Chapter 11

“This is it. . ? Is it over for me. . .?”

Being terrified prevented his body from moving. Frozen from the shock. Yet danger was approaching.  On the verge of losing his own life, the gesture of his back was not indeliberate. His body received a physical shock which had changed his posture instantly.

Remembered a certain event, drawing him back to what Zuojia had said back then.

“Well, at least you got used to the coldness of the water. Adding more won't make you feel any colder, No balance without feeling. No focus, no balance..”

A beam of courage stroke the boy's heart at that moment. The awakening of his potential, breaking the walls of fear with a thrust of a courageous sword. His heart beats rose abnormally, his fear was obliterated by the flame of his firing will.

“. . .!!!”

His body quickly took a hook to a different side. Away from this creature which made the creature slam its face against the ground when it failed to attack the boy. At that moment. Kaijin realized the meaning of what he was doing the whole time. He understood the true  teaching of the master.

“. . .HAH! I'M STILL ALI-”

Before he was able to screech the screech of victory. The creature stood up instantly with an extraordinary speed it dashed at Kaijin, with its mouth wide open attempting to attack him once more.

With all his might, and with a courageous will. The boy slammed his feet against the creature's face causing it to hit the wall beside him. As if his body was moving on its own as a reflex action against a danger which was approaching him.

Apparently, this had made the demon furious and filled with more rage. It stood up again but this time it was pretty close to Kaijin. Before attacking him. Kaijin managed to quickly light the lantern before throwing it into this demonic creature's mouth. The creature stopped moving as it seemed to have the lanturn, stuck between its large jaws. Kaijin’s eyes lingered, lunging with his fist clenching, using his feet to cause some friction and prevent him from running any further. With all of his might, he slammed his forehand against the demon's jaw, breaking the lantern into its mouth, causing the gas to leak. The demon's insides were being englufed with flames, as it screamed in pain.

“ARGHHH!”

Kaijin took the chance as he started running towards the other side of the tunnel. Looking for Zuojia and Zongse. However, the boy realized that he was being chased by more and more of these demonic creatures. Due to the screaming sounds and the screeches the others were releasing.

“Oh no no no no!”

He started running faster yet further into the tunnel.

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*Creak*

The door of the room where both of Zuojia and Zongse had opened up once again.

Zongse looked at the door, with the corner of his eyes. Waiting to see who would open it up this time.

One of these demons were sneaking into the room, as it took the chance while the rest were busy chasing Kaijin. It had the desire of eating both of Zuojia and Zongse alone.

“Meat. . .Fresh. . .F. .Fresh meat!”

Said the demonic creature.

“You are such a hideous woman, you know that?”

Said Zongse, as he saw the demon approaching slowly until it stood before Zuojia. With its mouth wide open. Yet Zuojia was still in his meditative state, calmed, tranquil with both of his eyes closed in deep, manifestation which represented sereneness.

The creature grabbed Zuojia by his neck attempting to put his head into her wide mouth.

“Haha. . .Zuojia, you head... Zuojia wake up...Zuojia!!!”

Half of Zuojia's head was nearly inside of the demon's mouth. Until his hand was extended out of nowhere, Zuojia grabbed the face of the demon, exhorting a little bit of force, completely ruining the demon's face and crushing her skull.

“You are right, she is just so damn hideous”

Zongse started looking at Zuojia in amazement, yet he moved his eyes towards the chains which he was supposed to be tied with. He saw the chains were completely broken from Zuojia's instant pull.

Zuojia managed to free himself from the chains as he slowly removed them all. He stood before Zongse, then he spoke in a calm voice.

“Stay still”

“Wha-”

Zuojia placed his palm before Zongse's chest. Then suddenly he exhorted some force with a small push towards his chest. As if he was sending a wave on energy through Zongse's body.

“Fuu-”

He started coughing before he found out that he was able to move as well.

“What?! How?! When?!”

“Let's move Zongse, time to wreck their domain above their heads”

Zongse gazed up at Zuojia's eyes, they looked pretty serious at that moment. Zongse managed to break the chains off his hands as well. Then both of them went outside of the room. Yet more demons started coming out from everywhere as they found themselves surrounded by  no sufficient amount, as they continued increasing in numbers.

“Zongse”

“Tsk tsk. . .now we have to do it”

“Sky den palm strike!”

“Earth stinger!”

The demons were all wiped away and beaten down by Zuojia and Zongse. The mountain began to shake from the impact of their forces. Kaijin was running until he finally saw both of Zuojia and Zongse from a far distance, demons rushing at them from every direction.

“Zuojia!!”

Zuojia spins his head a little, to look behind him, he found that Kaijin was still alive, he smirked as a sign of relief.

“Boy! You came!” Said Zongse. Before looking at what was running behind Kaijin, as if it was a whole colony of demons arising.

“You didn't come alone, troublesome brat”

Zuojia looked at the demons chasing behind Kaijin. His expressions were quickly exchanged by a deep grin yet he kept the smirk on his face.

Finally when Kaijin approached them.

“Get down. . .” Zuojia said to Kaijin, which didn't take Kaijin enough to think about it since he knew what was going to happen. But before that, both of them greeted each other by slamming both of their palms against other. Before Kaijin slide between Zuojia's legs to quickly get down on time.

“Well done Kaijin, i will take care of the rest” Zuojia said to Kaijin when they both greeted each other. Zuojia took a deep breath before the final strike.

“Sky den. . .transcendental palm strike!”

With a mighty palm strike, he pushed his palm towards the demons before they were able to approach them. The force that came from Zuojia's technique had pushed them all the way back to where they came from. Yet the impact was too heavy, it caused a huge hole deep into the mountain.

“Pierce!!”

On the otherside, Zongse's technique has taken care of the other demons which were surrounding them from the other side, rocky stings erupted from the ground as they pierced through the demons, which ended them instantly.

“Well, I guess we are done here” Said Zuojia while brushing the dust off his clothes. As they walked through the big hole that Zuojia caused in the mountain. Heading towards the end of the hole to exit the mountain.

“And I managed to evade the sudden attack this way!”

“Oooooh! You did well Kaijo!” Said Zuojia.

“Its Kaijin”

Kaijin told both of them everything that happened along the way. And  how he shun away from the demon’s grip.

“Well, I guess I can take back what I said Zuo-”

Suddenly without any signs or warnings, and when they were about to leave the mountain. A huge hand broke through the surface above them as it grabbed Zuojia dragging him all the way up.

“Zuojia!”

Both of Zongse and Kaijin yelled loudly calling for Zuojia who was pulled by this enormous hand upwards. Slowly the dust screen which was created by the breaking of the rocks vanished slowly to show a bigger hole was created above them, as they could see the moonlight leaking through it clearly. The mountain started shaking once more. They started feeling that something huge was shaking the mountain from the top. Something was climbing and causing all the disturbances and the shaking.

Zongse quickly took a high jump through the hole, until he managed to land on top of the mountain. While Kaijin tried to climb down the mountain to have a clear look of what was going on upwards.

“You hurt my children. I will tear your limbs apart!”

A huge demonic creature was on top of the mountain, the creature seemed pretty hideous yet terrifying at the same time, which also had four arms. In addition to its extraordinary size and pairs of glowing red eyes, with it's fangs existing out of it's mouth like pointed horns.

“Good God what is that thing?!” Zongse cringed as he gazed at the Huge demon.

“Asking me?...Aren't you the one who knows everything!?” Zuojia yelled at a far distance from Zongse.

The huge demonic creature extending one of its arms to smash Zuojia with it. Yet he managed to jump away from it.

“Let us finish this now, save the peeve talk for later!” Zongse said as he gave Zuojia the signal to move.

Zuojia and Zongse tried attacked the demon from multiple places, yet it seemed that the demon, was reading each one of their moves and preventing their attacks.

“Well how about that now!”

Zuojia finally figured, out how to change the battle's outcome. He instantly dashed towards the demon, sending a strong punch towards its chin, which was strong enough to push the demon upwards in the mid-air despite its huge size, too much force exhorted to raise the demon's body upwards. “YAAAAH!!”

Then he leaped atop of the demon, before laning a heavy drop kick over its head.

“This is for you Zongse, Get ruined already!!” Said Zuojia as he sent the demonic creature down by a heavy kick over its head.

“You see,i detest this gift of yours, maybe you should have it back... RISING EARTH PIERCER!”

Zongse slammed his fist, against the surface of the mountain beneath his feet, as a huge enormous sword erupted from beneath the ground, being made of radiant yellowish energy, it shone with glory. The manifestation of victory.

The sword rose directly upwards, until it had pierced through the demon's enormous body which split it into halves before shattering into pieces.

“Curse you humans!!”

The remains of this demon had completely burned, leaving nothing behind it but ash.

“Woah there. . .!”

Zuojia started brushing the dust off his clothes as he spoke. “That wasn't too bad I'll give you that.”

“Why thank you, I wouldn't brag”

“Tsk, whatever now” Their fists met one another, pumping together. Their friendship grew further as their bonds strengthened, which made both of them feel at ease. What both of them had in common was a streak of 
rugged individualism, stubbornness, and personal vision, capable of overcoming the hardships as they cooperate together.

Kaijin was watching in amazement downwards the mountain. Then both of Zuojia and Zongse managed to climb down the mountain towards Kaijin.

Kaijin was watching in amazement downwards the mountain. Then both of Zuojia and Zongse managed to climb down the mountain towards Kaijin.

“Not bad zongo.” Said Zuojia.

“It's Zongse.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The started walking back on their trail, as it seems that everything was finally over and they managed to get back on their original path. The mountain behind them started crumbling down until it met its end.

“. . . .THE MAP!” Said Zongse when he had remembered that he left the map inside the cave on top of the mountain.

“THE FOOD. . .!!” Said Zuojia while looking at the mountain as it crumbled down to dust.

“You ate it all!” Zongse said.

“Oh right, i forgot— technically me and Kaijin ate it”

“Here is the map.”

Kaijin remembered that he had the map with him all along. He took it out of his pocket then he handed it to Zongse.

“Way to go kaijo! Now I take it back when I said that your presence was useless.” Said Zongse.

“Its kaiji- wait what?!”

Zuojia, Zongse, and Kaijin continued their journey after finally being able to leave the area of the demon maidens alive. Unfortunate events are yet to come. What kind of surprises are waiting for them ahead. And what's the hidden secret behind the mysterious Bu-Jing temple.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

［Later on in the morning at the brothel］

Xingfu appears to be standing in the middle of the brothel while grabbing one of the women by her neck tightly. Who was nearly dying from suffocation from Xingfu's grip, no matter how she continued to struggle against her grip, it was no use.

“You tell me where this man is, or watch her die and follow her.”

Xingfu tightened the grip around the woman's neck tightly who was shaking and nearly meeting her end.

Until one of them finally decided to talk hesitantly.

“He went to the bu-jing temple with master Zongse! Let her go already!”

They all looked down when they felt the shame of betraying Zongse and speaking of his whereabouts.

“Oh. .?” Xingfu dropped the woman violently on the ground, then her fellows quickly ran up to her while she was coughing on the final moment, a shock engulfed the dead expression on Xingfu's face, when she heard that Zongse accompanied them. As she walked slowly towards the one who told her about their whereabouts.

“What if you are lying? You know I will be coming for your pity ass again, no?”

Xingfu grabbed the woman by her chin slowly, yet the woman was unable to see Xingfu's face due to the hood she wore.

“You can go and see for yourself, leave us alone.”

The woman slapped Xingfu's hand away then she hurried back to check on her fellow who was still coughing heavily while laying on the ground.

“The Bu-Jing temple. . .of all places, my target sure isn't easy.” Xingfu thought to herself, before she left the brothel, heading to the Bu-Jing temple.

TO BE CONTINUED. . .