CHAPTER 16. Challenge

For the first time since I started my training with Alexander, I sense his aura and see his element. Just like Alise, he has a wind aptitude but the most shocking feature is his aura. Alexander exuded pure danger as his figure seemed to fly against the untouchable air. The pressure radiated by his figure seemed to send shockwaves through my mind, even the assassin's felt it. Most of them seemed to freeze in place when sensing Alexander aura. Some directly decide to retreat but Alexander won't give them any room for it. Before Alexander continues his charge, he turns to me and I feel the lingering feeling of death over me as his deadly eyes meet mine. A short line leaves his mouth, " Run!", but I'm a little bit hesitant. I would like to fight against these assassin's, but for the sake of these royals, I heed to Alexander's warning and start running while signalling and grabbing some of the royals with me. 

We all run towards a cleared path in the forest with the gurads assisting us. They're three of them atleast including the one that drove the carriage. Two besides us and one behind covering all openings. As expected I remain in front of the group, providing any assistance if necessary. We keep sprinting forward, using every bit of our strength to get far away from the danger behind. From my memory in my past life, I know where we are headed. Alexander also filled me in on the various locations near Jejun. He showed me specific locations to run towards in case of any situation such as this. We run towards the nearest point, a small village near Jejun and the closest towards our position. It has a building with a member from a branch of royal family of our sect. Alexander probably expects us to be heading towards that destination, so I don't hesitate in leading the team forward. We've already gone too far from the mansion, so turning back isn't an option.

As we head deeper into the forest, there seems to be an noises from behind. The leaves ruffle behind us telling everyone in the group about the whereabouts of our pursuers. I still sense some around the trees, the total number of our pursuers should be around four. The royals are quite slow on the run which reduces the distance we cover. Some take turns for being carried by the guards protecting the group. I'm quite used to the running, it was part of my harsh training sessions with Alexander so I'm not as bothered as the rest. The one that suprises me is Sebastian. He uses part of the energy in his dantian to strengthen his legs in order to match my speed. Our advance quickly turns into a competition for who will outrun the other. I simply increase my running pace by a bit giving I and Sebastian a wide enough gap for him to give up and conserve his Qi.

We continue our advance for sometime before heading behind a huge boulder to take a break. The entire group seems exhausted and I'm not exempted. Sweat pours down from our faces like rain as we take heavy breadths. Some crash on the ground as the whole group is tired.

I gently listen to detect the movement of our pursuers. They don't seem to be near our position, atleast for now. The guards take away some wooden bottles from the bags they were carrying. They are even more exhausted as they spent their journey carrying royals from time to time, yet, the still tend to the royals first giving them fresh water and wiping the sweat off their faces with the towels in the bag. One of the guards hands me a bottle of cold water which he picked from one of the stocks in our carriage and I don't hesitate to gulp it down in a single drink. "You're very brave, and pretty organized for a kid. Guess you were the one Alexander told us about. I remember you from our little duel a month ago". The guard says while drinking his own bottle of water, he was the one that drove the carriage and also the man who Alexander had forced me to spar with earlier in the early stages of my training. I don't reply except with a simple nod as I explain the entire plan I had in mind. " The village should be just around the corner, we'll get there after crossing the forest and the short cliff. However, I don't think the thugs behind us would be so generous as to let us go so freely". I say with every hint of seriousness in my voice. "So what are you suggesting", the man continues as we think of a proper way to handle our current situation. 

"A fight is inevitable unfortunately, but it just has to happen now. The group is to tired to move forward, and I'm sure our pursuers are catching their breadths too. Hence, we will have to face them and take out as much of them as possible". I continue as a two figures step out of bushes behind us. 

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*ALEXANDER'S P. O. V*.

*The battle behind the group unfolds as more than a dozen men charge against one man*.

Different attacks converge towards my position, but they only meet a barrage of wind. Alexander is at the center of a short but dense tornado as the men throw different spells on the figure but doesn't seem to get past the different layers of wind. Sharp knives and spears made of wind shoot out of the tornado stabbing more than half of the men in different areas. The knives don't seem to stab important areas and all the assassin's dodge the spears but they can't evade what's next to come. Alexander wields two inscribed knives with runes and other patterns beautifully designed on the blades. He grips them with his hands as he prepares his stance. The ground seems to shatter below his feet and the gales increase in force pushing the assassin's back. Alexander sprints forward slicing what ever crosses his path. Ten out of the sixteen men that faced Alexander now had their bodies split in half or their heads detached from their bodies. (Four out of the twenty had chased after Xiantian and his group). One man remains unflinching as a wall made of ice covers his figure. The remaining five are still stunned and Alexander's next attack leaves them with the same fate as their allies.

"You really thought you could hide your presence Alexander". The hooded man says with a smile before making his spell crumble.

" I didn't expect to meet you here Ryan". I say revealing my short knives again and pointing it towards my next opponent. "I see your still licking the feet of the patriach of the Rodolf family isn't that so?" The hooded man continues. "You didn't turn out so good yourself did you now Ryan. I didn't expect you to be stealing from carriages and abducting women". I continue looking for ways to break his confidence. "I more concerned with power, I couldn't care less what my minions do. The weak should enjoy their time while it lasts shouldn't they, they were easily defeated by you weren't they?".

The man says before making a pool of water dance around him. "Nice spell, wasn't among the ones you stole from the main family". I continue, mocking Ryan whenever I get the chance. " Your taunts won't affect me Alexander. I did what I had to do in order to escape that prison called a sect". The man continues. " You're lucky that the sect leader didn't emphasize on your capture, you wouldn't have your head intact if not. No need to worry, I'll finish the job here and now for them". I continue as we prepare our stance.

"You still continue to underestimate me Alexander". He says and then we clash trading blows with each other. He tries to create multiple water whips, but my tornado shatters them and the drops of water converge to form another attack. Wind blades and water spears collide as each atta k strives to overpower the other. Alexander remains wary of his opponent as he is the only one in the group who could be a proper challenge to Alexander.

The man tries to envelope me in a prison of water, but I explode my dense gales forward destroying the prison and flinging the man backwards towards the rough bark of a tree. He gets up and continue with his relentless assault forming countless whips which attempt to strike me in different parts of my body but ends up being destroyed by my gales. I defend against the various attacks while forcing my tornado to release faster and stronger blades to injure my opponent. Ryan then freezes the whips which crashes on the tornado and also shattering. However, they absorb part of the tornado and use it as fuel for other frozen whips. The cycle continues with the whips growing stronger and being able to affect my gales. Eventually, one of the shards of broken ice pierces through the tornado to stab me in the chest, disabling my technique. Instead of re-casting my spell, I focus my Qi on my movement technique which increases my speed. The ground ends up shattering even further as I sprint forward with my blades crossed in my hands, slashing Ryan making him lose an arm. He seems shocked, but he uses the water around him to freeze and mould a new arm. Our relentless battle continues as I end up taking parts of Ryan's body while he cuts me deeply. He's already lost his two arms and one leg, yet he continues as he creates new ones out of ice. Our battle drags out until I imbue one of my knives with Qi and throwing it towards Ryan, particularly aiming for his heart. It lands precisely making all his techniques crumble.

"You're still as strong as ever Alexander, when will you leave that prison and finally pursue the limits of the cultivation journey". The man says as he is now on the ground with barely any limbs or clothes to spare. " Well, I don't hope to remain a royal guard for the rest of my life. The cultivation journey has much more to offer, I just hope to live long enough to see it". I say hearing the last words of an old acquaintance. " I heard you have a student now,*chuckles*, back in our day you could barely agree to go to school and now you're teaching. How ironic indeed". The man continues at his last breadth. "I heard the boy's as stubborn as me. He's a wild one I'm sure of that. He'll eventually turn out like me, we can almost bet on it". Ryan continues still laughing as he coughs blood from time to time. "Enjoy your journey Alexander lee, live it well. You'll meet even stronger opponents than me you know". 

" I'm aware of that old friend, rest easy now. You're the only one I'll bury cause atleast you were worth my strength". I say smiling towards my long lost friend. "Let's....meet again Alexander....not soon hopefully". He says before his consciousness grows dark.

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*XIANTIAN'S P. O. V*.

The two men stood as they summoned their spells and pointed it towards us. One had a fire snake around his arm ready to spit flames while the other summoned golemns from the ground that wielded sword like weapons. 

They seem exceptionally skilled as they display their techniques before us signalling at the imminent clash. A short line leaves my mouth before we charge forward. "Royals, it's time to push your weak abilities past it's limits". I say and they feel a little bit insulted, but they understand the idea and start to cast their own spells. The guards support the rear as we prepare our stance awaiting each other's next move. One of the golemns move signalling the start of our battle.