Ming staggered through knee-deep water, each step sucking at his boots. A low mist curled over the marsh, muffling his footfalls and cloaking the world in gray hush. His blade, half-submerged, slipped from his grasp and clanged against a gnarled reed. Heart pounding, he spun—only to freeze as ripples fanned out in every direction.
Four figures emerged from the reeds like wraiths. Their robes bore the jade-green emblem of the Emerald Fen Sect, glistening with swamp water. Each cultivator exuded a trembling aura of Stage Eight Foundation Establishment power, bending the air around them into wavering heat.
Ming's eyes narrowed. His palms prickled with Qi. He lunged for his sword, dredging it free of mud and raising it before him.
Suddenly, the first attacker dashed forward—motion blurred, almost serpentine. He unleashed "Fen Serpent Strike," a coiling slash of condensed energy that hissed like a living snake. Ming twisted, the Qi blade slicing through his coat sleeve and biting into flesh. Pain bloomed along his arm, red water swirling in the murk.
The second sect cultivator vaulted over a waist-high reed, sword raised. His technique, "Lotus Bloom Flurry," sent a cascade of petals forged from hardened Qi raining down. The petals shredded reeds and bit into Ming's shoulder.
Reeds bent and broke under the shockwaves. Ming drove his feet into the mud, channeling his interior flame. He roared, "Heaven's Ripple Slash!" A golden arc of Qi cleaved through the fetid air, scattering Qi petals and forcing the first attacker back.
Blood dripped into his boots. His Qi pool throbbed—he could feel his lifeforce draining, but he still had reserves. With a snarl, he launched "Thousand Waves Palm," sending shockwaves rolling across the water's surface. Reeds snapped like matchsticks.
The third sect member, cloaked in swirling green Qi, sidestepped and countered with "Fen Vortex Shroud." A spiraling barrier of Qi surrounded him, warping the shattered reeds into a spinning cage of broken wood. Ming's palm strike shattered the vortex but jerked his arm so violently that pain flared through his shoulder.
Mud and water splashed three meters high as both men tumbled backward. The air smelled of wet earth and iron.
The leader's face was pale, calm, eyes like polished jade. He raised his hand and whispered, "Emerald Crown Judgment." Four crystalline Qi blades formed above his palm, each humming in harmony.
Before Ming could react, the fourth cultivator—nimble and silent—darted in. She unleashed "Marsh Whisper Step," vanishing beneath Ming's guard and slashing at his back. Ming twisted at the last moment; fabric tore and Qi surged to close the wound, but not before searing pain knifed through his side.
The four converged, Qi blades poised like a fan of death. Ming gritted his teeth, drawing on every ounce of Qi. His vision blurred—he refused to yield.
A bead of sweat trickled down Ming's temple as he murmured the incantation to ignite his core flame. His body glowed—a flicker of crimson light illuminating the mist.
In a heartbeat, Ming spun into "Primal Phoenix Ascension." Wings of Qi burst from his back, lifting him a breath above the water. He drew a deep breath, gathering the flames of his foundation, then dove.
Ming's fist collides with the leader's Jade Crown blades, sending shards of Qi scattering like broken glass. He somersaults mid-air, blade tracing a fiery trajectory that severs the second cultivator's wrist Qi channel. A follow-through palm strike erupts beneath the third member, sending him reeling into the reeds. The fourth assailant counters with "Marsh Serpent Coil," binding Ming's leg in whiplashing Qi tendrils.
Midnight water flecks on Ming's face as he channels his final reserves into "Ember Tide Surge." A crimson wave of Qi sweeps across the clearing, flushing away the swirling mist and flattening every reed in its path.
The four cultivators lie battered, Qi shells fractured, their breaths ragged. The marsh stirs in the aftershock, water rippling under a bruised moon.
Ming lands on one knee, chest heaving, blade in hand. His clothes are torn to ribbons, blood matting his hair, but his eyes blaze with triumph.
He rasps, "Tell the Emerald Fen Sect… their jade veil can't hide their greed." With that, he sheaths his sword. The four, broken but alive, retreat into the dark reeds, leaving only their echoing curses.
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