Chapter 666: Swords
Translator: Irene_ Editor: X, TYZ
"Move faster!"
"Take note of the distance. Don't leave any gap!"
The soldiers of the God Spirit Division could be seen constructing blood pools across the vast wilderness. They weren't big, only having a radius of less than two meters, a depth of under a meter, and were shaped like plum blossoms. The soldiers moved nimbly. Building such blood pools was effortless for them.
Soon after, some soldiers came over with deep baskets filled with all kinds of material. They threw these ingredients into the pool one by one, and they melted into balls of bloody water. Next, the water in the blood pools quickly became a fresh red color as a sweet, delicate fragrance filled the air.
A God Spirit Division officer came forward with his palm raised.
Whoosh.
A wisp of transparent flame rose.
The transparent flame was thrown into the pool, which caused the bloody pool to light up. Thick blood-colored smoke rose and congealed. It was like an enormous pillar, baring its fangs and claws as it rose.
On these ordinary fields, there were pillars of fresh red smoke.
A god priest from the God Spirit Division stood under the pillar chanting to himself. The blood-colored smoke pillars started to release an inexhaustible amount of blood-colored petals. The fresh crimson petals seemed soft and ethereal as they drifted through the air.
It was dreamy and beautiful.
The vice division leader, Qin Ge, extended his palm. When a petal fell onto his hand, it turned into a wisp of red smoke before vanishing into the air. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "How beautiful!"
He Nanshan looked grave. Was this going to work?
He felt uncertain.
Having suffered from the disturbances caused by the Sword of Lightning, everyone in the God Spirit Division racked their brains to think about how they could deal with the unpredictable Pinwheel Sword. After some effort, they came up with the [Smoke Flower Lock].
Initially, he had been determined to strategize and wanted to lay an ambush for the Sword of Lightning. However, that terrifying surge of water elemental energy waves made He Nanshan realize that Shi Beihai was still alive!
Needless to think, he knew that the other side would try to rescue Shi Beihai by any means necessary. Which daughter would watch her own father fall into the enemy's hands?
If the Sword of Lightning were to plan a rescue, the fast as lightning Pinwheel Sword was undoubtedly the best choice.
Now it was up to the [Smoke Flower Lock] to keep Sword of Lightning away!
Just then, a sharp alarm sounded.
"They're here!"
Seeing the frightened soldiers gathering in the field, He Nanshan felt indescribably stifled. The Sword of Lightning's nonstop harassment had already left a deep scar in their psyches. Small teams who were left alone in the wild would become the Sword of Lightning's prey. There was even a period of time where he refrained from sending scouts out since their death toll had pained him greatly.
It had to work!
He Nanshan hardened his heart with hatred.
…..
A Pinwheel Sword was resting atop the valley of sword formations.
Fatty bared his upper arms while working hard to build an all new pagoda cannon. It was going to be different from the Beehive Heavy Cannon and had a slender, crane-like barrel that could maximize its shooting range and penetration. It was smaller than Beehive Heavy Cannon and Fatty alone could operate it without difficulty.
Fatty suspected that he wouldn't have to act because he was travelling with Ai Hui and Shi Xueman. Nevertheless, his cautious nature made him prepare for the worst.
Although the temperature was dropping, Fatty was sweating buckets. He was usually pudgy looking, but when he took off his shirt, only robust muscles were visible. His sweat was like a layer of shiny oil added onto his coppery body.
While working, Fatty mumbled to himself, "Zhiguang, operate it properly. Grandpa Fatty's little life is in your hands."
Zhiguang responded unhappily, "Grandpa Fatty, I've completed my missions many times."
"Hehehe, I'm timid, you know." Fatty continued complaining, "Aye, Zhiguang, can't you land the Pinwheel Sword properly on the ground? Do you know how much work it is for me to carry all of this up?"
Shi Zhiguang helplessly answered, "Boss's orders."
His eyes lit up. "Boss is here!"
Fatty shut up instantly and acted as though he was concentrating on his work. Even as a Master, he was still terrified of Ai Hui. Fatty regarded Ai Hui as his best buddy and respected him, but also feared him. Ai Hui had always been involved in Fatty's development process, tormenting and molding him. Ai Hui's callousness had long since become an overbearing power that intimidated Fatty.
Nevertheless, Fatty was really grateful for having Ai Hui around. He knew very well that without Ai Hui spurring him on, he never would've achieved what he did and would've become a useless pile of bones.
Close by, another Pinwheel Sword stopped in midair. This was the second sword, operated by Huo Da.
Compared to Shi Zhiguang's empty Pinwheel Sword, Huo Da's was packed with people. Other than Duanmu Huanghun, all members of the Sword of Lightning were on the second Pinwheel Sword. It was Huo Da's first time operating it on a mission, a dangerous mission at that, so everyone thought about ensuring safety first.
With Ai Hui, Shi Xueman, and Fatty on board, their combat power was at its peak.
Ai Hui's appearance stirred the members up instantly because many of them had not seen him in a long time.
"Look quick, Boss is here! Boss is really back!"
"Zhiguang's so lucky, going on a mission with him."
Huo Da interrupted, "Hey, hey, hey, I'm a Master too! What are you trying to imply? Respect the Masters!"
Laughter erupted. They were all familiar with one another and never put on airs.
"Yes, yes, yes, Master Huo's achievements and glory are unmatchable!"
"Zhiguang's achievement is nothing compared to Master Huo's! We've won the lottery!"
"We're depending on you, Master Huo!"
Huo Da patted his chest, "All right, he's not my match. We don't have to be afraid!"
In the next moment, he asked doubtfully, "Why did Zhiguang park there?"
Gu Xuan shook his head. "Boss's orders."
Duanmu Huanghun groaned, the unhappiness blatant on his face.
Ai Hui hadn't been on board for a long time, and he felt twice as familiar after setting foot within. It was empty inside except for Shi Zhiguang.
Shi Zhiguang raised his head and puffed his chest out, standing upright. He shouted, "Boss!"
Ai Hui smiled, "Long time no see, Zhiguang."
Shi Zhiguang was moved.
The news of Ai Hui's return had been spreading across the camp for a while, greatly boosting the division's morale. Members who weren't new were aware of how important Ai Hui was to the team, even though he appeared nonchalant most of the time.
The encampment was overflowing with a joyous atmosphere.
The only regretful thing was that Ai Hui had taken Lou Lan along with him, which meant that they weren't getting any delicious elemental soup until the mission was completed.
Cries echoed within the encampment as everyone started praying that this mission would go smoothly.
They had no idea that the goal of this mission was to rescue the scattered survivors of the North Sea Division.
Lou Lan greeted Shi Zhiguang happily, "How are you doing, Zhiguang!"
A smile automatically appeared on Shi Zhiguang's face. "Welcome on board, Lou Lan!"
Lou Lan carried a big suitcase. Was that food for the journey? Shi Zhiguang's eyes lit up.
Shi Xueman held onto Cirrus as she greeted him, "Thanks for the hard work, Zhiguang."
Shi Zhiguang quicky returned the greeting, "Don't say that, Madam, it's my duty!"
The word "madam" made Shi Xueman blush. She quickly composed herself and nodded at Shi Zhiguang before walking elsewhere. She was rather lost in thought, tightly pursing her lips in worry and anxiety.
She had been beyond grief after hearing the news of her father's death, converting her sorrow into determination and sprinting to the front line
Shi Zhiguang walked toward Ai Hui and saluted, "Reporting! The Pinwheel Sword is all ready. We can set off!"
"Wait a moment."
Somewhat surprised, Shi Zhiguang asked, "Is anyone else joining, Boss?"
Ai Hui smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out soon."
Even Shi Xueman threw a gaze over in curiosity. Only Lou Lan was smiling widely, his eyes forming two happy looking crescent moons.
Ai Hui remained solemn as he took a deep breath.
Sss!
His breath sounded like the continuous tearing of cotton, carrying a tinge of sharpness.
The sound stopped abruptly as Ai Hui raised his palm gently. His index and middle fingers straightened together to form a sword.
Clang!
Without any warning, a simultaneous sword chime sounded below.
Shi Zhiguang quivered as the hair all over his body stood on end. Before he could react, the sky overhead dimmed, and a ball of enormous shadow enveloped him.
He looked up automatically and became breathless.
Countless black long swords hovered quietly above his head. They were completely black and came in different shapes, covering the sky. They moved noiselessly like a colossal group of black sharks, cruising through a deep sea of dead silence.
The number of swords was uncountable. The tips of the swords gathered together, occasionally producing a flashing and bone-piercing cold light.
Shi Zhiguang's mind went blank.
The sight before him was filled with a dangerous and scary aura. It was suffocating.
Shi Xueman was stunned too.
She knew that Ai Hui's return came with a leap in abilities, but the scene before her had exceeded her imagination.
Ai Hui…
Ai Hui's clothes fluttered without any wind, and his fringe was all messed up. The flickering cold light in his eyes, however, became increasingly bright, like the stars in the sky.
At this moment, he was akin to an unsheathed treasure sword, emitting a dense and bitingly cold aura as light rays extended miles away!
Above the valley, a gentle call sounded.
"Come!'
The noiseless black swords swiftly transformed into a surging black waterfall that cascaded down from the sky.
Seeing the countless swords pouncing on him like black sharks that wanted to rip him into pieces and swallow him up, Shi Zhiguang paled. He wanted to hide, but at this point, there was only absolute despair in his heart because he realized he couldn't move.
Thud, thud, thud!
Like rain hitting the ground, these sounds made people gasp for air.
This bladestorm passed quickly, and Shi Zhiguang was dazzled by it all. Before he could react, the azure sky welcomed his vision again. That suffocating darkness had vanished, as if it had merely been an illusion.
Not far away, Duanmu Huanghun and the others had witnessed it clearly.
The black swords that filled the valley chimed in unison, rose from the ground, and rocketed into the sky. They were like black clouds overhead. Following Ai Hui's call, the spiraling swords came down. The black flood split into seven, forming seven fine currents that entered the seven sword pagodas.
In that moment, the Pinwheel Sword sank a little.
Like seven hedgehogs, the sword pagodas had black swords sticking out of them. They became seven pagodas not only in name, but in reality.
There was only silence in the valley save for the sound of spiraling swords.
Duanmu Huanghun was dumbstruck, and everyone else turned into statues. They were speechless.
The bitingly sharp sword consciousness had dissipated completely along with the cold light in Ai Hui's eyes.
"Set off!"