Back in the city
The deafening rumble of thunder rolled across the skies like a war drum, and the curtain of rain only thickened, shrouding the battlefield in silver mist. Yet in the heart of that tempest, a different kind of storm had taken shape, one composed of roars, laughter, and the clash of titanic strength.
Solitary Falcon's robe fluttered wildly as his laughter boomed across the field. His white hair, soaked and trailing like threads of lightning, danced in the wind. A wild glint sparkled in his eyes, betraying the mischief burning in his heart. His muscles flexed with power, and his Spirit Xuan aura surged like crashing waves.
Jun Mo Xie, seated cross-legged on a high, distant boulder, watched it all with an unreadable expression.
Within his mind, his spiritual voice rang clearly into the Solitary Falcon's ears.
"Make it chaotic. Pull them all in. Let's turn this into a real performance."
The Solitary Falcon grinned. "You master… You're more devious than even the vice lord is..."
With a sudden flick of his wrist, he reached into his robes and withdrew a glimmering item. It was small, crystalline, and pulsing with raw Xuan energy.
The Xuan Core!
Every expert on the field unconsciously stiffened. Their eyes locked on the core, hearts pounding in chaotic rhythm. It was as if the world had narrowed to that single glowing orb.
"This thing is broken! I don't want it!"
The Solitary Falcon bellowed with dramatic exaggeration, his voice booming louder than the thunder above.
Without hesitation, his trembling hand hurled the Xuan Core in a perfect arc, straight toward Fei Meng Chen!
Fei Meng Chen's eyes widened like saucers. For a moment, his heart leapt into his throat.
"It's mine?!"
The man had long given up hope of ever laying his hands on the core. Now, by some absurd twist of fate, the very treasure he had dreamt of was descending into his grasp. He extended both hands reflexively, the glow of the core reflecting in his eyes.
But then, a flurry of movement erupted all around him. Rustling of robes, splashes of boots against soaked earth, the sharp whistle of displaced air, signaling everyone else had moved!
'He did it on purpose!' Fei Meng Chen's thoughts turned black with realization. 'This damned Solitary Falcon threw it at me to take the heat off himself!'
He felt the pressure of countless murderous gazes fall upon him like knives. His fingers barely brushed the core when a cold sweat poured down his spine.
"I don't want it!" He shouted in panic, and flung the Xuan Core away from himself as if it were a cursed object.
The orb flew again, like a cursed comet through a stormy sky, this time arcing toward the Third Elder of Silver Blizzard City!
His aged face twitched.
"Why me?!" He roared.
But before he could even think of catching it, someone else made a move as another figure blurred toward the core.
It was Shi Chang Xiao!
The Great Master surged forward like a panther, his eyes sharp and determined. His palm shot out to seize the treasure.
"Heh, not so fast!"
Solitary Falcon materialized before him like a phantom.
His laughter rang out, thunderous and carefree. The two palms clashed with a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves through the air. Shi Chang Xiao was thrown back two steps, glaring venomously at the grinning madman.
"You again?!"
"Of course," Falcon said smugly. "Can't let you just steal the prize and run, now can I?"
Shi Chang Xiao's expression darkened further.
'That damned lunatic… he's clearly not even trying to keep the core! He's just playing with us!'
All the while, the Xuan Core, like a mischievous spirit, continued to dance through the battlefield. One moment flying toward the Sixth Elder, the next nearly landing at the feet of the Eighth.
Every time someone reached for it, a dozen others surged to intercept them.
The air was thick with killing intent, yet no one dared to go all out. The balance was delicate; a single move too aggressive might provoke a fatal counterattack from the others.
The Xuan Core was no longer a treasure.
It was a deadly game of tag.
And Solitary Falcon was the conductor of this mad orchestra.
"Hey! Catch!" He suddenly shouted, throwing the core straight at Fei Meng Chen again.
"You madman!" Fei Meng Chen yelped, ducking and flinging the core away like a hot potato again.
It zipped toward the Third Elder, who instinctively raised his palm, only to hesitate at the last second.
That moment of indecision cost him.
The Sixth Elder kicked the core midair and redirected it
"Enough!" Shi Chang Xiao roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
He struck out with his palm, attempting to smash the core mid-air. But before his strike could connect, Solitary Falcon appeared beside him once more, slapping the palm away.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk!"
"Now, now! Don't break the toy!"
Shi Chang Xiao growled, unleashing a barrage of fists in frustration.
Falcon dodged and deflected with lazy amusement, his laughter echoing across the field.
They clashed violently, with Falcon using just enough force to keep Shi Chang Xiao from retreating, but not enough to end the fight. He was intentionally dragging it out, keeping everyone dancing to his chaotic rhythm.
"You old clown! Are you toying with us all?!" Shi Chang Xiao shouted mid-battle, his robes in tatters from repeated clashes.
"Of course I am!" Falcon chuckled gleefully. "Did you really think this was about the core? Ah, I haven't had this much fun in years!"
Jun Mo Xie couldn't help but smirk from afar. 'Perfect...'
The other experts were already drenched, exhausted, and confused. No one dared to grab the core now as they only tried to avoid it.
Even the bravest were hesitant, for the moment anyone touched the Xuan Core, the rest would descend like hungry wolves. In this death ballet, greed had become poison, and hesitation was salvation.
The Xuan Core continued to fly through the air, tossed and flicked, redirected and deflected. It glittered like a cursed gemstone, with every trajectory bringing gasps, curses, or cries of frustration.
At one point, it even bounced off a tree, hit the shoulder of the Eighth Elder, and ricocheted back into Solitary Falcon's hand.
"Oh? Back again?" He said with mock surprise. Then he threw it again, this time spinning it with a flourish like a juggler.
Back and forth it flew, as though it had developed a will of its own.
From a distance, Jun Mo Xie's eyes gleamed.
'These so-called masters… dancing like puppets.'
He tapped a finger to his knee.
'Let the farce continue just a little longer…'
Back on the field, the atmosphere was a mix of dread and absurd comedy. No one wanted the core, yet no one could afford to let someone else keep it either.
Suspicion filled the air and every glance was a silent accusation.
And amidst all that chaos, Solitary Falcon's laughter rang like thunder.
"Come now, Shi Chang Xiao!" He called while blocking a palm strike. "Don't look so sour! We're just getting started!"
"You damned lunatic! I'll kill you!" Shi Chang Xiao spat, unleashing another furious flurry.
"Promises, promises…"
Their clash roared louder than the storm above, each impact shaking the ground beneath their feet. Behind them, the others kept tossing the core back and forth like a deadly game of volleyball.
Had a modern-day sportsman seen this scene, they would have been stunned beyond belief.
The timing, coordination, reactions...this wasn't a fight, it was a masterpiece of deadly acrobatics.
Any world-class volleyball player witnessing this ridiculous game of 'Don't Catch the Core' would have thrown down their jersey and bowed in worship.
Back and forth it continued.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the field in white brilliance.
The Xuan Core paused in midair, caught between Shi Chang Xiao's fingers and Solitary Falcon's palm as both men frozen in a moment of absolute tension.
Their eyes met.
Rain dripped from their hair and their breathing was harsh.
"Shall we stop pretending?" Shi Chang Xiao growled.
Solitary Falcon grinned. "Only if you can take it from me."
And just like that, the storm of fists resumed.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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