Chapter 518 - Does Arlington Want To Kill Me?!

"Is that bastard Arlington trying to kill me!? Where on earth did that extreme combat artist come from!? Could it have been the Chief Mechanist from the Hongli Empire's Dark Hunter Organization?"

There was a sprawling dark-green forest beyond the Ivy Manor, with trees five or six meters tall packed densely together. The moonlight could not pierce the canopy to illuminate the woods, making the interior exceptionally dim.

The occasional rustling sound in the dense grass and shrubs suggested some reptile-like creature moving through.

Bang, bang, bang...

The ground trembled...

A black, cloaked figure darted swiftly through the forest like a gliding swallow. The First General King wore a white mask that hid his appearance and expression, yet his eyes shone with panic and apprehension.

He had just charged into the Ivy Manor with the intention to wipe out the Golem Sect in one fell swoop. Honestly, four combat artists were nothing to the First General King. Thus, he behaved with extreme arrogance, so much that he was utterly dismissive of them. He stormed right in, intending to kill the four of them.

In the end, behind those four small fries, there turned out to be a big fry—a monstrous old creature!

The First General King would never have believed that Cassius's youthful appearance portrayed his real age. It was simply impossible. In that brief moment when their Qi clashed, the First General King had been thoroughly overpowered. That meant Cassius was at least on par with him, placing him among extreme combat artists. And what did one extreme combat artist imply?

Covert Martial Arts.

The number of people in the Covert Martial Arts community at that level could be counted on one hand. The United States of Yana, one of the world's three great nations, only had Whale King Arlington at that tier. As for the Hongli Empire's Covert Martial Arts community, they were even more unfortunate, since they had not been able to produce a single extreme combat artist for the tournament.

It was the highest tier that was realistically possible, attained by only a rare few. Those who reached it were always extraordinary figures of matchless talent.

Mere natural gifts were inadequate; they needed repeated trials by blood and fire through sparring and life-or-death battles. They had to break past their limits again and again. Countless geniuses had perished and been reduced to mere bones in the end.

Additionally, luck and opportunity were crucial. For instance, Arlington had battled two top-tier combat artists for days on end, nearly running dry before seizing the chance to break through.

As for the First General King, he had been fortunate enough to acquire the Soul-Blood Covert Box. Even with all requirements met, it took a long period to achieve. The First General King was sixty-three, while Whale King Arlington was fifty-seven. They were both living examples of that fact.

Therefore, the old monster behind the Golem Sect was surely an elderly man, simply maintaining his appearance by some age-defying practice. The First General King refused to believe the man who had frightened him into fleeing was only in his early twenties; that would have been too fantastical.

Seeing how the Golem Sect had suddenly emerged in the tournament with four combat artists of formidable skill and an old monster at the extreme combat artist level as their anchor, it was highly likely they were a hidden sect of the Hongli Empire's Covert Martial Arts community that aimed to make a huge debut at the tournament.

Whale King Arlington, without knowing better, had nearly gotten him killed! In fact, whether Arlington was truly uninformed remained uncertain. Maybe he knew and deliberately sent him to his death!

They called each other friends, but there was little real closeness between them. Their recent rapport was due to the Eternal Archipelago operation. That ancient site was dangerously formidable; one extreme combat artist alone was not enough. Multiple powerhouses needed to support each other to succeed.

The First General King had invited Whale King Arlington, as well as his Gate Organization companion, Holy Fist Demon Phoenix. Since two of the three were from the Gate Organization, Arlington was sure to be slightly uneasy.

What if both Gate Organization members turned on him after the three of them went through untold hardships to collect every treasure in the ruins? What if they killed him to hog all the gains for themselves? Would Arlington's flimsy friendship with the First General King compare to the both Gate Organization members' decades-long camaraderie?

If an opportunity arose, Arlington would certainly keep some contingencies in place. Perhaps he might have located a reclusive elder from the Covert Martial Arts community to set a trap and eliminate the First General King outright.

Even if the First General King were killed, it wouldn't be traced back to Arlington. Then, Arlington would proceed to collaborate with Holy Fist Demon Phoenix, secretly aided by that elder. The tables would then turn, and Arlington and that elder would take everything for themselves!

The First General King’s mind raced as he sprinted through the dense woods. He believed he was especially clever, having exposed Arlington's scheme.

In truth, however, the First General King's intellect and reasoning had not been particularly sharp of late, as he had suffered heavily from the Soul-Blood Covert Box's side effects. He had grown prone to paranoia, stubborn obsessions, and wild, arrogant self-importance.

Thus, the First General King did not run toward East Sea City to join forces with Arlington. He feared that Arlington and that old monster behind him might be colluding, leaving no place for his remains when the time came.

Hence, the First General King ran in the opposite direction, taking charge of his own survival. If one thing was certain, it was that he could not beat that enemy!

Unable to triumph, he had to flee! Where? Naturally, toward the southern base of the Gate Organization! At that moment, he trusted only those from the Gate Organization. Moreover, several other General Kings had also gathered at the southern base recently.

They were preparing to travel together to the Eternal Archipelago, sharing the peril of exploring the ancient ruins. All in all, there was strength in numbers. In the end, it would be better if someone else died than him.

Behind him, a black meteor streaked swiftly through the darkness in the deep forest.

Cassius’s expression was blank as he let the razor-sharp night wind lash his face. Golden hair streamed behind him. He felt somewhat enraged since the First General King had chosen the perfect time to interrupt the creation of the written Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance. He had nearly ruined it before it began!

If his hand had trembled just a bit more, the Illusory Moon Fist's inscription would have been destroyed, wasting all his work. Moreover, that stack of specially crafted, precious parchment would no longer have been usable, since it had been steeped in the fist technique's Qi.

Should the technique's contents prove incorrect, it would mean the parchment had imprinted a flawed Qi field, turning it into a genuinely heretical text that would drive its readers mad. Hence, had he slipped up, he would have had to start from scratch. That would have cost Cassius another month of effort.

Even though he had managed to preserve it in the end, he was far from pleased. He especially disliked how the First General King had strolled in so brazenly, standing there like a judge on high, dooming Cassius's four subordinates to death.

Messing with my people? Who the hell does he think he is? He needs a lesson!

Boom!

The ground quaked suddenly, forming a pitch-black crater like an explosion, while a nearby tree toppled. A dark figure then rocketed out, locking onto the target ahead and giving chase with astonishing speed.

***

In East Sea County, fifty kilometers south of East Sea City.

A battle was breaking out in Jade City. A group of dark creatures had hidden themselves near a major travel route, waiting to ambush Covert Martial Arts sects that had lost at the tournament and were heading home early.

It seemed somewhat familiar, for the same had happened to the old Wind Elephant Sect, which had resulted in nearly all its high-ranking members being wiped out. This was surely a repetition of that event. No, by the timeline, this extermination event should have taken place earlier.

Flying Sparrow Sect was a minor sect in the Hongli Empire's southern Covert Martial Arts community, known for its light footwork that allowed its members to move multiple times in quick succession, toying with slower foes.

The sect master of the Flying Sparrow Sect was a combat artist who brought along four or five elders at the pugilist level for the tournament. There were also some core disciples and spectators, making up a group of dozens.

However, upon entering that portion of the forest, they were besieged by swarms of dark creatures. These dark creatures belonged to the Demon Bear tribe, a type of half-human, half-bear monster covered in black fur impervious to blades, like heavy armor draped over them. Nearly a hundred Demon Bears shifted from human form to a bear-like state, fiercely bloodthirsty, immensely strong, and armed with razor-sharp steel claws.

Additionally, they were highly agile with astounding speed. One couldn't assume that these bear-like beings were clumsy; in fact, their movements were incredibly swift.

The moment the battle began, they inflicted a massive toll upon Flying Sparrow Sect.

In the moonlight along the path in the dense forest...

"Argh!!!"

A black-haired youth shrieked in agony, staggering backward with heavy steps. "My arm, my arm!"

He stared at his bloody left shoulder, eyes brimming with terror as he turned to face the three-meter-tall, hulking Demon Bear in front of him. The Demon Bear clutched the arm it had torn away, stripping off the fabric as if unwrapping a package.

Then, it opened its bloodstained maw, revealing ghastly white fangs.

Crunch, crunch.

It savored each bite. It chewed the crimson flesh into pulp and cracked the hard bones like biscuits, swallowing them all with a gurgle.

Pain, rage, and despair battled in the youth. He had been the first core disciple of Flying Sparrow Sect's current generation, a revered genius and object of admiration for many junior sisters. Yet at the moment, he was treated like nothing more than a meal.

Barely five or six minutes into the fight, Flying Sparrow Sect had lost nearly half its members, and even its combat artist sect master was entangled. He could not break through the encirclement to carve out a path for his people.

Thus, everyone could only fight to the death, hoping to take more Demon Bears with them. However, Flying Sparrow Sect specialized in light footwork, making their offensive moves considerably weaker.

Their fists could not breach the fur and hide of the Demon Bears. Meanwhile, a single swipe of the Demon Bear's claws could disembowel a person. They tried using their light footwork to maneuver, but there were too many Demon Bears, and they were not as clumsy as expected; they were astoundingly cunning instead. Sometimes they even feigned sluggishness, waiting until Flying Sparrow Sect members approached before exploding into a sudden leap and pinning them down to tear them to pieces.

Roar!!!

One Demon Bear threw its head back in a howl, then flexed its powerful limbs, springing forward like a giant toad to slam down on its prey.

Crunch.

It crushed a retreating Flying Sparrow Sect disciple beneath its massive weight. The sound of bones shattering rang out, and crimson blood spurted out from beneath the Demon Bear.

Clearly, that person stood no chance of survival.

"Lamon!" An elder with bloodshot eyes let out an anguished cry.

The fallen disciple was his son.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Several Demon Bears seized his momentary distraction and charged, burying him underneath a pile of bears. At the same time, on a mountain near the forest, a figure dressed in black stood in silence. A cold breeze blew past, causing the hem of her robe to flutter.

"This experiment worked well; the new serum seems quite effective..." The black-clad figure lifted her head, revealing a radiant, beautiful face.

She was, in fact, the Fourth General King who had gone to meet the First General King. She was following the Gate Organization's established plan of using dark creatures to annihilate Covert Martial Arts sects and observe the new serum's effects.

Judging by the situation below her, the results were impressive. The Demon Bears who had taken the serum became even more ferocious and bloodthirsty. Their external defenses had also soared, seemingly turning their fur and hides to steel.

The Flying Sparrow Sect stood no chance at all. It looked like the fight would be over in five more minutes.

The Fourth General King gazed into the distance as she continued her assessment. However, just as she was about to look away, she noticed something strange farther away.

Two colossal forms seemed to be racing through the densely packed forest, toppling the tall trees in their path. Seen from above, they formed two broad man-made paths, as though some ancient snake had crawled and flattened everything in its wake.

"What is going on? What are those things?" The Fourth General King furrowed her delicate brows, preparing to go down for a closer look.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, thunderous blasts echoed through the woods, as if boulders were collapsing. Each explosion unleashed a terrifying detonation, toppling swathes of trees. The emerald forest soon bore the impression of a blossom shaped like a plum flower, formed by clusters of blasts.

Nearly a thousand square meters of greenery was shorn away, leaves raining down like a torrential downpour from the sky.

Boom!!!!!!!

Cassius's Blood Vulture's Beak suddenly soared skyward, striking the air with irrepressible force, causing the air to roar and quake.

The vulture had blazing crimson eyes, leaving twin streaks of scarlet fire trailing in a straight line through the air. A black-robed, masked figure was barely holding it off, struggling with all his might against the force, yet he was still driven downward and slammed into the ground with staggering impact.

Rumble, rumble... rumble, rumble...

It was as if a terrestrial dragon had flipped over. Blood Vulture's Beak carved furiously through the earth, sending soil spraying everywhere like a fountain.

In the forest, the group of Demon Bears had no time to react before a wave of red light slammed into them like a shockwave, shredding them into bits.

Destructive energy swept across the battlefield, causing the very ground to quake. For a moment, screams of pain, terror, and despair rang out in chaotic succession.

Not far away on the mountaintop, the Fourth General King stood gaping.

"That figure that just got struck... Was that the First General King!?"