Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

From his hands, the two spheres of energy combined and shot out, forming a spiral beam where one energy did not overtake the other. There was perfect balance and it was a massive beam, thicker than a lightning bolt. All of it was aimed directly at Dai Mian, who could not ignore it. 

"Damn you! When this is over, I will strip you of your skin and cripple your cultivation! I will bring onto you the worst of tortures, Huang Bo!."

With one hand gripping his sword, he used the other to block the Grand Elder's attack. Dai Mian was pushed back, but not yet defeated. 

His face was contorted, anger mixed with desperation as he clung for his life. His body shook under the weight, his flesh and skin cracked, revealing the unhuman body beneath that fake shell. But he still stood, quickly absorbing as much as he could. 

As for the Grand Elder, his eyes were clear but as much as he tried, this was all the strength his could bring out. All that was left was that last bit of hope that Dai Mian would fall. 

"It's not enough."

Everyone else hoped but only Elder Xiang came to that conclusion. In this three way clash of energy, he realized that Dai Mian would win. The longer this struggle continued, the stronger he would become. 

Silently, he took back the control over his body, circling his energy and taking out a thin silver sword. It was double - edged, paired with a simple guard and an elegant lavender - colored grip. On it was a simple engraving of two words: Xue Qing. 

The slovenly dressed elder suddenly changed in aura, turning sharp and pure. All of it was pure Sword Dao Energy, as if he himself has become the sword. 

As quickly as he changed, he also moved. 

"One Stroke, Wandering Dragon."

His sword flashed forward as did his body, his aura coalesced into numerous swords before turning into a roaring dragon. Its body was a shining silver color, drawn like a painting with a ferocious maw and claws. Massive and powerful, it howled to the skies and charged at Dai Mian. 

"Xiang Qing! Don't!" 

The Grand Elder yelled out but he could not move from his position. If he did, he would lose concentration and his attack would break. Even then, it was too late for anyone to stop Elder Xiang.

The dragon surged with power and raised one of its claws at Dai Mian.

"Do you even have the right to stand before me? Die!"

With both hands occupied, Dai Mian looked at the dragon with his glowing red eyes. Lightning shot our from them, striking for the elder only to miss, barely scratching it. But he attacked once more, shooting out more bolts of lightning from his eyes. Each one that struck the ground blackened the rock and cracked it.

A direct attack could very well stop this charging beast. 

Under this slew of attacks, Elder Xiang's dragon pushed forward, enduring any strikes that razed him. Then the silver dragon came just meters from Dai Mian, its piercing eyes locked down its victim.

"If I have the chance, why not exact my revenge now?" the Elder muttered.

And with its raised claw, the dragon swung down and Elder Xiang's sword shown. It was one strike, right down the arm that blocked the Heaven's Bolt. All of that built up power condensed into the sword, cutting through the flesh and body.

Elder Fang's sword did not stop until he chopped off the sword cleanly. 

"Elder!"

Ming Yue yelled out, wanting to move, hoping that he could escape. 

But the Heaven's Bolt was quick and cruel. The moment Dai Mian lost his sword arm, the multi- colored bolt crashed down, engulfing both of them in all of its fury. However, it went further than that, piercing the mountain deeply. 

At first there was rumbling before the entirety of the Black Peak Mountains cracked, some shattered as the Heaven's Bolt burst apart, spreading beneath the land. Like a wave, the bolt split into hundreds which drilled through dirt and stone. Everything it touched turned to ash, devoid of life.

Everywhere the ground shuddered and cracked, minutes passed but the rumbling did not stop. Cities and kingdoms shook, rubble continued to crumble and fall, everyone prayed for their lives. 

Their eyes were closed out of fear. They prayed for it to stop, hoping that the land would not break apart, that it would not be ruined. What seemed like seconds were hours to them all.

Then it finally ended, the shaking stopped and the cracking ground was on the edge of breaking apart. The noise and the destruction had turned to silence. 

One by one, people emerged from their shelters, looking at their former homes. There was almost none of it left, only glimpses of what used to be. 

"It's all gone, the stalls, the stores, the markets... our homes."

Destruction and rubble was all that they saw: shattered windows, broken walls, snapped signboards. The streets cracks apart, rifts appeared on the surface, reaching deep into the depths of the earth. The faint smell of burnt soil wafted into the air. There was simply no way to describe the feelings they felt. The overwhelming sadness and the rising despair that took root in their hearts. 

As for the High Council, their expressions were mixed but ultimately, showed some relief. Although the damage was severe, it was not enough to destroy the continent. Still, full recovery from this would be a long time. 

But the emotions felt by those on the remains of the Merciless Storm Peak were worse for wear. None of them knew whether they had succeeded or lost. Yhey witnessed the bolt pierce the mountain, not knowing whether that was enough to cripple humanity once again.

"Did we... stop him?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if the world has been ruined or not."

That was all anyone said. As experienced as they were, this was simply something they had not anticipated. Perhaps, they had defeated Dai Mian but at what cost. To what extent had the world suffered before they stopped it? Even if they stopped him, would they have been able to prevent the Heaven's from striking down? There was simply no telling of the destruction. 

They could only hope and pray, return to their homes and survey the damage. 

Ming Yue ran forward, her body limped towards the place where the bolt struck. A crack split the mountain open, going deep into the depths of the world. The rock surrounding it was blackened, seared by the lightning. 

Just on the edge of it was the remains of Dai Mian's body, only from his chest up and with both od his arms broken. The flesh he remade had been destroyed, his puppet body cracked and on the verge of collapse. One of the red gems were gone, leaving the other on its own. 

"Elder? Elder?"

Ming Yue looked around, trying to find even a piece of Elder Xiang. But there was nothing, not even ashes of his body could be found. 

She stopped, fully knowing deep within that he had sacrificed himself. 

Of all three elders, she had spent to least time with him but each exchange had helped her immensely. Through Elder Xiang, she gained a better understanding of her own path of the sword. With his nonchalant attitude and little eccentricities, 

"I still haven't understood that "perfect" technique", she said.

"If you did, I'd have nothing left to teach you."

A weak voice spoke out as she spun around finding Elder Xiang in the arms of Elder Kan, the Disciplinary Elder. There was a smug smile on his face though he was covered in sweat and his skin was extremely pale. 

"You lived, but your body..."

As Ming Yue's eyes settled on him, they fell upon his body. Elder Xiang's sword arm was gone and half of his body was burnt to a char. No medicine could heal these wounds, if anything, it seemed that he might not be able to hold a sword ever again.