Chapter 50: Opportunity Between Life and Death

Bao Qing flew with difficulty towards the mountains on the horizon. The determination in his eyes was unwavering, but his wounded body constantly reminded him of the limits of his endurance.

As he approached his destination, a distant rumble caught his attention. He looked to the right and saw the aftermath of a battle: fallen trees, shattered ground, and flashes of spiritual energy illuminating the horizon.

"What is happening there?" Bao Qing thought, his mind torn between the need to find Xue Sha and the urgency to investigate the fight. "It could be a trap, or maybe someone needs help... Should I go see what's happening or continue on and return to the camp to heal?"

After careful consideration, Bao Qing gritted his teeth, his resolve hardening. "I can't ignore this. I'm going to see who is in danger; if it's one of ours, I must help." With one last effort, he changed his course and headed towards the fight.

As he approached, he saw the Steward, a middle-aged man with six spiritual rings on his feet, wielding a sword skillfully. He was gravely injured: a deep cut crossed his chest, his left arm hung limp, and a wound on his right leg hindered his movement. Despite his injuries, the Steward fought with impressive ferocity.

In front of him, three figures in the form of Spiritual Avatars surrounded him. One was a gigantic turtle, its shell covered in glowing runes. Another was a colossal spider, with sharp legs and multiple eyes gleaming with malice. The third was a praying mantis, its front legs sharp as blades and its body slender and agile. Each of them had seven spiritual rings on their feet, indicating their formidable power.

The turtle had several cracks in its shell, and its movement was slow and heavy, as if each step cost it great effort. The spider had several broken legs, and its abdomen was pierced, leaking a dark liquid. The praying mantis had a torn wing and multiple cuts on its exoskeleton, but its eyes still shone with dangerous intensity.

Bao Qing was preparing to jump into the fight and help the Steward, but he noticed something peculiar: the Steward was fighting with his eyes closed. Despite his injuries, he dodged and counterattacked with impressive precision.

The praying mantis activated its first spiritual ring, enveloping itself in a green aura that increased its speed. With a quick and lethal movement, it lunged at the Steward, its front legs sharp as blades seeking a vulnerable point. The Steward, without opening his eyes, blocked the attack with his sword and counterattacked with a precise blow that forced the mantis to retreat.

At that moment, the gigantic turtle activated its fourth spiritual ring. Its shell began to glow with a golden light as it retracted inside. Then, it started spinning rapidly, turning into a living drill that launched itself at the Steward. He, with surprising agility, dodged the attack until the turtle stopped and pulled its body out again.

Bao Qing watched intently and noticed flashes of purple light on the Steward's body. He was surprised to realize that the Steward was trying to awaken his Spiritual Domain in the midst of this life-and-death battle.

"He wants to use this fight to reach a new level of power," Bao Qing thought, impressed by the Steward's determination. After reflecting for a moment, he decided not to intervene. "If I interrupt now, I could ruin his chance."

Instead of joining the battle, Bao Qing flew to a nearby hill and sat on the top in a lotus position. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing on recovering his soul power while watching the fight from a distance.

The spider had taken advantage of the Steward being distracted in the battle and sneaked behind him. Activating its sixth spiritual ring, the spider unleashed a devastating attack: a barrage of venomous threads sharp as blades that headed towards the Steward with deadly speed and precision.

The Steward felt the shadow of death looming over him. At that moment, his heart stopped for a second, and a feeling of despair overwhelmed him. "Will this be my end?" he thought, as he saw the venomous threads approaching. "I can't afford a mistake at this moment." Just then, he stopped attacking, and his sword began to glow with an intense purple light.

With a determined movement, he stabbed the sword into the ground, and from his feet, a purple circle spread rapidly, encompassing the entire battlefield. He opened his eyes and, to his surprise, time had stopped around him.

"This is incredible... but I don't have time to waste," the Steward thought, feeling a mix of relief and urgency. Taking advantage of this unique opportunity, he moved with superhuman speed. First, he headed towards the praying mantis. "I must be quick and precise," he told himself.

With a lethal movement, he cut its neck in a single blow. Without stopping, he turned towards the gigantic turtle. He performed an acrobatic jump in the air, spinning his body and his sword in a circular motion, unleashing his self-created ability, the Dragon Slash. "I hope this is enough," he thought as the sword drew the figure of a dragon in the air and pierced the turtle's shell, splitting it in two.

Finally, he turned towards the spider that was behind him. "I can't let it catch me by surprise again," he thought with determination. With an impressive leap, he soared into the air and stabbed his sword into the spider's head. As he slid over its body, he cut it in half with surgical precision. All this happened in less than a second, a display of skill and power that left his enemies with no chance to react.

The battlefield fell silent as the purple circle faded. The bodies of the mantis, the turtle, and the spider fell to the ground, returning to their human forms, dead instantly. The Steward de-summoned his sword and, with a gesture of exhaustion, turned to look where Bao Qing was sitting. "I did it," he thought as a smile spread across his face. He gave a thumbs-up and, feeling his strength leave him, fainted from the effort.

Bao Qing, impressed by the display of power and determination from the Steward, rose from his lotus position and ran towards him to make sure he was okay.