The Steward Demonic Emperor

"Punk-ass brat, I'll cut you from stem to stern!" Elder Lang spat, but Elder Hu held him back.

"Jackal, you're wounded. Let me handle it."

Elder Hu exploded with power, enveloped by a tiger image. His mighty and imposing figure made it hard for even the wounded Zhuo Fan to breathe.

[3rd layer of Ethereal Stage is no pushover. I can feel it even from behind Elder Li.]

Li Jingtian tensed, face hard but eyes raging, typical martial fanatic stuff.

"Ha-ha-ha, right on time."

Li Jingtian stepped up, surrounded by a black dragon. Its aura wasn't on par with the tiger, but didn't lose much either.

Fierce Tiger grumbled, [What the hell is wrong with this place? They're all freaks of nature. I have two layers on him and should hold the advantage.]

[Yet this advantage is barely visible. There's no way he's two layers under me.]

Elder Hu looked on with suspicion. How was he to know Li Jingtian was a martial fanatic through and through. When the going got tough, he got more going.

Besides, he had the Heaven Reaching Pill on his side, with Yuan Qi surging like a sea, he wielded the power to jump layers, from 1st to 3rd.

Bam!

The dragon and tiger clashed, shuddering the space around them.

With both of them stepping back from the clash, five steps on Elder Hu's corner and ten on Li Jingtian's.

Though the most shocked were Fierce Tiger and his gang, their eyes popping out.

A fresh Ethereal Stage cultivator just stood up to a seasoned 3rd layer one. [For crying out loud, what do they feed these guys?]

[First was the Profound Heaven prick and now this.]

[Is this a worldly sect or what? How are they all talents?]

The trio was speechless. Fierce Tiger grumbled but still wouldn't accept it, rushing with another tiger at Li Jingtian.

[I refuse to frickin' believe the great me can't handle an Ethereal Stage newbie!]

Li Jingtian obliged Fierce Tiger with another black dragon.

The same thing happened, but this time Li Jingtian fell only seven steps back.

Fierce Tiger was even more annoyed. Li Jingtian was growing as he fought. His two other elders watched shell shocked.

[Is Windgaze City a den of fiends? Not one of them is human!]

"Again!"

Li Jingtian was perky, going for another strike. Fierce Tiger shuddered but had to meet him.

Black dragon and tiger tackled each other till the sky turned dark and the earth rumbled, meeting at every turn with no one having the advantage.

Soul waves filled the sky, causing even the Jackal and Obscene Snake to grumble.

Weren't they claiming there was no Ethereal Stage expert in Tianyu? [We came here for a stroll, killing the enemy left and right.] Yet an Ethereal Stage cultivator had just shown up to stand up to Fierce Tiger, and stand up he did.

[Intelligence said Tianyu is a small fry. Wait till I get my hands on them.]

At least the situation wasn't completely out of control, since they had the numbers advantage.

Jackal swiveled his insidious eyes on Zhuo Fan, "He-he-he, wounded whelp, you've lost your shield. Be good and drop dead!"

Jackal sent blue howling winds, with bared fangs and maws.

Zhuo Fan stood still out of lack of strength, if nothing else.

Li Jingtian had no way to help, not when tangled with Fierce Tiger.

It was then that a couple shouted , "Fire and water combine, Life and Death Art!"

Hu~

A white and blinding ray shined through the clouds, running over Elder Lang's attack and going for him.

The elder defended with his hand. But the white ray was a fusion of blazing heat and icy water turning it into an unstoppable force, driving pain into the depths of his soul.

He clenched and the ray scattered into motes, yet his face switched between burning hot and ice cold, shuddering all the while.

"Jackal, are you alright?" Obscene Snake cried.

Elder Lang gnashed his teeth, shaking off the ice and scorching heat, but not the killer headache. He found two people shielding Zhuo Fan, the power couple, Qiu Yanhai and Xue Qingjian.

"For god's sake, this place is a freak show. How can two peak Radiant Stage experts hurt me?" Gasping, Elder Lang spat, "They are close to the Ethereal Stage, but they haven't given their soul form and can't use soul destruction. That strike is only a pseudo Ethereal Stage's attack at best. I'll wipe the floor with these ignorant fools."

"Hold on!"

Obscene Snake called, his lustful eyes roaming over Xue Qingjian's exquisite form and gulping, "Leave the two, especially the woman, to me, he-he-he…"

Jackal knew his sick hobby had reared its ugly head and nodded.

Qiu Yanhai saw he was after his old gal with those foul eyes and roared, "Biddy, let's take that old coot down together!"

"Hi-hi-hi, why, jealous much?" Xue Qingjian giggled with love.

Qiu Yanhai felt like spitting fire from rage.

Zhuo Fan reminded, "Elder Qiu, sister Xue, he's in the 2nd layer of Ethereal Stage. It will be hard even if you are together."

"Steward Zhuo, we got this." Qiu Yanhai snorted.

Xue Qingjian beamed, "My old codger is just that feisty. Not even I can hold him back."

Zhuo Fan glanced at Obscene Snake, "Sister Xue, lend me your ear…"

Xue Qingjian was dazed for a moment and nodded at his message before flying after Qiu Yanhai.

Obscene Snake laughed when the couple came, just what he wanted.

Elder Lang saw that Zhuo Fan was by himself at long last and grinned. Though Zhuo Fan snickered, "You crusty old coot, haven't you had enough? Bring it if you're so confident that I'm alone. You've gotten hurt thrice now, so let's see how many hits can a 2nd layer of Ethereal Stage expert take."

Jackal frowned.

Thinking back, all his wounds came from taking his enemy lightly. First at Zhuo Fan's hand, second at Li Jingtian coming to the kid's rescue whipping him away, and third by the power couple.

Each of these beatdowns wasn't much by itself, but they compounded. Sooner or later he'd have so many, his soul would be damaged making it dangerous.

This would never have happened if they all came at him from the front and open.

[I just had to be careless.]

Jackal scanned his surroundings, showing utmost caution to not fall for any more cons.

Zhuo Fan smiled, figuring him out, "Say, who do you think will win, my side or yours?"

"Your new Ethereal Stage cultivator looks tough, but there's no way he can stand up to Fierce Tiger in the 3rd layer. It's only a matter of time. As for the other two, they're just at peak Radiant Stage. They may attack with Ethereal Stage power when united, but are in no way up to Obscene Snake's 2nd layer's standard."

Jackal mocked.

Zhuo Fan nodded, "That makes it easy then. I'm barely hanging on and you're waiting for their outcome. When you'll have them taken care of by your flanks, getting me should be easy peasy, no?"

[True.]

[I must say, the kid is only in Profound Heaven Stage and wounded to boot yet makes a whole lot of sense. He won't go anywhere.] And when his buddies have finished their matches, he'd have no problem taking the punk out, tormenting and running him through a hell only his twisted mind could conceive.

Jackal nodded and took on the air of a true expert.

Tuoba Tieshan shook his head, "Elder Lang's brain must be missing something to get stiff again."