Chapter 114: The Power of Poseidon (1/2)

Chapter 114: The Power of Poseidon

The sizzling arc of light spat from the Asura Blade cut in to Hua Li’s vortex. What was moments before a deep blue ripple became pure white – but the whirlpool remained. The deadly attack was swallowed in to it.

“Brine Mires,” Lan Jue reminded them cryptically from a distance.

The words echoed through the arena. Hua Li stood unmoved but not unchanged. That coy smile common to his handsome face was gone. His body spun around, and his hands shot out in a flurry. Like before, each strike of his palm birthed a spinning cobalt blue vortex.

As they blasted outward the Asura Blade strike was deflected. Lin Guoguo’s golden doppelganger, too, was pushed violently away. The powerful force was clearly a conglomeration of the ocean’s powers and Hua Li’s own mental force. He was no psychic like Guoguo was, but once a power was cultivated to the ninth rank, one’s control was nearly absolute.

The Brine Mire eddies surrounded Hua Li like moving armor. Slowly they gathered inward, melding in to one, until they swallowed Poseidon and left a massive tidal vortex in his stead.

Mika viciously swiped the Asura Blade, sending wave after wave of deadly surges against the vortex. But no matter how sharp they were, none could penetrate the water’s defense. Each were swallowed in to the roiling depths.

It was no wonder he was called Poseidon! His power was indeed strong.

“My turn!” Ke’er’s voice called out, and is it did a great beam of dazzling blue light exploded from the giant energy canon she had become. It’s destructive volley fired directly in to the heart of the whirlpool.

In response a powerful, almost regal sensation issued from the ocean depths. Soon after, it was joined by a massive, cobalt blue figure. It was seen only faintly at first, a dark blue figure in rough seas. Humanoid, but larger than Hua Li – holding itself with a majestic posture.

“Destroy!” The rumbling voice roared through the entire arena. The indistinct image extended a finger towards the energy shell Ke’er had launched it’s way. A slender, slithering blue light shot out. It collided precisely in the center of the attack.

The beam of power stopped as it was struck. The area around it suddenly grew bright as the sun, waves of energy blasting out in all directions. As it faded, amidst the ripples of heat and energy, a hollow space remained where the two opposing powers had met. The beam was gone.

ζ

Planet Skyfire. The Azure Sea.

Boom–!

A great, deafening blast filled the air. In the seconds following a terrific column of water fired in to the sky, towering hundreds of meters. The corpses of myriad sea creatures tumbled out from the spout in all directions. A staggering pulse of energy swept over the ocean’s surface. It continued for a good ten seconds before finally dissipating.

ζ

The Four Amazons froze, stunned that such a powerful force was simply commanded to cease. The massive vortex began to expand, growing larger still.

Frightful waves of energy blasted out like ominous tides, crashing over them. Mika, with the transformed Asura Blade in hand, were cast away. The whirlpool continued to expand at an alarming rate.

“Be careful. Guoguo’s his target,” Lan Jue interjected.

Lin Guoguo jumped with a start, the gold in her eyes flickering. The golden doppelganger had returned to her side. As her eyes flashed she lifted her right hand and pointed. The golden light around her flared, coming under assault from Poseidon’s crushing wave. Neither budged.

“Good.” Hua Li’s clear voice spoke out in praise as his figure appeared. But as the four women looked on in confusion, his body melted away like water. He disappeared in to the tidal waves.

Lin Guoguo expelled a psychic pulse, searching for her enemy’s presence. But how could she find him, as water in an ocean?

Her head shot up as though she’d found her target. She looked up just as a blue figure was crashing down on her – a bubble, which quickly swallowed her up.

A flash of blue light, and Lin Guoguo was gone. When she reappeared she was several hundred meters away, in the belly of the spinning bubble. Her mental powers were rendered useless.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Lan Jue called for them to cease. As he did, the waters settled, vanishing. Poseidon’s regal figure was revealed as they did.

Mika lay down the Asura Blade, and Ke’er reverted to her adorable and unthreatening appearance. The bubble around Lin Guoguo burst. The soaked amazon trotted over to meet them.

Lan Jue looked over his warrior maidens. “You’ve already lost. If A’li had wanted to, at least two of you would already be gravely injured – or worse.”

“In respect to individual power you each are at a disadvantage. However, together you shouldn’t have lost this quickly. Guoguo, you’re problem is exactly as I just outlined; persistence. Your psychic powers didn’t reach the level they could have. Through the whole fight, you were far too gentle. Had you pushed yourself, your ninth ranked powers would have caused him real trouble.”

“Yes, boss.” Lin Guoguo’s face grew red, and she inadvertently stuck out her tongue in shame.

Lan Jue turned then to Mika. “your powers weren’t employed at all. Even controlling the power of your blood, you’re still a ninth ranked Talent. Fire and water are mortal enemies, both in competition with one another. Your manipulation of the fire element wasn’t nearly sufficient. Are you avoiding disrupting his water attacks because of your cultivation training?”

“Xiuxiu. You were correct in assuming the Asura Blade during the fight. But, you picked the wrong time. You have to pick the most beneficial moment to use it – and certainly not when no opportunity presents itself. Doesn’t this reveal your hand too early to the enemy?”