Chapter 128: Who Wants To Die Next?
“I...”
Blargh!
Bound Star struggled to rise to his feet, and just as he was about to speak, he felt a pain in his chest before coughing a mouthful of blood, the thoughts of his head thrown into disarray.
What the heck?
Jiang He?
A rank-six pinnacle?
Wasn’t he supposed to be ‘bait’?
Weren’t all his feats merely ‘smoke and mirrors’?
Why couldn’t he block his palm?
Even if Bound Star had been momentarily distracted when he noticed that the new arrival was Jiang He, he already reacted by the time Jiang He unleashed his palm, instantly materializing layers of defenses before his chest.
And earth-type Awakened had always been adept at defense!
Individuals of the same level are not a.s.suredly capable of hurting them, and yet, a single palm form a rank-six like Jiang He left Bound Star puking blood, his organs dislodged...
Feeling as if he was about to lose his mind, Bound Star bellowed, his superpowers instantly charged as an obscure earthen yellow radiance gathered around him.
With just a point of his finger, the ground beneath Jiang He’s feet split apart.
Nonetheless, Jiang He was too quick—the Blind Princess’s Eight Practices was quite scary a physical art. He disappeared in a flash, escaping Bound Star’s attack.
And yet, the instant he reappeared, a ground spike shot out from the ground with a crack.
“What the h.e.l.l!”
Jiang He’s eyes went red.
It hurts.
After all, that ground spike was summoned by an earth-type awakened out of stone and extremely sharp. It instantly pierced the soles of his shoe, leaving a fiery-pain beneath his foot.
“...”
Even so, Bound Star was even more shocked.
Are you kidding me?!
His stone spike would have impaled a rank-eight individual, let alone a rank-six. However, it broke off the second it struck Jiang He’s shoe....
Even so, he continued pushing with his superpower, splitting the ground and summoning more stone spikes and earth-ramparts to stop Jiang He. The instant Jiang He crushed one rampart, he would gather the dust and rock that fell off, throwing them at Jiang He like little meteors while he continued retreating.
But Jiang He was even more violent.
Charging Indestructible Diamond and having a sheet of Nature Qi shielding him, he crushed every single one of Bound Star’s blows with a single slap.
Behind him, the black panther was utterly dumbstruck.
When it looked up, it saw Jing He firing one golden dragon silhouette after another out of his palm into the night.
It was a dazzling, imposing sight.
That was when a gust bellowed, and the Third Elder of the Sky Demon Cult streaked towards them.
Guilty Star was right behind him.
At first, they were not at all concerned with a rank-six pinnacle martial artist or a rank-seven Feral, but they were certainly astounded when they sensed the commotion of the battle, and promptly rushed to the scene. Aside from them, the random Awakened and martial artists resting at the villa were alerted as well, and all of them came out to observe from afar.
“Third Elder, Guilty Star!
Bound Star was almost crying—help has finally arrived, and if they had been a minute too late, it would be questionable whether he would have escaped unscathed.
He quickly went to stand beside Guilty Star and Third Elder, telling them somberly, “Third Elder, it’s Jiang He. The brat is weird... his fighting ability would not lose out the best rank-eight elites!”
Guilty Star’s eyes tightened then. They were less than thirty meters away from Jiang He, and he had definitely recognized him.
Third Elder was a little taken aback, and asked in surprise, “That is Jiang He?”
All three pairs of eyes glanced towards Jiang He then, with disbelief showing in their eyes.
Perhaps...
The brat really did kill five heavenly generals, two grand, and the Sixth Elder?
“Sky Demon Cultists?”
Jiang He frowned then.
When he heard the t.i.tles ‘Third Elder’ and ‘Guilty Star, he quickly understood who the trio before him was.
As such, he could not help feeling a blaze rising in his chest and coldly said, “You mongrels are really relentless. Here am I, having a vacation to relax, and you would still ambush me. Do you people really have nothing else to do except follow me around?”
Even as he spoke...
With a turn of his hand, a pepper appeared in his palm, and he ate it in a few crunches.
Since he was outnumbered, he would have to ‘do drugs’!
And yet, the side effect immediately kicked in even as the pepper went down his stomach, and Jiang He realized...
The three burly folks before him had suddenly become very attractive.
“Oh no...”
‘I have to do this quick. The pepper’s side effect wouldn’t work if I kill them fast enough!’ Jiang He thought as his aura abruptly bursts out, his Dragon-Slaying Saber appearing in his hand before he charged forward without a word.
At first, he was ready to dance around with the Sky Demon Cultists. But now, it seemed that he had to go on the attack.
“Allow me!”
Guilty Star barked as he drew out the alloy combat axe behind him and strode forward to meet Jiang He. Within moments, they were trading blows, but he was falling behind in just several moves.
His axe technique was unconstrained, but it was based on him being ‘menacing’.
His cultivation, too, revolved around his ferocity, and he combats brute strength with brute strength in most of his duels.
Now, however...
He was losing!
He may be brutal, but Jiang He was even more brutal!
As slashes rained down repeatedly, kicking thunder sparks with every swing, Jiang He every stroke may not be stronger than a rank-eight pinnacle individual like Guilty Star, but each of his Ninefold Thunderblade strikes were quicker than the next, and embodied the power of thunder!
Worse, once the electrical energy collided upon Guilty Star’s combat axe and conducted into his body, he was becoming numb, and his movements slowed considerably.
And that was even after his abundant True Qi had partially suppressed the thunder.
“He had yet to reach the Boundary of Wills, but his blade technique alone draws the might of thunders. In fact, that technique does not fall short against the Sky Sage Arts!” Third Elder’s pupils narrowed then in utter astonishment.
A rank-six pinnacle matching Guilty Star in strength. He would definitely stand at the top amongst rank-eight!
Even so...
That little bit of competence was still a little lacking if one were to use it against Sixth Elder, who had made his first steps into the Boundary of Will.
Could the brat still be holding another trump card!
“Bound Star!”
Third Elder barked then, and Bound Star attacked as ordered.
He did not join the battle, but instead aided Guilty Star with his control over the earth, splitting the ground one moment and summoning a ground spike the next, wrong-footing Jiang He just then.
“d.a.m.n it!”
Jiang He’s expression changed then.
Just an instant ago, one of the stone spikes shot out of the ground and stabbed between his legs. If his Nature Qi did not shield his body... he would have been finished!
At the same time, Guilty Star seized the chance and closed the distance, swinging down his axe at Jiang He’s waist!
Pow!
The axe tore through the protective Nature Qi, and the sharp hammer landed heavily on Jiang He’s body... and yet, the expected sight of a body being split in half was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Guilty Star heard the loud ‘snikt’ of a sword, before his vision was filled with the blindingly white radiance of a sword.
He tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Whoosh.
A hole was punched between Guilty Star’s eyes, and he fell stiffy to the ground.
Only then did Jiang He land on the ground too.
Doing a flip to rise to his feet, Jiang He withdrew his luminous sword and took a look at his waist that he was struck.
He could not help gasping.
“That was close!”
“If my defense technique had not improved, it wouldn’t be just my clothes and a red swelling. That axe swing would have cut me down!”
Jiang He’s expression turned somber, as a dark golden flash appeared over his body as his Dark Golden Combat Suit materialized.
“I’m being too careless!
“I might have been riding the high of my recent achievements. To think that I was holding back...
“This is a fight for my life, why hold back?”
Taking a deep breath as those thoughts vanished from his head, Jiang He growled, “You two. Who wants to die next?”