Chapter 223


    Every group was taking stock of their members as they walked towards whatever the next challenge would be. It seemed that quite a few people had not made it through, despite reaching the doors. Yet nobody could say what had been right or wrong about any particr door. A few people had theories, but the single minute had not been sufficient for anyone to focus on anything other than simply arriving at their destination.


    The Order was missing exactly two people. Anton, and ate Essence Collection cultivator known as Emma Strand. Despite her cultivation she wasnt one of the elders, instead leaving the greater responsibilities to others. The Order had a specific limit on the number of elders regardless, and not everyone wanted such a position.


    Mostrge sects had at least one person missing and usually more, which wasnt a surprise. Random chance would indicate that those with greater numbers would also be more likely to be involved in random failures.


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    Twisting turning maze-like hallways led to empty rooms in all directions. As Anton traversed through the area, he took careful stock of what he could do. The door he hade through had no portal back through it, simply a white-painted stone wall. There was no instruction on what to do, no guidance and so far, no other people.


    He couldnt say for sure if he might be alone, because his senses were severely limited. Though he was aware of significant effects from formations around him, his energy senses didnt extend much beyond his body, and even his hearing was somewhat muffled to more what he would expect from a normal person.


    Along with empty space, the area was filled with a moderate amount of traps. A scythe swung vertically across a doorway as he opened a door, and Anton leapt back. When they werent active, the traps were very hard to detect. Perhaps he had just gotten too used to relying on energy senses. Was that what this area was about? He couldnt be sure.


    One step into the hallway he sensed a pressure te being depressed immediately, and he rolled back into the room as spikes stabbed out of the walls. This was still considered moderately trapped by Everhearts standards. It wasnt as if every single tile on the floor was individually trapped, after all.


    As he turned the corner to a new hallway, Anton saw it extended for several hundred meters. Even with his distance vision impaired by the formations around, he was still at least able to make out figures ahead of him at the two hundred meter mark. Even just around the corner he hadnt sensed them, but it was impossible to miss them fighting once they were in front of him. Especially with somethinging almost straight at him.


    Anton dodged to the side. He still felt the energy from the hurled spear brushing against his side as he did so, even though it was not aimed towards him but just down the hall. He actually somewhat admired the straight trajectory only minimally affected by gravity. It was a high level of uracy over such a distance, though he also supposed that it wouldnt have particrly changed its likelihood of striking its <em>intended</em> target if it hit the wall or floors a hundred meters back.


    Both figures appeared to be inte Essence Collection. Anton would have gone back around the corner and entirely stayed out of the conflict except for one thing- he recognized one of the figures. While he had to admit he barely knew Emma Strand, Anton couldnt very well just ignore a member of his own sect as she fought.


    The hallway had very little in the way of offshoots, so it was just a straight path between him and them. Emma was on his side, wielding a long pike while her opponent seemed to have a limitless supply of spears to throw. If a non-cultivator had the same spears, they would have been much toorge to throw. As it was, they were treated more like vastly oversized darts. Stabilizing fins were created with the use of energy, much like the fletching Anton added to Spirit Arrows.


    He began to fire arrows one at a time, carefully avoiding his ally. For the most part that involved shooting in the upper corners of the hallway, since she moved back and forth avoiding attacks at a rapid pace. Though Emma had a weapon with great reach, her opponent held her at bay with another spear held in his off hand while he continuously forced her to avoid his throws. It was a strange but oddly effective fighting style, though bothbatants were somewhat restrained by the size of the corridor.


    Everywhere the spears went they left behind a trail of ice on the nearest surface, one that greatly diminished by the time it reached Anton two hundred meters away. It didnt seem as if the spears were ever going to change trajectory, but Anton gave them a wide berth just in case the spearman decided to try to impale him.


    His own arrows were rapidly fired in response, merely pestering the man with higher cultivation. Anton thought about using some of his ascension energy, but he didnt know what other battles he might end up in and he would need a proper opening to actually affect ate Essence Collection opponent. But he could at least pester this particr man and keep him on his toes.


    The battle seemed fairly even, with or without his participation. Neither side was seriously injured yet, though Emma had a few scrapes along her sides and arms. She radiated a form of heat that was melting the ice around her, and though there was briefly water it soon became steam. Unlike Hoyt, she didnt leave behind lingering trails but instead seemed to have focused her energy more internally, or rather more on augmenting her body than on actual energy projection. Her arms moved rapidly, and her pike thrust in and out with blinding speed. Yet it was something another Essence Collection cultivator could keep up with.


    Antons arrows werent as effective as he would like, so he took closer and closer routes to Emma. If she was actually forced in front of his attacks, he could dissipate his shot nearly instantly. Any lingering remnants that hit her would be quite easily negated by even the thinyer of energy she had defending her rear. She had at least twice as much energy as he did, and it also had the increased quality and density from Essence Collection. All Anton could hope for at the moment was to be a tipping point for his ally.


    He thought things were going well when she managed a thrust that tore through her opponents helmet, scraping against the skull and almost taking off an ear. Though it was supposed to go through his head, he would at least have to deal with the rapid bleeding from a head wound. Or more specifically, devote some of his energy to <em>preventing</em> that.


    Very few cultivators actually had more blood than anyone else of the same size, since there were just very strict physical limitations. They were just able to better manage bleeding wounds, returning blood to their body or operating at full capacity with a smaller amount than a normal human. They could even recover blood more quickly, though for most people that wasnt practical in the space of abat.


    A counter spear thrust by the ice cultivator forced Emma back, as the length of her own weapon actually became a brief disadvantage. She quickly shifted her grip backwards, but by that time her opponent had disengaged and was at a more optimal distance for himself.


    There was a sudden shift in the mans temperament, and then Anton felt something he was much more familiar with than he wished to be. Though the icy feeling remained, it darkened as the light in the hallways dimmed and twisted.


    Even as Anton felt his senses being distorted, he knew the effect had to be many times stronger focused on Emma. Yet she was also stronger. Even so, the sudden change in cost her dearly. A spear was thrown towards her which she dodged by a narrow margin. At least, that had obviously been the n. But the narrow margin of error she had was actually false, and the spear actually pierced into her left thigh. Her energy defenses prevented it from taking the whole leg off, but the muscle was severely injured.


    She didnt remain idle in response, however. She stepped forward even with her injured leg, beginning a quick series of thrusts. Along with that, Anton fired arrows with as much energy as he could muster, trying to match her pace. Since they both practiced the Ny-Nine Stars, there was a certain flow that allowed them to match up. It wasnt as strong as when amplified by a proper formation, but his arrows aimed both to create openings or take advantage of openings left by her. A few arrows struck with little effect than to waste a portion of their opponents energy, but that might be sufficient. Emma managed to clip the mans right bicep on his throwing arm, and that weakened his offense.


    The moment he appeared like he would turn and run, a simultaneous thrust and arrow from Emma and Anton pierced into his chest. The body of an Essence Collection cultivator wasnt usually much stronger than someone in Spirit Building, and Antons fully powered attack slipped through where Emma pierced his energy defenses, straight into the mans heart as the spear shattered his sternum.


    Emma pulled back a momentter, wary of anyst ditch efforts. Fortunately the damage had been sufficient that the man only managed a few half-effort throws which Emma handily dodged- and they werent aimed straight down the hallway towards him, so they got nowhere near Anton. Anton still stood outside of the trajectory he thought they <em>would</em> take had they been aimed at him, but as the man fell unconscious from his wounds he felt any illusory effects fade.


    With a flick Emmas pike was cleared of blood, and she turned towards Anton with a smile. d to see you. Youre the first ally Ive spotted here. Everyone else wanted to attack me on sight or ran away. Though I suppose thats only a small sample size. Her voice carried easily down the hallway as she began to walk towards Anton.


    He moved forward as well to be in a morefortable speaking range. Shouting two hundred meters wasnt exactly good for conversation, nor was it subtle- though it was possible nobody would hear them given the design of the area. They met about halfway, though Anton moved a bit more since she had her injured thigh. Youre actually the first two I saw, Anton admitted. I hadnt expected to find a sectmate fighting a member of the Twin Soul Sect.


    Emma nodded. That would exin why he was so keen to attack, though. Im sure theyd rather we dont develop any more Life Transformation cultivators. With her current cultivation she wasnt at the brink, but while she was advanced in age she might still be able to make that journey. Have you seen anything resembling a way out? Emma asked as she began to apply ointments and bind her leg.


    Anton shook his head. Not even close. I havent even seen any other entrances than the door I came in. I imagine if I were to retrace my steps it would be well concealed in the wall. Well have to look about carefully, for both secret tunnels or traps.


    The traps shouldnt be too much of a problem for me, Emma said.


    I could see that, Anton said. So far even <em>he</em> hadnt been concerned about the danger they posed. Someone an entire stage ahead of him shouldnt have any trouble at all. He casually inspected her cultivation. Hed been able to feel she was atte Essence Collection as the two cultivators threw their energy around. I wonder how long it will take me to reach the fiftieth star like yourself, Anton said. He began to inspect a nearby doorway, since there was really no clear path it seemed as good as any.


    Oh, it shouldnt be that long, Emma said. Youre Anton Krantz, right?


    Thats right.


    Then Id bet no less than a decade or two, if you live that long.


    Three factors saved Antons life, at least for a moment. First was watching her fight and seeing her cultivation up close. The second was the ominous way she said that final line. And the third was the door Anton hurriedly threw between them as her pike thrust towards him. Maybe a bit of Instinct thrown on there helped as well.


    Even so, he still felt the pike pierce through his side, below his left ribs. It was a clean stab with barely any energy radiating off of it, so the damage was actually concentrated into that one point instead of tearing up all of his organs. As the pike pulled back for another thrust Anton was already leaping through the doorway, traps be damned.