Chapter 454: Majestic (I)

Outer city.

Increasing numbers of people disappeared after they were dragged into ancient houses. The more that died, the uneasier that those in the plaza grew. It was one thing if not that many died, but the three fiends slaughtering through the outer city were inexorable and ruthless. As the number of dead mounted to one hundred, the fewer that wandering cultivators returned.

A couple brought back some Black Armors in the beginning, but those that returned later did so empty-handed. Explosions could be heard from the city, but armored footsteps also grew heavier. It seemed that the soldiers were patrolling with a firmer tread.

......

In the plaza.

Some powerhouses frowned and looked at the other city.

“Is the fourth Silver Armor scything through the people from the shadows? Why does it feel like the supernaturals are becoming less active?”

Some still itched for action, others looked at the inner city. Three Silver Armors hovered in the air and looked down in their direction, as if waiting for something. A few of the Novas in the crowd grew impatient and fidgeted restlessly.

“Let’s just go on the offensive!” someone snapped. The gloomy outer city felt incredibly inauspicious. No one responded to him—the wandering cultivators were in a disarray!

There was no one to withstand the Black Armors if the wandering cultivators lost their organization. The Silver Armors were still manageable, but three thousand Black Armors might overcome Novas if there was no concerted response against them.

Great wealth was a source of great temptation. Not even Sir Xu could control the wandering cultivators. He was a representative when they needed him for something, but absolutely nothing when they did not.

......

Hearts shook with trepidation in the plaza while Li Hao’s trio killed at will with the Bronze Armors in the outer city! Li Hao’s armor recorded increasing merits. He Yong was as brutal as before—he was far in the lead. Although Li Hao and Hong Yitang’s numbers kept increasing, he was always out in front. He’d gone from seventeen points to twenty-seven in less than twenty minutes, a sign of how many more powerhouses he’d killed!

“There’s powerhouses...” A shrill cry pierced the air.

Bam!

The shout was followed by a loud collision. The one who shrieked swiftly died—a mid Solar powerhouse. As strong as he was, he died quickly all the same!

Inside an ancient house, He Yong smacked himself on the forehead. He’d miscalculated! With his strength, there shouldn’t be a chance for his target to cry out when he ambushed someone an entire level lower than him. But that little bastard Kong Jie had been nearby when he’d taken action. He’d been distracted by his surprise.

“Kong... is quite strong!” A violent light danced in his eyes as he grumbled. Li Hao had said not to attack the Silver Moon authorities and he followed those orders. Kong Jie, however, seemed to be following him. He Yong had run into him a few times.

He sent out a thought ripple from his armor. The nearby Hong Yitang received his message.

“Ole Hong, do you want to put Kong Jie through his paces?”

Hong Yitang was wiping off his longsword inside an ancient house and looking at it with appreciation. The sword of a Bronze Armor was quite strong. In fact, the entire set of equipment was quite strong. The Bronze Armors in the field now weren’t bringing their full strength to bear.

It might have to do with the fact that they didn’t have much strength left to them.

Put Kong Jie through his paces? Hong Yitang laughed. He’d thought that He Yong had mellowed out some, but it would seem that the man was just as ruthless as ever. The Northern and Southern Fists had been quite brutal back in the day. The current He Yong only appeared easier to talk to than before and even a little foolishly honest.

He was hardly what he seemed to be.

“Not interested! You can go for it if you want. You have mysterious power stones too and strengthened your supernatural locks in the pool. You can probe his strength by yourself.”

“Then forget it!’ He Yong responded. “I’m no match for him by myself. Kong Jie was a powerhouse in the Inspectorate a long time ago and suppressed the martial master unrest by himself before the Skystar Guards made it to Silver Moon. He won’t be any weaker than you or I after all these years.”

Kong Jie’s background was very clean. He had been an Inspectorate heavyweight early on and spearheaded the Inspectorate’s operations to suppress martial disturbances before the Skystar Guards were founded. After the Guards arrived, they took over the duty to the point where martial experts forgot about Kong Jie.

But would those such as He Yong and others forget? They’d all fought him in the early days—Kong Jie was very strong. His reputation was just overshadowed as time went on.

“Ole Hong, I’ve got twenty-eight merits. Not bad, right?” He Yong transmitted again when Hong Yitang fell silent. “How many do you have?”

As a Black Armor, he could see his own and no one else’s. Hong Yitang could see He Yong’s since he was a Bronze Armor, but he could not see Li Hao’s. The man checked his score—twenty-five. He was a few points less than He Yong, but he didn’t mind.

Hong Yitang peered through the door frame. He wasn’t as bored as He Yong and looked to kill for the sake of killing. He’d mostly targeted Red Moon members so he could collect some more scarlet shadows.

While he hadn’t been able to see the shadows before, he could sense them. They were visible in a hazy sense after he put on the armor. Hong Yitang also marveled at the equipment’s designer. Even the lowest level black armor was a valuable treasure. It was worth far more than a few mysterious power stones!

The sets of armor held by the Silver Moon Guards and three great organizations were far from being fully utilized. They were dormant and only deploying their innate defensive capabilities. They could not display their total capabilities.

The Black Armors in the city were a group of dead obsessions without the slightest hint of a spirit. Even so, they could stand against Sunflares. Their strength would surely increase many times over if a powerhouse could fully manipulate them. If Li Hao’s Demon Hunters wore fully active armor, their strength would reach new heights.

A variety of thoughts ran through Hong Yitang’s mind. He wasn’t in the mood to chat with He Yong. There was a Red Moon powerhouse in his sights!

Red Moon had sent quite a few experts on this expedition. Blue Moon and Green Moon were Novas out in the open, there were two more under the surface—an initial and a late Nova. The presence of two late Novas was proof enough just how much Red Moon valued the ruins.

Hong Yitang had been tracking his target for a while, but hadn’t dared to make a move. After long consideration, he messaged He Yong. “I have a big mark to take down, do you want in?”

“What is it?”

“It might be Yellow Moon! Late Nova, if my senses are true. She should be the divine girl of Sky Mountain back in the day—her move of Scattered Plum Blossoms knew no compare. Although she wasn’t part of the thirty-six, she’s definitely strong. She’s not an ordinary late Nova, she’s possibly even peak Nova!”

He Yong was quiet for a very long time before responding, “Are you even human? She counts as an old friend. I wondered why there was no movement from your side—you have your eyes set on her!

“Red Moon’s people are not easy to kill, especially those guys. Ying Hongyue might go crazy if you kill them. He loves all of the ladies, but also likes to pretend that he loves deeply. He’s extremely hypocritical and might come in person for revenge if you kill Yellow Moon!”

“There are many reasons for killing her,” Hong Yitang continued, ignoring He Yong’s concerns. “Number one, it will result in many merits. Number two, while she doesn’t have a scarlet shadow on her, the titular third-in-charge of Red Moon will surely carry many treasures. Number three, we might find some blood pearls instead. After all, Ying Hongyue will surely look out for the women he took with him back in the day...

“What’s the point of all of these little scuffles? Li Hao doesn’t dare do anything because he’s weak, but are we to imitate him?” All Hong Yitang wanted to do at the moment was to accomplish something grand. There was no point in killing Solars—he was even depressed to keep killing them. As a strong martial master, there was meaning only in fighting those stronger than him.

Of course, Yellow Moon was probably weaker than him. But wouldn’t killing someone of her level be more satisfying than those weaklings?

“Wait a bit longer!” He Yong thought for a bit. “The disturbance will be too great if we kill her. We should get some more merits first with the other guys. If my guess holds true, we’ll be able to trade these merits for a lot of treasures. The ancient civilization put a lot of emphasis on military merits!”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Then I’ll wait for you!” Hong Yitang shook his head, returning to watching the supernatural on the street. They were clearly here for the Silver Armor. A late Nova that’d crossed over from being a martial master wouldn’t think much of those Black Armors.

......

The slaughter continued in the outer city. While all sides had realized something amiss, it had nothing to do with them since those who died were mostly wandering cultivators. Thus, they chose to stay silent. Even a Solar yelling that there were powerhouses present didn’t cause much of a ripple.

At the same time, over the city walls.

Three Silver Armors stood side by side. They couldn’t see much or even where Li Hao was since the Twelfth Troop did not fall under them. However, they knew that the new recruit should’ve killed a lot of enemies. The ten company leaders that they’d sent with him were still accumulating military merits. The guerrilla tactics were having a significant effect.

Dead quiet reigned on the city walls.

“Leader of the Seventh Troop, what do you think of this age’s cultivators?” The ripple came from the leader of the Eighth Troop.

"In what regard?”

“All aspects.”

The Seventh Troop leader thought briefly. “I don’t know, I just know that they look to live quite good lives.”

Quite good lives!

The three Silver Armors fell silent again. Indeed, that looked to be the case. The situation would not be thus beneath them otherwise. It looked like humanity was still the ruler of the land. That meant the world was safe after their death. Those noble personages on high might have won. If they didn’t, at least they hadn’t lost.