barrier was scorched and splintered. The resulting cracks bore a resemblance to lightning bolts.
The attack was swift and intense. Unavoidable, and infused with lightning.
And yet…
“How… exhilarating!”
The Earth Sage curled her lips, directing that energy into the ground.
Since the dawn of time, the earth had stood unwavering against innumerable lightning strikes. It didn’t merely endure. Even lightning was embraced into its arms.
The regressor had executed her most formidable attack, but it fell short of dealing a fatal blow.
Blood traced the Earth Sage’s lips, but that was the extent of her injuries. One of her bracelets had broken, and cuts marred her arms and shoulders, but nothing more. By channeling the lightning away and tightening her muscles using gravitating Qi, her wounds closed as if they had never existed.
This resembled Mother Earth’s resilience to heal eventually despite countless scars.
“Tsk.”
Ignoring the throbbing warning from her wrist, the regressor lifted Chun-aeng. The connection was set. Her blade was at her side, the cloud afar. She needed only to link the two again.
Electricity surged through her, causing the overhead storm cloud to growl ominously.
But just as she was about to take a lightning-charged step…
“Earth Dragon.”
The Earth Sage invoked the zenith of Earth Arts, lifting her hand to draw forth a dust storm from the concrete. It was an impossible feat. The hard concrete wasn’t even cracked anywhere. How could it birth dust?
Yet for the Earth Sage, it was indeed possible.
The concrete of the ceiling, the sloping Tantalus, began to churn on its own. Through its own collisions and friction, it swiftly transformed into soil and dust. Reverting to its original form, the concrete was rapidly drawn to the Earth Sage.
The morphed concrete, this manifestation of earthly might, rose like a coiled serpent, shrouded by a dusty cloud. It looked like a dragon had come out of the ground.
It devoured the storm cloud in a heartbeat, and the cloud, being too close to the ground, was no more.
｢Dammit, an earth dragon. Luckily… it’s a bit small right now.｣
In a previous lifetime, the Earth Sage had possessed Jizan and summoned two earth dragons to encircle a vast temple. She had enough power to pluck out individuals in the temple with her dragons, one by one.
Commanding two earth dragons, the Earth Sage had marched, resembling an earthwyrm aspiring to overturn the heavens. She was a relentless nightmare, drawing closer to confront Sanctum for their sins.
Compared to then, she only had one earth dragon that was just big enough to ensnare a single person.
｢Though of course… the question remains if I can handle it.｣
Its diminished size could make it all the more challenging.
The earth dragon coiled protectively around the Earth Sage, creating a swirling shield of sand.
In response, the regressor brandished Chun-aeng. She became enveloped in clouds teeming with lightning, her hair standing on end.
“Here I go.”
“Come.”
It was a brief exchange, hardly enough to be a conversation. But no more words were needed.
The regressor charged, swinging her sword, while the Earth Sage raised both hands in preparation.
The earth dragon’s jaws opened wide. It was no simple geomancy. It was the earth itself, moving fluidly like a serpent, synchronized with the Earth Sage’s martial arts.
The Earth Sage threw a light punch, and the dragon of concrete lunged at the regressor.
In response, the regressor bounced lightly forward… and ran past the dragon’s side.
Such agility could only be exhibited by someone with a light physique, advanced acrobatics, and deep mastery over Qi. Like riding a wave instead of going against it, she glided along, using Chun-aeng’s blade against the dragon to steer her course.
The Earth Sage was impressed, even as she threw another punch.
Sword met martial arts.
The invisible, untrackable blade flew through the air, cutting into the Earth Sage’s bracelets, deflecting her attacks and whittling away at her flesh. But the Earth Sage’s earth dragon acted as armor that made it hard for any attack to land.
As the regressor clicked her tongue in frustration, the earth dragon saw the moment it had been waiting for—it struck like a viper. The moment its body twitched, its head had already shot forth.
Using her Heavenly Counter Domain, the regressor narrowly escaped the attack.
｢I’m so glad I have this ability…!｣
Feeling relief in her heart, the regressor targeted the dragon’s exposed neck. With its head severed, the dragon focused solely on defense, biding time for its regeneration.
The ensuing battle was a draining tug-of-war, sapping both energy and concentration. Undoubtedly, the regressor found herself on the losing end.
｢If only I was facing someone who was just fast. I could’ve used my counter skills in a speed duel…!｣
The opponent was as steadfast as the ground itself, living up to the moniker of “Earth Sage”. Even when the regressor did land the occasional blow, her body, hardened like stone through decades of training, only suffered superficial scratches.
But for the regressor, even one hit would be lethal, especially now; she was in the most vulnerable, early stage of her regression.
The Earth Sage made a wide, diagonal sweep with her hand. It wasn’t much of an attack, yet even that posed danger. Parrying with her blade, the regressor silently vented her frustration.
｢What’s the point of training after regressing?! My body doesn’t change! Tsk. Do I have to use that…?｣
“You jumped.”
As the Earth Sage said this, she readied her fist. The regressor tried to react, but her feet were slightly off the ground at that moment.
｢Oh no!｣
She hadn’t managed to create a safe distance yet and was caught off-balance while parrying the previous attack. It was an oversight.
With her feet firmly set on the ground, the Earth Sage sensed her opponent’s state by the tremors passing through the corpses and prepared her next strike.
“Void Gravitation.”
A crystalline shatter echoed through the void. A peculiar distortion of Qi seized the very fabric of the world.
｢Void Gravitation?! She could manifest that… physically as well?!｣
In a previous life cycle, the Earth Sage had used this ultimate technique to bend reality itself, deflecting incoming arrows and bullets to capture a fleeing foe.
｢I didn’t think it could be used in direct combat!｣
Despite no physical contact, the regressor was pulled away.
The Earth Sage exhibited the apex of the Heaven and Earth Arts, gathering tremendous power into her right arm. Both her intact and damaged bracelets vibrated in resonance, producing a hum resembling that of cicadas.
The Earth Sage simply exerted Qi Gravitation from her whole being, yet the regressor was powerless against its pull. She could fight it off if she tried, but by then, it would be too late. Ensnared by this technique, her only option was to steel herself for what came next.
“If you are resilient.”
In a short motion, the Earth Sage thrust her fist forward. The earth dragon above the regressor, its body wound tight like a spring, instantaneously lunged, snapping at its target with all its might.
“Ga—argh!”
A choked cry rang out, punctuated by the sound of something breaking. The regressor was hurled into the distance by the force of the dragon’s strike. She rolled among the corpses, looking like one of them.
“Then you will survive.”
The Earth Sage finished in a murmur, wiping away blood from her face. The regressor answered with painful groans.
“Ugh, urgh…!”
“…You are indeed resilient. But your state is already dire. I doubt you can continue.”
Summing up her assessment, the Earth Sage began to turn away, intending to climb the mountain of corpses.
Yet, the regressor began to slowly get up.
