Whoosh! A flash of blood-red light erupted, and in an instant, Lanling felt himself involuntarily thrown into the sky. In that fleeting moment, all Lanling saw was a pair of deep, inky black eyes. Those black eyes were accompanied by a terrifying surge of murderous intent, like an ancient, monstrous beast suddenly barging into the mortal realm!
Who could this be? Why such dreadful killing intent? Why would this person emerge from the epicenter of the Fire Dragon's Blazing Aura explosion? That was the last coherent thought in Lanling’s mind before an unbounded darkness and void instantly swallowed his consciousness.
Thwack! Before even a scream could escape, Lanling’s head soared into the high air amid a fountain of crimson blood. Under the glaring morning sun, it traced a bizarre, brilliant arc before plummeting back toward the ground.
Thwack! Thwack! Yet, the speed of the blue light did not falter in the slightest. It pierced straight through the dense phalanx of mages, kicking up plumes of blood mist that soared to the heavens, before leaping onto the tall, thick city wall like a meteor flashing and vanishing in the dead of night, then disappearing without a trace.
Plop! Only then did the severed heads, flung aloft with the rising tide of blood, finally slam heavily onto the earth!
Ah! This sudden, drastic turn of events left everyone present stunned into silence. Moluo Aotian even forgot how to gasp. The reality before him made Moluo Aotian feel as if he were sleepwalking; this scenario far exceeded anything he could have imagined.
Heavens, just who was that? At that precise instant, every Tianmo Warrior present clearly saw the trajectory of the blue light—it originated directly from the center of the explosion, then ripped through the entire assembly with shocking speed before drifting away serenely.
Even having witnessed it firsthand, Moluo Aotian could not fully accept what he was seeing. That blue light had killed Lanling and every mage obstructing its direct path in the blink of an eye.
“High Priest!” The first to recover were the red-robed priests within the Fire Dragon formation: “The Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff have been taken.”
It was only then that Moluo Aotian snapped out of his daze, only to see that Lanling’s headless corpse no longer held the Heart of the Fire Dragon in his right hand, nor the Soul-Devouring Staff in his left. Both items had clearly been snatched away by the mysterious master, severed along with the arms in that single, decisive strike.
“Pursue them!” Moluo Aotian roared madly, his imposing figure exploding forward like a leopard unleashed, chasing the direction where the blue silhouette had vanished.
“Yes!” Moluo Zhantian and the others finally snapped to attention and swiftly followed Moluo Aotian.
“Wait, stop.” Moluo Aotian, mid-chase, suddenly’s expression contorted in horror. The very instant Moluo Zhantian and the others started moving, Moluo Aotian realized a terrifying truth.
Years of relentless warfare had instilled in Moluo Aotian an instinctual understanding of how reckless his impulsive action had been. The opponent had clearly been unfazed by the attack of the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura—such cultivation levels were simply beyond the comprehension of Moluo Aotian and his peers.
No one dared to fathom what kind of terrifying master this was. Though he hadn't clearly seen the person's face, in that split second, Moluo Aotian distinctly felt an overwhelming killing intent. This aura was so dreadful that even Moluo Aotian, long desensitized by countless battles and slaughter, felt an inexpressible terror.
It was the Netherworld Killing Aura! Yes, this was entirely different from any killing intent he had encountered before. Within that strange, bloody arc slashed by the blue figure, Moluo Aotian clearly perceived a terrifying killing intent condensed to its absolute extreme, an intent that transcended the ordinary—a dreadful essence existing purely for slaughter.
Moluo Aotian dared not contemplate how many lives this person must have taken to accumulate such a horrifying aura. Such killing intent could only be compared to the Nine Hells Nether Kill, rumored to have appeared only in history.
Thinking this, the rage that had brought Moluo Aotian to the brink instantly cooled. Only now did he sense that something was terribly wrong.
The instant the blue light flashed, Moluo Aotian had clearly observed that the suddenly appearing mysterious master was clad only in a very ordinary, light blue suit of armor. To withstand the devastating forbidden spell of the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura with mere light armor was unthinkable. Although the light armor was reduced to tatters by the terrible magical assault at the moment the figure appeared, Moluo Aotian would never mistake its distinct structural features.
This cemented Moluo Aotian’s conclusion: this mysterious master had essentially endured the attack of the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura purely through the sheer, raw power of his physical Dou Qi energy.
What kind of strength was this? Moluo Aotian couldn't dare to imagine. Even the Thunder Warriors of the Church could not survive an attack from the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura. Such power might only be possessed by the legendary Wind Heaven Warriors. Since the opponent had the ability to emerge suddenly from the core of the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura and instantly execute Lanling and the other super-mages on the spot, he certainly possessed the strength to instantly vaporize the Tianmo Warriors sent after him. The only reason for the initial retreat was likely concern over the other contingent Lanling had mentioned—the final trump card deployed by the Moluo Church.
The realization sent cold sweat pouring down Moluo Aotian’s back! This was too terrifying. He had almost committed an irrecoverable error. If he had pursued the mysterious master, and if the Tianmo Warriors of the Aotian Legion had been slain too, the Aotian Legion would be utterly finished.
Thinking deeper, the fact that the opponent had anticipated Lanling and the others choosing this location to test the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura meant he possessed exceptionally detailed intelligence, having lurked there in advance. Furthermore, the explosion of the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura coincided with the moment Lanling and his mages were at their weakest due to depleted mana.
Only at such a moment would a Divine-Demon level master have the certainty of a successful strike. Otherwise, given Lanling’s cultivation, even if defeated, he could have utilized Instant Movement to effect a clean escape.
What a terrifying master, what exquisite planning! Under those circumstances, even if Lanling possessed unparalleled skill, escape was impossible.
The thought struck Moluo Aotian as if plunging into an ice cellar, sending a shiver through his entire body. Heavens, when did Cicheng allow such a horrifying monster to infiltrate? Considering the smooth, effortless victories the Demon Sealing Army had achieved all the way to the Demon Dragon Continent, everything seemed too easy. Had the enemy been waiting precisely for the appearance of the Soul-Devouring Staff and the Heart of the Fire Dragon?
This! How could this be? For a moment, Moluo Aotian was stunned by his own deduction. If all this were true, then the future of the Aotian Legion looked deeply precarious.
Once this conclusion settled in his mind, Moluo Aotian looked toward Moluo Zhantian, Moluo Zhantian, and the others beside him, only to find their faces equally pale with shock.
Were any of them not battle-hardened, top-tier experts? Their experience and mental fortitude far surpassed ordinary men. What Moluo Aotian realized, they had realized too.
The sheer thought that they had brushed past such a terrifying master in that single instant turned them all into jumpy creatures.
Now that Moluo Aotian had halted them, they certainly harbored no intention of pursuing further.
Having regained their composure, Moluo Aotian and the others instinctively returned to the Fire Dragon formation where bodies lay slain.
The six surviving red-robed High Priests, amidst the carnage, were all wide-eyed with horror, trembling uncontrollably, still unable to recover from the shock of what had just transpired.
Gazing upon Lanling’s headless corpse, and the hundreds of other bodies with their heads sheared off or pierced by gaping holes, even the Tianmo Warriors, accustomed to carnage, felt an instinctual urge for their scalps to prickle and their hearts to seize up.
What sharp killing technique—direct, clean, and without the slightest hesitation. Bursting forth suddenly from the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura, he had instantly executed every mage blocking his direct path of escape.
“……” Moluo Aotian stood frozen, while the surrounding mages remained slumped on the ground, unable to move—previously exhausted, they were now paralyzed by sheer terror.
“Immediately report what just happened to the Royal Family and the Church,” Moluo Aotian’s face was dark beyond measure. “Request the Church to re-evaluate the true strength of the Demon Dragon Royal Family.”
“Yes!” The pigeon master in charge of magical communication acknowledged and retreated.
“Then, should the plan to attack Yuncheng tomorrow proceed?” Charlie Wen asked cautiously.
“Hold position,” Moluo Aotian said grimly. “We must wait to see the strength of the other contingent arranged by the Church. Otherwise, with our current strength, attacking Yuncheng means certain death if we clash directly with that mysterious master. Moreover, considering what just happened, it seems the Church’s secret maneuver has likely been discovered by the Demon Dragon Empire. A rash attack will only lead us into their trap!”
Everyone present concurred deeply, simultaneously feeling a secret relief that the Church had prepared a second team. Perhaps it was the presence of this second force that made the mysterious master hesitate, prompting him to choose immediate retreat after seizing the Heart of the Fire Dragon. Otherwise, his individual power alone could have slaughtered everyone present.
With that thought, Moluo Aotian and the others grew increasingly curious about who this secondary group deployed by the Church could be—powerful enough to cause such apprehension in the mysterious figure they had just faced.
“My lords, please accept my condolences.” Looking at the distraught surviving red-robed priests and the thoroughly terrified mages, Moluo Aotian didn't know what to say, resorting only to a vague attempt at comfort.
“Lord Lanling,” the six remaining red-robed High Priests murmured in response, almost involuntarily.
“Lanling, I never imagined our next meeting would be so brief,” Moluo Aotian groaned in profound agony. In that single instant, the previously soaring ambition of Moluo Aotian felt a sudden, inexplicable emptiness and exhaustion. The divine-demon master who had appeared like a sharp sword, piercing and shattering the extreme hubris Moluo Aotian had accumulated.
What kind of master was this? Could it be a Wind Heaven Warrior dispatched by the Holy Word Church? Perhaps only a legendary Wind Heaven Warrior could withstand the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura without armor protection and remain unharmed.
Will the ultimate forces held by the two great Churches truly clash head-on in this war? If so, the Tianmo Warriors would have no role to play whatsoever.
To ordinary people, Tianmo Warriors might be a distant, legendary existence, but compared to them, the terror and might of the Wind Heaven Warriors was a chasm apart—a difference as vast as that between a peak Red Moon Warrior and a mid-level warrior.
When the gap in strength reaches such an extreme, mere numbers cannot bridge it. This is the brutal reality of the Marfa World, where the strong reign supreme. Wind Heaven Warriors: the true apex power of the Marfa World.
Would he, in his lifetime, truly witness a confrontation between Wind Heaven Warriors?
Nearly everyone present grasped this terrifying possibility.
The once impossibly powerful Divine Dragon Empire was directly annihilated by a terrifying war between its Wind Heaven Warriors. Could history truly be repeating itself ten thousand years later?
Everyone felt an ineffable sense of unease and panic. If all this were true, the Marfa World was truly on the verge of radical change; they might very well repeat the fate of the Divine Dragon Empire.
The Second Great Wind Heaven War! Would it truly erupt?
Poor Moluo Aotian was truly terrified this time! Perhaps if he racked his brain until it broke, he would never understand that in this world, nothing is absolute.
Hah! Only when the faint outline of Cicheng’s walls completely disappeared from sight did I finally cease my frantic flight.
Strange. Why haven't they pursued? I killed so many of their mages in one go, and I even stole the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff. There’s no reason they would let me go. What is going on?
The truth is, after the Fire Dragon’s Blazing Aura pulverized the ruins where I was hiding, I had nowhere left to conceal myself, forcing me to launch that surprise assault.
What I never expected was how incredibly smooth the process turned out to be. Over a hundred mages were like clean-necked sheep waiting for my blade.
Of course, I can only attribute this to their terrible luck in running into me—the bane of all mages. But even racking my brain, I cannot fathom why those Tianmo Warriors simply stood by and watched me escape.
I am certain that if even one of them had given chase, I would have been doomed.
Truly baffling! Are they concealing some deeper plot? I panted, trying to analyze the situation, but no coherent explanation emerged.
However, the mere thought that I managed to seize two supreme treasures from both the Demon Sealing Royal Family and the Moluo Church instantly filled me with elation. But I knew clearly this was no time for celebration. Though I don't know what scheme the Demon Sealing Army is cooking up, since they haven't followed, I’m happy to stay clear, naturally running as far away as possible.
After only a brief rest, not even stopping to shed the light armor that was now reduced to rags clinging to my body, I resumed my movement technique at full speed. My destination was, of course, Yuncheng.
While this venture didn't achieve my original goals, possessing the stolen Soul-Devouring Staff and the Heart of the Fire Dragon still leaves me slightly satisfied. However, the moment I realized that this exposure completely ruined my plan to infiltrate the Demon Sealing fleet and reach the Demon Sealing Continent, most of the joy of snatching the treasure vanished. Furthermore, I am certain that upon returning to Yuncheng, Jin Yao will certainly not let me off easy. But I also don't dare wander around carrying the Demon Dragon Heart and the Soul-Devouring Staff. These two items will only be truly safe once delivered to the Royal Family. Otherwise, I’m positive I’ll soon become the highest-value super fugitive in continental history—a fugitive sought by combined super-warrants issued by both the Demon Sealing Royal Family and the Moluo Church.
What a mess. I never thought things would turn out this way!
Plans, as always, can never keep pace with reality.