The fierce battle continued...
Menogias and Jiangzai were locked in a deadly struggle. The commotion they caused not only drew Bonanus and Xiao, who were rushing toward them at full speed, but also attracted dangerous beings lurking in the shadows.
Though these lands were protected by Rex Lapis and the adepti—with Rex Lapis frequently leading the adepti to annihilate or drive out hostile creatures—there were always a few stragglers who hid well. They were skilled at concealment, hiding in caves, among the mountains, or deep in the forests.
At this time, Morax had no time to deal with them. Compared to these dangers, a more pressing matter awaited him.
Even the God of Contracts found this matter difficult to handle. If a god of his power found it troublesome, the danger involved was predictably immense.
Not just Morax, but the other adepti were equally occupied. Even the Millelith of this era were busy. The adepti were protecting the people while modifying and setting up ballistae.
The Millelith soldiers were also marching to defend against external threats. In this age, relying solely on the adepti for protection would be foolish.
Even if many would die, fortunately, the era had its sorcerers, exorcist clans, and mortals who knew adeptal arts.
That was good news for that era.
---
Before long, Bonanus and Xiao finally reached the vicinity of the fighting. They scanned their surroundings carefully, ensuring no other dangers lurked nearby.
After this check, their gazes locked onto the battle ahead. Seeing that familiar figure, Xiao rubbed his eyes vigorously.
He feared this was all a dream. He was excited now—because he truly saw Menogias. This was real!
If Xiao had harbored doubts before, now, having witnessed this with his own eyes, he fully believed that this power—one that defied reason—truly existed.
Behind his excitement lay heartache and anger. Seeing the once-gentle Menogias reduced to this state pained Xiao deeply.
He knew the feeling of being corroded. It was agony—worse than death—an unendurable torment.
How he loathed those accursed things!
Meanwhile, watching the battle from afar, Bonanus thought to herself: It seemed her presence as an outsider had changed Menogias's opponent.
Rubbing her slightly tense arms, she glanced at Xiao beside her, took a deep breath, patted her taut cheeks, and said:
"Alatus. Time to move."
Xiao nodded silently. He gripped his Primordial Jade Winged Spear tighter, his brow furrowing slightly, his expression turning grave and focused.
"I'll handle Menogias. You control the other Yaksha. I'll keep an eye out and support you when needed." Xiao nodded in response.
"I've surveyed the surroundings. Best to end this quickly."
Xiao was tense too. Whether they could save Menogias was still uncertain. This place was dangerous, but they had to face that danger.
Because that was their family.
Sensing Xiao's complex emotions, Bonanus smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. Everything will go smoothly. And... I'm counting on you for Menogias."
"Let's go. Let's bring our family home." With that, Bonanus swept her large hand across her face. A demonic mask appeared.
At the same time, Xiao's face also bore that same mask. They exchanged glances. Though neither could see the other's expression, their purpose was the same.
Go!
The already fierce duel between two combatants now had two more Yakshas joining in. But unlike the crazed Menogias and Jiangzai, the other two were clearly in their right minds.
In an instant, the sounds of battle grew even more intense!
Xiao flashed beside Menogias. Gripping his spear, he thrust straight at him. He held nothing back—because he didn't need to.
Against someone of Menogias's strength, holding back was unnecessary. Going all out was the only way.
"Menogias! Wake up!"
Xiao roared. The moment his spear touched Menogias, the Anemo energy surrounding the blade violently pushed him back.
In his crazed state, Menogias instinctively raised a stone shield to block the attack. It was effective, but the force still pushed him dozens of meters away.
Menogias wore a mask too, his body hunched. Beneath the mask, his eyes burned crimson. His expression was twisted, manic.
Having lost his mind, he saw every living thing as an enemy. He roared at Xiao, and without hesitation, several small elemental stone spears rose around him.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The stone spears shot toward Xiao. Though their aim wasn't perfect, each was filled with killing intent. A single hit would cause immense pain.
Xiao dodged swiftly, proficiently. Long ago, he'd sparred with this second brother of his.
But those sparring matches hadn't been filled with such killing intent. And his aim hadn't been this poor.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The stone spears struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. Stone fragments flew through the air for a moment before raining down.
Menogias's rate of fire was fast. The moment one wave of spears was spent, he immediately conjured another five or six. Against an ordinary Yaksha, this would be overwhelming.
But Xiao was one of the five great Yakshas.
Clang!
Xiao flashed forward again, engaging Menogias in close combat. People often said that once a mage was caught in melee, they were done for.
But that depended on the mage's strength. A powerful mage would still crush you no matter how close you got. Besides, a mage who couldn't fight up close wasn't a good mage.
As a Geo mage, Menogias didn't fall behind. He instinctively raised his stone shield to block wave after wave of attacks while simultaneously thrusting his elemental spears at Xiao.
For a moment, this battle fell into a stalemate...
The other battlefield
While Xiao clashed with Menogias, Bonanus and Jiangzai were also fighting nearby. The women's battle wasn't as troublesome as Xiao's, but it wasn't easy either.
Compared to Menogias, the already-injured Jiangzai was easier to handle. But a crazed Yaksha wouldn't be hindered by pain—it only fueled their rage.
Jiangzai gripped her longsword, which was infused with Dendro energy. Though Bonanus wasn't sure what effect it had, she didn't dare let her guard down.
Due to her injuries, Jiangzai's attack speed had slowed considerably. Bonanus could see the pain on the face exposed by the half-shattered mask.
Swish!
Jiangzai swung her sword. With each swing, the Dendro energy on the blade scattered, shooting toward Bonanus.
Seeing this, Bonanus quickly formed elemental scales around herself for protection, hoping to block the attack.
Boom!
The two elements collided, causing a violent elemental explosion. It startled Bonanus, but after a few seconds, she found it perfectly reasonable.
Elemental reaction? She didn't see any Dendro Cores... but that seemed to be the case.
After the explosion...
Swish!
Jiangzai charged at Bonanus, roaring as she came.
Seeing this, Bonanus frowned slightly. A Yaksha corrupted by karmic debt was truly maddening. Hard to witness.
Transparent elemental scales shot toward the charging Jiangzai. They weren't lethal, but enough to halt her advance.
Bonanus didn't intend to kill her. If possible, saving two Yakshas at once would be a win. They were of the same bloodline, and there was a way to save them—no need for killing.
Just incapacitate her.
With this thought, Bonanus glanced at the other battle. Seeing Xiao locked in a stalemate, she inwardly groaned.
This wasn't good. She needed to end her fight quickly.
Bonanus looked back at Jiangzai, who was now restrained by her elemental scales. Biting her silver teeth lightly, she said seriously:
"Forgive me. This is going to hurt."