The Hunter and the Prey
The Hunter and the Prey
Chen Tianlin found himself in an impossible situation. A gargantuan palm imprint materialized from the void, its arrival utterly silent and devoid of warning. In the blink of an eye, it hovered menacingly over him, and there was no escape for Chen Tianlin.
Golden radiance enveloped Chen Tianlin's entire being, transforming his hair into gleaming blades of gold. A never-before-seen, terrifying surge of divine power surged from his battle drum. But just as he unleashed this incredible might, Qin Wentian's palm descended, leaving Chen Tianlin utterly defenseless. The colossal palm imprint swallowed him whole, accompanied by the shattering of his battle drum and the splintering of the stone platform. Chen Tianlin and the Radiant Gold Ancient Country's elite experts behind him were obliterated without mercy.
In a single strike, the supreme Chosen of the Radiant Gold Ancient Country met his demise.
Before this moment, Chen Tianlin and Shi Kuang had agreed that whoever killed Qin Wentian would claim the battle spirit. Little did anyone expect that Qin Wentian would launch a fierce counterattack after just three strikes.
Qin Wentian's retaliation was nothing short of ruthless, dispatching Shi Kuang and deterring the others from targeting him. Instead, they opted for safer one-on-one battles to determine who would shine the brightest on this floating bridge.
Now, Qin Wentian faced off against Chen Tianlin, defeating him even as Chen Tianlin unleashed his most potent attack.
Among the five other groups, none finished their battles as swiftly as Qin Wentian. Que Cheng from the Violet Thunder Sect had already fused with his battle spirit, emanating a seventh-level Heavenly Dipper aura as he effortlessly defeated his opponent with a single blow.
Que Cheng's eyes crackled with destructive lightning as he fixated on Qin Wentian. He acknowledged Qin Wentian's strength but remained undeterred. In the end, he believed that he would be the last one standing.
Que Cheng wasn't in a hurry to confront Qin Wentian directly. As the current frontrunner, he understood the importance of keeping a low profile to avoid unnecessary attention. He realized that striking at the most opportune moment was key to achieving his goals in a single decisive move.
While Que Cheng observed the ongoing battles, Qin Wentian had his eyes fixed on him. The Violet Thunder Sect had a score to settle with Qin Wentian, but Que Cheng had concealed his hostility until the appropriate time. His true animosity had only surfaced when Fan Le faced the ox demon during the test. If not for the guardian sparing them, all three would have perished beneath its hoof.
Que Cheng was not only formidable but also astute and ruthless. He knew how to seize opportunities and strike at the most advantageous moments. This was evident in his decision to bide his time, accumulate more battle spirits, and strengthen himself before making his move. Que Cheng was a cunning strategist with lofty ambitions.
Crackling with lightning, Que Cheng formed a brilliant purple energy sphere in his palms, ready to strike at any moment after amassing power over time. Qin Wentian furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the two participants caught in their fierce struggle. Despite their precarious situation, they were evenly matched and entirely absorbed in their battle.
In that critical moment, Que Cheng acted. His palms crackled with lightning as they slammed onto his battle drum with a deafening thunderclap. Lightning roared and thunder echoed as two streams of violet light shot towards the struggling combatants. One of them was the Chosen from the Heaven Cleaving Manor who had previously attacked Qin Wentian.
"Que Cheng..." Though these two were locked in combat, they sensed Que Cheng's assault instantly. They hadn't been caught off guard; their battle was at its zenith, leaving them no time to react to Que Cheng's treacherous attack. Que Cheng had chosen this moment to launch his sneak attack, and they found themselves powerless to resist.
The two beams of violet light underwent a remarkable transformation, morphing into the wrath of the thunder god itself. With relentless fury, they struck down, snuffing out the lives of their adversaries. Under the unforgiving onslaught of lightning and thunder, their bodies were reduced to mere cinders before ultimately turning to ashes. In a cruel twist of fate, their battle spirits were also ruthlessly torn away, causing Que Cheng's aura to surge upward, inching ever closer to the elusive seventh level of Heavenly Dipper.
A deafening roar pierced the air, and another voice joined the fray. Que Cheng, having bared his treacherous intentions, had no intentions of halting now. He unleashed a ferocious attack aimed at yet another pair of participants. Both combatants ceased their struggle abruptly upon sensing Que Cheng's impending assault, but it was already too late. One met a swift demise while the other suffered severe injuries.
Qin Wentian was not to be outdone. With a resounding palm strike upon his battle drum, he released an enraged bellow that shook the heavens. Another deluge of pressure surged forth, suppressing the very essence of the void itself.
Que Cheng, however, showed no sign of relenting. Despite his surviving adversary's grave condition, he remained intent on plundering their battle spirit before anything else. Thus, he launched another attack, sending a dazzling bolt of lightning hurtling like a razor-sharp sword toward his target. Despite the desperate defense put up by the expert, it was evident that his strength had waned considerably.
Victory shone in Que Cheng's eyes. He struck again, fully aware that claiming this life would propel him to the eighth level of Heavenly Dipper. Yet, at this critical juncture, a massive palm imprint descended from the heavens, snatching the kill from Que Cheng's grasp. In his final moments, the hapless victim realized that even a Heaven Chosen like himself was nothing but prey in this merciless battlefield. The weak had but one fate – to become the hunted.
The executioner was none other than Qin Wentian. Here, kindness held no place, and all were either hunters or the hunted. Failure to kill meant being killed. This had been predetermined from the moment they set foot in this treacherous realm. If Qin Wentian hadn't acted, the battle spirit would have fallen into Que Cheng's hands, sealing the doom of everyone.
Qin Wentian had snatched the meal from the jaws of a tiger, and Que Cheng's eyes gleamed with pure hatred as he turned his furious gaze upon him. How dare Qin Wentian steal his prey?
Of the original twelve participants, only five remained. Qin Wentian had claimed two lives, Que Cheng had taken three, and Shen Ting from the Great Earth Sect had also dispatched two in the chaos. Presently, Que Cheng stood as the most formidable, with Shen Ting and Qin Wentian evenly matched.
As for the remaining two survivors, fear etched itself onto their faces, and their expressions grew increasingly unsightly. During the chaotic battle earlier, they hadn't found the opportunity to plunder others; their focus had been on self-preservation. Consequently, the gap in their strength compared to the remaining three slowly widened. Moreover, one of the two weaker survivors hailed from the Battle Sword Sect.
"Sever the connection and escape as quickly as possible. I will do everything in my power to assist you," Qin Wentian telepathically communicated to the Battle Sword Sect expert.
This individual proved to be decisive, responding promptly, "Agreed, but first, help me launch an attack to relieve the pressure on me. Afterward, I will sever the connection, and you can claim my battle spirit."
Qin Wentian nodded in agreement. It was clear that by 'them,' the expert referred to Shen Ting and Que Cheng, the most significant threats.
With their pact sealed, Qin Wentian sprang into action. He fully comprehended that their primary targets were Shen Ting and Que Cheng, the biggest challenges they faced.
A cataclysmic barrage of palm imprints descended from the heavens, hurtling toward Que Cheng and Shen Ting. In the same breath, the Battle Sword Sect expert struck his battle drum, conjuring a dazzling, blinding sword light in the air. The brilliance of this sword light was so intense that no one could bear to look directly at it. However, shockingly, the intended recipient of this piercing sword beam was none other than Qin Wentian!
Bai Mou, hailing from the Battle Sword Sect, held a distinguished status as a personal disciple under one of the nine Sword Sovereigns. He, too, was a chosen warrior representing the Battle Sword Sect. Bai Mou faced a daunting decision, one that weighed heavily upon him. If he heeded Qin Wentian's advice and opted to withdraw from this battle, he faced a perilous 50% chance of survival and an equal chance of meeting his demise in the pursuit of escape. However, both choices led to a stark reality: the opportunity to ascend to the pinnacle was slipping away.
Neither of these alternatives appealed to Bai Mou. He understood that if he eliminated Qin Wentian, he could claim the formidable battle spirit for himself, instantly elevating his power above Shen Ting and enabling him to compete on equal terms with Que Cheng. In slaying Qin Wentian, he believed he could resolve all his current challenges and still maintain a shot at becoming the sole champion of this battlefield. Moreover, there was a tantalizing prospect of obtaining additional benefits.
Thus, Bai Mou, a Heaven Chosen disciple of the Battle Sword Sect, decided to take the risk. He directed his attack toward Qin Wentian, pouring every ounce of his strength into this decisive strike, knowing that the outcome hinged on this single blow.
The timing of Bai Mou's attack was impeccably chosen. Just as Qin Wentian launched his offensive against Shen Ting and Que Cheng, Bai Mou seized the moment to betray him. His sword light descended with lethal precision, leaving Ye Lingshuang deeply dismayed by the sudden turn of events. Earlier, she had revealed Bai Mou's true identity to Qin Wentian when they stood on the floating bridge. This revelation had likely motivated Qin Wentian to come to Bai Mou's aid. Little did anyone expect such a shocking twist.
Remarkably, Qin Wentian did not display surprise. He had anticipated Bai Mou's potential betrayal when offering his assistance. As a chosen warrior of the Battle Sect and a personal disciple of one of the Sword Sovereigns, Qin Wentian understood that Bai Mou might gamble on betraying him for personal gain. In this ruthless world, there was no room for camaraderie or gratitude, only self-interest prevailed. Bai Mou's decision to kill Qin Wentian was driven solely by the potential rewards he stood to gain.
Therefore, Qin Wentian was far from unprepared. The moment Bai Mou struck, the sharpness emanating from Qin Wentian's body intensified dramatically, transforming him into an invincible sword, capable of conquering anything in his path. The echoes of his thunderous drum reverberated through the air as they intertwined with a mysterious sword hum, defusing the lethal edge of Bai Mou's sword attack.
Qin Wentian had foreseen the possibility of Bai Mou's betrayal and had readied himself accordingly. The instant Bai Mou struck, the sharpness emanating from Qin Wentian intensified, rendering him an unstoppable force. The resounding echoes of his drum merged with a mystical sword resonance, effectively neutralizing the deadly intent of Bai Mou's strike.
Bai Mou, now consumed by surprise, shock, disbelief, and a profound sense of reluctance, fell victim to the formless might of Qin Wentian's Grand Nihility Thousand Imprint. He realized that he had lost the wager and could only resign himself to his fate.
In a flurry of explosive noise, Bai Mou met his end as his battle drum shattered. Moments later, a bolt of lightning streaked through the battlefield, obliterating the spot where the battle drum had been. Not only did Bai Mou perish, but also those who had followed him from the Battle Sword Sect met a similar fate. Their destinies were sealed the moment Bai Mou chose betrayal over allegiance. Their last thoughts lamented why they hadn't emulated Ye Lingshuang's choice of forming an alliance with Qin Wentian on the floating bridge instead of blindly following Bai Mou.
The lightning strike had been unleashed by Que Cheng, though regrettably, he was a fraction too late to claim the kill.
Now, only three contenders remained on the battlefield: Que Cheng, Qin Wentian, and Shen Ting. As Qin Wentian dispatched Bai Mou, a fierce competition unfolded between Que Cheng and Shen Ting to eliminate the last survivor. Ultimately, Que Cheng emerged victorious, securing the battle spirit for himself and ascending to the eighth level of Heavenly Dipper.
At this juncture, Qin Wentian remained at the seventh level, while both Que Cheng and he turned their unwavering attention toward Shen Ting. In this treacherous triangle, Shen Ting had become the hunted, with Que Cheng and Qin Wentian positioned as the relentless hunters. Shen Ting grasped the dire situation and paled, realizing that they, the experts of the Great Earth Sect, had transitioned from hunters to prey in a mere heartbeat.
He professed his desire to teach Qin Wentian a lesson in conduct, but the irony lay in the evident dynamics between Que Cheng, Qin Wentian, and himself. At a single glance, anyone could discern that these two had already marked him as their prey, and he stood out as the weakest among the trio.
Qin Wentian remained stoic, his gaze revealing everything. It brimmed with unwavering self-assuredness and an unshakeable pride, so deeply ingrained in his very being that it practically emanated from his bones. Shen Ting found this look unbearable, causing his pallor to intensify with each passing moment.
"If I perish, so do you," Shen Ting uttered, his eyes locked onto Qin Wentian. "Let us join forces and confront Que Cheng. Or, if you disagree, I will ally with him to take you down."
Shen Ting believed that the threat Qin Wentian posed was comparatively smaller than Que Cheng's, and he sought cooperation to neutralize the latter. During their collaboration, if the opportunity arose for him to eliminate Qin Wentian, all the better.
Qin Wentian remained silent. How could he fail to grasp Shen Ting's intentions? Given the current situation, Shen Ting's fate was sealed. Did he truly believe he could trust Que Cheng in forming an alliance? It was highly likely that, while locked in combat with Qin Wentian, Que Cheng would seize the chance to eliminate him.
"I can offer you my battle drum, but you must spare my life," Shen Ting beseeched Que Cheng, recognizing the futility of seeking Qin Wentian's support based on the latter's silence. At this juncture, all he could hope for was to cling to survival.
"Agreed," Que Cheng responded with a nod, the crackling of lightning in his palms hinting at his readiness to strike at any moment. Simultaneously, Qin Wentian stood poised for action.
Shen Ting's choice had been made, but it was clear that his fate was already sealed. The ultimate showdown loomed on the horizon, a battle to determine the victor between Que Cheng and Qin Wentian!