Immortal Paladin

[POV: Tian Mei]

Tian Mei woke with a sharp pain splitting through her skull.

The Soul Possession she had cast on Kong Bo had been severed.

For several moments, she could only breathe through the pain as fragments of sensation returned to her. Her body felt heavy, her qi turbulent and disordered, as though someone had taken the strings controlling her cultivation and violently tangled them together.

“Where are we?” Tian Mei asked, forcing her eyes open.

Darkness surrounded them. There was no visible exit, no torchlight, and barely enough illumination to make out the figures nearby. The only source of light came from the tiny golden motes drifting from Anna’s harp whenever her fingers brushed across its strings.

Mai Duyi was carrying Tian Mei on his back. She realized he must have picked her up while she had been unconscious and immediately felt a little embarrassed, though she lacked the strength to complain.

“Underground,” Mai Duyi answered. “One of the tunnels I prepared in case my location was compromised.”

Soft notes continued to echo through the tunnel.

Anna sat nearby, calmly plucking her harp. Every note seemed to dissolve into the darkness, carrying a faint divine power that spread throughout the underground passage. Tian Mei could sense an obscurement spell enveloping them, distorting their presence and making their location difficult to perceive.

It was a clever choice.

Tian Mei tried to straighten herself, but the moment she moved, a splitting headache struck her again.

“Ah…”

She slipped off Mai Duyi's back and leaned against the tunnel wall, pressing a hand against her forehead.

“Do you need healing?” Anna asked.

“Yeah,” Tian Mei replied.

She knew several healing spells herself, but Anna's divine healing was far more comfortable. More importantly, Tian Mei's qi was in complete disarray. It felt as though every strand of energy within her body was fighting against the others, threatening to spiral beyond her control.

Golden light gathered around Anna's hand.

A gentle warmth entered Tian Mei's body, soothing her turbulent qi and slowly easing the pain in her head. Tian Mei closed her eyes and allowed herself a brief moment of relief.

“Let's go,” Mai Duyi said. “There's no time to waste.”

Tian Mei nodded.

They moved quickly through the tunnels with Mai Duyi leading the way. The passages were narrow and winding, clearly designed as an emergency escape route rather than a proper underground complex. Their footsteps echoed softly against the stone, while Anna's harp continued to conceal their presence.

It did not take long before they encountered a problem.

A wall of light suddenly appeared ahead of them.

Mai Duyi stopped.

Tian Mei stared at the barrier, her expression darkening.

“So the barrier formation on the surface extends underground as well,” she muttered.

That was very bad.

It meant their escape route had already been sealed.

Nongmin would not need to search every tunnel individually. Once he realized they were trapped underground, he could simply tear through the formation and hunt them down.

Even Anna's obscuring spell would only delay him. If Nongmin searched carefully enough, he would eventually find them.

And once that happened, they would be pinned down.

Tian Mei glanced behind them.

They no longer had the advantage of numbers, either. Nongmin had sent his Dragoons after them, and those puppets had proven troublesome enough even without their master personally joining the battle.

“If we can't get out before Nongmin finds us,” Tian Mei said, “we're finished.”

She looked between the two of them.

“Ideas? Anyone?”

Mai Duyi stared at the barrier for several seconds.

“How about we dig deeper?”

Tian Mei stared at him.

He looked equally uncertain.

It was clearly a suggestion born from desperation rather than confidence.

“Or we hunker down,” Anna offered.

She closed her eyes and placed both hands upon her harp.

“Wait,” Tian Mei said.

Anna began to pray.

“Great Guard, Da Wei, protector of those beneath the heavens, hear my prayer. We have become lost beneath this world, surrounded by enemies and with no path before us. If it is within your power, guide us. Show us the road we must take and protect us from those who seek to destroy us. Let your light reach us even in this darkness, and lead your servants toward safety.”

The final note of the harp rang through the tunnel.

Everything went silent.

Golden motes began appearing in the darkness.

At first, there were only a handful, then dozens, and then hundreds.

They gathered together before the three of them, forming a vague humanoid silhouette. The figure gradually became clearer until the familiar appearance of the Holy Emperor stood before them.

Da Wei looked around the tunnel.

“Oh,” he said casually. “I was actually looking for the lot of you.”

Tian Mei blinked.

“How?”

Anna's eyes narrowed slightly.

“I have a feeling you have descended to this world, Your Holy Majesty.”

Da Wei gave her an awkward look.

“It's complicated, but it's gone tits up.”

Mai Duyi stared at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry about that inappropriate remark,” Da Wei coughed. “Anyway, that's an interesting spell you've got there, Anna.”

His gaze shifted toward the harp.

“It seems to have properties similar to Fan Shi's sealing spell. I'm confident enough that the Supreme Heart won't find us anytime soon as long as you continue strumming that harp.”

Tian Mei felt a little relieved.

At least they had gained some breathing room.

Da Wei glanced toward the barrier blocking their path.

“Now, how are we getting you lot out of here?”

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He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Hmm. I'll send Fan Shi here. She should be able to do something. Just stay down until she arrives.”

Tian Mei's expression became serious.

The Supreme Heart had decided to descend into this world himself.

She had been hoping this contest would remain between their chosen champions. That had been the entire point of it. The Supreme Heart and the Supreme Bearer were supposed to settle their conflict through their representatives.

But if both Supreme Beings were now interfering personally, then what was the purpose of the contest?

Wouldn't it be easier for the two of them to simply bash each other into submission?

The thought barely formed before Tian Mei dismissed it.

She should not doubt Da Wei's intentions.

They had come out of this situation far better than they could have expected. If Da Wei had truly intended to abandon them, he would not have appeared here.

Still, Tian Mei could not shake the feeling that things were only going to become harder from this point onward.

Da Wei seemed to notice her expression.

“Now, to keep everyone up to speed,” he said. “I can exist here only as an illusion. The help I can provide will be severely limited, but Supreme Heart should be under the same restriction.”

Tian Mei listened carefully.

“Now, as for your allies. Zhu Shin has been incapacitated. Nongmin stole his immortality. When you bring him back to life, Tian Mei, he'll be weakened. I'd imagine he'll be around the Tenth Realm.”

Tian Mei's heart sank.

Zhu Shin had always been one of their strongest fighters. To think Nongmin had actually stolen his immortality…

Da Wei continued.

“Fan Shi isn't much better off, either. She won't be able to use her isolation sealing technique for some time. She used it to avoid certain death from Nongmin.”

Tian Mei fell silent.

Their strongest abilities had been crippled one after another. And Nongmin was still hunting them. Before she could say anything, a violent tremor suddenly ran through the tunnel.

The barrier ahead flickered. With a deep rumble, it began to open. The ground shook again. Dust fell from the ceiling.

Mai Duyi immediately turned toward Da Wei.

“What was that? Are we safe?”

Da Wei looked toward the opening barrier.

“You'll be fine.”

Then his expression became slightly more serious.

“I don't know about Fan Shi, though.”

Tian Mei's heart tightened.

Da Wei looked directly at her.

“Hurry.”

The illusion of the Holy Emperor began to fade.

Tian Mei did not waste another second.

She pushed herself away from the wall and resumed moving through the tunnel with Mai Duyi leading the way. Anna followed close behind, her harp continuing to sing softly through the darkness.

They had a path now.

They only had to reach the exit before whatever was happening on the surface reached them first.

…

..

.

[POV: Fan Shi]

Fan Shi ran.

Just outside the city, she did everything in her power to evade the Dragoons descending from the sky while the floating ships above bombarded the ground with streams of qi projectiles. Explosions tore apart the earth around her, throwing chunks of stone and soil into the air as she darted between the blasts.

The city behind her was still covered by the enormous barrier that had trapped her allies inside.

Well, it had been.

Following Da Wei's instructions, Fan Shi had managed to interfere with a portion of the formation. A large section of the barrier had crumbled apart, creating an opening for those trapped within.

The enemy forces had clearly noticed.

They were not happy about it.

Three enormous ships hovered above the battlefield, their hulls covered in formation arrays that glowed with destructive light. They fired continuously, while dozens of Dragoons descended alongside them.

Fan Shi gritted her teeth.

The golden illusion of Da Wei floated beside her, keeping pace despite the frantic speed of her movement.

“Three seconds ahead,” Da Wei said calmly. “The next barrage will land twenty meters to your left. Jump right, then duck. A Dragoon will come from above. Don't fight it. Use your chain to pull yourself forward.”

Fan Shi trusted him without hesitation.

She leaped.

A qi projectile screamed past her left shoulder and detonated behind her. Before the explosion had even finished blooming, a Dragoon descended from the smoke above, spear already thrusting toward her.

Fan Shi ducked.

The spear passed over her head.

Her chain shot upward and wrapped around the Dragoon's waist.

“Now.”

Fan Shi pulled. Her entire body shot forward like a launched arrow. The Dragoon was dragged from the sky and slammed into the ground behind her, while Fan Shi covered hundreds of meters in an instant.

The Dragoons were troublesome.

They were not living beings.

Each one had been constructed from some mysterious metal that reflected the light of the explosions around them. Their bodies were humanoid, but every movement possessed an unnatural mechanical precision. Their faces were hidden beneath dragon-like masks, the eye sockets glowing with an orange light that resembled miniature suns.

Each Dragoon wielded a long spear.

Steam hissed from vents along the weapons whenever they moved, and the pressure building within those spears was terrifying. A single thrust could tear through the ground and leave a crater behind. Fan Shi had no intention of discovering whether she could survive a direct hit at her current state.

“Left,” Da Wei instructed.

Fan Shi immediately veered left.

“Now right.”

She changed direction.

“Stop.”

Fan Shi planted her feet.

A spear shot past her face.

She felt the heat radiating from it.

“Kill that one.”

Her chain lashed outward. It pierced straight through the Dragoon's chest. Fan Shi pulled. The puppet was ripped from the air and smashed into the ground. She did not stay to admire her work. She immediately accelerated again.

Her movement technique was pushed to its absolute limit. Chains extended from both of her arms, piercing into whatever objects she could find and pulling her forward with tremendous force. Every time a chain caught onto something, she used it as an anchor to launch herself across incredible distances.

The battlefield blurred.

Eventually, trees appeared in the distance.

Fan Shi's eyes brightened. The forest. She could use it. She plunged between the trees. The bombardment from above immediately became less accurate.

The ships could no longer fire freely without risking hitting their own forces or losing sight of her beneath the canopy. Explosions still shook the forest, but the attacks became less concentrated.

The pressure from the Dragoons also diminished.

Fan Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

Behind her, the section of the city barrier that she had damaged was already regenerating. She could only hope her allies had managed to escape through the opening. For now, she had to worry about herself.

The illusion of Da Wei continued floating beside her.

“Veer hard right.”

Fan Shi did so.

“There is a Dragoon contingent ahead.”

Her expression tightened.

“How many?”

“Enough.”

Fan Shi's chains immediately changed direction, pulling her between two enormous trees.

“Keep going.”

She followed.

“Thirty meters.”

She continued.

“Twenty.”

Her breathing became heavier.

“Ten.”

Fan Shi prepared herself.

“Stop.”

She abruptly halted.

Several Dragoons marched through the trees ahead. Had she continued forward, they would have walked straight into her.

Fan Shi silently cursed.

Da Wei had been giving her information only a few seconds before things happened, yet those few seconds had been enough to repeatedly pull her out of situations that should have been impossible to escape.

“Backtrack,” Da Wei said. “Slowly.”

Fan Shi obeyed.

The forest became her battlefield.

She moved between the trees, using her chains to swing from one trunk to another while the Dragoons pursued her. The ships above continued searching, but their attacks had become considerably less effective.

For a while, Fan Shi thought she might actually escape. Then more ships appeared in the sky. Fan Shi's heart sank. They had begun patrolling the forest.

Da Wei's expression became serious. “Fan Shi.”

“What?”

“You need to hide.”

“Where?”

“The ground.”

Fan Shi stared at him.

Da Wei continued, “Use your isolation spell.”

Her expression changed immediately. “You want me to seal myself?”

“Yes.”

“I could get lost forever.”

“I know.”

“That's reckless.”

“I know.”

Fan Shi stared at the illusion.

Da Wei looked back at her with unusual seriousness. “Just do it.”

Fan Shi clenched her teeth.

Da Wei's voice softened. “I'll be with you. It's necessary.”

Fan Shi looked toward the sky. Another ship passed overhead.

The forest trembled as a barrage of qi projectiles descended somewhere in the distance. She had no choice. Fan Shi dropped to her knees and pressed one hand against the earth.

Her qi began to circulate.

“I assume the shape of isolation. I step beyond reality. I sever all paths that bind this existence to mine.”

The world around her distorted.

Fan Shi dragged herself into the ground.

Her body began to phase through reality, sinking into an existence that was neither entirely within the world nor outside it. The sensation was horrifying. Every instinct inside her screamed that she was disappearing.

Her body vanished. Her senses stretched. Her existence became isolated from everything around her.

Fan Shi desperately clung to her sense of self.

Who was she? Where was she? The questions became increasingly difficult to answer. She could no longer feel the ground beneath her. She could no longer feel the air. She could barely feel herself.

Da Wei's voice reached her. “I'm here.”

Fan Shi's panic eased slightly.

“Focus on my voice,” he said. “Don't think about anything else. You're still here. You haven't disappeared. Keep your mind anchored.”

Fan Shi followed his instructions. She focused on his voice. Nothing else mattered.

Gradually, she became aware of something strange.

She was still able to see.

The world existed around her, yet she was separated from it by an invisible boundary. It was as though she had been shoved into another dimension while remaining close enough to observe the world she had left behind.

When she saw Nongmin, she understood why Da Wei forced her to use her isolation spell. Nongmin suddenly appeared between the trees. Fan Shi's heart nearly stopped at the sight of him. Nongmin hovered silently above the forest floor, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He looked directly toward the place where Fan Shi had disappeared.

Nongmin remained there for several seconds.

If Fan Shi had continued running, he would have caught her. Nongmin searched the surrounding forest before finally turning away.

Fan Shi watched him leave.

Only when he was completely gone did Da Wei speak. “Wait just a few seconds longer.”

Fan Shi wanted to move. She wanted to leave. She wanted to crawl out of this horrible isolation. But she remained still.

“Stay strong,” Da Wei said.

Seconds passed. They felt like years. Then Da Wei did the same thing he had done before. Reality shifted around Fan Shi. A path opened. Fan Shi crawled toward it.

The phasing nature of Isolation was like being dragged through a murky swamp. Every movement required her to force herself back into reality, and every attempt threatened to pull her deeper into the void between existences.

Her fingers finally emerged from the ground. Then her arm. Then her entire body. Fan Shi collapsed onto the forest floor, breathing heavily. She felt as though she had been submerged underwater for days.

Da Wei floated beside her.

“Continue heading south from here.”

Fan Shi forced herself onto her feet. “South?”

“You should be able to rendezvous with the rest of the party.”

Fan Shi nodded.

Da Wei's expression became stern. “But most importantly, make sure you're not being tailed.”

Fan Shi glanced toward the sky.

The ships were still searching.

Fan Shi tightened the chains around her arms. "Understood." She could not afford to lead Nongmin to the others. Fan Shi disappeared into the forest, heading south while carefully concealing every trace of her presence.