Death… and me

Gu Du Xing's figure flew along with the sword-light. The sword-beam was swallowed in, and spat out like lightning. Ao Yu Yun let out a loud shout, and softly collapsed… A big hole had been opened in his throat. Then, the bodyguards on his side pounced over crazily.

It seemed that Gu Du Xing didn't even realize that he had killed an important person. He didn't seem to notice that the enemy was approaching him from everywhere in a crazy manner. His body turned around whilst being as light as feather. Then, it rushed into another direction like lightning. The sword-light went slashing the whole way, and people kept screaming and collapsing…

His body suffered many heavy blows in a row. However, he remained unfazed. He had immersed himself in this bizarre situation wherein he kept harvesting human lives…

Then, a bold and mighty silhouette suddenly appeared… And, the big saber hacked right in the face of another Young Master of the Ao Clan – Ao Cheng Yun. Ao Cheng Yun didn't even get the time to scream. He got hacked into two equal halves from head to toe!

His body seemed as if two pieces of pork that were about to be put on shelf had gotten separated equally whilst being drenched in blood.

The people of Ao Clan went insane!

Two Young Masters had been killed in an instant. This made these people fight with their entire might!

They started fighting with the method of 'an eye for an eye'.

After all, Xie Clan's people were already very few in number. And, they were close to the inner circle of the encirclement.

The eyes of that black-clothed and masked leader of Zhuge Clan flashed at this moment. It seemed that he was somewhat nervous. He took a step forward. His eyes were tightly fixed at the mass of black fog around Tan Tan.

"Big Brother, it seems that something wrong," another black-clothed and masked man frowned. He said while being puzzled. "How did the situation suddenly get reversed? These people of Xie Clan are only a few in number even if these fresh troops are taken into account. But… they are surprisingly evenly matched now. Three of the top Emperor Level Experts of the Ao Clan have been defeated in an instant. But, the enemy side hasn't received any damage. Instead, all of them are fighting more and more bravely…"

The eyes of the black-clothed and masked leader shrank. He hesitated for a while, and said, "Second Brother, haven't you noticed yet? The Xie Clan's people seemed to have changed into monsters that simply won't go down ever since that awakened being has started to emit that black fog from his body…"

"Does Big Brother mean that…" that black-clothed and masked man said with a shock, "something is off… about that block fog?"

"I'm afraid that's right," the black-clothed and masked leader said, "The 'awakened being' is awakening his several millennia old bloodline. And, this must be the awakening of the bloodline of a King… And, that black fog must have extremely strong healing effect towards the people on his side if my guess is correct!

"However, our harvest will be much more than our expectations… if it is truly so!"

The mysterious light in the eyes of that black-clothed and masked leader blazed increasingly. "Fortunately, we have put all of our efforts in capturing an important persona of the Divine Clan. We are lucky that we have already discovered this heaven-shocking secret about the awakened being. Otherwise, it would've been a terrible disaster in case we had let this man mature…"

Then, another black-clothed and masked man came over. He said every word very carefully, "Big Brother, I think this matter is too fishy. I had even wanted to ask the elders when I had been in the Upper Three Heavens. I can't help but say now… that this matter isn't that simple. Let's say that it's true that Three Stars Divine Clan's bloodline is awakening in the human world after several millennia. Then… why hasn't it appeared before?"

"Or maybe… they have died a premature death. We can't say." The black-clothed masked leader didn't care about this aspect. He said, "After all, 'awakened beings' are very vulnerable for a long duration before… and even after awakening… They are vulnerable to the extent that even we brothers wouldn't need to go into action… Just the troops that we have brought with us can annihilate him thousands of times over!

"Moreover… it's okay that you've said these words in front of me. But, you had better not say these words in the future!" The black-clothed masked leader strictly looked at his third brother, "Are you even aware that we're in the Middle Three Heavens?

"Do you know how this information had come to us in the Upper Three Heavens?" he snorted and said, "The Great Elder hadn't hesitated to lose precious years of his life after he had captured that man of the Three Stars Divine Clan… He had deconstructed the mind of that Divine Clan's expert nine times in a day with Nine Needles Soul Deconstruction Technique! That is how we have obtained this piece of information… The Great Elder has lost nine years of his lifespan because of this. So, how can it possibly be a small matter?

"Great Elder is already over 1700 years old. So, he knows that he won't live past this year. Still, he had taken the initiative to propose the usage of this great technique… just for obtaining this top secret information for the clan! And, you doubt it? What about Great Elder's sacrifice?

"Even a ninth grade Saint Level Expert can't survive the Nine Needles Soul Deconstruction Technique; let alone if it is used nine times on a person.

"It can only be the will of the heavens if it turns out that the information that has come out of this is fake!"

He looked at his brothers with his sharp eyes. "You're not allowed to speak about this matter in the future. Otherwise, don't blame me for not caring about our brotherhood!"

That black-clothed and masked man was drenched in sweat. He complied, and then walked away.

The black-clothed and masked leader attentively gazed in Tan Tan's direction. Then, he insipidly said, "Prepare the Slaughtering Spirit Arrow, Capturing Soul Powder, Truncating Soul Powder, Soul Breaking Pan-pipe, and Spirit Lifting Net. We'll begin once that 'awakened being' fully awakens. And, we'll attack and capture him as soon as his body emits the black fog again!"

"Yes."

The several brothers complied at the same time. They got excited. Then, each of them gripped one or several exquisite items in their hands; these items were grotesquely shaped.

All the capable assistants of the black-clothed and masked leader had held the Purple Crystal Jade Bottles. Strange powders were faintly visible inside those bottles.

These "Slaughtering Spirit Arrow, Capturing Soul Powder, Truncating Soul Powder, Soul Breaking Pan-pipe, and Spirit Lifting Net" were five great killing devices. They had learned about the awakened being after having caught that important persona of the Divine Clan. Then, they had used cruel methods to interrogate him further. And, they had found out the most effective method to subdue the awakened being.

These five great killing devices were extremely vicious! They had been refined with such a method that even these experts of the Zhuge Clan had been astonished. Moreover, the required materials to craft them were exceptionally rare and precious!

Therefore, no one would doubt that something could be wrong in the clear crafting procedures of such a cruel method…

The fight was becoming more and more intense now. In fact, it had reached the superheated stage!

Chu Yang had thrown the last incomplete version of Nine Tribulations Pill into Gu Du Xing's mouth.

Outside the forest… sounds of hoof beats were getting nearer and nearer.

The experts of Ao Clan had become even crazier. They were facing deadly attacks inside the protection circle of Dong Wu Shang and the others.

Everyone was exhausted. But, the situation of the battle had become even more desperate now.

The two brothers — Ao Meng Yun and Ao Chang Yun — were the only ones remaining out of the four. They had a look of despair on their faces at the moment. They had gone insane. They hadn't expected that their dominant military force would have to fight so desperately at the risk of their lives.

Their foreign aid was clearly formidable. However, their external help had gone on a 'strike' at such an urgent and critical moment; this was an unfathomable mystery to them!

This would make people vomit blood to death!

On another side… Chu Yang was quietly moving. He had taken cover in the darkness of the night, the trees, and the underbrush amidst the saber-lights and sword-shadows. He silently sneaked over to under a big tree.

Then, the Nine Tribulations Sword stabbed out like a viper!

Under the tree… the eighth grade Emperor Level Expert Cai Xiao Cheng had been sent flying by Xie Zhi Qiu's palm attack. He had received serious internal injuries as a result. His internal organs had been dislocated, and all of his ribs had been broken. So, he was now circulating his martial power, and healing himself with all his strength. His body was shrouded with white fog. Pitter-patter sounds sounded during the healing process, and he soon reached at the critical juncture.

There were two first-grade Emperor Level Experts beside him. And, they were anxiously guarding him from left and right sides.

Cai Xiao Cheng would be able to break through Xie Zhi Qiu's tottering protection circle in one fell swoop as long as he could recover.

Even the people engaged in the fierce battle weren't aware that there was a key person who could change the situation of fight merely by raising his hand.

However, how could Chu Yang have missed this? How could he allow this eighth-grade Emperor Level Expert — Cai Xiao Cheng — to destroy the advantageous situation that he had worked hard to create?

He had been waiting for this very moment for a long time.

Minister Chu didn't dare to be distracted at this moment. After all, it was the moment for Minister Chu to move into action!

Both the 'protector' Emperor Level Experts beamed with joy when they saw that Cai Xiao Cheng was going to recover soon.

A feeble and dull sound resounded at this moment. And, the Sword Point penetrated the big tree behind Cai Xiao Cheng. Then, it flashed over like a viper, and quickly shrank back thereafter.

Consequently, the white spiritual energy that had been rapidly circulating Cai Xiao Cheng's body suddenly exploded with a bang and scattered in all directions. Then, Cai Xiao Cheng opened his mouth, and resolutely spouted out blood. The blood fell on the ground, and formed a deep and bloody hole!

Cai Xiao Cheng's expression became sad and angry. He angrily roared, "Coward! Show yourself!" His voice had become hoarse by the time he had spoken the last word. He then spat out a bucket of blood from his mouth… His vomit contained chunks of his internal organs!

It seemed as if all of his internal organs had become like a pot of porridge!

"Martial Emperor Cai?!" both men cried out in alarm.

However, Cai Xiao Cheng couldn't hear them. His neck had become soft, and was dangling down. And, he had lost all of his vitality. Then, his body slowly leaned over, and fell forward. And, he fell into his own pool of blood with a splash!

There was a fine sword-mark on the back side of his vest.

A tyrannical sword-light had broken into Cai Xiao Cheng's internal organs with the strike of the Nine Tribulations Sword. Then, it had smashed the most vulnerable spots of his insides.

"Who is it?" Both the Emperor Experts madly jumped out. A sword crashed into the forest. The sword-light slashed out vertically and horizontally, and the fragments of wood swirled about in the air. But, no one could be seen.

It seemed as if a phantom had stabbed its insidious sword in the dark… and disappeared.

The two searched in several places, but found nothing. Then, they turned back in a daze. They saw that Emperor Expert Cai's corpse was lying on the ground… He had died with his eyes open. There was anger and resentment in his eyes!

Suddenly, they felt weak in their whole bodies. It seemed as if they were about to collapse on the ground due to distress.

[Three among the four eighth-grade Emperor Level Experts have perished. Only one of them is remaining now. And, he is also being suppressed by Xie Zhi Qiu. A crisis is approaching him. He wouldn't be able to go on for long.]

[Six-hundred experts of the Ao Clan had started-off on this trip. But, only less-than-sixty men remain! Could it be that Ao Clan's entire younger generation will be buried here tonight?]

….

Ao Clan began the final attack like surging tides! Ao Meng Yun and Ao Lang Yun roared. And, the soldiers rushed forth under their leadership!

Gu Du Xing and the others had recovered by using the Nine Tribulations Pills. But, they had undertaken a long and wearisome journey. And, they had been fighting till now. So, they almost couldn't go on any longer.

All of the senior members other than Xie Zhi Qiu had stepped back while facing the final attack of the enemy. After all, the enemy had launched these attacks with their entire might. So, a crisis was approaching their defense line. And, it was going to bring destruction any time now!

At this moment…

Suddenly, a bang was heard. And, the black fog that had been densely revolving and floating around Tan Tan's body erupted all of a sudden!

…