Black Xia understood Lu Nong’s intent, and he sneered, saying, “If I told you I knew nothing about this, would you believe me?”

Lu Nong was about to speak when Black Xia waved a hand, coldly stating, “Regardless of who you are or what brings you here, it has nothing to do with today’s events. The crucial point now is that since you dared to trespass into the ‘City of Starlight,’ you must pay the price for your reckless actions today.”

Lu Nong laughed coquettishly, “Black Xia, it’s still raining and windy! Aren’t you afraid of straining your tongue?” As she laughed sweetly, three arcs of lightning suddenly sprang from her feet, shooting toward Black Xia opposite her.

Black Xia gave a cold laugh, and his massive white sword simultaneously unleashed three streams of sword energy. These three beams struck the three bolts of lightning with the swiftness of true lightning, shattering them with overwhelming force. Without the slightest pause, they continued shooting toward Lu Nong.

Lu Nong gasped in shock, never expecting Black Xia’s sword energy to be so potent, not only crushing her lightning snakes but also continuing its trajectory toward her. She immediately manipulated the massive electrical serpent beneath her feet to evade the incoming attack, but to her surprise, the three beams of sword energy seemed guided, circling back instantly to strike the great electrical serpent at her feet. With just one impact, the serpent dissipated, and Lu Nong shrieked, plummeting toward the ground.

The leader of the Maoshan Sect on the ground stared blankly. He hadn't anticipated that Lu Nong, whom he considered extremely difficult to handle, would be knocked down by Black Xia in just one move. He instinctively rushed toward the direction where Lu Nong was falling, planning to eliminate the beautiful woman who had inexplicably killed two of his junior disciples the moment she landed.

Lu Nong continued to fall. She glanced skyward, but unfortunately, no more lightning illuminated the heavens. Just as she was about to crash onto the earth, Lu Nong rapidly recited an incantation. Her body instantly began to flicker with arcs of electricity, which converged to form an electrical serpent out of thin air, catching her and lifting her back toward the sky.

Ignoring the leader of the Maoshan Sect on the ground, who was raging over his snatched prey vanishing once more, Lu Nong looked at Black Xia across from her with mingled fear and suspicion. As a mage, her strength lay in ranged combat. She hadn’t expected Black Xia to possess similar long-range capabilities, and the sharpness of his sword energy seemed even superior to her own lightning bolts. In just a single exchange, she had been defeated. Had she not managed to channel her internal electric magic in that critical moment, she would have already smashed onto the ground, dead.

Black Xia observed the disheveled Lu Nong but did not press his attack. He spoke to her, “Not only is Hong Kong my territory, but the ‘City of Starlight’ is mine as well. You not only came to the ‘City of Starlight’ to challenge my authority, but you also dared to strike me sneakily. Today, if you don’t leave something behind, you won't be leaving here.”

Lu Nong had just broken through her cultivation barrier, reaching the zenith of the mage realm, causing her confidence to swell to its peak. Although she currently couldn't deal with the Golden Zombie on the ground, and her sneak attack on Black Xia had failed, tonight was a night of thunder and rain, the very time her combat power was strongest. She still had many trump cards she hadn't deployed, so naturally, she wouldn't surrender meekly to be slaughtered by Black Xia.

“Hahaha… Black Xia, do you truly think this is all I’m capable of?” Lu Nong laughed playfully, then pulled a purple staff from her robes. The staff was inlaid with a massive purple gemstone, within which faint electrical arcs pulsed.

Black Xia said no more. His body shifted, and the giant white luminous sword beneath his feet suddenly moved, carrying him rapidly toward Lu Nong, its massive tip aiming directly at her. Lu Nong let out a light laugh, swung the staff in her hand, and a semi-transparent purple shield materialized before her.

The tip of the white greatsword instantly struck the purple shield. Without any suspense, the shield was pierced through in an instant.

Seeing her defensive shield shattered so easily by the luminous sword’s point, Lu Nong’s expression changed, and she began retreating rapidly. She waved her staff continuously, chanting an archaic spell under her breath. As she finished the ancient words swiftly, a gate formed of pure lightning appeared in the void above her head. Then, a battle angel, composed entirely of crackling electricity and holding a longsword, strode forth from the gate.

Black Xia’s eyes flashed with interest upon seeing this strange lightning-composed battle angel. However, he immediately unleashed two more streaks of sword energy, shooting them forward toward Lu Nong.

After summoning the lightning battle angel, Lu Nong saw Black Xia attacking her again with two beams of sword energy surging towards her. A cold sneer crossed her face as she prepared to command the lightning battle angel to intercept Black Xia’s sword energy.

Just then, an unforeseen event occurred. A formidable aura erupted from the dormant ‘City of Starlight.’ This powerful presence locked onto Lu Nong in a manner no one else could perceive. The strong aura then condensed into a long arrow, which shot fiercely toward Lu Nong’s chest. This immense aura and the resulting arrow, emerging suddenly from the ‘City of Starlight,’ went completely unnoticed by everyone present except Lu Nong herself.

Lu Nong was startled, realizing instantly that within the ‘City of Starlight,’ not only Black Xia stood guard, but a god-level expert was also hidden. Facing the arrow that was mere inches away, she could only direct the lightning battle angel to charge toward this extremely subtle projectile. Thus, the mysteriously appearing long arrow struck the lightning angel, resulting in a mutual annihilation as both dissipated into nothingness.

Lu Nong had dealt with the hidden arrow, but she now had no way to counter Black Xia’s two streams of sword energy. Seeing the two beams closing in on her body, Lu Nong’s beautiful face paled with terror. She drove her electrical serpent to evade and resist with all her might. Although she managed to cast a defensive spell in a split second to neutralize one beam of sword energy, she could not completely avoid the other. That beam grazed past her face, leaving a massive wound slashing from left to right across her features, sending blood spraying through the air.

“No…” Lu Nong screamed, clutching her face as she retreated swiftly. Black Xia’s sword energy had slashed across her face, devastating the perfect features she prided herself on, leaving her utterly shattered with fear.

Black Xia showed no mercy. He unleashed two more streaks of sword energy, shooting toward Lu Nong like lightning. Enraged, Lu Nong prepared to activate a secret art for revenge, but then she sensed that immense, irresistible aura from within the ‘City of Starlight’ once more.

Lu Nong’s mind cleared instantly. Even if she were to unleash her secret art for vengeance now, facing Black Xia and the god-level expert inside the ‘City of Starlight’ simultaneously, with the enigmatic Golden Zombie enemy still on the ground, she would surely meet a bitter end here. Therefore, she knew she would not see justice today, and the thought of retreat began to take hold.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky again. As several massive bolts streaked overhead, Lu Nong suddenly gritted her teeth and frantically waved her staff. Those massive lightning bolts transformed into electrical snakes, merging into the serpent beneath her feet. The electrical serpent then erupted in a dazzling, brilliant light, its speed instantly accelerating to an unbelievable degree. With a flash, Lu Nong vanished from the air, reappearing in the distant sky.

Black Xia’s sword energy attack missed. He watched Lu Nong suddenly vanish and then reappear in the far distance. Black Xia simply pointed his hand, and the two beams of sword energy in the sky suddenly merged, seemingly defying spatial limitations, striking Lu Nong’s body in the distance. Lu Nong staggered in the air, gritted her teeth, flashed once more, and then completely disappeared.

Black Xia did not pursue her. He stood motionless on the white luminous sword with his hands behind his back, looking down at the leader of the Maoshan Sect on the ground, who was emitting silent roars toward him.

The leader of the Maoshan Sect, who had been raging on the ground, suddenly grew quiet after witnessing Lu Nong being defeated in one move by Black Xia and then fleeing wounded. He stood on the ground, staring at Black Xia in the sky, his eyes burning with hateful fury.

Black Xia frowned as he looked at the strange Golden Zombie below and asked, “Who are you, Daoist? Why have you come to our ‘City of Starlight’?”

Unfortunately, although the leader of the Maoshan Sect had merged with the Golden Zombie body and could fully control it in combat, the body possessed no capacity for speech. Thus, though the leader desperately wanted to ask Black Xia if he had killed his son, no words could emerge. He could only stare at Black Xia with hatred.

Black Xia watched the leader of the Maoshan Sect below for a long time as he remained silent but wore an expression of intense hatred, as if they shared an irreconcilable feud.

So Black Xia stated, “Since you Daoist are unwilling to state your purpose, then we must resolve this in my way! You trespassed into the ‘City of Starlight’ today, and you too must pay a price before you can leave here.”

As soon as Black Xia finished speaking, he pointed his hand. A massive beam of sword energy detached itself from the giant white luminous sword. This energy flashed through the air once and struck the leader of the Maoshan Sect on the ground. Struck by this enormous sword energy, the leader was sent flying high, landing a hundred meters away.

When the leader of the Maoshan Sect scrambled to rise in embarrassment, he immediately noticed that the previous sword energy had damaged the Golden Zombie’s body. A huge gash appeared on the zombie’s chest, though eerily, no blood flowed from the wound.

The leader of the Maoshan Sect was shocked. He hadn’t expected the formidable defense of the Golden Zombie, which he relied upon most, to be unable to completely withstand Black Xia’s sword energy attack. Just then, the leader noticed the muscle around the wound carved open by Black Xia’s energy beginning to writhe, and the gash started to heal. A mysterious talisman at the site of the injury dissolved into the Golden Zombie’s body, and the power within the zombie immediately increased significantly.

The leader of the Maoshan Sect was overjoyed. Although Black Xia’s attack had injured the Golden Zombie’s frame, the zombie’s miraculous uses were indeed endless, as the wound healed completely in a short time. Moreover, Black Xia’s recent strike seemed to have broken a seal within the Golden Zombie, greatly enhancing its power.

The leader, having merged with the Golden Zombie, had been utterly confident moments before, believing he could sweep across the world. Yet, he had been repeatedly battered by Lu Nong-Augustus and Black Xia with no power to retaliate, filling him with rage and a greater lust for power. Upon discovering that Black Xia’s attacks could actually strengthen the power within the Golden Zombie, he resolved to use Black Xia’s assaults to break more seals inside the body, further increasing the zombie’s might so he could contend with both Black Xia and Lu Nong-Augustus.

With this thought, the leader of the Maoshan Sect let out another silent roar at Black Xia, attempting to draw him in to attack again. Black Xia frowned; even though his sword energy had wounded the Golden Zombie, the opponent seemed utterly unharmed, and their strength appeared to have increased.

However, Black Xia had absolute faith in his own power. He pointed his hand again, splitting off another massive beam of sword energy from the white luminous sword beneath his feet. This beam flashed through the air and struck the leader of the Maoshan Sect on the ground once more, sending him flying far away.

While the leader of the Maoshan Sect was still tumbling through the air, he realized the sword energy had pierced straight through his entire body. The beam entered through his chest and exited his back. Even more terrifyingly, the leader felt a long-forgotten agony; the sensation of the sword energy passing through his flesh was excruciating.

But none of this was the worst part. What plunged the leader into despair was that his body, which had already merged with the Golden Zombie, showed clear signs of separating from the zombie’s form under the impact of Black Xia’s strike.

In an instant, the leader of the Maoshan Sect fell heavily to the ground. After rolling a few times, he found he couldn't get up. Terror gripped his heart; he knew he had finally encountered an entity capable of threatening the Golden Zombie’s very existence. Then, with growing dread, he saw Black Xia in the sky launch yet another massive beam of sword energy, hurtling toward his position.

The leader of the Maoshan Sect, already unable to move, somehow managed to ignite the Golden Zombie’s latent potential at this moment of life or death. He suddenly leaped up, executing several rapid rolls, culminating in a final diving leap into the adjacent sea. However, just as he plunged into the ocean, Black Xia’s sword energy caught up to his body. A large hole appeared once more on the leader’s person, and he dropped into the sea.

The sea churned with violent, muddy waves. The moment the leader of the Maoshan Sect hit the water, he was completely swallowed by the massive swells and vanished without a trace.

Seeing the leader fall into the sea and disappear, Black Xia made no move to pursue. He remained suspended in the air atop the luminous sword, utterly motionless, as the torrential rain from the sky was unable to approach his body by so much as half an inch.

Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap split the sky, followed by flashes of lightning. When the lightning subsided, the massive white luminous sword and Black Xia vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.

Under the scouring of the heavy rain, all evidence of the recent battle site quickly washed away. Save for a yacht near the shore destroyed by Lu Nong’s lightning and a strange, ancient coffin lying overturned on the bank, no one would ever imagine that a battle of world-shattering magnitude had just taken place here.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ Thanks to book friend: Qing Shang for the generous tip! Thanks to all those who voted for this book in the annual works poll! RO