Ascension of the Forsaken

Chapter 12: Climax

“Heavenly Mirage Technique: First Form—Illusion Blades,” Kael intoned, his voice calm yet commanding.

Qi exploded around Kael as blades materialized, shimmering with deadly beauty. Luo Qiyan stared, disbelief etched across his face. The very technique he had unleashed was now turned against him, but there was something different—Kael’s execution was flawless, more refined, as if Luo Qiyan’s mastery had been effortlessly eclipsed.

Kael pointed at Qiyan, his smirk widening. “Let’s see how you handle them.”

Luo Qiyan’s face twisted with disbelief as Kael’s Illusion Blades hovered in the air, their shimmering edges crackling with condensed qi. The overwhelming precision and power of the technique were undeniable, and worse—Kael wielded it better than he ever could.

“You…” Qiyan snarled, his voice tinged with both fury and apprehension. “How dare you try to mock me by using my own technique against me!”

Kael’s smirk deepened as he regarded Qiyan. “Mock you? Oh no, I’m simply teaching you how it’s done.” His calm tone belied the ferocity of his intent.

The blades shot forward without warning, slicing through the air with frightening speed and accuracy. Qiyan’s instincts kicked in as he executed his movement technique, vanishing from the blades’ path in a blur. But Kael had already anticipated this, his mind running countless scenarios from Qiyan’s previous movements.

Qiyan reappeared on the far side of the clearing, only to find several blades homing in on him as if they had a mind of their own. He raised his qi barrier just in time, the translucent shield shimmering as the blades slammed into it with devastating force. Sparks erupted from the impact, and cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier. With a growl, Qiyan pushed his qi output to the limit, shattering the incoming blades with a burst of energy.

Kael didn’t wait. He was already closing the distance, his body moving like a phantom. As Qiyan recovered, Kael appeared in front of him, launching a barrage of punches and kicks with surgical precision. The sheer force behind each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Qiyan blocked and parried, his teeth gritted as he struggled to match Kael’s speed and technique. He knew something was wrong—Kael was moving too efficiently, as though he’d been mastering Qiyan’s own movements the entire time.

Luo Qiyan’s composure began tofalter as he continued to watch Kael execute the Phantom Steps Movement Technique over and over again, and with precison bordering on perfection. It was a technique revered within his sect and the surrounding areas, a peak-grade Yellow technique that stood on par with some low-level Earth-grade arts. Under normal circumstances, it was a skill that could only be mastered by Foundation Establishment cultivators or exceptionally gifted Qi Condensation experts at the seventh to ninth stage—and even then, after months or years of painstaking effort and practice.

Yet here was Kael, a mere Ninth Stage Body Refining Realm cultivator, not only using it flawlessly but executing it with a level of mastery that rivaled, no—surpassed—his own.

“This… this is impossible,” Qiyan stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief. His eyes narrowed as he scanned Kael, trying to rationalize what he was witnessing. “You shouldn’t be able to use that technique—let alone master it! Who… what are you?”

Kael didn’t respond. He merely smirked, his gaze cold and unwavering, as if Qiyan’s disbelief was of no consequence.

Determined to reassert his dominance, Qiyan growled and surged forward, his hands forming rapid signs. “If you think you can best me, then let’s see you copy this!” he roared. “Crimson Serpent Fist!”

A fiery aura ignited around his fists as he launched a barrage of punches at Kael, each one crackling with serpentine flames. The heat distorted the air, and the ground scorched wherever Qiyan’s fists struck.

Kael dodged and weaved through the onslaught, each movement precise and deliberate. His expression remained calm, his eyes analyzing every punch. Then, to Qiyan’s horror, Kael’s own fists began to glow with the same fiery energy.

Kael chuckled, his tone mocking. “Crimson Serpent Fist, was it? Not bad. Let me show you how it’s really done.”

Kael struck back with blinding speed, his fists blazing as they tore through the air. The sheer force of his counterattack forced Qiyan onto the defensive, his arms trembling as he struggled to block each blow. Kael’s strikes weren’t just stronger—they were more refined, as if he had distilled the very essence of the technique into its most lethal form.

“What… what is this?” Qiyan gasped as Kael’s punches drove him back.

But Kael wasn’t finished. His mind raced as he analyzed Qiyan’s movements, anticipating his next technique. Qiyan, desperate to regain control, leaped backward and unleashed another barrage of hand signs.

“Shadow Fang Slash!” he shouted, summoning crescent-shaped waves of qi that tore through the air like blades.

Kael didn’t flinch. In the blink of an eye, he mirrored the hand signs, executing them with even greater speed. “Shadow Fang Slash,” Kael intoned calmly, and his own qi blades materialized, larger and sharper than Qiyan’s.

The two sets of slashes collided mid-air, but Kael’s overwhelmed Qiyan’s in an instant, carving through them and forcing Qiyan to retreat once more.

It was then that Qiyan realized the horrifying truth: Kael wasn’t just mimicking his techniques—he was mastering them in real time and wielding them with greater proficiency. No matter what Qiyan threw at him, Kael would adapt, overcome, and dominate.

In close combat, the difference became even more apparent. Kael’s raw physical strength was monstrous; each strike carried the weight of a battering ram. When their fists clashed, Qiyan felt his bones rattle. Kael’s precision and qi manipulation only added to his overwhelming presence—his every movement calculated to exploit Qiyan’s weaknesses.

Qiyan attempted to retreat and reassess, but Kael gave him no room to breathe. His strategy shifted mid-fight, his movements fluid and unpredictable. One moment, he’d press forward with brute force, and the next, he’d feint and attack from an unexpected angle.

Qiyan’s thoughts raced. He’s reading me like a book, outmatching me in every way. This can’t be happening. He’s just a Body Refining cultivator! How is this possible?

Kael seemed to read the panic in Qiyan’s eyes. “Is that all you’ve got?” he taunted, his voice laced with amusement. “You came here so sure of yourself, so certain of your superiority. And now look at you. Pathetic.”

With a final burst of speed, Kael closed the distance, his fist glowing with concentrated qi. Before Qiyan could react, Kael delivered a devastating uppercut that sent him flying into the air. Kael leaped after him, his movements a blur, and unleashed a brutal combination of strikes mid-air. The final blow sent Qiyan crashing into the ground, creating a crater even larger than before.

Kael landed gracefully, his breathing steady as he looked down at Qiyan, who lay battered and broken, struggling to move.

“This is what happens when you underestimate me,” Kael said coldly. I told you before, you underestimate me, you pay the price. Its that simple