Chapters 482-485

Chapter 482: The Final Use for an Old Tattoo

Once everything was confirmed stable at the Frontier, Kai left the others to jump back across the continent to the Southern Reach. Since they had established the door anyway, it was deemed acceptable to teleport Lofgan as well, since Juray could take care of his treatment just as well as the beleaguered elite healers. So they skipped back to Razorfall City, Kai supporting the other man with one arm.

Yet again, he was struck by the immense spread of energy levels. The Southern Reach had struck him as a void of energy after Cloudspire, but the air felt rich with mana compared to the abyss. It didn't seem so crazy to believe that there could be another continent out there that made Cloudspire look like a qi wasteland.

When they arrived at the Goralian Merchants Guild, there was a flurry of activity as everyone realized how injured Lofgan was. Soon Juray and Raghi were there too, demanding to know what happened as they got him into bed. Kai managed to get out the basics while they made sure he was comfortable and got more potions into him, though he wasn't sure how much more effect they would have.

Eventually Lofgan was asleep with Raghi watching over him protectively. Kai remained at a distance, realizing that he actually stood outside of this little family circle. He might have played an important role in the lives of Juray and the Tonjin brothers, but while he had traveled on other continents, they had grown closer together. In theory there were other lives he could have lived where he stayed with Juray and became close friends with the Tonjin brothers... he wouldn't ever give up his life with Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena for that, but the gap filled him with a sense of melancholy.

"Hey." Juray had somehow moved beside him and now jostled his arm. "You don't need to look so serious. No one would blame you for this, and Lofgan is going to come back stronger anyway."

"Just thinking," Kai said quietly. They left the room, leaving the brothers together, and into the hallway. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come along to-"

"And I wanted to ask you what the hell is that tattoo?"

Kai blinked, having forgotten about it. The Beggar King's Robes were growing back much slower than usual after the encounter with the Starvation Wraith, as if still recovering, so his chest was mostly bare. Juray apparently shared Zae Zin Nim's sensibilities, because she looked over the manticore and then pretended to gag.

"I'll have you know this is considered the height of male fashion on Cloudspire," Kai told her.

"I feel extremely confident that isn't true." Juray closed her eyes a moment, then shook her head. "It's not even really adding to your strength."

"Actually, it started out as a disguise. It's been gathering mana, but I don't think I can absorb it as power, it would just be wasted as a temporary boost. They do use tattoos for power over there, but it may not be compatible with how I've built my soul."

"Do you still need the disguise?"

"I guess not." Kai considered the number of patriarchs and young masters who wanted to kill him and figured that his reputation had advanced far beyond that point. "Why do you ask?"

Juray stepped closer, eyes narrow, and tapped at the tattoo with one finger. "This is odd... embodying mana is common, of course, but we don't do it like this at all. Would you mind showing this to Pyrinye? Maybe she can figure out something."

"Sure, it's not doing me much good anymore."

He wasn't actually completely sure about that: there was a percentage rating that had appeared at some point he hadn't noticed and then slowly crept up to 100%. But it hadn't done anything after that, so he presumed that the tattoo simply wasn't compatible with his body. Maybe because he had completely burned out his Class, maybe something more complex.

They left the Goralian Merchants Guild and headed out into Razorfall City toward the old dryad's shop. As they walked, it was almost like they were back in Monskon City together, though of course so much had happened since then. Juray glanced over at him as they walked.

"So what were you going to ask me?"

"Right now they're building a ship that can take us to Cloudspire, and it can carry a lot more than just me," Kai explained. "I'm planing to take Inafay and some others, to train with other sources of power. And yes, before you ask, I'm mostly confident we can get back before the incursion."

"That actually isn't what worries me," Juray told him. "Raghi talked to me about how strong that cultivator was... it sounds like Cloudspire is a bloodthirsty place. If even the Tonjin brothers would struggle to protect themselves, what are the chances I die a meaningless death?"

"You're right that it would be a risk, but I wasn't actually planning to take you all the way. Don't tell anyone, but my plan is to stop at our island on the way through the ocean, drop y-"

Juray was staring at him hard enough to interrupt his sentence. "You have an island?"

"Uh... yeah, I guess so." Kai thought about telling her that it had been a strange gift from the elves and wasn't sure that would help. Seen from the outside, his life really did look crazy. "The point is that it's completely isolated and mostly safe. It would be a great training environment. I want you to talk to Omilaena too, but that will have to wait until we take care of some problems."

"I guess I should be flattered, but I'll have to talk about it with Raghi. You know how people who leave Deadwaste generally don't come back." Whatever else Juray might have said, they arrived at the shop then and the conversation was interrupted.

At first Pyrinye just greeted them grandmotherly, inviting them in and offering them a bitter sort of dryad tea. When Juray mentioned Kai's tattoo, however, her eyes glittered within her bark-like skin.

"Well now, that is interesting." She leaned forward, squinting to see up to his tattoo. "Can I take a closer look?"

"Why not?" Kai shrugged. "We have a little time."

.

..

.

Several days later, Kai lay on his back in the shop, gritting his teeth as needle-like roots pushed into his skin. They didn't really hurt, certainly not compared to the intense battle against the Starvation Wraith, but it required his full concentration to prevent his body from resisting or retaliating. The roots were sharp, but at first they'd been completely unable to pierce his skin until he relaxed his defenses.

<Manticore Tattoo (83%)>

As they worked, the percentage was decreasing... and yet Kai didn't feel as though he was getting weaker. That was no surprise, because it hadn't been intended to, but something was different. With the tattoo ink gone, his chest was bare, but he also felt something opening up in his soul that he couldn't quite pin down. It was severely distracting as he lay on the table and let them work.

Meanwhile Juray and Pyrinye spoke cheerfully to one another, mostly about technique but occasionally just chattering during long extractions. The old dryad really did seem to be a thoughtful mentor, and Juray listened to her raptly.

Bit by bit, the mana ink that had been injected into his skin was being extracted into one of the jars. According to their tests on the first result, the substance was intensely different from anything Goralians or dryads used for liquid mana, yet compatible with their techniques. They were both excited about the potential, apparently learning new things even in the process of working. Kai mostly just had to endure it and wondered what Omilaena would have to say about their theories.

Midway through the work that day, he got a welcome interruption when Razz came through the door. He greeted them both, awkwardly asking if there was space, and was shooed to the other side of the table.

"So, uh, your ship is almost done," Razz said. "They want you to check it out, but I said you were waiting here."

"Right." Kai tried to ignore the roots and focused on him. "Is there a problem?"

"It will all work in theory, but if you want it to fly at max speed, it will consume an insane number of qi crystals. Just operating this thing will cost... well, nobody is happy about it. Krainuun said that it would empty out the treasury of an average city."

"We're not going to use qi crystals. We can fly it using qi directly."

Razz stared at him. "Are... are you sure that could work? They said the requirement was so large..."

"Only for here. With Cloudspire's qi, it would be much easier. In fact, if I'd kept some of those Earth Souls alive, I could have used them as batteries. But if necessary, I'm planning to power the thing myself."

"All the way across the ocean? That seems far, even for... wait, there's the island you won't tell us about."

"Right, so we can take it in two trips." Kai was planning to stop there anyway, to drop off the noncombatants and rest so he could arrive on Cloudspire fresh. "I assume that takes care of the problem?"

"I'll have to talk to them about it, but I think so."

Razz stuck around to talk, easily merging with the conversation. He and Juray still got along well, and Pyrinye even teased him about talking to the young dryad merchant. Apparently he had, and Kai realized that he had missed another step in these lives while he was off at the abyss.

But he was going to miss another one, because at that moment the elites' communication device glowed with the signal that they were out of time.

"Oh dear," Pyrinye said. "It will take quite some time to pull these out."

"Time we don't have." Kai jerked the roots out of his chest and let the minor wounds heal even as he sat up. "We'll have to finish this later."

There was one last piece of his plans on Deadwaste, and he was more worried about this one than the ship or even venturing into the abyss. But now was the time to find out, so he crushed their last teleportation artifact.

Chapter 483: Against Poison and Crown

When they left Hul Ping, even Omilaena was convinced of his sincerity, just not his efficacy. For her part, Zae Zin Nim thought they could expect at least some information from him. He might not be the sort of man Kai was, but he had some backbone, and it was noble that he still wanted to avenge his sister instead of being seduced by the luxuries of the Masterful Crown clan. Several days later, when he gave the signs for them to meet, it turned out that she had been right.

"The young masters have begun a qilin hunt," Hul Ping said as soon as they met. Zae Zin Nim nodded, but Omilaena just cocked her head.

"Alright, what's that?"

"It's an extremely rare sacred beast, some even call it the immortal of all beastkind. They say anyone who manages to touch one, and is accepted, will receive immense great fortune, a hundred lifetimes of good karma. Only the noblest cultivators even qualify to attempt to hunt one."

"Is any of that true, or is it just a legend?" Omilaena asked.

Zae Zin Nim shook her head at her cynicism. "Qilins are real, and many of the stories are true. They say the blessing of a qilin can open the path to Sky Soul or grant even more wondrous blessings." She turned back to Hul Ping. "Has one been sighted, or are they just hoping?"

"There have always been rumors of a qilin in the great forest," Hul Ping said, "but recently there have been actual sightings. Given how many have died in the battle, all the young masters are desperate for a blessing that would allow them to become a new patriarch. Many are venturing into the forest... and I know the Poison Prince's hunting plans. I can tell you everything."

As he explained what he'd overheard, Zae Zin Nim exchanged a glance with her wife. They absolutely needed to get back to the Krysali again, since their location might be discovered if too many people were exploring the deep forest. Aside from that, however, it seemed like an excellent opportunity to ambush one of their enemies.

Remarkably, the first stages went according to plan. Cragrila thought they might have spotted the qilin, but agreed that it was far too dangerous to remain, so they retreated further east. Then it was just a matter of monitoring the city entrances for the Poison Prince, waiting for him to begin his hunt and travel a significant distance from civilization.

As she waited for their moment, Zae Zin Nim examined his soul:

<

Name: Poison Prince

Total Power: 1205

Cultivation: Sky Soul (800)

Physique: F-5 (40)

Immortal Body (+250)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

Poison Crown (+90)

>

He was stronger than some of the young fools, even if not equal to them. It might be interesting to have a fair fight... but there was no reason to be fair. As far as Zae Zin Nim was concerned, the Poison Prince was just a material that her wife needed to advance, so he should be harvested.

Soon the Poison Prince was wandering in the deep forest, trying to commune with the world itself in order to summon the qilin to him. Or at least that was what she had heard - qilin were native to the Heavenly Mountains and Lakes, and thus were rarely seen in the Eastern Plains. She and Omilaena were on opposite sides of their target, and when the moment came, they struck.

They very nearly killed him in the first instant, but the Poison Prince was just a fraction of a second too fast. Two of Omilaena's needles pierced his body, while he spun aside from the rest. The poison didn't seem to slow him much and when Zae Zin Nim arrived, he was able to spin away from her. Unfortunately he didn't attempt to fight her physically, otherwise she would have had a second chance to end the battle at the beginning.

Instead he managed to evade them, dodging to the end of the clearing with the two of them on the opposite side. His back was to a wall of thick brush, but he could always escape upward through the canopy if he had good enough flight skills. As Zae Zin Nim set her feet, the Poison Prince pulled out the needles in his shoulder.

"Your poison is potent," he said, "but I have been drinking poison from birth. After our last encounter, I opened our family's most deadly treasures and enhanced myself until you can no longer touch me."

"The steel seemed to touch you just fine," Omilaena said.

"You've made a terrible mistake trying to attack me here. Soon, everyone will know where you ran to." He pulled out a medallion in his right hand and began to activate it, extending his qi into the metal. Omilaena lunged forward and hurled another needle, shattering the medallion before it could send a warning.

But she had been distracted: Zae Zin Nim had waited silently while they spoke, and noticed that the Poison Prince's left hand was moving suspiciously. Even as the medallion shattered, he was starting to break a jade slip.

There was little time to think, only enough to act. Zae Zin Nim shot forward, grabbing Omilaena on the way and arriving just in time. The swirl of teleportation magic caught all three of them.

Her world spun wildly and she had a moment to think that this might have been a terrible mistake.

They emerged in a dark courtyard, shaded by the bulk of great towers within Floodisle City. Zae Zin Nim had no time to orient herself before she saw that there were several cultivators around, in the middle of meditation... and one of them was a patriarch. She didn't recognize him, but as he rose to his feet, a crown lit up over his head.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"Kill them!" the Poison Prince gasped as he retreated. And surprisingly, the older cultivator acted immediately, sending a great flaming palm toward them.

Omilaena hadn't turned fast enough. With no time to prepare, Zae Zin Nim leapt in the way and met the flaming palm with her bare hand.

.

..

.

The teleportation had been hell on Omilaena's senses and she hadn't clocked the greatest threat fast enough. Fortunately, Zin Nim was more familiar with how cultivators teleported and intercepted the first attack, her small dark hand meeting the massive flaming one.

And the flames ripped themselves apart.

For a second the patriarch just stared in shock. "What is this? You dare stand before the patriarch of the Grand Crown sect?"

"I dare," Zin Nim said. "Try again."

He unleashed a second flaming palm, larger than the first, and this time Zin Nim leapt to meet it. The qi within each palm struck the other and exploded... when the patriarch fell back, he coughed up a massive mouthful of blood.

In that time, Omilaena got a good look at his soul.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 1603

Cultivation: Sky Soul (900)

Heavenly Cultivation (50)

Physique: E-3 (89)

Mighty Crown (200)

Immortal Body (+100)

Soul Level: 8 (64)

Grand Crown (200)

>

He was strong, but when it came to a direct conflict of strength or qi, he was clearly inferior. Omilaena felt reassured in her former judgment: the "Immortal Body" granted by the elixir was fragile, prone to exploding in blood. The body Zin Nim had might still be mortal, but it was unified and held far greater strength. When the two clashed directly, the comparison was wildly unequal.

The Poison Prince had recovered and began hurling flying swords in Zin Nim's direction, forcing her to defend. And unfortunately, the patriarch of the Grand Crown sect wasn't stupid or arrogant enough to keep trying a failing strategy: he folded his hands in his sleeves and began sending out lightning fast lances of golden power that staggered Zin Nim.

Of course, Omilaena hadn't been idle. She leapt into battle in a flurry of all the needles she had prepared meanwhile, battering the Poison Prince back and sending an onslaught at the patriarch. His lancing beams could only deflect the majority and the one needle that bit deep into his shoulder immediately began spreading poison throughout his body.

Unfortunately, he wasn't so unprepared: the patriarch struck his own chest and a wave of qi rippled through him. It made him cough up more blood, but this was intentional, somehow expelling the poison that she had used on him. Traces of it remained in his flesh, but it was no longer disabling.

Before she got a second chance, the Poison Prince turned his attention to her, forcing Omilaena back with every flying sword at his disposal. She was immune to his poisons, but the raw swarm of steel would be deadly if she wasn't careful.

Meanwhile, Zin Nim did her best to fight the Grand Crown Patriarch. He advanced on her, still sending out golden lances, then a second crown manifested over his head. This one seemed to carry with it immense power and his body swelled. When he began to fight Zin Nim with a complex martial art that involved both physical blows and lancing qi, she actually struggled to keep up.

But oh, what a treat it was to see her manage it. Zin Nim became a creature of merciless precision in battle, and her new gray skin made her look like death itself. Even though she was fighting a patriarch who had lived far longer than her, she was keeping up with him.

Then a sword nearly caught her arm and Omilaena was forced to focus again. She skidded back, trailing blood, and realized that a barrier had come up around the courtyard. They weren't getting out of this battle easily, and unless they could win quickly, the entire sect would be falling upon them.

Chapter 484: The Space Between Two Slaps

Wan Fei had no idea whether or not the others were alive, and he didn't care. He intentionally decided on a plan that required no one else, because they were only likely to make mistakes and cause trouble. There was no need to steal any resources, as some fools had attempted, or seek the best transportation. All they needed was a secure method off this wretched continent, which he could accomplish on his own.

"Seriously, Grandpa Wanwan? That's the best you can do?"

On his own, plus the most significant liability of all. Yul Wei Ren sulked behind him on the boat as they slowly rowed toward the ship. The young master had complained every step of the way, but had quieted down after seeing some of the others die. Now that they were nearly away from Deadwaste he seemed to have rejuvenated his insufferability.

"We're almost away, young master," Wan Fei assured him. "Only suffer this place a little longer, then you can return home."

"But that ship is a miserable heap of wood! I'll have to suffer it for... how long does it take to get across the ocean, anyway?"

"We'll never get across if you keep making so much noise." Wan Fei snapped out the words faster than he'd intended and Yul Wei Ren drew back in shock. Normally that would have caused trouble, but they were far from home and his patience had worn thin. At least the young man kept his mouth shut during the next stage of the plan.

It took only a step for Wan Fei to glide from their tiny boat to the large galleon crewed by naiads. It was indeed inferior compared to Cloudspire vessels, but he had made certain it was capable of long ocean voyages before choosing which one to seize. With several simple movements Wan Fei disabled the guards nearest him, then grabbed the neck of the captain manning the wheel.

"I don't intend to kill any of you," he announced in a loud voice. He'd learned the hard way that making violent examples or threatening directly didn't produce good results. "Simply obey our orders and cause no trouble, then all of you can return home alive."

The sailors all stared at him, but they knew that they couldn't win. He wasn't entirely sure of all their communication methods, so he needed to rule by absolute fear. Wan Fei began glaring at individual sailors, willing them to return to work, all while keeping his grip on the captain. This could work if they just got far enough away...

"Oh, not bad!" Yul Wei Ren had climbed up the side of the ship and now stared at the female crew mates. Some were indeed shapely and glistening with water, but this was not the time. "Maybe this trip won't be so bad after al-"

"Enough!" Wan Fei put more of the qi into his shout than he intended and Yul Wei Ren actually staggered back a step. He stared at him in shock.

"You can't talk to me that way!"

"You won't survive unless we get back!" Wan Fei snarled. "If you want to live, you won't touch any of them."

The young master stomped away and sulked on the opposite end of the deck. That seemed to put him in the way of some of the sailors, but they nervously edged around him. Good, the ship was getting back underway. They only needed to keep the primitive sail technology working long enough to set a course for Cloudspire, then they would finally be done with this place.

Just when Wan Fei was beginning to relax, he heard a long, clear horn. There was a naiad man at the back of the ship, blowing a signal that he instantly knew was not normal.

Wan Fei crossed the distance in an instant, separating the sailor from his horn. He shattered the horn in one hand and only just resisted killing the sailor with the other. Even held in the air by his throat, the man continued to glare down at him.

"Why summon help?" Wan Fei asked. He had meant to sound disappointed, but his voice was more desperate than he expected. "You know I'm going to kill you."

"Better to... die for something..." The naiad choked out.

"But no matter how many guards you summon, I'll kill them all." His anger fading, Wan Fei set the man down and just stared at him. "None of your kind has a chance against me."

"Well, maybe you're right..." The naiad glared at them in between coughs and rubbing his throat. "You two got an unfair amount of strength from somewhere. Maybe enough to kill everyone in your way. But I gotta believe someone can stop you."

Most of his statements were meaningless, barely making an impression on Wan Fei... who was stuck on the first words. This man - not human, but certainly a man - had looked at him and Yul Wei Ren as if they were the same. The naiad knew that he was going to die, and he was afraid of it... yet he also saw the attack as a petulant tantrum. That disgust shook Wan Fei more than he wanted to admit.

"Enough." There was no force in the word this time. Wan Fei struck the man, knocking him out but not killing him. "Someone tie him up. The next person who tries to summon help will die."

"Come on!" The young master burst up from his sulking position. "If you're that spineless, they'll never listen to us! They'll try to mutiny before tonight!"

Nothing Wan Fei could say seemed to make sense. He was so tired of that voice and its childishness...

Someone dropped onto the ship from above, soft as a leaf, and yet his arrival shook the ship.

Wan Fei attacked the instant he saw the barbarian, yet found himself thrown back in the initial exchange. He snapped through the railing of the ship before gaining control of himself and flying back, glaring at the huge man. The horn must have summoned him, but how long had he been waiting and listening?

"And I was beginning to think I'd made a mistake with you," the barbarian said with an easy smile.

"Stop this yammering." Wan Fei raised his fists, preparing to do battle again. "Do you think my sense of duty is so weak that I will be swayed by a few words? You insult me."

"Not at all. I respect you enough to think you know that you have more than one kind of duty."

"I told you, I have debts to the Masterful Crown clan."

It seemed as though they were doomed to repeat the same words when Yul Wei Ren couldn't resist moving forward. "Come on, Grandpa Wanwan, just kill him! I'm tired of this guy insulting us!"

"Would it be easier if I killed him?" The barbarian took a step in the boy's direction and Yul Wei Ren gasped and reeled back.

There was no choice: Wan Fei had to leap to protect the young master. Yet as he closed the distance, he realized that it had all been a setup: the barbarian's raised fist was a decoy, never intended to strike. His other arm had prepared a technique he hadn't seen before, which unleashed a claw of energy through the air.

It tore three lines of blood across Wan Fei's chest and he staggered back. The barbarian was getting stronger... his Physique, the pride of his entire sect that had protected him for so long, was no longer enough. While Wan Fei had been babysitting the young master, the barbarian had grown stronger.

At least when he fell back, he put himself between the barbarian and his ward. That technique wouldn't work again, if he was foolish enough to try it. Even though his chest ached, Wan Fei had survived worse injuries. He no longer used his qi to fly, feeling the wooden boards underneath his feet as he prepared for a fight.

"Stop messing around! What are you doing, Grandpa Wanw-"

Both he could stop himself, Wan Fei turned and slapped the young man across the cheek. It was only a light blow, but Yul Wei Ren staggered back and shrieked. He held a hand to his slapped cheek as if he had been mortally wounded, at first too astonished to speak, then he almost exploded.

"How dare you?" Yul Wei Ren's face had turned bright red with shame and rage. "You lay a hand on me? My father will have you executed for this!"

"Could he really do that?" the barbarian asked from the side, as if mildly curious.

"You! Shut up!"

Wan Fei was still shocked at his own action, but slowly drew his hand back, calming himself and preparing for whatever was to come. "Yes," he said quietly, "the crime for striking a member of the Masterful Crown nobility is death."

The barbarian smiled thinly. "I see. And what's the crime for killing one?"

Yul Wei Ren's eyes twitched back and forth between them, still bulging, perhaps not even fully understanding. Wan Fei realized now that the barbarian could be as ruthless as any cultivator, it was simply a subtle ruthlessness. The cut of a sword instead of the bash of a mace. He sighed, for once feeling very old.

"And what future can you offer me?" Wan Fei asked in an even tone.

"Let yourself be presumed dead," the barbarian told him. "When I'm done, if there's anything left of the Masterful Crown clan, it won't have the strength to harm you. Go back a survivor and rebuild the Deepriver sect. Make it something you could be proud of."

"I see." Wan Fei closed his eyelids, which felt so very heavy.

"What are you doing, Grandpa Wanwan? I'm telling you-"

When Wan Fei slapped the young master a second time, he used his full strength. The blow crushed the side of the fool's face and sent his head spinning around so rapidly that it cracked. Everyone on the ship was completely silent as the body fell to the deck.

"Good." The barbarian's posture changed entirely and he walked forward with a friendly smile. "You can actually help us get back to Cloudspire, so this will work out. Here on Deadwaste we shake hands on an agreement, so let's shake."

Wan Fei eyed the extended hand, then slowly stretched out one of his own. "And you really trust me?"

"That would be nice." But when the barbarian reached out, a spike flicked out from his hand, piercing Wan Fei's wrist.

Instantly pain shot up his arm and he staggered to his knees. It was the same technique that had broken against his skin, but Wan Fei was weakened and his opponent's technique was stronger than before. The patriarch tried to purge the poison spreading through his body with all the qi techniques he knew, but they seemed to be ineffective. This was no human technique, it was more like some abomination from the depths of the ocean...

"I figure that someone with your Physique can survive the poison for quite a while," the barbarian told him, still in the same mild voice. "So if you prove trustworthy and we get back to Cloudspire, all is well. But if not... well, that would be disappointing."

"And then... you'll give me the antidote?" It took almost all his concentration just to keep the poison from consuming him, but he could hold it at bay with his cultivation base.

"Actually, I don't have one. I can produce the poison, but not its antidote, and neither can anyone on Deadwaste. My wife could make an antidote for you, but if we don't get back quickly enough, for whatever reason..."

"I... see..." There was no choice but to trust in this barbarian's insane mercy. Wan Fei focused fully on circulating his qi to endure and collapsed unconscious.

.

..

.

It had actually worked out after all. Kai made sure to smile at the naiads and reassure them that everything was fine now. He told them this was part of a Goralian operation to get rid of attacking cultivators, which they understood in general terms. And it had been successful: Yul Wei Ren was dead and Grandpa Wan Fei had turned.

Honestly, though, he was mostly disappointed that he hadn't needed to use the Starvation Wraith's essence. That would have made things interesting.

Chapter 485: Final Kiss of Death

Victory should have been within their grasp, yet it remained infuriatingly just out of reach. As she fought, Zae Zin Nim did her best to swallow her frustration and not allow it to reduce her focus. Against a Sky Soul like this, she needed to maximize all the phase training she'd received on Deadwaste, constantly fighting at the peak of her strength.

With multiple crowns active, the Grand Crown patriarch was a formidable opponent. Unlike the Poison Prince, who relied too much on his Immortal Body, the old man was thoroughly reinforced in both body and soul. If it was just a hand to hand battle, she thought she would still be superior.

Unfortunately, he refused to engage in a consistent exchange of techniques. Because he constantly lashed out with concentrated bursts of his presence technique, her martial arts needed to be substantially better just to keep up with him.

In the early moments of the battle, she had nearly fallen because all of the sect cultivators had joined in and supported their patriarch. Zae Zin Nim had taken an injury that would once have been severe, yet her new body continued to fight. She managed to finish most of the supporting sect members, but their opponents alone were trouble enough.

At her back, Omilaena was fighting against the Poison Prince, which was a similar stalemate. Both of them were resistant enough to the other's poisons that they couldn't end the battle quickly, and their needles and flying swords canceled one another out. Omilaena might actually have been losing, if she didn't have her ice qi to freeze many of the flying swords that menaced her.

If they could just switch... Omilaena's poison was clearly effective against the patriarch, and Zae Zin Nim could overwhelm the physically weaker Poison Prince. But their opponents were clearly thinking exactly the same thing, and every time the women tried to switch places, the men countered cautiously. Unlike many cultivators, these two were actually adept at working together.

But could they really compare? Whenever Zae Zin Nim looked at her wife, she had to be careful not to become entranced. Omilaena was at her most elegant in the middle of battle, spinning gracefully as she deflected swords and unleashed needles in the same movements. That beauty had confused her so much once, because she both wanted it and wanted to be it, but now she was finally in balance, realizing that she could have both.

Now, if only the enemy would just cooperate.

"You cannot win!" the Grand Crown patriarch bellowed. "Your tricks are useless, and you will only be more outnumbered as we fight!"

More inner sect members appeared on the rooftops over Omilaena, preparing to unleash qi attacks on her. Zae Zin Nim acted before she knew what she was doing, turning and unleashing a Coldfire Palm. It demolished half the wall as well as the cultivators, but left her back open.

She saw that Omilaena had spun as well, hurling needles into the cultivators who had been behind Zae Zin Nim's back. For a moment they faced one another, then they had no choice but to split up as their true opponents closed on them in their moment of distraction.

When Zae Zin Nim tried to target the Poison Prince instead, the crown technique slammed over her, battering her backward. More cultivators appeared on flying swords, these smart enough to stay at a distance and begin some sort of restricting formation. Omilaena spared a moment to pick off some of them, but in the process received a nasty cut to her arm from one of the poisoned swords.

Then there was no time for anything but defense, because the Grand Crown patriarch was using his full power against her. No, more than his full power... the cultivators around him were imparting strength that made his body and crown swell even further. His fists grew heavier and heavier until eventually Zae Zin Nim failed to block one: the blow struck her shoulder and she tumbled backward. Before her bodily transformation she might have been ripped apart, but she was still disoriented and vulnerable.

"This is the beginning of the end!" the patriarch declared. "Beg if you want, it is too late for mercy! Anything you want to do before you die miserably, do it now!"

Zae Zin Nim was surprised when Omilaena pulled her to her feet, since that would create an opening. It seemed like they had a brief moment together, because their opponents were still preparing for their final assault. All they could do was stare into one another's eyes... no, Omilaena suddenly moved forward and kissed her, and Zae Zin Nim struggled in surprise before she went still.

.

..

.

The kiss itself stunned most of those watching and Omilaena spun away cackling like a madwoman. Zin Nim remained where she had been kissed, eyes wide, hands raised over her mouth.

The patriarch snorted and shook his head. "Foolish women! Love will not save you now!"

"Wasn't expecting it to," Omilaena said as she spun up two more needles. The truth was that she was getting slower, though, and couldn't keep generating metal for long.

"I'm disappointed." The Poison Prince advanced on her, even more swords floating around him as other cultivators hurled their own to join his technique. "Does the lady of poison really have such a soft side?"

"What, do you not have genitals?"

"Every woman I have ever been with has died, because the poison in my body is too potent."

Omilaena sighed. "Yeah, I've heard that before. You're really missing out."

The next assault was brutal, more swords than she could possibly defend against effectively. She threw herself into pure defense with no hope of striking back, just retreating and trying to buy as much time as possible.

From the corner of her eye, she saw that Zin Nim still appeared to be stunned, fingers on her lips. The patriarch had no emotional compunctions and advanced on her, looming closer and closer as he hammered down blows with fists and qi.

Then, just as he prepared his finishing blow, Zin Nim exhaled a cloud of poison into his face.

It had been a wild strategy, but when Omilaena had kissed Zin Nim, she had breathed out a stream of concentrated poison. The other woman's lungs must be filled with it, but Omilaena had spent many delicious hours building up her resistance to those very poisons. Quickly understanding, Zin Nim had held her breath and contained the pressurized poison until the patriarch got into range.

The cloud of poison didn't travel as quickly as it could from Omilaena, but it still enveloped the patriarch. He cried out in pain, striking himself again, and would have been vulnerable to Zin Nim... but she reversed direction.

As she moved toward Omilaena, the smaller woman hit the sword of blades, her arms and legs flying, each movement shattering another sword. Omilaena grinned at her and they swung around one another, so that Omilaena was practically hurled at the weakened patriarch.

He had managed to escape death, staggering out of the cloud while coughing up blood, but he was too weakened to avoid Omilaena's syringe. This time she injected a purely physical technique directly into the muscles of his neck, and when the patriarch tried to strike his chest and expel it, he realized too late that his cultivation dispelling method was ineffective. Before he was even dead, Omilaena leapt away, striking down the cultivators who had attempted to encircle them.

That also gave her an opportunity to look at Zin Nim, who was utterly dominating the Poison Prince once they got into melee range. He did his best to keep up, and Omilaena could practically see his false immortality burning away as he channeled the power to strengthen himself, but it couldn't compare to Zin Nim's precise strikes.

Around the same time Omilaena finished off the other cultivators, Zin Nim finally landed a direct palm strike. Already pushed to the limit, the Poison Prince ejected so much blood he actually looked paler before he collapsed. Then, surprisingly quietly, it was only the two of them standing in the destroyed courtyard.

"Are you okay?" Zin Nim asked.

"Better than okay!" Omilaena hopped down beside her. "Grab the bodies, quick!"

Spatial items couldn't support life, but the high quality versions they'd gotten from the elves could hold corpses. Now Omilaena had the poison-rich corpse she'd always wanted, plus the Grand Crown patriarch as a bonus prize.

"They... they probably got out word," Zin Nim said carefully, struggling not to smile. "This is actually quite serious. We should go."

"Yes, we probably should." Omilaena took a step closer to the other woman, considering just how she might tease her. After fighting in such a pitched battle, coordinating so well, Omilaena was not letting her get any sleep that night.

Abruptly there was a surge of qi from one of the dead cultivators, a fallen medallion erupting into an explosion. They both grabbed one another, trying to shield the other, as they leapt away from it. But there were other medallions detecting the death of their owners, and the explosions themselves would draw other enemies. Given their current location, the situation was actually rather serious.

Still, as Omilaena ran with Zin Nim away from the cascading explosions, she laughed for the joy of it.