CHAPTER 24 THE FIRST TRUE BATTLE
745 Words
The three Shadow Panthers attacked simultaneously.
They moved like living shadows.
Their crimson eyes burned with madness.
Black mist trailed behind them as they leaped through the broken wall.
"Protect the civilians!"
Raizen shouted.
Jin Wu immediately stepped to the left.
"I'll hold two of them!"
Su Ziling nodded.
"I'll support from behind!"
The frightened civilians hurried toward the underground shelter while the three young cultivators stood between them and the beasts.
The lead panther sprang toward Raizen.
Its claws sliced through the air.
Whoosh!
Raizen remained calm.
Instead of retreating...
He stepped forward.
His Supreme Foundation allowed his Spirit Qi to flow without the slightest delay.
Clang!
His sword intercepted the claws.
Sparks erupted.
The impact was heavy...
But unlike before...
He didn't slide backward.
"So this is..."
"...the strength of Spirit Gathering."
Raizen whispered.
The Origin System activated.
Enemy Analysis Complete.
Corrupted Shadow Panther
Realm: Peak Body Tempering Beast
Weaknesses:
• Eyes
• Lower abdomen
• Corruption Core located near the heart.
Recommendation: Destroy the Corruption Core.
The panther lunged again.
This time...
Raizen saw everything.
Its muscles.
Its breathing.
Even the smallest shift of its weight.
His perception had completely transformed after establishing the Supreme Foundation.
He sidestepped.
Only half a step.
The beast flew past him.
Slash!
His sword carved across its side.
Black blood sprayed onto the ground.
The panther howled in pain.
Meanwhile...
Jin Wu was struggling.
Two panthers continuously attacked him from opposite sides.
Bang!
One claw struck his spear.
Another nearly caught his shoulder.
"Damn it!"
"They're too fast!"
Su Ziling's sword flashed repeatedly.
Each strike forced the beasts away from Jin Wu.
But they recovered almost instantly.
"The corruption is making them ignore pain!"
She shouted.
Raizen glanced toward them.
"They're aiming for the civilians!"
One panther suddenly abandoned Jin Wu.
It sprinted straight toward a frightened group of children.
"No!"
Raizen exploded forward.
Boom!
His feet shattered the stone beneath him.
The newly advanced Spirit Gathering Realm allowed him to unleash his speed completely.
For a brief instant...
He became a white blur.
The panther reached the children.
So did Raizen.
Clang!
Its claws met his sword only inches from a little girl's face.
The shockwave blew her hair backward.
Raizen smiled gently.
"It's okay."
"I've got you."
The panther roared.
Black Spirit Qi burst from its mouth.
Instead of retreating...
Raizen gathered Spirit Qi into his blade.
For the first time...
He consciously infused Spirit Qi into a weapon.
The iron sword emitted a soft white glow.
"This..."
"...is Sword Qi?"
Raizen murmured.
The Origin System answered immediately.
Incomplete Sword Qi.
Efficiency: 17%.
Recommendation: Improve control.
Even so...
It was enough.
Raizen swung.
Slash!
The glowing blade pierced directly through the panther's chest.
The black Corruption Core shattered.
Crack!
The beast froze.
The crimson light vanished from its eyes.
Its body quietly collapsed.
Enemy Eliminated.
Reward: 200 Origin Points.
New Feature Unlocked.
Origin Store available after current battle.
Raizen blinked.
"Origin Store?"
There wasn't time to ask.
The remaining two panthers had become enraged.
They attacked together.
One from the front.
One from behind.
Jin Wu's face turned pale.
"Raizen!"
Without thinking...
Su Ziling threw her sword.
The blade spun through the air.
It forced one panther to dodge.
Creating the opening Raizen needed.
He smiled.
"Thanks."
She nodded.
"Don't waste it."
Raizen inhaled deeply.
He remembered Elder Tian's lesson.
"Don't fight with strength."
"Fight with rhythm."
His breathing slowed.
Everything around him seemed to become quieter.
The panthers' movements...
Became crystal clear.
He moved.
One step.
A slight turn.
A single s***h.
It looked almost effortless.
The first panther's Corruption Core split apart.
Before its body even hit the ground...
Raizen spun.
His glowing blade pierced the second beast's heart.
Slash!
The final Shadow Panther collapsed.
Silence returned.
The civilians stared at him in disbelief.
The little girl he had saved ran toward him.
"Big Brother..."
"You won!"
Raizen smiled warmly.
"We all did."
He looked toward Jin Wu and Su Ziling.
Without them...
The battle would've been far more difficult.
Far above the battlefield...
Morvain watched everything.
His smile slowly disappeared.
"He has already learned to channel Sword Qi..."
"So much sooner than expected."
Beside him...
Elder Xu calmly held his sword.
"You should be paying attention to me."
Morvain chuckled.
"Oh..."
"I haven't forgotten."
Dark Spirit Qi erupted from his body.
The clouds above the Rizz Clan turned black.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
The real battle...
Had only just begun.
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