Double kill

"Senior brother! From the sound of it, it seems the Third Elder failed!" the young woman said to the young man. "Should we retreat?"

"Wait a little longer! We'll decide when that brat comes back!" the young man said, looking somewhat hesitant. "We have to follow the Third Elder's plan!"

"Tsk... fine!" The young woman smacked her lips in displeasure, clearly growing impatient, and casually slapped the large tree behind her...

Suddenly!

Rustle! Something round tumbled down from the tree...

"What's that?" The young man and woman froze, then cried out and swiftly darted aside... The object rolled across the ground. They could dimly make out that it was a human head-and judging by its appearance, it belonged to the young man in the long robe!

"Who's there?" the two cried out at the sight...

At that very instant!

Whoosh! Something shot through the air behind them, and a figure suddenly sprang out at their backs.

Then!

Boom! A thunderous explosion rang out as red and blue flames swirled. A masked man in gray appeared, brought his hands together, and launched a ball of blue and red flame. In an instant, it was already behind the young woman...

"Watch out!" The young woman reacted extremely quickly. With a flick of her arm, blue spiritual light rippled outward, and a gleaming blue copper-coin treasure took the shape of a shield behind her...

But!

Boom! Blue and red flames erupted, whipping up a gale over a ten-foot radius...

"Ah!" With a shriek, the young woman was blasted away. Her copper-coin magic artifact went flying, and her entire back was blown open...

"Junior sister!" the young man cried in utter shock. He jabbed a finger toward the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator and shouted in a low voice, "Go!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Blue light rippled outward as dozens of blue Ice Swords shot toward the gray-clad cultivator at tremendous speed...

However.

Whoosh! Red light suddenly burst beneath the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator's feet. He rolled across the ground, evading the barrage of blue Ice Swords...

"Go!" The instant he hit the ground, the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator clenched both hands. With two sharp whistles, a mass of Red-Light Flame and a mass of Blue-Light Flame swirled in his palms. He slammed his hands together before his chest. Boom! A tremendous swirl of red and blue flames churned together, forming a glowing ball in which the two colors intertwined...

"Watch out!" The young man had seen the young woman blasted away by a single strike. She had not moved since, and things clearly looked grim. How could he dare take that ball of blue and red flame head-on? With that thought, blue light suddenly flashed beneath his feet, and he dodged sideways. Spiritual light then flickered in his hand, and a blue talisman appeared...

"Ice Armor!" As the blue talisman in his hand blazed with light, the young man slapped it onto his body and shouted in a low voice. Amid a series of cracks, blue light flared, and countless shards of ice swirled over his body, quickly forming a suit of blue armor... Then he grasped with one hand, and a small shield shimmering with blue light appeared. He held it toward the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator, clearly preparing to withstand the strike...

Yet!

With a series of rushing sounds, blue and red light flickered, but the glow in the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator's hands dissipated on its own. He did not unleash the attack. Instead, spiritual light suddenly flashed in his hand, and an orange longblade appeared. Red light erupted beneath his feet with a boom, and the gray-robed cultivator swung the Longblade Magic Artifact as he charged at the young man...

"The Earth Spirit Blade! You killed Little...!" The young man's expression changed at the sight, and he cried out involuntarily, but before he could finish...

Whoosh! A tremendous streak of blade light rushed at him and reached him in an instant.

"Watch out!" the young man cried. Although the Ice Armor talisman had greatly increased his defenses, it had also slowed him considerably. On top of that, he had not had time to summon a weapon... In an instant, the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator had closed in!

In a flash!

Clang, clang, clang! The Gray-robed Masked Cultivator displayed astonishing bladework, unleashing dozens of slashes in succession that covered his entire body. Fierce gales swirled as the blows crashed into the shield and Ice Armor guarding the young man, producing a series of piercing metallic clashes. Countless blue ice crystals scattered in every direction...

Thud, thud! The young man was forced backward again and again. Even so, the Ice Armor protecting his body showed no sign of breaking...

That's right! It's only the Earth Spirit Blade. How could it possibly break through my defenses? The young man suddenly realized. With that thought, he shouted in a low voice, "You're courting death!" As his furious roar rang out, he reached for the Storage Bag at his waist. Blue light flashed with a hum, and a blue-glowing spiked club appeared in his hand. He swung it at the attacking Gray-robed Masked Cultivator, stirring up a tremendous gale as wisps of frost rippled along its path...

"Hah!" At that instant, the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator abruptly crouched... He rolled across the ground and dodged the blow, displaying far more than ordinary agility.

Bang! With a muffled explosion, the spiked-club magic artifact missed him and smashed into the ground. Blue ice spikes, gravel, and dirt exploded outward, leaving a crater several feet across. Countless shards of ice scattered over it, giving off cold vapor.

Suddenly!

"Go!" The Gray-robed Masked Cultivator rolled across the ground and flung up a hand, hurling a spray of sand and stones at the young man's face.

"Paltry tricks!" the young man sneered. He had already seen that his opponent was only at Minor Completion of the Cultivation Realm, so naturally he was unafraid. He raised his shield in front of his face...

Clatter! None of the sand, stones, or dirt struck his eyes...

And just then!

"Hah!" A furious roar burst from the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator's mouth. Red-Light Flame erupted over his large hands as he drove the Longblade Magic Artifact straight into the hollow behind the young man's knee.

Clang! An ear-splitting metallic crash rang out. Countless ice spikes and chunks scattered, and the Longblade Magic Artifact bounced away...

But!

"Urgh!" The young man staggered and dropped to his knees, then hastily tried to stand...

"Hah!" the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator roared. Red-Light Flame swirled around his foot as he planted a vicious kick into the young man's back.

Thud! With a muffled impact, the young man slammed face-down onto the ground, all five limbs sprawled. His entire body jolted, and even the ground caved in beneath him... The blue ice armor covering him flickered dimly.

"Damn it!" the young man roared in fury. This was an utter humiliation. A cultivator at Minor Completion of the Cultivation Realm had actually kicked him to the ground.

Just then.

Whoosh! Red and blue light swirled. Blue-Light Flame churned in one of the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator's hands, and Red-Light Flame in the other. He slammed them together before him. With a muffled boom, tremendous magical power shook outward, and a ball of swirling blue and red flame emerged.

"Wait!" The young man's expression changed, and he hurriedly cried out, apparently trying to beg for mercy...

"Go!" the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator roared. He thrust both hands toward the back of the young man lying on the ground, and the swirling blue and red ball shot forward!

Boom! A tremendous muffled explosion rang out as blue and red flames erupted. The ground shook violently, and flames, dirt, and gravel scattered everywhere... The young man's entire body was driven into the earth. The blue ice armor on his back cracked around a deep depression, charred pitch-black.

Then!

Crack! Blue light shuddered and burst apart. The Ice Armor covering the young man shattered instantly, clearly destroyed by that strike.

Yet!

"Urgh! Pfft!" The young man cried out in agony and spat several mouthfuls of blood. He was actually still alive, but his face was buried in the ground, and getting up would be no easy task.

"Hmph! You dare cause trouble for me, Wang Ziling? You must be tired of living!" the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator said coldly. With that, he snatched up the Longblade Magic Artifact beside him and slashed down hard.

"Wait! Spare me! I'll give you...!" the young man begged...

But!

Squelch! With a muffled burst, the young man was cut clean in half at the waist, and blood sprayed everywhere...

"No... save me... save me!" The young man was still alive. A cultivator's vitality was formidable indeed as he cried out to the Gray-robed Masked Cultivator...

"Hmph!" The Gray-robed Masked Cultivator ignored him. He suddenly snatched the shield magic artifact from the young man's hand and the Storage Bag from his waist, then swiftly ran toward the young woman. After searching her, he raced away and vanished into the woods...

"No... save me...!" the young man cried, unwilling to accept his fate. He actually dragged himself out of the crater...

Several dozen breaths later!

Whoosh! Blue light swirled as a figure flew swiftly into the woods...

"This is bad!" The newcomer was none other than the Third Elder. His expression turned ugly as he took in the scene in the woods...

"...Save... me...!" an exceedingly faint voice murmured...

"Who? Who did this?" The Third Elder reached the severed young man in an instant and cried out.

"Wang... Zi... ling... Grandfather... avenge me!" the young man murmured, his breath as faint as a thread... After speaking, all strength seemed to drain from his body. Suddenly, a mocking smile appeared on his face. "I... was actually beaten by a... Minor Completion... urgh...!"

Just then...

"He ran this way...!" someone shouted...

"Tsk! What a vicious brat! The Ma Family isn't done with you!" the Third Elder cursed furiously. He picked up the bodies of the young man and woman and raced away...