Chapter 286: Clash on the Sixth Floor

The sixth floor was a garden.

Herbs grew in organized plots across the floor, each one radiating body-strengthening energy. Some plants glowed gold. Others pulsed with deep red light. The air was thick with medicinal essence.

Six people were already inside. Each one moved between the herb plots, harvesting carefully. Their auras were strong—every single one possessed at least Early Tier 4 physique. They’d earned their place on this floor.

Kael’s Spirit Eyes scanned the garden quickly—flicker—cataloging herbs.

Void Iron Root. Heartfire Blossom. Moonlight Moss. Thunder Root. Dark Bloom. Ironwood Bark. All body-refining materials.

This garden alone is worth more than most treasure vaults.

Rue’s eyes sparkled. "Kael, these herbs—"

FWOOOM!

A blast of force screamed toward them from the left.

Kael sensed it instantly—his soul perception tracking the attack before it fully materialized. He began to move.

Rue was faster.

FWOOOSH!

A blast of silver-white fox fire erupted from Rue’s palm—crackle—colliding with the force blast midair. The two energies detonated—BOOM—and shockwaves ripped through the garden, scattering herb soil across the floor.

Rue’s green eyes locked onto the attacker. Murderous intent radiated from her—whuuu—her nine tails flaring behind her like silver-white flames.

Kael turned toward the figure.

Gorff Draven stood twenty meters away. Mana Heart Rank 7. His stocky frame radiated the aura of a Mana heart rank 7 cultivator with a physique of a mid Tier 4 body cultivator. His cold eyes were fixed on Kael with barely contained hostility.

Beside him stood a red-haired figure with lean, sharp-featured and smoldering amber eyes. Cliff Pyrebrand. One of the genius twins of the Pyrebrand clan.

Kael looked at Gorff. His expression was cold.

"It seems the Dravens have a way of always seeking death."

Gorff’s jaw tightened.

Kael turned to Cliff. "Are you sure you want to die too, Pyrebrand?"

Cliff snorted. Pfft. "Stop with your little threats, Vorn. You’re just a Rank 4 Mana Heart brat."

Cliff’s aura exploded. Mana heart rank 7 too.

Gorff placed a hand on Cliff’s shoulder. "Let’s get this over with. He must have powerful treasures. We split them. And I’ll pay you extra when we kill him."

Cliff’s eyes drifted to Rue. He licked his lips.

"The fox is mine," Cliff said. "I heard she’s one of his women."

WHUUUM.

Kael’s Slaughter Intent erupted.

The air itself changed. Temperature dropped. The herb plots nearest to Kael withered—their vitality crushed by the sheer malice radiating from his soul. His eyes flickered red.

Both Shadow Slayer blades appeared in his hands—shing-shing—and a Soul Severing Blade launched toward Cliff.

SLASH!

Gorff moved. He appeared in front of Cliff—whoosh—and pulled a jade pendant from his neck. The pendant blazed—vvvvm—and a translucent barrier materialized around both of them. The Soul Severing Blade struck the barrier.

CRACK.

The barrier held as cracks spider-webbed across its surface but it wasn’t enough to shatter it.

Gorff looked at Kael with a smug expression. "I already know about your soul prowess, Vorn. Did you think we’d come unprepared?"

A soul treasure. It seems Cassius Draven came ready for me.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

Rue stepped forward. "I’ll take the red-haired idiot."

Kael glanced at her. "Be careful."

Rue smiled. Then she rushed at Cliff—whoosh—her nine tails streaming behind her.

"BLAST AWAY!" Rue shouted.

Word Magic. The command hit Cliff like a physical force. WHUUUM! He was launched backward—crash—through two herb plots, sending soil and plants flying. He slammed into the garden wall. SLAM.

Rue giggled. "That’s what you get."

Kael shook his head with a wry smile. "You shouldn’t have pissed her off."

He turned to Gorff. His blades hung loose at his sides. He tilted his head with cold arrogance.

"Are you going to attack first, or should I make the first move?"

Gorff drew two curved blades—from his storage ring. Shing-shing. The metal was dark, runed, humming with force energy. Tier 1 weapons.

"Draven Force Art: Phantom Stride."

WHOOSH.

Gorff vanished. He reappeared in front of Kael—blades already swinging—slash-slash—a dual diagonal cross-cut aimed at Kael’s neck and waist.

I’ve already seen that move before.

Cassius had used the same technique on Planet Lumethia. The Draven clan’s signature movement art—force-enhanced speed creating afterimages.

Lightning Body activated. CRACKLE.

Kael dissolved into white electricity—ZIP—and materialized two meters to the left. Both blades passed through his afterimage—whoosh.

Gorff pressed forward. His blades moved in rapid succession—slash-slash-slash—horizontal, vertical, diagonal. Each swing carried force manipulation energy that distorted the air around them.

Kael met him. Shadow Slayer against Gorff’s curved blade.

CLANG!

Sparks flew in the air. Kael parried the first strike—clang—redirected the second—shing—and countered with a thrust. Gorff pivoted—swish—deflecting the thrust with his off-hand blade.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Their blades met in rapid succession. Gorff was skilled—his dual-blade technique was refined, each movement flowing into the next without pause. Force energy reinforced every swing, making his strikes heavier than his cultivation suggested.

Kael’s Shadow Slayer blades absorbed blood from the minor cuts—hummm—Blood Harvest activating passively. Each contact drained 0.5% of Gorff’s mana in small amounts accumulating over time.

CLANG!

Kael deflected a downward strike—shing—and riposted with an upward slash. Gorff caught it on his cross-guard—clang—and kicked at Kael’s chest. Kael sidestepped—whoosh—and slashed at Gorff’s exposed ribs.

SHHK.

The blade grazed Gorff’s arm. Blood welled—drip. The Shadow Slayer drank it.

Gorff jumped back. Step-step. Five meters between them.

He raised both blades. Force energy gathered—condensing along the edges—vvvvm—thickening the air.

"Draven Force Art: Shattered Horizon."

SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!

Multiple blade arcs—each one infused with concentrated force manipulation—flew toward Kael. They filled the air—crossing, overlapping, creating a web of cutting energy.

Kael infused both Shadow Slayer blades with Slaughter Intent and his dark mana. The metal turned black-red—hummm—and he began spinning.

"Sky Rending Technique—Heaven’s Fall."

WHIRRRR—SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!

Kael became the center of a devastating storm. His body rotated—full 360—both blades extended. A dome of bladed death materialized around him—filling every direction simultaneously. Dark energy and Slaughter Intent merged into a vortex of cutting force.

The dome met Gorff’s blade arcs.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Each of Gorff’s attacks was deflected—shattered—dissolved. The Sky Rending dome absorbed everything. Gorff’s eyes widened as his technique was completely neutralized.

Kael stopped spinning. Without pause—he fired.

"SOUL SPIKE BARRAGE."

PZT-PZT-PZT-PZT!

Dozens of soul spikes launched toward Gorff—invisible to normal perception but devastating on the soul plane.

Gorff grabbed the jade pendant. Vvvvm. The barrier materialized again—fzzzt—and the soul spikes struck it.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The barrier cracked but it held.

Hhhh.

Kael frowned. That soul treasure was problematic. As long as Gorff had it, soul attacks were neutralized.

Then I’ll break through it physically.

He rushed forward—whoosh—blades raised.

Meanwhile.

Cliff Pyrebrand was dying.

Not literally—yet. But it felt like it.

Rue’s Word Magic overpowered his flame abilities at every turn. Every time he launched fire, she countered with a word command that redirected, negated, or reflected it.

"CRUMBLE."

His fireball dispersed.

"FREEZE."

His flame barrier solidified and shattered.

"KNEEL."

His legs buckled—thud—and he dropped. He screamed in frustration—AAH—and claw marks appeared across his chest. Rue’s tails had raked him while he was down. Three parallel cuts—slash—bleeding freely.

Cliff scrambled to his feet. His body was covered in claw marks—arms, chest, face. His red hair was singed from his own reflected flames. His combat attire was in ribbons.

This bitch—

He gathered his mana. His Pyrebrand bloodline ignited—FWOOOOSH—and a massive wave of flame erupted from his body.

"PYREBRAND INFERNO!"

The fire rushed toward Rue—fwooooosh—engulfing everything in its path. Cliff watched with a triumphant smile as the flames consumed the space where Rue stood.

Got her—

Boop.

Rue appeared behind him. Her finger poked the back of his neck.

"That’s an illusion, dummy," she giggled.

Her foot connected with his back—SLAM—and Cliff was launched forward. He crashed through three herb plots—crash-crash-crash—and slammed into the garden wall again. THUD.