Blood and Qi: A Vampire Xianxia LitRPG

John had two goals. The first was to keep these two Salts unmerged. The second was to test them. Since it would be a surprise attack, he targeted the peak Salt, the one that was heavily armored. Much to his surprise, he was rejected from taking control of his enemy’s blood nearly as soon as he initiated the act. The peak Salt laughed.

“Did he just try to invoke at you, Ogema,” asked Nas.

“That he did, love,” said Ogema, smiling. At least John thought it was a smile.

“He must never have heard of you, my dear. How long since you stood against an enemy able to get an invocation off while within your mighty [Aura]?”

“Too long, my beautiful Naskapi.”

John was collecting blade energy on his axe as the two talked. He was taking his time with it, as this was another test. It would take more than a Salt yokel from a Tech 0 world unbinding a manifestation to impress him.

Well before John was ready to whip his axe forward and release its energy, Ogema blurred in front of him, fast as lightning, and grabbed his hand.

“Atlantans aren’t very smart, are they, Ogema,” asked the robed one, Naskapi, off to the side.

“Doesn’t seem like it, Nas. Did you feel that though? That weird feeling around his axe?”

“Meaningless, my dear. Well, show him why it’s such a bad idea to let a body-cultivator grab hold. Teach him some manners. Beat him to a pulp for me, my love.”

If Ogema wanted to be humbled in a fist fight, John would oblige. The first time he destroyed a statue of Kazthun, he also had a slugfest after.

Seeing the surprise in Ogema’s eyes as the body-enhancement he tried casting was violently unbound nearly made John laugh. He knew how that sent painful shocks through the meridians.

Ogema was holding John’s right wrist, so John punched the armor covering his enemy’s side with his left hand. Though he didn’t put much power into the punch, it dented the armor inward a great deal.

John knew, like himself, Ogema was right-handed. He let his enemy have a free punch at his face. It hurt and he felt a little blood trickle from his lip, but it did no real damage. He could take those punches all day.

And he began to as John and Ogema took turns punching each other’s faces. John decided against enhancing his strength with vital essence. He was using his left hand and not putting all the power he could into his blows, while his enemy was using his dominant hand to land his hardest punches.

Sometime later, the fight turned more vicious. The two men rolled on the ground, punching, biting, and kicking, and they fought ferociously for a long while.

At some point, Ogema latched on to John’s skull with his maw, finding the subdermal plating under John’s skin, and only hurting his own teeth.

John never once used blunt energy to enhance his blows, nor did he once swipe with his claws. He never activated his own [Aura]. He ignored holds and bars that were practically offered up to him, as well as all openings allowing him to cause major damage and end the fight quickly.

The ananongs were naturally strong, fast, and powerful. Ogema was a body cultivator at the pinnacle of the Mortal Tree, the peak of what the race could physically become before ascending to the next Tree, and John wanted to test the limit of his new enemies.

And the two men fought on in brutal battle. Ogema’s armor was broken and slowly removed as the fight continued. His helm was long gone, and his face was bloody, especially where John had taken a bite out of his cheek. Blow after mighty blow and neither man was close to being done.

Until Nas started to get involved. Subtly, then more blatantly. John let her, though his right hand was burned badly with death-essence for allowing it.

When he was done testing his opponent, John let Ogema wrap his arm around his neck from behind. “Hold him still, love,” ordered Nas. “Let’s just get this over so we can get the prisoners working on a new statue.”

Ogema held John tightly in front of him in a chokehold. Nas struck both of her arms forward as if she were holding whips. Death-essence lashed out of both her hands in a cord-like manifestation aimed right at John’s chest.

John grabbed Ogema’s arm and shoulder and bent down violently while tossing his enemy over himself and directly into the path of the incoming cords of death-essence.

Three pieces of Ogema rolled in three different directions as Nas screamed out in horror. John unbound her next manifestation, and the next. She tried running. She didn’t get far.

As John wrapped his arms around the fleeing and crying ananong, he whispered, “It’s a very bad idea letting me grab hold. Guess what? I win, you lose,” into her ear before draining her. Or he assumed it was a her.

Just as John finished and was about to search her corpse, he felt a new Exalted approaching from the east. He cursed and quickly made minions of the two corpses and ran south as fast as he could push himself, using vital essence to enhance his speed, buffing himself every way he could, while infusing essence into his cloak.

The Exalted got closer and closer as John sprinted south. Some sort of manifestation he didn’t even feel being cast grabbed hold of him, but he quickly shrugged it off and kept running. And then again. And again. Soon after, he noticed the Exalted stopped following and was standing still.

John thought he must’ve entered the snake’s realm and the pretend Transcendent wouldn’t follow. He assumed it was another pretend Transcendent, two Salts merged together as Ogema and Nas were.

Loud and resounding, as if it was yelled right next to him, John heard, “Run, you coward!”

John stopped running. His brows furrowed as a crazed look entered his eye. He had never bested a Transcended other than the mindless dark walker and some weak creatures of a NetherWorld without demons. This Transcendent wasn’t a real one either. And his damaged hand didn’t hurt too badly. He tried to open and close it, but the dead flesh refused his commands.

I have much to live for after so much time with no good reason to, thought John. I have a new wife. I have the promise of children. Children! A purpose. The chance to really live again.

Amber was joking when she told me to come back with my shield or on it, but that’s one of the few tenets I laid forth Sparta didn’t warp beyond recognition. True warriors don’t run from battle. Better Amber be a widow than married to a coward.

I was born to battle, as these g’athu worshipers will soon learn.

John turned and began to retrace his steps. He felt for his minions. Only Ogema was in range, proving the doughtiness of the body cultivator’s corpse. It was too far away to be helpful now, but he still ordered it to attack in case he was too busy later.

As the Exalted stared at him as he approached, John made sure his [Slowing Aura] was on, adjusted his battle-mind, tightened his buffs, and sent more vital essence to enhance his speed. He called out, “You worship Kazthun, sacrifice your own people, and name me coward? Two Archlords merged into a Sovereign against a Silver? And I’m the coward? I would eat your hearts and bathe in your blood, but your cowardice may infest me if I did so. Instead, I’ll piss on your corpses today. By tomorrow, I’ll have forgotten all about you.”

The Exalted looked strange, as the last Exalted John saw did as well, as if it couldn’t decide how it should look. It wore only robes and no armor, and also lacked a weapon. Its size was the general size of all other ananongs. It hovered above the ground, fangs bared in anger, growling. “Step out of Sovereign Odjig’s realm and face us then, coward. Yes, face us, coward. All those strange essences of yours won’t save you.”

As John walked forward, he felt another Exalted rushing north to his location. He stopped and turned, showing his back to the merged Salts in insult.

Instead of flying, the snake slithered over the land like a lightning bolt.

Once it arrived, the snake stood next to John and addressed the two merged-Salts. “Why are you encroaching on my realm? Do you seek to break the peace? Attack me?”

The enemy bowed with both hands pressed together as if in prayer. “Sovereign Odjig, this…whatever it is, attacked us and fled into your realm like a coward. Two of our rank fell today. We don’t know how, but this Silver was in the vicinity. We would question it, find the truth of the matter, and ensure blood pays in kind. And find the truth of those essences it holds in its mana center.”

“It’s a male,” replied the snake. “From the lost city of Wangunk, taken by the ocean so long ago. He names the city Atlantis, and himself an Atlantan. I saw everything, so no need to question him.

“This Silver slayed your forces in Ingam, destroyed the statue of your demon mistress there, and killed Ogema and Naskapi. Six are now reduced to four. Can you two stand against Mena and Ino? Or will they rid these lands of you both, free Saxx, and go help Sakim do the same to Ninigret and Sequin in Uagri. Will this be the end of your cult?”

The Exalted stared angrily at the snake. “Tall tales and taunting? Do you seek to break the peace? Do you want the great Kazthun as an enemy, beast? We don’t worship animals as the Saxxanese and Gansettish. Or, I should say, what’s left of them after they foolishly stood against Kazthun. Do you seek to feed our great mistress too, and help us summon her to this world?”

The snake slithered around, coiling its lower body, and reared up threateningly, taking up enough space that it forced John to back away some. “Gansett hasn’t fallen yet. Two Archlords have managed to keep four at bay, even with those four posing as two false Sovereigns. A Silver, not an Archlord, not even an Overlord, not even an Underlord, a mere Silver, has defeated a pair of you. Or maybe he hasn’t. Look, Ogema would join our meeting.”

Ogema’s corpse was still far off but getting closer. The corpse of Nas had just entered John’s range too. The merged Exalted turned in the direction Ogema was coming from. It was quiet for a moment before it angrily snapped out, “What have you done to him,” and quickly flew out of John’s vision range, but not the range of his senses.

“They’ll want your blood even more now,” said the snake. “The spirits didn’t bless me with essence-sight. Do you really have five aspects, Atlantan?”

“I do, Sovereign.”

“Strange. Strange and wonderful. Are you a spirit?”

“I’m not, Sovereign.”

After hissing, the snake said, “That’s too bad. I hoped you were a great spirit given form. I always wanted to meet one. Sometimes I can almost feel them, hear them whispering to me. You didn’t return with heads, but I accept the slaughter you made as a…”

John assumed the snake stopped speaking when he felt or sensed what John had. Ogema died for the second time.

“I won’t be able to get involved in this fight directly,” said the snake. “I can only intimidate and threaten. Oh, looks like they sensed Naskapi and are going for her.”

John still could barely sense his other minion.

“You do plan on fighting them, yes,” asked the snake.

“I do, Sovereign.”

“I’ll try and get them to accept a contest with some rules to make this fairer. Hopefully I can get them to separate for it. It will be tougher than your last fight. Masset and Sakmaw are both at the peak of Archlord, the highest ananong can go, and each possesses mighty magics.”

Hearing the snake mention a contest gave John an idea. “Thank you, Sovereign,” he replied. “I appreciate the help.” He wanted to ask why the snake wouldn’t get involved directly. If the Kazthun cultists were killing the ananongs the snake claimed worshiped it, he figured that would be a good enough reason to get in the fight.

A few minutes later, the Exalted returned, looking furious. As they flew back towards John, they yelled out, “What evil did you do to them? You defile the corpses of Archlords? You spit on the great spirits!”

The snake reared up menacingly. “You dare mention the great spirits while worshiping a demon? While sacrificing so many ananong to her? Piling their bodies up to the sky! You’ve turned your backs on the great spirits long ago. You only soil the air with such words and indignation.”

The Exalted stared murder at the snake. “You understand too little, beast. Slither back deeper into your realm and stay there. Sovereign Tamoit knows her place and told you yours. Ananong affairs are not Sovereign affairs. We leave you alone and you leave us alone. So, go. Leave us alone. Send your pet out of your realm first.”

“And if I don’t? If I keep him in my realm? Will you break truce? Will you feel my fangs? Will you have regrets as I constrict around your body and squeeze the life out of you?”

Snake and ananong stared tensely at one another. “You want the Atlantan,” stated the snake. “If you agree to a contest, you can have him. He’s a Silver so any contest would favor you, but what I suggest will make this fairer. Separate and…,”

“Apologies, Sovereign,” interrupted John, “but may I suggest something? In Atlantis, when our lords have been offended by a commoner, we hold a sort of contest as a trial. Both the lord and commoner must stand five paces or so from one another and take turns manifesting their best spells until one falls dead or submits.

“The lord, being the offended party, gets the first strike. Neither party can move their feet or move their body out of the way of their opponent’s strikes, though it’s allowed to defend oneself by essence-shields and the like.

“If I must fight a godlike Sovereign, I’m sure to die. It won’t be much of a fight. And if I am to die today, I would prefer to do so in the way of my people. If I am forced to submit, I swear to become the mighty Sovereign’s willing slave and follow the Sovereign’s commands unquestioningly for as long as I live.”

John wasn’t sure if the merged Salts were men or women so avoided giving offense by guessing incorrectly. He hoped he hadn’t laid it on too thick. The two Sovereigns looked at one another, then the false one looked at John. “You’ll be our slave and obey our every order?”

“If you let me live, mighty Sovereign.”

After a moment of silence, the Exalted asked, “You can’t move away from our strike? What if you’re knocked down? Do we win then?”

“No, mighty Sovereign. I get back up and we continue until I’m dead or I submit. I just can’t move to avoid your attack.”

“And unbinding,” asked the Exalted.

“Not allowed, mighty Sovereign,” answered John.

There were more questions John answered before the Exalted agreed. The snake said, “As this contest was agreed upon by both parties, with the great spirits as my witnesses, I will enforce terms and attack and kill any party not adhering to them. I invite you into my realm Masset and Sakmaw. Stand here.”

Once in place, John tightened his battle-mind and buffs, made sure his [Slowing Aura] was still activated, and recast [Multi-Shield]. He continued to manipulate essence in preparation. He didn’t know what attack would be loosed at him, so he had to be ready for anything.

The Exalted raised its hands above its head and built up an attack. A pink and crackling ball of energy grew and grew between its hands until it was the size of a small boulder. The boulder was released and shot at John’s legs like a bullet.

[Slowing Aura] made it easier for John to place a focused essence-shield in the boulder’s path, but that focused shield barely slowed it down. The second focused shield slowed it a little more, as did his third, and his [Aura] slowed it further. Then it blasted into [Multi-Shield], shattering it, and hitting his legs. One leg was smashed, the other banged up some, but whole.

The snake hissed. The Exalted laughed and said, “I’d submit now if I were you, Atlantan. We’ll even help heal your leg.”

John winced and concentrated on maintaining his balance. When the Exalted realized John wasn’t submitting, it cast a very light-pink essence-shield around itself. “That was a neat trick with those little shields but how will you stand when you have no legs to stand upon, Atlantan? Just save your strange essence, save yourself from far more pain, and…what in the five hells are you doing?”

Even if he wanted to, John didn’t have time to answer. Both he and the Exalted were being trapped within his [Ultimate].