The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

The bewitching woman stretched her hand out, unfurling her fingers toward Oscar and the others, and spoke in a charming voice with a hint of pride that did not allow any refusal of her words. Her red eyes shone dangerously as a dense and overwhelming Ein flowed around her body, making Oscar frown as he understood that this woman possessed a grade-eight Exolsia core.

However, Oscar did not falter before her presence and shifted his stance for a firmer footing to weather through any storm. Indeed, this woman was dangerous, but he was also at the peak power of a Lower Elite Exalt with Reis and advanced Prinstyct. If nothing else, he could force the woman to fall back.

Behind him, Susan, Esther, and Uren shivered slightly from the powerful presence of the enemy, something Oscar could not fault them for because they lacked the experience in going against such high geniuses while he had tempered himself against the likes of Charles and others. To Oscar's relief, Austin and Erik faired better as they had seen his power and knew there was a chance.

"Hmm, some of you are quite able and not bad. Let me introduce myself first." The bewitching woman's red eyes curled in amusement as she bowed gracefully. "I am Maia Claude, personal disciple and grand-niece of the Left Flame, Diane Claude."

Most of Oscar's group displayed shock and fear at Maia's reveal. For someone to be the direct disciple of one of the prominent figures of the Undying Flame Sect meant they were competent and dangerous. Oscar gazed at Maia, who revealed a hint of shock at his lack of reaction.

"I thought that might be the case. You're the spitting image of the Left Flame. But–" Oscar surged his Ein to massive levels, displaying his full power. His hair flowed upward from the winds that kicked up from rampaging Ein. His obsidian eyes gleamed with a purple ring from his Prinstyct and Eliren Breaker. "That doesn't mean you'll win."

Oscar judged the distance between him and Maia and thought about using his ranged spell to kill her in one go, but her Prinstyct would catch his actions, and the two by her side seemed ready to defend despite the overwhelming advantage they had. 'I have to aim for an opening somewhere or somehow cull their numbers until they are forced to retreat.'

His eyes never left Maia, not seduced by her enticing figure and revealing clothes, but spilling a killing intent. The best outcome would be if this person died; it would be a great boon to the Blue Ocean Pavilion and damaging to the Left Flame.

"Quite confident in your strength?" Maia's deep red lips curled up. "But brawns won't do you any good here." Her red eyes opened wider the Ein swirled like a vortex within her pupils.

Oscar felt a shudder in his head, and for some reason, he gazed at Maia and regarded her as his goddess to obey, causing him to stagger to his knees. To him, Maia seemed to be the most beautiful person in the world, making his heart want to serve her.

Everyone else also similarly fell to their knees; their eyes looked entranced at Maia, who yawned and stretched her arms from the boredom.

"All that talk and still fallen to my spell." Maia scoffed and fanned herself.

"If it's Lady Claude, no one can hope to break free of your seduction spell." One of her companions next to her smiled while gazing longingly at her beauty.

Maia understood the meaning behind his gaze and clicked her tongue. "Hurry up and bind them. I gave them the command to kneel. So wrap it up." She clapped her hands together to indicate this was over. She sighed as the others approached Oscar's group and looked up into the blue sky. "How boring. I should quickly advance to the Middle Elite Exalt and–"

Her words were cut off by the sudden screaming and the sound of flesh and bones tearing and cracking. She clenched her teeth, and her eyes twitched in irritation. "I said to keep them alive!"

However, her face turned blank at the scene before her. Instead of seeing the sight of her wayward group killing the Blue Ocean Pavilion students, she saw three of her people clinging on for dear life. One clutched his neck with a pale face while writhing on the floor, another had a dagger, deer antlers, and spears of flame impaling his chest, and a sharp silver lance skewered the last.

"What is going on!" Maia's face expressed great shock, and a mix of silver, black, and red grew closer and larger in her view.

"Tch!" The two guarding her sides went out to deflect the ranged spells; their weapons easily deflected the projectiles, but the one who blocked the 'Silver Star' felt his hands trembling with shock laden on his face at the power he faced.

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"Ow!" Susan and the others regained their senses and quickly kept up their guard. The sudden shock of the situation had shaken Maia's mind to the point she relaxed her spell, allowing them to break free of the seduction.

"Bastards! How the hell were you not affected?" Maia shouted; her exasperated face did not lessen her beauty but made her seem more approachable.

Oscar released a deep breath from his lungs, seeing the dead man leaning to the side with his silver lance being the only thing keeping the body up. For some reason, killing this person did not feel as bad as before; it was the same when he landed on the other, squashing them flat. He didn't know exactly why, but he had become slightly indifferent to it like Austin.

The illusion was not real, but the actions and mindset he had forged within it did not leave once the illusion ended. The blood and dead bodies of his parents and Celestina, fallen by his own hands, eclipsed the corpses of these individuals before him, making it all seem so tame before his eyes. He would not hesitate to kill to avoid a future where his friends and family would die.

It was because of Oscar's experiences in the illusion that he also withstood Maia's seductive spell; the same went for Austin and Erik. The seduction spell was not an illusion but a power of suggestion that engraved itself into the mind, with Maia as the center, making her an object to worship and lust for. This suggestion, combined with her Ein, amplified the seduction to a frightening degree.

However, Oscar endured the many long kisses with the fake Celestina while keeping his mind sharp and withstood the temptations to go further. A mere seductive spell could not compare to the high heavens he felt in the illusion initially. Although the spell worked, Oscar quickly regained his mind and fought.

"You all had the same thought as me." Oscar smiled while addressing Austin and Erik. He tossed aside the person he skewered, dropping them to the ground.

"What sort of idiot would lash out and give it away." Erik left his flame spear in the person, burning him from the inside as Austin and Oscar's animas retreated.

"Lie in wait and pounce at the right moment. Am ambush has the highest chance of success." Austin chimed in, wiping the blood from his dagger. His foe stopped moving a while ago with a pale, twisted face and enlarged eyes.

Oscar observed the other group that tightened up with Maia in the center; his gaze met Maia's, who had calmed down with a dark expression. Suddenly, Susan and the others fell back to their knees behind him, making Oscar frown. Maia's seduction spell resumed but only focused on the weakened Exalts in his group.

"Kill them!" Maia spared no thought.

As she shouted, Oscar activated his 'Silver Burst' and bolted straight for her with his deer anima lagging. He knew his movements would be expected due to the enemies' Prinstyct, but he also understood they had no way of knowing just how fast he'd be. The combination of Reis kicking off his toes and his spell exploding out from his heels turned him into a speeding bullet.

"Fast!" Maia's two guards could not contain their shock at Oscar's speed, but they were competent enough to make their defenses up. Their two other members were locked in battle with Austin and Erik.

'Silver Sheen'

With all his strength, Oscar kicked off once more, bursting out like a bull. His body, clad in silver armor, came in like a battering ram and slammed against the two guards, who felt an immense weight, but their polearms withstood the blow.

Oscar became encircled by the three of them and two animas as Maia had not summoned hers yet. The two beast animas rushed in to crush him once his armor ended. However, he broke apart from his armor, brandishing his 'Silver Lance' to stab into them.

The guard that he targeted sneered. He had foreseen this with his Prinstyct and moved to counter.

"Shallow," Oscar mumbled as he read deeper and landed a simple punch on the guard, who was shocked he could not dodge in time.

'Calm down! This bastard's punch does not have much Ein, and I don't see any large movements of Ein with my Prinstyct. This punch is just a desperate attempt to unnerve me. Keep my current course.' The guard seemed assured.

'Shattering Wave'

Oscar unleashed half the force of his Reis-empowered technique, breaking the guard's defensive spell and arm. Without hesitation, his obsidian eyes shone as he stabbed the silver lance into the head of the guard screaming in pain. Even if the guard could see his Ein and body movements with Prinstyct, he could not foresee the flow of Reis.

'One down.' Oscar quickly turned to Maia and the others, who remained close. A bright flame burned from Maia, who decided to incinerate Oscar.

Feeling the danger of her flames, Oscar fell back. He manifested two silver stars, easily shooting into the eyes of the other troubled guard, shaken from his comrade's sudden death leading to his Prinstyct and Ein being in chaos, making him an easy target.

Then a bright flame fell upon Oscar, who felt his skin about to burn off.

'Ripple Shroud'

The flames abated for a moment, and Oscar escaped the flame area with his fast movement but suffered mild burns. He turned back to the others under the seduction spell and found they were still entrapped.

'She didn't lose her composure this time but rather fought back. Though I should be thankful for her pride that allowed me to fight the other two guards without worry.' Oscar smiled. If Maia had been serious from the start, he would have been in more trouble, but she did not, leading to her two guards dying.

'Now then. How do I handle this grade eight? I don't know her anima or range of spells while I've revealed quite a bit.'

Meanwhile, Maia's red eyes turned to her two guards on the floor and then to Oscar. In a surprised voice, she said, "Reis?"

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