The weapons and armour taken from the White Emperor are all of lower grades. Anything of value had been taken by the Thief King by now, however the Time-Space ring was different. It had been hidden in Reynold’s gullet after discovering who his opponent is, and within it contained all the most valuable things belonging to the White Emperor.
Kairos kept this item and turn towards the Black Emperor. He finished off Reynold in record time and planned to do the same to this copy of Temujin before his own body breaks down from the immense power from the living artefact.
The Yggdrasil treasure, Anima Infinitus, is newly made and not entirely in his control. Despite it, it is giving off incredible amounts of power in his Dantian; a place that with the slightest error can destabilise and cause Kairos to die in a fiery explosion.
His meridian system is overloaded and each cell of his body are driven to their maximum capacity. It may feel as though he is a god on Gaia right now, but it isn’t a state possible to last more than seconds.
Temujin attacked the moment he turned. The full power of a fifteen Paramount Unit is enough to destroy cities and permanently change the terrain.
He struck with such fury that thunder and lightning was all the others could see.
They were calmly waiting for the dust to settle and the blind spot in their eyes to fade when suddenly something hurtled past.
The Walls of Jericho shook terribly as another thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones turned into dust.
Temujin’s body lay shirtless on the ground with a palm print on his chest. His eyes opened, pupils replaced by red fires with two trails of strange black smoke.
A wicked smile is on the man’s lips even as blood dripped down his chin. He slammed the floor with one hand, sending his whole body bolting forward at breakneck speed.
Black long spikes made of nothingness shot out from his back like a hedgehog’s spines before suddenly turning towards Kairos.
They shot down at the young commander and quickly covered him like giant spider legs. These sharp black stakes are made from the Black Emperor’s darkness Ki. Due to the element’s properties it acts like the emptiness in space except much more potent. As such if Kairos is pierced by even one of them, they will tear into him and rob his powers.
Half a dozen of those went through him from front to back. They struck on his vital points except for his Dantian which Kairos narrowly dodged.
A victorious smile flashed across the Great Khan’s face until Kairos smiled back at him.
“Why… why aren’t you afraid?”
The reply came as a swift backhand. Temujin raised a shield hurriedly by projecting almost all of his Ki in an instant but it cracked like a poorly made ice bubble and Khan of the north was smashed deep into the ground.
This time, the Walls of Jericho only shook slightly this time with a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stone wiped out.
The man crawled out of the ground with dirt on his face and stone shards in his hair.
He looked at Kairos with seething rage. The holes he caused had already healed, in fact, the darkness that siphoned the overwhelming Origin Energy only helped, but marginally.
The Black Emperor masked his emotions quickly and his lips curved up into a smile despite being defeated.
He had jumped all protocols and referred to the final measure of the Ku Kang Camp.
In times of the most dire of situations, Frosthral is willing to let every person within this undefeated stronghold to perish along with their enemies.
He had activated the extermination sequence the moment Kairos killed Reynold with a slap but it took a while for it to kick into place.
Usually deciding to use the final measure will require all the Emperors present in Ku Kang camp to agree before the formation can be started, but with Rurik the Crimson Emperor already absorbed, the moment the White Emperor’s vital signs disappeared the array’s complete control fell onto him.
“Kairos Astroire. I have underestimated you for your age,” Temujin began calmly, “with your current strength you should’ve noticed that the entire camp is now enshrouded in an array. Let me tell you, this is the final measure of Frosthral. Everyone here will die including you and me once this formation is to complete. It will fill the air with poison that can kill within seconds, even Paramount Cultivators.
Kill me and it will activate, wait too long and it will activate. Now let’s bargain.”
Kairos do not have seconds. His body is already operating far beyond his capacity. Soon his organs will fail and he will die.
He attacked like a white bolt, and when the others can see him properly, he already seized the Great Khan by the neck.
“You want to bring this body with the power of two Emperors back!” Kairos declared, “That with it, you may conquer my home and enslave my people. I will give you one chance to do so. Break the array now and I will let you go.”
As he spoke, the Anima Infinitus started burning within his Dantian and the Unknown Flame Sovereign covered Temujin’s body.
The Black Emperor screamed like nobody heard before. He do not have the chance to say anything, and quickly halted the formation.
Despite already reaching 15 Paramount Units, his body is about to be destroyed and he will be burnt to a crisp if he acted any later.
“Let him go,” Kairos said to Lee Hei.
The others watched without understanding but no one interrupted.
If it is the perfect time to kill this copy of the Black Emperor right now, Kairos would not make a mistake of letting him go away.
The Walls of Jericho opened a wide door for Temujin, and the later who had already lost all his fighting power quickly exited.
Kairos looked at him fly off without moving until the latter turned into a small dot in the sky.
A trickle of blood flow down from his nose but he remained stoic.
The power he is emanating did not lower a bit. It was until the Black Emperor is five hundred meters away when it’s difficult for him detect what is happening here that Kairos crumped.
Blood poured out of his mouth in alarming amounts but refused to fall and instead reached out his arm and summoned his weapon.
“Go, stop the Black Emperor.”
The Swallow floating in mid-air started scanning for its target and with Kairos’ Soul Perception it quickly locked-on.
“Enemy Energy Signature Scan Complete.
Class C – Mortal Realm
Stage – 9
Energy level – 015 units.
Designation - C9015
Target is 600 meters North-North-West, 57.952239, 105.912523. Initiating combat sequence on C9015.”
Whirling, the Swallow flew off with blinding speed.
Blood started trickling down his ears, but Kairos held fast to maintain soul-connection with the weapon. The artificial soul injected into the Swallow can fight as if Kairos is holding it but only as long as the connection stays.
Concerned about his condition, his brothers and friends came over. They were about to put their hands on him and share their life energy but fortunately Aisa stopped them before they overload Kairos. His body is already almost bursting by the seams.
Kairos turned towards Rielon and Lord Yue with his body trembling and barely standing, “Your Craftiness, your Grace. Please, you have to stop the Black Emperor before he reactivates the poison array. He cannot die. You must stall for time as the army retreats.”
Vouno asked, “Why didn’t you seal him when you had the chance?”
Trying to reply caused Kairos’ entire body to tremble and he fell down, holding the ground with both hands to steady himself.
Aisa helped him answer instead.
The big bad guy didn’t really stop the Felblight Array, he was injecting his Ki to interrupt its completion. If we do anything to him, seal him, kill him, or tear him into tiny pieces, the poison will go PIUUUUUUUU!
The group was stunned for a whole second.
Then Aisa added.
It will poison a thousand people a thousand ways~ Death usually happens before half a minute and almost impossible to cure.
Without a word, Lord Yue and Thief King Rielon flew off after the Black Emperor. Temujin had been frightened by the power Kairos is exhibiting but once he felt he can get away he will kill everyone in this place. If that happens, the final win will go to Frosthral. Not only will Saint Empire lose a group of high ranking officers and an entire army, the enemy will reoccupy this plateau before the week is over and they have to conquer this place all over again.
“I’m going to help lead the soldiers out of this place,” Alan said as he hobbled away.
“Good call, I’m right behind you,” Vouno hobbled off next.
“Right. Let’s get everyone and retreat ASAP. Kairos, you’re coming with us,” Edward declared and started dragging his friend along.
Kairos allowed the archer to hold on to him like a piece of furniture while he concentrated on controlling the Swallow.
Soon the Training Hall was left empty as the guys hurried to stop all the fights erupting in the Ku Kang Camp.
They were bringing their soldiers down the plateau when suddenly the array reactivated. Mustard yellow smog started sizzling out from the ground as though they were standing on a giant sulphur pile.
In the skies above them, the clash of metal and Ki arts resounded loudly. Even though the participants are so far up, the soldiers could feel the air vibrating with the ferocity of battle.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Lord Yue and Rielon had tried to stall for time, staying close and making the Great Khan think he was not out of danger so he will not set off the poison. Unfortunately, they still underestimated the trump card the enemy had in his sleeves.
Despite Kairos weakening him to the point of death and Rielon had taken everything of value, Temujin stabbed his arm into the empty space before him and took out some recovery pills and a long sword. No one knew before today that the Great Khan has a personal pocket dimension which he use to share items between all his clones.
The Swallow attacked at that very moment with blinding speed, with Lord Yue and Rielon following just a step behind. However, when the Thief King saw the items, it was as though an instinct was invoked, and Rielon suddenly sped up.
He turned into a shadow that flashed forward as Temujin hurriedly tried to pop a handful of recovery pills into his mouth. This time, Rielon knew he didn’t have time to steal it, but at the last moment he managed to slap the Great Khan’s hand and scattered most of the medicines.
Temujin went crazed with maddened rage. Why can’t Rielon let him off? Who fights dirty like this at their level? He furiously chewed the miserably few pills that fell into his mouth and unleashed a forbidden technique.
He glowed dangerously, knocking back all his opponents with a powerful roar.
So much Ki is being projected from his body that he is actually illuminating. Of course the consequences of doing so will be dire, but destroying the future of a clone is unimportant compared to retrieving its intact Dantian that stored fifteen Paramount Units.
He feared no one in his current state, except maybe the strange boy commander. However, it doesn’t mean he can take them lightly.
The Thief King and the Lord of Death could seriously wound him if they hit him even once. The prior’s pseudo-immortal Ki is a dangerous thing to come into contact while the latter has a supernatural ability to atomise the things he touches.
He stayed a safe distance away from the two, keeping them back with wild bursts of Ki. Unfortunately, Temujin had too much of an advantage in Cultivation and the two old men found themselves unable to come any closer.
The Swallow had more luck. With Kairos’ current Ki, even if he is remotely giving the weapon orders, the dominating strength was able to cut through the Black Emperor’s defences.
Unfortunately, the artificial soul is unable to utilise all the power when the weapon is not yet immortal grade.
The Great Khan made hand seals sending out chains made of crimson energy from his palms.
The Swallow hummed mechanically in response, “Hostile Combat Technique Detected: Binding-type energy signature. Evasive maneuverers deployed. Initiating countermeasures, Commencing Anti-personnel Mode: Hope Family Dagger Arts.”
Swerving sharply to dodge the red chains, the Swallow suddenly broke apart into a hundred daggers that shot at target C9015. Each knife executed Jim’s techniques with remarkable proficiency.
The binding spell split into a hundred little red chains and chase the now-numerous targets.
One by one they were captured and chained up.
The Great Khan smiled as his ticket to freedom is mere inches away.
Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety eight.
Once all the daggers are captured he will have no one left to stop him.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the power behind the Hope family dagger arts.
The chained daggers started twirling in the air like drills and one by one they charged forward at twice the speed before.
One by one they struck Temujin, filling his body with holes.
A horrifying scream escaped from his throat, but the Great Khan expelled the rest of his power and deflected the rest. It was just in time before he became a corpse.
The red chains persisted wrapping even more securely around the daggers until they are all neutralised.
Just as the ninety-nine dagger was sealed, the last knife started elongating until returned to the shape of the Swallow.
Suddenly, a terrible gust of wind and a blinding flash of light drowned out everything else.
Moments later, a silvery weapon came whirling down from the skies above. A red energy chain wrapped around it sealing the artificial soul.
It stabbed deep into the ground as two bloody amputated legs landed right beside it.
The black silhouette of half a person flew hastily away as Lord Yue and Rielon lowered their hovering to be just out of reach of the Felblight Array.
The Black Emperor managed to get away and the poison had covered the entire camp.
Only thousands gotten out safely.
If there is any consolation… no one had died yet.
Kairos looked up at the two men looking worriedly from the sky above and flashed them a smile.
The poison in their bodies is nearly impossible to cure. It changes accordingly to the victim’s gender, age, cultivation, and a thousand other details to become a completely unique toxin. With so many people in this place, it is definitely incurable.
A few moments later, Rielon and Lord Yue realised something odd and they looked at each other.
“Wait… this is strange. Nearly a minute passed, why are they still not showing any signs of poison?”
“Look over there. That little black thing on Alan’s head… Is it sucking in all the fumes?”
“It is! That little thing is somehow diluting the poison. Just what is that thing?”
“It must be his turtle!” Lord Yue exclaimed, he has familiarity with his godson and his friends, “But, it isn’t enough. There are too much toxins in the air. This will only give them fifteen minutes. Thief King Rielon. I have never begged in my entire life, but if you have any treasures that can save them I will owe you a debt!”
“I’m sorry. As much as I wish to help, I can’t let you go down there and die. There’s no way you can do anything without killing yourself as well.”
“You don’t have to worry. No one is dying today,” Kairos suddenly said. His voice travelled all the way up, unaffected by the noisy whipping wind.
They looked at him again, hopeful at first but doubtful when they realised that he is slowly disintegrating.
The burden of the Anima Infinitus had completely worn down his body. It is already too late.
As if unaffected, he waved both hands in the air and chanted.
A gigantic spell circle appeared in the air like nothing they had seen before, and the two Paramount Cultivators had seen plenty of Grand Magic in their time.
“Heaven’s blessings rain down to the earth. Restore the light of life into the people you love! Life Magic, All-Heal!”
A firm voice, young with vigour yet old with wisdom at the same time struck everyone’s heart as they felt themselves nourished.
The poison had not been cured. And in fact, there is no way they could concoct an antidote for every person in this place. But there is one other way to recover from any kind of toxin: The body’s own healing system.
Kairos, with the last of his powers, casted a Circle 9 Life Magic that will sustain every person in this place until their own body flushes out the Felblight poison.
…..
An hour later, everyone is lying on the ground as if they recovered from a bad cold.
Few have the strength to stir, but a group are standing silently around a boy.
Vouno, who was least affected by the poison thanks to his unique constitution, is hugging Kairos and crying buckets.
Rielon and Yue Chang Ming looked at each other helplessly.
The damage done to his system by the overload of Origin Energy seemed permanent, but the residual life magic in him is somehow healing him. Moreover, Origin Energy is activated life energy and is far less destructive than Ki.
Things may not be as bleak as it looked but as a father, Vouno is inconsolable.
“Foolish man,” a strange voice spoke in their midst.
Everyone was startled, even the Paramount Cultivators.
No one should be able to sneak up on them, besides the two are the only ones that had not been poisoned and retain most of their combat prowess.
If an enemy appears now, no matter who it is, it is likely that many friends will perish.
A wizened man walked through the crowd to Kairos’ side. Somehow no one noticed him until he reached.
“A Wizard,” Lord Yue hissed.
The one person that could waltz through a group of cultivators without being seen is someone with an invisibility spell. Moreover, to trick even top practitioners, this man must be a Grand Mage.
“This boy had saved himself with magic. Cease your senseless crying you brawndy.”
“That’s a derogatory term mages use to describe non-magical cultivators. It means we only have brute strength and no brains,” Snow explained.
She looked around at the stern faces around and whispered, “Sorry, not the right time…”
“Yes, very good young miss. You seem like an intellectual. I guess there are some non-magic folk that aren’t roughnecks.
Unfortunately, I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot stay for a delightful chat with you. Perhaps some other time then? Well, I have what I came here for, now toodles, young lady.”
With a snap of fingers, the man was gone, and so is Kairos.
Lord Yue and Rielon turned immediately to give chase, but a young dragon appeared before them.
She was white like the winter snow, unblemished and pure. Golden runes shimmered brightly on her scales as if she is made of light itself.
Aisa, the True Holy Dragon, did not speak but merely nodded to the group to let them know that Kairos is safe.
The mage countries in the south keep close observation over the rest of the world looking for any magic-talented individuals around. Once they find one they will bring the person back to tutor him or her for proper use of magic.
It didn’t matter who the person is, a regular farmer or a king. The mages seldom bother themselves with politics and have a one-track mind in pursuing the ultimate mysteries of magic and the universe.
People brought away by mages seldom complained. It is normally the only way to learn spells. Of course, the magic folk are highly secretive about their spells and extremely jealous. If anyone uses magic outside of their domain they will be pinned as rogue mages and hunted down.
Still, to be able to cast enchantments on oneself and a free pass to enter to south at any time is enough allure to let this ‘kidnapping’ of newly awaken mages continue.
Unfortunately, now is the time of war and Kairos is the Supreme Commander of their army.
Being captured right now was terrible news for the Snowdrifts.
After a moment of silence, everyone turned towards the only people that can continue to lead them. Alan, Edward, Jim, and Tommy.
…..
The White Emperor wasn’t always such a bloodthirsty and twisted fiend. Two hundred years ago, he was already a famous Paramount Cultivator who had just survived the harshest period of the interspecies war between men and orcs.
With incredible talent and a limitless future he roamed Saint Empire as an itinerant adventurer. At that time, he met Syriong on a monster slaying mission. The two were equal in pride and talent and hit it off because of their likeness. After a few successful bounties together, Syriong invited him to take on a black market mission, a hit job.
At that time, both men are practitioners without background and cultivation resources had been hard to come by. In order to earn money, Reynold agreed.
In this world, the assassins are not only feared but just as respected. In the annuals of history, those that hold authority of the lands had always been determined by the strong, and assassins are the writers, freely altering the future with every kill. They often attack cultivators stronger than themselves, using wit to destroy might. The job filled with danger, but the pay is truly attractive.
In a short while both men already made a small fortune. As their fame slowly raises, the Assassin Confederacy approached them and invited them into their ranks. This organisation is supported by all the assassin clans and families in the world like the Dark Swords of Saint Empire. Noble houses like the Devilheart family, guilds like the Trade Federate and Thieves Guild, also have groomed assassin groups and are members of the Assassin Confederacy.
However, in one such mission, Reynold fell in love with the daughter of an assassination target. The girl pleaded him to stay his hand, and the future White Emperor agreed. He made this request to his partner, Syriong, and the two left without completing their mission.
Yet, the very next day, Syriong secretly returned.
When he found his target, he was astonished to find that the man had been waiting for him.
While this person isn’t the one strongest in his hit list and a minor cultivation stage weaker than him, the family was of ancient lineage and had numerous protection stratagems that Syriong had never seen or heard before. Without Reynold to back him up, he was forced into a difficult battle. Syriong was forced to use all of his trump cards and their battles span across the entire mansion.
Charred land and crystal spikes dotted the courtyard and half the building was demolished as if a very untalented architect finally let himself go.
It, of course, aroused the whole family from sleep.
The first person who arrived to the rooftop where the fight had been taken was unfortunately the target’s daughter. She jumped in front of her father to protect him without hesitation, acting completely out of instinct.
Irate from being interrupted, Syriong backhanded the girl to continue his fight. A single strike from a Paramount Cultivator had immense power, even if it was offhanded. She was sent flying down to the courtyard. For a cultivator, falling from such height meant nothing, but the place she fell as filled with crystal spikes. Each a thin spear that could seriously wound another Paramount Cultivator.
As an A ranker who already unlocked the ability to hover using Ki bursts, the girl could easily adjust her own position in mid-air.
Although it lasts for a few seconds, it is invaluable for combat. Even the girl’s father did not worry for her and had his full attention on the assassin.
But no expected the girl to land directly on one of those crystal spikes. The thin long thorn impaled the girl in a gruesome freak accident and the father who had gained advantage over Syriong was stunned motionless.
The cruel assassin took advantage of his stillness and cut his head off, then proceeded to kill the rest of the family to silence the witnesses.
Later that day, Reynold carrying a bouquet of flowers hopped off a carriage and paid well the carriage master. His steps were quick and hurried as he anxiously went up to her mansion’s door.
He knocked on the gates and waited but after half an hour no one came to attend him. Worried that something might have happened, he burst through the gates and hurried in.
New love are exciting and oftentimes the most romantic period of a relationship. To see a lover’s corpse displayed in this manner was enough to drive any man mad.
Something did snap in Reynold’s mind, for his first reaction was to create a martial technique that could do to another what happened to her.
The two men, Syriong and Reynold, for the crimes of slaughtering a middle noble family was wanted throughout Saint Empire. One fled to the Silent Lambs Empire, an enemy state to Saint Empire, and eventually became one of the ten guardians of the realm. The other took to the barbaric north where he could practice his impaling techniques as he pleased and through the fear he created became the White Emperor.
Not many know that there was a survivor. A young boy that escaped his family’s cruel fate and hid himself in a little orphanage near Rutea Village.
That child had grown up now, and in a twist of fate killed both the assassins that brought death to his family years ago.
Edward held the Jade Slip containing invaluable pill recipes within as tears flowed freely from his eyes.