12. Requiem of Life and Death II

An injury-riddled man burst into the room, screaming. His right arms were broken, and his face was pale from all the blood that he had lost. His feet were bleeding as the soles of his shoes had already been destroyed, and his very soles were dripping with blood.

"Senior Forte! What happened?!"

Arya's shock could not be contained. She darted forward and supported the injured Forted; she fed him medicine that stabilized his condition.

"What happened to you? Where are the others?"

The man coughed up blood, but it did not stop him from answering the Madam.

"The Black Ravine…the remaining people of the previous people of the Immortal Moon Sect ambushed us at the Black Ravine! Kuk!" He coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Forte's consciousness left him, and he fell into a coma.

"Darya, Alri, come and take Senior Forte to the Healing Hall! I'll be leaving for the Black Ravine!"

Arya called for Alri and Darya who was still in shock of what is happening.

"Mother, we want to help!"

They stood up and tried to follow Arya out of the room. However, a sort of deadly aura surrounded Arya that pushed back the twins.

"It's merely 700 kilometers away, I'll be able to get there fast, but you two will only slow me down. Stay here where it is safe, I will activate the Grand Demon Protection Array I'll be gone from here, get to it quickly, the guards should protect you guys if anything happens."

Arya didn't wait for their answers and left for someplace else. And as she disappeared, Darya and Alri chose to follow her orders.

"Alri, stay here with Hal, I'll take Senior Forte to the Healing Hall. I will also take tonight's watch, make sure Hal's safe."

"Alright. But make sure to alert the guards, we don't know what is happening, so it is best to be careful."

There was no need to argue as Alri chose to follow what is right. As Hal was baffled and observed what is happening with a worried expression, Darya went out of the dining hall and took Forte away, leaving him and Alri alone.

An invisible barrier was then erected around the manor signaling the guards to stay on high alert. Hal could not see it, but he could feel the fluctuations of heavenly essence surrounding the manor.

His mother had already disappeared, and he did not know what is going to happen now. He was anxious; fear blossomed as the idea of losing someone made his chest tighten.

'I wish you the best of luck mother…please be safe.'

Hal hoped that nothing bad happens to his parents, and because he is currently powerless to do anything and too aggravated to train, he chose to rest instead of worry. Hopefully, everything will clear up tomorrow!

Together with Alri, he returned to his courtyard.

On the bed with him was Alri trying to comfort him to whisk his mind away from everything that might happen. As she hugged Hal, she too felt at peace.

Alri is a woman known to be cold. She shows not that much emotion and is pretty scary at times, but towards Hal, she's affectionate and caring.

��Are you afraid, Hal?"

"No, simply worried. Worried that mother and father wouldn't return to us."

Alri caressed his hair and softly spoke, "Is that so? But worry not because our parents are strong. Our family may not be as old as those Immortal Powerhouses, but our people are elites. There is nothing to worry about, mother and father will be safe, just believe in them."

Hal listened, but he was still restless, and as he closed his eyes, he failed to fall asleep. He was wide awake just like Alri failed to take her mind off the what-ifs that may happen.

As Darya crouched atop the highest point of the manor, she observed the surrounding area like a hawk. The guards surrounding the manor were with heightened senses; they are going around the area with spear at hand, ready to kill those who show suspicious movements.

The barrier signifies one of two things, either the Master and the Madam is away, and chances of attacks may occur, or the manor will be under fire.

The maids were all in their dwelling, not coming out unless something major happens. They feared for their lives, and all are hoping to see the light of day.

Everyone was on edge.

Exactly two hours after Arya left, Darya caught sight of an old man wearing ragged and aged white robe. The old man's face reflected his age. The test of time was best seen on his body, those frail limbs of his were as if they were dry and about to fall off, the wrinkled visage made him look like older than a hundred-year-old master.

'Weird…' Arya was already suspicious.

In the front of the manor, there were three guards hidden in the shadows, and they too were observing the situation with suspicion.

The old man was leisure, taking each step with patience. His flowing white beard reached all the way to his waist, and as he stopped right before the barrier, he raised his head and exchanged gazes with Darya.

Darya's expression changed, and almost immediately, she brought out a double-edged black axe. The head of the axe was wider than her body.

It was then that lightning escaped from her body and a vague figure of a beast possessing the head of a Dragon, the body of a Deer, and the horns of an Elk formed atop her head...

"Thunder Lord Qilin!"

This was her Martial Spirit, the Thunder Lord Qilin!

"Weapon Spirit!"

Hong!

Lightning struck, and thunder followed.

Her axe glowed an azure light, and as Darya raised it up over her head, the Qilin run up the skies and entered the axe empowering it and giving it a blue sheen, her axe previously did not have. Darya was ready to fight at any moment, but she was not going to just jump out of the barrier.

The barrier was there to protect them from those who are outside, it won't easily be broken, and as she secretly ordered for the guards to keep hidden, she was waiting for the move of the old man.

And she can feel danger screaming out from the old man, if she were to send out the guards, she would only be sending them out to die.

While Darya was preparing for combat, the old man had already finished.

The old man was at a realm that is unfathomable to Darya, but he still could not break the barrier.

The old man touched the barrier for a bit and brought out a spear. The spear had a deep blue color.

"I can't destroy this barrier with my remaining cultivation. I need to sacrifice some more…the lass is at «Heavenly Lake Realm», just about right…the heavens are in the side of justice."

The old man whispered, and his unfathomable cultivation began to drop until it reached the «Perfected-Heavenly Lake Realm».

The spear glowed an ethereal azure light and. And together with his decreasing cultivation realm, his body became even skinnier than it previously was.

The vitality in his body was sapped away, but that didn't stop him from making the next move.

He positioned his body and drew back the spear. With his right-hand handling the spear pulled back and his left in front, the old man bent his knees…

"«Ice Demon Spear », Pierce!"

Swoosh!

The spear named the Ice Demon Spear was thrust forward, and the barrier that was supposed to keep everyone out was pierced and dissipated into the cold winter wind.

Crash!

The old man stepped into the manor and looked at Darya who had an ugly expression on her face…

He then turned to the side and looked at places where the guards are hiding. He smiled as he tightly gripped his spear.

"Now, who should I kill first?"