First Battle with Kuafu

Chapter 16: First Battle with Kuafu

In the valley campsite, Taiyi waited for three days.

Nothing happened during those three days. The Witch Race remained silent, as if the more than twenty beaten subordinates weren't theirs. Fei Lian's scouts reported that all the tribes at the foot of Buzhou Mountain were acting normally; hunting, training, and not even strengthening their defenses.

This was rather strange.

Taiyi sat in his tent, idly playing with the pair of Mountain Boar tusks. They had been cleaned and felt smooth as jade, emitting a soft glow under the campfire. He tossed them up and down, his eyes fixed on the dark night sky outside the tent.

"Your Majesty," Fei Lian said, lifting the tent flap to enter. "Still no movement."

"Mm," Taiyi caught the tusks. "Why do you think that is?"

Fei Lian pondered, "Two possibilities. Either they don't think those twenty-odd people are worth a major mobilization, or... they're planning something big."

"I bet on the second one," Taiyi tossed the tusks onto the blanket. "The Houtu Tribe suffered a loss; they won't let it go just like that. Those barbaric Witch Race members value face the most. Having lost so much face, they'll definitely want to get it back."

"Then what should we do..."

"Wait," Taiyi said. "They're more anxious than us."

As soon as he spoke, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. A scout rushed in, his face pale, "Your Majesty! To the north! There's movement!"

Taiyi and Fei Lian exchanged a glance and stood up simultaneously.

Exiting the tent, the moonlight was just right. Cold white moonlight spilled into the valley, illuminating the campsite brightly. Taiyi looked up to the north—the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

On the horizon, a dark figure was moving towards them.

At first, it didn't look large, like a person. But the "person" was rapidly growing, and with each step, the ground trembled. The three thousand demon soldiers in the camp were all alerted, emerging from their tents one after another, watching the giant drawing closer from the north.

It was truly a giant.

At least thirty zhang tall, with shoulders as wide as a small mountain. He was bare-chested, his skin the color of bronze, muscles bulging in sections, gleaming like metal under the moonlight. He wore a beast hide around his waist and carried a... tree?

No, it was a massive wooden staff. Judging by its thickness, it must have been carved from the trunk of a thousand-year-old ancient tree. The top of the staff still had branches and leaves, lush green, as if freshly cut.

The giant drew closer, his footsteps like muffled thunder, boom, boom, boom. The demon soldiers in the camp began to stir, some instinctively reaching for their blades, others stepping back.

"Hold steady, everyone!" Fei Lian roared.

Taiyi, however, smiled.

"Kuafu," he said softly. "You've come quite quickly."

As his voice fell, he leaped up, transforming into a golden rainbow and flying towards the giant. Fei Lian wanted to follow, but Taiyi stopped him with a raised hand: "You guard the camp."

Fei Lian gritted his teeth and didn't move.

Taiyi landed a hundred zhang in front of the giant, hovering in mid-air. From this angle, the giant's face was clearer—a square face, thick eyebrows, a wide mouth, and eyes as large as bronze bells, burning with rage.

"Eastern Emperor Taiyi!" the giant's voice boomed like thunder, making the air hum. "Come out and die!"

"I'm right here," Taiyi said, picking at his ear. "Keep it down, you're noisy."

Kuafu—yes, the very Kuafu who died chasing the sun—looked down at him, a flicker of confusion in his bronze bell eyes. He was probably thinking: How dare such a tiny thing try to steal from the Houtu Tribe?

"The Mountain Boar tusks, hand them over," Kuafu extended a hand as large as a fan. "Then cut off one of your arms, and I'll spare your life."

Taiyi chuckled, "What if I don't?"

"Then you die."

Kuafu stopped wasting words and swung the giant wooden staff down.

Before the staff even arrived, the wind pressure it generated had already ripped up the grass on the ground. Taiyi didn't meet the blow head-on; he flickered and appeared a hundred zhang away. The giant wooden staff smashed into the ground with a boom, creating a pit more than ten zhang wide, sending earth and stones flying.

"You've got quite some strength," Taiyi commented. "Too bad you can't hit me."

Kuafu roared in anger, flicked his wrist, and swept the giant wooden staff horizontally. This attack covered an enormous area, with a hundred zhang radius within its range. Taiyi didn't dodge this time—he wanted to test the strength of this brute.

With a thought, the phantom image of the Chaos Bell appeared behind him. The bell body trembled, and invisible ripples spread out, meeting the sweeping giant wooden staff.

Clang--!

It wasn't the sound of a physical collision, but the explosive roar of energy clashing. The giant wooden staff stopped abruptly, as if hitting an invisible wall, when it was still ten zhang away from Taiyi. The staff vibrated violently, and Kuafu's hands, gripping it, had their tiger's mouth split open, blood flowing freely.

"Oh?" Kuafu looked at his hands in surprise, then at the bell behind Taiyi. "Interesting."

Instead of fear, he became even more excited. He thrust the giant wooden staff into the ground, clenched his fists, and roared to the sky: "Roar--!"

Following this roar, his body began to expand. From thirty zhang to forty, fifty... finally stopping around sixty zhang. Complex totemic patterns appeared on his skin; this was a bloodline secret technique of the Witch Race, capable of greatly enhancing physical strength in a short period.

"Now that's more like it," Taiyi licked his lips.

Kuafu no longer used his staff, directly throwing a punch. His fist was larger than Taiyi himself, creating a sonic boom as it descended like a mountain.

Taiyi didn't let the Chaos Bell block it this time. He wanted to test his newly practiced Chaos True Sun Fire.

He formed hand seals, and the golden-red flame in his Dantian exploded, transforming into countless fine threads that surged out of his body, weaving and rotating in front of him to form a shield of fire. The shield's surface was a mix of gold and red, with a dark red halo around the edges.

The fist struck the shield.

Boom--!

This was a direct, head-on collision. The flame shield vibrated violently, ripples spreading across its surface, but it didn't break. Kuafu's fist, however, was scorched by the flames. His skin instantly blackened and began to smoke.

"Hot!" Kuafu yanked his fist back, shaking his hand. "Your fire... it's not right!"

Taiyi's heart stirred. Kuafu noticed? The Chaos True Sun Fire was indeed different from ordinary True Sun Fire; it possessed an extra layer of ferocity, an extra layer of chaos. He hadn't expected this hulking brute to be so perceptive.

"It's supposed to be not right," Taiyi retracted the flame shield and brought his palms together. When he separated them, a fireball the size of a human head had condensed in his palm. The core of the fireball was pure gold, surrounded by a dark red halo. It spun, emitting heart-pounding fluctuations.

"Go!"

The fireball shot out, leaving a golden-red trail in the air as it flew straight towards Kuafu's face.

Kuafu dared not meet it head-on and dodged to the side. But the fireball seemed to have eyes, bending in mid-air and continuing its pursuit. Kuafu dodged three times in succession, but the fireball stayed right behind him, getting closer and closer.

"Annoying!" Kuafu roared. He stopped dodging and turned, smashing his fist towards the fireball.

The moment his fist collided with the fireball, Taiyi's mind moved.

"Explode!"

BOOM--!

The fireball exploded, not with an ordinary blast, but with an annihilation-like characteristic. The space at the center of the explosion distorted, light bent, and sound vanished. Kuafu's entire right arm was instantly engulfed in flames. From his fist to his shoulder, flesh and skin melted at a visible rate, carbonized, and finally turned to ash.

"Aargh--!" Kuafu screamed and stumbled backward.

But he didn't fall. The Witch Race's vitality was terrifyingly strong. Even with an entire arm gone, it only fueled his rage. He clenched his left fist, the totem patterns on his body suddenly lit up, and flesh began to writhe at the severed limb, showing signs of regrowth.

"Again?" Taiyi raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to deliver another blow, he suddenly sensed something and looked up into the distance.

Two auras were rapidly approaching from the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

One was ferocious, filled with the sharpness of tearing space—it was Di Jiang.

The other... was cold, moist, carrying the freshness of rain, yet hiding a murderous intent.

Xuan Ming.

Taiyi's thoughts raced. Kuafu had been tested enough. His combat power as a Great Witch was indeed formidable, but he wasn't Taiyi's opponent yet. The real test would be those two Ancestral Witches.

He deliberately slowed his movements. When Kuafu's arm had regrown halfway, Taiyi raised his hand and pressed down as if in greeting.

The phantom image of the Chaos Bell suddenly expanded, its mouth facing downwards, aimed at Kuafu.

CLANG--!

The bell's chime was long and carried a majesty that suppressed all things. Kuafu's half-grown arm instantly froze. The entire man felt as if he were being crushed by an invisible mountain. His knees buckled, and he fell to one knee. Two large pits formed in the ground where he knelt, cracks spreading out like a spiderweb.

"Do you submit?" Taiyi hovered in mid-air, looking down at him.

Kuafu gritted his teeth, trying to stand up, but the suppressing power of the Chaos Bell grew heavier, bending his back. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes turned blood red, yet he couldn't utter a single word.

"Not speaking?" Taiyi chuckled. "Then stay kneeling."

He stopped looking at Kuafu and turned towards the two rapidly approaching auras. With his left hand behind his back, he secretly formed a hand seal—the Chaos True Sun Fire circulated faster within his meridians, ready to erupt at any moment.

They've arrived.

First came the sound of space being torn apart, like fabric being ripped forcefully. A figure stepped out of the void. Tall and thin, wearing simple linen clothes, his hair was messy, but his eyes shone like knives.

Di Jiang.

Upon landing, the first thing he saw was Kuafu kneeling on the ground. His face instantly darkened.

Immediately after, a fine rain began to fall.

It wasn't real rain, but fine water droplets condensed from mist, shimmering with a faint blue light under the moonlight. The droplets intertwined and spun in the air, finally coalescing into a human form. It was a woman, wearing a blue long dress, her face cold and beautiful, her eyes like ice.

Xuan Ming.

The two stood on either side, sandwiching Taiyi in the middle.

The scene froze.

Di Jiang stared at Taiyi for a long moment before speaking, his voice hoarse and unpleasant. "Eastern Emperor Taiyi, you have quite the audacity."

"Moderately so," Taiyi shrugged. "Not as much as your Witch Race, who can't even keep watch over things in your own territory."

Those words struck a nerve. Di Jiang's eyes grew colder, and the surrounding space began to fluctuate unstably, like ripples on water.

"Release him," Di Jiang said.

"On what grounds?" Taiyi retorted.

"On the grounds that... " Di Jiang slowly raised his hand, "...this is Buzhou Mountain."

As his words fell, he clenched his five fingers.

The space around Taiyi instantly solidified, like an insect frozen in amber. This wasn't the law-level restriction of Time-Space Stasis, but a cruder method, direct spatial pressure. Space from all directions squeezed in like walls, intending to crush him flat.

Taiyi didn't move.

The phantom image of the Chaos Bell reappeared, its body vibrating gently.

HUMM--

The spatial confinement shattered. Not broken, but vibrated apart. Like shattered glass, with a crash, the solidified space resumed its flow.

Di Jiang's expression shifted slightly.

He knew Eastern Emperor Taiyi was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong. The Chaos Bell's suppression of spatial laws was even more severe than he had imagined.

"Di Jiang," Xuan Ming suddenly spoke, her voice as clear and cold as a mountain spring, "Don't be rash."

She stepped forward, her gaze falling upon Taiyi, scrutinizing him. His ice-blue eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything. Taiyi even felt as if she wasn't looking at him as a person, but at something deeper—like the ball of Chaos True Sun Fire within him, or the dark red aura around the edge of the Chaos Bell.

"Your Majesty," Xuan Ming said slowly, "Could you give me an explanation for today's events?"

"An explanation for what?" Taiyi feigned ignorance.

"Why did you injure our tribesmen and steal our prey without provocation?"

"Oh, that." Taiyi waved his hand. "I was just passing by. I saw those tusks looked good, so I took them. As for injuring your people... they attacked first. I couldn't just stand there and take a beating, could I?"

Xuan Ming stared at him for a long time. It was so long that Di Jiang grew impatient, but she finally spoke, "Your Majesty... you seem to have changed quite a bit recently."

Here we go again.

Taiyi frowned inwardly but maintained a calm exterior. "Have I? How so?"

"I can't quite explain it," Xuan Ming shook her head. "I just feel... Your Majesty's fighting style is somewhat different from before."

Taiyi's heart skipped a beat. This woman's eyes were too sharp.

He had indeed been a bit unnatural in his fight with Kuafu just now. For instance, his use of the Chaos True Sun Fire wasn't fluent enough, with some hesitation in the transitions. And the suppression from the Chaos Bell lacked precise control—he had only intended to make Kuafu kneel, but he had nearly broken his spine.

These subtle differences might have been missed by a brute like Di Jiang, but someone as meticulous as Xuan Ming had likely noticed.

"People always change," Taiyi used his usual excuse to brush it off. "Especially in the Great Wilderness. If you don't change, you're just waiting to die, aren't you?"

Xuan Ming didn't reply. She merely glanced at him again before turning to Di Jiang. "Take Kuafu back to heal."

"But..."

"Today is not the time," Xuan Ming interrupted him. "Eastern Emperor Your Majesty has personally come to Buzhou Mountain, and he brought three thousand demon soldiers. If we were to fight, the commotion would be too great. How about... we settle this another day?"

Her words were tactful, but the meaning was clear—there would be no fight today. Taiyi wasn't alone; he had three thousand demon soldiers behind him, and Fei Lian as well. If things truly escalated, even if they won, the Witch Race would have to pay a price.

Di Jiang clearly understood this. He gritted his teeth and waved his hand, removing the suppression force from Kuafu. Kuafu gasped for air, staggering to his feet. His broken arm had already grown to his wrist, but the new limb looked somewhat fragile, its skin as tender as a baby's.

"Let's go," Di Jiang said.

Kuafu shot Taiyi a fierce glare before turning to leave with Di Jiang. Xuan Ming, walking last, glanced back at Taiyi before disappearing.

Her gaze was complex, filled with inquiry, caution, and a hint of... confusion.

The three figures transformed into streaks of light and vanished into the night.

Taiyi remained suspended in mid-air, unmoving.

Only after their three auras had completely disappeared at the horizon did he slowly exhale.

His back was soaked.

It wasn't fear, but the sheer exhaustion from the confrontation. Facing two Ancestral Witches simultaneously while pretending to be at ease had been a truly draining performance.

Fei Lian flew over from the camp and landed beside him. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Taiyi shook his head. "Let's return to the camp."

The two flew back to the valley. As they landed, the three thousand demon soldiers surrounded them, their eyes shining, looking at Taiyi as if he were a god. They had all witnessed the battle just now—Kuafu, a Great Witch, had been beaten to his knees by His Majesty. Even Di Jiang and Xuan Ming, two Ancestral Witches, had not dared to attack.

Eastern Emperor Your Majesty was truly invincible.

Taiyi ignored their gazes and walked straight into the tent. Fei Lian followed him in and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what's next..."

"Strengthen the guard," Taiyi sat on the blanket, rubbing his temples. "They didn't make a move tonight, but that doesn't mean they won't in the future. Especially Xuan Ming... that woman is difficult to deal with."

"Did she see something?"

"Perhaps," Taiyi wasn't sure. "But even if she did, she can't prove anything. Unless..."

Unless she continued to investigate.

Taiyi suddenly felt that this trip to Buzhou Mountain might be more complicated than he had anticipated. He not only had to guard against the Witch Race's overt weapons but also their hidden eyes.

Like Xuan Ming's ice-blue eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything.

Outside the tent, the moonlight remained cold.

The enormous shadow of Buzhou Mountain cast down, enveloping the entire valley like a sleeping behemoth.

And this behemoth had already awakened.