Vera's assault on the mammoth began. Despite covering itself in armor as long as it was on the ground it was nothing more than a punching bag for her. After dozens of hits its armor was beginning to crack but Vera's gloves slowly wearing out.
Trumpeting the earth under the mammoth shot up forcing it upright even as Vera tried to keep it down. Once it was up it stood up on 2 legs appearing as if it was attempting to squash Vera forcing her to evade but this was a mistake. The mammoth slammed onto the ground with its front legs causing a tidal wave of earth to rush out sending Vera flying. While she was in the air the mammoth used its trunk once again to trumpet and the force of the gravity within the barrier increased by 10x causing Vera to fiercely slam into the ground.
She got some injuries and was bleeding but her body was currently much stronger and could handle the extra strain the gravity placed on her. Getting up she immediately ran at the mammoth as each step left craters below as she propelled herself forward. In only a few steps she had already returned to face the mammoth.
This time after getting annoyed by the sound of it trumpeting she grabbed its trunk and used it to swing the mammoth onto its back. The only problem with that was once its back hit the ground the force of the slam was transferred to Vera as the ground beneath her shot up once again sending her flying.
"This stupid fucking beast!" She shouted as she went flying again. After crashing into the ground again Vera could hear it trumpeting and got angrier. "I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do." She said tossing some more pills into her mouth and once again going after the beast.
This time she full force charged into the side of the mammoth toppling it over even through the shield. It hurt her quite a bit when she did that but getting it down would be worth it. This time however the beast tried to push itself back up as pillars arose from the ground to push it back up but she was prepared for that this time. As soon as the mammoth had fallen over she had immediately summoned a flame orb made out of the 4 flames and threw it at the mammoth. The force of the explosion had forced the mammoth back down destroying the pillars.
Vera immediately jumped towards the beast and began relentlessly hitting it in the same spot until the shield cracked and finally broke apart.
Once the shield was gone she went towards its head to grab her weapon. With one kick its massive tusk broke off for Vera to grab. Through the pain it trumpeted once again change the gravity from 10x to 0 as it hit her at the moment with its trunk while she was adjusting to the change in gravity.
This moment gave it plenty of time to get back up and this time it was gonna retreat. The battle had not gone as it expected and it was hurt and losing all its energy in Rex's prison.
Vera watched as it was slamming into the barrier trying to escape to her satisfaction. On the outside Rex was not reacting the same. Each time the mammoth slammed into wall it would take a great deal of his energy.
Eventually she his the wall of the barrier and immediately propelled herself back but not at the mammoth toward the tusk.
Sensing her approach the mammoth used its final trump card and roared calling down a meteor. If it had been more decisive and used it immediate it would have been able to escape but it didn't and Vera arrived full force piercing it with its own tusk.
At the same time the meteor it created came crashing down destroying the barrier and hitting them all.
Rex was sent flying and knocked out both from the force of the meteor and the recoil from his prison breaking.
Vera was hurt and dazed when she saw the mammoth trying to run away. She did not have much time left in her fusion of flames so she wanted to get one last attack in. She grabbed the tusk that had fallen out and once again charged the mammoth with it.
In a few steps she was once again upon it and impaled it. It let out a loud cry of pain this time as it turned towards Vera. She was going to continue her attack when her time ran out.
The recoil was coming in as she collapsed to the ground unable to move a muscle as they had been completely shredded nor could she gather her energy she was currently completely out. She could only watch as the mammoth slowly turned around and approach her. It was dying but it wanted to at least take her with it.
1 step.
2 steps.
3 steps.
With the fourth step it would crush her and it was taking that last step. Just as it was about to crush her Edward finally returned. He had yet to fully recover but after he watched the meteor come down he forced his injured body to move and just barely arrived in time to block that last step.
"How are you feeling?" He asked despite the state she was in.
"I don't know if I she laugh or be mad at you now is not the time to ask that." Vera said.
"Really?" He said pushing back the mammoth.
"Questions later killing now." She said wanting to facepalm but couldn't.
"As you say."
"Don't take this personally killing is a part of life." He said to the beast.
He dashed in front of the beast and sliced its trunk off causing it to yell out once again. Since the beast was weakened now he did not feel any satisfaction from this cut instead he would have preferred to have the chance to fight it again at full strength.
The beast was once again trying to runaway but he jumped up and flashed onto its back. From there he moved to its head where it could no longer do anything but wait for death as Edward slashed once again cutting its head off.
"Truly a pity." He said as the head fell to the ground.
With it dead he started jogging back towards Vera since he could not fit the body in his ring he simply left it.
"Can you walk at all."
"No just carry me and lets go wake up Rex." She replied.
"Do you think they are done over there?" Edward asked.
"Hard to say I'll leave her a message." Just as she was about to leave a message for Alara she received one from her saying the ice-crystal beast was heading towards them.
"EDWAR—" She was about to yell at him to move when he suddenly tossed her body to the side.
Transformed into a bird were the icy talons of it piercing through Edwards chest. It yanked them out and immediately flew away as Edward fell to the ground his body slowly freezing from the inside out. Hearing the dying cries of its friend it could not run without at least killing one of them.
"EDWARD!!!" Vera tried yelling at him to get his attention but it was to no avail. She sent an emergency message to Alara but she did not just lay there and wait she could not and would not do such a thing for someone who had sacrificed themselves for her.
At this point her body may have been dead but her will was not. She forced her body to move and began dragging herself over to Edward if she could just feed him a pill he may live. Yet it was not enough she had only manged to get herself halfway across the distance when Alara and Alrin finally showed up.
"He was pierced through the chest by the ice beast!" Vera shouted at them.
Alara went to check Edward's condition but the situation was dire, "It used its core essence for this final attack. Its formed a core in his body and is freezing him to death from the inside out. I don't know if I can save him."
"SILVIA! I need your help!" Vera shouted.
In an instant Silva appeared at her call, "Vera you know I can't do anything for him I'm sorry."
"You have to save him."
"I can't just as killing is against the natural laws so is saving mortals."
"If you want someone to save him then you must be willing to pay the price for that are you willing?" Elaine said suddenly appearing.
"Whatever it takes." Vera said.
"Fine but you will have to repay this to me in the future." Silvia said with a sigh.
"Wait let me try something with Alara." Alrin suddenly said having been examing Edward's body the entire time.
"Alara do you trust me?"
"I do."
"Then are willing to synchronize with me."
"Yes."
"Then I will show you how I see the world and how to save him. We have to be quick but we still have time." He said sitting down next to her and grabbing her hand.
Synchronizing also went by dual cultivation but it was when two cultivators would synchronize their cultivation and minds together combining and increasing their understanding and cultivation speed. Normally it would be done but holding both hands together creating a loop temporarily combining the two cultivation's but Alara would need one hand free to save Edward.
Doing it this way made it so they would have to connect on a deeper level. Alara would be able to see how Alrin saw the world and vice versa.
After two minutes of silence the two opened their eyes having synchronized.
"Can you see how to save him." Alrin asked her.
"I can." She said but she was surprised by the way Alrin was able to view the world. She could see not just the cores but the souls of all living beings.
Alara could now see the core essence that had been left in Edward's body. If this was not removed even if Alara had temporarily suppressed the ice energy as long as the core essence was still there it would continue to freeze his body over time.
Placing her hand on Edward's body Alara began channeling fire energy into his body. Unfortunately she had no natural fires added to her body like Vera to make this process easier but it would still be enough.
Once the process started Silvia and Elaine both left, but Elaine left after smacking her disciple around and waking him up. Silvia had also tried to take Vera so she could rest but she had declined to leave until she saw Edward healed.
"He will be fine."Alara said after spending two hours removing the core essence saving Edward's life. Vera who Rex had put in a chair finally passed out after seeing that.
"I see how you were able to recognize me instantly back then. It would be impossible to hide from you like this." Alara said to Alrin referring to the time in the restaurant she was disguised.
"I did not lie at the time you do have a unique scent I can recognize." Alrin said.
"Do I and how does it smell?" She questioned
"Pleasant?"
"I'm still here." Rex said not wanting to watch them anymore.
"Hehe lets separate now." Alara said feeling a little embarrassed.
When that was done Alrin carried Edward back while Alara carried Vera. They did not expect the beast to remain after their strongest forces had already been killed but they were unsure as to how many losses the branch suffered.
After a short walk back to the branch the three that were still conscious saw the piles of corpses on the ground. Out of the thousands of beasts 85% died and the rest fled in all directions.
As for the disciples 50% of them had died or ended up severely injured. It was still hard to say losing this many disciples was worth it but for the disciples that survived here today it would be a catalyst that would push many of them to immortality.