novelraw Chapter 972: Forbidden Artifact ACE-003 Serpent of Deceit
Chapter 972: Forbidden Artifact ACE-003 Serpent of Deceit
The inverted cannons on the base of the Storm were rapidly shifting on their tracks. They were like a curtain of steel, ready to unleash terrifying firepower at any moment.
The soldiers on the Storm had regained control of the weapon systems from Ling.
Qing Chen suddenly understood that the spider cage wasn't just for him. The barrier created by Storm Duke’s loss of eight Arbiters was also intended to kill everyone who came to help him.
“Master, watch out for the Air Fortress’s electromagnetic cannons,” Qing Chen said, struggling to maintain consciousness.
Li Shutong smiled. “Don’t worry, the Air Fortress isn’t invincible.”
Qing Chen said, “It’s too dangerous, you shouldn’t have come.”
Li Shutong responded with another smile, “I didn’t come alone.”
The wind picked up in Royal Capital.
This wind came unexpectedly, as if it shouldn’t exist.
In the city, he said, “Let’s not chat. We have a lot to do today.” At this time, San Yue pulled out a black cloth bag from his waist. The next moment, a plump pangolin crawled out of the bag and headed straight for the copper rivets securing the spider web barrier.
Forbidden Artifact ACE-050, Pangolin, can break through any tough barrier, creating a passage for one person.
Containment conditions: Before opening a hole, the pangolin must eat a Forbidden Artifact.
This pangolin is naturally able to smell Forbidden Artifacts. Its former owner liked to take it to the Forbidden Zone, and it always found lost Forbidden Artifacts.
Gradually, no one used this Forbidden Artifact to dig holes anymore. Successive owners used it to find Forbidden Artifacts and gave it the nickname ‘Treasure Hunting Beast.’
San Yue will use it to directly consume all the copper rivets, and the barrier will naturally break.
After 512 years, the Forbidden Artifact Tribunal finally abandoned its neutrality and took action.
Forbidden Artifacts and Forbidden Zones have no national borders, but the Forbidden Artifact Tribunal does.
On the battlefield, Li Shutong looked at Qing Chen, “Can you hold on?”
Qing Chen shook his head, “I can’t.”
The warm call from the sky was like a lullaby, showing no sign of stopping.
The pain in his body gradually subsided, his muscles stopped trembling, and his brain secreted a large amount of Endorphins, soothing him as if a sandstorm had struck the entire Royal Capital!
Under these visual conditions, even the Storm Air Fortress couldn’t confirm the target below. To aim at a Demi-God, you first have to be able to see the Demi-God!
Ye Wan looked at Li Dongze, “I thought this Forbidden Artifact of yours could only be used for weather forecasting. San Yue giving you this Forbidden Artifact with a second-order form, doesn’t that violate the Forbidden Artifact Tribunal’s rules?”
Li Dongze calmly replied, “She doesn’t believe I can look at the weather every day for ten years, so she doesn’t believe I can unlock the second-order form.”
At this time, San Yue’s voice came from afar, “Is it appropriate for you two to discuss me so openly?”
This time, not only did the Knight and the messenger come, but even the Forbidden Artifact Tribunal arrived on the West Continent.
Lin Xiaoxiao curiously asked, “Speaking of which, doesn’t your Forbidden Artifact Tribunal only fight for the preservation of the human spark? Why are you suddenly not neutral?”
San Yue seriously said, “We are preserving the human spark of the East Continent.”
The implication was that whether or not there were any sparks of humanity left on the West Continent didn’t matter to them.
As they spoke, a team of cockroaches marched past them.
Lin Xiaoxiao, “Does your Forbidden Artifact Tribunal take care of this Biological Contamination?”
San Yue stared expressionlessly at the cockroaches disappearing into the sandstorm, “Not for now, but you should also explain this to your Little Boss. These cockroaches cannot return to the East Continent. Biological Contamination is the rudimentary form of a Forbidden Zone. They could transform into a new, very large Forbidden Zone at any time.”
At this moment, he felt the warm embrace of the sea, and a sense of impending doom.
So, as soon as Qing Chen finished speaking, he fainted, clutching the black True Sight Eye.
Li Shutong looked at the unconscious Qing Chen in astonishment. This disciple was truly honest; he said he couldn’t hold on, and he really couldn’t.
He shouted, “Qing Ji! Qing Ji, where are you?”
Qing Ji emerged from the shadows, “I’m here.”
“Take Qing Chen away, guard him until he wakes up and don’t let anyone disturb him,” Li Shutong instructed. “He is the Head of the Qingshi Clan. Guard him well, and as soon as San Yue breaks this damn spider web, use the Shadow Gate to send him away…The East Continent may not need you or me, but it definitely needs him.”
After Li Shutong took out the Forbidden Artifact ACE-002 Heaven and Earth Go Board from Prison 18, the old man on Ginkgo Mountain showed him a glimpse of fate.
At that moment, Li Shutong abandoned his former persistence and ideals. This master gave up everything to fulfill Qing Chen. He was like Qing Chen’s Shadow, silently waiting for the moment he was needed.
City 10’s Rat Tide.
The battle in Royal Capital.
This Demi-God willingly became a pawn, following the arrangement of fate.
No one knows exactly what he saw.
At this time, the Fate Weaver must have foreseen his battle with the Phoenix Duke, so he had to have Qing Ji take Qing Chen away first.
Qing Ji silently picked up Qing Chen and turned to leave. In the distance, the Phoenix Duke had already stood up and was calmly walking out of the sandstorm, seemingly unconcerned about this Knight Demi-God: “Silver City Black Knights are also a legacy of your Knights, I’ve fought Silver Duke before, Knights are nothing special.”
The red outline of the Phoenix Duke appeared in the sandstorm. He calmly put two fiery red earrings on his earlobes, and his body burned with intense flames.
The temperature in the air suddenly rose, but the Phoenix Duke was unaffected by the flames surrounding him.
Li Shutong watched calmly without refuting. The opponent’s first move was his trump card Forbidden Artifact, seemingly specifically designed to counter the close-combat abilities of Knights.
The next moment, the Phoenix Duke disappeared in place, his body leaving a fiery red afterimage as he rushed towards Qing Chen behind Qing Ji.
The target was clear!
Li Shutong casually picked up a leaf from the sandstorm and shot it towards the afterimage.
Those Autumn Leaf Blades didn’t even catch up to the Phoenix Duke’s afterimage; they only passed through the afterimage and nailed themselves to the wall opposite.
The opponent’s speed was extreme, no wonder he said Knights were nothing special.
The Phoenix Duke easily passed Li Shutong and headed straight for Qing Chen!
However, just as the Phoenix Duke was about to reach Qing Chen, Li Shutong also disappeared.
Instantly, a loud explosion echoed in the air. The sound of the air being compressed and then suddenly released was terrifying, causing Qing Ji’s eardrums to ache, even bleeding.
However, just as the Phoenix Duke was about to reach Qing Chen, Li Shutong also disappeared from his spot.
Instantly, a loud explosion echoed in the air. The air being compressed and then suddenly released caused a terrifying sonic boom, making Qing Ji’s eardrums ache and even bleed.
Just as the Phoenix Duke’s red afterimage was about to reach Qing Chen, Li Shutong, acting later but arriving first, kicked him far away.
The Phoenix Duke, caught off guard, flew like a broken kite, smashing into the outer wall of a residential building.
Li Shutong said with a smile, “You were talking about…a Knight like me?”
The Phoenix Duke stood up uncertainly. This was different from any Knight he had fought before.
When he was A-Class, he had bickered with Lao Shiyi. Back then, they had fought in Royal Capital, and Lao Shiyi was beaten black and blue.
Later, he became a Demi-God and sparred with Silver Duke. At that time, although he didn’t win, he knew that as long as he risked his life, he couldn’t lose.
But the moment the Phoenix Duke faced Li Shutong, he felt a sense of powerlessness. He had already pushed his speed to the limit, yet he was still precisely found.
If he hadn’t been protected by a Forbidden Artifact, that kick would have broken him in half.
What he didn’t know was that even Silver Duke at his peak was only 80% of Li Shutong’s speed. The Black Knights’ legacy was incomplete!
East Continent Knights have always relied on speed… and numbers to win.
Li Shutong was also a little surprised. He praised, “Is that the effect of a Forbidden Artifact? You should have died from that kick.”
The Phoenix Duke didn’t answer. He just brushed off the dust and disappeared again.
This time, he no longer targeted Qing Chen, but instead approached Li Shutong.
Fiery red afterimages appeared around Li Shutong, probing and trying to find the Knight Demi-God’s weaknesses.
But Li Shutong calmly stood in place and casually punched into the empty space in front of him.
With a loud boom, the Phoenix Duke flew backward again!
Li Shutong also disappeared, the white and red figures fighting frantically in the sandstorm, like two orbiting electrons constantly colliding, separating, and then colliding again.
These white and red figures kept moving, moving, moving.
Buildings collapsed in this battle, showcasing the terrifying nature of a Demi-God battle. Surrounding structures were as fragile as paper in their hands, tearing with the slightest touch.
The truth was, the Phoenix Duke repeatedly disappeared into afterimages, only to be repeatedly beaten out of his afterimage state by Li Shutong.
From beginning to end, the Phoenix Duke hadn’t even been able to touch Li Shutong.
The high temperature around him only scorched Li Shutong’s hair; before it could burn his body, it was already beaten away.
But strangely, no matter how many punches the Phoenix Duke took, his body remained resilient and unaffected, as if he himself was a Forbidden Artifact, indestructible!
Gradually, Li Shutong’s speed slowed slightly. No one could maintain their peak state indefinitely, just like track athletes; running at full speed from the start wouldn’t allow them to finish a marathon.
The Phoenix Duke noticed this and sneered, “I am now invincible, but your speed is not eternal.”
Li Shutong looked at his watch. The twenty minutes the Fate Weaver could see had passed. He smiled, “You admit your speed is inferior to mine, but it’s not just you who have Forbidden Artifacts.”
Then, he took out a thin silver snake from his pocket.
Li Shutong cut open his palm, and the silver snake clung to the wound, greedily sucking his blood. It sucked so much blood that the Knight Demi-God’s face turned pale.
After sucking its fill, the silver snake coiled around Li Shutong’s little finger, becoming a ring.
Forbidden Artifact AGE-003, Serpent of Deceit!
The previous owners of this Forbidden Artifact were all Knights. It was finally passed down to Li Shutong. Earlier, when Qing Chen asked for Forbidden Artifacts on behalf of his disciples, the old guys didn’t give him the Serpent of Deceit.
It wasn’t that the old guys didn’t want to give it, but Li Shutong had dug it out of the Forbidden Zone and taken it away…
The Phoenix Duke watched in astonishment as Li Shutong split into three, all three smiling at him.
His scalp instantly tingled!
The Phoenix Duke’s figure disappeared again, running towards the edge of the spider web barrier. One Li Shutong stood in his way. He swung his hand knife, but the hand knife passed through the layers of light and shadow without any hindrance.
It was an illusion!
There weren’t actually three Knight Demi-Gods!
The Phoenix Duke felt a surge of joy. He passed through Li Shutong’s body and continued to run away.
But, the moment he passed through the illusion, the Li Shutong that should have been an illusion solidified, and a swift kick sent him crashing into a nearby building!
The Phoenix Duke, flying backward, was surprised to find that this Li Shutong’s illusion wasn’t entirely illusory. The opponent seemed to be able to switch between reality and illusion among these three illusions!
The opponent could instantly appear in whichever illusion he wanted!
This was equivalent to giving the Knight Demi-God the ability to teleport!
One Li Shutong attacked, and the Phoenix Duke countered with a knee strike, but his knee passed through the illusion again, unable to harm Li Shutong at all!
As the Phoenix Duke passed through Li Shutong’s illusion, he thought Li Shutong was going to use the same trick again. He immediately kicked backward, but Li Shutong didn’t appear in that illusion. Instead, another illusion appeared, hitting him in the abdomen and sending him flying into the sky!
These three Li Shutong illusions were real and fake, substantial and illusory. Even if you could tell which was real and which was fake, your judgment was useless because the illusion you thought was ‘real’ one second could become fake the next, allowing the Knight Demi-God to use this Forbidden Artifact – it was simply unreasonable!
In just half a minute, the Phoenix Duke was hit hundreds of times by the three Li Shutongs. Infused with Knight's Qi, his body felt like it was actually burning.
For some reason, he even had the illusion that none of these three Li Shutongs were fake; they were all real.
Because every punch was real!
Gradually, cracks appeared on the Phoenix Duke’s body, like a porcelain vase being struck with cracks.
Even with his top-tier Forbidden Artifact protecting him, he was going to die!
The Demi-God’s trump card, life-saving Forbidden Artifact, was useless!
The Phoenix Duke roared, “Storm, attack!”
However, no one responded to him. Storm Duke seemed to have never intended to fight Li Shutong.
Li Shutong calmly said, “Using such a large-scale operation to hunt my disciple, have you all considered the consequences?”
Qing Ji carried Qing Chen towards the edge of the spider web barrier. Along the way, Yi and Black Widow came to their aid.
But their speed gradually slowed. Yi curiously asked, “What’s wrong?”
Black Widow and Qing Ji both looked warily ahead, where a tall figure loomed in the gloom of the sandstorm.
Storm Duke coldly asked, “Black Widow, do you know the consequences of betraying me?”
Black Widow pursed her lips. That was the person who had haunted her entire life. For a moment, she didn’t dare answer Storm Duke’s question.
Black Widow and Qing Ji both looked warily ahead, where a tall figure loomed in the gloom of the sandstorm.
Storm Duke coldly asked, “Black Widow, do you know the consequences of betraying me?”
Black Widow pursed her lips. That was the person who had haunted her entire life. For a moment, she didn’t dare to answer Storm Duke’s question.
At this time, Qing Ji suddenly looked at her, “Can I trust you?”
Black Widow was stunned, “Yes.”
“I’ll entrust Qing Chen to you. You must find a way to get him away, the farther the better, until he wakes up,” Qing Ji said.
Black Widow hesitated for a moment, “I can stay and block Storm Duke.”
Qing Ji shook his head, “You can’t stop him. If you could, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave you behind.”
Saying this, he actually placed Qing Chen on Black Widow’s back, “Run!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the great demon Qing Ji calmly walked towards Storm Duke.