GDK 564: Chaos Imminent
The troop advanced for a few hundred meters without running into any hindrance. Manticole and Leviathan scanned every inch of visible ground around him, but couldn’t find any truly valuable treasures.
Later, they found their path forward blocked by a boundary. Following their usual standard procedure, when the Demon Kings couldn’t detect what type of energy the boundary was made of, Leviathan instructed at once, “Anro, go and try.”
Although Leviathan and Manticole were both lowgods, they could only detect boundaries concealing the same energies that they cultivated in. If the elemental energy of the boundary was well concealed within the boundary, and the energy didn’t belong to lightning or darkness, then Leviathan and Manticole could only resort to employing the most primitive method ever – finding it out with lives!
The two couldn’t sense which energy it belonged to, but that didn’t mean Han Shuo couldn’t. Han Shuo couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows when he saw that the boundary concealed the elemental energy of wind, but Anro, the Demon sent forward by Leviathan, cultivated in the element of water. He raised his hand to stop it, saying, “Hang on!”
Leviathan stared blankly for a second before revealing a beaming smile and politely said, “Yes Mister Han Shuo? Is there anything you’d like to share with us?”
Ever since the moment Han Shuo learned how this character would never even let his own follower off, Han Shuo lost every bit of friendly opinion towards him. But nonetheless, on the surface, Han Shuo still feigned civility and smiled, saying, “If you trust me, let that friend over there try it instead.”
Han Shuo held out a hand and pointed at a Demon under Manticole who cultivated in the element of wind. Han Shuo actually wasn’t that merciful. He didn’t care much about the lives and deaths of those Demons under Leviathan and Manticole. It’s just that, to push on with their approach would truly exhaust a lot of manpower. Han Shuo was only worried that with their trial and error it wouldn’t be long before all those Demons were dead. If that happened, they wouldn’t be able to venture deeper, thus affecting his own progress as well. It was solely for this reason that he would be so kind to give his opinion.
The face of that Demon cultivating in the element of wind pointed by Han Shuo suddenly turned deadly white. He shot a hateful glare at Han Shuo as he turned over in his mind ‘when did he offend Han Shuo and why would Han Shuo want to send him to his death at this critical moment’.
By contrast, Anro was clearly delighted. Although he couldn’t reject Leviathan’s order, he still knew how to treasure his own precious life. If that boundary ahead was made of the elemental energy of water, he would charge into it with sheer enthusiasm. But looking at Leviathan’s bearing, he didn’t seem to know which type of energy was inside the boundary. The chances of him dying while breaking into the boundary were truly too great, and thus, he couldn’t help but fear for his life.
It was also for the same reason that this Demon called Anro very obscurely expressed his gratitude towards Han Shuo with his eyes, although he had no idea why Han Shuo would help him.
Leviathan and Manticole were slightly stunned and looked at Han Shuo with puzzled eyes. After a short pause, Manticole finally couldn’t help but ask, “What is the meaning of this?”
“To reduce everybody’s losses. This way we can venture even deeper,” Han Shuo said unenthusiastically after putting on an enigmatic smile.
“Alright then,” Manticole was pretty blunt, or perhaps he felt that sacrificing one of his Demons was no big deal. He waved his hand at that Demon who cultivated in the wind element and currently wearing a frightened face, and commanded, “Yadi, go!”
His Lord had commanded. No matter how terrified or unwilling, Yadi had no second option. Right before entering the boundary, he shot a spiteful glare at Han Shuo, as though he was saying, “If I don’t get killed, I will straighten this out with you sooner or later!”
Han Shuo shrugged. He did not take the threat of this existence to his heart.
Yadi let out a cold, irritated groan. Then, with no nonsense, he leaped and threw himself into the boundary that was blocking everybody’s path. Loud whistling and whooshing sounds suddenly came from within. Sharp, shiny daggers were formed from the intense element of wind and began to slosh about within the boundary as it made clanking sounds.
The expressions on Leviathan’s and Manticole’s faces suddenly changed. Their eyes simultaneously turned to Han Shuo. They were full of amazement!
“Mister Han Shuo, how did you know that the boundary was made of the wind element?” Leviathan was simply astonished.
Han Shuo put on a faint smile and replied, “As I’ve said it before, the main martial art that I cultivate in, isn’t quite the same as those you know of. Hehe, therefore, this bit of mysteriousness about me, actually isn’t all that strange!”
The two did not answer Han Shuo’s deliberately mystifying explanation. However, they exchanged subtle suggestive glances. No one knew what they were thinking behind those twinkling eyes.
“Mister Han Shuo is truly a magical person! With this, we can greatly cut our losses!” one of the Demon remarked. The party seconded at once.
When Manticole and Leviathan saw that their subordinates seemed to be extremely approving of Han Shuo, the strange light radiating in their eyes glowed even more vigorously.
Ting! That boundary of wind suddenly ruptured.
Out of the crowd’s expectations, Yadi did not smoothly obtain the wind elemental energy contained within. This Demon who entered the boundary while harboring hatred towards Han Shuo seemed to be an extremely unlucky one. His hole-riddled body came into view before the crowd. He was long without a trace of life.
Although it would be much safer for one to enter a boundary made of the same energy the person cultivated in, it wasn’t completely risk-free. This Demon named Yadi obviously had really bad luck. Not only could he not obtain any energy from within, he even lost his life.
A loud whooshing fell through from the ruptured boundary. A gush of powerful wind, as though it could separate flesh from bone rushed in . The duo of Manticole and Leviathan bore the brunt. Their faces immediately turned grave and they hastily deployed their Domains of Divinity. The elements of lightning and darkness all around them gathered. The duo defended with all their might. It was only after spending a great deal of effort that they managed to resist the powerful wind that erupted from the boundary.
“That was a close call. It was probably deployed by a midgod of wind. Must’ve been ages, and yet the power that’s remained in it is still so menacing!” Leviathan still had lingering fear on his face. His forehead bore trails of sweat. It seemed that the wind that blew out from that ruptured wind element boundary had definitely exhausted quite a lot of his divine energy.
“Fortunately, so fortunately. Had it been Anro instead of Yadi who went in there, the wind that blew at us would surely have been a few times stronger,” Manticole said cheerfully after he turned to look at Han Shuo.
Han Shuo choked up a hollow laugh and did not utter a word. Neither of the two Demon Kings was dependable. Han Shuo was most definitely not about to let his guard down around the two just because of the gratitude they expressed.
“Huh? Divine Essence of Fire!” Leviathan let out a cry of surprise. His body, like lightning, charged straight at the unobstructed land ahead. He extended his hand, reached deep into the rocks, and grabbed onto a fist-sized crystal bedazzled by the light of a fire. He was overjoyed!
That fist-sized crystal contained some intensely fiery liquid. An incomparably scorching and frightening energy was emitted from it without restraint. From a distance, that little piece of crystal looked like a miniature sun. It was mesmerizing!
Divine essence, this rare treasure that could be directly absorbed by a god and converted into divine energy, actually existed in this place known as the Void!
“This is wonderful!” Manticole was exalted as well. He scrambled beside Leviathan and hastily said, “With this divine essence of fire, if the other two fellas discovered divine essence of lightning or darkness, then we will have the means of exchanging with them!”
Leviathan continuously nodded and heaved a long chuckle. It appeared that obtaining this piece of divine essence had very well roused him.
The two were definitely very friendly with each other. However, they clearly did not care about their partner cultivating in the energy of death and destruction called Han Shuo, for example. They had only been thinking for themselves all along. Han Shuo put a smile on his face as though to appease them as he looked at the duo who were somewhat beside themselves with joy. Although he was smiling, his heart, however, was as cold as ice. He became even more deeply convinced that the two had only thought of exploiting him.
Hehe, well then, we shall see who will reap the greatest rewards at this Void in the end, Han Shuo thought to himself.
As Han Shuo thought, two energies that had disappeared for a long time suddenly emerged inside Han Shuo’s consciousness – Cecrops and Golander, who cultivated in the element of fire and water respectively, were rapidly approaching the area.
Creak!
A few sharp and clear noises suddenly intruded from not far away. The tranquility of the surrounding was broken in an instant. Abruptly, the ground seemed to quiver, whooshing noises sounded, and ironstones came crashing down in the dark. Several Spatial Edges, which Han Shuo was very familiar with, in the fashion of the Reaper’s scythe, flew in an erratic and unpredictable trajectory and chopped mercilessly at anything in its path.
“Cecrops and Golander sensed the aura of the divine essence and are at full speed towards us. They’re so eager that they’ve demolished a few boundaries in their way. The two of you should get ready to face the enemy now!” Han Shuo described the truth in an incredibly calm and collected manner. Soon after, he raised his head and looked at the meteorite shower that was about to fall from the sky, and said, “Meteor shower and Spatial Edge is about to break out in large scale. While guarding against Cecrops and Golander, keep an eye on the energy erupting from those boundaries.”
At Han Shuo’s words, Manticole and Leviathan’s faces jolted. Leviathan hastily and carefully kept away the divine essence of fire before he rained curses in a flustered and exasperated manner, “Cecrops and Golander, those two imbeciles, how dare they rashly charge around this region! Have they forgotten about our agreement with Bechymos?”
Manticole let out a light groan and said, “When the agreement was made, they probably had never truly seen divine essence. Now that this kind of temptation is right in front of them, a fire divine essence that will allow Cecrops’ strength to greatly advance, you can’t seriously expect Cecrops not to lose his grip!”
“Cut the rubbish, get ready to face the enemy!” Han Shuo interrupted their conversation in a blunt and discourteous manner.
Displeasure simultaneously appeared on the Demon Kings’ faces. However, they did not flare up at this moment, but deployed their Domain of Divinity, getting ready for battle.
At this moment by the brink of a great battle, Han Shuo drew a sneer and pulled back. He quietly left the coverage of their Domain of Divinity, retreating far back towards that broken lightning magical matrix which previously exploded. No one but himself knew his intentions…