novelraw Chapter 390 - 389 - One Man Army
Chapter 390 - 389 - One Man Army
[The Maidens have not made any moves since their return but there are rumors of their displeasure at our tactics. Be ready to come back if it is confirmed a Maiden was assaulted by the young master. They may be using an official movement to relay a message of their anger to keep the peace.]
Sweat covered a massive man as he knelt to a projected communication.
"I obey, master." The image dispersed and steel gray eyes were revealed that seemed frustrated. His body was a mass of muscle but his movements were supple and swift. He had a slim sword at his waist.
He was rare in the Sword Breakers as most preferred other weapons of war, but he used a sword. Any that had seen him fight never questioned his choice as it paired perfectly with him. His dark gray robes were of fine make as his tier 4 aura swept the camp once more.
It would be nice if he did it to observe for intruders but in reality he was reminding the mass of fools with him to behave. The mission was delicate and any misstep could have repercussions even he could not fully grasp.
The last war in the Floating Isles had triggered the aether beasts flying between islands. It had no real winners and the Heavenly Maiden Sect with the Blood Sect had come down from their towers to quash the battles.
Hellfire Sect did not care if everyone else but them died. No one was insane enough to draw their attention even in that chaotic time according to the records.
Dashu was a sect elder sent on the current mission who was known as a level head but had more than enough power to bring to bear if needed. Unfortunately, he knew most of his sect was full of hot heads that hid behind the coattails of the sect whenever their actions brought real danger to them.
He even suspected the young master had done that.
Dashu had met the man and had not been impressed by his unwarranted arrogance as well as the use of pills to advance his cultivation rather than hard work. The sect master had no illusions about the quality of his grandson but he indulged him too much.
"ELDER!" Dashu thanked the spirits his master was no longer talking to him before something cropped up. The odds of the current shout being minor to a need for heavy punishment was about even.
"I am awake, speak." The tent entrance parted and Dashu was surprised to see one of his scouts at tier 1 Sky Realm bringing the Gold Tier governor.
"An itinerant cultivator got into the camp. I have run a count and all natives are accounted for." There were no prisoners. Dashu could not obstruct anyone with a pass unless he had a real reason, but an intruder was a vastly different matter.
They could finally act!
"Quickly, tell me everything!" The pressure from Dashu made the old man quiver but the scar on his neck made Dashu retract his aura. A cripple made by sacrifice was to be honored in their sect. A glance at the slim man, Hua, made it clear how their relationship was not good even years later.
There had been rumors that the cowering man had been up for a juicy promotion when the injury occurred. Dashu pushed it back as over a century had passed.
"Great Elder! I reported the state of the camp to senior Hua when a stranger came in. He feels as strong as you!" Dashu narrowed his eyes but alarm rose in his heart. A tier 4 Sky Realm in the Ravaged Isles?
Why?
Suspicion arose as well but he let the man speak and confusion began to emerge. Why would a Sky Realm of such power not know the most basic knowledge about traveling the Floating Isles? Why did they not know about the Treaty?
These were things even newly ascended Sky Realms had to learn before they could leave Port City. Dashu closed his eyes but Hua took some messages and frowned, yet waited.
"He came another way. He came straight to the Elysium Plains. There is no way an ascender could be tier 4 in this barren island, but we will act as if he is. Report!" Hua paled to realize the kind of enemy they might be facing.
"There has been no issue found with our formations but no extra person has been found. I did confirm, however, that there was a new person in the native camp for the last few days. He just appeared and now is gone." Dashu frowned deeply.
It was one thing to sneak into their camp past a formation or as a member of a squad if they had a master of disguise, but everyone was accounted for. No doubt they had been brought into his range and he found nothing wrong.
Even a cultivator in the same tier would leave traces but there was nothing.
Hua suddenly seemed to perk up and produced a formation plate. It was only a peak grade 4 but it was still profound. It was also familiar.
"The Mistress of Illusions. It is her work but of much lower quality. An ascender, definitely an ascender." Her work was legendary in the last 50 years. The demand had been immense but it was well known she ascended.
Dashu also narrowed his eyes as her work was widely distributed in the lower world but the number of people that could use that to pierce her new work could not be long.
"I am going to the tunnel entrance–" Dashu did not even finish when the world changed.
Explosions rocked the area as the feeling of Qi changed. It was not demonic Qi but Fiend Qi! All of Dashu's assumptions were shattered at that moment as their formations broke. Chaos ensued as the training to face any sympathizers was hard ingrained to all sects.
The men formed units and made sure to keep their backs to their commander. Dashu was proud but he waved his hand and the world shifted once more.
Insane pressure rose as a seemingly endless number of slim swords appeared in the air. It was the Battle Art of Dashu! The man known as the One Man Army!
Glittering on the rising sun, the many swords swept the nearby plains to trigger even more explosions but Dashu frowned.
None of his swords were damaged despite how impressive the explosions were. Also, while Fiend Qi was present, it was not increasing with the explosions.
"ILLUSIONS! IT IS ALL AN ILLUSION!" Dashu's voice reached all his forces as his pressure slammed outward. Not just the ground but the very air seemed to be slammed aside. The sun glittered off formation plates as well as some strange artifacts.
He was about to issue orders when real explosions took place but on the city wall! Dashu had triggered a trap! He felt anger as the wall now had giant holes in it but the chaotic Qi made tracing the source impossible!
"Into the city! We have a rat we have to hunt to ground!" Dashu pulled out the sword at his waist and all backed away as he rose into the air. As he flew with his glittering storm of swords, his name became a fact.
The tree of war, the one man army, was going to war!
⬧⬧⬧⬧
Lind was unable to anticipate the power of his enemy until the trap was triggered. He had just barely set off his converters to implode when a wall of Qi came crashing down full of swords!
He had never seen anything like it and realized he had missed some questions to ask before! Lind sighed but moved on as at least his plan to pierce the wall during the chaos worked.
It was now a race against time. He knew there had to be a force on the other side but if he was let up, Lind hoped to be able to slip away.
He had not bothered asking about the otherside due to the fact he had no time to get a complete picture. Lind's scales glittered as he emerged into the sun before diving down into the streets.
He was moving fast but had to keep low as any simpleton would know to attack above the buildings. Even before he got a quarter of the way into the city, swords filled the air! Why did a member of the Sword Breakers Sect have swords?!
He pushed it back and kept moving but the destination was known, so he kept his senses peeled for more traps. He was not disappointed.
Several formation plates were carefully setup but they were newer than the buildings and his nose and eyes were far sharper than before.
"Nice try." Lind barreled on and the formations could not even trigger because his flight was not powered by Qi. He also had the sigil plate, as he called it, so it might protect him. Lind was guessing they could not simply switch it off or make it a trigger very quickly.
His initial burst of success was brought low as a voice boomed from ahead!
"WHOEVER YOU ARE! I, DASHU OF SWORD BREAKERS SECT SHALL STOP YOU!" The tier 4 aura was clear but Lind smiled.
"Exactly where I want you." Lind vanished from the streets and resumed his human form before he ducked into a building. He then waited for what he needed.
Not even a moment later, a familiar slim man was ordering men to search each building. He did not endanger himself, but Lind did not worry about that. He carefully held still until one of them came in.
The man used some artifact but it was only used on the floor level! The fools did not learn that he could fly! It was something Lind made a special note of for his own protection in the future.
He then followed the men as they swept inward to the tunnel entrance. After many hours the sun was finally setting when all of them gathered once more. A massive old man was scanning actively but he found nothing!
"S-sir! All units have reported in. Nothing." Lind saw clear doubt but he could only stay still. He was no longer able to advance but he did not need to. His Eyes and Touch were enough.
The sigils were far more profound but the plate gave him the clues of what he needed. The discussions were becoming intense as Lind felt his soul strain to do what he did, but it worked!
The entrance of the tunnel, once a solid stone, suddenly vanished with a pull upward!
"HE IS HERE!" The leader swept the roofs but Lind was directly below them. He was floating there under his own power. He had kept the tier 4 out of his way until the last moment but now was the gamble.
The many swords were true threats, but Lind could not reveal his dragon form or he would be hunted by many more powers before he could slip away.
Lind knew there was only one way through. He calmed his beating heart and put his feet on the building behind him. He built up power before summoning Qi. The instant Qi moved, the steel gray eyes locked onto him.
"THERE!" Swords flew but the building shattered first! Dust flew and Dashu quickly moved to block the entrance, yet suddenly felt a massive impact to his chest! The man had come right at him!
Dashu was sent tumbling into the entrance and had no chance to right himself before the suction took him in. Lind was right next to him, but he was putting on more speed! The dark tunnel blurred by until a crimson light appeared.
Dashu came flying out to the surprise of his fellow sect members who quickly moved to help him while no one noticed the blur that shot far up into the sulfur filled sky. Lind had escaped!