Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

The sphere of light split into thousands of tiny wisps, each one smaller than a child's finger but brimming with power. The Grand Elder moved his hand forward, beckoning these lights with his will as they flew forward and rained down on Dai Mian. 

Dai Mian clicked his tongue and he suddenly spun his arms, creating a black tornado that began to absorb the light energy.

"Death God's Gaze!"

The pupils in his eyes turned to darkness and beams shot out from them. In a straight line, they pierced through the Grand Elder's attack, aiming for his head. But they missed their target as the Grand Elder vanished and reappeared elsewhere with another sphere of light, repeating his attack in another direction. 

Dai Mian chased after him, parrying the showers of light with a shroud of darkness.

"Warlord's Executioner" he muttered under his breath.

He would not playing this game of chase any longer.

The shroud suddenly latched onto Dai Mian's body, tranforming into armor, shadowy pieces that which formed a suit encompassing his body. The only things you could see were his eyes, no longer black but red again, this time they glowed in an eerie fashion. 

The aura of death coaxed him. It was so close to him and anyone near him could feel it, the cold touch the death, the realization of it, and the fear that would settle in. This frightening aura was not the only thing that this armor had.. 

Dai Mian's movements became erratic as he began to fade in and out of this dark world of theirs. 

"What is this? An empowerment? No, there is something else..."

The Grand Elder studied this, realizing that there was something strange about it. The he noticed it, finding that everything around Dai Mian seemed to crumble to nothingness. The stones of the mountainside, whatever grass there was, all of it turned gray and splintered apart. 

"So he is just destroying it all, everything around him just dies..."

He grimaced at the thought. Such a technique was dangerous and hard to pull off. If Dai Mian lost control, the Deathly Aura would consume him as well. Though, it seemed that he was in perfect control. 

In his shadowy armor, Dai Mian pulled out an obsidian colored sword that which glowed with crimson markings. From his side of the world, the sounds of war and battle grew louder: the beating drums, clashing blades, and violent screams.

Truly, he would now take this battle seriously. His True Dao fully revealed, War and Death. Delving in the Dao of War and Death, this form of his was the conclusion he came to when he sought a greater power. On its own, death is a fearsome thing but to a certain degree, few fear it. Thus he seeked a way to make death even more fearsome, even more powerful. Thinking towards destruction, it lead him to War, an object that brought fear, death and destruction, everything he needed. 

"War begets Death and Death begets War, the way to overcome the next calamity is through battle. Grappling fate with your own hands, defying the Heavens with your own actions. No matter what wrath it brings, the only way is to return it with even greater wrath. Huang Bo, this is the last time I ask you, will you join me?"

The Grand Elder said nothing, only staring at Dai Mian with his eyes still clear and without fear.

"So be it."

Dai Mian fully materialized and rushed forward with his sword that which cried the sounds of war. He was quick, swinging his blade and releasing a wave of crimson-tinted black. From it came that overwhelming fear of death as it soared through the sky. 

The Grand Elder kept moving, shooting out beams of twinkling darkness. He avoided that first move and returned it with a Spear of the Twilight. It passed by Dai Mian but burst out, creating a black void in that empty space. 

Their battle was within another level as they exchanged hundreds of moves. Each move was not a sword swing or punch but attacks with enough power to destroy cities. Death Energy flew about, going to from one direction to another as they traded attacks. 

Beams, blasts, and waves shook the mountains as these Heaven Realm Cultivators began to shake the world itself. 

For Dai Mian, the battle was taking longer than he had expected. As of right now, so long as he touches it or wills it, whatever he chooses will die and turn to dust. With the aspect of war, the sounds of beating drums, clashing blades, and violent screams served to attack the mind and overwhelm their senses. 

After all, a moment of hesitation, surprise, weakness could decide a warrior's life. 

But for the Grand Elder, he was not affected. Rather his body glowed as an intricate circle formed behind him. Light and Death Energy came together, forming a Yin Yang circle at the center of it which then spread out to the outer circle.

"Light and Death, Equilibrium."

The Death Energy that formed their own world shuddered and cracked, revealing light shining down upon them. The Grand Elder seemed to be bathed in this heavenly light but surrounded by the darkness of death. It was perfectly balanced, it was the form of his True Dao, Mortality. 

Death does not exist without life and Darkness without Light, the life of a common man embodied that. They live their lives under the sky, the warmth of the sun, the cold of the night, the beauty of the stars. Perhaps, they understood hardship and reward, experienced victoy and loss. One's own mortality, allows them to understand that time was limited and it should be used to its fullest. Death is imminent, inevitable but it shall not discourage them to act and move. Even with death, life should not be squandered. 

This was what the Grand Elder believed, what he knew to be right. 

From his circle came hundreds of sparks both light and dark that rushed towards Dai Mian, battering his armor and slowing him down. 

Then the Grand Elder charged forward. With his body brimming with energy, he did not fear Dai Mian's armor. He brought his hands forward, aiming towards Dai Mian. The circle behind him moved forward and in front of him, glowing with power. 

"Passage of Death, Bursting with Life!"

It shot forth a massive beam of light that overshadowed Dai Mian's aura and blasted him back. His armor seemed to burn under this power as he felt the Grand Elder's Death Energy pave the way past his defenses. From it, Light Energy burst forth, wreaking havok on his body. 

"Geh! Roaring War!"

Dai Mian shouted out, letting out a shockwave of Death Energy as he expelled the attack from his body. Then he pushed forward with his sword, cutting through the attacks as he shot forth. 

"Chasing the Kill!"

He stabbed with his sword, transforming into a blade of darkness that followed the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder dodged Dai Mian's attack and noticed it turn around and return. The glowing circle moved on his will and went to take on this black sword. Then it vanished as Dai Mian returned to his original form. He threw his sword forward with so much force that it threw the Grand Elder off. 

The Yin Yang shook as Dai Mian grabbed the Grand Elder by the throat and threw him down. 

His body fell down to the battle below, crumpled as he laid next to the Sky Realm Experts. 

"Grand Elder Huang!"

They shouted out attempting to shield him before Dai Mian flew down, pinning the Gran Elder by his throat and pointing his obsidian blade into his chest. Still dressed in his shadowy armor, the Sky Realm Experts and the Immortal Army fell to their knees, shaking in fear as all of them were unable to look at Dai Mian. 

All but two.