I am an Eldritch Entity

Eryndor cracked his neck as he went for the disciples, all the while ignoring the various beasts.

The first one to enter his Spatial Sight was a stage six Qi Condensation realm disciple.

He seemed to be taking pleasure in attacking a flying beast even while it was helplessly wailing on the ground, not killing it in one go.

Well, from the looks of it, it's good that it is a despicable disciple. At least I'll have less of a guilt for killing him.

Eryndor thought no more, and jogged inwards as he finally entered the disciple's range.

Very obviously, as soon as the disciple torturing the flying bird sensed someone, he turned his head, immediately ignoring the bloodied almost dead beast whimpering weakly on the ground.

Jaxen sneered, "A second stage rat thinks he can challenge me? This will be quick."

As Eryndor had used Cloudstride for the light jog to enter his range, he could easily sense the stage and realm of this new unknown disciple.

Eryndor didn't reply, his Cognitive Scrying already at work, scanning Jaxen's intentions.

Jeez, so aggressive. His first response to see an unfamiliar disciple to see that as a challenge and look to kill him?

Jaxen was a hulking figure, using a two handed maul as a weapon.

As soon as he saw him, Eryndor witnessed a rock-like armor coating his body.

Eryndor recognised it. He had read through this defensive cultivation art when choosing his own. It was called Stone Skin Aegis, weak at the gaps but stronger than the majority of the other defensive cultivation arts at other areas.

It was recommended to be used by people who had immense strength.

So he has also tempered his physique to good enough level huh, or he could have even used something like Cloudstride to counteract the effects.

Jaxen moved first, surprisingly fast for his size.

He quickly closed the distance and brought the Earthbreaker Maul down in a wide, sweeping arc. "Crushing Avalanche!" he bellowed.

Good, this pig is overconfident and aggressive enough to shout.

Even while he was criticizing him, Eryndor's already activated Cloudstride, which made his body lighten, helped him sidestep quickly. However, that wasn't all, he also simultaneously channeled Iron Mountain Guard, a metallic sheen covering his form.

The maul, glowing with earthen colored energy, slammed into the forest floor where Eryndor had been a moment before. CRACK! A localized tremor rippled outwards, causing the ground to buck and crack.

Eryndor, still moving, felt his feet suffer some shock, his Iron Mountain Guard and Sovereign's Cloak absorbing the majority of the shock.

He narrowly avoided losing his balance.

He immediately countered.

Don't wanna go for a direct yet, let's just try disrupting him.

He flashed forward with Shadowstep, appearing to Jaxen's side.

Jaxen, anticipating a close-quarters strike, spun the maul horizontally.

This is the problem with initiating in a fight, I can't read the opponent's move and react fast enough through Cognitive Scrying.

Eryndor, too close to fully evade, quickly activated Azure Tortoise Shell, crossing his daggers.

The maul struck with immense force. Eryndor grunted, his arms burning, but the Azure Tortoise Shell held, a faint shimmer around him. His Sovereign's Cloak was absorbing the damage of the attack as well.

He reflected a fraction of the force back, throwing Jaxen off balance for a split second.

Disruption successful.

Eryndor saw his opening. Before Jaxen could fully recover, he twisted, aiming his right dagger, reinforced by Air Cleaving Slash, at a gap in Jazen's armor, just beneath his armpit.

SHIING! The dagger scraped against the Stone Skin Aegis. Though it held, a thin crack appeared, and Eryndor felt the vibration of impact up his arm. The damage was minimal, but it was a chink in the armor.

Jaxen roared, bringing the maul down vertically. Eryndor had already read the move through his Cognitive Scrying, but this time he was able to react in time.

He ducked under the crushing blow, then unleashed Sky Piercing Palm - Lightning Variant, striking Jaxen's armored leg.

ZAP! Electricity surged, causing Jaxen's leg muscles to briefly spasm. Jaxen stumbled, his Stone Skin Aegis flickering.

Eryndor pressed his advantage. He launched Nine Suns Palm, his first palm striking Jaxen's chest. A burst of fire blossomed on the rock-like skin.

Before Jaxen could fully recover, Eryndor followed with a second palm to his gut, then a third to his shoulder, keeping the fiery chain active with fourth at a gap in shoulder, fifth at a joint in hip, and sixth at the neck when Jazen was recovering and covering for other parts.

Jaxen roared in pain, the Stone Skin Aegis cracking further under the repeated, burning impacts. The smell of scorched rock and singed hair filled the air.

Even though Eryndor had an exceptional mastery of his cultivation arts, there was a four stage difference between them, making it difficult for Eryndor to fatally injure him in one go.

Else the six hit chain of Nine Suns Palm, with the sixth one even being straight on neck was enough to critically injure a same realm disciple.

Jaxen, enraged, countered with a desperate move. He wasn't one of rational mind. He slammed the Earthbreaker Maul into the ground again, not for a wide tremor, but directly beneath Eryndor's feet.

"Ground Spike!" he roared, a new, unforeseen function. A jagged spire of hardened earth erupted from the forest floor.

Eryndor's Spatial Sight gave him a split-second warning about the spike emerging from the ground, because his eyes wouldn't have seen it as he was focused on the disciple's head to land another Nine Suns Palm hit.

He managed to leap backward with Cloud Stride, but the sheer speed of the attack, combined with his close proximity, meant he couldn't fully clear it.

The tip of the spike grazed his left calf.

A searing pain lanced through Eryndor's leg. He felt a warm gush of blood. His Passive Regeneration kicked in instantly, but the wound was deep.

He landed awkwardly, favoring the injured leg, his Cloud Stride briefly faltering.

Jaxen saw the injury, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "Not so quick now, little rat!"

He lunged, pressing his advantage. Eryndor, moving with a slight limp, switched to defensive and disruptive tactics.

He repeatedly used Lightning Trap on discarded fragments of stone, hoping Jaxen would stumble.

With how this person uses their maul, these stones might shake and the Lightning Trap would be deactivated, but I can always hope.

However, one good thing is that his relatively high stupidity makes it so that my Lightning Traps have a good chance of not being noticed.

He kept his Iron Mountain Guard active, taking glancing blows that would have crippled a lesser opponent, the metallic sheen of his skin and Sovereign's Cloak absorbing much of the force.

I really have to fucking thank Sovereign's Cloak.

They engaged in a grapple as Eryndor tried negating the advantage of the disciple's immensely powerful weapon based offensive cultivation art.

He tried an Internal Fist on Jaxen's arm during a grapple, but Jaxen's Stone Skin Aegis, though cracked, was too thick there, absorbing the internal shock.

Eryndor grimaced.

Jeez, I need a better opening.

His split second distraction to think was enough for the disciple to use the weapon again.

Jaxen swung the Earthbreaker Maul in a devastating overhead smash.

Eryndor, knowing he couldn't fully dodge due to having just dislodged from the grapple, switched to Azure Tortoise Shell from the Iron Mountain Guard, and used it to full potential, while crossing his daggers above his head.

BOOM! The impact was immense.

Eryndor was driven to one knee, his arms trembling, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulders. He felt a rib crack under the concussive force, and blood trickled from his nose.

Ah, was my Sovereign's Cloak absorbing the larger portion of the attacks? Only reason it went out just now.

The reflective attack by the barely holding on Azure Tortoise Shell sent a jarring shock back to Jaxen, but the Sixth Stage disciple barely flinched.

"Give up!" Jaxen roared, aiming another Crushing Avalanche.

Eryndor knew he was pushed to the brink. His vision swam for a moment, the pain in his leg and chest intense.

I want a decisive strike.

He forced himself to move, ignoring the pain, his Cognitive Scrying desperately searching for a weakness, an opening, a pattern in Jaxen's attacks.

He saw it: a slight lag in Jaxen's recovery after a powerful Crushing Avalanche due to the sheer Qi expenditure.

Eryndor took a direct, glancing blow from the maul to his armored shoulder, grunting in pain but remaining upright. Then, he poured all his remaining Qi into his next move.

He activated Void Piercer. As Jaxen was still in the follow-through of his attack, Eryndor moved with incredible speed using Shadowstep, almost a blur.

As he closed the distance, the dagger became almost invisible, a shimmering outline. He aimed for a hairline crack in Jaxen's Stone Skin Aegis near his neck, a result of the repeated Nine Suns Palm strikes during the grapple, however weak they may be.

SWISH! The blade, unseen and unheard by Jaxen, cut deep. A thin line of crimson bloomed on Jaxen's neck as his Stone Skin Aegis was sliced clean through. Jaxen froze, his eyes widening in shock, then a gurgling sound escaped his throat.

He clutched his neck, dropping the Earthbreaker Maul with a deafening clang.

Jaxen swayed, his massive body finally giving way. He crumpled to the forest floor, a large, lifeless heap.

Eryndor stood over him, panting heavily, his body screaming in protest. His left calf was bleeding freely, his ribs ached, and his shoulder throbbed.

Blood dripped from his nose and a cut on his lip. His Passive Regeneration was already beginning the slow, arduous process of healing.

He had won, but it had been a brutal, near-fatal victory.