The man's visage was pure like snow, and his voice was especially cold.
A sharp aura flowed from his hand, wisps of pale Qi lingering on the tips of his fingers.
He voiced his threat, carried by arrogance and pride.
"I will spare you if you turn away now, and spare myself the effort of killing you."
"Who are you...?"
"..."
Anger seemed to flicker in his eyes, but he snuffed it with a shake of his head.
"That... you don't need to know. Why would I tell you anyway? Who reveals their identity when interfering with matters such as this?"
"Yet... Yet. Yet...! You asked anyway. The audacity warrants your death, but I'll give you one last chance."
"Move it, and leave."
Dawn stood opposite on this uplifted field of soil and torn trees.
She stood defiantly against this white robed figure, cautious of any sudden movements.
'Third Foundation cultivation, this is no ordinary opponent.'
'Could he have some relations to that hideous beast? Maybe he is tied to the inheritance?'
'He said something about 'an outsider throwing their hand into our matter', could he be related to an outside party?'
'I must inform Edifice about this development!'
'No, the hideous beast is running towards her location, she would be intercepting it soon, meaning that-.'
Stepping out of the way, Dawn avoided the sudden strike; the soil split where she was just standing.
"I take it that you won't leave, or that you're trying to fight against my orders, which is moronic."
Dawn grounded her stance as she pointed her spear at him.
"Either works for me."
"You-!"
Drawing a single, clean arc of golden light, Dawn sends a crescent blade towards this arrogant figure.
Gritting his teeth, he swipes his hand, drawing a curved line of pristine white, sending forth a crescent blade of his own.
Both blades collide, smashing together as white and gold splashed, like the sparks of steel smashing steel.
Without pause, another arc was drawn, and another line cut into the air.
"Do you pride yourself on the blade, woman? Can you fight without it!?"
As he called, the arrogant man ceased his attacks and leapt to the side.
Grabbing the air, his hand struggled to close as his veins bulged and muscles strained.
Just as Dawn was ready to send another crescent blade his way, she felt her armour being pulled.
She stomped on the ground to stop its movement, but dragged lines in the dirt as she was pulled forward.
'That's odd... I can't seem to grab the weapon. No matter!'
'How will you deal with this!?'
Closing his other hand, save one finger, the man punched forward.
A white light shot forward with incredible speed, yet the air didn't move, nor did it leave a thunderous sound in its wake.
Shocked, Dawn swung her spear with great difficulty; this mysterious pull on her armour hindered her movements.
Qi surged within her body, strengthening her arms and filling her spear's head with intense heat.
The white light collided with the flat end of her spear's head, and she continued to reinforce it to resist the impact.
Swinging her spear to the side, she knocked the light away, only to welcome yet another light shot her way.
Dawn received each beam of light with her spear, batting each of them away.
"I hope you realise how your ignorance has doomed your futile struggles."
"Now...!"
Pulling back his hand and thrusting his finger forward, he shot forth another beam of light.
Dawn staggered forward as the pull on her armour intensified, watching the white light piercing the air towards her. She raised her palm.
Qi surged intensely, and power surged within her.
Dao Art -- True Human Physique!
The beam of light stabbed into her palm, and light splashed like a stream smashing into a dam.
Grunting, she pushed into the light and dispelled it.
Looking down, the skin on her hand was lightly shredded, revealing hints of bloodstained muscles in her palm.
"How daring."
The arrogant figure looked shocked and bemused.
His shock only grew when it became more difficult to pull on Dawn's armour, or rather, it seemed less effective on her.
She stood defiantly against his pull.
Suddenly, she stepped forward.
Pushing off the ground with incredible power and using the pull to her advantage, Dawn shot towards the arrogant man.
This speed surprised even her, as well as the man, as he dropped his hands.
Dawn swung her Iron Lotus towards the arrogant man.
Clapping his hands together, brown Qi and orange sparks flew in the air.
Intercepting Dawn's spear was a rusted blade, pulled from the palm of the arrogant man.
"You truly are daring~!"
...
Stepping out of the cave, Edifice instructed the caravan to move further down.
They wouldn't be able to bring the carriages into the deeper areas of the cave; the Cultivators themselves could manage.
Edifice also left consoling words to Selene, such as, "We won't take too long." Or, "We'll take down that hideous beast."
Not that Selene seemed worried, but Edifice was.
There was a dreadful foreboding in the back of her mind, so her consolation was more directed to herself.
Edifice was about to close her eyes and Immerse herself in the world when tremors ran through the ground.
The hideous beast burst forth from the dense foliage of the forest, growling fiercely and madly.
"What!"
Shock overwhelmed her, and a myriad thoughts ran through Edifice's head.
"How did it get here?"
"What happened to Dawn?"
"What's going on?"
Focusing on the situation, Edifice charged forth.
She leapt to collide with the beast's head but was whipped from the air.
Landing on the ground, Edifice quickly assumed a defensive position, only to watch the beast run past her.
"Damnit!"
Pushing off the ground, she caught the hideous beast's long tail, struggling to hold the beast from entering the cave.
"Dawn! Where are you!?"
Immersing in the world, Edifice searched the area where Dawn was supposed to hold off the hideous beast.
Dirt rose in the air as the soil was dishevelled and uplifted.
There, Edifice could see Dawn, wielding her weapon against the open air.
"What is she...!"
Leaping back, Dawn's golden armour began to dull, losing its shine.
Edifice watched in disbelief and horror as the armour began to rust.
'It couldn't be...!'
...