Tao Yong and his last underling locked their perception on the new person's aura and went on their guard. Taking their swords out of their sheath seemingly ready for the battle.
"Who are you?" Tao Yong asked. It was still misty so they couldn't see who it was.
"You must be the person who came together with her right?" Tao Yong was prepared to deal with Chun Meiyi partner, but he didn't expect to lose two of his underlings right from the beginning.
"I am, so you better back off now!" Seth worriedly said.
Tao Yong smiled relaxing a bit after spotting his opponent's aura. It was at the Qi Gathering Initial Stage, so it must have been a lucky strike that killed the underling before. To actually defeat a higher rank cultivator is easily said than done, it is super hard, but not impossible though.
"Ahahaha, surrender now and I could even let you join in the upcoming fun. What do you think about it?" The mist was still hindering his sight so Tao Yong invited Seth to his trap. He would kill him as soon as possible.
"Surrender? You... What is this fun supposed to be?" Seth got startled by this comment.
Tao Yong smirked. He didn't want to spoil the fun so he avoided concrete information. "Ahaha, you know what it is right!? I can tell you will enjoy it very much."
What could be so enjoyable between grown men in such a hidden place? Seth even felt some chills thinking about what were the possibilities. "What a creepy fella, better finish him off quickly."
"I'm sorry, but I prefer having that kind of fun with willing partners of the opposite gender alright?" Seth made sure to express clearly his tastes.
Tao Yong got furious. He was so furious that he forgot he was in a life and death situation. "Do you think I want to do something with you?"
"If that is not the case then, are you perhaps inviting him?" Seth pointed to the man on Tao Yong right side.
"You!" Tao Yong got utterly furious and started attacking.
Already prepared for the situation and dashing quickly in front of the last of his underlings Seth attacked.
The enemy pointed his sword up and slashed it down at Seth's direction trying to get away from him.
He panicked a bit because the mist was hindering his visibility and made a wrong movement that gave more than enough time for Seth to approach.
Moving faster than the enemy's attack and dodging to the side, with his left hand covered with Qi Seth threw a punch straight at attacker's neck.
The guy had no time to even let out a scream. His head bent in an unconventional way breaking his neck, his vision becoming blurry. In just a single moment he's fate was decided.
Tao Yong was not idling, it's just that his underling died so fast that he couldn't join in helping him. Still, he had enough time to channel his Qi on his blade and got ready for a full slash, as he roared. "Phoenix Wing!"
His blade was covered in flames as he swung it towards Seth. Phoenix Wing was the first level technique taught to disciples. Still, one had to have some talent to master it. A sparse wave of fire expanded taking the form of a wing. The scalding heat started dispelling all the mist around the area.
Right after the first slash he added a second one. Seth dodged the first and second waves of flames, but he had to retreat to some distance away from the burning environment.
At that time, the field got clearer and they were both completely visible to each other. Tao Yong looked up and saw a face he actually knew.
"Seth!?" he was surprised first, but soon he remembered his opponent had a weaker cultivation then himself. All his tension dying down right after.
"Hi there." Seth gave casual reply for the situation.
"A trash like you trying to fight with me? I'm impressed you're alive till now." Tao Yong was one of the best disciples, attaining Qi Perception Peak Realm at fourteen and then reaching his current Qi Gathering Middle Stage Realm at sixteen. Of course, he would look down on enemies with weaker cultivation than him.
Normally a practitioner of an underneath stage, would probably be weaker, slower and less durable during combats. But Seth could not be considered a normal practitioner, though Tao Yong wouldn't know about that.
"You should be prepared Tao Yong. As you can see, your three other friends are already dead and you may be the next one."
"Do you think I'm a trash like them? They were nothing more than useless subordinates. I'll make sure to end it fast and have fun with my prize."
Ignoring his comment, Seth dashed forwards faster than before. Tao Yong was in the middle of his speech, totally relaxed, too assured of his victory.
But soon he would not be that relaxed anymore.
Noticing his enemy getting closer, Tao Yong brandished his burning sword at Seth's direction.
The only difference was that Seth have grasped his casting speed this time. As he advanced further, more waves of fire came crashing at his direction. Quickly avoiding them, sidestepping and then getting closer to his enemy, Seth's speed kept on increasing. Those movements were fast and fluid, almost as if they were natural.
Tao Yong couldn't keep up with that speed even when he has been constantly going backwards. He was starting to get a bit nervous. Suddenly an opening on his constantly barrage could be spotted.
Seth concentrated his Qi on both legs and explosively launched himself forwards, the movement was so fast it gave no time for Tao Yong to react, a fist directly hitting his chest propelling him in the air.
He flew all the way to the other side of the cave, roughly 40 meters away, hitting hard against the wall sliding all the way down to the floor.
Not waiting for his recovery and refusing to leave him a chance, Seth have already started moving again.
"Aaahh! Impossible!" He climbed back to his feet, but suddenly swayed and spat some blood on the floor.
"Impossible, how could he hurt me this badly?" He refused to believe he was taking a beating from someone weaker on cultivation than him.
Tao Yong looked at Seth and saw how fast he was approaching. Fear began spreading on his face.
He started facing him seriously and his aura exploded forward twice as strong as before.
A greater wave of fire formed around his sword and it even left burning marks on the walls and floor. His hair wasn't affected because elemental Qi practitioners tends to develop some minor resistances to his own element.
The Blazing Phoenix Sect robes were resistant towards fire as well.
Like a flamethrower, fire was spew forwards covering a wide area after Tao Yong pointed his sword, giving no place to escape this time.
Seth was enveloped by a cloud of fire but before it reached him, enveloping himself in a coat of darkness, like a cocoon, he protected his entire body.
The environment was so bright that no one could see anything.
The fire was unable to dispel the darkness and couldn't even reach Seth skin.
"Hahahaha. I told you I'm not like them! Now you're dead, trash!" Assured of his victory, Tao Yong relaxed. But something wasn't right. There were no cries of pain, not even one single shout.
Some 10 seconds passed and the heat and pressure faded. This attack has consumed too much of Tao Yong accumulated Qi.
Seth was standing there at the same place unaffected. He had already dispelled the darkness, only himself remaining there, as if nothing happened.
"Impossible! Impossible!" Tao Yong couldn't believe the outcome.
Not wasting any more time, with a single dash Seth approached him.
"To think I would be forced to use that technique." Tao Yong disregarded his wounds and focused his Qi on his sword.
His Qi was already more than half spent but he disregarded it too and used the rest into forming a new technique.
"I have not built this technique perfectly yet, but even if I have to sacrifice one of my arms, I will kill you right now!"
Raising his sword above his head, its flames intensified till it started covering his own arms. The flames started getting even richer and hotter.
"Die!"
But before he could slash it down, another sound could be clearly heard.
Bang!
The sound of a wooden sword hitting a head from behind.
Tao Yong fell on the floor unconscious with his head bleeding. Right behind him stood Chun Meiyi who was disregarded by him all this time.
When he was totally distracted, she left her hiding spot and gave him a good hit on the head.
Seth looked at her, really amazed by how things turned out to be.