CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 125: CLASH BENEATH THE DYING SUN

The moment the Devil Flame Fist struck, the world seemed to lurch sideways. The shockwave ripped through the clearing like a spirit tempest—leaves shredded midair, horses screamed, and the carriage, its lacquered frame splintering under the impact, soared upward before crashing back down in a thunderous explosion of dust and shattered wood. ~BOOOM~

The guards scattered like dry twigs before a gale. Two men were hurled into the underbrush, another tumbled across the dirt, armor scraping furrows into the soil. For a breathless moment, silence reigned—then came the groans of the wounded and the furious ringing of drawn steel.

"What in the heavens—!" one guard rasped, stumbling to his feet. His hands shook as he steadied his blade, scanning the smoke that now blanketed the wreckage. Out of that gray haze emerged a tall, broad figure, his posture regal, his expression a mixture of contempt and delight.

Li Wuji.

His dark robes snapped lightly in the wind, streaked with dust and blood not his own. Each step he took seemed to hum with suppressed energy, the ground beneath his boots faintly trembling. "Hmph," he muttered, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "the trap was set... and the fish took the bait."

The guards regrouped instinctively, dragging the wounded into a defensive circle around the ruined carriage. One crouched beside a motionless form near the wreck—his voice trembled. "L–Lord Cao! The driver’s dead... and Miss Li—she’s gone!"

Bing Cao was still standing, barely, one hand gripping the broken side of the carriage to keep himself upright. Blood seeped through his sleeve, but his eyes were sharp, his gaze locked on the intruder.

The guards stiffened at his steadiness, rallying to his side. Their leader barked, "Form up! Protect Lord Cao!"

Swords hissed from their scabbards. The air thickened with killing intent. Yet Li Wuji only smiled wider, rolling his neck until the bones cracked audibly. "Five of you," he mused, "against one man. Tell me, does Frost City teach bravery... or desperation?"

Before anyone could reply, he lunged forward, the ground exploding beneath his heel. ~crack~

[Devil Flame Fist Art – First Move: Mad Devil!]

His right arm ignited with red spiritual energy, blazing like molten iron. The nearest guard thrust his sword forward, aiming straight for Li Wuji’s chest. Two others flanked from either side, their blades glittering in unison, forming a pincer meant to sever flesh and bone.

Steel met flame.

~KRAAAANG~

The shockwave was deafening. Li Wuji’s fist collided with the three blades, and for an instant, it seemed as though time froze—the next moment, the swords shattered like brittle glass. Shards flew through the air, cutting leaves from branches and embedding themselves in tree trunks.

The guards were thrown backward by the recoil, skidding across the ground. Li Wuji stood untouched amid the flying debris, his laughter booming like thunder. "Is that all the famed guards of the Imperial Capital can muster?"

One of the guards coughed, blood on his lips. "He’s... he’s a monster," he gasped.

Indeed, Li Wuji’s body seemed unyielding—his qi surged outward in a visible aura, like a devil wreathed in firelight. Even the air shimmered around him from the heat of his energy.

The guards, realizing their steel meant nothing, fell back toward the shattered carriage. "We can’t face him head-on!" one shouted. "Regroup! Protect the adviser!"

They clustered together, forming a tight semicircle around Bing Cao. The silence that followed was sharp as a blade.

"Where is Miss Li?" another guard demanded, panic creeping into his tone. "She was inside the carriage! Did she—"

He never finished. A sudden blur sliced through the smoke—silver and red streaked as one.

[Tyrant Saber Art – Fourth Move: Battle Tyrant Slash!]

The strike came like a lightning bolt. Hang Feng appeared midair, his saber glowing with killing intent. The blade descended with enough power to carve through boulders, aiming to cleave all five guards in one sweep. The pressure alone pressed their chests inward, stealing their breath.

But before the edge could fall—

[Cloud Monarch Palm Art – First Move: Clear Sky Palm!]

A translucent palm of energy struck upward from the side, meeting the descending saber head-on. The impact split the air. ~BOOM~

Energy ripples rippled outward in waves, knocking down trees and sending leaves fluttering like snow. Hang Feng’s eyes widened as his saber was deflected skyward, his attack utterly nullified. He landed heavily, boots carving twin lines into the dirt as he slid back.

"Who dares thwart my strike!?" he roared, fury distorting his face. His aura flared, shaking the branches above. "Step forward and meet your death!"

Silence. The only reply was the whisper of wind through the trees and the crackling of burning wood from the shattered carriage.

Hang Feng snarled, blood lust spilling like a tangible fog. "Then all of you will die instead!"

He raised his saber again, energy gathering along its length like a crimson tide.

[Cloud Monarch Palm Art – Second Move: Mountain Foraging Palm!]

A second palm erupted before the guards, shattering the saber light before it reached them. The counter-force slammed into Hang Feng’s chest, lifting him off his feet. He flew backward, crashing through a thicket and vanishing in a spray of leaves.

~thud~

For a heartbeat, no one moved.

Then, a groan came from the brush, followed by the sound of shifting rubble. Hang Feng rose, his lip bloodied, his pride far more wounded than his flesh. "Grrrh! How could I be so careless..." He spat to the side, glaring toward the carriage. "That was no ordinary guard."

From a distance, Yuan Yi watched with arms crossed, a faint, mocking smile on her lips. Her black hair shimmered in the fading light, her eyes sharp with amusement. "Overestimating yourself again, Hang Feng? A sword tempered too fast will always crack," she called.

He shot her a glare. "Mock me again and I’ll—"

"You’ll what?" she interrupted smoothly. "Bleed twice for the same mistake?"

Her laughter was light but cutting.

Li Wuji, who had been watching the exchange with faint boredom, suddenly turned, his expression shifting. A flicker of movement caught his attention—a presence within the underbrush, steady and cold. His instincts flared.

[Devil Flame Fist Art – Third Move: Fist Demon!]

He thrust his fist toward the source, the air around it warping from sheer force. Yet before the attack could land, twin arcs of white light intercepted it mid-flight.

[Cloud Monarch Palm Art – Third Move: Sky Quake Palm!]

The forest itself seemed to bow beneath the pressure. The colliding energies detonated in a shockwave so fierce that the soil rippled like water. Leaves tore free, and for a brief moment, all sound vanished—then the world roared back with a vengeance. ~BOOOOM~

Out of the swirling debris stepped Bing Cao.

His robes were tattered, his face pale, but his bearing was that of a mountain unmoved. Each step he took left faint ripples of qi on the ground. The aura around him was vast—serene, yet immeasurably deep, like clouds stretching across the horizon.

He raised a bloodstained sleeve and pointed toward Li Wuji, his voice carrying through the wreckage like a thunderclap.

"Who dares attack my convoy with such malice?"

The guards froze. Even Li Wuji’s grin faltered slightly as he felt the shift in pressure—the unmistakable presence of a Sky Gathering realm expert.

Bing Cao’s eyes burned with quiet fury, yet beneath it was clarity, not wrath. The faint scent of crushed pine filled the air as his energy pulsed outward. "The heavens are vast, and the earth patient," he said coldly. "Yet even patience has limits."

Li Wuji exhaled, a smirk returning to his lips. "So the old strategist reveals his claws at last... I had wondered how you survived that blow."

He clenched his fist, crimson energy licking his arm. "Come then, Cloud Monarch. Let’s see if your sky can contain my flames!"

Bing Cao extended his hand, palm upward, and the world seemed to still. "The sky does not contain fire," he replied. "It smothers it."

Their gazes locked. The last rays of the setting sun bled crimson across the forest canopy, painting the battlefield in shades of blood and twilight. The guards, barely conscious, could only watch as two titans prepared to clash—one like an unyielding storm, the other a raging inferno.

The air trembled.

The birds fled.

~KRAAAASH~

Their fists met in a burst of pure qi.