Demon of Dawn and Dusk

Cultivator Byron and I sprang into action the moment the word ‘Begin’ left Ellen’s mouth. I ran towards Cultivator Byron to close the distance between us. At the same time, I formed several hand seals and launched a barrage of Fireballs at him. However, I knew from experience that this wouldn’t do much good.

Over the past few months, as I traded pointers with Cultivator Aneira, I learned that using mystic arts against her was a fool’s errand. Not only did her ice counter my fire, but her qi refining was higher than mine. While I doubted that Cultivator Byron had an affinity for ice or water, his strength was on par with Cultivator Aneira’s. I was better off relying on my physical strength and my martial arts to defeat him.

That said, using mystic arts wasn’t useless. My Fireballs served as a good distraction, and they gave me a chance to probe my opponent’s defenses.

Cultivator Byron let out a derisive snort when he saw my Fireballs and spoke an incantation. Three swords made of gray Metal qi sprang out from his sword magic treasure, before flying threw the air towards my Fireballs. That magic treasure must have had an affinity for Metal.

“Sword qi!” Cultivator Trevor gasped.

“Impossible!” Cultivator Oliver said. “He’s only in the Qi Condensation realm.”

“It’s not sword qi.” Ellen said. “His magic treasure can create flying copies of itself, though the copies are much weaker than the original.”

That was something I noticed as well with my spirit sense. Even so, despite being weaker than the original sword, the flying copies were still more powerful than anything I could create. Under normal circumstances Fire defeated Metal, which would give me an advantage, but the difference in strength between my qi refining and Cultivator Byron’s negated that advantage.

The flying swords made short work of my Fireballs, before heading in my direction. Without hesitation, I pulled my turtle shell magic treasure out of my storage ring and activated it. The turtle shell, now glowing with yellow light, flew towards the flying swords and blocked them. It couldn’t destroy them, but it kept them occupied.

At this point, Cultivator Byron and I had almost reached each other. I formed a hand seal and summoned a Divine Fire Serpent, which hissed as it flew through the air towards Cultivator Byron. At the same time, I decided to take another gamble and formed the hand seal for another mystic art.

“Weak!” Cultivator Byron said as he slashed my Divine Fire Serpent in half with his sword. “Do you really think you can defeat me with such paltry mysti-”

Before he finished speaking, I finished the hand seal and sent another mystic art his way: Heavenly Seal. While it was most effective against demons, demon beasts, and demonic beasts, it could still be used against other kinds of opponents.

The Heavenly Seal, shining with golden light, flew over to Cultivator Byron and wrapped itself around him. He froze in place, unable to move. It took him a second to shatter the seal and free himself, but that was more than long enough for me to close the distance between us and launch an attack.

To my surprise, my fist didn’t connect. Instead, a barrier formed from gray Metal qi sprang to life and surrounded Cultivator Byron’s body, blocking my attack. With my divine sense, I saw that Cultivator Byron wore some kind of necklace that shone with a brilliant gray light. I hadn’t noticed it before because he had kept the necklace hidden beneath his robes. However, the light it now emitted made it impossible to keep hidden.

Tsk. Clever. Cultivator Byron kept that defensive magic treasure out of sight in order to catch his opponents off guard. Unfortunately, I fell for it.

Cultivator Byron grimaced, before he retaliated with a strike of his own. I lifted my arms just in time to block it. Sparks flew as his sword connected with the metal studs of my gauntlets.

From that blow, I realized something important. Cultivator Byron wasn’t a physical refiner. His physical strength was inferior to mine. My chances of defeating him were higher than I realized, even though he was at peak Qi Condensation!

The two of us exchanged several blows, probing each other’s defense. Over time it became clear that while Cultivator Byron was skilled, he wasn’t as skilled as Cultivator Aneira. He was unable to fend off all of my attacks. Despite his best efforts, a few of them connected. With each hit, the light of his shield grew dimmer and dimmer.

When Cultivator Byron saw this, his expression grew unsightly and he let out a roar. A suit of armor that looked like it was forged from golden starlight formed around him and covered his entire body. At the same time, the gray qi from Cultivator Byron’s defensive magic treasure merged with the suit of armor, turning into gray patterns.

I sucked in a breath as I realized that this was Armor of the Celestial Warrior, the innate ability one could use after reaching peak Qi Condensation with Soul of Divine Fire. It looked majestic and all my confidence from earlier evaporated.

Cultivator Byron chuckled when he saw my expression and went on the offensive. We found ourselves in a stalemate. While Cultivator Byron wasn’t skilled enough to pierce through my own defenses, his Armor of the Celestial Warrior blocked all of my attacks. Neither one of us could gain a decisive advantage, and it looked like this duel would become a battle of endurance. That was fine by me. I was confident in my physical stamina.

However, Cultivator Byron must have felt differently because his next move caught me off guard. He formed a hand seal, before launching a golden Fireball from his hand. To my surprise, he didn’t aim the Fireball at me. Instead, he aimed it towards my turtle magic treasure, knocking it off to the side. This allowed one of the flying swords to move past it and head towards me. The turtle shell tried to block it, but the remaining two flying swords redoubled their efforts and locked it down.

Now I faced both Cultivator Byron and one of his flying swords. Fending off the latter wasn’t difficult, but it forced me to split my attention. I tried to destroy the flying sword with my fists, but Cultivator Byron pressed the attack and prevented me from doing so. I started to accumulate wounds as my defenses faltered. Every time I tried to focus on either the flying sword or Cultivator Byron, the other would take advantage of my distraction.

If this continued on, I would lose the duel. I needed to do something, anything, to turn the duel back into my favor. The other two flying swords kept my turtle shell magic treasure locked down, so I couldn’t rely on that. I didn’t have any other magic treasures that would help here, and none of my mystic arts or martial arts were powerful enough to pierce through Cultivator Byron’s armor. It seemed hopeless.

Just as I considered forfeiting, an insane idea came to mind. It was risky and dangerous, but at this point, I didn’t have many options left. Why not give it a try?

I backed away from Cultivator Byron, trying to get away from him. He laughed, no doubt assured of his victory, and launched several Fireballs at me. The flying sword harried me as well. I dodged them all, though a few of the Fireballs grazed me. All the while, I continued to back away from Cultivator Byron. I needed a certain amount of distance to make my plan work. Thankfully, Cultivator Byron seemed overconfident and took his time chasing after me.

“You should end the duel.” Cultivator Aneira said. “It’s clear that Cultivator Darian has no chance of winning.”

Ellen snorted.

“Just you see.” She said. “I have confidence in my Young Master.”

Ellen’s words bolstered my confidence. Good. Given what I was about to do, I needed every bit of courage that I could muster. No matter how this played out, it was going to hurt.

Once I put enough distance between myself and Cultivator Byron, I used the Wind Dash technique and sped towards him. Rather than try to hold myself back, I decided to go all out and pushed my speed to its limit. At this rate I couldn’t avoid crashing into Cultivator Byron. However, that was exactly what I wanted. I hoped to use the speed and force of Wind Dash to break through his Armor of the Celestial Warrior.

As I moved, I summoned a Heavenly Shield to mitigate the damage from our inevitable collision. Cultivator Byron’s eyes widened as he realized my plan and scrambled to back away from me. However, it was useless. I was moving too fast. Even dodging was pointless.

Cultivator Byron let out a shout and summoned three more flying swords with his magic treasure. Together with the one he already summoned, they hurled themselves towards me, clashing with my Heavenly Shield. It held at first, but the flying swords were too powerful. Soon, my Heavenly Shield shattered. In that moment, I faltered. Time seemed to stop as I considered my next course of action.

If I continued, I risked serious injury. However, if I stopped, I would have to forfeit the duel. Unless I used Wind Dash, I had no chance of defeating Cultivator Byron. Risk bodily injury and win, or play it safe and lose?

In that moment, enlightenment lit up my mind. The Frenzied Fiend fighting style focused on aggression and offense, almost to the exclusion of all else. When I first started learning about it, I thought that its practitioners were just supposed to endure enemy attacks rather than evade or defend against them. However, in this moment, I realized that there was more to it than that.

Practitioners of the Frenzied Fiend fighting style were supposed to endure attacks, yes, but not because they were mindless brutes. They took damage in a deliberate and calculated manner. They suffered injuries in order to create openings and deliver even greater attacks to their opponents. It was a risky way to fight, but one that came with great rewards.

When I realized this, a smile stretched across my face and time resumed. I pushed forward, charging towards Cultivator Byron. His flying swords pierced me. Pain filled my entire body, but I ignored them and continued forward. Cultivator Byron stared at me with a horrified look on his face as he realized that I was still coming for him, despite the injuries I suffered. Even so, he maintained his composure and slashed at me with his sword when I came into reach. The blade dug into my shoulder, but stopped when it hit my bone.

At the same time, I formed a fist with my right hand and hit him right in the chest. The combined might of my physical body and the speed from my Wind Dash technique was too much for Cultivator Byron’s Armor of the Celestial Warrior. Cracks spread out from the impact point, before his armor shattered into golden motes of light. The impact was too much for my body, and I felt all the bones in my right arm break.

Despite this, my fist continued forward, hitting Cultivator Byron’s body. I felt his chest cave in and heard his ribs crack. Blood sprayed out of Cultivator Byron’s mouth as he went flying backwards. He let go of his sword, leaving it stuck in my shoulder.

I continued forward to press the attack and finish the duel. However, a woman appeared in front of me and blocked my way. Reacting without thinking, I swung a fist at her. However, the woman blocked my attack with ease, stopping my fist with her palm. Her skin felt cool, almost cold.

“Enough, child,” she said, “The duel is over. You won.”

I ignored her words and attacked her again. She was between me and my opponent. I needed to get her out of the way so I could continue the fight. The woman blocked my second attack as well, before she clicked her tongue and slammed a palm into my chest. Her attack sent me flying. At the same time, she hit me with a blast of ice qi. Frost started to coat my body as I flew backwards.

“Young Master!” Ellen yelled.

I hit the ground with a thud, landing on my back. Dazed, I stared up at the sky. A few moments later, Ellen’s face came into view as she knelt beside me. She wore a worried expression on her face and fear filled her eyes.

“Do not worry,” the woman who hit me said, “Your young master is fine. I only hit him with enough ice to cool him down. Sometimes the disciples of Flame Fiend Hall lose themselves to battle frenzy and they need a shock to help them return to their senses.”

Ellen looked up and glared, but soon looked down at me again.

“Young Master,” she said, “How do you feel?”

I reached up with my left hand and caressed her cheek.

“Beautiful.” I murmured.

Ellen’s eyes widened and she stared at me in shock. My strength ran out and my arm fell to my side. I maintain consciousness, but the duel with Cultivator Byron and the woman’s attack had drained me of all of my energy. Not only that, but pain wracked my entire body. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open.

“Move aside, Cultivator Ellen.” A familiar voice said. It sounded like Second Master. “Darian’s injuries aren’t life threatening, not at his level, but we should still take him to Rainbow Healer Hall.”

Ellen continued to stare down at me, hesitation in her eyes, before she nodded. She stood up. Second Master walked into view and crouched down, before pressing two fingers against my forehead.

“Sleep, Darian.” He said in a gentle voice.

His spirit sense entered my body and before I knew it, the world turned dark and I fell unconscious.

When I next awoke, I opened my eyes to find myself staring at a white ceiling. The transition from unconsciousness to consciousness was sudden. One moment I swam in darkness, unaware of anything. The next, I was wide awake.

I was laying on a soft and comfortable bed. The smell of medicinal herbs filled the air.

It took me a moment to remember what happened before I fell unconscious. The last thing I remembered was seeing Second Master’s face, before falling unconscious. Rather, he put me to sleep using his spirit sense. I don’t know how he did, but I felt it. A part of me wondered if I could do that. If not right now, then perhaps later, after I advanced my mental refinement some more.

“Young Master.”

I looked to the side to find Ellen sitting in a chair next to me. She held my left hand in both of hers, squeezing it tight.

“Ellen.” I said as I sat up, or tried to rather.

However, as soon as I moved, my body screamed in pain and I laid back down. The pain wasn’t as bad as just after the duel, but it was still pretty bad. I looked down to find my body wrapped up in bandages. A cast covered my entire right arm, immobilizing it. My shoulder that Cultivator Byron struck with his sword ached something fierce.

“Don’t move.” Ellen said, wearing a somber expression. “The spirit doctors of Rainbow Healer Hall healed all of your injuries, but it will take about a day for you to fully recover. You need to let your body rest until then, otherwise you might undo the healing.”

I stared at her in surprise. A day? That was all? Cultivator Byron’s flying swords pierced my body in multiple places and I shattered my right arm when I punched through his Armor of the Celestial Warrior, yet it would only take a day for me to recover from it all. In that moment, I realized just how amazing spirit doctors were.

“How long have I been asleep?” I asked. “Where are we?”

“You’ve been asleep for most of the day,” Ellen answered. “It’s late afternoon now. As for our location, we’re at Rainbow Healer Hall. Specifically, we’re in the clinic they set aside for disciples of Flame Fiend Hall.”

I gave her a questioning look. She smiled at me.

“Of all the halls in the Dawn and Dusk Sect,” she said, “The disciples of Flame Fiend Hall are the most prone to injury because of how much they fight with each other. So much so that a previous hall master of Rainbow Healer Hall decided to build a clinic just for them. They call it Martial Idiot Clinic. From what I heard, Rainbow Healer Hall uses this place as a training ground for their disciples, since it allows them to get a lot of practical experience.”

This… surprised me not at all. I looked around the room. It was a small and plain space, with little in the way of furniture. Other than the bed I laid on and the chair Ellen sat on, there was a little night table standing off to the side. A small incense censer sat atop the night table, letting out a small stream of smoke. The smoke was the source of the medicinal smell in the room. It contained faint traces of qi.

Like the ceiling, the walls were painted white. At the far end of the room stood a plain wooden door. A small window sat in the wall behind the bed letting in sunlight.

“I see.” I said. “What happened after I fell unconscious? The last thing I remember is seeing Second Master right after Elder Celine knocked some sense back into me.”

Elder Celine was the woman who blocked my path and sent me flying, though I hadn’t recognized her at the time. Back then, I was so focused on finishing the duel that I gave little thought to anything else.

“Elder Tobias brought you and Cultivator Byron to Rainbow Healer Hall while Elder Celine questioned us about what happened.” Ellen said. “From what I gather, Elder Tobias and Elder Celine witnessed the duel itself but not the events leading up to it. They wanted to make sure that this incident didn’t spiral out of control.”

I nodded. That made sense. Cultivator Byron and I both came from prominent families within the Dawn and Dusk Sect. He was a descendant of Uncle Jericho and I was Nova’s son. If a feud broke out between us, and our families got involved, it could affect the rest of the sect.

“Elder Celine was unhappy when she realized that Cultivator Byron knew about Cultivator Aneira’s secret.” Ellen continued. “She was even more unhappy when she found out that you knew about it as well.” She gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Young Master. I tried to hide it, but Elder Celine is a Nascent Soul cultivator. It’s difficult to keep anything a secret from them.”

I shook my head.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” I said. “As you said, she’s a Nascent Soul cultivator. Neither one of us is powerful enough to stand up to the likes of her.” I frowned. “That said, she might make trouble for us.”