Silence fell over the corpse of the Jade Mantis Sect Leader.
The single, overwhelming blow had done its work. The sinister laughter of the sect members died in their throats, replaced by a stunned stillness. The leader’s body, rent by an impossible sword strike, lay twisted on the ground. The coppery tang of blood rising from the corpse grounded the surreal moment in brutal reality.
Yixian turned from the wretched sight, the blood-slick
10