“Hey, what is His Excellency Black Dragon thinking? Why bother saying all that to the humans? Why not just kill them and be done with it?” asked one of the demons off in the distance. Although they were relatively far away, they could still hear Black Dragon and Li Jiayi’s conversation.
Before the demon even finished his sentence, someone smacked him over the head. “Are you fit to question His Excellency’s intentions?”
“Of course not, I don’t mean to guess at his thoughts, but…… there’s no need for this, right? Just kill them all or capture and enslave them and be done with it.”
“HIs Excellency is doing this to make them feel despair,” snorted the other demon. “Do you really think that girl can make His Excellency take even a single step backward? That’s nothing but a ludicrous delusion!”
Suddenly, one of the Demon Sovereigns shouted, “shut up, all of you!”
The other demons hurriedly lowered their heads. They dared not say anymore.
Then they saw that Demon Sovereign walk towards them. He gnashed his teeth and said,” Li Min’e, don’t you think you ought to take the chance to explain yourself properly while his Excellency isn’t here?”
That Demon Sovereign glowered darkly at Li Min’e. She was sitting on the ground despondently, as if she’d lost her soul.
But Li Min’e didn’t even look up. She just sat there.
The Demon Sovereign reached out, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her to her feet.
“I’m talking to you,” he said, rebuking her. “Did you think you could hide just because Black Dragon didn’t come looking for you? If not for your man, would we demons have wound up in such a state?”
“Forget it. Let’s wait for His Excellency to return and have him decide what to do with her,” said the other Demon Sovereigns soothingly, “Li Min’e might be a victim too.”
“She’s a victim? I could see it clearly: there were no lines above her head. If not for Black Dragon, all of us might have died by now, yet you want me to just let it go!”
That Demon Sovereign glowered furiously the demons who’d tried calming him down, then pointed at Li Min’e and roared “she has to explain herself!”
At that moment, that lost soul, Li Min’e, looked up at him, a bleak grin on her face.
“Then…….. Kill me!”
The demon holding Li Min’e by the collar started, then his expression instantly grew even darker as he snorted, “do you think I don’t dare?”
“Of course you dare,” Li Min’e c.o.c.ked her head to the side and smiled faintly. “So please, kill me. I really….. Don’t want to live anymore.”
Black Dragon naturally saw what the demons were up to, but he paid them no need. The moment he confirmed that Su Yiyun was a traitor, he gave up on Li Min’e.
In truth, he was currently more interested in Li Jiayi. He was curious to see just what this gutsy little girl would….
Just what kind of delights did she have in store for him?
Li Jiayi looked behind her and said coldly, “out of my way.”
As she slowly walked back, the onlookers came to their senses and hurriedly stepped to the side, cleaning a path.
Everyone fixed their gazes upon her. Under the weight of their collective gaze, she felt an even stronger sense of pressure.
She stopped.
The instant she came to a stop, the onlookers gulped.
Could she do it?
Although they thought Li Jiayi’s odds of forcing Black Dragon backwards were miniscule, their hearts were still full of antic.i.p.ation. At the same time, though, they couldn’t help but recall that
Bear clansman.
If not for them, they would have already been saved!
Since he’d robbed them of any chance of survival, the others now bore a grudge against the entire Bear Clan.
However, even his fellow bear clansmen couldn’t help but hate the guy. Facing life and death, everyone was selfish…..
There was no “clan” here. They simply selfishly believed it was that man who’d pushed them onto a path of no return.
However, they still had hope: Li Jiayi.
Countless gazes fell on here. Although she stood with her back to the crowd, the pressure was enough that she struggled to even breath.
“Hah…..” she took a deep breath and cast aside all unnecessary thoughts.
“Little girl,” Black Dragon laughed calmly, “how much longer do you need to prepare? If you want to just drag things on like this, you’ll be the one to suffer.”
When she heard Black Dragon urging him on, Li Jiayi turned to look at him. “There’s no need to prepare. I’m ready now.”
“Oh really?”
When he saw Li Jiayi’s gaze, Black Dragon’s couldn’t help but grin. She had a light in her eyes, a sort that only appeared when someone was ready to die.
Was she planning to take him down with her?
Even as Black Dragon considered this possibility, he felt the very idea of it was ridiculous.
He shrugged, smiled as if utterly concerned, and arched his brows.
“Let’s get started then.”
“Before that, I’d like to reconfirm: if I manage to make you step backward, will you really let everyone else here go?” Lia Jiayi stared directly ahead, her gaze vicious.
Black Dragon nodded noncommittally. “Of course.”
“I want you to swear on your inner demons,” said Li Jiayi.
“No problem,” Black Dragon smiled and nodded, “I, Qiu An, swear on my heart’s demons that should the girl before make me take even a single step backward, I won’t harm anyone present. May Heaven and Earth smite me if I renege on my word.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of grey light entered his forehead, right between his eyes.
He’d made his vow.
“Little girl, you’re at ease now, right?” Black Dragon re-opened his eyes and laughed.
When she saw that he’d truly sworn on his inner demons, Li Jiayi nodded slightly, her heart now completely at ease. A decisive light flashed through her eyes.
“Jiayi.”
The Hundred Flowers Gate’s Third Elder suddenly cried out in alarm. Was she planning to…..
“Jiayi, you can’t.”
Li Jiayi only smiled at the elder. At that moment, her smile was completely pure, yet utterly heart-breaking.
Imagines of Hua Hai’s blooming black roses flashed through her consciousness….
“Master, your disciple is unfilial. The Hundred Flowers Battle Arts will be lost at my hands.”
A bleak smile tugged at her lips. Then they watched as her spiritual energy exploded outward. She was encircled in faint, black energy. Her hair fluttered in the resulting wind.
Her right hand stretched forward and a rose mark appeared in her pupils.
Snap!
She snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, heaven and earth transformed.
Countless roses manifested around her, transforming the world around them into an endless sea of black.
“Hah, so it was this technique.”
Off in the distance, Black Dragon pressed his lips into a smile. Back when Hua Hai used this technique, he really had felt threatened, but now he’d completely activated his spiritual power.
Besides, this girl wasn’t as strong as Hua Hai.
As the black roses covered the earth and skies, everyone who’d experienced Hua Hai’s blooming black roses froze in astonishment.
“Sigh….”
They couldn’t help but sigh and clench their fists.
However, no one noticed that the moment the roses descended, a man walked out of the sea flowers.
“Black Rose, Blos-”
Her mind made up, Li JIayi started to shout, but the next moment, she felt hands patting her shoulders.
She swallowed her words, then heard a low voice echo through her ears. “You’ve done well. Now leave everything to me.”