Mengting was running through the forest as fast as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and the assassin's camp as possible. She knew that if she didn't get away soon, she would be caught and will be forced to fight for her life.
As she ran, she could hear the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling behind her. She knew that the assassins were following her, and that they were getting closer.
Mengting was a bit nervous, but she refused to give up. She had to keep running, no matter what. She knew that the longer it takes for them to catch her, the longer it will distract them for going after the others.
Out of nowhere, a sharp pain struck her side, causing her to stumble and collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath. One of the assassins had caught up to her and hurled his spear, striking her with force.
Mengting steadied herself and took a deep breath, her focus solely on the two assassins that were tailing her. She knew that the odds were against her, as not only were they armed with one-star-ranked weapons, but they were also in the Intermediate Spiritual Ascending stage. Mengting, on the other hand, was only at the Beginner Spiritual Ascending stage and had neither a spiritual nor a regular weapon - preferring to rely solely on her fists. She had always believed that her natural strength and agility were more than enough to win a fight. However, in this situation, she knew that a spiritual weapon, even a glove, would have greatly increased her chances of success this is because a spiritual weapon enhances the user's abilities and strength in combat.
To enhance her strength for the imminent encounter, Mengting employed a technique taught to her by her senior brother Zhang Yitian during her cultivation training. By infusing lightning into her body, she heightened her senses and reflexes, preparing herself for the upcoming fight. As she readied herself, Mengting couldn't help but think with solemn determination, "I must survive this ordeal."
Dancing gracefully to avoid the consecutive attacks of the two assassins, Mengting deftly parried the first one and narrowly dodged the second. With a swift motion, she summoned a powerful fireball with her palm and hurled it towards the first assassin. Meanwhile, she stamped her foot on the ground and conjured a barricade of earth to block the second assassin's follow-up attack.
As Mengting unleashed a fireball towards the first assassin, he quickly generated a water wave to dispel it. However, he was momentarily stunned as he realized that Mengting was capable of using two different elements in her attacks, which went against the common knowledge of the world.
The first assassin glanced at the second one and noticed the surprise on his face as well. "It's a shame to lose such a talented individual today," he thought to himself before preparing to launch another attack on Mengting.
The second assassin infused his weapon with fire elemental power, while the first assassin did the same with water. They charged towards Mengting, who summoned a barricade of earth in response. However, the powered-up weapons easily shattered the barrier upon impact.
Mengting was taken aback by the power of their weapons, and was a bit slow to dodge, resulting in cuts on her arms because she tried to block them in the last second. Despite feeling the pain coursing through her body, she gritted her teeth and managed to keep herself from reacting strongly to it. With a fierce determination to survive this ordeal, Mengting couldn't help but recall the father and daughter date she had with Zenki.
Mengting and Zenki were walking together in the courtyard of the castle. They were enjoying each other's company while taking in the beautiful scenery. It was a special day for Mengting, as it was a father and daughter date with Zenki. She was grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with her father.
As they strolled, Zenki suddenly had an idea. He wanted to teach Mengting something new about the elements that she could use in combat. He had learned some modern knowledge about elements in his past life on earth and he thought it would be useful to share it with Mengting.
"Hey, Mengting," Zenki said, "Do you know that you can use combinations of elements in combat?"
Mengting looked at her father with a curious expression. "What do you mean, father?"
"Well," Zenki explained, "Using two or more elements together can create a more powerful effect. For example, combining fire and wind can create a tornado of flames."
Mengting's eyes lit up with excitement. She had never heard of such a thing before. "That sounds amazing, father. Can you teach me how to do it?"
Zenki smiled at his daughter's enthusiasm. "Of course, let me show you how."
They went to a secluded area in the courtyard where Zenki began to explain the basics of element combination. He started with the simplest one, which was to combine earth and water to create mud. Then, he showed Mengting how to combine fire and wind to create a powerful flame tornado.
Mengting was amazed by what she had learned. She was eager to try it out in combat. Zenki cautioned her to be careful, as the combinations can be dangerous if not used properly. However, he was confident that Mengting would use it wisely.
From that day on, Mengting practiced using element combinations in her training. She discovered new ways to use her abilities and became even more skilled in combat. She was grateful to her father for teaching her something new and useful.
As they continued their father and daughter date, Mengting felt closer to Zenki than ever before. She cherished the moments they spent together and looked forward to more adventures with her father in the future.
Mengting knew that she was outmatched in terms of weaponry and cultivation level, but she refused to give up. She decided to rely on her knowledge of the elements and the tricks she learned from her father to fight the assassins.
As she caught her breath, Mengting rapidly gathered a sizable boulder of earth and hurled it towards the assassins. While they were occupied dodging the incoming attack, she swiftly combined the powers of water and wind to create a dense fog, shrouding the battlefield and hindering their vision.
The assassins, with their vision obscured, had to rely on their senses to locate Mengting. They sensed more boulders coming their way and easily dodged them while trying to pinpoint her location. As they advanced towards the source of the attacks, they stumbled upon a dome made of earth, suspecting Mengting to be hiding inside. Without hesitation, they attacked the dome with their weapons, but to their surprise, lava erupted from within. The first assassin was able to protect himself by creating a water barrier, but the second assassin was caught off guard and got burned resulting in him falling to the ground, injured.
Out of nowhere, a high-pressure stream of water appeared, seemingly cutting through the air and towards the ground with the intention to slice the assassins in half. The first assassin was quick to react and managed to dodge the attack, but the second assassin was caught off guard and still reeling from his fall. The powerful water stream hit him with precision, cutting him in half instantly and leaving him dead on the ground.
Predicting where the high-pressure stream of water would appear, the first assassin retaliated by sending a powerful stream of water towards the spot. Mengting was caught off guard and was hit, causing her to be propelled backward and collide with a nearby tree.
Mengting managed to stand up by using the tree at her back as support, her breathing still heavy as the combination of elements took a toll on her energy. Despite her weakened state, the assassin charged towards her without hesitation, determined to finish the job.
Just as the assassin was about to strike her, Mengting acted swiftly and created a powerful tornado of air and fire. The force of the tornado caught the assassin off guard, causing him to stumble and lose his balance. Seizing the opportunity, Mengting conjured a ball of molten lava and hurled it towards the assassin. Although he tried to use his water elemental energy to block the attack, the intense heat of the lava overwhelmed his defenses, burning him to death. Exhausted and drained from the intense battle, Mengting collapsed to the ground. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and felt relieved that the fight was finally over.
Upon Mingliang's arrival with a third of the guards, a distressing scene greeted him. He quickly made his way towards Mengting's battered body to check her condition, and he let out a relieved sigh upon finding that she was still alive. Using his strong arms, he supported her weight and together with the guards, they began their journey back to the castle. Determined to get Mengting the medical attention she needed for her wounds, they walked briskly while keeping a watchful eye for any possible dangers along the way. Mingliang couldn't help but worry for the safety of the others as well, hoping that they too had escaped successfully.