brutal side effects

A bellow of pure power resonated from the Azure Sword Sect Leader. "Azure Emperor Slash!" he roared, unleashing a Heaven Rank technique. A colossal blade of azure energy materialized behind him, crackling with potent energy. The two Vice Sect Masters weren't far behind, their own Heaven Rank techniques – a whirlwind of dark energy and a torrent of searing flames – manifesting beside the Azure Emperor Slash.

Bai Yu gritted his teeth, the taste of metallic blood filling his mouth. He knew he couldn't deflect all three attacks simultaneously. With a desperate roar, he countered with his own Heaven Rank technique, the "Seven Star Soaring Dragon." A familiar sequence of lightning-fast strikes erupted from his blade, intertwining to form a magnificent dragon made entirely of sword qi.

The dragon, valiant but weary, met the oncoming onslaught. The resulting clash was a spectacle of catastrophic proportions. Thunderous explosions echoed across the battlefield as the Seven Star Soaring Dragon collided with the combined force of the Azure Emperor Slash and the Vice Sect Masters' techniques. A shockwave of immense power rippled outwards, leveling the remaining scraps of the Bloodsword Sect and sending tremors through the earth itself.

The dust had barely settled when Bai Yu muttered a single word under his breath – "Shit." He knew this desperate defense wouldn't hold. Gripping his sword tighter, his voice laced with steely resolve, he roared, "Chaotic Dragon Descends!"

A surge of energy, raw and untamed, erupted from Bai Yu. It was Chaos Qi, a volatile and unpredictable power he had only recently begun to understand. With a hundred furious strikes fueled by Chaos Qi, he channeled the energy into a colossal grey dragon. This monstrous entity, pulsating with chaotic energy, roared and lunged towards the dissipating energy of the Heaven Rank techniques.

The resulting clash was unlike anything witnessed before. The raw, untamed power of the Chaotic Dragon wrestled with the remnants of the Heaven Rank techniques, creating a maelstrom of destruction. The very fabric of reality seemed to warp under the immense strain. The outcome of this final confrontation hung in the balance, threatening to tip the scales of power in a single, devastating blow.

A metallic tang filled Bai Yu's mouth as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The exertion of the previous battle, coupled with the relentless assault from the Azure Sword Sect trio, gnawed at his very core. "Damn it," he thought, his vision blurring slightly. "Chaos Qi is a double-edged sword." While it granted him the power to counter the combined Heaven Rank techniques, the side effects were immediate and brutal.

Converting Spiritual Qi to Chaos Qi required a monumental amount of energy, something his depleted reserves couldn't readily provide. Worse, his body, unaccustomed to wielding such volatile power, protested with every fiber. Pain lanced through his muscles, threatening to cripple him.

This was the first time he had attempted a technique from the True Chaos Scripture. Most of its secrets, he knew, demanded a much higher cultivation level than he currently possessed. But in the face of overwhelming odds, he had been forced to resort to this desperate measure.

Gazing at his bloodstained form, another cough wracking his body, Bai Yu knew he wouldn't be able to sustain this for long.