Abyssal Awakening

Alyss was rather surprised.

In front of her flew a platinum haired young lady with strands of green. She wore a white, silver and green attire with a pair of fans in her hand.

She had expected to grab the girl and throw her aside but she managed to evade the grab at the last moment and even weave past it.

All of the disciples that she had faced on her way here had tried to parry her attacks. All of them failed to judge her strength accurately. To ensure that her strikes always land true, she was using a mixture of space lock + threads to make it difficult to move her fist.

While she disliked Nyer just like Alice, Alyss admitted that his technique of freezing up space was rather ingenious. Not just in the department of stopping people from leaving but rather to prevent external influences from affecting the body.

In this case, it was perfect in stopping the Swallow Tail disciples from shifting her attacks to the side.

This was the first time aside from the elders and the sect leader that the disciple had actually chosen to evade the attack.

'Although… she looks like she's got a lifetime grudge against you now. Did you kill her parents or something?' Alice asked, crossing her legs in amusement. The anger in the girl's eyes and the tears that streamed down her face… It almost made her feel like they were the villain.

Granted, they were attacking the sect and knocking out anyone that got in their way with a few injuries. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

. . .

Alright, perhaps the unconscious body surrounded by a pool of blood looked like a murder scene but still.

All of them were alive.

Shrugging her shoulders, Alyss went in for a slash using her fingers.

Phantom Swallow Steps – Veil!

Jinghua's body flickered back momentarily before a fan suddenly entered Alyss's view.

*BANG!!!

Blocking the attack with the shard of Kara, Alyss couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She could practically see the gears turning in the girl's mind. She was processing all the information she could despite knowing that she was weaker in terms of strength.

Even when drowning in the killing intent that she was releasing, this girl was still trying to find a way out.

'I'm pretty sure most of the disciples should've lost their will to fight though.' She mused to herself.

Thinking about it for a moment, she understood that this girl must've picked herself back up with renewed motivation.

Since that was the case, Alyss will play around with her for a bit.

To see what she could learn, what she could copy and more importantly, what she could do to sow a seed of potential like she did with the intruder.

That final strike was still fresh on her mind. If she could become a target for these people to reach, they might turn around and give her a surprise that surpasses her expectations.

'Is this how Allura felt?' Alyss chuckled to herself as she jumped down.

Throwing the elder in her hands away, she taunted the girl with two fingers.

Swallow's Rain – Soaring Tail Sweep!

Lunging down, Jinghua unleashed two high kicks that Alyss caught and pushed away before following up with a leg sweep.

However, it felt like she was kicking an immovable tree as she immediately used Glide to duck under Alyss's strike.

Swift Strike – Whispering Fang!

'She's going for the pressure points.' Alyss narrowed her eye as she could sense Jinghua's gaze on certain points of her body.

Shifting her balance, Alyss flicked her strikes away using her fingers and went in for a devastating kick from above.

Shift!

Weaving over the kick with surprising flexibility, Jinghua unleashed two fan strikes with the help of her Sigil.

Swallow's Rain – Gale Cutter!

Several wind blades rushed out, surprising Alyss as it was done in close proximity.

Avoiding the first two, Alyss could see strands of her hair being cut as she parried the rest using the shard of Kara.

But through the gaps, a hidden final wind blade slashed against her cheeks.

'Hou~' A smile appeared on Alyss's face as she pulled her arm back and punched down.

*BANG!!!

Shattering the ground beneath her, pieces of debris flew out but Jinghua pushed them away using her footwork.

Swallow's Rain – Seven Talon Barrage!

Lunging forward, Jinghua aimed for Alyss's neck but it was parried by a palm strike. Unphased, she transitioned the attack into a parry following it up with an elbow strike, a fist strike from below, a stab using the folded fans towards a pressure point and finally, a knee strike against the stomach.

But to her shock, a familiar set of movements was performed by Alyss.

Phantom Swallow Steps – Drift!

The footwork that focused on evasion!

However, her shock was yet to end as Alyss used Shift to close the gap and attacked!

Swift Strike – Piercing Wind!

Sensing the danger from this strike, Jinghua immediately protected her eyes and throat but it was actually a feint all along.

'I misread!' Jinghua realised her mistake.

It was never Piercing Wind to begin with but rather Phantom Swallow Steps – Veil!

A high level application that deceives the opponent by turning this from a normal feint to one that mimics one of the attacking techniques of the swift strikes!

Swallow's Rain – Soaring Tail Sweep!

"ARG!!!" Letting out a cry of pain, Jinghua was forced to guard herself against two high kicks before getting her balance disrupted by a low leg sweep.

Swallow Reversal – Dancing Swallow Turn!

Going into a handstand, Jinghua stopped herself from falling onto the ground and released a kick towards Alyss, pushing herself away and creating some distance between the two.

Unfortunately for her, Alyss wasn't bound by a singular martial art.

Instant Draw – Soul Chaser!

Her zone expanded in an instant as several phantoms rushed towards Jinghua who panicked.

*CLANG!!!

"Calm your mind, focus your gaze! No matter what, maintain your composure!" The sect leader intercepted the attack.

"Old fossils should stay out of a youngster's fun!" Alyss shouted out, appearing next to the sect master.

Instant Draw – Killing Arc!

Instead of a blade, Alyss repurposed it into a kicking technique as her heel slammed into his ribs.

*CRACK!!!

The sound of broken bones echoed out as his body was flung away.

Despite the sect leader intercepting, Jinghua didn't let this moment go to waste.

She saw Elder Shen perform this strike in full clarity. It's now or never!

Final Flight – Piercing Beak!

The fastest strike in the Skybound Swallow set of martial arts. The fastest strike seeking to use every ounce of power for speed and power.

"If you're going to use an attack like that, make sure it can actually wrap up a fight." Alyss smirked.

Catching Jinghua by her wrist, Alyss threw her over her shoulders, slamming Jinghua into the ground.

Gritting her teeth, Jinghua refused to backdown!

Swallow's Rain – Storm's Descent!

Slamming her palms against the ground, a burst of energy erupted, pushing Alyss away.

Jumping up, she adjusted her grip on the fans as it expanded from 160 degrees to a full 360, turning it into a set of chakrams.

If sect leader can't even do anything to this invader, then what can she hope to achieve by playing it safe? It's going to be all or nothing!

She'll put her life on the line even if it may be futile!

At that moment, Alyss sensed a shift inside Jinghua. A change of mentality.

From her body, a boundary expanded out in an instant!

'Weapon Domain! No, it's a little bigger than that.' Alyss's eye narrowed as her smile turned into a grin.

She exposed Jinghua to it briefly a moment ago. Offensive Zone!

This wasn't a weapon domain but rather a step above. It was almost a complete Offensive Zone with no regard for defensive measures!

Swallow Reversal – Vanishing Step!

Appearing next to Alyss, Jinghua twirled the chakrams in her hands and unleashed two lethal strikes that clashed against the shard of Kara, causing sparks to fly out around her.

Seeing that her strike failed, she immediately followed up with Shift into Swallow Reversal – Echoing Stike!

A delayed attack aiming to throw off the opponent's timing in combat!

*CLANG!!!

Catching the attack using the handle of a blood sword, Alyss stomped down, disrupting Jinghua's balance and preventing the use of her footwork.

*BANG!!!

In an instant, Alyss slammed her palm into Jinghua's chest as she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

But before her body flew away, she released a counter against Alyss's leg.

Glancing down at the wound on her thigh, Alyss couldn't help but tilt her head back and laugh.

"Sh*t, now I get why Allura keeps on beating me the f*ck up during training. Growth comes from adversity. Either rise to the challenge or drown!" Energy burst out from Alyss's body, coating it with a malevolent aura that made her look like a demon.

Soul Chaser + Killing Arc!

Sensing her impending doom, Jinghua gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand up despite the wounds.

Swallow's Reversal – Feather's Kiss!

A soft parry into a whip like counter that snaps against the opponent's body!

She had already given up defence. All that matters now is what she trades her wounds for!

Sacrificing her left shoulder, Jinghua's counter whipped towards Alyss's neck as she ducked down, avoiding it at the last moment using Shift.

But before her movement could finish, Jinghua was already onto the next attack.

Gale Cutter! Piercing Wind! Veil into Seven Talon Barrage!

Storm's Descent + Vanishing Step into Whispering Fang! Drifting Feathers, Soaring Tail sweep, Echoing Strike!

With each technique that Jinghua unleashed, her Offensive Zone was continuously refined as Alyss used Phantom Swallow Steps – Drift along with Passive Zone to dodge.

Right now, she could tell that Jinghua was in a state of focus that she had never reached before. A state of battle with her entire essence and being on the line. A desperate gamble, a dance on the thin line between life and death.

Unfortunately for her…

*KRKKK!!!!

The flesh on her arms and legs tore apart as blood poured out from the wounds.

Unleashing so many techniques with such frequency and power along with the awakening of Offensive Zone was too much for her to handle.

"Not bad. You can rest now." Alyss smiled, reaching towards Jinghua as her Offensive Zone faltered.

But just as Alyss was about to touch her, the boundaries were reinforced and condensed into a small zone around her!

Offensive Zone + Piercing Beak!

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. What's with you easterners and one last strike?" Alyss laughed, catching Jinghua's final attack before she passed out.