Chapter 459: The drums of battle
Translated by: La0o9
Proofreader: Arya
There were very few people still alive on the floating island as the majority of them were already killed.
It was silent all around.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao scowled as he looked ahead.
Qi Yan was holding an autumn-like longsword while wearing a large-brimmed hat.
The brim of the hat was lowered enough that it was impossible to see his face.
But w.a.n.g Hong Dao only needed a single glance to notice who he was.
That really was Qi Yan.
There was nothing different from the actual person.
Qi Yan was staring at him with an expression of indifference.
They faced each other head on, their gazes locked.
The first to move their gaze away was w.a.n.g Hong Dao, observing the sword in Qi Yan’s hand.
He spoke: “No, you are definitely not Qi Yan”
“Now why would you say that?” Qi Yan asked.
“That brat Qi Yan doesn’t know how to use the sword, his forte was Fire elemental spells and formation”
“Maybe I’ve gotten interested in the sword recently” Qi Yan replied.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao shook his head: “Swordsmans.h.i.+p is the most grueling of them all, there’s no way an ‘interest’ can get you this far”
He raised his hand and started to use spirit energy.
A silvery white insect silently landed on his back.
“Although you’re using that hat, I can still guess your cultivation from the power you show, and that much is completely worthless in front of me. If you want to live, tell me the new world’s coordinates now” w.a.n.g Hong Dao spoke.
Qi Yan just held the sword in his hand without replying.
Seeing that, w.a.n.g Hong Dao continued: “Don’t waste my time, whoever you are, give me the world coordinates and sit still so I can restrain you, then we’ll have plenty of time to talk”
“Why is Elder w.a.n.g in so much of a rush?” Qi Yan asked.
“I am not, there is simply no need for so much useless talk”
“Why is that?”
“The more talking we do, the more variables there are”
w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s voice became willed with killing intent: “I’ll give you another three breaths, throw down your sword and surrender, or I’m going to kill you right now”
Qi Yan’s sword moved.
A sword slash flew out at nothing in the air.
Raeeeeeek!!
A large monster insect suddenly appeared out of nowhere, screeching in pain.
It was cut from head to tail by the sword slash.
Golden blood spilled out like rain that quickly scattered in the wind.
The monster insect died on the spot as its corpse fell to the ground unmoving.
“Elder w.a.n.g, you said you’d give me three breaths, now why would you attack right away?” Qi Yan’s asked in an indifferent tone of voice.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s expression turned slightly grim.
“How rare for you to reach such a level of swordsmans.h.i.+p at such low cultivation”
“However, with only that much, you’re still 100,000 years early to be gloating in front of this old man!”
As soon as he said so, w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s spirit energy waves began to boil like a terrifying volcano.
The entire floating island itself was trembling slightly.
“So this is the level of pressure of a Cryptic realm cultivator huh?”
Sensing the spirit energy waves in the air, Qi Yan sighed lightly.
“One last chance, surrender, or the next moment will be your last” w.a.n.g Hong Dao spoke without changing his expression.
Qi Yan answered: “Your statement regarding my last moment, my gongzi would probably disagree”
“Your gongzi?” w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s voice raised.
He didn’t expect to hear that way of referring to someone.
That word implied a lot of things that couldn’t be described by words in a short period of time.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao went stiff for a second.
Right at that moment.
Qi Yan’s expression visually changed.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao also looked up at the sky.
Dong!
It sounded like something was being banged on.
Immediately after that, that sound started to echo across the entire floating island.
Dong!
Dong dong dong!
Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong!
Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong!
A hurried and urging sound of battle drums rang out, quickening more and more as it reverberated.
The sound of the battle drums resounded across the whole floating island.
This was Guang Yang sect’s highest level of warning, representing an emergency situation that would affect everyone’s life and death.
Once the drums beat, every cultivator was to disregard whatever they were doing and head to the lowest level of the floating island.
Everyone was required to throw their lives away protecting that place if necessary.
Because this drumming sound means the most crucial formation had malfunctioned.
The large-scaled spirit energy quarantine formation!
It directly affected whether or not the realm demon will notice this island!
And right now, that formation was being sabotaged!
To any sect, this meant an irreconcilable all-out war.
The ancient drums were reverberating across the entire island.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s expression warped.
In an instant, he retracted every bit of spirit energy he was releasing before, not leaving even a single speck of it to scatter.
He already used the fastest possible speed to retract all his spirit energy.
But the situation changed too rapidly and too fiercely.
No matter how fast w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s reaction was, the effect of his previous actions was already felt.
Countless sharp jaws showed up in midair.
The realm demon’s unconscious offshoots already noticed.
These jaws surrounded the floating island, staring straight at w.a.n.g Hong Dao.
They moved about a bit before slowly calming down.
How regretful, the spirit energy we felt over there was already gone.
Just a bit more and we would’ve found some delectable food.
More and more jaws gathered, slowly covering the sky and the void of s.p.a.ce itself.
Guang Yang sect’s floating island was now surrounded by the realm demon’s unconscious offshoots.
Seeing that, w.a.n.g Hong Dao gritted his teeth: “You rotten brat…”
“It can’t be helped, your cultivation is too high that gongzi doesn’t want you using spirit energy” Qi Yan casually answered.
They were now both standing on top of the platform.
No spirit energy can be used anywhere on Guang Yang sect’s island now.
From now on, anybody that dared to use even the tiniest bit of spirit energy will be discovered by the realm demon’s unconscious offshoots and eaten.
No matter if it was the Cryptic realm w.a.n.g Hong Dao or the Virtualized realm Zhao Wu Chui, neither of them could use a single bit of spirit energy now.
The black jaws that covered the sky slowly descended, baring their sharp teeth.
They were now in position, patiently waiting.
Waiting for any living beings to let out even a speck of spirit energy.
Once they discover their prey, that cultivator will be swarmed by the jaws and eaten so cleanly that not even sc.r.a.ps will remain.
“So this is your method of dealing with me?” w.a.n.g Hong Dao stared at Qi Yan and asked.
Dong! Dong!
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
The constant drumming resounded like rain on a barrel, urging people to come and risk their lives protecting the sect’s formation.
As long as the formation wasn’t fixed, this drumming will continue.
Originally, this would be the time for cultivators to rush forward and protect the sect.
But almost every cultivator had already been killed by w.a.n.g Hong Dao.
There was no one left to protect the formation.
This was without a doubt, the most difficult moment of w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s life.
His hand subconsciously reached for his gem ornament.
“I know you have an airs.h.i.+p to escape with, but do you actually dare to use your storage item now?” Qi Yan spoke.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao glanced at the sky.
There was no sky to look at anymore, only unconscious offshoots.
They were jittering about, sensing any spirit energy in the air.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao’s expression became dark.
Opening the gem ornament requires only a thread of spirit energy.
But this thread of spirit energy might be noticed by the unconscious offshoots.
And that would mean death.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao didn’t want to make that bet.
“But did you actually think this through? This way even you won’t be able to escape!” w.a.n.g Hong Dao spoke.
“I didn’t” Qi Yan answered.
Seeing him admit that so nonchalantly, w.a.n.g Hong Dao couldn’t believe it.
“I definitely won’t believe that, no one could ignore their own life and death” w.a.n.g Hong Dao shook his head.
“Listen to that, this ancient battle drumming, I didn’t expect it to be this fitting to be honest” Qi Yan casually commented.
Holding his sword tightly, he tilted his body forward.
“Right here, right now, it’s either you die or I die. Everything else can be left for afterwards”
He spoke.
“Wait!” w.a.n.g Hong Dao shouted.
“You moron, there’s always room to talk, why didn’t you tell me that the floating island’s formation was under your control!” w.a.n.g Hong Dao was gritting his teeth.
“There was no need to” Qi Yan answered: “Not just my gongzi but even I feel that way, a battle should actually look like a battle, things like schemes and plots are so meaningless”
The autumn-like longsword was pointed straight at w.a.n.g Hong Dao.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
The drumming began to pick up pace.
Thick fighting spirits filled the air.
There was almost a faint smell of smoke and fire.
“Huang Quan realm, Shannu. Let us begin” she said.