The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 255 Proof of Allegiance

With her small frame, Jiu You stood fearlessly at the head of the defenders, her spear glinting dangerously like the eye of a serpent.

Her warlike nature, owing to her being a demon, helped fortify her audacity even in the face of overwhelming odds.

She glared furiously at the elderly Human King – the very same who had just expressed an interest in studying her like a specimen.

The gnarly old man chuckled, as if he hardly noticed the burning glare. He stepped forward slowly, indicating that he was the next challenger.

Swoosh!

Jiu You attacked. Her spear came up, trailing with a stream of glitter behind its tip, and it charged at the old man like a bolt of lightning.

The old man hardly moved an inch. But a jet-black dagger, with a blade no more than a half-meter long, materialized into his grasp.

The air around the old man thickened with a spine-chilling aura that easily made everyone nearby jittery with dread, their skins tingling with foreboding.

It could only be one thing: a very powerful Sacred Relic.

The old man swung his dagger and it shot a bolt of dark energy that hit the tip of the spear precisely.

Clang!

Fiery sparks spewed everywhere, accompanied by the noise of steel grinding into steel, and ripples of energy broke out as a result of the clash.

Boom! Boom!

The ground groaned and cracked under the feet of Jiu You and the old man. Sand and stone flew everywhere, whisked up by the shock waves that spread out. They must have both sustained a powerful shock from the short clash.

A hint of surprise flashed through the eyes of the old man.

Jiu You’s eyes glinted the same. Her innocent voice rang austerely, “A Second-grade Human King.”

“Not dull and stupid,” observed the old man, chuckling. His Internal Breath began spiking as his aura grew and spread, causing the air around them to tense and crackle at the pressure.

Lei Bao’s and the others’ face turned pale. The elderly man had been disguising his true powers. A Second-grade Human King!

Unfazed, Jiu You growled coldly, “So what? Am I supposed to be afraid of a Second-grade Human King? I’ll fight you anyway.”

Swoosh!

The spear of steel danced with euphoric fervor, its tip gleaming silvery sparkles whenever it shook. It was but only one single weapon, yet the air filled with a legion full of its mirages—each of them bolts of destructive energy—a truly awesome and formidable sight.

All it took was one single speck of sparkle from her spear, and there was hardly anyone who was not undaunted by the sight of her fearlessness.

The elderly Human King tensed. Jiu You’s combat abilities had exceeded his expectations. Knowing better than allow any mistake, he cast another spell with his dagger.

With one swing of his dagger, he conjured thousands of magical bolts, each shaped in the image of his dagger.

Bang! Bang!

The magical bolts—spears and daggers alike—raced through the air like arrows and clashed into each other, setting off a never-ending string of explosions that rocked the earth and shook the air.

And the resulting force threw them both backwards.

“I KILL YOU!”

Jiu You snarled and sprang back up. She thrust her weapon forward, its tip slicing through the air and stormed towards the elderly man.

The ground beneath the old man’s feet burst with webs of cracks and he stomped hard, propelling himself forward like a catapult, swinging his short dagger and sending energy bolts shaped like his dagger into the air.

Clang! Clang!

Both fighters threw themselves at each other, locking into a gritting melee with their weapons whistling at a hair’s breadth away from each other at every exchange, pelting Sword Qis everywhere and kicking up smog of dust and sand so thick that it even obscured the sunlight.

An impatient Jin’gang lifted his wide-bladed greatsword, and pointed it at Lei Bao, “Come here and fight.”

“Clumsy oaf,” hissed Lei Bao, “Let me send you to Hell, if that’s what you wish.” Watching Jiu You fighting the old Human King had been making his blood boil and he could no longer hold back his bellicose urges. Jin’gang’s challenge to him could not have come at a better time and he brandished his sword breaker and strode forth to meet his foe.

Crack!

Lightning bolts coiled around the edges of the sword breaker, crackling angrily as Lei Bao twirled it over his head before bringing it down in a vicious slam down on the large blade of Jin’gang’s greatsword.

Clang!

A piercing ring of steel burst out, almost deafening anyone who stood nearby. The ground beneath Jin’gang’s feet threatened to give way at the powerful blow.

With the advantage of power afforded by his Sacred Relic, Lei Bao was free to thrash and hammer at his enemy however he liked.

Both men shared similar levels of power. But Lei Bao managed to gain the initiative and forced Jin’gang to be on the defensive because of his Sacred Relic.

Fortunately for Jin’gang, his greatsword was hardly any ordinary instrument, although not a Sacred Relic. It was an exceptional weapon able to slice steel like cheese, or else, it would have long been destroyed by Lei Bao’s sword breaker.

Swish!

Jin’gang swung his greatsword in a wide arc, sending an energy bolt whistling fiercely towards Lei Bao.

Lei Bao raised aloft his sword breaker, bringing it down hard on the blade of the greatsword, deflecting it aside.

Bang!

Caught in a lurch, Jin’gang could not react in time. The greatsword hit the ground with a loud thud, its momentum cutting a long crevice dozens of meters long.

Lei Bao roared triumphantly. He mustered every ounce of magical energy he could and hurled every lightning-based attack he could at his enemy and everywhere he passed by, the air crackled with the residual electric sparks that bounced off him.

Both men fought in bold and fierce manners, and so were their blows and techniques: equally aggressive and heavy.

Clang! Clang!

The sword breaker and the greatsword clashed again and again, their edges grinding furiously into each other every time they met, and the shrill din from their clashes could have made anyone tremble and cower with fear.

“How dare you challenge me, you worthless brute! Now take this!” Lei Bao roared, raising his shiny sword breaker and bringing it down on his foe again.

Again and he again, he pounded mercilessly on Jin’gang’s broadsword. The huge, oversized blade shook incessantly and Jin’gang could only retreat slowly.

Frustrated, Jin’gang grunted and brought his greatsword in a long and heavy arc, and a burst of Sword Qi escaped its tip.

Lei Bao dodged the energy missile, and the Sword Qi bolt whizzed past him and slammed into a building behind him and it blew up into pieces.

Lei Bao raised his sword breaker again. With the might of his Sacred Relic, he succumbed into a delirious madness of violence, attacking Jin’gang with insane ferocity that the latter howled and howled with pain.

Clang!

The sword breaker smote hard on the greatsword again, and the shock of the blow rippled up its hilt.

Lei Bao’s eyes flashed suddenly with glee. He delivered a sudden punch with his left fist, sending a ball lightning and it hit Jin’gang in the chest.

The ball lightning exploded with a bang, and Jin’gang careened away, howling anguishedly with blood pouring from his mouth and his chest charred and smoldering before he crashed into a building.

Lei Bao pounced, eager to deal the killing blow.

Only, a figure appeared out of nowhere; the stranger’s Internal Breath burgeoned and he released an energy bolt that hit him squarely.

Lei Bao groaned with pain, and inadvertently released his hold of his sword breaker before he crashed backwards, spewing mouthfuls of blood himself.

He clambered back up, hissing angrily, “Another Second-grade Human King.”

Indeed, that was another Second-grade Human King—the very same who had exchanged a few words with the elderly Human King before he engaged Jiu You.

Who would have thought that there were two Second-grade Human Kings among the fifteen Human Kings mobilized for this mission?!

Yan Yi and his men immediately felt their hearts sinking with despondence.

He exchanged a hopeless glance with Wu Busi, none of them able to speak a word. Both men felt bitter at their helplessness; they were just as good as fodder against the overwhelming might of the intruders.

“I see Chu the Devil has treated you well. Each one of you carries a Sacred Relic of your own,” said the Second-grade Human King who had wounded Lei Bao. He waved and magically summoned the sword breaker into his grasp. He studied it briefly before casting a disdainful look at Lei Bao, “What a shame that such a good instrument is used by the likes of you.”

“Give it back,” growled Lei Bao. The sword breaker had been a trusty and useful weapon and he loved it very much.

“Very well. Take it if you can,” teased the Human King. He disappeared, reappearing right before Lei Bao in an instant, with the sword breaker coming down on him.

Crunch!

Lei Bao crashed backwards again, his coughing of blood accompanied by the sickening sounds of bones cracking. The entirety of his right arm was smashed, although he managed to endure the excruciating pain with not so much as a grunt nor a scream.

“Oh, dear...” breathed the Second-grade Human King sardonically, “I did give it to you, but you failed to catch it. You can’t blame me for that.”

His eyes turned into a cold stare right after he finished, and he lunged, swinging the sword breaker down at Lei Bao again.

Seeing this, Yan Yi swallowed hard and threw himself into the way.

But the Human King did not even look at him; he easily delivered a punch into Yan Yi, caving in his chest and nearly blasting through him.

The elderly Human King snorted frostily and renewed his attention on Lei Bao.

“You old senile,” Jiu You hissed. She drove her spear into the ground and flicked up a huge boulder at the elderly Human King fighting her, using it to distract him.

She pierced her spear into the ground again and bent it like the string of a crossbow, using it to launch herself into the air like a catapult, flying towards the other elderly Human King ready to kill Lei Bao.

She aimed her spear in the air, and she thrust forth her weapon, with sparkling trails clinging after its tip.

The elderly Human King was about to bring down the sword breaker on Lei Bao when he felt his senses tingling. He spun away quickly and was just in time to bring the Sacred Relic in a wide-sweeping arc.

Jiu You was upon him. She swung her spear at the elderly man, the tail of sparks raining rippling over him like a deluge of glittering stars.

Clang!

Their weapons met, and the force of their collision sent them both stumbling backwards.

Jiu You speared at the ground, using it to keep herself steady and renewed her attack on the Human King, a dance of steel and cold fury.

But, the first elderly Second-grade Human King who had been fighting her before caught up to them. Together with his comrade, he hacked and sliced at her viciously with his short dagger, all of his strokes aiming specifically for her vitals.

The spear of steel hummed and trembled at each blow, glittering proudly even in the critical situation, defending its master from any attacks hurled by the enemies.

Utterly devoid of any notion of shame and conscience, the elderly pair of Second-grade Human Kings continued their onslaught on Jiu You, banking on their advantage of number and age over her.

Jiu You leaped around, shrouded in a cocoon of the mirages of her spear, dancing like a true demon—her eyes burned with icy flames of anger, and her hair, now disheveled and frayed, thrashing around like a nest of snakes—in her battle against the two Second-grade Human Kings. She could not back down or retreat, not without risking Lei Bao who was on the ground just behind her.

“Don’t just stand there, you fools,” barked the Human King wielding his short dagger, “Slaughter them all! Spare no quarter!”

Wu Busi tensed up, his eyes burning with fierce ardor. He was the only one left, and there was hardly any other option left other than to fight to the death.

One of the other Human Kings hurtled over to him, eager to spill first blood, and just behind him were the other intruders.

Just then, a shadowy figure swept past Wu Busi like a wraith, only to fling a handful of powder over him, obscuring his vision.

Shocked, the Human King intruders immediately halted and held their breaths. One of their number – the one spearheading the charge – failed to stop in time and accidentally drew in a deep breath.

Inhaling the powder, he felt dizzy and staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

But a gigantic crystal pestle came out of nowhere and smashed into his head.

Bang!

Blood sprayed out of the wound like a mist and he fell, his skull caved in like a crumpled mass.

Everyone was left stunned by the suddenness of what happened.

The Human Kings peered at the direction from whence the powder came, and saw another middle-aged person glaring at them fiercely.

“Good job, Yu Cheng,” croaked Lei Bao, only to disgorge another mouthful of blood himself.

“Just shut it, you fool,” bellowed the Lord of Healing, although he grimaced at how he was only able to ambush and kill one Human King despite his efforts to remain hidden earlier.

“Bastard Yu Cheng,” shrieked one of the Human Kings, “Do you not value your own life?” He flung out a hand, churning an unnatural wind with his powers and dispelled the powder in the air.

“Prattle all you want. I’m just right here. Come take my life if you think you’re up to it!” scowled Yu Cheng. He was only putting up a strong facade; with so many Human Kings, it was impossible for him to just pull off a Chu Xun and kill every one of them. If anything, the intruders instead could easily overrun him with their sheer number.

“Gods, where are you, Chu Xun... Any later, we’ll all die here, Chu the Devil...” murmured Yu Cheng to himself.

None of the intruders dares take a step forward. Yu Cheng, by his moniker of the Lord of Healing, was known not only in his prowess in healing, but also his expertise in taking lives. The white powder he just used was one of his many plethoras of methods.

A common behavior of humans. If alone, one could just as easily charge with reckless abandon. Yet, as a group, no one dared to take the first move, each of them afraid of standing out first.

“Your healing skills are second to none, Lord of Healing,” called the elderly Human King who incapacitated Lei Bao, “Why not join us? There’s no point on throwing away your life with their ilk. We of the Broken Souls Cult are always in need of good men like you. Join us, and I’m sure your talents shall be put to good use.”

“Really?” exclaimed Yu Cheng with apparent interest.

Seeing that his enticement was working, the old man said again, “I swear on my life, that if you join us, the resources of the Broken Souls Cult shall be at your full disposal.”

“Wow,” the Lord of Healing gasped, pondering deeply, “That sounds really like an alluring offer.”

“So, are we in agreement?” asked the old man, gleeful. He was not lying, at least not completely. The Lord of Healing’s impeccable skills in healing could really be a great boon to the Cult.

Yu Heng’s eyes wavered for a brief moment before they became steady and he said, “All right. I agree to your terms.”

He turned around to take in the aghast expressions of the members of the Rock Sect staring at him and said, “I’m sorry, everyone. But a man’s gotta do whatever it takes to survive.”

“Hahahahaha!” the old man bellowed with laughter, “Very good! Sensible choice! In that case, please present your proof of allegiance.”

“No problem.” The Lord of Healing replied, lunging before he even finished.

Bang!

He reappeared behind Wu Busi, delivering a fist into him that sent the latter hurtling into the air, belching a huge amount of blood from his mouth. Yu Cheng then flitted after him, snapped his neck, and tossed his corpse right before the feet of the ten more intruders.

“I hope you’re satisfied with this proof. If that’s not enough, I’ll kill this little lass for you too,” said Yu Cheng with an evil grin at the old man.

“Hahahahah... But no. This little girl would be a useful specimen. I need her alive. You can stand aside and leave everything else to us. Come back with us to the Cult after this,” beamed the elderly Human King. He could very well expect a reward for being able to convince the Lord of Healing to defect.

“Very well!” said the Lord of Healing, clasping his fists in salute and stepping aside reverently as he was told.