Chapter 396 - 396. Ice
The cultivators that had just appeared didn't look completely real, their features were covered with inscriptions and they all wore expressionless faces.
David's group immediately stood up, they had wielded their weapons as soon as the formations lit up.
The inscribed cultivators wore the golden armors of the Royal army of the Utra nation, Noah and his group had spotted them along the way but they went on different paths and entered a different portal.
"It seems that this technique can even copy cultivators."
David judged as his eyes were filled with greed, the possibility of obtaining the copying technique from the separate dimension seemed to become more real with every new trial.
'I guess I was right.'
Noah thought as he inspected the inscribed cultivators, three of them were in the solid stage while two of them were in the liquid one, it was pointless to say that they were all in the third rank!
Also, the mental waves that they radiated belonged to rank 3 mages, they couldn't be underestimated.
'I wonder if a copy of ourselves has appeared in front of another group, that should be the purpose behind the inscriptions in the corridor after all.'
Noah guessed again, he felt a bit bothered to be used in that way especially considering that he had so many secrets.
However, his thoughts were interrupted since the five inscribed cultivators recklessly charged at them.
"One each, winners help those in need!"
David gave simple orders as he shot toward a woman that seemed the strongest in the enemy team.
The others in his group did the same with Nate and Noah charging toward the liquid stage cultivators.
Explosions resounded in the arena as the battle began, spells and attacks were launched as soon as the two sides clashed.
Noah was completely focused on the liquid stage inscribed man in front of him, spears made of ice shot in his direction as shockwaves resounded from under his feet.
Noah managed to dodge the spell thanks to the speed generated from the Shadow sprint and immediately used his strongest attack.
Time seemed to slow down in his eyes and black veins bulged all over his body as six fast slashes were launched.
The Third Form of the Ashura fused the most powerful aspects of the other two Forms, it had the destructive power of the Second Form and the ethereal aspect of the First one.
Noah was at about ten meters of distance from the inscribed man but six extremely fast slashes still cut through the air and managed to reach his enemy!
However, he was against a liquid stage cultivator.
The Third Form was fast and powerful, it could be said that it was a perfect attack method, yet, it was still only a martial art.
A layer of ice covered the man's chest and six deep marks appeared on it but the skin under that protection remained untouched!
The Third Form had been blocked!
'I used the weakest version of the Third Form but I didn't expect it to be blocked so easily.'
Noah evaluated in his mind but was forced to summon his Blood companion since his enemy had cast another barrage of ice spears at the moment when Noah's attack was blocked.
Heilong appeared in front of Noah, its huge scaled body completely covered Noah's figure as it endured the enemy's spell.
The spears stabbed its body, the reinforced scales couldn't stop such a powerful spell.
Ice spread on Heilong's body from where the spears were stabbed but Noah quickly controlled his companion and the frozen parts together with the spears where cut off from its body.
Blood companions could immediately recreate their missing parts using the "Breath" of the cultivator linked to them but they couldn't properly heal, they weren't living beings after all.
Noah had decided to cut away the damaged parts to accelerate the reconstruction of its body, he needed a defensive method against the piercing ability of those spears.
'Let's try with three.'
Noah thought and the world in his eyes slowed again.
Heilong was absorbed in his body and three fast slashes cut the air toward the inscribed man.
The power behind the Third Form would increase according to how concentrated Noah's attacks were.
Its weaker version was when Noah used his six arms to attack, those arms contained the many ethereal copies of the First Form and could project his slashes in the distance thanks to that.
The strongest was, of course, when Noah focused his everything in one slash: The First and Second form would be used to their peak at that moment, creating a seemingly unstoppable attack.
Of course, such a move would put his body under heavy stress, Noah preferred to use its weaker version since he had other powerful abilities available.
Three powerful slashes crashed on the layer of ice that the inscribed man had created as soon as he saw that an attack was nearing him.
Deep marks appeared on the ice and white shards shot in every direction due to the collision.
Yet, the man behind it was completely unharmed.
'This won't do.'
The veins on Noah's arms healed as Heilong appeared again to block the third barrage of ice spears, the man was always using the protection of the ice layer to cast more spells.
Also, the number of spears was increasing, it seemed that the shards of his previous spells could be used to increase the power of his attacks.
'I don't know if this will work against non-living beings but the dragons in the labyrinth were extremely lifelike, that should apply to cultivators too.'
Noah focused and his mental energy was expended.
Three ghostly claws appeared in front of him which flew through Heilong's body as they reached for the inscribed man.
Another layer of ice appeared, the man used his reliable defensive spell to block the incoming attack.
Yet, those claws were not material, they passed unobstructed through the ice shield and stabbed themselves in the man's chest.
No wound appeared on his flesh, the man didn't seem to have suffered any kind of damage.
However, a few drops of blood came out of his mouth and traced straight dark lines on his jaw as they fell on the floor, Noah's eyes shone when he saw that his new spell was effective!