Gale Wing, the Bat King, darted through the periphery of the clearing, a phantom flickering at the edge of vision. He never closed in, yet his oppressive presence frayed the nerves of every Emei disciple, making rest or respite impossible.
Liam Ardent, who had been prepared to leave, now found himself amused by the spectacle. He settled back, a faint smile on his lips, content to watch the chaos unfold.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, a figure materialized right in the center of the clustered Emei disciples.
He lay on the ground, completely wrapped head-to-toe in a grimy, grey blanket, revealing not an inch of skin. His posterior was comically raised in the air, and from within the blanket came a series of high-pitched, bizarre giggles that grated on the ears.
Liam couldn't help an inward smirk. Gale Wing. 'The Bat King.' He certainly lives up to the theatrics.
The Emei disciples stared, their faces etched with alarm and vigilance. For someone to get this close without any of them sensing it was a terrifying prospect. Their hands tightened on their swords.
Saxa Quinn, her cheek still burning from Liam's strike, drew her longsword and pointed its tip at the wriggling blanket. "You! What are you? What kind of trick is this?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
As her sword lifted the edge of the filthy fabric, the man beneath was revealed. He wore a white robe streaked with blue lines, and his face was contorted in a lewd, unsettling grin. His laughter was shrill and unpleasant.
System Scan
[Detected: Gale Wing – The Bat King]
[Realm: Peak First-Rate Expert (Unorthodox)]
[Title: "Gale Wing," One of the Four Great Guardians of the Ming Cult. Possesses peerless, phantom-like movement skills.]
The moment the blanket was lifted, the man—Gale Wing—let out another series of eerie cackles directed at Saxa. His long, flowing sleeve snapped out like a whip, aiming to coil around her and yank her away.
But Liam was faster.
The Nine Suns Divine Skill surged within him. He became a blur, intercepting the attack in an instant. His palm met the extending sleeve with a force that reverberated through the air, deflecting it. In the same motion, his arm wrapped around Saxa's waist, pulling her back from the edge of capture and depositing her safely behind him amidst the startled gasps of her disciples.
Gale Wing paused, a flicker of genuine surprise in his beady eyes. It was rare that someone could snatch a prize from his grasp. He slapped a palm against the ground, using the force to propel himself at Saxa with blinding speed, his sharp laughter echoing. "None escape the grasp of Gale Wing! You blocked me once, boy! Let's see you do it again!"
Liam stood firm before the terrified Saxa, the boundless energy of the Nine Suns Skill circulating through his meridians. He did not dodge; he met the charge head-on.
"'Gale Wing'? The Gale Wing?" The name spread through the Emei ranks in a fearful whisper. The disciples huddled closer together, their swords forming a shaky defensive ring. The Bat King's reputation for unpredictable speed and lethal efficiency was known to all. Few in the Jianghu did not fear him.
Saxa Quinn shot a glance filled with terrified awe at Gale Wing, then turned her gaze to Liam's broad back. Her emotions were a tangled knot of hatred, humiliation, and a shocking, unwilling gratitude. She knew with cold certainty that without Liam's intervention, her fate would have been sealed.
A heavy silence fell over the Emei Sect. Not a single one of them was a match for the Bat King. Without Liam, they would have been picked off one by one, unable to even track their enemy's movements, let alone fight him.
Boom!
Liam's palm met Gale Wing's in a concussive impact. Instantly, a wave of profound, deathly cold energy shot up Liam's arm, a bitter chill that threatened to freeze his blood and solidify his qi channels.
The Nine Suns Divine Skill, the ultimate yang energy art, reacted instinctively. Its vast, sun-like heat surged forth, effortlessly dispersing the invasive cold. The immense warmth didn't just defend; it counter-attacked, flowing back up Liam's arm and into Gale Wing's palm.
Shock registered on Gale Wing's face. His cultivation of the Frigid Ice Palm had led to a catastrophic qi deviation. Now, every time he used his inner energy, he was compelled to drink the warm blood of a living person. Otherwise, the accumulated cold poison would wrack his body with uncontrollable shivers, freezing him to death from the inside out.
Countless so-called famous physicians had been powerless to help him. He had used his energy now; he needed blood to survive. He had targeted the Emei leader, only to have this stranger intervene.
But the shock wasn't just from the failed capture. The moment their palms connected, Gale Wing felt the deeply entrenched cold poison within him recede. A wave of soothing, life-giving warmth spread through his body, a sensation he had not experienced in decades.
Excitement, wild and desperate, flared in his eyes. "Hey! Kid! Your palm strength is strange indeed!" he screeched. "Again!"
Liam did not refuse. He exchanged two more swift palm strikes with the Bat King. Each time, the potent, sun-like Nine Suns energy easily neutralized the Frigid Ice Palm's poison, sending waves of healing warmth deep into Gale Wing's system.
Gale Wing felt more alive than he had in years. The constant, gnawing cold was suppressed. He became certain—this young man could cure him!
He lunged for a fourth exchange, but Liam drifted backward effortlessly, out of reach. A faint, knowing smile played on Liam's lips. "I have experienced the Bat King's unique skills now. Greed is not a becoming trait."
"Liam Ardent? The so-called 'Divine Physician'? So it's you!" Gale Wing cackled, the pieces clicking into place. "Fine! For the sake of those three palm strikes, I'll give you face today! I spare their wretched lives!"
With that, his form flickered. In a few impossible, ghostly movements, he vanished back into the deep forest, his sharp, mocking voice trailing behind him. "The six sects think to besiege Bright Peak? It will not be so easy!"
System Update [Gale Wing's Favorability +30 → Current: 30 (Intrigued & Indebted)]
[Emei Sect Collective Hostility -20]
The clearing fell into a profound silence, broken only by the sighing wind. They had been saved from a legendary predator by the man they had sworn to kill.
Glossary – Chapter 42
Gale Wing, The Bat King : A Guardian of the Ming Cult, renowned for his phantom-like speed and his chilling nickname. A Peak First-Rate Expert who practices the Frigid Ice Palm, a technique that caused a severe qi deviation, forcing him to consume blood to survive. He is now deeply intrigued by Liam Ardent's ability to suppress his condition.
Frigid Ice Palm : An unorthodox palm technique that channels devastating cold energy. Practiced by Gale Wing, its flawed cultivation has inflicted him with a terrible internal injury.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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T/N :
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