Volume 5
287 Jiao S versus Du Yue!
Jiao S’s sword glinted as it was raised high in the air. The sky was turning darker and darker, making it look as if we were under a heavily-polluted ocean as more and more dark clouds gathered above us. The water was choppy and just like being on a tiny boat in a rough ocean; everyone was unsteady on their feet.
Unlike me, the rest still had MF at their disposal. They could use some of their MF to balance themselves on the water surface even as they engaged in battle. I was no different from an ordinary human being without MF, and it was thanks to my experience in previous fights that prevented me from falling head-first into the water!
Guan Nie’s illusion was rather unusual. Though we might lose our balance on the water, we would never end up sinking into it!
Splash!
I lost my balance and fell forwards as a huge wave rocked me! It felt like falling face-first into a massive puddle of water as I ended up choking on the water!
I coughed while struggling to get up from the slippery surface. As expected, there was no one who could look out for me at this juncture! They could all use their MF to float a little above the surface, while I was the only one who couldn’t!
“I’d not have deactivated my split symbol if I had known this would happen!” I mumbled to myself as I stood up clumsily. Looking at Scorpion Ray on my left wrist, I asked, “Is it really not possible to summon you without MF, my precious?”
“What are you mumbling about, Ah Shen? Be careful!” Jiao S was stepping on a steady platform created by focusing air currents below her feet as she turned around to give me a reminder even though she was engaged in a fierce battle with the fiery qilin.
Gaoqin Jiuye steadied himself with the help of Piercer and Shen Qi. The blood stains on his top had already been diluted with all this water! His hair was a mess, but his eyes were as bright as the sparks produced by striking a flint.
He pushed Piercer away with his remaining hand and said, “Go protect her!”
Shen Qi supported him, playing the role of Gaoqin Jiuye’s right hand while holding his shoulder and helping him find his balance upon the water.
Seeing Gaoqin Jiuye more or less settled, Piercer was back by my side in a split second. I was still unsteady in the water, and Piercer helped pull me out of it.
“You might just die here today if I didn’t happen to be your living weapon. Who asked you to deactivate your split symbol on a whim.” Piercer pulled me up into the air with her as she berated me gently.
With her skillful manipulation of air currents, Jiao S jumped through the air with agility. Her sword lengthened and shortened seemingly randomly as she attacked, and the fiery qilin looked like it was having a difficult time going against her.
Jiao S controlled the air currents well and because she was petite, she could be extremely fast in the air. Her sword was fast too, and when it enlarged, it could reflect the fireballs that the qilin spat at her.
She deflected the fire attacks with no difficulty. This might probably be because Feng, Huo and Lei used to always be by her side in the past, so it was not difficult for her to deflect attacks of a similar nature.
Du Yue seemed to find the performance of her qilin unsatisfactory as she shouted, “Withdraw!”
The qilin then roared at the sky before transforming into a fiery halberd! The halberd was red in color and engulfed in bright flames!
Unfazed by the angry flames, Du Yue jumped into the air and grabbed that fiery halberd with a raised hand! She looked like a goddess of war as she held her weapon high.
“As expected from the most domineering female soul splitter in the Split Zone. She has this aura of not taking any prisoners.” Though Piercer praised Du Yue’s abilities, she did not look the least bit fearful.
This made me a little upset since she praised Du Yue when Jiao S was fighting against her. I rolled my eyes and said, “Jiao S is no weakling either. I don’t think she’d lose to a soul splitter like Du Yue in terms of aura or ability.”
Right after I spoke, Jiao S summoned great waves behind her with an angry stare. She waved her left hand in Du Yue’s direction and the water turned into countless tiny droplets as they shot towards Du Yue!
Her gigantic sword lengthened as she directed the water droplets towards Du Yue with a wave!
With a cold gaze, Du Yue waved her halberd to form a fiery screen in an attempt to parry Jiao S’s attack!
Jiao S’s attack was executed perfectly, and it was as quick as lightning!
The water in between them began to churn suddenly, as if affected by the strong waves of MF!
Du Yue’s fiery screen did not look weak at all, but her speed was just a bit slower than Jiao S’s!
Being slower than the enemy spelled certain death in battle!
Though Du Yue didn’t end up dying with this attack, I could see the killing intent rise in her eyes as Jiao S’s water droplets scratched her face!
Bloody lines appeared on that white skin of hers, and they were slow to heal!
“How dare you…” She stared at Jiao S with gritted teeth. A burning flame emerged in Du Yue’s eyes, and she suddenly threw her fiery halberd into the air above her!
The bright red body of the halberd looked like it could split the sky in half! Du Yue’s fingers bent, as if she was controlling the halberd in the air!
Jiao S backed away, using her gigantic sword as a shield as she sensed looming danger. I said to Piercer, “You have to go help Jiao S if she ends up being in danger later!”
In her purple dress, Piercer stared at me. “Help her? Li Shen, look at this place. Who’s the one who needs more help and protection here? You can’t even stand properly without my help!”
I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right. I would fall face-first into this muddy-looking water once she let go!
The other two fights were getting intense as well. Guan Nie continued to create thunderbolts as he maintained this illusion. Si Luo was quick to dodge, and it was lucky that the bulk of the thunderbolts did not hit anywhere near us, or some of us might end up getting hurt!
Cang Ming and Ta Lai were engaged in a fierce battle. Ta Lai maintained his elegant image by using those giants to fight Cang Ming, and Cang Ming did not forget to look audacious even in this fight. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself!
I couldn’t really see Nie Zun and Jie Pa as the waves continued to get higher and higher!
Du Yue no longer held back as she launched her next attack. She controlled that halberd in the air as it dropped fireballs into the water. These fireballs exploded upon touching the water surface!
Jiao S dodged the fireballs with her agility but she began turning grim once they started to rain at a quicker rate!
Though Piercer was holding me, I felt like I was being swung all over the place on this rough sea.
“Hey hey hey stop moving!” I couldn’t stand it any longer. The entire sky was black, and the water was also black without a hint of blue. It looked like a giant vat of dye.
Piercer did not have any intention of letting go. “Stop moving? That’s all you can think of when you’re about to die?”
A killing intent emerged in Gaoqin Jiuye’s eyes right at this moment! Moving with Shen Qi’s help, Gaoqin Jiuye drew a long, black sword from Shen Qi!
Shen Qi was able to produce a separate sword for Gaoqin Jiuye even in human form!
Swoosh!
Gaoqin Jiuye waved the sword in the air, producing a dazzling black ray of light!
Waves surged in Gaoqin Jiuye’s eyes!
Du Yue looked at him in disbelief. “You’re really going to fight me for that woman?! Or are you helping Jiao S?! Gaoqin Jiuye!”
Gaoqin Jiuye looked resolute. “Du Yue, I’ve already repaid my debt. This wouldn’t have happened if you guys had stayed in the Gate of Heaven peacefully! Those from the Gate of Heaven are always this greedy! What have you gained from all those experiments and from sacrificing so many things?! Bian Ying, whom you hate, is still living well!”
“Shut up! Gaoqin Jiuye, you have no right to say this to me! You have no right to look at me this way! Do you think you’re not pitiful? Huh? Look with your own two eyes. This is the very woman you could give everything for. This is the woman you wanted to save by bringing her over to the Split Zone at the expense of hurting me!”