The underground chamber trembled as the battle erupted.
The wails of the prisoners, the clanking of chains, and the emanation of corrupted Qi filled the air as Commander Wu Jiang and his two enhanced warriors rushed towards the pary of three, their eyes burning with raw, unstable power.
The trio stood their ground.
The situation was dire.
They weren't just fighting Wu Jiang, both of his souped-up lieutenants were his strongest enforcers, each enhanced through unnatural forced cultivation techniques. Their Qi was erratic, their bodies unnaturally swollen with stolen energy.
And then there were Ironwood Chapter's corrupted followers, rushing toward Kai's group in a blind frenzy, their eyes vacant.
Kai clenched his fists. These people aren't our enemies… but we have to get through them.
Liu Yue's voice was cold. "I'll subdue as many as I can without killing them."
Liu Yu cracked her knuckles. "Tch. So no full-force attacks? Fine, I'll hold back."
Kai exclaimed. "Let's move."
And the battle was met.
The first wave of mindless disciples charged.
Their eyes were void of reason, their movements eerily synchronized, like puppets controlled by invisible strings.
Liu Yue moved first.
Her fingers traced an intricate pattern in the air—her Qi surged, weaving into spiraling threads of energy.
"Phantom Veil Formation!"
A burst of violet mist engulfed the battlefield.
Within moments, the movements of the attacking disciples slowed, their limbs heavy, their strikes delayed.
It wasn't an attack—it was an illusionary technique designed to dull aggression, making their attacks sluggish without harming them.
The disciples stumbled, struggling against the unseen force suppressing their strikes.
Kai stepped forward, deflecting blows without counterattacking.
"Good work," he muttered. "Now let's deal with the real threats."
Commander Wu Jiang grinned as his two mutated warriors stepped forward.
Both were massive, their bodies grotesquely altered by stolen Qi. Their veins pulsed unnaturally, their eyes flickering with an eerie golden light.
"Kill them," Wu Jiang commanded, voice calm.
The warriors moved.
The first warrior lunged at Kai.
His Qi-infused fist shot forward like a battering ram.
Kai twisted at the last second, barely dodging as the attack obliterated the stone floor behind him.
Liu Yu appeared beside him in an instant.
She launched herself into a spinning aerial kick—"Soaring Dragon Strike!"
Her leg slammed into the warrior's ribs, sending him skidding backward.
But instead of falling, he absorbed the impact, his Qi visibly swirling to repair the damage.
Liu Yu frowned. "These guys have unnatural recovery."
Kai's eyes narrowed. They're regenerating Qi instantly?
The second warrior charged Liu Yue.
His speed was unnatural for his size, his blade slicing through the air toward her throat.
Liu Yue raised her palm.
"Moonlight Mirror Technique!"
A shimmering barrier of energy formed in front of her, redirecting the warrior's own slash back at him.
He grunted as his own Qi-infused blade cut into his shoulder, but instead of retreating, he roared and charged again.
"They're mindless, too," Liu Yue muttered. "They're fighting on instinct alone."
Kai's thoughts raced.
If they absorb attacks, and they don't feel pain… then brute force won't work.
That meant—
They had to outthink them.
Kai took a deep breath. "Change of plan. Don't attack directly, let them deplete their Qi."
Liu Yue's eyes flickered with understanding. "A reversal strategy?"
Kai nodded. "Lure them into overusing their Qi. The moment their energy destabilizes, we finish them."
Liu Yu grinned. "Sounds fun."
The Counterattack
The warriors rushed them again, their Qi blazing.
But this time, Kai and the twins didn't fight back with brute force.
Liu Yue feinted backward, forcing her opponent to expend Qi trying to break her barriers.
Each time he swung, she redirected his power into the air, making him burn through his reserves.
Liu Yu fought in a weaving pattern, dodging at the last second to let her opponent's attacks miss entirely, causing him to burn Qi through wasted movements.
Kai used Eclipsing Palm to deflect strikes at the last moment, ensuring their energy rebounded instead of harming him.
The battle shifted.
The warriors, mindless and over-enhanced, were consuming Qi too rapidly—their bodies struggling to contain the stolen energy.
Then it happened.
The first warrior stumbled.
His Qi flickered—his body rejecting the stolen power.
Kai's eyes flashed. Now.
"Twin Moon Devastation!"
Liu Yue and Liu Yu attacked together.
Liu Yue formed a vortex of pale energy, Liu Yu ignited her fists with blazing Qi.
The two sisters struck in perfect harmony.
Boom!
The warrior was engulfed in a combined blast of force, sending him crashing into the stone pillars.
He didn't rise again.
The second warrior collapsed under his own unstable energy, his Qi surging out of control before exploding outward in a harmless burst.
Only Wu Jiang remained.
Wu Jiang's smile finally faded.
"I should've known you'd be a problem."
His Qi surged—unlike his warriors, his control was precise. He wasn't just a brute relying on stolen power.
Kai narrowed his eyes. He's the real threat.
Wu Jiang moved like a specter, appearing in front of Kai in an instant.
A palm strike shot forward—
Kai barely blocked, but the impact sent him flying into the far wall.
Pain shot through his ribs.
"Master!" Liu Yue moved to intercept, but Wu Jiang vanished and reappeared behind her, striking her spine.
She gasped, crumpling.
Liu Yu attacked next, her fist glowing with golden energy.
Wu Jiang smirked—then grabbed her wrist mid-strike.
Before she could react, he redirected her attack into her own ribs, sending her crashing into the floor.
Kai wiped blood from his lips, forcing himself up.
Wu Jiang cracked his neck. "You're all too slow."
Kai exhaled sharply. His body ached, but he wasn't done.
His hand clenched.
"Fine," he muttered. "Then I won't hold back either."