The Jade Shadows Must Die [Cultivation LitRPG]

Hope flared in Rix's chest.

There was no question this felt different. Every time qi pulsed past the gate, he could feel the cracks in its barrier growing wider.

A million questions raced through his mind, but he shut them down. He could dissect the 'why' later. All that mattered now was not disrupting the process. Breaker had said that a true 'flow state' involved complete immersion in the activity — in this case, the fight. The cycling should be a constant, but also take none of your focus.

That was a contradiction easier said than done.

With every ounce of his willpower, he pulled his attention back to the battle. Some of his new vigour must have shone through because Han's scowl deepened. Rix didn't give him time to think about it. He had just one goal now: keep the fight going exactly as it had been. With every breath, that spiritual resistance crumbled a little more.

Ten seconds later, it happened.

As he thrust out a palm to turn Han's arm, he exhaled, and he felt something shatter inside him. Rather than continuing the cycle, most of the qi in his meridians was suddenly sucked downwards, rushing into the newly created well in his spiritual network. But rather than just house it, the well drank it up. Rix felt a surge of something potent and powerful roll through him like an earth tremor, lending power to his muscles, his flesh, his bones. It was a glorious sensation, like new bedrock was forming beneath his body.

Finally, he'd opened his Mountain Gate.

Though the process was quick, its intensity caused him to stumble. Han's smile widened fractionally and he whirled to capitalise, but before his axe had started to fall, Rix recovered.

And this time it was he who punched Han in the face.

The man staggered, his swing faltering in mid-air. Though Rix didn't feel bone break beneath the blow, it had definitely hurt. As Rix watched, a tiny trickle of blood ran down Han's lip.

"So, you can bleed," said Rix.

Shock played on the Iron Hand leader's face.

"More toys?" he growled, though for the first time he sounded a little uncertain.

Rix grinned. "Nope, this one's all me."

When Rix came at him again, it was with renewed confidence. Everything he did felt better. There was strength behind his movements that hadn't been there just a minute before. For the first time he could hit his opponent and know that it consistently hurt. A rapid-fire string of blows to the stomach actually seemed to drive the air from Han's lungs. A punch to the kidney drew an audible gasp of pain.

Though he wasn't willing to take an axe blow to test his improved durability, he definitely felt some progress there too. It mostly manifested when blocking Han's axe handle or redirecting his limbs. Now, when he turned Han's arms with his own, the impact hurt noticeably less, which made him more willing to engage in that sort of exchange.

His adrenaline even managed to somewhat dampen the pulsing ache of his injury, though he knew that was something of a dangerous illusion. In reality, the accruing tissue damage and blood loss were truly starting to take a toll. His footwork was becoming sloppier, and he could feel the first hints of light-headedness encroaching on his mind.

Thankfully, Han didn't immediately capitalise. Instead, he did the opposite, actually adjusting his fighting style to display a modicum of restraint. He pulled back on the wild swings, the suicidal lunges, and went back to basics — short cuts and blocks kept tight against his body. He hadn't really been injured yet, but the sudden shift in tempo and Rix's newfound strength seemed to have left him confused.

Rix's challenge was to exploit that before he realised that he still had the advantage. And before Rix collapsed altogether.

It was fun to whale on Han now that he did more than tickle the massive man, but even with his gate open, Rix wasn't actually going to be able to beat him to death with his fists. He needed his weapon. And to summon it, he needed a reprieve.

Thrusting out his palm, he unleashed a Low Rank [Sunspot] in Han's face. The man staggered, and Rix took the opportunity to turn and put some distance between them, though his wounds meant the best he could manage was a hurried hobble.

As he moved, he continued to lay Mid Rank [Sunspots] in a line between the two of them. After a moment, Han's vision cleared and he let out a growl as he began to chase, but the field of traps did its job. He'd barely taken another two steps before the next technique triggered, emitting another blinding flash that sent him stumbling once more.

With monumental willpower, Rix ignored the titan rushing towards him and turned his focus inward, reaching mentally for his soulspace and the weapon within. He could feel it there, repaired and ready. The bond had apparently done its job.

Han let out a curse as another trap burst in his face. The man was close now, but Rix stayed the course. Holding his hands out in front of him, he continued to focus on his weapon, willing that door in his soul to open. Another moment passed, another [Sunspot] explosion, and then Han was there, his axe falling towards Rix's neck like a guillotine.

And at the last moment, Rix whirled, raising his hands as his staff appeared between them, parrying the blow and sending it wide.

Han's face twitched. "You really are an insect. You think that twig will make any difference?"

"Let's find out," Rix said. And then he re-engaged.

With his gate open, his staff flew through the air like never before. It was a strange sensation. For the first time, he was deriving physical power from something other than his bodily form. It was subtle, but there was a strange echo inside him as he fought now, something deep and spiritual.

With the newfound power in his limbs, he had no doubt his blows would have broken the bodies of most Peak Whisper fades. The effects against Han were more muted, but still noticeable. Each blow struck with a loud crack against the Iron Hand Leader's skin. A thrust to the belly drew a satisfying hiss from the man as he doubled over, and when Rix managed to spin and land a whipping strike to the top of his hand, Han actually let out a curse and stumbled backwards several steps, momentarily releasing his grip on his axe. The man's expression was a mixture of confusion and indignation.

But although Rix was hurting his opponent, he still wasn't causing any lasting damage. Maybe, given time, he might have been able to bludgeon Han into submission, but time was something he didn't have. Despite his rising sense of exhilaration, Rix's physical state was dire. Blood continued to seep down his leg, and the pain was roaring back in spite of the sunberry. He needed something more before he bled out.

Fortunately, he had other tools at his disposal.

According to Breaker, gates weren't just a singular boost. They could be invoked as well. Rix had little qi remaining. Most of it had been drunk by his Mountain Gate upon opening, but there was a tiny nugget left, now sitting inert in his dantian. He had no idea what would happen when he shoved that into his gate, but he knew he likely only had enough to try it once.

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The tattoo array was similar. He'd already felt it wavering on the last use. He suspected it had enough juice for one more activation, though it would hurt like hells.

Together, those two might offer enough power — if he deployed them right. He had a vague idea of how to do that, but it would have to be perfectly executed.

Given his physical condition, it had to be now.

Rix turned as if to run. Right on cue, he felt the predictable rumbling of Han's spike technique beneath his feet. But Rix was already dropping low and spinning to change direction again. A wave of nausea hit him as the feint forced him to push off his wounded leg. It made the movement more of an awkward stumble than a graceful lunge, but somehow he pulled it off. Han's eyes lit up in surprise as Rix was suddenly diving back towards him. The spike erupted into empty air, and Rix's dive carried him under Han's follow-up swing and past the Iron Hand leader, putting him behind the man.

Ignoring the alarming numbness that was now spreading up his side, Rix turned, activating both his trump cards at once. The tattoo's power kicked like a raging animal in his meridians, more wild and caustic than any of the previous times. It threatened to overwhelm him almost immediately. Conversely, invoking the Mountain Gate seemed to make his muscles reverberate with a sense of stability and strength.

Desperately, Han followed his movements. He managed to spin.

But that just meant he was facing Rix when his technique landed.

Rix jumped, unleashing [Force Hammer] with every iota of power he could muster. It carried a decade of rage behind it. All of his frustration and fear. Every threat, every taunt, every moment he'd been made to fear for his life.

Perhaps most importantly, on top of all that, it also carried the strength of a fresh one-gate cultivator.

The blow struck Han diagonally across the chest. His collarbone shattered, but that wasn't Rix's primary goal. The impact drove Han backwards and down in a brutal arc, his body folding violently towards the ground, impaling him on his own earthen spike. The stone tip burst forth from his rib cage and kept going. By the time the momentum from the attack dissipated, there were more than two feet jutting from his chest. The hole it had carved in his chest was nearly three-quarters of a foot wide.

The man flailed his arms, his mouth working wordlessly, his eyes wide with surprise.

Rix had prepared so many speeches for this. As a child, it had felt like he should say something meaningful when he finally claimed one of their lives. But now, in the moment, anything he could say just felt weak. Inadequate.

Instead, Rix stared into Han's eyes until there was nothing left.

Only then did he react. The roar that erupted from his mouth was louder and more primal than anything he'd heard himself make before.

He'd done it. He'd actually done it. He'd come to Spiritlock as dreg-scum. A nothing spat out by the city's gutters. Han was everything he'd been told he could never overcome, the embodiment of martial power. And Rix had just beaten him. The taste of it, iron and victory, was dizzying.

His mind was drawn to his family. He was still coming to grips with the fact that they'd kept such colossal secrets. In some ways, it made him feel like he didn't know them at all. What would they have thought about what he'd achieved? Would they have been proud? Upset? Angry? He no longer knew.

He pushed those questions away. Their approval wasn't the point. Justice was. Justice for what the Jade Shadows had taken. And they hadn't just taken his family. They'd taken the boy he was supposed to be. In a very real way, they'd taken him. This victory was the first step in claiming something back for that.

But it would not be the last.

For the first time since making his oath all those years ago, he felt a genuine flicker of hope settle in his stomach. If this was possible, if he could topple a monster like this, then perhaps none of them were truly beyond his reach.

But even his elation couldn't counteract the toll of the fight. As the adrenaline left his body, the pain returned. He found himself dropping to his knees, and then darkness took him too.

***

Rix woke to the feeling of something being stuffed into his mouth.

"Chew, dummy."

He recognised Luna's voice, so he did as she ordered. The taste, too, was familiar. Stargrass.

That triggered a flood of memories of the battle, along with a raft of sensations he'd have preferred to keep ignoring. His whole body hurt. His leg in particular felt like it had been hollowed out from inside. Upon testing, he found he could barely move it.

He prised his eyes open to find several figures leaning over him. As his eyes adjusted to the light once more, he saw that Huan and Wing were there as well.

"Hey," he said weakly, before his body was immediately seized by a coughing fit. Judging by the fact that his mouth felt layered with dust, he must have passed out face down.

"Hey yourself," replied Luna, concern evident in her voice.

Once he'd recovered, he looked between the three of them. "Well, that was a rough nap."

Huan snorted and nodded to one side. "Not as rough as his."

Rix craned his head to see Han's corpse, still impaled on his own spike. Removed from the intensity of the fight, it was a grizzly sight. The man's chest had been completely obliterated.

"Point taken," Rix replied.

With a little work, he dragged himself into a sitting position against a nearby rock.

"How did you know to come and look for me?" Rix asked. When he'd collapsed, his last thought was that he was likely done for. Diver absences were rarely noticed until it was too late.

"Tem and Chen spotted them crossing the border, but didn't want to fight, for obvious reasons."

"We moved as fast as we could," said Wing. "Though, when we found this one," she nodded to Luna, "and realised you were alone, this wasn't the scene I expected to find."

"Thought it'd be me on the rock?" asked Rix.

"Obviously. An hour ago, I'd have bet our entire operation he'd best you one on one. And he even brought friends to seal the deal." She appraised Rix carefully. "So why aren't you dead?"

Rix shrugged. He needed to play this cool. "I got lucky. Once they realised I was by myself, Han got way too cocky. He sent the others at me while he watched, and somehow I managed to take them out. Guess they underestimated me. Then, when it was just Han and I, I popped the tattoo. I don't think he was expecting it."

"That doesn't seem like it would have been enough," said Luna carefully, but Rix picked up the undercurrent of anticipation in her voice. He knew what she was really asking.

"I don't know what to tell you," he replied casually. "It got me over the mountain."

Luna's smile widened ever so slightly. "Fair enough."

Wing still seemed puzzled. "Well, I can't argue with the results. Remind me not to get on your bad side, kid. Though, I should technically chew you out for diving alone." She looked between he and Luna. "Why weren't the two of you together?"

They shared a look. That was actually tricky to explain.

"That's on me," said Luna, taking the lead. "We've been grinding the same fades together for months. I got bored and wanted to see how I did alone. Just picked a bad day for it."

Wing glanced at Rix, who nodded confirmation.

The woman considered them for several moments. "We'll avoid the earful for today. Given your current state, I dare say you've suffered enough, Rix. But the rules are in place for a reason."

They both nodded.

"We won't make that mistake again," Luna said.

Wing gazed down at Han's corpse. "I wasn't sure he'd keep his word, but this was ballsy. The realm is big out here. Not that easy to just stumble across you."

Rix exhaled sharply. "Yeah, about that. He implied someone told him where I liked to dive."

Wing's scowl deepened. "Now that is grim news."

She looked askance at Huan, who nodded. "I'll do some digging."

"Good," she replied. "Things will be chaotic for a while after this. The last thing we need is to not be able to trust our people." She looked to Rix. "I'm sorry we let him get to you."

"I survived," said Rix. "Though I wouldn't mind making certain of that and getting out of here. I feel like someone set fire to my insides."

"Understand now why I said the tattoo was for emergencies only?" asked Huan, with a wry grin.

Rix nodded, though the warning perhaps wasn't as well taken as he made out. The tattoo did truly hurt, but it was also extremely effective. With everything Rix had to achieve, such a tool couldn't be ignored.

It was difficult to get to his feet, but with the others' help, he managed. He cast one final glance back at Han's body. The man's face was still frozen in an expression of shock, his body already seeming to diminish in death. Removed from the heat of the battle, the heady rush of success was replaced by a cold satisfaction that settled in Rix's chest. It was strange to finally accomplish something you'd been planning and visualising for so long, but justice looked exactly how he'd always imagined it would.

"Are we going to get in trouble for this?" Rix asked Wing, as he was hobbling back. He had one arm looped over Huan's shoulder so the other man could take his weight.

Wing shrugged. "I'll send someone to clean it up. They might ask some questions, but they won't find anything. Guess it's up to them how they handle that."

"Long term, you've probably done us a favour," said Huan. "The Iron Hand are going to be in tatters after this."

Wing nodded. "Lots of juicy territory up for grabs for savvy business folk who might know how to work the situation. I'd suggest that'll mean lots of potential uses for your skills, but given how strong you've just proved yourself, I suspect that we might not have you for much longer on the Farm."

Rix nodded. "I suspect you might be right."