Book 14, Fiend β Chapter 25, Nowhere to Run
The black-robed guards of Moon Lake Castle were all elite Highgods who had been carefully selected.
Cromptonβs team of three Fiends, facing that single black-robed guard, had only won a narrow victory. But of course, the main reason was that Crompton himself was too weak, while the other two Fiends were only average for highgods.
βI just killed one, and now two more appear? If they catch me, Iβll definitely die!β Crompton was terrified senseless, and he wildly fled out from the corridor.
βWhatβs going on?β Cromptonβs face changed.
The tunnel up ahead had been sealed!
βHow is this possible? How could this tunnel have been sealed? It should have an exit!β How could Crompton have imagined that when Linleyβs group of four fled, to prevent him from pursuing and attacking, they had moved the wall over and shut it?
Crompton was currently fleeing at high speed!
How would he have any time to investigate if this wall had a secret mechanism or not? He had no time! There were two black-robed guards in hot pursuit behind him. If he hesitated, he would be finished.
He only had one option β break through the wall!
Frantic, Crompton ignored everything else and rammed his fist viciously against the wall at the end of the tunnel, a punch which held nothing backβ¦
βBoom!β The wall immediately split asunder, and Crompton charged out from the shattered wall, rushing into the room. However, Cromptonβs speed still slowed down slightly, while from behind, the two black-robed guards who were more powerful than him to begin with caught up to him in that moment!
βYou want to flee!β A furious bellow. A black shadow rushed out from the shattered wall, then delivered from mid-air a vicious saber blow that seemed to have the power to split the heavens and rend the earth apart. Under this wild blow, space itself distorted and began to shake as ripples in space spread out towards each side like ripples in water.
Cromptonβs face changed dramatically.
βNooo!β Cromptonβs face was savage, and he bellowed as he struggled in the face of death.
βClang!β
Crompton used his own warblade to block upwards above his head, blocking that wild chopping saber of the opponent, preventing it from pressing downwards any further!
Howeverβ¦
That black-robed guardβs saber carried a strange vibrating power, which passed straight through the warblade to Cromptonβs head. With a βrumbleβ, Cromptonβs head instantly began to vibrate countless times as it turned into powder!
βNooo!β That fierce cry of Cromptonβs still reverberated in the room.
From head to waist, his entire body had been shaken to smithereens.
The black shadow solidified. It was a callous, short silver-haired man who was wielding a warblade. Behind him, another black-robed guard said softly, βBig Brother, just now, we only saw one of Fifth Broβs divine clones. But that bald man was still alive. Fifth Bro should be dead.β
The two black-robed guards felt great pain in their hearts.
The callous man growled, βMost likely the vast majority of we ten brothers have perished. One on one, those Fiends arenβt necessarily our match. But they outnumber us!β
Indeed. More than twenty Fiends had come, while there were only ten black-robed guards.
Two or three of the weaker Fiends were able to overcome a single black-robed guard, while there were powerful Fiends present as well. Even aside from those three Five Star Fiends, there were quite a few Four Star Fiends as well, who were comparable in power to the black-robed guards.
Suddenly, the sounds of a violent battle rang out from the fourth floor.
βLetβs head over.β The two black-robed guards didnβt hesitate at all, instantly hurrying towards that area.
On the fourth floor of Moon Lake Castle, within a main hall that was a hundred meters large that had many long tables within it. These tables were capable of seating hundreds of people; most likely, it was the location meant for the gold-robed guards to gather together and celebrate and eat.
Within a side room next to the main hall.
Linley, Delia, Bebe, and Regina were all here.
Hearing that fierce cry, Bebe raised an eyebrow. Excitedly, he said, βBoss, that sound seems to be the stinking baldyβs.β
Linley had the same thought, and a hint of a smile crept onto his face. βRight. The direction the voice came from should be from the secret tunnel. Crompton probably saw that the corpse went missing and wanted to pursue us, but then encountered others in the tunnel.β Linley knew that if Crompton didnβt die, in the future he would definitely make trouble for Linleyβs team.
Linley had been preparing to have a big battle with Crompton.
But now, it seemed, someone helped him deal with the matter.
Delia laughed as she looked at Regina and asked, βRegina, do you have any moon rings yet?β
βNot yet. If I did, I would have left this castle long ago. Why would I be here risking myself? But it seems all the gold-robed guards have been killed. We werenβt able to find any at all in the end.β Regina shook her head helplessly as she spoke.
Linley understood this as well.
βAlthough at first, they killed some of the Fiend trial participants, in the end, our numbers were still greater than the numbers of the gold-robed guards.β Regina sighed. βMore importantly, most likely quite a few Fiends killed some gold-robed guards as well!β
Linley agreed with this.
Although Fiends were in pursuit of the black-robed guards, when they encountered the gold-robed guards, they naturally wouldnβt just let them leave either.
βBoom!β A massive earthquake spread out, causing even Linleyβs room to shake and vibrate.
βRight over there.β Linley was shocked.
There were battles going on everywhere in Moon Lake Castle, so Linley wouldnβt have paid any attention to distant battles. However, this battle was happening in the main hall nearby. Linleyβs team couldnβt help but just slightly open a crack in the room, peering into the hall.
βThree black-robed guards and eleven Fiends?β Linleyβs group was shocked at what they had seen.
The three black-robed guards had fled to this place, while the Fiends had pursued them.
βThe black-robed guards are outnumbered badly. Theyβll definitely lose.β Bebe judged. Although Linleyβs group was chatting amongst themselves, because they had utilized their Godrealms, they had blocked off sound from leaving their area into the main hall.
Linley sighed with some surprise. βThe black-robed guards, especially that one with short silver hair, is so powerful. Heβ¦trains in the Elemental Laws of the Wind?β
Linleyβs immediately attention focused on that black-robed guard.
Just now, when the two black-robed guards had killed Crompton, they heard the sounds of battle and had immediately hurried over. They discovered a black-robed guard besieged by three Fiends. The two black-robed guards naturally helped outβ¦but as soon as they did, other Fiends hurried over as well.
There were simply far too many Fiends!
In the end, it ended up being eleven against three!
In the wide main hall, the eleven Fiends battled against the three black-robed guards.
βRuuuuuumbleβ¦.β A low, unpleasant sound suddenly rang out, like a hammer striking against the souls of everyone present.
It was the leader of the black-robed guards, the short silver-haired man.
Wielding a warblade, he released the profound truths of the Elemental Laws of the Wind. The ten black-robed guards were ranked in order of strength. As the big brother of the ten black-robed guards, his power was comparable to that of the stewardβs.
His warblade danced as that rumbling sound persisted.
βWhat is that bizarre sound?!β When the Fiends heard it, they couldnβt help but feel irritated and distracted. They didnβt want to listen to it and so blocked off all foreign sounds, and yet that bizarre sound still entered their brains, causing them to be irritated and distracted time and time again.
βDie!β
A black warblade danced out. The silver-haired man stared coldly as he chopped down with his black warblade against a Fiend.
The chop was blocked.
βRumbleβ¦β That vibration directly entered the Fiendβs head, which immediately transformed into fine powder as a divine spark fell out.
βEveryone, be careful. Heβs already completely fused the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves!β Amongst the Fiends, there were some with great experience and who were immediately able to make this judgment. Only when the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves were completely fused into the Profound Truths of Sound would there be such a terrifying attack.
With a single attack, not only had he affected his opponentβs souls, he was able to launch combined soul-material attack!
The Elemental Laws of the Wind had nine types of profound mysteries. Any two profound mysteries when combined would have particular strengths. Only, the fusion of the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves was the most famous one. Its power was extremely terrifying!
βIs thatβ¦?β
Linley, also analyzing the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves, seemed to have realized something from the attack of the leader of the black-robed guards.
βPure sound waves can reach such a level?β Linley was greatly astonished. βAnd that sound. Why is it that the sound had the same effect of shaking the soul as those infrasound waves?β Linley was starting to be puzzled. He couldnβt understand at all.
At present, Linley had only gained a basic level of understanding regarding the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves. He hadnβt reached mastery in either, much less fuse them completely.
βIt seems this leader of the black-robed guards has already mastered the Profound Truths of Sound.β Linley hypothesized. βEven a Highgod was shaken to pieces. How can sound waves be so powerful?β Linleyβs heart was filled with confusion. All sorts of hypotheses regarding the profound mysteries of music and sound waves began to appear in his mind, then be applied to the attack by that black-robed guard. Linley felt as though he was coming to understand something. βUh, wait, thatβs wrong. Thatβs not how the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves work. So not only is it capable of internal vibrations, itβs also capable of material attacksβ¦β
The attack of this black-robed guard had caused Linley to instantly understand something. Only, this βsomethingβ was the first step on the journey to fusing the Profound Mysteries of Music and the Profound Mysteries of Sound Waves!
Delia, Bebe, and Regina were all flabbergasted. Linley actually sat down into the meditative position.
βHeβ¦what is he doing?β Regina was somewhat shocked.
Bebeβs expression was bizarre. In a low voice, he said, βBossβ¦Boss probably had another insight.β
βA sudden insight?β Delia was somewhat shocked as well.
Although the black-robed guard was very powerful, the eleven Fiends had experts in their ranks as well. Over the course of that wild battle, two of the three black-robed guards died, leaving only that black-robed guard leader and seven Fiends.
Seven Fiends surrounded him.
βAll deadβ¦Second Broβ¦Third Broβ¦they are all dead, all dead!β The black-robed guard leader was going crazy.
βAaaaaaah!β The black-robed guard leader actually raised his head up and began to bellow wildly.
A spatial ripple that could be seen with the naked eye suddenly emanated out from the body of the black-robed guard leader, instantly encompassing the seven Fiends! As the ultimate desperation attack of the black-robed guard leader, this roar also contained the most powerful attack of the Profound Truths of Sound.
With this roar, of the seven Fiends, two of them actually became completely stunned and their heads spun. For a moment, they were in a dazed state.
βSwish!β βSwish!β β¦..
At the same moment, three arrows shot out from the hands of that black-robed guard leader, piercing towards one of the dazed Fiends.
βSlash!β
The Fiend didnβt react at all, and the three arrows pierced straight into his body.
βBang!β Another Fiend collapsed.
βWhat a pity. I only had three arrows. Otherwise, I could have killed another Fiend.β The black-robed guard leader said quietly in his heart. Even when a Highgod was in a dazed state, a single Godslayer Arrowβs soul poison wasnβt enough to kill one of them.
Thus, he used all three of his arrows against a single person.
The other dazed Fiend thus managed to escape a calamity.
βKill!β The five more powerful Fiends who hadnβt been too deeply impacted by that roar launched simultaneous attacks on that black-robed guard leader.
βBOOM!β The black-robed guard leaderβs body exploded.
The main hall was covered in corpses. Only now did the six remaining Fiends let out a breath.β
βHe trained in the Elemental Laws of the Wind. He was extremely fast, fluctuated unpredictably, and the two profound mysteries he had fused were that of sound waves and music.β One of the Fiends shook his head and sighed. βWe really are catastrophically unlucky to have encountered this fellow. I donβt know if even ten of us Fiends have survived this mission.β
Linley, still in a state of meditation and insight, didnβt know that the black-robed guard leader had already died. Linley, drifting amidst the myriad wonders of the Laws, had his heart completely one with nature and with the world.
Onlyβ¦.
βBoss, wake up, quick!β Bebe sent a spiritual message, calling Linley to wakefulness.
βBebe, what is it?β Linley looked at astonishment towards Bebe.
βThe most exciting battle, and the most dangerous battle. We might be hit by the collateral shockwaves at any moment!β Bebe said softly.
Not just Bebe; the nearby Delia and Regina were all staring towards the outside in astonishment. Linley peered through the crack in the door as well, and saw that outside, a long black dragon covered with black spikes was coiling in the main hall.
Loysius and another Five Star Fiend was standing there in mid-air, their gazes locked onto the black dragonβs.
The other six Fiends were standing in the corners of the room.
βYou wonβt be able to run.β Loysius growled.
βSpeak. How much is your bounty for this mission? I will give you ten times the amount! As long as the two of you are willing to leave immediately.β The black dragon let out a low growl.
βI didnβt expect that the master of this castle was a divine beast.β Loysius laughed coldly. βHoweverβ¦you, give us ten times the reward? Hmph, when we kill you, all of the wealth of your interspatial ring will be ours. And whatβs moreβ¦β Loysiusβ face seemed to have suddenly become covered with a layer of ice. βYou killed my second sister!β