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Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
She wasn't at 8 before she learnt it.
She wasnt?
That said... All of you poor, blind sods deserve no sympathy. Allah, in all His infinite mercy, gave you eyes to read with and ears to hear, and yet you remain confident in your ignorance. Obvious hints are dismissed and discarded like so much grains of sand in the desert. Why, such a display of buffoonery is in itself an affront to His design!
This sounds badass.

Vote B. - maximum sword.
 

Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
Who knows how his mind is working? He's come prepared for a lot of this, but he said he hadn't prepared enough to stand up to her. Is he lying to put her off guard? Is it an honest admission at what he sees as the probable endnof his life? Well, I have no idea.

But if our child elder is confident that she won't be killed and that she can save him, well, I think the advice of a semi-immortal, hugely experienced elder would know better than Jing, and she'll probably be pretty badass.
 

Tribute

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
Messages
919
Shun gave us the "don't worry", and he's not a stupid man. That's enough for me to B.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
The Ten Swords Conference VI

“No, I think not. It’s too risky.”

Xuezi begins cursing up a storm of protests, but you ignore her.

“I thought interfering directly with mortal affairs was forbidden by a long-standing edict of Heaven,” says Shun loudly. This seems to give the veiled woman pause.

“Be a good girl now. Lingshu, catch.” Letting go of Song Lingshu’s hand, you pass Xuezi over. With one arm freed up, you throw a loop of silk around Lingshu’s Chixiao Sword. The red string wraps around the sword’s hilt tightly, forming a secure knot in an instant.

The veiled woman begins replying to Shun. “I see you know that much, at least. Unfortunately for you, foolish Emperor, there are exceptions. Let’s say, if they intrude into our domain…”

“You mean, this island…” Shun seems surprised.

You make your apologize to Lingshu in advance. “I’m going to need that sword for a bit. Sorry.”

“What do you-“ Before Lingshu can finish her words, you give her a sharp kick. Her grip on the sword loosens as she flies backwards, clutching Xuezi in her arms. At the same time, you use the force of the kick to propel yourself forward, your fingers pushing into the ground to gain traction. Charging against the strong wind, even with your qinggong, you make little headway before you are blown back again. As you tumble through the air, you feel the silk running through your fingers. Using it as a guide, you manage to fall back towards the sword. Your feet land against the hilt. The crimson blade bends slightly, but does not break or come loose from the ground: as expected, the quality of a legendary sword is truly something to be admired. With a shout, you launch yourself into the wind again, kicking off the Chixiao Sword with all of your strength.

You get further this time, but it is still not enough. You are still falling short. You reach out – your hand will not get there in time. The veiled lady is about to strike. Winding the silk around your fingers, you tug, hard. You swing your arm forwards desperately. Tied to you through the silk, the Chixiao Sword turns into a whirling red circle as it spins rapidly, cutting through the wind with ease.

You could only hope that in your desperation, you timed it right. Aimed it right.

There is a clang of metal. The Chixiao Sword bounces off the Xuanyuan Sword, knocking it off course.

Instead of piercing Shun’s throat, the copper blade sinks into his abdomen.

Blood, red blood, trickles down the sword, running through the grooves that make up the ancient inscriptions.

The woman turns, throwing a furious glare at you. This time the wind feels like a battering ram, taking all breath out of your lungs. It knocks you up into the sky, smashing you through the tall banners. As you fall through the air, the ground below you shudders. A loud, muffled groan of stone giving way seems to spread throughout the island, resonating from every plot of ground. The small tower you had emerged from collapses, crumbling in on itself. There is a tremendous bang as the stone altar splits down the middle, toppling the pot of incense. The veiled woman cries out. You hit the ground hard, but spring to your feet immediately. The wind has weakened; no longer being directed by her will, it now swirls around the cliffs wildly.

“What did you do, Li Shun?” she screams angrily.

“It came a little too late… but the disruption was successful. As it so happens, I do know a bit about celestial domains,” grins Shun, who is kneeling on the ground just behind her; he has removed the sword from his gut and is attempting to stem the flow of blood with his fingers.

You shout out his name. If you can just get to him…

The veiled lady lashes out at Shun, her fingers arching into sharp claws. With an agility that belies his injury, he rolls safely out of the way. Her claws sink into the floor; the stone begins melting and bubbling as she withdraws her hand. Shun laughs, staggering to his feet. “If you are truly all-knowing, you would have killed me the moment I stepped on this island. Still, it was not an easy task to fool you. If I had no intention of fully putting my own life on the line, I could not have cornered you here.”

“Are you some sort of idiot? You would have died!” you shout, rushing to his side.

Shun merely shrugs, giving you a good-natured grin. “Look who’s talking. Anyway, you bailed me out, didn’t you? I believed that you would, and it paid off. Of course, I would have had to think up something if you weren't here...”

Was he always the sort to take such insane gambles? You thought that was your duty. He should not have to bet his own life in anything. He is the Emperor after all. You didn’t really bail him out, not with him taking a bloody sword wound. What is he even thinking?

Despite all of your confusion and disgruntlement, you do not get to challenge him about his decision, as at the next moment he sinks weakly to the ground. You catch him before he falls.

“I’m alright. I just need a few seconds to recuperate,” he murmurs, waving away your concern. “Victory is already ours.”

A soft giggle floats into your ears. “Paid off? Victory? Are you all fools? None of you will leave here alive.” There is a tremor of anger in the veiled lady’s voice that you have not heard before; from her trembling shoulders, she appears to be positively seething. “That is a fact.” Her voice turns cold as a tremendous flow of yin qi radiates from her body. The shadows darken further even though the sun is hidden behind the clouds. The darkness under her feet ripples; for a moment, you seem to see hundreds of faces, masked in shade, flowing towards her from every direction. Putting her palms up, she takes a stance, that veil still covering her face.

“Well, I may have to revise my declaration of victory just a bit,” mutters Shun. “This I did not expect.”

“Fall, into the eternal prison where no light will reach you. Neither the gods nor the Buddha will be your salvation,” chants the veiled woman – soft though her voice is, you hear her as if she is whispering directly into your ear.

You feel a prickling running all up and down your spine.

She will kill the both of you if you try to grab Shun and run.

She will kill Shun if you do not occupy anything less than her full attention.

She will kill you if you make so much as a single mistake in battle.

You bare your teeth in a grin, though cold sweat runs down your neck. Just the odds that you like.

***

A. You go in swiftly on the offensive and into close combat, relying mainly on your claws and kicks to overwhelm and occupy her attention. Despite her powerful qi, you are confident that at close range you are superior in speed and agility; you just need to batter her down.

B. You take advantage of her unarmed state and use your swords as your main offensive force. With the Yuchang Sword and your wodao, and the Chixiao Sword lying near the altar still tied with silk, you may be able to overcome her with your techniques; it would take only one good slash to take off her head.

C. You stay a bit further back and rely on medium-range combat, utilizing the defensive and longer-ranged techniques of the Xianglong Palms to prevent her from coming too close to you. Once you create an opening, you will blast her with the most powerful palm in the series.

D. You enter an entirely defensive stance, relying on the Taiji Fist and Sword to fend off the veiled woman’s techniques. All you need to do is to play safe, hold out and attempt to use your qi-absorption ability to weaken her at the same time.

E. You take the Xuanyuan Sword from Shun and attack the veiled woman with it. It is said to be the greatest of the legendary swords, forged of celestial metal. Surely it contains some sort of power that will allow you to turn this situation around.
 
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Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
I think... A? Or B, one of those. Relying on qi attacks and absorption alone when she has massive qi reserves won't turn out well for us, I think. We're probably going to die next update.

A>B (also, is this one of the instances where the demon takes away Jing's ability to run or would he always have stayed to fight?)
 

Akkudakku

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
1,125
D> B

D because absorb the celestial bitch!
B because something might happen if we grab the Chixiao.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Well...

Since we need to grab her attention and distract her from Shun, I don't think we can allow ourselves the luxury of waiting for an opening in a defensive stance. Shun is her goal here, not us - the moment we stop putting the pressure on her, she'll kill him.

If that the Jiuyin Holy Art she is using?

9. Wuming Jiuyu Shenyin Art (無明九獄聖陰術, Lightless Nine Prisons Holy Yin Art)
The most powerful qi-based technique in the Jiuyin Holy Art that purportedly allows its wielder to massacre even the strongest armies with dark shadows.

I am, too, leaning towards A. Besides, I am becoming awfully curious about what is hiding behind that veil.

What was that bit about Celestial domains and disruption?

The veiled woman begins replying to Shun. “I see you know that much, at least. Unfortunately for you, foolish Emperor, there are exceptions. Let’s say, if they intrude into our domain…”
[...]
“It came a little too late… but the disruption was successful. As it so happens, I do know a bit about celestial domains,” grins Shun, who is kneeling on the ground just behind her; he has removed the sword from his gut and is attempting to stem the flow of blood with his fingers.
Are we no longer in her domain? If so, what happens with her if she defies an edict from Heaven?
 
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Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Xuanming Jiuyin Holy Art (玄冥九陰聖術, Profound Darkness Nine Yin Holy Art)

First appeared in the late Warring States period with only the first three steps of the art, and used by a master assassin. The rest were gradually developed later by its various practitioners throughout the ages.

1. Fuyinqi Skill (伏陰氣功, Hidden Yin Qi Skill)

The fundamental neigong of the Jiuyin Holy Art. Generates a strong yin presence and is required to understand the subsequent techniques to their highest level. Qi cultivated from this neigong is associated with cold, darkness and death.

2. Jiuming Step (九冥步, Nine Darkness Step)

The qinggong of the Jiuyin Holy Art, allowing the user to move as lightly and as unseen as a shadow.

3. Fuyin Huagu Claws (伏陰化骨爪, Hidden Yin Bone Melting Claws)

A claw technique that can melt through bone.

4. Xuantiedun (玄鐵盾, Profound Iron Shield)

A defensive technique that can conjure a qi barrier to stop even projectiles and weapons.

5. Santou Longshe Staff (三頭龍蛇棍, Three-Headed Dragon Snake Staff)

A staff technique that is slow and fast in equal measure, moving in erratic, snake-like ways to confuse the enemy.

6. Xiansha Finger (仙殺指, Immortal-Killing Finger)

A deadly, precise finger technique that is said to be able to manipulate any pressure point regardless of the opponent’s level.

7. Jiuying Zhiyu Sword (九影制獄劍, Nine Shadows Imprisonment Sword)

A shadowy sword technique that is imperceptible in its movements even as it restricts the enemy’s actions.

8. Xuanyin Shenlong Palm (玄陰聖龍掌, Profound Yin Holy Dragon Palm)

An extremely destructive palm technique that carries the element of softness.

9. Wuming Jiuyu Shenyin Art (無明九獄聖陰術, Lightless Nine Prisons Holy Yin Art)

The most powerful qi-based technique in the Jiuyin Holy Art that purportedly allows its wielder to massacre even the strongest armies with dark shadows.
Posting this to be used as a guide to the techs we can expect from her. She already is using the last one.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
You'll still be protecting Shun (or trying to, at least) in a defensive stance, since you'll try to stop her attacks from getting past you and retaliate when you see an opening.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Not to mention we cannot drain her from our sword, only our fists. D just strikes me add inefficient.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Or maybe... maybe we just need to blast her away from the cliffs? Because I do not know how well we'll fare battling an immortal. If so, C is the way to go.

The Dragon’s Flight Shakes The Earth – Summoning every ounce of qi in the practitioner’s body for a desperation attack, a double palm strike that exudes the most power in the technique.
 
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treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
You might want to put plenty of distance between you and the wounded Emperor before doing that.
 

ChumBucket

Augur
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
349
Her claws sink into the floor; the stone begins melting and bubbling as she withdraws her hand.

3. Fuyin Huagu Claws (伏陰化骨爪, Hidden Yin Bone Melting Claws)

A claw technique that can melt through bone.

She also used this tech. Getting close enough to use our claws means she can do the same; that doesn't excite me.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Or maybe... maybe we just need to blast her away from the cliffs? Because I do not know how well we'll fare battling an immortal. If so, C is the way to go.
I don't like D because we're using the skills were mediocre at, at best, against an Immortal. Not a good idea.

A feels kinda like a trap, "I'm better at hand to hand than she is, so let's beat her down!" Can we even kill an Immortal? Serious question.

B is a maybe for me right now: two legendary swords and our trusty wodao. Not sure about using the Chixiao as a gambit, since it was said that it doesn't really mesh with our kenjutsu.

C confuses me: what is our aim here with that palm strike? Blow her away like Nevill said?
treave, I need babying!
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
B is a maybe for me right now: two legendary swords and our trusty wodao. Not sure about using the Chixiao as a gambit, since it was said that it doesn't really mesh with our kenjutsu.
Then again, how do you 'take advantage of an unarmed state' if you opponent practices unarmed style of fighting?

Do we really consider the use of swords an advantage when we practice with our master? :)
 

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