The silver light from Barnard Ironhand’s hand manifested like bolts of silk, weaving incessantly together to form a dense, shimmering net that descended upon Luo Hao.
Under the tenfold gravity field, Luo Hao moved with unnatural swiftness. His broadsword carved bizarre arcs, slicing the oncoming net of light into fluttering tatters.
Barnard remained composed, showing no sign of alarm, yet he maintained a deliberate distance, endlessly intertwining silver energy to weave fresh nets of light, raining them down upon Luo Hao.
The silver nets ignored the constraint of the tenfold gravity field, dancing weightlessly within it. Those torn by Luo Hao’s broadsword would simply re-tangle as they drifted, circling Luo Hao’s form.
At a glance, Luo Hao seemed trapped at the center of a fractured spiderweb; though his sword tore the light apart, the fragments refused to vanish.
Barnard kept his measured distance, continually casting more light-nets over Luo Hao, causing the shimmering shroud around him to grow ever denser.
Barnard expertly maneuvered around Luo Hao, clearly in control, occasionally letting out a cold, dry chuckle: “Friend, why resist so fiercely? All we want are those two women. My men are already there; if nothing has gone awry, they should have captured them by now. You can’t escape my ‘Silver Thread Net,’ and the outcome is set. Don't waste your strength.”
“If anything happens to them, I swear I will slaughter every single member of your Fang Mercenary Group!” Amidst the sky-high nets of light, Luo Hao’s expression twisted with rage as he spoke through gritted teeth. “I will dedicate the rest of my life to hunting you down until the last member of the Fang Group is dead!”
Barnard’s heart jolted. He took a deep breath, nodded slowly, and said, “It seems I must kill you, then.”
“Commander! Commander!” a cry echoed from the distance. “Zhuoke is dead! A mere scratch on his arm was enough to poison him!”
Barnard’s face darkened. He roared, “Hold nothing back! Finish those two off quickly! Damn it! Using poison! Later, when they’re dead, I’ll have their corpses dismembered and fed to the demonic beasts—I want them utterly annihilated!”
Several mercenaries cheered in unison and rushed forward, pursuing Zhao Xin and Hu Long through the thicket.
Barnard hardened his will, unleashing the full power of the ‘Silver Thread Net’ to engulf the entire area around Luo Hao, intending to force a final, decisive confrontation.
Suddenly, thick tendrils of lightning, as wide as a man’s finger, materialized into another massive net, plummeting from the sky directly above Luo Hao.
Luo Hao’s face turned ashen. He swung his broadsword frantically, but this new net of electricity refused to be severed.
About a dozen of these finger-thick lightning bolts flashed with a blinding, unearthly luminescence, coiling around him like living serpents.
Alarmed, Luo Hao channeled every ounce of Jingyuan (Essence Energy) into his broadsword, which erupted in brilliant white light, forming concentric rings that enveloped his body.
Crackle! Crackle-crackle-crackle!
The dozen lightning bolts coiled inward, colliding with the white energy rings, sparking violent arcs of electricity around Luo Hao’s frame.
The rate at which Luo Hao’s Jingyuan was draining suddenly accelerated severalfold!
Under the terrifying might of the lightning, his strength was rapidly depleted, and his face slowly turned pale.
A sharp sword suddenly appeared above Luo Hao’s head, radiating a fierce killing intent, and slammed down onto the energy rings protecting his body.
Boom!
Luo Hao’s body convulsed violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering backward unsteadily.
Barnard’s ‘Silver Thread Net’ seized the opportunity, wrapping around Luo Hao tightly until he could no longer move.
Thwack!
The blade pierced Luo Hao’s body. The masked figure wearing the pale mask—the Nether Moon Emissary of ‘Dark Shadow’—had finally revealed himself.
Accompanying him was Mo Chaoge of the Mo family, stepping out from behind an ancient tree, lingering sparks of lightning still dancing between his fingers.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
The Nether Moon Emissary’s eyes were venomous as his sword plunged in and out of Luo Hao’s torso three times.
The gravity field slowly dissipated...
“Uncle Luo!”
Zhao Xin’s eyes turned crimson, and he wailed in grief.
A flurry of arrows rained down. Under the dense volley, Zhao Xin’s body became a pincushion, and he collapsed to the ground in bitter defeat.
Arrows flew around Hu Long as well, but his side seemed to attract poor aim; the arrows failed to kill him but instead pinned down the pursuing members of the Fang Mercenary Group.
Seizing the moment, Hu Long, eyes blazing red, fled desperately into the forest. “Uncle Luo is dead, Zhao Xin is dead. Only Miss Mu can avenge them. I must get this news to Miss Mu...”
“Chase!” the Fang Mercenaries shouted, trying to pursue, but they found more arrows descending from above, blocking their path.
The mercenaries’ faces soured. Realizing someone deliberately prevented them from catching Hu Long, they fiercely scanned the woods for the archers’ position.
Pale-masked figures began emerging from the trees, interspersed with warriors from the Mo family, all gripping crossbows with grim determination.
“Why did the two of you help me kill him?” Barnard frowned, looking at the suddenly revealed Nether Star Emissary and Mo Chaoge. “I shouldn’t know either of you. What do you hope to gain by assisting me in murder?”
“We weren't helping you,” the Nether Star Emissary stepped forward, casting a cold glance at Barnard. “Luo Hao was an enemy of ‘Dark Shadow’ from the start; we’ve been hunting him. You actually did us a favor.”
Mo Chaoge remained aside, not rushing over, but frowned and inquired, “Emissary, you said this fellow was the strongest warrior protecting that boy. Since he’s dead now, should we stop wasting time here?”
“Yes,” the Nether Star Emissary nodded. “Don’t rush. I marked Hu Long with ‘Dark Moon Scent.’ We let him escape on purpose, wanting him to lead us. We’ll track the scent shortly and surely find the people we need.”
“Excellent,” Mo Chaoge smiled slightly. “We aren't far from our Merchant Alliance headquarters now. Once we conclude our business here, Emissary, would you care to visit the Mo family? We can discuss the details of our cooperation thoroughly.”
“Sounds good,” the Nether Moon Emissary agreed.
In just a few short days, the Nether Moon Emissary of ‘Dark Shadow’ and Mo Chaoge had already colluded, establishing a secret agreement behind the scenes.
“What was your motive for killing this man?” Barnard called out, as his Fang Mercenaries regrouped around him.
“For a young woman and a very skinny boy,” Mo Chaoge laughed. “I have long admired the reputation of the Fang Mercenary Group, and meeting you today confirms it lives up to the name. I am Mo Chaoge of the Merchant Alliance’s Mo family. Commander, are you interested in striking a profitable deal with us?”
“What kind of deal?” Barnard knitted his brow.
“A profitable one, naturally! Ha ha, if you’re interested, we can discuss the specifics; I assure you we can satisfy your terms,” Mo Chaoge chuckled heartily.
“Let’s table that for now,” Barnard mused. “If nothing went wrong, my men should have already captured the people you want. If you claim the girl and the boy, we can’t have done all this work for nothing. The fiery female mercenary will belong to the Fang Mercenary Group. How about that?”
Barnard recognized that the other party was no friend to peace. Both ‘Dark Shadow’ and the Merchant Alliance’s Mo family wielded immense power.
The current leaders, the Nether Moon Emissary and Mo Chaoge, were both in the Hundred Tribulation Realm, possessing strength equal to or greater than his own. Given that they had already formed a private understanding, Barnard knew his solitary power could not contend with their combined forces and opted to concede.
Mo Chaoge offered no immediate reply, instead looking toward the ‘Dark Shadow’ Nether Moon Emissary.
A flicker crossed the Emissary’s cold eyes, and he slowly nodded. “No problem.”
“Very well, let’s go retrieve the captives,” Barnard said, relieved by the agreement. He had just witnessed the ruthlessness of these two and had no desire to fight them to the death.
...
Mu Yudie knelt down, carefully bandaging Shi Yan’s wound.
Stone-faced, Shi Yan sat rooted to the ground in silence, meticulously observing the changes in his shoulder injury and the purification of Tu Mu’s essence energy within his energy channels. His focus was absolute; he did not spare Mu Yudie a single glance.
“This guy is sometimes shamelessly lecherous, and other times more upright than a Confucian gentleman. What a strange person...”
Mu Yudie found herself bewildered. Usually, when Shi Yan looked at her, his gaze was brazen and unreserved. Now, she was so close he could smell her scent, yet he kept his eyes averted, showing not the slightest sign of impropriety. This baffled her.
Mu Yudie felt confused, struggling to gauge exactly what kind of man Shi Yan truly was.
Shi Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind immersed in the landscape within his body.
The cells around his shoulder wound were highly active. Without any effort, he could sense the injury already beginning a slow recovery under the influence of the ‘Undying Martial Soul.’
The essence energy absorbed from Tu Mu was being purified in his channels, quietly fostering a strange influx of negative emotions...
Following the exertion of ‘Rage Burst,’ his limbs felt heavy and agonizingly sore. His strength seemed unavailable for the short term—a familiar aftereffect that left him deeply uncomfortable but helpless.
Not far away, Di Yalan, after resting briefly to regain her composure, began rummaging through Tu Mu’s corpse.
One minute later, Di Yalan approached Mu Yudie and Shi Yan, holding a small pouch. “He had some rations, materials from some demonic beasts, and three ‘Star Thunders.’ We can’t use the beast materials, but these ‘Star Thunders’ are incredibly vicious.”
“Star Thunders?” Shi Yan’s eyes suddenly brightened. He stared intently at the fist-sized, bluish iron lumps and asked with interest, “What are they used for?”
“These things explode violently if shaken, shooting out fragments like scattered starlight in every direction. These fragments are razor-sharp and carry immense impact—they can pierce even the Jingyuan shields conjured by Human-Rank martial artists. They are vicious magical artifacts. They’re quite valuable; just these three are worth at least four or five thousand Black Crystal Coins!” Di Yalan explained.
“Vicious indeed! Give them to me,” Shi Yan reached out, naturally demanding them from Di Yalan.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud! Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded nearby.
Di Yalan’s expression shifted, and she gripped her short sword defensively.
Shi Yan roughly pushed Mu Yudie aside, let out a cold snort, and sprang to his feet, dagger in hand, staring coldly in the direction of the approaching sound.
Hu Long, his chest drenched in blood, burst into the clearing, his eyes bloodshot, stumbling his way over.
Seeing Di Yalan, Hu Long suddenly broke down in tears, choking out, “Uncle Luo and Zhao Xin are dead, Miss Mu! They died terribly! You must avenge them!”
...E