15 minutes earlier, during Wu Chen confrontation with Wu Yuen and his subsequent effort in regrouping, he is late to join Gu Liang group.
And the effect is almost theatrically instant, as of now…
SLASH
His group is being hacked and slashed away by Wu Nanming.
A boy clutches his hands; it was severed and is bleeding profusely. He clenched his jaw, trying not to make a sound as to not draw Wu Nanming's attention.
And there he is standing, sword in hand as his entire form is covered in blood that is not his own. All that remains and at least looks human from him is the white hair that is fluttering wildly and the purple eyes which seem to leave its colored faint trail along the wind.
He took a stance, rushing in a blinding speed to finish him off…
CLANG
Only for his sword to be stopped by Namgoong Hien. She held the sword with both hands and even then, she still trembles from the forces of his attack.
Immediately she jumped back, just enough to shield the wounded boy who instantly picked his own form up and fled.
"…" she tightens her lips; it's just been 2 minutes and almost all of Gu Liang's group has been wiped out.
She then activated her Foundation Technique 'Cold Sword Body', the surrounding airs chilled down to the extreme that the air molecule froze down into flakes that falls pathetically into the ground.
Nanming responded in return by rushing in, clashing his blade with her.
CLANG
Only to be parried, yet it grazes her right arms.
CLANG
Another one grazes at the same spot.
CLANG
And yet another one finally leaves a trail of blood on her left shoulders. She slumped, completely spent.
Each weight of his attack has so many forces and power put behind it that no real technique can ever hope to replicate. The cruel blade so cold and unfeeling that her own swordsmanship, the Namgoong Clan Blade that is famous for its pragmatic movement seems flashy and inefficient in retrospect.
"Huff…huff" she hyper-ventilated as her Aura gradually thinned out into nothingness as she gazes upon the form basked in moonlight. So beautiful and pretty yet his entire form is bathed in crimson blood.
'More, just a bit more time' her words ringing inside of her own heads, yet it finds no power to got out of her tongue.
Nanming raised his sword, looked at her apathetically. Yet the blade paused for a few seconds as if he was hesitant to follow through with intent.
A pause that seems so short yet…
CLANG
"Hien!"
Long enough for Gu Liang to finally come and pushed Nanming away. His form so gallant, Aura tinged with green as he assumes a Martial Stance with both his palm open ever so slightly.
His shouts filled the night with unnecessary amount of noise, something that Hien would normally scold him for. Yet now, she is relieved and glad that someone has finally come for her.
Namgoong Hien collapsed from exhaustion, leaving Gu Lian to fend Nanming all by himself.
'Not good, have to get him away somehow'
Gu Liang thought as he pressed the disoriented Nanming, delivering his first attack.
Up to his chin, which Nanming managed to block with his elbow.
Yet Gu Liang continues the advance.
THUCK
Another swipe to his head connects with a loud sound.
He follows through with a flurry of attack; to his neck, to his thorax, to his chest, shoulder, ribs before the stream of fist connects to his abdomen.
'Gu Fist Style: Stream of Woven Fist'
Each strike is met with Nanming own's skilled deflection, yet it cannot stop all of it.
Finally with a decisive strike, Gu Liang clenches his fist and punches Nanming in the chest, pushing him back considerably.
He tumbles down, yet not a grunt escapes his mouth as he picks himself up once more. Only to be met with Gu Liang knees crashing into his face with full force.
Such attack would incapacitate and even kill someone on the post-mortal level. Yet Nanming didn't even flinch.
"What?" Gu Liang bewilderment last for a short while as Nanming grab his knee and slowly, push it away from his face.
Revealing a face befitting that of a maiden, yet so streaked with blood, it's terrifying rather than bewitching.
Gu Liang is quick on the take and jumped back, yet he is just too late.
Nanming's face rushed to his left rib, connecting with such force that an audible—
CRUNCH
—can be heard, followed by his screams of pain as he tugs down.
"Aghhh" clutching his shattered ribs, he can only see as Nanming's leg sweep his body with so much power puts behind it that a rock would shatter and explode on impact.
Sending his body flying towards the nearest tree where it hits the trunk, exploding it into a shrapnel of woods.
Gu Liang coughed blood, he chooses to concoct a Painkiller with the 'Poison Body' so some of the pain is nullified, yet the fact that he cannot even move even under the effects of Painkiller just shows how devastating that two attacks were.
"…Shit…" He can only curse as he watches Nanming slowly walking towards him, drawing his sword as if preparing to strike him down.
Yet before he can do it, a stone is hurled. Barreling towards Nanming and it hits his head. Yet with such pathetic throw it barely does a thing.
"Hey you freak!" And the culprit behind the attack is sprinting down with mediocre speed. Gu Liang can barely make out who he is because his vision is blurry from the force of the attack.
Yet from the form, the stance, stature, voice and demeanor. He can confidently and is very surprised to know that its…
"O-Ouyang Pinah?" he said in disbelief, and he is alone. Wherever may the Noble that follows him around goes he wonder.
"Get up Gu Liang! How can such attack manage to bring you down!" He said as he unsheathed his sword and swiped it towards Nanming. An attack, if it can be considered one, is more of a movement rather than an actual heartfelt attack.
And of course, Nanming effortlessly dodges the attack by moving just slightly out of reach, not even grazing his bellowing white hair. His purple eyes locked Pinah form as he quickly made an upward cut.
"No!" Gu Liang shouts, yet his body failed to move, expecting to see yet another body fall. Only to see Ouyang Pinah slipped from who knows what, dodging Nanming lighting fast attack completely
"Wha-"
"Huh!"
?
All three of the boys are in a complete and utter state of bewilderment, Gu Liang in particular saw a ray of hope. Ouyang Pinah might be able to buy him some time for him to concoct some medicinal bolus for him to consume.
Gu Liang immediately sits in a lotus position, assuming a Cultivation stance. His Aura glows bright green as he slowly, ever so slightly concoct the bolus.
All the while Ouyang Pinah is busy rolling away, literally, from Nanmin swords.
Each one of his slashes just inches away from hitting him, with each miss Nanming grow more and more impatient.
But of course, his luck ran out. Nanming's sword finally connects to his leg. Severing its tendon.
"Agghhh shit shit shit" Ouyang Pinah writhe in pain yet his rolling continues, causing Nanming killing blow to kill some grass instead.
And just as his sword is about to sever his neck completely.
"Hyahh!"
BRUK
A glowing red fist connects to Nanming face, before bursting into a sparkle of flame.
The fists continue to strike the same face over and over again, with each strike creating more sparks that Nanming face looks like a furnace being fanned to create some flame.
"Flame Wheel style: Combust!"
And then the spark ignites into flame
BWOOSH
Exploding Nanming as he dashed away from whoever delivers the attacks.
The figure in question then touches the ground, assuming another stance to expect some retaliation from Nanming.
Ouyang Pinah gazes towards the form that just protects him, wearing a Brown robe with such quality befitting that of a Great Clan.
It was a woman, her form leaned and her hairs in a ponytail, black as the night.
"Gu Tian?" he manages to call out; his face is flushed with embarrassment upon realizing that he is caught in such an embarrassing position.
"What are you do.. wooah" He is about to make a comment, but another boy grabbed his collar and flee alongside him.
"Lady Gu Tian, please be careful" The voice was rough and deep, the form of a boy that already befits that of an adult is Xiu as he carries Namgoong Hien on his other hand, away from the scene.
"…Stay calm, stay calm" Gu Tian said, her gaze sweeps the field, searching for his brother. Upon finding him battered yet conscious enough to form an Aura, she knows that he is fine to some degree and decided to focus on Nanming first.
Not far from there, her flame grows out rapidly and soon envelopes a large area in smoke. From within, Nanming emerges, his face is renewed, pale and glistening with otherworldly beauty, yet there is no shock of awe and admiration coming from Gu Tian upon seeing the visage, only fear and terror.
His purple eyes shine so bright it darkens the glow of the flame around him.
Gu Tian stood her ground, circling her leg to enter a new stance and tried to execute another technique as her Aura glows greenish red.
Yet Nanming rushed through with such speed that she was forced to immediately change her stance to try and deflect Nanming—
SWOOSH
Over-arching sweep, she managed to dodge it by the nick of her nail. Yet there is no time for her to rest as Nanming sword returns with even more speed. She envelops her palm with flame, deflecting the blade as it passed through and causing a spark of embers to fly out.
Another strike follows through and she deflects it all the same, again and again. Three times, four times, five times with each attack getting increasingly more difficult to deflect.
Yet Gu Tian is given no time to even counterattack let alone reposition and distance herself away from him.
Gu Tian fighting style is unique among the members of the Gu Clan specifically because she is fast and unrelenting in her attacks.
Yet now, she cannot match Nanming tempo, the fight is utterly out of her hand. It's as if Nanming had already won this fight the moment Gu Tian chooses to attack him.
Only a matter of time before she is inevitably cut.
BAM
Yet that time has yet to come. A formless attack was launched towards Nanming, the force so proficient that he can only block it with his sword and is still getting pushed back.
"Hahh… hahhh" the attack came from Gu Liang, his hand extended away and thick green smoke emanates from within. Clearly, whatever attack he delivered, it hurts both him and Nanming.
Yet it's enough to allow Gu Tian to catch her breath and extend away. Her form fleets into shadow and eventually reappears beside Gu Liang.
"Why would you come here?" Gu Liang said in between his taxing breath.
"Well, I just save you, aren't I?" Gu Tian replied with tackiness and irritation.
"Even so… Never mind that" Gu Liang held his words and instead enter the same stance as Gu Tian.
"Follow after me" he said in which Gu Tian responded by nodding.
Both of their Aura then flickers out, a mix of green and red clashes through. Before converging into one color. Green.
""Open"" Both exclaimed simultaneously.
"Enters temple were all beneath, wade smoke and cloud for all to see"
"Here I declare to those I see, those I heed, those I decree!"
""Away all! Away all!""
A combination attack, from the siblings as they move in like one force. Like a flame that produces smoke, like a medicine that excrete toxin, like the time and space, like the fate and death.
Both siblings moved in and out, each taking turn attacking the staggered Nanming. Each blow, each fist, each kick. It was enhanced under the effect of—
""Profaned Plain Flowing Wade!""
Both siblings attack Nanming at the same time, the force of the attack is so great that it creates an explosion for all to see, for all to witness.
A technique that requires two members of the Gu Clan and both must at least acquire one of the Inheritance Technique, Profaned Plain Flowing Wade is more so a Spell due to the fact they require a connection in between the Clay mold of the current user all the way to ancestor spirit of the Gu Clan. It is said that this attack once killed a Xiantian.
With such attack, surely even…
""What?""
Of course it failed to kill Nanming.