Chapter 981: Driven Back and Captive
Translator: Yukidaruma Translations Editor: Yukidaruma Translations
The plains’ Imperial Capital was in a state of chaos. Countless warriors ran out and started saving the injured people or searching for the enemy.
However, the two experts who caused all these to happen had already disappeared a long time ago. The black cracks in the sky were also slowly starting to contract and disappear.
Hei Zi left using the Shadow Evasive Technique, bringing along Duan Tianhao with him. The two of them turned into shadows, darting amongst the shadows on the ground at rapid speed. In the blink of an eye, they left the Imperial Capital and arrived at the plains.
Under the moon’s illumination, every bit of shadow cast by the strands of grass became their greatest protection.
Hei Ze’s eyes were filled with viciousness and evil thoughts. It was as if all the feelings of compassion and love for life he had were all but a disguise.
In fact, this was the Black Sun Sect’s cultivation technique—the Black Sun Technique. Light and darkness would exist concurrently in the heart as two intents. The user would cultivate with a heart of benevolence and kill with malevolent intents.
Therefore, although he usually appeared to be a great youth with a strong love for nature, he would disregard all relations and become unscrupulous like a demon from hell once he engaged in battle.
The thought of how he had been cultivating for over 1,000 years and yet was driven back by a young lad in his 20s caused fury to surge in his heart.
“Damn it, to think that I ended up encountering an unexpected failure.
“Drat. If it wasn’t because I couldn’t use my full power…”
Hei Zi’s aggrieved feelings came from the fact that he had been unable to unleash his tier six Divine level powers, which resulted in him being repulsed by Fang Xingjian.
In his hands, Duan Tianhao—who was left with only his upper body—also appeared to be in an extremely pathetic state at present. Fang Xingjian’s sword Qis had not just torn apart his lower body, but they had also invaded into his internal organs, crazily wiping out his vitality.
If it was not because Hei Zi was helping him to suppress them, Duan Tianhao would have died completely.
Despite this, his face was ashen, and his entire body covered in blood. He appeared to be on the last of his breaths.
Although this was the case, his eyes were still filled with feelings of hatred. He glared in the direction of the Imperial Capital and bellowed with strong feelings of an unwillingness to accept the situation, “Sir, why didn’t you kill Fang Xingjian? With your strength, you’d definitely be able to kill him if you go all out, right? Why did you have to hold back and allow him to live?”
His voice was hoarse and filled with an unresigned feeling, just like the dying howl of a wild beast.
Hearing Duan Tianhao’s words, Hei Zi frowned and said coldly, “What is it to me? You’re in no position to interfere.”
However, he assessed inwardly, ‘Fang Xingjian’s martial will is so strong that it far surpasses that of other tier five Divine level experts. He probably had some kind of fortunate encounter.
‘Not just tier five Divine level experts are inferior against him. Having experienced a depletion of strength for the 1,000 years of lifespan conversion, even we might even be a notch weaker than him just in terms of our martial will alone.’
At the thought of this, Hei Zi’s gaze became even more gloomy.
‘Unless several of us join forces or activate tier six Divine level powers, none of the six of us will be able to kill this person when we’re in a one-on-one fight against him.
‘To think that such a character was born into this land? Such prowess… He already has 30% of the Crown Prince’s disposition.’
Just as Hei Zi was deep in thought, his body suddenly paused abruptly, leaping out from the shadows. He casually tossed Duan Tianhao to the ground and looked around with a solemn gaze.
Chi chi sounds rang out as a slight breeze blew in the plains. Under the moon’s illumination, the space before him had a hint of coldness to it.
Amidst Duan Tianhao’s agonizing cries, Hei Zi spoke in a deep voice, “Fang Xingjian, we’ve already given the plains to you. Are you still going to chase us down relentlessly? Do you really think that I’m afraid of you?”
As Hei Zi spoke, Fang Xingjian’s figure slowly appeared ten meters in front of them. He had his back to Hei Zi, and his eyes were gazing up at the bright moon in the sky like he did not care about Hei Zi at all.
Fang Xingjian said indifferently, “Leave Duan Tianhao behind and destroy your clone yourself, and I shall not continue pursuing this matter.”
Hearing Fang Xingjian’s words, Hei Zi laughed out loud. His gaze was filled with a feeling of disdain and arrogance like he was looking at the ignorance of a country bumpkin who lived deep in the mountains.
“Fang Xingjian, you won this round.
“But the next round…”
Hei Zi had not finished his words when his figure dissipated abruptly. Several tens of streams of shadows under Duan Tianhao turned into shadow blades, slashing his body.
Pffft pffft sounds kept on ringing out. Duan Tianhao was dismembered instantly and thoroughly, rendered into a pool of flesh and blood.
Until the moment right before his death, Duan Tianhao’s eyes were still filled disbelief and unresignation. It was as if he could not believe that he was going to die here.
Hei Zi had unleashed the last bit of the power in his clone to kill Duan Tianhao in order to prevent him from revealing their secret. Although they had set a restraint in his brain, it was still safer to kill him.
However, after all the black Qis dissipated and Hei Zi had left the scene completely, Duan Tianhao’s corpse also disappeared. It was as if everything that just happened were merely hallucinations.
Only Duan Tianhao understood that those were not hallucinations as he was still laying on the grass, covered in blood. He looked at Fang Xingjian like the latter was a devil that was walking toward him.
The scene of Duan Tianhao’s death earlier was just Fang Xingjian’s illusory arts. Hei Zi wanted to silence Duan Tianhao while Fang Xingjian wanted to keep Duan Tianhao alive and obtain information about the Plenary Foundation Septet from him, like their objectives, their strength, and their condition for example.
Looking at Fang Xingjian’s cold gaze, a hint of savageness appeared on Duan Tianhao’s face. His body suddenly trembled furiously as waves of martial will seethed and collided to and fro in his body, causing his entire body to start shattering.
Unexpectedly, Duan Tianhao wanted to activate his martial will to self-detonate and commit suicide. He was unwilling to fall into Fang Xingjian’s hands.
“What an ardent character.”
With a single thought from Fang Xingjian, streams of black sword marks wrapped up Duan Tianhao in many layers. The latter’s body, which had been trembling incessantly and was about to explode earlier on, gradually calmed down.
Duan Tianhao’s eyes stared at Fang Xingjian as he spoke in a tart voice, “You can forget about finding out anything from me.”
“It won’t be up to you to decide.”
At the next moment, Duan Tianhao was completely engulfed by the sword marks and he disappeared into void space.
…
In the Imperial Capital in the plains, the entire Steel Lion Kingdom seemed to have entered a state of chaos.
Many maids, guards, and warriors were like rushing around frantically, feeling at a loss. They had no idea what had just happened.
In the depth of the palace, Prince Zuoxian was accompanying the new Abysmal Heaven King. He raised his head and looked at the battlefield that had taken place in the sky earlier. His gaze filled with worry.
Having been subdued by Fang Xingjian previously, Prince Zuoxian was sent to the plains to take charge of the situation.
However, it had not been long after he returned to the plains that he encountered Duan Tianhao and Hei Zi. After he was easily restrained by Hei Zi, he had stayed in the palace since then.