Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

2"How can you be sure of that? Don't you think that she'd avoid you and never come back? You'd be wasting time here waiting for her", Elder Shen reasoned.       4

The Ascetic narrowed his gaze before looking over his shoulder, staring at Ruishi Lei and Ao Qin.     

"It would do everyone good if you put your weapons away, I haven't done anything yet."     

But Ao Qin unsheathed his saber by a single inch, revealing the shining blade.      

"How can we be sure of that? We've heard of your reputation, someone ending their own family line", the dragon-kin muttered.      

"Ah, that old story. I did do that, eradicated all of them. Of course, I would've outlived them in the end, killing them only hastened the process", the Ascetic replied.      

He then looked back at Elder Shen.      

"Why wouldn't she come back? She is concerned about you. Why else would those two beasts protect you and that girl so fiercely", he said, "In the end, you two will be her downfall."      

The Ascetic held his hand outward, making a grabbing motion as Elder Shen and the others suddenly froze in place.      

"It wouldn't be good to keep everyone here, I wouldn't want this city to be destroyed."     

With their bodies suddenly frozen, everyone started to struggle under this invisible pressure.      

"Urgh, hng, you... where are you taking us?"      

Elder Shen tried to wriggle out only to fail but he looked at his captor. Along with Hongyu and the other beasts, they floated over to his side.      

And behind him, the Zodiacs were on their knees, trying to stand up under the Ascetic's power. None of them could lift their heads up, but Ao Qin and Ruishi Lei were fighting against it.      

The lion-kin growled as he was the first to be able to look up at the floating man. His eyes had started to glow as his body began to change. His fur started to thicken as he began to grow in size. Cracking sounds echoed from his body as his form changed to something more animalistic.      

"As powerful... as you may be... Do you think... that you can do... whatever YOU WANT?!"     

He roared out before suddenly breaking the Ascetic's grasp! The next moment, he rushed forward with his jaws wide open, clamping down on the man's neck.     

Moving with such ferocity, Ruishi Lei crashed through the manor's doors, running out into the streets of the Den. But he leaped up onto the roofs, bringing the Ascetic out of the city walls.     

After such an attack, the Ascetic weakened his power against those he suppressed and Ao Qin was the next person to      

"Ah, he reverted! Guess I should do so as well!"     

The dragon-kin suddenly tensed up and bent over as his own body morphed and grew. The scales had become thicker and took on a more metallic sheen while his fangs had become longer and sharper.      

He then unhooked the saber's scabbard from his hip, dropping it on the floor before running after his comrade.      

But it took much longer for everyone else to free themselves while the sounds of battle echoed outside.      

With Ao Qin and Ruishi Lei battling the Ascetic, things had grown hectic. Those living within the Den quickly went to hide under the roofs of the homes.      

There were thundering roars that made the air tremble. Explosions and shockwaves shook the ground. Suddenly a part of the wall was struck and came crashing down, turning into rubble!     

Dust was everywhere as a more monstrous version of Ruishi emerged from the destruction. Despite the mess, his body seemed untouched, in fact, his fur started to glow white.      

"Hmm, not enough, I need to go further."     

As he said this, he closed his eyes and concentrated while Ao Qin was still battling the Ascetic.     

The two figures fought within the deep vegetation.      

"Damn this bastard, what kind of defense does he have? He's completely unfazed, it's like I'm fighting against a mountain! This... reverting to the second stage isn't enough, I need to go further beyond it."     

The dragon-kin had the same thoughts as Ruishi Lei but he couldn't act on it while fighting against the Ascetic.      

As quick as he was, the Ascetic always seemed to match his pace. No matter what Ao Qin did, he felt like he couldn't reach his opponent. None of his attacks felt like they were connecting and yet, he could with his own eyes that the Ascetic was being struck.      

"Give up, nothing you do will be able to affect me, not in my domain. Just as I have worked to sever my ties to this world, my very existence is shifting to a new plane. What can you do?" the Ascetic told him.      

Despite that, Ao Qin still attacked, launching one punch after the other.      

"Well, we can try!" he shouted.      

Suddenly, a white lion leaped out of the shadows with a gaping jaw, one large enough to eat a man in three bites!     

Ao Qin watched it bit into the Ascetic and toss it around like some chew toy.*     

"That lion bastard, he went to the forth stage. I guess that's how serious he's going."     

The dragon-kin suddenly stopped and closed his eyes too. After a moment of concentration, he suddenly roared out as his body grew and changed once more. Going larger and larger, his body went through more changes, breaking out of his own armor.      

The horns on the top of his head grew longer while two more sets grew out as well. Hi body had become longer while his claws grew as well. He started to look less like a beast-kin and more like real dragon.      

Once the transformation finished, he opened his eyes and suddenly flew off, chasing after Ruishi Lei and the Ascetic.     

At the same time, Elder Shen and the others finally broke out of the Ascetic's grasp.     

"I... you did not have to do this. You could've just let us be but now, the Ascetic will come for all of us."     

He said this while looking at Lao Yang and Zhu Xie.     

"You can't hope to defeat a man as heinous as him. Only a few people alive can match his strength. He will kill you all."     

But the boar-kin shook his head.      

"Heh, we've dealt with much worse before. Those two can hold them back but the others should be coming soon. Now come, let's bring you away from this place."     

He quickly moved to the courtyard, boarding the ship as did Lao Yang. The Elder seemed hesitant but with Honyu beside him, he boardedd the ship with everyone else.      

"Do find a place to steady yourself!"     

The ship hummed with power as it floated up to the sky and flew off! Soaring across the sky, it flew past the violent battle between the Ascetic and the two beasts.      

Having become a lion and a dragon, Ao Qin and Ruishi Lei fought viciously. With fang and claw, they did whatever they could to tear the Ascetic to shreds. But no matter what they did, he was untouched at the end of it.      

At best, they used their size to toss him around but he remained unhurt and frankly, unbothered.      

"Trying to escape?"     

He noticed the ship flying past him and pulled his hand toward it to make a grabbing motion. But both warriors noticed this and rushed forward. The lion bit his arm to pull it down while the dragon wrapped himself around the man.      

Together they pulled him down but as the Ascetic said, what could they do?     

Just as he fell to the ground, the ship descended at the same time. It couldn't even move forward or back, just falling down towards the Ascetic.      

"Whoa! Did he notice us?!"     

Everyone in that ship felt that sudden pull and Zhu Xie scrambled on the controls, looking for something that might help them escape. While doing so, the Ascetic emerged from below, staring right into the cabin while Ao Qin and Ruishi Lei were still wrapped tightly around his body.      

"There's no point in struggling in vain."