Time to retrieve the pièce de résistance, Huxian thought, looking up at the rocky egg and the rapidly shrinking seabreeze lily. The beast-nurturing nectar was two-thirds consumed by the egg, and it was only a matter of time before it hatched.
Huxian swam over to the Water Essence Core and saw that the Water Source Marrow was still there. That was a good thing, given how much time it took for the core to generate additional marrow after it was harvested. As he reached out with his paw, he caught another flicker out of the corner of his eye.
He growled and put on his goggles, activating his battle armor and growing to his largest form in one swift movement. Once was a fluke, twice a coincidence, but three times? He looked around, and to his surprise, he saw thousands of threads dancing all around him. He hadn’t seen them before, but with the goggles’s help, they were clear as day. The threads spread out from his body and in many directions. They were there to confuse him, he concluded. Then he noticed a figure darting toward the Water Essence Core, a figure he could finally perceive. It was an obvious void in his otherwise unremarkable surroundings.
Huxian sent out auras of light and shadow at the intruder, who simply waved his hand and kept them at bay. In response, Huxian sent three suppressing spheres, one each for lightning, wind, and swamp. The figure slowed as Huxian rushed forward, contracting time slightly as he moved, allowing him to close the distance almost instantaneously.
His strong body collided with the assailant, who jerked his hand back in surprise and came into full view. Zhou Li! Huxian shouted furiously. His cry alerted Silverwing, Lei Jiang, and Gua.
Zhou Li clapped and smiled as the four beasts assembled in front of him, blocking him off from the Water Essence Core. “Very well done. Who would have thought that you’d foil my plan after all the trouble I went through in facilitating the absence of those guardians?”
Huxian’s eyes narrowed. What facilitation? What trouble?
“What indeed?” Zhou Li smirked. “You couldn’t perceive it before, but you can now, can’t you?”
Huxian thought for a moment and nodded. Karma. You’ve been burning the karma around you, hiding your presence and how we perceive you. Meanwhile, you lured the sharks away using the same trick.
“I do hate being caught, but it’s so refreshing when it happens,” Zhou Li said. “I was really hoping to be in and out this time, but it looks like I’ll need to put in some extra effort.”
Cut the crap and fight, Huxian growled.
“What, and cut down on the ceremonial banter?” Zhou Li said in a wounded tone. “As a demon, I thought you’d be more respectful of traditions. According to the demonic council, it’s appropriate for each dueling party to taunt the other for a reasonable amount of time. An extension may be granted in the case of a particularly good monologue.”
You! Huxian barked. How did you know?
“I know a lot of things,” Zhou Li said, his burning eyes peering into Huxian’s. “I know all about your father and mother, and your brother especially. I know about the birth of the universe, and the curse that pervades it. I know of the painter, his creation, and how he left the world split in two ever-warring factions. I know—”
This is getting boring now, Huxian said, cutting him off. You can monologue all you want as long as it’s good, but this just isn’t cutting it. You really ought to rehearse every now and again.
Zhou Li chuckled. “Fair enough. I was just buying time anyway.”
Dozens of roars echoed through the waters. They sounded nothing like sharks, and nothing like dolphins, and they caused shivers to run down his spine.
What have you done? Huxian asked gravely. What did you unleash?
“What I had to,” Zhou Li said, his expression cold. His surroundings erupted in a sea of flames that bore down against the mountain, forcing Huxian and his friends to erect some hasty shields. They reacted just in time to protect the Water Essence Core and the stone egg, which had already absorbed ninety percent of the beast-nurturing nectar.
“Let’s see how long you can keep it up,” Zhou Li said as he formed hand seals. His black sin flames writhed and formed dozens of dragons that probed their combined suppressive barrier, forcing it to retreat or be burned to cinders.
Huxian panted as he fought against the flames with all his might. Lei Jiang, Silverwing, and Gua were evidently hit much harder by the sudden attack. Surprisingly, however, Gua was the first to act. He summoned his giant rune-covered fan and swished it through the water, creating turbulent eddies that collided against the encroaching flame dragons. They broke up the dragons and gave their squad just enough time to reform their formation. They huddled around Huxian and linked with the stars using the Greater Friendship Circle.
Ninety-five percent. The egg was almost done absorbing the nectar. The moment it was done, they could retrieve the Water Essence Core. Zhou Li, seeing the situation was dire, summoned a sword. It pulsed with transcendent might as he slashed down with it.
Huxian howled and clashed with it, only to bounce back with a gaping wound on his shoulder. Zhou Li struck out again, and this time Lei Jiang clashed with it. He wielded his claw weapons and infused them with lightning. The entire friendship circle fed Lei Jiang with as much power as it could spare. The small rodent managed to deflect not one but seven blades of dark fire before being forced back.
Since Gua was busy fighting off the dragons of black flame, Silverwing took point. He channeled all their power into his metallic wings, which he closed into a shield. His massive body completely obstructed them from Zhou Li’s attacks, and due to Gua’s interference, Zhou Li couldn’t get around the
