Chapter 79: Counter
Regardless of the odds being grossly stacked against him, Yao Shen never harbored any intention to lose.
Even as he weaved through a hail of seemingly unending attacks, Yao Shen had never stopped analyzing the features of the enemys domain. There were a few general, overarching rules that he had managed to establish, insights that were gained in the midst of combat.
Firstly, if his understanding was correct, Gavrils Inherited Domain The Codex primarily required the Major Daos of Blood and Soul to function, in its most basic capacity. Though the specifics were not something he could deduce, it was easy to guess that the Blood Constructs he was engaging in combat with were cultivators that had fallen to the Demon in combat.
The Major Dao of Flame and the resultant Blood Flames seemed to be Gavrils own unique twist to the Domain. Yao Shen had also noticed a discordance in the manner in which the Blood Constructs utilized the Blood Flames, many of their movement styles and combat techniques far more suited to more common Major Daos like Wind, Water and Earth.
The Blood Constructs also exhibited combat abilities that were far below the levels that their auras seemed to suggest, which led Yao Shen to a simple conclusion. Qi did not exist in a vacuum and it certainly could not be conjured out of thin air. The Blood Constructs bodies had either self-destructed in battle or were not something that The Codex was capable of maintaining, which meant that the Qi empowering their attacks was Gavrils own.
He would eventually run out.
As for the fourth Major Dao that Gavril undoubtedly possessed, Yao Shen was inclined to believe that it did not have direct combat applications or could not be merged with Gavrils domain, otherwise he would have noticed its effects by now.
The Serpentine Spiritual Beast was the only Blood Construct that violated this rule. A moment after Yao Shen noticed the build-up in its gullet, his divine sense picked up on an entirely new Dao that was the source of the intense danger he had felt.
The Major Dao of Wood- Aspect of Decay.
Yao Shen could not stop the Serpentine Spiritual Beast from firing off its attack, but Gavril hadnt been entirely correct in his understanding of his Human Dao Domain.
The collective, intrinsic will of humanity to defy the mandate of the heavens was a grand concept that could not be overwhelmed so easily. The Human Qi Construct Yao Shen was currently puppeteering could be destroyed a thousand times without having anything but a marginal impact on his Human Qi reserves.
Gavril had correctly identified his Domains weakness, but even then, Yao Shen was certain that no matter how powerful of an attack the serpentine spiritual beast was capable of unleashing, it was incapable of shattering his Domain in a single blow.
And until his Domain was shattered, Yao Shen could not receive any damage.
Only
Yao Shens Human Qi reserves were not infinite and to ensure that Gavril didnt hold cultivators of the three divisions hostage during their duel, he had insisted on the periphery of the Nayun Forest as the site of their battle.
He had only managed to cover half the distance to the serpentine spiritual beast, having sacrificed an arm and a leg in the process, when it fired. An incredibly powerful torrent of gray Qi that contained within it the power to corrode and decay any organic matter crashed down upon the dainty wooden house that should not have been able to resist it.
The attack only lasted for a few moments from its inception to conclusion, but it helped Yao Shen confirm another of his theories.
The Serpentine Spiritual Beast seemed to diminish in both existence and presence as it unleashed the powerful attack, suggesting that the Wood Qi it had drawn from was a far more finite resource than the blood flames. Considering that the beasts corpse had been deliberately conserved to the best of Gavrils ability, it wasnt a stretch to deduce that the rare aspect of Wood belonged to the Spiritual Beast and not Gavrils domain.
The Demonic Cultivator was not as terrifying as Yao Shen had been led to believe merely moments ago, but that observation had cost him dearly as a large portion of his Human Qi was depleted to shield his true body from the attack.
In the clash of Domains that had been evenly matched until merely moments ago, there was a drastic change. Yao Shens Human Dao Domain shrunk inwards as a fifth of its influence was spent, marking a major shift in the battles rhythm as Gavrils Domain expanded in turn, skewing the ratio to 60:40 in his favor.
Yao Shen once again drove a sword through his chest, only requiring a moment to reform a faceless farmer as a Human Qi Construct. Having regained access to all his limbs, Yao Shen shot forward and reclaimed his sword, his expression hardening as he decided on a course of action.
The Serpentine spiritual beast was simply floating in the air, content to let the Nascent Soul Constructs pressure him as it focused on amassing Qi for a second attack. Thankfully, the process was not instantaneous, which meant that the reason why Gavril hadnt immediately deployed the serpentine beast was because he needed time to set up the attack.
That allowed Yao Shen to decide on a course of action.
It was very unlike him to allow his rage to infect him to such a degree in the midst of battle. Even Foundation Establishment Disciples knew not to let their emotions dictate their actions in the midst of a confrontation with Demons, for that was a known weakness of the righteous path that the demons would unhesitatingly exploit at the slightest display of vulnerability.
In truth, Yao Shen had been intentionally cultivating the hatred he felt towards Gavril for invading his sect, forcibly shattering the plans he had painstakingly set in place and most of all, for threatening his disciples.
He closed his eyes and allowed his divine sense to engulf his surroundings, alerting him to the minutest of movements in his vicinity. While the majority of his focus was dedicated to the burgeoning cloud of hatred that had been silently smothering him,
Yao Shens body moved on instinct to evade a long spear.
The cloud of hatred shrunk by a tenth as he absorbed it, letting it flow through his body in its most unadulterated form.
Dark thoughts flooded his mind, whispers that urged him to give into the sweet release that only violence could provide an anguished soul, screams that demanded him to seek revenge against the one that dared to even think about harming his disciples.
Then, he imbued that hatred in his sword, forming a sheathe of glowing red energy that was visible to the naked eye.
Human Qi could not replicate Gavrils Soul Qi. Yao Shen could not control and manipulate minds the way Gavril had, likely through methods that were as revolting as they were unacceptable. Nascent Souls broken down until they no longer had the ability to resist, becoming thralls for the Demon that had been the cause of their untimely deaths.
In any other scenario, his method had little chance of succeeding. Against a healthy Nascent Soul cultivator, perhaps the trick Yao Shen had devised to counter Gavrils domain would buy him a second or two of confusion.
But, Yao Shen had not been the one that had tormented and tortured their souls so. And during combat with the Nascent Soul Blood Constructs, he had ascertained that they were still capable of feeling and understanding emotions, however faint those feelings may be.
He struck as he retreated from the long spear user, requiring only the tip of his blade to make contact.
Another attack by a different Blood Construct followed.
He evaded. He imbued. He countered.
Again. And Again.
Until the hatred in his heart was all but depleted.
A minute later, Yao Shen opened his eyes, only to be confronted by nine blood constructs that had halted their assault.
There was a lull as both Yao Shen and the Blood Constructs took each others presence in.
Elf. Dwarf. Humans.
Three races that had historically not gotten along with each other, bowed to him in unison.
Then, before even Gavril could understand the bizarre phenomenon that had just transpired on the battlefield, their bodies flickered.
One moment, they had been standing besides Yao Shen.
The next, they were rushing towards the Serpentine spiritual beast.
The explosion that followed was so violent that even Yao Shen was forced backwards by three paces, as nine Nascent Souls self-detonated in blooms of scarlet blood flame.
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