Chapter 47: Intervention
The grinding continued, and they moved forward at a slow pace. Whenever Seraph killed the masked men at the forefront, more would pour from the sides to replace them.
Even then, they still moved closer to the city.
Suddenly, as Seraph was about to behead a masked man before him, his senses screamed in alarm.
He forcefully changed the trajectory of his attack, bringing the sword to his side and crossing it with his spear.
Clang! Crack!
Something slammed into the crossed shield he created, almost snapping his wrists. His bones fractured, and he was thrown back fiercely.
Noel halted the horse so it wouldn’t trample on the boy, then looked at the one who had attacked Seraph.
It was a masked man just like the rest, but his physique was heavier. He almost looked obese, with his arms as thick as Seraph’s waist.
Noel’s expression immediately hardened.
’This is an Initial Master Stage Cultivator. We can’t beat him with our Core Advanced Stage Cultivator.’
He could already tell that Seraph was a Core Advanced Stage Cultivator just like him. However, even with the two of them combined, they wouldn’t be able to fight him.
It was a miracle that Seraph could even react and block the attack in time.
"Ugh..."
Groaning, Seraph forced himself to his feet. His head was bleeding, staining one of his eyes blood red.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Breathing heavily, he took a look at the new arrival and cursed.
The other masked men had stopped attacking, merely surrounding them and cutting off every escape route.
’How can they be this much? They seem endless.’
Blinking, he bit on the sword’s hilt, then took a stance with the spear.
"Seraph...?"
Noel called out in surprise. The boy still wanted to fight? Instantly, Noel became furious!
"Stand down, you idiot! You can’t just throw your life away like this!"
After seeing Seraph fight, he realized why the boy had been accepted into the Soul Peak despite being an outer court disciple.
Seraph turned deaf ears to him, charging straight at the obese man.
The man turned to him, his steps shaking the ground. Raising his sledgehammer, he brought it down Seraph.
It was insanely fast, but Seraph had already rolled to the side and dodged it anyway.
Before the man could recover his weapon, Seraph had already reached his side.
"Seraphim Spear: First Form—Cyclone."
The spear spun and struck at the man’s fleshy stomach—and was stopped.
"Eh?"
Seraph let out a confused sound, his eyes widened.
Snorting, the man raised his hand and gave him a solid punch.
Seraph immediately reacted, raising his arms to block.
Bang!
He was sent flying again, but also injured the enemy.
Just before the punch connected, he removed the sword from his mouth and held it straight at the punch.
Now, the obese man had a nasty cut on his hand, bleeding profusely and showing the white bones underneath.
"You..."
An enraged voice leaked from his mask as he observed his injured hand.
Glaring at Seraph whose hands were numb from pain, he raised his other hand.
Four earth spikes detached from the group and spun in the air like drillers, their sharp ends pointed at Seraph.
The boy’s eyes widened, and he immediately retreated.
"Die!"
The earth spikes shot forward, heading straight for Seraph. Once again placing the sword in his mouth, he used the first form of his spear technique to block.
Crack!
The wooden spear cracked and splintered, though it successfully blocked three of the spikes. The last one struck Seraph’s thigh, piercing his flesh and reaching bone.
He stumbled, almost collapsing to the ground.
["How cruel~ I’ve never seen you this injured before."]
Halo spoke in mock sympathy.
Seraph didn’t even have the energy to reply. He simply removed the spike from his body, then raised his head.
’Oh my...’
Above the masked man, over twenty earth spikes floated, their sharp points spinning in the air.
"This..."
Noel muttered helplessly, his eyes turning hopeless. There was no way they could survive this. The princess had already fallen unconscious, and Thana was barely conscious. She couldn’t even move.
Marcus and the other guy had already exhausted their pool of spiritual energy and were only left with their feeble bodies.
"Perish."
The obese masked man said—no, commanded.
The earth spikes rained from the sky like javelins, falling towards them at breakneck speed.
Seraph’s smile disappeared, and he saw his life flash before his eyes.
Suddenly, light disappeared.
’Eh?’
Everywhere was covered in darkness, and there was no light or sound.
’Am I dead already?’
["No..."]
Halo’s amazed voice replied him, making him further confused.
’Then what is happening?’
Before Halo could answer, the darkness disappeared. Seraph was a little startled by the sudden light, but immediately looked around to assess the situation.
His jaw dropped in shock.
All around them were corpses. Corpses of the masked men littered the ground, their bodies impaled by black spikes.
The thick, revolting scent of blood filled the air, and Seraph could almost feel the taste on the tongue.
Looking back, Noel, the princess, Thana, Marcus, and the last disciple were fine.
They were all looking at something above them in the sky.
Seraph also looked up, seeing a woman dressed in fine red robes standing midair.
"Elder Song?"
He blinked, recognizing her instantly. His whole body relaxed immediately, feeling a strange pressure had been lifted off her shoulders.
She descended from the sky and approached the Princess.
"She’s unconscious, hm?"
Smiling faintly, she patted the girl’s head.
Noel went stiff, since he was holding the princess and Thana in an intimate pose.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Elder Song turned to Marcus and the other guy.
"It seems one of you has died. Hmm."
A look of sadness flashed in her eyes, and she finally turned to Seraph. He looked really horrible.
"Why do you look like a demon? You’re covered in so many injuries and blood, you idiot. You should be an exemplary disciple of the Soul Peak."
Despite her scolding him, Seraph only smiled faintly. He could sense the worry in her voice.
’At least you genuinely care.’
Then, he fell unconscious.