The instant the area began to darken with a dense black fog charged with demonic energy, the entire unit knew a high-level demon was approaching—a very powerful one. As Yixuan had offered before, he used his golden eyes to try to see through the fog. The others, united by his power, also saw through it, along with the many things, bearing traces of cultivation.
There were several trees and plants around them that could ensnare them, like those flowers, but this time they could see them clearly. They could either fight them or destroy them along the way. They all stood at once, their gaze fixed on the direction from which the demon was coming. Not in human form, but as a mass of energy, similar to when Li Lun took the form of a whirlwind of leaves.
Yichen's eyes glowed a deep blue with his own power as he gripped Yun Guang, who also shone not only with his own power, but also with that of the Nine Stars. Between them, the Master and the sword spirit united in body and mind, Yichen stepped forward and, gathering his inner energy, unleashed a powerful wave toward the mass of black energy, destroying everything it touched like a raging force of nature. It created an immense clearing, like a gaping scar in the dense forest, burning everything with blue flames that Yichen had never used before, nor even known he could summon.
The heat of his divine fire was scorching, but the unit felt the chill of Bing Yi's energy surrounding them. The demon of the black cloud managed to escape, sending golden thunderbolts toward them, but Ying Lei summoned a set of shields forward with such force that the clash between the two forces caused an explosion of gold on gold, shaking the ground beneath their feet and clearing the purple demonic energy that enveloped them with a strong gale of wind.
Yixuan released his golden aura that took a dragon form, like a shield surrounding them, and Pei Sijing readied an arrow on her bow, charging it with her inner energy, making it glow orange, like fire waiting to be unleashed. Bai Jiu placed a hand on the ground, and roots sprang to life, encircling Ying Lei's barrier, ready to act at the precise moment it was needed. The roots he summoned shone not with the color of his aura, but with a brilliant white, emanating from the pure energy cultivated by the Divine Tree. He was after all, a descendant of a Divine Tree capable of more than healing, he possessed the power of the earth, and those roots, acting like whips, could strike anything with divine power.
Pei Siheng's invisible threads were fueled by the energy of their bond, powerful and steady, waiting for an opportunity to act and Wen Xiao unconsciously summoned a divine flute that she was sure could bind, even if she had never use it before. But that wasn't all. As she watched the dark cloud of smoke coming closer, she realized that, somehow, she could anticipate its movements.
"Sijing, let me guide your shots." She placed a hand on her lower back for a more direct connection with her, before she let go. Pei Sijing aimed her attacks straight at where she was been shown inside her mind, by Wen Xiao. With the gained insight, she could now anticipate the path of the black cloud with greater clarity.
The first shot from her bow flew like a red comet in the darkness, and the cloud had to split in two to avoid being pierced by the powerful force and then regroup, changing direction in the blink of an eye. However, Sijing, still guided by Wen Xiao's foresight, kept pace, firing arrow after arrow, and even when she ran out of them, she could still create new ones with her own energy.
The black cloud then, send several thunderbolts in their direction, and both Yichen and Yixuan used their own cutting waves to intercept them. Yixuan's dragon swallowing several of them as it flew to attack the cloud too. Even so, the demon moved very quickly until it was close enough to strike them. They changed formation, forming a circle inside Ying Lei's barrier, weapons in hand.
Then, for the first time, the dark cloud took shape, and a tall man with black and copper hair, violet eyes, and dressed in pure black, stood before them with a mocking smile on his handsome face. With his hand, he unleashed a massive golden thunderbolt that could change direction, followed by several balls of lightning that came from all directions at once.
However, Bai Jiu's divine roots created a dome of white light that, surprisingly, absorbed the energy of both the lightning and the balls, sending it crashing to the ground outside their barrier, impacting everything within a radius of a mile all around. The demon transformed into a cloud just in time to avoid being hit by his own attack and fled upwards at terrifying speed, leaving the humans, still within a tight protective circle, astonished that they had forced him to retreat, even if he wasn't the real one, and also by the collective awakening they all experienced thanks to their determination to save their world and become strong enough to face the demon world.
Then, the forest illusion chattered away, and they returned to where they had arrived the first time, before Zhu Yan changed their appearances. However what they saw, was not what anyone would have ever want to see anytime soon. Close to where they stood, they found Li Lun holding Zhu Yan, who had traces of blood trickling from his mouth.
"Zhu Yan!" Yichen immediately rushed over and take his weight on his own as Li Lun looked like he was about to fall too. Seen that something had gone terribly wrong, Bai Jiu, was right behind Yichen to offer his expertise. Yichen gently laid Zhu Yan on the ground and Bai Jiu place his small hand on his chest to see what was wrong and how badly he was hurt.
"What's wrong? Why are you like this?" Yichen asked, wiping the blood from his lover lips, and looking at him with deep concern. Zhu Yan was breathing heavily and his eyes were closed, but at least he wasn't unconscious, as he took Yichen's hand and squeezed it. His forehead was also covered in sweat, and his heart was racing.
"Your illusion wasn't designed to contain the fusion of seven true divine powers awakening simultaneously. It really surprised us both. That was too much for a mere illusion. Luckily, the damage was spread between us, and both Yun Guang, which the bond chose to share the damage as he is a sword and I took a third of the blow, spearing the rest of you." Li Lun explained as he staggered backward, but Yixuan arrived before he could fall and caught him.
"Xiao Jiu, please help him..." Yichen urged his younger brother to heal Zhu Yan, who tried to smile at him but failed because of the pain. But since he had his own regenerative power, he could greatly accelerate the healing process now that the training was over.
"I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you..." Yichen whispered to Zhu Yan, his red eyes opening.
"Don't apologize, this is a good thing... your cores resonate, awaken, and fight as one. You were so hot... literally hot..." Zhu Yan tried to joke, but Yichen, still worried and feeling guilty, wiped the sweat from his forehead and kissed him, gently and deliberately, taking his time to pull away. Bai Jiu, who was transferring healing energy to him, blushed slightly but smiled at their tenderness.
"Don't joke around. Why didn't you stop us before we hurt you?" The question made Yixuan look at Li Lun in his arms, now that they were seated too.
"Why indeed? I told you to pull us out, if we got too carried away," Yixuan asked Li Lun with all his seriousness and deep concern. His usual calming aura showed a trace of disturbance for the first time in a long while. As if the only one capable of piercing his armor was the great demon he held as if his life depended on it. His gaze was deep, so intense that Li Lun could feel it deep within his being.
"Your awakening was worth nourishing, even if it was dangerous." Li Lun's voice was calm, but it conveyed his hidden feelings. Watching him become so powerful through sheer willpower, was not only astonishing, but also captivatingly beautiful. The way his golden aura spread, then turned into a stunning dragon, his energy condensed and stroke those lightning bolts, as if they were made of wood, his defensive stance, his concentration, and his fierce protection... it was all mesmerizing.
"Li Lun..."
"Don't be angry, Yixuan... we are great demons, far stronger than you can imagine. Your awakenings took us by surprise, but we can withstand a thousand times more damage than this."
"Liar, you just said it was your luck that the bond shared the damage between your tree."
"Yes, but that was because the damage was internal to our bond, not from something external. I assure you we can handle much more. There's no need to worry or feel guilty. We can also heal ourselves quite quickly. You can test me if you don't believe me." Li Lun challenged him, and Yixuan placed his hand on his chest, accepting the offer. Closing his eyes in concentration, he felt Li Lun's demonic energy restoring itself faster than any of them, humans could ever manage. He sighed.
"Don't scare me like that again ever again..." Yixuan whispered as he gave him a soft kiss, taking the others by surprise, not because they didn't know the two were connected from their first encounter, but because they had never done it so openly.
"Come on, Baobei... where's mine?" Zhu Yan whined, and Yichen smiled smugly.
"I see you are still the same perverted monkey, meaning that now, you're perfectly healthy again. I'm getting rid of you now..." Yichen teased, but Zhu Yan pulled Bai Jiu's hand away and cling to him like the monkey, I mean, ape, he was.
"Don't be cruel, Baobei, it hurts..."
"Yeah, right. Just keep lying like that and I won't stay in bed with you for days, like you wanted," Yichen whispered into Zhu Yan's ear, who smiled with delight.
"Then it's a promise, my Yichen..." Zhu Yan murmured, before taking his face in his hands and kissing him passionately. Yichen responded to the kiss with equal passion for a few seconds before pulling away, embarrassed.
"You shameless monkey!" Zhu Yan laughed, as did the others, and since the training had been more successful than expected, they returned to the mansion to rest and recover their lost strength.
Needless to say, each pair retired to a single room, with the sole exception of Pei Siheng, who had entered the room Zhu Yan had assigned him, to meditate. He was still imbued with the other's divine energy, so he needed to harness it before it dissipated. He was growing stronger, and if he continued to infuse his thread with the power of the Nine Stars, he could be of great help in the fights inside the demon world.
AN: Ah, some fluff special for Thanksgiving. Hope you like, as I was really inspired with this one and write it in record time. See you next time darling and take care.