Stranger Danger

“Haha… This is it then. Play you in the future. Let’s go!”

When White Ape Sword Demon executed the Secret Demon Infinite Substitute Great Art and made his escape, the River Swallowing Toad Demon, Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and Eight-armed Spider Demon seemed to feel it as well.

The Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and the Eight-armed Spider Demon joined forces and forced back the five Truemen with a mighty attack. Then, the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon transformed into a wild gale and flew toward the horizon, while the Eight-armed Spider Demon spat out a spider thread into the void and climbed away. Neither warrior looked like they were moving quickly, but they were gone in just the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, the five Truemen hurriedly gave chase. The two warriors had a chance to leave earlier, but they chose to stay behind. Now? They were never going to leave.

Or so the five Truemen thought. The River Swallowing Toad Demon was doing battle against Xin Mieqing when suddenly, he opened his mouth and threw up a river of water. It was his innate Magia. He could literally hold an entire river in his stomach and throw it up when it was necessary. In this case, he was attempting to flood Dragonmount City.

“Dammit!”

The five Truemen dared not take this threat lightly. They gave up pursuing Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and Eight-armed Spider Demon to deal with the descending river. Xin Mieqing was of the same mind.

If the river was allowed to fall, then the entire Dragonmount City would be destroyed. This was an unacceptable loss to either of them.

“Hehe… in the end, this is all the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance amounts to. Goodbye.”

The River Swallowing Toad Demon rubbed its stomach—it was now rather flat compared to before—and turned around to leave.

He would not get the chance. A dragon’s claw suddenly descended from above, encompassing the eight directions and suppressing the four cardinal directions.

Alarm bells blaring inside his head, the River Swallowing Toad Demon immediately activated his Stranger bloodline and transformed into a giant toad.

The toad looked as big as a mountain with water currents flowing around its body. It was none other than the Disaster-class Stranger, the River Swallowing Toad.

The next moment, the warts on the River Swallowing Toad’s back cracked open and spilled poisonous black liquid everywhere. The poisonous liquid was so deadly that even space itself was being dissolved into nothing. They surged upward to meet the dragon’s claw midway.

The dragon’s claw paid the sea of poisonous liquid no heed, however. It grabbed the struggling River Swallowing Toad Demon and squeezed.

Bang!

It was like the River Swallowing Toad Demon was nothing more but a fragile water sack. He exploded and died in both body and mind just like that.

After slaying the River Swallowing Toad Demon in one strike, a single figure appeared in the sky and stared off into the distance. The next moment, he lowered his hand. His gesture seemed to do nothing, but somewhere fifty kilometers away from Dragonmount City, a gigantic palm abruptly burst through the clouds.

The palm was made up of four divine dragons, capable of suppressing the five directions, whereas the fingers were made up of five divine dragons, capable of extinguishing the five phases.

The descent of the palm punched a hole in the sky and killed everything in its path. The Lampfire Palace was knocked right out of the void and slapped into the ground.

The giant palm eventually disappeared, leaving behind a giant palm print of unfathomable depths. From above, it looked like nine divine dragons swimming in a circle and emanating seemingly infinite draconic might and pressure.

At the center of the palm print, the Lampfire Palace no longer looked nearly as bright and magnificent as before. Its lights were dim, and its body was covered in innumerable cracks.

For a time, all was silent except the roars of dragons.

……

“Master.”

Back in Dragonmount City, Xin Mieqing saluted the figure in the sky as soon as she detected his presence.

“We greet you, Dragonmount Duke.”

The five Truemen hurriedly paid their respects as well.

The figure flickered and reappeared next to Xin Mieqing. While looking at the five Truemen, he summoned an awl-shaped Strange Artifact that was overflowing with fiendish aura into his hand. After he planted it on the ground, he declared, “I have severely damaged the Lampfire Palace about fifty kilometers to the south of Dragonmount City. Take my Dragon Extinguishing Awl and retrieve the Lampfire Palace.”

“As you command!” The five Truemen answered in a hurry before grabbing the Strange Artifact and flying toward the south.

After the five Truemen were gone, Xin Mieqing dropped to her knees and said fearfully, “It is this useless disciple’s fault that Dragonmount City has suffered such damage. Please punish me, master.”

“You deserve punishment.”

Dragonmount Duke lifted his foot and stepped on Xin Mieqing’s left hand. It took him only a bit of strength to crush her hand and her entire left arm.

Xin Mieqing turned as white as a sheet, and large beads of sweat began rolling off her forehead. Despite this, she forced herself to stay silent.

Dragonmount Duke then added, “However, the blame does not fall on you. Rise.”

“Thank you, master.” Xin Mieqing rose to her feet but did not attempt to repair her left arm. She allowed the blood to fall profusely off her fingertips.

“Cough! Cough!” It was at this moment Dragonmount Duke suddenly coughed twice. His energies also became weak and distorted.

“Master?! Are you alright?”

Xin Mieqing hurriedly went over to support him, but the second she raised her hands, she abruptly discovered that his left sleeve was empty. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she stammered, “M-Master… where is your arm?”

“It’s gone,” Dragonmount Duke declared indifferently.

“It’s gone? But how can that be?” Xin Mieqing could not believe it. In her mind, Dragonmount Duke was invincible and untouchable. Who could even leave a scratch on his person, much less take his arm?

“It was the White Ape Sword Demon who did this!” Dragonmount Duke answered.

“White Ape Sword Demon? But how?” His answer did not alleviate Xin Mieqing’s confusion one bit. The White Ape Sword Demon was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, but no matter how strong he was, he should not be a match for her master. After all, Dragonmount Duke was a Half Sage.

“The White Ape Sword Demon is now a Half Sage,” Dragonmount Duke explained. “That is why he was able to hurt me.”

“Of course, my left arm is all he could take. In return, I have shattered his bonded spellsword. Barring exceptional circumstances, he has reached the end of his way of the sword. He is no longer any threat to us.”

Xin Mieqing replied, “Your might knows no bounds, master. The ant should have known better than to challenge you.”

“I’m going to rest and recuperate now. I leave it to you to take care of the aftermath. There must not be a riot.”

Dragonmount Duke instructed, “One more thing. Despite all that has happened, I fully expect to see the head Sword Ghoul and my son’s killer by the time I leave my abode, understand?”

“As you command.” Xin Mieqing hesitated for a moment before asking, “What should we do with the Seven Demons of Yandang?”

Dragonmount Duke uttered coldly, “It looks the jianghu has forgotten the name Xiang Tianxiong because I’ve secluded myself for too long. It is to the point where even cats and dogs dare to attack my Seventy Two Water Land Alliance.”

“When next I emerge, I shall slay the Seven Demons of Yandang myself and remind the jianghu that I, Xiang Tianxiong, must not be underestimated. That my Seventy Two Water Land Alliance must not be tested.”

“Loud and clear, master!” Xin Mieqing exclaimed with deep excitement. She looked like she couldn’t wait.

“Now go. Attend to your duties.”

As soon as Dragonmount Duke turned away from view, bright red blood immediately trickled down one corner of his lips. At the same time, his complexion turned a shade whiter.

Clearly, he wasn’t doing as well as he pretended to be.

White Ape Sword Demon’s “Road of Life” hadn’t just severed his left arm. It had also dealt him a serious wound. Later, he pushed himself to slay the River Swallowing Toad Demon in one strike and knock out the Lampfire Palace from fifty kilometers away. As a result, he had expended most of his strength and aggravated his injuries.

This was why he hadn’t hunted down the Seven Demons of Yandang or retrieved the Lampfire Palace himself.

The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was the strongest faction of this area for many years at this point. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the enemies who wished him dead were countless, and a good number of them were champions on the same level as him. If he left the city and got ambushed, Half Sage or not, there was a good chance that his life would be in danger.

Therefore, there was no need to endanger himself over a moment of anger. His first priority right now was to treat his wounds.

Once he recovered, the White Ape Sword Demon was nothing more but a clown he could slay anytime he wanted to.

“The day I leave my abode is the day you die. All of you.”

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