The Invincible Young Master

[A/N: Immortal does not mean literal 'immortals', that's how mortals address them.]

The boy stood, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his trembling hand. The pill's warmth coursed through his body, dulling the sharp edges of pain but doing little to mend the storm raging in his heart.

His eyes, sharp despite the exhaustion weighing them down, fixed on the beastly immortal walking toward him.

Each step the being took seemed to make the air itself tremble, its oppressive aura crushing like a heavy tide.

The golden glow of its eyes reflected a predator's hunger, mingled with cold amusement.

Is this how it ends?

The thought rang bitterly in his mind, heavy with regret. His fists clenched, nails biting into his palms. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, his body quivered beneath the weight of the power bearing down on him.

The truth was as stark as a blade at his throat, there was no escaping this. No secret technique or hidden reserve of strength could bridge the chasm between them.

He cast a glance toward the girl standing beside him. Her pale face betrayed the fear she fought to hide, yet her stance was firm, defiant. A small flicker of light in the overwhelming darkness.

She's still here...

His lips twitched, forming a faint, fleeting smile tinged with sorrow.

But this isn't her fight.

The beastly immortal halted a few paces away, towering over them. His lips curled into a grin that did not reach his gleaming eyes.

"Oh, you survived that," he said, his tone filled with mocking amusement. Behind him, his followers murmured in disbelief, their voices hushed yet astonished.

The boy said nothing. His battered frame remained upright, as he braced himself for what was to come.

The immortal tilted his head, scrutinizing him like a peculiar specimen.

"Such talent…" he mused, his voice carrying both mockery and genuine curiosity.

"It would be a shame to snuff it out. But…" His tone hardened. "The deaths of my kin cannot go unanswered."

The crowd erupted into whispers. Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the gathering like a wave. Could it be that he would spare the boy?

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A smile played across the beastly immortal's lips, though it was more predatory than kind.

"Join me," he said, his voice a commanding rumble. "Kneel before me, swear your loyalty, and I will spare your life. A talent like yours is wasted among these mortals. Follow me, and you will ascend to heights you can't even imagine."

The boy froze, his breath hitching. The offer came like a sudden gust in a storm, unexpected and enticing. It was a lifeline, an escape from certain death. Yet…

His gaze flicked to the crowd, their faces painted with awe and envy.

For them, such an offer was unimaginable, a dream of power, recognition, and freedom from mortal constraints.

Many among them would have dropped to their knees in a heartbeat, their foreheads pressed to the ground in desperate gratitude.

But the boy's lips curled into a faint smile, bitter and resolute. "Thanks, I must refuse."

The crowd gasped audibly, their disbelief palpable.

Even the other immortal master, who had watched silently from the side, arched a golden brow.

How many would dare reject such an opportunity?

The beastly immortal's grin faltered, irritation flickering across his face.

"Why do you refuse?" he asked, his tone calm yet dripping with menace. His sharp, gleaming eyes bore into the boy, probing for weakness.

The boy hesitated, his chest heaving as he struggled to steady his breathing. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he ignored it, raising a trembling hand and pointing a bloodied finger toward the heavens.

"Ever since I was a child," he began, "my parents taught me to kneel to only one. To pray to only one."

The beastly immortal's brow furrowed slightly, intrigue flickering across his face. "Oh? And who is this 'one'?"

The boy didn't look away. He was small next to the creature, barely a speck beneath the beast's shadow, but his voice held a strength that couldn't be ignored. "The Human Immortal."

The immortal blinked, clearly surprised, his massive body pausing. It was as if the name struck him like a cold gust of wind. The boy felt the air shift, the faintest tremor of disbelief crossing the beast's ancient face.

The name carried weight. The Human immortal. The one who had united humanity, the first emperor to rise above the chaos of warring world, the one who had shaped the world as it was.

The beast's eyes flickered, as if trying to understand. Was it amusement? Disdain? Or just the disbelief of a creature who had lived longer than any human could imagine?

"The Human Immortal?" the immortal scoffed, breaking the silence with a booming laugh. His shoulders shook with laughter. The sound of his laughter echoed through the area.

"The Human Immortal?" he repeated, dragging the words out as if he could not believe his own ears.

The laughter slowly faded, and his voice grew more mocking. "That dead thing? That old ghost of the past? Another fool clinging to a forgotten dream."

The beastly immortal stepped closer, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously.

"Fine," he growled, his laughter fading into a menacing snarl. "Let your blood join the countless others who believed in that long-dead name. Today, I'll savor spilling the blood of a human emperor's devotee."

The beastly immortal raised his arm, his claws glinting under the pale light.

But just as he prepared to strike, a small figure darted forward, placing itself between the boy and the monstrous being.

"No!"

The girl stepped forward, her voice trembling but clear, her small figure standing defiantly between the boy and the beastly immortal.

Her arms were outstretched as if to shield him from the crushing force of the impending blow.

The beastly immortal paused, his reptilian eyes narrowing as they fixed on her.

"Move aside, girl," he commanded, his tone sharp and condescending. "This is not your concern."

She shook her head, her gaze unwavering. "I won't."

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration. Her defiance was audacious, her courage reckless.

The beastly immortal sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Do you think you can shield him? Scram, before I crush you as well."

Her voice, though trembling, rang with defiance. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me first."

"What are you-" the boy's voice was cut off midway.

"Be quiet," she said firmly. "I won't let you die."

Annoyance flickered across the beastly immortal's face. His claws flexed, and the oppressive weight of his aura intensified, pressing against everyone present.

"Foolish girl," he spat, stepping forward, his towering form casting a shadow over her.

He raised his clawed hand, the air around it shimmering with a deadly energy.

"Stop."

The single word cut through the tension like a blade.

The beastly immortal's hand froze mid-air, his reptilian eyes snapping toward the source.

Hovering above, the golden immortal looked down with a serene yet commanding gaze.

The beastly immortal growled, his voice sharp. "Do you mean to interfere in my matters?"

The golden immortal's expression remained impassive.

"No," he replied simply. "But you cannot harm the girl. She is coming with me."

The courtyard erupted into whispers. Shock and confusion rippled through the crowd.

The beastly immortal's eyes flicked to the girl, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Oh, so you've chosen this one? Found yourself a promising seed, have you?"

The golden immortal gave no response, his steady gaze locking onto the beastly immortal.

The silence that followed was deafening, the tension between the two otherworldly beings thick and suffocating.

The beastly immortal's grin widened, his sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight like a predator savoring its prey.

"Fine," he said, his voice a low rumble, heavy with barely contained malice. "I won't harm the girl."

Before anyone could react, the beastly immortal vanished in a blur, moving with inhuman speed.

In the next instant, he went past the girl and reappeared before the boy, his clawed hand thrusting forward with terrifying speed.

The force of the blow was instantaneous and crushing. The boy didn't even have time to brace himself.

His body flew backward, limbs flailing helplessly as the air split with the force of his flight. He crashed through a stone wall, debris scattering in all directions.

The impact didn't stop there, he collided with another stone wall several paces away, the sound of his body slamming into the solid surface like a thunderclap.

Blood spilled from his mouth, a dark stain soaking into the dust as his ribs cracked and splintered beneath the pressure.

His body crumpled into the rubble, motionless for a brief, heart-stopping moment.

The courtyard was plunged into stunned silence, the crowd frozen in disbelief at the sight of the boy's broken form.

The beastly immortal did not pause to savor the moment. His monstrous figure loomed over the boy, his massive form casting a shadow that seemed to darken the very air.

"For someone who dares to reject me," the immortal growled, his voice a low, venomous growl, "you should've been more prepared."