Chapter 130 - Let's become one, Xin!

As Xin ran away, he felt overwhelmed with pain, but he channelled his martial spirit and quickly snapped out of it, thinking coldly again.

What's the win condition? The hag dies, gets captured or retreats. How do I achieve this? My mercury greaves are used up, thus I can't outmaneuver her anymore. My crossbow is gone, I can't use a bow properly with my arm being like this, and even if I could, her ranged methods seem superior… 

Xin turned the corner and scanned the situation. It seems she's not chasing me. She just picked up the ring, and is standing idle, healing. She's probably controlling her minions now. She might be waiting for some new plant creatures to climb out of the blood pit, too… Why would a rank two be so cautious?

The hag is probably anxious about being injured again, and doesn't want to spend her qi on movement abilities. Can it be that her meridians are overstressed, and she wants to focus on killing the nomads instead of risking fighting me again?

Right. The more corpses she has, the more plant monsters she can spawn. What's the conversion rate of human corpses to plant monsters, though? No idea. She is probably going to entrench around the pit and restore, then rely on her higher qi reserves to outlast me.

Curses. What do I do, then?

With my injury and without a surprise advantage, I can no longer kill her in direct combat. The moment is gone. Should I target her plant monsters? Well, now that she controls them, they'll be much better coordinated, but it doesn't matter, her troops need to be destroyed to expose her and save the nomads.

Need to keep tracking her scent, though. If I lose it, she can burrow underground and catch me off-guard, like she did with outrider Lu…

Slash! Woodcutter's Downswing! Ten breaths later, Xin had backstabbed a plant monster fighting several nomads armed with glaives. As soon as the creature died, Xin heard a few more plant monsters start moving towards his location. Right, she's indeed manipulating them now.

"Xin, I'll disrupt her control! Please hang on!" Erdeni called out to him from afar, circling around on Horhu's horse, keeping distance from the monsters and the hag. She then shouted something to her tribesmen warriors, and as Xin heard his name pronounced, he assumed it meant "Please help Xin"!

Need to hurry up, more creatures are coming. Xin picked up a bag of javelins off a deceased nomad warrior. He was much better at crossbows, even bows, but he had trained with javelins when he was a kid, and some more during the sect's marksmanship classes, mostly for fun. Well, it's not like I can use a bow with this arm, he thought, better not be picky!

Moments later, three plant monsters had finally emerged from the camp's outer circle. They were previously guarding the camp's outskirts, but had now gathered into a unit, intending to break their ranks. Xin pointed to the sides and retreated behind one of the tents. Take cover, they have ranged attacks!

The creatures crawled up closer, their throats producing human-like huffs, especially the plant monster in the centre, who walked in an eerily human manner. This is the one the hag is controlling directly, Xin assumed.

He peeked around the corner, drawing a javelin. Not yet, need to let them come closer. Might want to bait out some fire onto me to save more nomads, they can be a valuable combat asset later on. Sniff. The demoness is still standing there, but the blood pit is weirdly pungent now. Are her reinforcements about to "hatch"?

Hiss! Ignoring the arrow fire, the shambling monsters had all opened their mouths, the upper half of their heads dropping backwards as if they were cheap hand puppet toys, and ugly brown rosebuds emerged from beneath, all sharp and glistening, covered with slime. 

That's their ranged method.

If I act too hastily, they'll just kill me. If our ranks break here, she'll push us into the fight down the street, where we'll get surrounded, sealing our doom. I am the only cultivator here, and the only person who can kill the plant monsters in droves, I need to make a difference!

It's time. Xin infused the tip of his javelin with metal qi, and his arm with wood qi, then threw the missile from behind the cover. Swoosh! At the same moment, the plant monster shot a thorn at him. It was a rank one powered move, thicker and faster than the thorns the monsters launched in the Riversong manor, emanating greenish wood qi energy trail as it pierced the air. It cut through the tent like a knife through a sheet of paper, seeking to impale Xin's heart.

Miss. His reflexes and dexterity infused by the totem, Xin dodged nimbly right as his own javelin landed, severely injuring the creature's head. He quickly drew another javelin.

Swoosh! Another thorn flew at him, right where he dodged. A familiar pattern, the Iron Mantis used this tactic back in the cave. Xin lazily side-stepped it. These thorn missiles feel telegraphed, the creatures struggle moving their "necks" when they shoot, and the rosebuds tense up a moment before they unleash a thorn. Good. 

Swoosh! It seems that all the plant monsters switched to attacking Xin, even without having a line of sight towards him!

Iron Lung dao shard! Xin deflected another thorn with his metal qi infused fist, then looked back at the first plant monster. It should be ready to shoot again.

The next shot never came! Xin's allies, no longer repressed by a barrage of thorns, seized the moment and showered the creature in arrows. One of the arrows hit the soft plant-flesh of the rosebud, making this plant monster stagger…

A window of opportunity! Xin sprang into action and lunged towards the creature, impaling its head with another infused throw. As the other two prepared to shoot thorns at him, he flanked them with a wood qi infused jump, using the body of their now dead, but not yet downed ally as cover.

"Aaaa!" Xin heard a distant cry of pain. The hag was controlling this monster and inhabited its mind, she certainly sustained soul damage when I killed it!

Good. Xin knew that the other two monsters were targeting him, and he couldn't come out of his cover just yet.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Stab! Stab! Xin heard a few arrows stab into the plant monster closer to him.

That's it! Xin emerged from behind the impaled monster's shoulder, performed a long tiger-like qi infused jump, then cut off the next creature's neck with one precise Woodcutter's Downswing.

This monster was also left standing, and he hid behind it in a similar manner. We hold the advantage, and by staring at me, the third creature exposes its flank. No need to force things!

Smash! Instead of circling around, the creature slammed its vine-hands on the ground, and several tentacle-like roots sprouted from underneath Xin, forcing him to back off and run out of cover. The creature opened its mouth.

Shit! Xin hastily retreated, preparing to avoid the missile as soon as he heard the sound of its launch.

Swoosh. Dodge.

"Agh!" Xin was confident he'd dodge this one, too, so he didn't use his Iron Lung dao shard, but his intuition failed him, and his ribs were impaled from behind. He heard three more creatures approach from the passage to his right.

"Hahaha!" The hag and the plant creatures cackled in unison, as the remaining plant monster slammed the ground once again. If it works, it works, nothing shameful in using the same move twice!

Xin was forced to dodge once more, but this time moved in an awkward zig-zag pattern, narrowly avoiding the roots but dodging the thorn quite reliably.

"Pincer him! Surround him!" The hag sent her minions lumps of her human qi along with her commands. Yes! He'll have to fight through, or get cornered inside one of the tents, where it will be easy to finish him off! Might have to do it myself…

Flash! Moss Bush Demoness's soul trembled, and she felt a cold wind blow inside of her internal landscape. What is the meaning of this? Is this their shaman, that old woman? I investigated, her soul presence is negligible! Wait, that's her student, that sassy girl!

Swoosh. In mere moments, Moss Bush Demoness regained her composure and pushed Erdeni's presence away, then possessed one of the plant monsters again, this time one of the approaching group of three. Wait, what?

She saw a dead plant monster by her side, and a tent with a hole cut in it. Wait, did that nasty fuckboy cut it? If he emerges from the other side, it leads…

Wood stride! Xin cut an entrance for himself in the tent's wall and emerged at an unexpected angle, dashing straight at the hag! He ran up to her, zig-zagging, his ribs still pierced by a massive thorn. The demoness raised her arm, covered in thorns, and prepared to shoot at Xin, but he fell to all fours and ran to the side, his moves animalistic and his body exuding orange yang qi!

For a few moments the hag was shocked and confused, but quickly recomposed. The reinforcements are spawning soon, I hold the advantage!

Xin retreated towards the cauldron near the boiling pit, probably to use its frame to hide behind her thorn attacks. Fine, boy. The demoness grew her legs to be longer, then strode towards him. Good luck hiding when I unleash all the thorns point-blank!

Bang! Xin suddenly kicked the cauldron with a qi infused kick, knocking it over and pouring a huge mass of boiling water into the blood pit! The brown pus-like mass started whistling and foaming, it became akin to a living creature shouting in agony, and Xin could clearly discern ugly human voices coming from the rising fumes.

"Nooo!" The demoness cried out and shot a barrage of thorns at Xin, but he used someone's corpse as a shield and quickly disappeared behind the tents! Three new plant men, boiled and suffocated before they could even crawl out! And the pit that cost so much to set up, completely ruined! "I'll rape ya corpse, you wanker!"

Enraged, the hag grew even more thorns, infused her leg-vines with potent Condensation stage qi and started chasing. Her current form wasn't too elegant, but the sheer length of her steps and leaps allowed her to keep up with Xin.

Swoosh. Stab. Xin dodged what felt like a rain of thorns, but his body was pushed to its limits, and the seventh had finally hit his back. He blocked it with an Iron Lung, but its force still made him trip, injuring him lightly, despite the elemental advantage of his dao shard. 

Desperate, Xin rolled and dashed away once more, as three more thorns followed him. The second one hit his shoulder, blocked only by armour, and injured him severely. Xin fell to the ground, impaled and struggling to stand up.

That's it, he's done! He's prone, helpless, injured and can't use his left arm properly! The nomads showered the hag in arrows, but to no effect. Her ranged dao shard exhausted, she bent her knees and leaped at Xin, aiming to stomp him into mush.

Tiger form, Xin! You're wielding my senses and my reflexes, my powers are helping you immensely! Take all of them at once, let's become one! If we work in unison, there will be no conflict between us, no need for infighting! Me and you, together, a perfect warrior!

Xin cut the mercury greaves and jade ambush ring from his soul's attunement, then got rid of the Iron Lung. His qi was running low, and he had to make some sacrifices to fit the new powers in. 

Yes, boy! Accept my tiger form, let's become one!

Tiger's leap. Granted.

Yang qi strength. Granted. Xin let two new abilities flow into the freed up soul space, but he had some more to spare. 

Here, Xin! Tiger's roar, it will disrupt the human qi in her minions and break her control, and it will also deafen her! Might disrupt her dao shards if we're lucky!

Xin ignored the totem, then jumped to the side with inhuman speed, ignoring the excruciating pain, yang qi emanating from his body.

Xin? Xin! Here, take this Yang Rage Healing, it will heal your wounds! It doesn't cost much qi, just strains the soul! Fuck it, Xin, I'll donate some qi from my meager reserves! Just accept it!

Xin ignored the totem, although he looked like a hedgehog with several thorns protruding from his body. 

Xin! Xin! These two invocations, along with the Tiger Fangs, and the Tiger form is complete! Once finished, it will power up each of the aspects you invoked! Do it, I don't want to die! I don't want to be enslaved by her! Please save me!

The Moss Bush Demoness swiped at Xin with her vine-arms, which he nimbly dodged, diving under one of the hits.

Gardener's Scissorslash! Xin's arms weren't infused with Resonance Palms, but the demoness's extended legs were now quite thin, and his move produced a sizable dent. She cried out in pain and slapped where he was standing, but he nimbly dodged.

Fuck. I lost so much blood, and my injured arm is only working because of the totem's infusion! The fire element Yang qi is poisoning my body and my soul is severely strained! The totem is underplaying the danger, I am already at my limit, one more invocation and I'll get possessed! We aren't compatible enough! 

Stab! A nomad warrior cut into the demon's ankle, but his spear barely dented it.

"Fuck off!" The demoness shouted and kicked him away, his chest cracking as he was sent flying, hitting a tent and collapsing it on top of him.

The demoness herself also grew anxious. Her meridians were severely strained, and given that her core had already cracked once just a few months ago, she couldn't afford to stress it out again. She only had enough qi for a few moves, and despite her form's great physique, she wasn't sure if she should keep fighting Xin.He doesn't seem to faint from his wounds, is this a technique or alchemy? A normal human, even rank one, shouldn't be able to take that much damage! What's with his qi reserves, producing so many techniques, and of different elements at that? She thought back to her own Foundation stage experience, and what Xin was doing seemed incomprehensible. 

The back of her head tingled again, light pain assaulting it. One more plant monster died on the northern passage. Only five left, what a waste! I need to finish the boy off quickly!

She chased Xin, who hastily retreated towards a collapsed tent. There were several nomads here, who quickly surrounded the hag from all sides. Xin also saw a man carrying a torch and several jars run up to him from his left, where two more warriors were desperately holding back two plant monsters from advancing on their group.

Xin faced the hag and took a defensive stance. While escaping, he took some blood stopping pills, but he was still severely injured, and needed medical help. To make things worse, he was only attuned to the Steel Sting dao shard now, and barely had enough qi for one use! The Yang qi flowing through his body was also stressing his intricate meridian balance, and threatened to break his core if left unchecked!

He knew that he was at his limit, but envisioned a perfect scenario. He couldn't talk, as the soul strain of breaking the vow would immediately make him snap, and warning the nomads would also warn the demoness. I'm setting up a perfect move for them, but they have to figure it out themselves!

The nomads circled around the demoness, hesitant to attack, as they just saw one of their trusted comrades get sent flying in just one hit. Xin heard several more monsters approaching from a nearby street. We only have twenty breaths before we get collapsed on. The demoness slowly approached Xin.

"Hehehe." She stepped on the skull of a man she just kicked, who was suffocating in agony, and cracked it under her body's weight. Enraged, the nomads showered her in arrows once more, with similarly negligible results. 

Damn nomads, you have to figure this out, or we're all dead! Use your brains!The demon slowly approached Xin, who was stepping back, panting heavily. Her steps were longer, and his pace couldn't match hers without unbalancing himself and revealing an opening. Xin was in pain, but the sharpest feeling in his mind was his anxiety. A few more steps, and a perfect opportunity will arise, will they seize it?

Step. Step. Step. Now! Please!

"Giyang! Nikanara!" A familiar voice shouted from behind. Horhu? Xin's heart jumped, will the boy be the one to save us?!

Emboldened, one of the nomad warriors ran up to the tent's fabric, then lifted it. Most of the tent's props were torn out when the body landed on it, making it possible! The other men reacted quickly and joined him, grabbing the tent from all sides.

Yes, that's it! Xin's spirit was uplifted, even if he felt like he was about to faint, he soldiered on. Meanwhile, options flashed inside the demoness's head. 

Make a qi infused jump? No, then I'll have no qi left, and I still have some injuries unhealed! Ground myself? Oh no, there is a guy lighting a jar with oil on fire to my right! Agh!

She kicked at the first nomad who lifted the fabric, but he anticipated it and dropped it as he jumped backwards.

"Giyang! Guwa! Guwa!" Horhu shouted from Xin's back. Xin himself was hesitant to engage, waiting for an opportune moment and standing at the edge of the tent, waiting for his chance.

The nomads picked up the fabric and started shaking it, almost tripping the massive hag, but she restored balance and swiped with her right arm, forcing half of them to dodge backwards.

"To me, my bo…" The hag was about to send a mental command, but Erdeni assaulted her soul again! She was about to command her plant monsters to ignore everything and rush to her aid, but that command was never sent! She quickly repelled Erdeni's soul attack, almost making the girl lose consciousness.

Smash! Crack! A jar of burning oil hit the hag's side, heating up her qi infused bark. It will take some time before the qi bark is damaged, but left unattended, the fire will spread!

Swipe! She forced the nomads back again, but quickly turned where Xin stood, as he was the only one who could meaningfully damage her!

Wait, where is he?!

Gardener's Scissorslash! Her dented leg, unhealed, was sliced into from the side, and Xin felt his palms enter something that felt like human bone!

Agh! I need to get away from this tent, the hag thought! She tried to step back, but the nomads kept shaking the fabric, and some old man even charged her legs, wrapping around her shins with his arms, aiming to trip her! She sent him flying with a slap of her hand, but this gave Xin a breather! He repositioned behind her back.

Gardener's Scissorslash! Xin slashed at the same location once again, this time from a different angle. The hag swiped where he just stood, but he was already gone. 

Smash! Crack! Another fiery pot landed on her body, this time at her neck. The first one had already heated her body significantly, and she was in excruciating pain. I need to finish this boy off, but I also need to survive! Soldiers, to me! This time, her mental command was unobstructed. She turned her head to Xin, only to see him faint behind the nomads! 

That's it, he's done for! The hag tried to stand up, but her injured leg's bone cracked, and she fell on her knees!

"Aaagh!" The hag cried out in pain, shocked, as the nomads momentarily swarmed her.

One… More… Move. She put her vine-hands on the ground and used them to lean on, ignoring the nomads' attacks, then lifted herself up. Suddenly, a plant monster headbutted the man who just stabbed her, tripping him. A moment later, two more stood between her and the nomads.

Finally, reinforcements!