“Alex!” Hao Chan’s terrified voice both tore at his heart and give him indescribable comfort as he crashed to the ground amidst dozens of shocked, even horrified looking cultivators, gazing at him with surprise and dismay as the roaring hoards of an entire company of Dongfang Hong’s crack troops roared and pounded upon the massive cuboid barrier.

“Alex, heaven’s mercy, what happened?”

A dizzy Alex could barely focus enough to channel his will as Hao Chan, Yinzi, and several Silver Giants, one he recognized as the Silver he had sparred with just days ago, and Zha, the leader of their original squad before all became chaos and madness and Alex split off to take out the flying wujen.

“By Long Wang’s beard, it’s a miracle he’s even alive,” the powerfully built Shan said, shaking his head with no small amount of pity, even as dozens of others screamed and pointed above, at the furiously cursing wujen lashing out with deadly streams of cobalt blue light crackling against the side of their hundred yard square cube, doing nothing at all.

“That’s a Gold, it has to be!” a woman screamed. “He will kill us all, The Way has abandoned us!”

Yinzi gripped Alex’s remaining shoulder with an intensity that belied her easy grin. “Is this another lesson where you show us all how far you can put Eternal Fox after daring madness even my father would envy?” Her teasing smile turned anxious. “Alright, Alex. Enough dramatic delay. Heal. Now.”

Alex winced at her tone, surprised to taste an authority his mentor and patron had only hinted at.

Nonetheless he grimaced and swallowed, surprised by how dizzy he felt, knowing he was a fool for delaying for even a moment as several men in blue cultivator’s robes rapidly approached, but there was something he absolutely had to do.

You have successfully altered porosity of 1 gate! This gate will no longer permit air or light of greater magnitude than moonlight to pour through.

Just before the sky above them blazed with a madman doing all he could to obliterate the hundreds of cultivators below, seemingly oblivious to the now panicked legions of crimson armored troops surrounding what was effectively a hundred yard wide cube of force, though the absolute flood of plasma crashing into its top, now washing down its sides did a wonderful job of outlining that which had been invisible.

You have accessed Beast Core Choker. You are now Power Healing!

You have failed to save against Excruciating Pain!

And for all that Alex’s screams were almost the equal of the panicked shouts and roars from outside his cube, eyes that had been wide with horror soon bulged with wonder. Whether it was because the flood of crimson death in the form of what was now a full thousand soldiers were unable to break through, were, in fact, stepping back… or because a Gold Wujen’s deadliest attacks couldn’t penetrate their ward was certainly the case for some.

But as a gloating Yinzi happily declared, what a writhing Alex was now doing was itself a feat that none save perhaps a Gold Tier Blue Pagoda healer might otherwise be able to perform.

“Just look at his limbs growing like fresh branches from the stump of a burned tree! Never mind the screams, this is a cultivation technique WiFu’s chosen are all free to learn, so long as they hold their oaths and never betray our home!”

Dineng was gazing down at a writhing Alex with an odd mixture of pity, awe, and bemusement. “Damn impressive, Alex.” He then looked at the howling figure a hundred yards overhead while Hao Chan held Alex and rocked him close. “Though I don’t know whether I’m more impressed that you’re actually able to regrow all those limbs, or that you managed to piss off a Gold to the point he’s screaming like a madman still.”

Alex, for his part, did his best to tune out his almost friend’s chuckles as much as he did Hao Chan’s soft, motherly lulluby as she tried to soothe away his agony… the majority of his focus now on the forest all around him, pleading his case, willing to swear an oath in blood.

Elder Forest withholds judgment on actions of: Alex Hammer.

Cultivator Li Jaw-Long has achieved Disfavored status with Elder Forest. This antipathy transcends any individual incarnation!

Elder Forest acknowledges previous PACT formed with Alex Hammer.

Agreement struck with Elder Forest!

A shuddering Alex flashed a bittersweet smile as the leaves rustled in the nearby woodlands all around, even as a madman screamed and howled above.

“Alex, what are you doing?” Cried out an alarmed Hao Chan as Alex forced himself upon his now fully restored hips, not matter that his legs were just bloody stumps ending right before the knees that even he was sickened to look at, far preferring to heal with his eyes closed when he could. But at least it was steadily regrowing, even if the pain of hyperactive nerves was an agony just as bad as being burned in reverse. He couldn’t help but smirk at all the cultivators who had lurched back at the sight, feeling much the same, even as others stared raptly on while Alex shouted up a the heavens.

“Is that the best you can do, Jaw-Jaw? Yap your mouth and spurt out plasma so weak it drizzle’s like a drunkard’s piss?”

The gold’s eyes bulged at Alex’s mockery. Even his own people were glaring at him and demanding he cease his goading.

“Silence!” said none other than a glaring Commander Sha. “I know not what blessing of the Fox is even allowing you to survive your wounds, but goading a Gold is the mark of a pure fool!”

Alex flashed a bleak smile as Yinzi hissed and glared at the body cultivator. “You really have no idea who you’re talking to, do you?”

Alex squeezed Yinzi’s arm with his one fully intact limb, the surprised yelp he received reminding him that his Strength was now an absolutely absurd Silver Tier 3. As was his Vitality. Probably the only reason why he was alive even now, he thought, choking back another sob.

Instead he glared at powerfully build Silver. “I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing, Zha. You might not see the method to my madness, but believe me, there’s a fucking point!” He snapped, though this time deliberately not pressing his will into the cube’s portal walls, so the message was heard only by those in close proximity inside.

Commander Zha paled, glaring at Alex with an odd mixture of awe and disbelief. “You think goading that monster will do anything but see us killed?”

Alex clenched his jaw and did what he was in too much pain to do seconds ago.

Commaner Zha has accepted Party Invite.

Commander Zha is temporarily incapacitated by unintentionally shared pain!

“Every moment that buffoon is launching fireballs and plasma beams at us here, he’s not burning our home to the ground!”

And before the surprised Zha could do more than blink, Alex broke off the connection, gazing upward once more with a mocking smile firmly in place.

“Too bad there’s only one of you fools to heckle me! I’ll bet you’ll hit exhaustion in less than an hour!” Alex flashed a triumphant smile. “I get the feeling you’ll run out of spiritual energy long before I get tired of holding this cube!”

The furious fiery-eyed Wujen’s face lit up in a triumphant rictus. “Time? I have all the time and resources in the world, fool!” He said, drinking deep of a potion that made him shudder, even as Alex sensed his Qi reserves refilling at a truly terrifying pace.

Alex paled and groaned, quickly lowering his head.

“Alex, you fool! Why the hell did you say that?” Dineng cursed aloud, though Shan was gazing at Alex in disbelief. “Wait, this cube… it’s your doing?” said the rough-voiced cultivator.

Alex just groaned. “Does anyone have any cultivation pills on them? This Gold monster won’t give up!”

“You’re damned right I won’t! I won’t give up until your a burning smear of black ash I will allow to live long enough only to watch all your friends scream in unending pain! I won’t give up until I’ve torn free your heart and enslaved your soul! I won’t give up until—“

The wujen’s voice cut off, crimson eyes widening in sudden alarm.

But it was already too late.

“Seneschal! Status report!”

“Our enemies have been contained. Casualties have been kept to a minimum among your guests, but most of our staff has perished.”

Alex winced. “Damn. How long can you all hold out?”

“Providing no new forces enter our domain, I believe your guests, guards, and myself should be able to hold… perhaps indefinitely, my lord.”

“Excellent! Did you spot the tetrahedron?”

“You mean the smoke filled pyramid leaving the ground in immediate proximity too hot to touch that completely encases the breached gate?”

Alex flashed a fierce smile, even as he dove in his mind’s eye, one with his land, only now having the luxury to truly appreciate the modest sized pyramid now filled with the choking black smoke and hot blazing embers of the forest Li Jaw-Long had so callously set ablaze, as a million million leaves, rustling the air in concert, created a breeze of their own accord, blowing a constant choking black stream of superheated smoke and ash into those portals Alex had already assured proved no barrier between realms.

A forest fire’s worth of smoke. Tightly contained within a tightly sealed pyramid where only the heat could escape into the ground of his sanctuary. And all that smoke had no place to go… save into Risen Phoenix Academy’s servants tunnels, now acting just like a chimney flew as Alex could just barely sense countless scores of soldiers choking and gasping for air.

Some collapsing, some fleeing, until only a single Gold remained.

Li Jaw-Long paled and shuddered, eyes widening with alarm as he glared down at Alex with surprised disbelief. Clenching a glowing talisman at his waist. “This is your doing. All of it. You were luring me away from my post!”

Alex gazed up at the man for long moments. “Look into my eyes, and see the truth for yourself.”

The Gold hissed and lurched back.

Alex smirked. “Whats’ the matter? Is a Gold truly that scared of a newly forged Silver, after you managed to sear off both my legs and my little Johnson?”

This earned a furious snarl. “You think I fear the likes of you? I will meet your gaze with a killing aura that will send you crashing to your knees!”

Alex smirked. “Try me.”

And between one moment and the next, Alex found himself choking back a whimper as the cultivator’s nearby him hissed in surprise and alarm.

For daring to lock gazes with a Gold.

“No, Alex, don’t be a fool!” roared an alarmed Commander Zha.

You have failed to save versus killing intent.

You are momentarily stunned!

And for a second, Alex had collapsed in a heap, crushed by the killing weight of the monster glaring down at him.

Willpower check made! For what is killing intent to one who strides the Waters of Death?

The cultivators around him groaned as cold mocking laughter could be heard from the troops all around their shelter.

“You have been bested!” Roared Li Jaw-Long. “You tremble with the knowledge of your new master. Even your soul must yield before my will!” The Gold chuckled coldly, rubbing his hands together with unbridled glee. “Now release your will upon this cube of force and prostrate yourselves before me. All of you! Prepare for the cleansing flames you all so richly deserve!”

“Alex!” Hao Chan sobbed amidst a cacophony of panicked alarmed voices.

Alex trembled under the weight of those terrible words for long moments.

Before finally finding his feet, regeneration complete.

Li Jaw-Long’s eyes bulged. “No.How dare you stand before me! I crushed you with my will. I felt it!”

Alex smirked. “You saw me groan and curdle up while I regenerated my legs from charred stumps. Because you might be an ass, but your flame really is as hot as hell. Kudos. But the rest is just you power-tripping.”

Alex mocked his foe with his laughter, before jumping for joy. “Yes! The message I most wanted to see!”

And before the Gold could do more than glare down at Alex, the trap was sprung.

Three gates have been successfully repurposed. 30 Qi spent!

Enemy Gold has succumbed to Toxic Fumes!

Enemy Gold had succumbed to Superheated Ash.

Contested Gate has been relinquished by your opponent!

You have fully restored your gate! Your gate now benefits from Resilience Perk!

No cultivator or artifact below Jade Tier can rupture this gate!

Alex wanted to howl for glee. Before shaking his head with a snarl.

You are unable to enhance your World Seed. World Seed is still In Contest until all invaders have been slain.

Alex chuckled softly. “So close!”

The wujen hissed. “You’re playing games with me, Ruidian! But rest assured, no matter how you cavort or mock your betters, so like the monkey you mimic, there will be no hiding in the trees for you. No escaping my wrath, no escaping my justice, once you collapse from exhaustion and your damned cube fails!”

Alex couldn’t help it, he burst out in laughter. “Is that what you think, you Gold-tiered ass wipe? Alright, then, prove it!”

Li Jaw-Long howled, his entire body now ablaze with spiritual flame.

“So be it, mortal worm! Taste the wrath of a dragon’s flame!”

For all that Jack laughed at his foe’s folly, he was not blind to the cries and growing panic amongst his people.

He didn’t even fight it when he was roughly accosted by an incensed Zha, glaring at him as Jack quickly found his balance on two fully healed feet, for all that Hao Chan and Yinzi were pinning the man with ice-cold stares, a pair of deadly sharp naginata blades at the man’s neck.

“Unhand our husband now!” Yinzi hissed, but an increasingly panicked-looking Zha paid her no mind.”

“That gold up there is about to erupt, boy! Stop goading him!” The cultivator took a deep, controlling breath, still ignoring an increasingly irate-looking Yinzi who’s naginata didn’t even prick his skin, at least with her doing no more than jabbing him with the clip-backed tip. “Now I might not know for sure who or what you are, but if you have any trick up your sleeve that can help us...”

His eyes widened in stunned disbelief when one massive side of the cube showed a larger than life image of Dong Xiao standing before the Tree of Wisdom in his gold-threaded silken robes, still scorched and perhaps covered with a bit of blood, though his pinned square cap remained firmly in place when he bowed low before Alex and the hundreds of wide-eyed cultivators.

“Seneschal Dong Xiao greets the Child of The Heavens. What is your command, my lord?”

“Have we pinned down the remaining reds?” Alex asked, ignoring the surprised looks now being sent his way.

Dong Xiao’s solemn features split into a wide smile. “Indeed we have, my lord. Elder Ru and Lady Chun An have been remarkably effective at organizing your citizens. Only three groups of a dozen or so enemy soldiers remain.”

Alex gave a satisfied nod, before gazing up at the wujen now blazing like a bondfire. “Excellent!” He then turned to a stunned looking Commander Zha. “Can I trust you to follow Dong Xiao’s lead in eliminating the threat to our home?”

The giant of a cultivator gazed at Alex for long moments before abruptly saluting Alex, fist to chest. “It will be done… my lord.”

Alex winced. “Yeah, Alex is fine.” He stole a quick glance at the ceiling panel, worryingly bright, considering that most of the light should have been dimmed out. “Now how about you lead everyone through the gate, like… right now? I’d prefer that no one stick around… just in case I might have bitten off more than I can chew?”

This earned Alex a wry look, and any number of worried glances towards the now blazing heavens, the plus side being that when Zhu ordered them all to jump through the massive gate, no one hesitated, everyone charging for it at a sprint. And being as that the gate was as wide as the chamber itself, within a handful of seconds, everyone was through.

Everyone save for Alex, Yinzi, and Hao Chan, of course.

Commander Zhu turned around, gazing with some confusion at Alex, still happily standing right under the incensed wujen’s kill zone. “My lord, why do you not jump through?”

“Fight the good fight, Zhu!” Alex cheerfully waved before sealing the gate, serving as an impenetrable barrier once more, for everyone save Alex and the two girls by his side.

He flashed a manic grin as Yinzi peered thoughtfully at the glowing roof, Hao Chan frowning at the absolute horde of soldiers now beating the hilts of their dao to their shields, roaring for the brilliant mage above them to put their enemies to the flame.

“By WiFu’s whiskers, I’m surprised we’re even still alive!” Yinzi gushed, eyes alight with a manic glee near the match of Alex’s own.

“Alex? Should we… um… really be here?” Said an increasingly anxious Hao Chan that he didn’t hesitate to kiss long and deep, before pulling away a second later.

“Not in about thirty seconds, when my Soul Sight pings our favorite hot-headed flamer will erupt in a pillar of fire that will absolutely devastate any barrier below Jade Tier.”

Hao Chan’s flushed cheeks immediately paled. “Alex!”

Alex winked. “Good thing I grabbed that Resilience perk, no? But first thing’s first. I’d feel kind of sad if our friends just a few feet away weren’t able to join in the fun!”

You have closed Erjizhen portal.

You have modified 1 cuboid gate.

And before his companions could say a word edgewise, hundreds of roaring troops banging on the force field abruptly toppled over when the barrier abruptly let them through.

The look on their faces was almost comical, dozens of surprised expressions turning to looks of killing fury as they lurched to their feet. “Kill them!” and “For the Red Prince’s Honor!” were the cries of countless soldiers as they readied their weapons and charged in unison.

Yinzi laughed in manic glee as an entire regiment raced forth, howling for her blood. “Oh, how exciting! Is this what they mean when they say ‘looking death in the eye?’ Because I don’t know if that’s death or not, but that sure as hell is a lot of killing glares!”

Hao Chan choked back a whimper. “Alex!”

Alex flashed a manic smile. “All right, time for the next step of my plan.”

“And what would that be?” Asked the girl squeezing his hand so tightly, beautiful amber eyes caught between the sight of the ball of liquid flame that was the wujen flying above their fortress or flood of soldiers howling for their heads.

Alex winked. “We RUN!” He immediately put his words to action, not hesitating to grab both a speechless Hao Chan and a wildly laughing Yinzi before leaping through the air to dart through the transparent far portal, the three of them now out of the shelter turned trap and back into the clearing once more. Only then did he spin around to grin in vicious satisfaction when scores of soldiers slammed against the invisible wall that was, for them, as solid as concrete. Even Hao Chan winced at the way dozens of furious expressions turned to cries of agony, crushed bodies, and desperate attempts to breathe as they were helplessly crushed by the hundreds of soldiers behind them…

Before they were all washed in liquid flame.

You have restored cuboid itnegrity!

Cuboid now contains 527 cultivators labeled ‘Enemy Reds.’

You have removed barrier separating trapezoid from cuboid!

Wujen has released Boosted Tier 7 Gold Killing Flame.

Wujen has unwittingly obliterated 527 Enemy Reds.

You are indirectly responsible for the deaths of 527 opponents.

Experience earned!