Etched onto one of the walls in an empty room were profound words that read, "In a Cruel World's Embrace, Only the Strong Prevail, Forever Twined in the Eternal Circle."
*Kacha!*
The jarring sound of fracture echoed ominously through the barren room.
"Hmmm?" A burly figure paused, his gaze dropping to the massive hand that looked to be bigger than even a bear's paw. Within his grip, remnants of a jade slip lay in shards, its center stained with a now-drying drop of blood. His brows furrowed for a moment before they loosened, his expression returning to normal.
"Tch," He clicked his tongue, "It seems Zehir has perished. What a waste." He muttered indifferently before closing his eyes and returning to his cultivation.
The thought of who killed him didn't even cross his mind, nor did he care. He just went back to what he was doing as if nothing had happened.
***
The moment Mira's scythe fell, time seemed to stand still. Zehir's head rolled onto the desolate battlefield, the last vestiges of life flickering out in his dimming eyes.
His body slumped to the ground, the ominous crimson-black flame that once roared around him now extinguished, an empty husk of the power he once wielded.
With her chest heaving, Mira stood there, the cold wind whipping her hair and loose fragments of her torn clothes. Blood dripped from the blade of her scythe. She let out a sigh, her steely gaze softening as she looked at the lifeless body of Zehir.
In the end, they were warriors, and they fought with everything they had. It was a battle of life and death, of wills and destinies. The respect in Zehir's dying gaze wasn't lost on her. He was a worthy adversary, someone who had pushed her to her limits.
She leaned down and touched his corpse, enveloping it in her Qi and transferring it to her Storage Space. He might've been a worthy opponent, but she wasn't going to give up her spoils of war because of that.
Turning away from Zehir's remains, Mira focused her attention inward. She could feel the stirring in her mind and meridians, the residual energy from the battle pulsating within her.
'It's time.' She thought.
Her eyes slid shut as she drew a deep, measured breath, the surrounding atmosphere thrumming in response to the potent energies coursing within her. She felt the vigorous throb of her muscles, the burning stamina in her veins, and the echoing cadence of her heartbeat.
Gently, she began to harness this energy, steering it around her body unconsciously. As the currents of raw power merged, a sudden epiphany ignited within her consciousness. It felt like the unveiling of a hidden path, an unlocked gateway leading to a vast realm brimming with untapped potential and power.
Her Martial Intent, once a little sprout, burgeoned into a majestic lotus in full bloom, emitting potent waves of energy. The space around her seemed to warp subtly, giving birth to a semi-transparent dome encapsulating her and her surroundings.
This was it. The Martial Manifestation Realm!
It only formed a radius of about a meter around her, but Mira was satisfied with that. Within that one meter, she felt like she was Queen! Every particle was within her vision, nothing out of sight.
That was just scratching the surface as well! There was plenty more to explore.
Cocking her head to the side, Mira stared at the ongoing war and released a bloody smirk.
'Looks like I won't even have to wait to test out my newfound power!'
With her Martial Manifestation, her senses amplified to an astonishing degree.
Every trajectory, every flitting movement was crystal clear to her. She could feel the fluctuating energies, the changing momentum, the ebb and flow of the battle.
It wasn't precognition, but the profound understanding of her surroundings that allowed her to predict, with remarkable accuracy, the likely future paths of each combatant.
To put it simply, her ability to read body language had reached a transcendental level. It's just that the "bodies" she was able to read weren't limited to humans.
Mira stepped forward, an imposing figure of brutal power, like a queen surveying her realm.
Beneath the blood-soaked earth, her presence was heavy, each footfall resonating with an energy that seemed to shake the world. Her gaze fell on the battlefield, eyes gleaming with a lethal intent that sent chills down the spine of anyone who dared to meet them.
Then, without warning, she exploded into action.
Her first strike was a blur of motion that ended in a spray of blood. A disciple from the Crimson Slayer Sect barely had time to register her approach before her scythe cleaved through his throat. His eyes widened in disbelief as blood bubbled up, his hands clawing weakly at his severed neck before he crumpled lifelessly onto the sodden ground.
As quickly as she struck him down, she moved on to the next, a Toxic Blade Sect disciple. His desperate parry was met with a heartless scoff, her scythe slicing through his defenses as if they were made of paper.
His screams were abruptly silenced as his torso was separated from his waist, the wet thud of his bisected body hitting the ground with a splat.
Mira didn't even look at the fallen man, continuing her rampage through the enemy army.
A Shadow Necromancer Sect disciple lunged at her with a dark blade, only to find his weapon parried and his own life ripped from him as her scythe mercilessly amputated his arm, then his head. His lifeblood spewed in a gruesome arc, painting Mira's path in a fresh layer of scarlet.
With each life she took, each body she eviscerated, the black runes in her Qi glowed, drawing the departed's vitality and Qi into her body. Her energy surged, and her vitality was slowly replenished as she ripped through the battlefield.
The war around her seemed to drown in her brutal massacre, her ruthless onslaught drowning out the cries of the dying and the clash of weapons. Blood rained down like a crimson curtain, her every step was echoed by the sound of steel biting through flesh and bone.
She swept through the enemies so easily that it was almost like she was culling an army of bugs instead of battle-hardened cultivators!
Worst of all for those on the side of the Crimson Slayer Sect, Mira didn't even look at her opponents! They couldn't tell who she was going for next, so they could avoid her! All of a sudden, their bodies were reduced to a blood mist before they could even let out a scream!
Her onslaught was relentless, unstoppable, her scythe whistling in the wind as it cleaved through flesh and bone. Each of her opponents' desperate pleas and terrified screams was silenced, one by one, their lives extinguished before they could curse her.
Another Crimson Slayer Sect disciple had his attempt to fly away cut short as Mira's scythe lashed out, severing his Qi wings from his body. A scream erupted from his throat, a guttural, horrified wail that echoed across the battlefield. But before his plea for mercy could even be fully uttered, the life in his eyes extinguished as Mira's scythe found his heart.
"Mira! Demon! Stop! If you let me go, I will surely return the favor! My father-!" A burly figure roared, the desperate plea wrapped in layers of fear and anger.
But his plea fell on deaf ears. With a swift turn and a flicker of her wrist, Mira sent her scythe spiraling toward him. The man roared, thrusting out his war hammer to deflect the attack.
However, the scythe bit into his chest, grinding through his Qi shield as if it were made of paper, sinking deep into his flesh. His roar of defiance turned into a gargle of blood as Mira wrenched her scythe free, sending a spray of crimson arching across the field. The hulking figure toppled, his life snuffed out in an instant.
"Anyone else want to plead for their lives? I'll be more than happy to send you on your way." Her voice rang out. The air around her was heavy with the stench of blood and death. There were no more cries for mercy or surrender.
Only the silence of fear remained.
With a bloodied scythe in hand and her chilling smile, Mira was not just a woman or a cultivator in their eyes. She was Death itself. A reaper that had descended to the Mortal Realm to sweep away their sinful souls.
"No takers?" Mira asked while looking around, but nobody dared to move. She shook her head ruefully, then said, "A shame. If you had laid down your weapons and kneeled before me, I could've at least given you a swift death."
After saying that, she disappeared from her position, only to reappear in the air with a large pair of Paragon Wings above her. With a wave of her hand, thousands of feathers descended from the sky, puncturing holes through the enemy's bodies as if she were some sort of high-caliber machine gun.
"ARGH!! My legs! What happened to my legs?!"
"Dammit! Run! EVERYBODY RUN! That demon will kill us all if we stay here!"
"I should've never followed that asshole of a Sect Master! Then I wouldn't have encountered this devil-UGH!"
Pandemonium quickly spread throughout a portion of the battlefield, with disciples trying to run away, some trying to fight, and others not knowing what to do.
However, the rest of the Battle Maidens helped to answer their pleas. Following Mira's slaughter, they extinguished the lives of the fearfully confused worms without mercy.
"Sisters! Rally behind Mira! Let's end this war in one fell swoop!" Skye, at the head of the Battle Maidens, raised her weapon and yelled.
"OHHHHH!" The other disciple's eyes burned with vigor as they charged at the enemy like a bunch of angry bulls.
Mira watched them take advantage of the situation, inwardly praising their decisiveness. Especially Skye's.
'If she doesn't die, she'll be a great addition to the Sect.' She nodded before taking off deeper into the enemy army, clearing a path for her new allies.
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