The Fourth Wall - Chapter 15 preview

Tou He ran. Entirely on purpose, he ran, allowing his attacker to chase him backward and push him away from his friends with his attacks. He extended his aura as he did so, enveloping his attacker - and more importantly - the aura he left behind, the traces of corrupted chi that floated behind his opponent, corrupting the world by its very existence as he expended it. His aura combatted that corrupted chi, burning it up, ensuring that none of the malaise would be left behind.

This was the reason the heavens had taken such active participation in his journey to Core Formation, the desire to shape him and his fire chi in a way that could benefit them. There might be - probably were - others so touched, but by borrowing the dragon's constitution and bloodline and strengthening his own connection to the flame and heavens, he had left himself open to their manipulation. It had taken him a long to accept that, that he himself had opened the door to everything that happened.

Only when he had was he able to move past that initial anger and feelings of betrayal, to search for a solution and resolution to his problem. Only then, with the aid of the formations and the documents and advice from his Master and the sects above had he been able to break their hold, to pry open their hands and come to a new path.

Now, he walked it. Like his friend, he would always have a role to play in combatting the Demonic and Dark sects. It mattered little how they hid themselves or protested their innocence, when their actions harmed the fabric of civilisation and society, he would step in to correct the matter. With words and silver and compassion when it was possible, but he would never fear the use of his staff or flame. Though it was not his preference, existence rarely cared for an individual's desires.

Just the necessities of action.

He raised a hand, fire burning along his skin, inside of him. He did not project it outwards, but the heat was so intense that contact with his opponent sizzled flesh and burnt away the erupting fur. It brought a howl of anger from the other man's lips, even as his transformation continued.

Horns erupted from the temple, elongating and curling around, sheltering head and ear from attacks from the side. Fur grew all along the body, around the face and only leaving portions of the eyes and lips alone even as the mouth elongated themselves. Skin toughened beneath the fur, managing the heat that pounded the air and turned its fur into fire, even as jaw elongated and teeth grew. 

The demonic cultivator was an oxen-human hybrid, an animal-human hybrid who only bore some features of the animal and no actual paternal relation to them. There were, of course, theories of why that might be - including discussions that demons were but twisted and fallen animals - but such theories were generally considered disproven. When Buddhas and Sages alike discounted such rumors, it was hard to keep such talk alive.

It was possible that the visage of demonic cultivators were twisted by their own views, by their own experiences. Seeking strength and believing themselves cast down, they drew upon such disparate images while integrating the demonic chi. If so, their twisted visages were but consequences of their overall decision.

In the end, it didn't matter. They had made the decision, to traffic with demonic lands and people, to gain power that way. It would matter little, for not all demons were evil, just different. However, these demons had attacked them.

"Enough. One last time, I ask you. Put your weapon down, let us discuss matters. Surely those at our stage of progress can find better ways to manage conflict than with violence." Tou He asked, once again. 

No answer, as the punch came once more. His opponent favored their fists, and for good reason. They were so fast, so powerful that the wind itself bowed before their movement. If not for Tou He utilizing his movement technique, floating ahead of the attacks and thus borrowing the energy to dodge; he would have been hit already. As it stood, they had torn up a dozen li of pristine forest and shattered the top of a hill. 

And now, they were coming up to a village. That, more than anything, was reason enough for Tou He to stop indulging the man. It was time to finish this fight.

He twisted in mid-air, dodging around a fist. He knew what came next. His opponent was strong. Physically strong, of course, much stronger than Tou He. He was also of a higher cultivation level, though Tou He did not believe it was by much. However, the demonic energy coursing through him was much more aligned to battle and destruction, as the torn up forest and the explosion of noise each time his opponent unleashed an attack attested to.

However, like so many opponents who were strong naturally, he lacked finesse. Training. It was something that separated martial cultivators from most others, and though Tou He had never officially joined the ranks of those members in the Verdant Green Waters, he had trained alongside them all his years.

The reason he had never joined them was entirely philosophical, a difference in viewpoint rather than a mater of skill levels as per so many others.

It was also why he felt he had gotten along with Wu Ying so well. As with his friend, neither party had chosen to become a martial cultivator, their own paths far and away different than those espoused by the guardians and soldiers of the sect. Yet, they had indulged in the training of the martial arts.

A slight tug of his will, and the staff he utilized appeared in his hand. He had changed his weapon numerous times, though entirely for practical reasons only. This staff was no different, in essence, than the weapon he had first utilized as a Body Cleansing cultivator. A piece of wood, slightly taller than him by a hand. Heavy, smooth and durable, it had no metal cap on the end, no spikes or enchantments.

There was no need.

He flooded the weapon with his chi, watched it burn. Firewood - taken from the exploding trees of the south - reacted to his chi. They smoked and then burst into flame, taking on the aspects of the flame. Beyond that, there was nothing more that was needed, even as he began to parry the attacks and, finally, return his own.

The Sage's Opening drilled the tip of his staff through a small gap in his opponent's hands, driving the staff end into the diaphragm. His opponent flew backwards, coughing and gagging. The Descending Cloud dropped the top of his staff onto his opponent's head, lightly and swiftly, catching against the horns and pitching his opponent back, the muffled flames and explosion that happened as the swarm of fire chi that surrounded the staff end blinding his opponent. The Miner's Approach caught his opponent in his crown jewels, stealing them from generations to come.

Each movement was conducted swiftly, breaking upon his attacker in swift surety. Now that he had stopped running, he attacked and tore away any delusions of grandeur his opponent might have had. He had so many openings, openings that Tou He had catalogued as he retreated that the only reason the battle continued at all beyond the first minute was due to the immortal resilience granted to the two of them.

A pity that, for their battle, even if it was high in the air was causing issues all around. No clouds, no more around them. Even the wispy ones that had floated high overhead had been blown aside. Beneath their feet and radiating from where they were, was a flattened circle of vegetation. Each concussive blow delivered by either party, blocked or struck proper, sent booming explosion whose very presence caused animals to flee and vegetation to bend. Or break.

Temperature rose all around them, in the sphere of battle that the pair battled within; but the heat was not entirely contained. Licks of fire would explode outwards as a punch was dodged or pushed aside, wind and intent breaching the former monk's containment.  The fires were all short-lived, though the air around them all began to rise, threatening to light the surroundings on fire.

Tou He was all too aware how dangerous this could be. With a multi-year drought in play, the fire could quickly grow out of control and out of the bounds of his own ability to subdue it. Already, small flames were licked at the edges, most dying off before they could catch alight. It would only take a single spark though to find the wrong spot and the forest fire would rage.

Knowing this, Tou He sped up his own attacks. He lashed out with the staff, crushing bones and breaking limbs, once even managing a clean hit to the top of his opponent's head. Not that he was not suffering as well, for he traded defense for offense. His original style, the Mountain Abides had been focused upon defense almost exclusively. He had, over time, modified the style; studying and learning from others till he had landed upon this one. Together with the aid of his master and other martial specialists in the sect, he had turned the Comet Fall on the Sixth Moon into his own style.

Like the storied event, the attack combined his own fire element into the attack, each blow as powerful and swift as a falling comet from the heavens. Like the mountain range that had weathered the attack though, Wu Ying could take punishment and receive the attacks himself, weathering the onslaught to come out changed; but still intact.

In particular, and rather importantly, the Comet Fall technique imbued his flame into his opponent's aura. It robbed them of their strength, as it ate away from within, drawing upon the corrupt chi within them to fuel their own life. From within the body, it would race outwards, making the aura defense of his opponent weaker each moment; allowing ever more of his own flame chi into his opponent with each block, each attack.

Once an appropriate amount of energy was imbued, the end was as good as guaranteed. Unless his opponent retreated in time, he would not even have the energy to do so. Each triggering of their own technique utilising the corrupt chi just gave the ever hungry flames of the fire dragon greater purchase, fueling their own defeat.

Realisation struck his opponent too late. Caught up in the battle, consumed by the heady rush of demonic chi, intent on his opponent before him and the heave of fist and the thunder of kicking legs, they never realised the danger. Not until they pulled upon their chi once again to utilize a technique only to find it failing them. Not until the blow of a staff caught them on an upraised arm and shattered bone and arm alike and sent them falling to the earth.

They impacted like the titular meteor, cratering the earth. Flames rushed outwards upon the impact, setting the surroundings on fire; but as Tou He descended he subdued the flame. Drew it to him, to float around him. All around, as he spread his aura across the multiple li that their fight had affected, flames died and the heat from them raced towards him.

A small glowing sun, forming around his head, as he hovered near his opponent. Trees crisped, blackened and became charcoal; moisture drawn out from them from the intense heat. The earth blackened and portions  of it began to run, revealing the inner core weakness within.

Staring up at him, his opponent sneered. "You're more dragon than human now. And they call us demons."

"Demon, dragon or immortal; existence cares no. We all walk the path of existence, suffering with each moment and bringing suffering to others. Will you not accept another path, a chance to step aside from all this?"

The demon stared at Tou He incredulously for a moment, then a cunning gleam entered its eyes. He ducked his head low quickly, hiding it as he added. "I... you're right. Of course you're right. We only took this path because it was the only one offered to those of us not blessed by the heavens. But another path, another way... yes. I'll take it." 

"Good." Tou He smiled beatifically at the demon cultivator. He lowered his staff a little, the miniature sun shrinking and tightening and lowering as his staff did. When it was two thirds of the way down, the light from the sun winked out. Tou He turned at that time, offering his opponent his back even as he continued. "Come, let us go. If we hurry, we might be able to save your friends too."

"Of course, master." The demon cultivator stood up, took a step and then again. He did not strike immediately, till they were both dozens of feet in the air, floating on their own power. The demon had managed to contain the flames flickering within him, gather enough power by then. 

When he threw his punch, it was with a smirk. He did not speak to give warning, just striking.

Which was why he was surprised when Tou He dodged the attack with a slight sidestep and a twist of his hips, thrusting the back tip of his staff into his torso. Which was why, when the miniature sun exploded out of the staff tip, he never expected it. Nor, was he expecting the quiet benediction that the man uttered over his body, as it plummeted for the final time to the earth.

Staring at the body below him, Tou He sighed. He relaxed control of his power, releasing the last of the energy he had stored in his staff into the sky, warming the surroundings by small degrees. 

He had hoped. Hoped greatly, that the other had seen the light.

But he had never believed.