Chapter 2: Fifty Three Regrets

Zetsa's dark gold aura began to emit wild contrasting temperatures, like oil and water, cold and heat that exchanged places unceasingly.

Though she made progress in the past three years and advanced to the Advanced phase of the Mist Lord level, Zetsa was still stuck in the Radical Fiery Icy Provocation Qi refining technique's last phase of the third stage. However, by taking a step farther from the first two phases of the third stage and reaching the state of merging the characteristic of cold and heat with her body, Zetsa could finally perceive the bottleneck of the last phase of the third stage. Now, it was only a matter of time before she would attain a breakthrough to the fourth stage of the Radical Fiery Icy Provocation Qi refining technique.

Sensing the two temperatures radiating from Zetsa, Gaklin clenched his fists in the long sleeves of his fur robe and beads of sweat littered his face while his eyes exhibited disbelief. 'Impossible! These fluctuations of mist energy are not possible within the first realm regardless of the mist refinement technique!'

Zetsa did not have the natural affinity to the Radical Fiery Icy Provocation Qi refining technique; therefore she struggled to overcome her deficiencies with years of bitter and rigorous training, not to progress as a Mist User, but to comprehend the technique she practiced. All of this was just so she could reach her current accomplishment in the Qi and mist refinement technique that her Master taught her and in the span of time that he dictated.

As for the "good" and the "bad" ... The drawback was Zetsa being stuck in the first realm for longer than she had to, if she otherwise trained in a more suitable mist refinement technique. But, the advantage afforded her mist energy and mist channels peerless foundation that would profoundly transform her dantian when she will cross to the second realm.

Gaklin was astonished from Zetsa's exploits that even affected her body, but that was all. In his heart he believed that once he would change to his animalistic form, Zetsa will not be able to keep up with him and it would be his choice, if to withdraw before Raroen's return, or stay to cripple Zetsa and bring her to the tribe leader.

Zetsa's response to his previous patronizing query still vibrated in the air, and after considering his choices, Gaklin's brows knitted and his thin lips stretched backward, showing his human form's sharp fangs.

"Incompetent woman!" Gaklin retreated several steps and as Zetsa finished summoning the two extremes in her mist energy, he transformed back to his yellow fox form with his fur robe tied to one of his tails.

WHOOSH!

Once their preparations were complete, Zetsa and Gaklin simultaneously turned into two blurs, aiming to strike before the other.

Azure aura shone and fox claws sliced toward Zetsa's abdomen.

CRACKLE!

Zetsa bent her legs and the claws tore through her shirt and scratched at a thin and flexible, yet very durable layer of ice that covered her skin.

Three long white scratch marks appeared on Zetsa's chest. Gaklin felt the tough surface that his claws failed to penetrate and bad premonition filled his heart.

'If her attack is strong as her defense... !'

WHOOSH!

Gaklin's aura burst as he utilized all his strength to avoid Zetsa's accumulating attack.

WHOOSH!

Zetsa shot forward after him through the dense vegetation, to a meadow that stretched out to dozens of kilometers.

Killing intent reflected in her eyes. The marks on her chest already vanished, but the painful sensation lingered. Her transformation was not perfect and only enchanted her external traits. If she moved slower and Gaklin's claws hit her lower stomach, even if he failed to penetrate it, her internals would have still suffered greatly.

"You can't escape!" Zetsa roared. She did not predict Gaklin's nimbleness when she previously intended to collide with him. Her fists held up her mist energy, not wishing to miss in the confrontation, she halted to usage of her mist energy and changed her technique before unleashing it.

Seeing that he cannot lose Zetsa despite his innate speed, Gaklin cursed her inwardly. 'She was hiding her true ability!' The target that he considered as his prey turned out to be more formidable than he anticipated. 'What's up with this human woman? How many profound techniques does she has?!' He realized that Zetsa was keeping up with him by exhausting a movement technique.

"First Hoof!" Zetsa murmured. She opened her left palm and icy ray of light shot from it, surpassing her and Gaklin's speed.

Gaklin sensed his back and tails tingling. 'Not good!' It was too late to escape. His mist energy surged to his six tails and they all squirmed defensively.

Clenching her left thumb, Zetsa called deeply. "Thrust!"

The icy ray of light converted to a huge icy stag's hoofs that struck against Gaklin's tails.

BOOM!

Four of Gaklin's tails split open and blood spurted on to the ground. Gaklin groaned in pain. That was it for him. He wanted to end this fight and escape. This human girl he looked down on was still not an equal to him in his opinion, but she had too many scary techniques that his tribe's heritage could not compete with.

Knowing who her Master is, he cursed him even more.

"Mm?!" From to collision of the icy hoof with his tails to the outcome and Gaklin decision to flee, only one breath had passed. Gaklin was about to retreat when he suddenly could not feel his hind legs.

Turning his head back, Gaklin discovered that frost covered his hind legs and the ground his stood on and held him in place.

"Eh!" The mist energy in Gaklin's dantian sensed terrifying fluctuations of mist energy hovering above him and he raised his head up.

"Second Hoof!" As he could not move, Zetsa jumped twenty meters into the air and when a straight line formed between her and Gaklin on the ground, she murmured.

Her right palm opened and a fiery ray of light shot down at Gaklin.

"Stomp!"

A flaming hoof converted from the fiery ray of light and rained at Gaklin stunned figure.

BOOM!

The explosive sound overwhelmed the sounds of breaking bones and crackling flames.

Zetsa landed, staggering on her feet. She was able to exceed Gaklin by so much only because she utilized her maximum ability.

The effect of cold and heat dispersed and her skin tone mostly returned to be olive. Only, due to her last attack, she felt as if her body was slightly burning and so some red was also apparent in her skin tone.

Before leaving the burnt figure of Gaklin and returning to Tularg, she used her mist energy to extinguish the fire from the meadow.

...

A glimpse at the approaching floating dragon was enough for the fifty two pursuers to first, halt, and then stumble backwards.

"Chaoyue! Chaoyue third level Core Master beast!" Some of the Basement Floor humans were trembling and calling in fear for their companion to help them decide what to do.

Not everyone knew the connection of Raroen to their targets, and so, some hopped that this is just a passing expert who show off his deep cultivation.

"Silver Horns Dragon Raroen". In contrast to the human experts, the Core Masters of the beasts' side were perfectly aware of the identity of the gigantic dragon.

"Everyone, this is a high class target of our tribes' leaders". A man in skin cloths and long orange hair informed everyone while paying special attention to the Basement Floor humans. This man was one of the Core Master beasts in his human form, one of the top three among the original fifty three.

"Sajar Nam", a bald burly man in wearing a black suit, turned to the orange hair human form beast. "Our contract mentioned only peak first level Core Master or below!"

"Nash, organize your humans if you wish for your group to keep your lives. In a moment, Raroen will arrive and by then what was agreed in the contract won't matter!"

Upon listening to the two's conversation, the direness of their situation became clear to everyone among the fifty two, be it Core Master or Mist Lords.

"Everyone, talks won't help us against this target! Concentrate your attacks on the same place to take him down; the weakest spot on the animalistic form of the Silverhorned tribe is in the scales between their lower jaw and neck!" Sajar Nam described calmly to keep the others in line. As for the other two experts who were on the same level as his, he counted on them to survey the hired experts and fellow tribesmen and stop any attempt to flee.

...

Decelerating above the group of fifty two pursuers, Raroen's voice resonated in Zax's head.

"Watch carefully, little brother Zax". As he spoke, azure mist energy wrapped around Zax and lifted him from Raroen back to a fixed spot midair.

Unable to nudge even a finger or even speak, Zax could not help but comply with Raroen. 'Big brother Raroen not even going to let me participate in the fight... ' He was a bit disappointed.