Chapter 77: Inherited Domain- The Codex
Yao Shen braced himself for combat as one of the Core Formation entities that he had detected earlier charged right towards him.
Normally, he would not give such a weak attack much consideration. A simple wind blade in its direction should be enough to disembowel it but Yao Shen wanted to test the Domains offensive mechanism.
Soon, the attacker entered his line of sight.
Yao Shen was not surprised to see a silhouette shaped out of shimmering, coalesced blood step into his line of sight. What did, however, unsettle him, was the constructs features. Mimicking human features, the construct possessed an imposing physique that was reminiscent of body cultivators. His deep-set eyes shone with a wisdom that came with age, a long, well-maintained beard masking the wrinkles dotting his visage. However, it was the blood gauntlets wrapped around his supposed knuckles that finally convinced Yao Shen of its combat style, as he evaded a powerful jab.
Another punch followed in quick succession, which Yao Shen evaded by ducking under the blow.
He had seen enough from the Core Formation level blood construct.
His sword shot forward in a flicker of motion, bisecting the construct in half. The binding forcing the blood to coalesce together was undone, but Yao Shen didnt try and stop the puddle of blood from returning to the Demons domain.
Or rather, he couldnt.
Six Nascent Soul level constructs made their presence known as they converged on his location from different angles. Each one possessed a wildly different appearance and combat style; wielding anything from a hefty greathammer that a Nascent Soul Dwarf Cultivator hoisted with his right shoulder as support, to an elegant recurve bow wielded by a slender elf with the remaining human cultivators picking largely close-combat melee weapons.
Yao Shen grimaced as his suspicions were all but confirmed, the fact that he could make out small, muted wisps of emotion circling around the blood constructs not coming to a shock to him after having observed the same phenomenon while fighting the Core Formation level blood construct.
It was his superior speed and reflexes that allowed him to stay a step ahead of the onslaught as he weaved through the gaps in their ensnarement. Yao Shen had only just dodged a sword strike before countering with a burst of wind that sent the human cultivator back by a few dozen meters, when his divine sense picked up on the first real threat since the battle had started.
What the Elf had nocked was no arrow, but instead a mass of writhing, pulsating scarlet flames that imposed a distinct feeling of wrongness on its surroundings. The arrow was let loose a moment later and Yao Shen hurriedly sidestepped to avoid it.
He didnt know if it was a miscalculation on the attackers part or sheer coincidence, but his evasive maneuver placed him just outside the reach of an extended blood trident that struck moments after the flaming arrow whizzed past the spot he had been standing merely a moment ago.
That gave Yao Shen an opening that he immediately capitalized on.
In an instant, his silhouette appeared before the greatsword wielding Dwarf that had been lumbering behind the bulk of the attack formation and ruthlessly slashed.
There was little resistance as his sword diagonally slashed through the blood constructs chest.
It was then, as the Dwarfs lips curled up into a cruel, twisted smile, that Yao Shen realized that he had stepped into a trap.
Explode, The decapitated Dwarf mouthed, even after its upper half had been severed from his legs.
Explode, The chant was mirrored behind him, by the five remaining Nascent Soul Blood Constructs.
Scarlet flames erupted outwards from six nexuses, their blast radiuses overlapping on Yao Shens location. The clash of domains was further clouded a rain of flames, as a silhouette retreated deeper into the golden-wheat fields.
Be honored! Gavrils voice boomed outwards from seemingly all directions, the mocking amusement in his tone audible. I sacrificed six Nascent Soul Fragments for that single attack
Yao Shens expression darkened as he took in the damage he had sustained from the trap. His left arm was aflame, scarlet flames burning brightly as they sapped at his Qi Reserves.
He willed a strong burst of wind to extinguish the flames, but they remained unfazed by his efforts.
He tried encasing the flames in a tomb of stone, to kill the air needed, only for his efforts to result in failure as they continued to burn unabated.
It is pointless, Gavril declared. Those flames are the result of a fusion between the Major Dao of Blood and Flame. As long as Qi flows through your blood, they will continue to burn unabated. Even if you try cutting Qi circulation to your arm, they will only inch towards the source instead of flickering out as if they were a living existence seeking sustenance. If you wish to survive, I would recommend slicing off that arm.
Gavrils words gave Yao Shen pause.
He doesnt know.
The Demon knew him to be a Soul Emperor that practiced the Esoteric Dao, but he hadnt either bothered to read up on his abilities or simply did not know them.
Do you think my domain is just for show? Yao Shen replied with a sneer, as his right hand drove a sword through his own chest.
His physical body crumpled onto the floor and a little distance away, one of the faceless farmers that had been picking up stalks of wheat reformed into his image.
The Scarlet flames had faded into nothingness, along with Yao Shens former body.
He shot forward and picked up his sword, ready to face the enemy once again.
Human Dao! Gavril cackled excitedly as he made the observation and now, Yao Shen understood why. To lose to the demon was to become a part of his strength, a record in his Codex. How truly interesting. But if that is all you have to offer, then I am afraid that this duel will shortly come to an end, He plainly stated and Yao Shens heart dropped the next moment.
The remaining ten Nascent Soul level blood constructs and the single Soul Emperor level blood construct began to move, now that the Demon was done testing the waters.
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