The aura that now emanated from the Song clan elder changed, becoming stronger, sharper. Dong Xin might have called it darker and more baleful, but that was somewhat of a matter of opinion. However, it was absolutely correct to call it demonic. Not because the cultivation technique that would provide such ki was necessarily evil, but because that was strictly where its origins lay. The Order of the Watchful Sentry hadn’t been able to gain all that much information on the demons, but they knew that some of them practiced ki cultivation. Though they hadn’t been able to gain many details, they had enough information to be able to recognize that these techniques produced recognizable ki signatures.

The sword came blindly sweeping toward Dong Xin, possessing speed it previously hadn’t. Dong Xin was unprepared for that, and took a nasty gash on his right arm as he retreated. It might even had severed his arm… if he hadn’t already used a technique to create a thin layer of earthen armor. It wasn’t as strong as it could be, but any more thickness would have lost flexibility and speed. At least it had been strong enough to serve its purpose. Dong Xin sprang back into an offensive position, taking what remaining advantage he could from his opponents temporary blindness. Though he could likely see again already, he would still be somewhat disadvantaged for a few more moments. The staff spun through the air as Dong Xin circled around behind the Song clan elder. He only got a few glancing hits, but they were still something.

After a few more moments, the Song clan elder’s eyes grew fierce, and he started his attacks again. His sword flashed even faster than it had previously, seeming to come from every direction at once. However, Dong Xin parried every attack. Normally, even with a defensive coating of ki, his staff would have been having pieces sliced off of it. However, it was now almost as if were made out of stone, and any cut or nick merely chipped off a small bit of stone, which quickly was reformed.

Then, the sword stopped flashing as much. It was not that the sword slowed down, but it was now covered in a sort of darkness. Dong Xin thought this type of energy would have corrosive properties, based on what he had seen, eating away at whatever it connected with. Upon parrying it, he found he was right. He had to spend more effort to eradicate the dark energy that was trying to spread along his staff before it could cause too much harm. As the battle continued, Dong Xin took a few cuts and scrapes himself, and the wounds felt both hot and cold, as if he were burning and freezing at the same time, though it was neither.

Though Dong Xin was getting the worst end of the later exchanges, the Song clan elder’s chest was obviously not well either. It also seemed to take a large amount of energy to sustain his actions. Thus, he was tiring nearly as quickly as Dong Xin himself. However, he was still at an advantage. Even though he had the advantage, life and death could be decided in a single moment, at least if defenses were insufficient. Then, Dong Xin’s moment came. The Song clan elder coughed, slightly, and flinched. His ribs weren’t in a good state from earlier. This put his attack on just the right trajectory. It was aiming toward Dong Xin’s neck. Normally, that would have required Dong Xin to duck out of the way or deflect the attack. However, Dong Xin had another method. It might not work, but if he didn’t take the chance, he didn’t think much for future opportunities.

He stomped down on the ground, moving in the direction of his opponent. However, instead of impacting the pavement below him in the manner one would expect, he pressed it down. The pavement sunk below him, and shifted up underneath his opponent. At the same time, his staff was swinging down toward his opponent’s head. While Dong Xin doubted that his opponent’s defenses were weak, based on the quality of his ki, Dong Xin was moving downward and he was moving upward, effectively adding more to the force of his blow. The sword continued on its trajectory… but that was now slightly above Dong Xin’s head. The staff came down… and there was a loud crack. However, instead of impacting the head, it only hit the shoulder, as the Song clan elder had a small time to react. Unfortunately for him, it was his right shoulder, and the one holding his weapon. Thus, while he didn’t die, his arm hung limply at his side, and his weapon dropped.

In the short moment he was stunned from the attack, Dong Xin spun his staff around to knock him upside the head. However, instead of containing the same kind of force as before that would kill him, this attack just knocked him out. It wasn’t precise, because Dong Xin didn’t plan to be merciful. It also wasn’t that it would surely not kill him, but rather just left the possibility open. Dong Xin wanted him alive, but not enough to risk himself.

The Song clan elder collapsed, and Dong Xin quickly pressed on a few key points, sealing his opponent’s ki. At least it would continue to be effective while he was injured and weakened. He also injected some ki into the spine, just below the back of the head, as an emergency measure. Then he broke his legs and his other arm. Dong Xin wasn’t going to take any chances. After all of that, he flipped him up on his shoulder, similar to how he would often hold his staff, though of course the balance didn’t work the same. It probably wouldn’t be comfortable for the elder, with his spine being pressed on by Dong Xin’s shoulder, but that was probably the least of his worries.

Then, Dong Xin moved at the highest speed he could maintain. Although he was defending the shop at behest of the Yu clan, he had somewhere more important he needed to go now. Blood dripped from his wounds as he ran. It probably wasn’t lethal… but he didn’t have time to bind them, since needed to make it to his destination no matter what, and delays might cost him that opportunity. He didn’t think he could always win against elders of this same caliber, and the Yu clan certainly didn’t have many people who could pull it off in almost any cicumstances. More importantly, there was the cultivation technique. It was of demonic origin, and Dong Xin knew exactly who needed to find that out. He staggered into the closest outpost of the Order of the Watchful Sentry. “This man practiced a demonic cultivation technique,” he said to the very surprised people in the entry room. Then, he unceremoniously dumped the Song Clan elder onto the floor, before falling over himself.