Immortal Paladin

[POV: Mao Fen]

”Are you seeing this?” Mao Fen asked through the communication talisman concealed beneath the folds of her sleeve.

She remained motionless atop the roof of a crumbling pavilion, allowing the surrounding shadows to hide her presence. Wisps of white fog drifted through the ruins below, slowly swallowing streets, courtyards, and broken buildings.

”There is so much fog everywhere.”

She frowned.

At first glance, the mist appeared perfectly ordinary. It carried neither killing intent nor spiritual pressure. Even her keen senses failed to detect anything unusual within it.

That alone made it suspicious.

Rather than entering the fog, Mao Fen chose to skirt its outer edge. She bounded across rooftops with Gale Steps, tracing its expanding perimeter while searching for the source.

Lord Lu Tai’s calm voice echoed from the talisman.

”Be careful with the fog.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

”Although it appears completely mundane, something may be concealed beneath it. Judging by how naturally it spreads while remaining almost undetectable to our senses, I suspect this is the power of Creation, Quintessence.”

In other words, Immortal Qi. It was the divine privilege of the Shén, a mysterious race of primordial spirits said to have participated in the creation of the universe itself. For countless ages, the Celestial Circle had quietly monitored any trace of their existence.

Many cultivators mistakenly believed Immortal Qi belonged to all immortals simply because of its name.

The truth was entirely different.

It was called Immortal Qi because the qi produced by the Shén was itself immortal. At its purest state, it possessed limitless potential, capable of becoming nearly anything through the user’s will.

Should such power be woven into an Immortal Art, its possibilities became almost unimaginable.

Even after countless years of cultivation and travel throughout the Greater Universe, Mao Fen had never encountered a true Shén.

Lu Tai spoke again.

”I once overheard my father mention that the Holy Ascension Empire discovered a method of manifesting quintessence by combining conventional qi with a dimensional energy they call mana. I believe both of you are familiar with the Shén. There is no need to dwell upon our enemy’s abilities. As long as you trust yourselves and your own skills, you will not fail.”

A carefree laugh sounded through the talisman.

”I didn’t take you for someone who gives speeches, Lord,” Zi Hong said with amusement. ”Still, you’re right. I know about the Shén.”

He clicked his tongue.

”How did you know that?”

It was a reasonable question.

Few would expect a wandering mercenary to possess knowledge regarding one of the greatest mysteries in existence.

”My father is your employer,” Lu Tai replied matter-of-factly. ”I was informed of your background beforehand.”

He continued,

”The same applies to you, Mao Fen. For the duration of this contest, I am participating not only as my father’s champion, but also as his representative.”

The conversation ended abruptly.

Mao Fen’s instincts screamed. She launched herself sideways as a sword flashed through the space she had occupied a heartbeat earlier.

A blue-haired woman streaked past like a phantom before landing atop another rooftop several buildings away.

Mao Fen landed lightly upon a distant pavilion, already drawing her bow.

”The least you could do is introduce yourself,” she said.

In truth, she already knew exactly who her opponent was. Her name was Ding Cai, one of the Holy Emperor’s six disciples. The Celestial Circle had quietly monitored every known disciple of the Holy Emperor for some time already, gathering whatever fragments of information they could.

Ding Cai smiled faintly. ”You already know my name, don’t you?”

”Very perceptive.” Mao Fen returned the smile.

The instant her words fell, Gale Steps erupted beneath her feet. Her figure dissolved into countless afterimages as she activated her Immortal Art, Thousand Steps of the Wind. Every step she had accumulated became a point she could instantly traverse. Space folded around her as she vanished from one rooftop and reappeared thousands of meters away atop a weathered pagoda.

Her bowstring was already fully drawn.

Violent winds condensed around the arrow as destructive qi gathered into her Immortal Art, Storm Force.

Through the talisman, she spoke calmly,

”I found her.”

Her gaze locked onto Ding Cai.

”And now...”

A confident smile spread across her lips.

”She’s mine.”

Before the arrow could leave the string, the bowstring snapped.

Twang!

The recoiling string lashed violently across her face. Pain exploded through her right eye. Her vision blurred.

”What—”

Using Qi Sense alone, Mao Fen detected another presence standing almost within arm’s reach. She immediately leaped backward. However, it was too late.

A cold voice whispered from directly behind her.

”Immortal Art: Godslayer.”

...

..

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[POV: Ding Cai]

”One down,” Ding Cai said coldly.

Her gaze remained fixed upon the distant rooftop where Mao Fen had fallen into her carefully prepared trap.

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”Two more to go.”

”Good job,” said the Human Soul in the shape of a sword. He looked across the battlefield as the endless fog continued spreading through the ruins. ”So... Who’s next?”

Ding Cai remarked softly. ”Patience. We will get all of them in time.”

The fog surrounding the battlefield had indeed been created with quintessence, yet the mist itself possessed nothing extraordinary.

It was, in every sense, ordinary fog.

The true danger lay hidden within it.

Scattered throughout the white haze floated countless layers of Divine Myriad Nebula, one of her master’s signature abilities. The condensed particles of divine energy remained invisible to ordinary perception, allowing Ding Cai to instantaneously cast spells and techniques from anywhere the nebula reached.

By weaving Divine Phantasm of Dreams into those countless particles, she transformed every corner of the battlefield into an elaborate illusion.

Her recent battle against Loki had taught her just how convincing illusions needed to be against truly skilled opponents.

Now, she put that lesson into practice.

Ideally, she would be able to take down her opponents with the least amount of injuries and energy.

…

..

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[POV: Lu Tai]

It was unexpected.

The battle had not even lasted a full day, yet one of their three champions had already fallen.

Deep beneath the ruins, Lu Tai slowly opened his eyes.

The underground chamber he had fashioned with earth talismans remained perfectly silent. Layer after layer of concealment formations surrounded him, masking both his presence and spiritual fluctuations while countless paper talismans covered the walls like white leaves.

Among them, one talisman abruptly dimmed.

It belonged to Mao Fen.

Before distributing the communication talismans, Lu Tai had secretly inscribed each one with a Life Observation Spell. It continuously monitored the bearer’s vital signs and quietly relayed the information back to him.

Without hesitation, Lu Tai formed a hand seal.

Several origami butterflies resting upon the walls fluttered to life. They slipped through tiny cracks in the earth before emerging throughout the battlefield, converging toward the location where Mao Fen’s life signal had disappeared.

His brows furrowed beneath the veil.

It was strange.

Judging from the fluctuations his familiars observed before her death, Mao Fen had crossed tremendous distances almost instantaneously using her movement technique. Even by the standards of immortals at their current cultivation, the battlefield remained enormous.

Yet she had still been hunted down.

The enemy’s methods exceeded his expectations.

He raised the communication talisman.

”Zi Hong.”

A lazy voice answered almost immediately.

”What is it?”

”We’ve lost Mao Fen. Can you investigate?”

He transferred the location through the talisman.

”Follow the guidance inscribed upon your talisman. It will lead you to where she was before her death.”

Zi Hong clicked his tongue, and his disappointment was unmistakable. ”What? She died already? The enemy is much stronger than I imagined. Or was Mao Fen simply weak?”

Lu Tai silently shook his head, finding Mao Fen being weak unlikely.

No one acknowledged by his father could ever be considered weak.

The Supreme Heart judged others solely by merit.

Although the standards he used often bordered upon incomprehensible, he never tolerated incompetence. Every champion chosen to represent him possessed abilities worthy of that decision.

If Mao Fen had fallen, then the enemy deserved even greater caution.

Lu Tai remained hidden beneath the earth while directing more origami butterflies through the mist-covered ruins. Each familiar transmitted everything it saw back to him, forming an ever-expanding map of the battlefield.

Several moments later, Zi Hong’s amused voice echoed through the talisman.

”Are you sure she’s dead?”

Lu Tai’s eyes narrowed.

”What do you mean?”

”She’s standing right in front of me.”

His heart skipped. Impossible. The Life Observation Spell had already confirmed Mao Fen’s death. Unless...

”No.”

Lu Tai’s expression changed into worry.

”That’s not her—”

The connection abruptly vanished as the communication talisman went silent. At that exact moment, the Life Observation Spell linked to Zi Hong flickered violently. Slowly, it disappeared as if cut off from him.

…

..

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[POV: Zi Hong]

”That isn’t nice.”

Zi Hong lowered the communication talisman and stared at the neat hole that had suddenly appeared through its center. The spell formation inscribed within the paper had been severed with uncanny precision, rendering it nothing more than an ordinary scrap of paper.

He let it drift to the ground.

The talisman had faithfully guided him through the maze of ruined streets, constantly tilting toward Mao Fen’s last known location. Instead of finding a corpse, he found Mao Fen herself. Or rather, something pretending to be her.

It was unsettling, since every detail matched from her posture, her breathing, and the way she held her bow. Even the subtle movement of her robes in the breeze was identical to the Storm Archer he had met earlier. Yet every instinct he had cultivated through countless battles screamed the same conclusion.

This wasn’t Mao Fen.

Zi Hong rested his sword upon his shoulder and smiled.

”I know you’re a fake.”

The woman remained silent.

”Well...” His wolf ears twitched excitedly. ”If it’s a fight you want...”

He lowered the blade until its tip pointed toward the ground.

”I’ll happily oblige.”

A feral grin spread across his face.

”Just be warned. I’m pretty strong.”

Zi Hong had long since earned his reputation as one of the Greater Universe’s greatest swordsmen. Yet swordsmanship alone was not the source of his terrifying strength. His bloodline was. After all, he was half Shén, though few knew that.

Ironically, while the Shén were celebrated as creators who shaped existence through quintessence, Zi Hong had inherited an affinity for destruction. To him, destruction was merely another form of creation. One could not exist without the other.

”Let’s dance.”

The instant his foot touched the ground, his aura exploded outward. A howl echoed across the battlefield. The atmosphere twisted violently as invisible killing intent condensed into tangible form of a Martial God.

That was the realm Zi Hong had reached with martial arts alone.

Although he had sacrificed fifty-one layers of immortality, no one could strip away the aura he had painstakingly forged over countless years. Nor could they take away the territory born from that aura.

”Wolves of the Infinite.”

A massive spectral wolf emerged behind him before lunging toward the false Mao Fen. She reacted instantly. Gale Steps carried her gracefully between shattered rooftops while powerful winds diverted the wolf’s path.

Without hesitation, she drew her bow.

The arrow exploded against the wolf’s head. The beast shattered into countless streams of aura, and then the fragments became two wolves.

Zi Hong laughed.

”No, no.”

His grin widened.

”That’s not how you deal with them.”

The wolves pursued relentlessly. She destroyed another. Four emerged. Then eight. Every beast she cut down multiplied into an even larger pack. Zi Hong’s sword traced elegant arcs through the air, each swing releasing another wolf formed entirely from condensed martial aura.

Their howls overlapped until they resembled a tidal wave sweeping across the ruins. Buildings collapsed beneath snapping jaws. Stone towers crumbled. Ancient walls disappeared beneath countless spectral beasts. The battlefield shook as the pack surged forward.

The false Mao Fen fled desperately, weaving through collapsing structures with astonishing agility. She fired arrow after arrow, yet each wolf she destroyed merely fed the technique. The pack grew. Soon there was nowhere left to run. The wolves caught her. One seized her arm. Another clamped onto her shoulder.

Dozens more descended upon her from every direction. Their translucent fangs tore into flesh without mercy. Within moments, the figure disappeared beneath a writhing sea of spectral wolves. Blood splattered across the shattered streets.

When the pack finally dispersed, only Mao Fen’s mangled corpse remained. The wolves lowered their heads and devoured the lingering aura surrounding the body before dissolving back into Zi Hong’s domain. He exhaled softly. Another feast. One reason Zi Hong wandered throughout the Greater Universe challenging renowned swordmasters was to nourish the wolves born from his martial aura. Every worthy opponent they consumed strengthened the territory itself.

Yet something felt wrong. He stared quietly at the remains. It was undeniably Mao Fen’s corpse. Even the lingering scent matched. But the Mao Fen he had just fought had lacked something. His wolf ears twitched. Instinct screamed. Without thinking, Zi Hong raised his sword.

Clang!

Steel collided with steel. Sparks erupted between two blades.

“That’s more like it!”

His eyes lit up with excitement. Standing before him was a blue-haired woman wielding a sword cloaked in powerful martial aura. Unlike the false Mao Fen, this woman felt alive. Every movement carried intent. Every step displayed refinement. Zi Hong burst into laughter.

“Excellent! So you know how to use the sword! Hahaha!”

His blood boiled. He activated Wolf’s Smell. Everything within several kilometers became a tapestry of scents be it blood, qi, dust, or intent. Nothing escaped his senses. At the same time, Wolf’s Step propelled him forward. His figure vanished. The next instant, his sword descended toward Ding Cai’s shoulder. She met the strike head-on. Their blades collided. Neither yielded.

Zi Hong twisted his wrist. The sword slipped aside before thrusting toward her ribs. Ding Cai pivoted elegantly, guiding his blade away with the flat of her own before countering with a diagonal slash aimed at his neck. He ducked beneath it. Wolf’s Step carried him behind her. Another slash. She spun. Steel rang again.

The exchange accelerated. One strike became ten. Ten became fifty. Sword light flashed throughout the ruined city as both figures disappeared and reappeared across rooftops, broken streets, and collapsing towers. Every clash released violent shockwaves that carved deep scars into the surrounding ruins. Zi Hong’s grin only widened. His opponent understood. No unnecessary techniques. No overwhelming spells. Only pure swordsmanship.

“This is wonderful!” he laughed as their blades crossed once more. “Let’s see just how far your martial arts have reached.”

He pressed harder. The pressure behind every swing increased until the surrounding air itself screamed beneath their blades. Then he smiled.

“Tell me, woman…” His wolf-like eyes gleamed with anticipation. “What’s your name?”