Chapter 81: Amalgamation
Yao Shen had sensed that there was something indelibly wrong with Gavrils soul from the moment hed laid eyes on the Demonic Cultivator. But probing another cultivators soul without their knowledge was an almost impossible task and at the same level, the invaders attempts were laughably easy to thwart.
The distinct sense of wrongness that Yao Shen had felt earlier congealed into a definite horror as Yao Shen understood the true nature of the enemy he was facing.
This form., It was Gavrils lips that moved, but everything from the feminine inflection to a sultry tone that the words were steeped in were disturbingly wrong. ....is rather inconvenient, An aged, masculine voice that spoke in a clipped, overly formal tone followed.
I have been a Soul Emperor for. two centuries. The seal is necessary for. my own sanity for in this form. I possess nearly fourteen hundred. years of experience as a cultivator, Each time Gavril paused, his inflection and pitch drastically changed. From a young, energetic male cultivator to an old, gravelly female voice, each accompanied by a distinctive set of expressions and gestures.
Prepare yourself, Gavrils warning was issued in a borrowed voice, signaling the beginning of their final battle.
The sound of cracking bone violently reverberated in the air as Gavril, after covering the distance between him and Yao Shen with lightning speed, swung his sword in a wide arc. Yao Shen himself was currently inhabiting a Human Qi Construct and he hadnt attacked yet, so it took him a moment to place the anomalous sound.
When he did, Yao Shen couldnt help but be a little shaken.
It was Gavrils own arm that had snapped as his physical body failed to keep pace with the sheer torrent of force contained in his strike, placing him beyond the threshold of even the deadliest body cultivators Yao Shen had ever encountered.
He had never heard of such a destructive body cultivation method, both to oneself and the enemy but his doubts did little to dissuade the oncoming strike. Gavril was simply too fast for his naked eyes to track, so Yao Shen had to rely entirely on his divine sense to sense his approach.
Already having decided to face Gavril head on to get a measure of his strength, Yao Shens sword moved to parry. The suspicions he had held about the nature of the stygian blade bloomed into reality in a manner that he had failed to foresee. Yao Shen had expected the unassuming blades weight to play a part in the strikes impact and he was fully prepared to be blown back in his attempt to receive the strike.
However, when Yao Shens Nascent Soul Blade intercepted Gavrils strike, for a single moment it felt like he was trying to push back against the entire weight of the Soul Emperor level Lingxi Nagawing he had been fighting earlier.
Then, his blade snapped.
Yao Shens expression conveyed the horror he felt as the stygian blade continued on in its arc unabated, bisecting him in a flicker of motion that wouldnt even have visually registered if it were not for his divine sense.
His final thought before the Human Qi Construct he was currently inhabiting was no longer capable of maintaining its form was in appreciation for his own domain Yao Shen shuddered to even imagine what would happen if he had unwittingly taken that blow head on.
It only took a moment for another Human Qi Construct to reform. Yao Shens gaze snapped over to Gavril, who silently stood at the spot where he had slain him just moments before. His right forearm was still snapped in half, the mighty sword hanging limply in his grip. Despite that, it was not a pained expression that the Demon wore, but a cocky grin in its stead.
Blood Recovery, He muttered loudly enough for Yao Shen to hear the words. He detected a surge of Qi in Gavrils body and a moment later, the intense damage to his arm bone and muscles was undone with a loud snap. The recovery speed matched, if not exceeded, a Water Cultivator like Dongmei Xue that specialized in healing.
Prepare yourself, Gavril warned again, clearly toying with Yao Shen as he issued the commencement of the attack.
A series of earthen-rock barriers were erected in quick succession to slow down Gavrils charge, now that Yao Shen had lost his primary means of close-quarters combat. The Demon could easily have chosen to simply circle around the hastily formed row of rock walls, but instead, he played to his expectations.
There was little difference as the rock walls faced a cataclysmic impact as soon as they made contact with the tip of the stygian blade, kicking up a storm of dust and small pebbles in his wake; but it allowed Yao Shen to confirm one thing as Gavrils sword plunged through his chest for the second time.
The Demons mental state was compromised in the state he was fighting in, for him to rise to the obvious provocation and intentionally drag the battle on when he had the power to easily end it.
The very fact that he was willing to release the seal on his soul for this fight meant that he saw Yao Shen as no threat, clearly willing to dangle the weakness before him without any worry of being defeated.
Is that all you got? Brute strength? Yao Shen provoked with a sneer on his visage, having determined himself to drag on the fight for as long as he could.
The Demon broke out into a malevolent laughter as he shot forward, his stance shifting as he brought his left palm before him. He shot forward through a storm of fire that Yao Shen had conjured in an attempt to slow his progress down, only for Gavril to willingly brave the flames as he closed the distance.
Inverse palm, he announced, as his left hand shot forward. Yao Shen had attempted to dodge to the right, only for him to realize that he had willingly stepped in its path.
Six more times, the duel was fought only for Yao Shen to fall to increasingly arcane and ancient Blood and Body Cultivation methods.
The way I am now, Yao Shen began, his expression solemn as he stared down Gavril. I cant beat you.
A few moments passed as Gavril digested the admission of defeat, before letting out a disappointed sigh.
How boring, he remarked as his sword bisected Yao Shen at the waist with a simple swing. Guess its time to end this farce, he muttered after turning his back on Yao Shens Human Qi Construct, expecting it to dissipate as it had nine times before.
But this time, it didnt.
Indeed, Yao Shens upper half replied, all traces of fear and disappointment vanishing from his visage. Thank you for buying me the time I needed, truly.
Before Gavril could respond to his words by either dismissing them as a bluff or reacting with alarm, Yao Shen uttered two words,
Domain Release.
Against the Inherited Domain now stood a single man dressed in pristine white robes, his expression a mask of stony resolve.
In his hands, was a bell.
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