Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

However, Elder Xiang did not mind it. 

"A few lost limbs is nothing! I can still hold my position as the Blade Elder!"

"Elder Xiang, we must bring you away quickly. We can still repair what remains."

The Grand Elder looked at him with worried eyes, Hua Xiang attempted to heal him but she did not have the power. At best, a bit of color came back but nothing more. 

"Ah stop it, I'm fine. Focus on the others, many of them haven't recovered yet. We should at leeast be able to move and return to Heaven's Gate."

Everyone began focusing on their recovery and a blue ship appeared, rising from the edge of the broken peak. A flag fluttered in the air with the words "Blue Skies" on it.

"Is everyone alright?"

A voice rang out from the ship, rough but energetic, it was the voice of the captain. The ship of the Blue Skies Caravan hovered of them and moved to the edge of the mountain. Parts of it were slightly singed but other than that, the ship was practically untouched.

"Hm? The ship? The captain and his crew came back?"

Ming Yue had not expected them to come much less stay. 

The others looked in curiosity.

"A caravan ship? What is it doing here?" they thought.

"This is good, we can all board it and recover there safely. This way we could even return to our sects and homes quicker", said the Grand Elder.

Everyone nodded, accepting this proposal. With the amount of damage done to the mountains, their camp was most likely destroyed. If they wanted to return, they would have to do it by foot or flight.

Bit by bit, those still alive regained feeling over their bodies but the emotions that ran through were mixed. It was especially so for those of the younger generation, who did not expect to witness and experience these things. 

Was this what absolute power was? 

How long would it take to reach that level?

Could they face that sort of strength?

The gap in power was simply too shocking, too much for them to handle. For many this had become a heart demon for them, the fear and uncertainty of strength. Suddenly, they did not feel proud of their talent and current strength, even doubting if they were truly geniuses. Certainly, they were the younger generation but the shoes they had to fill seemed a bit too big for them.

The older generation noticed it but said nothing. 

This was a good experience for them, a way to show that is will always be someone above you. It would serve to humble them and to test their resolve. 

"Please, come in! Come in! It is an honor to serve you as guests of the Blue Skies Caravan!"

As the ship settled down and a bridge extended outwards, Captain Hai and his crew came out, nearly stumbling forward. Quickly, they moved to help carry out whatever needed to be moved. That included any remaining treasures and materials that survived the battle. 

As things were getting underway, Ming Yue approached the captain, her eyes somewhat widened in surprise.

"You stayed here, captain?"

The stout man looked at her with a smile. 

"It did not feel right to send a passenger off to battle, perhaps even death. Furthermore, this would do well to improve our reputation as a good caravan! It was quite shocking when the storm suddenly vanished and came back with even more lightning. That was almost too risky but this was a gamble I won."

He explained, looking up at the sky which had become somewhat cloudy. 

"It's strange... There is no storm anymore, just clouds. As much as I'd want to know what happened, It may not be my place to do so. Alas, the Merciless Storm peak will no longer live up to its name. Though I'm sure this could become something else. In any case, come aboard!"

Having regained a bit of her strength, Ming Yue nodded and then went to help the others. 

A slow stream of people entered the ship, finally relaxing inside. And the last ones to board was Ming Yue, Hua Xiong, and the elders of Heaven's Gate. 

"Where will you go now?" 

Ming Yue looked towards Hua Xiong, presenting this question to her. 

"I... I do not know, perhaps return to the Violet Sun Sect but..." she replied. 

Hua Xiong had become the last of her sect. How many years had she spent there? How many memeories had she made? Now, there was no one left. If she were to return to Earthfire City, she would be met with emptiness. 

Ming Yue could see it in her eyes, they were blank, lost. Her eyes drooped, filling with an unspeakable sadness. Without her sect, Hua Xiong no longer had a home.

"Would you like to come with me to Heaven's gate?" she asked. 

Hua Xiong looked at Ming Yue, pausing to think before shaking her head. 

"The Violet Sun Sect will always be my home. At the very least, I need to pay my respects to them. After that... perhaps I will visit Heaven's Gate."

As cold as she had become, seeing the demise of her own sect was something that she needed time to accept. Having to see the death of her senior brother only made it even harder to do so. 

Ming Yue did not pursue it, respecting Hua Xiong's choice. 

As they walked on bridge and made their way to the ship. The mountains rumbled as a voice rumbleed outwards. 

"It isn't over! IT IS NEVER OVER!" 

Suddenly, the floor glowed as a massive formation appeared. It hummed with power as Dai Mian's upper half floated upwards, the red gem that was his eye glowed brightly. 

"You did not win yet! Victory is not yours! The Heavens are still mine!"

Like a vengeful ghost, his voice seemed to haunt the skies as the formation glowed brightly. 

"We have to go! Get in!" the captain yelled out. 

The Blue Skies Ship rose up with Ming Yue and Hua Xiong still on the bridge. 

"Get back here! Give me your sword!"

Dai Mian's body trembled as a single dark hand flew out. It chased after the ship, aiming to nab Ming Yue. The hand was wide open and headed straight for her. He needed her sword or rather, he needed the gems on them. With them, it could hasten his recovery and even strengthen him. 

As of now he was too weak but more importantly, everyone else was shocked to see him alive for a third time. But there was more to it. 

"Give me the sword! Give me it! Give it to me! I need it! I need it!"

He kept shouting like a madman and it was clear that he had lost all reason. He might still be alive but he did not fully recover and he may never. 

But who could stop the hand, the ship was not go quick enough to escape it. No one was fast enough to stop it. All they knew was that it was aimed towards Ming Yue. 

Her eyes sharpened as she unsheathed her sword and readied to meet the shadowy hand. Ming Yue was in no state to fight back and no one else was close enough nor had the strength. It was a surprising attack and her only option was to fight it off. 

Then she felt some hands push her into the ship as the shadowy hand grabbed someone else. 

In front of her, Hua Xiong destroyed the hand with her Light Dao Energy but could not disperse it fully. She fell off as the remnants of the hand pulled her down. The formation hummed with power before shining with power before flashing brightly. 

"Wait, no!" she shouted, looking out of the ship's entrance.

Ming Yue watched as Hua Xiong vanished into motes of light along with Dai Mian. With her back turned, she could not see the expression on Hua Xiong's face as she fell and vanished. 

"Why would she do that?" thought Ming Yue, "Why would she do such a thing?"