Chapter 116: Empress’ Steed
*Hulu*
*Hulu*
*Hulu*
Contaminated icy blue blood drenched the torn San Cha's foot, mingling with the remnants of fresh blood from the corpses as the surging, sword-like gales tore and pushed apart snow and wood alike—spreading further and implicating several unprepared and weak spectators. A noise of activity spread from the surroundings, with Mu Bai, Ba Xiu, Bai Qi, Ruo Nan, No Ting, and Lo Jik gazing at the cloud above the middle-aged Wind Sword.
Thick clouds gathered above Wu Lan Shan. The ornate green sword in her hand—the Rank 5 Wind Sword Gu, let out a keen cry under a sliver of Lan Shan's wispy, purple-crystal Essence.
*Fuu*
Lo Jik exhaled quietly, revoking the flickering golden sheen of his Golden Bell Shield Gu. It had already been injured and worn throughout the hours, fraught with ceaseless battles and contests.
"It's the Wind Sword…" Yi Huo's tone identified his bewilderment. Far from them, one of the pillars within San Cha rooting for the Tie Clan—Yi Jun Hie's expression darkened. The speculations and greed for the rewards hidden within the Three Kings' Inheritance after witnessing Lo Jik's battle didn't compare to the bitterness one felt after realizing the Wu Clan's move.
Revealing herself, Wu Lan Shan became the prologue for the chapter the Wu Clan had already planned for San Cha Mountain since the clouds above the woman had further thickened. Countless cries shook the sky. The sea of clouds trembled, and Tie Ruo Nan's pupils shrank since the scene she witnessed forced her to recall the beginning of the nightmare she escaped from Qing Mao Mountain.
As if poked with something sharp, the thick blanket of cloud stretched from various spots until suddenly parting into strands of wispy mist, revealing winged creatures that shot down with sonorous cries!
They were not the Iron Beak Cranes from the Central Continent.
Instead, well-known for being one of the most dangerous winged beasts of the Southern Border, hundreds and thousands of Wind Falcons tore through the clouds, their green feathered bodies standing out like a conspicuous mask of floating algae overlooking the snow-capped San Cha as they flapped their wings, surrounding the massive mountain with their numbers!
*Roar*
A heavy protrusion formed within the clouds as the Wind Falcons grew fervent. A long, hollow cry turned into the wind, making everyone's ears drum as a magnificent beast trotted midair, tearing out from the clouds with shimmering green fur, a body similar to a horse but exponentially grander, a head similar to a flood dragon, and boasting flowing green whiskers.
A Beast Emperor!
Wind Qilin!
The surroundings turned thick with tension as everyone stared at the carriage the Wind Qilin dragged. As green as the Beast Emperor's fur, golden-blue carvings depicting a war scene decorated the carriage as the Beast Emperor trotted around Wu Lan Shan, his bloodshot eyes taking stock of the enemy!
"Why is Empress Wu Ji's carriage here?" Hu Mei Er's voice quaked with fright and incomprehensible confusion!
It was very well-known that Empress Wu Ji commanded a Beast Emperor—the Wind Qilin, and fashioned a carriage from hundreds of Gu Worms capable of carrying her army. However, none of the spectators believed Empress Wu Ji would have been so overbearing that she would throw caution to the wind about the costs and procure a massive army!
"San Cha belongs to the Wu Clan," Wu Lan Shan's smile widened as she announced after leveling her gaze with Lo Jik instead of Tie Mu Bai. She evidently observed the battle for a long time and noticed Tie Mu Bai's trump card. Her announcement aroused apprehension among the viewers, who cast dubious glances at the carriage. From what they know, it all might just be a show, and the Wu Clan might have only sent—
'No.' Tie Ba Xiu looked at the Wind Falcons surrounding the mountain's perimeter. The Wu Clan boasted two Great Enslavement Path Elders—Wu Shen Tong and one another.
Wu Shen Tong was known for his strategies and the group of mutated Kunlun Bulls. The second elder didn't compare to Wu Shen Tong in cultivation, reputation, and beast group's overall might.
However, it was not Wu Lan Shan or the second Enslavement Path Elder known to control the Wind Falcons that had everyone's lion clothes twisted into a knot.
The Wind Qilin and the Empress' Carriage never leave the Clan's settlement without their Empress.
Empress…
*Creak*
A soft, silken arm pushed open the carriage's door. Everyone's heart raced in their chests, Lo Jik's included, for even he could have never predicted such an irrational move. All the clues and hints he possessed spoke to that figure's vicious intellect—a being who held the mortal world's peak with a firm grip, boasting the pinnacle of Strength Path Achievement anyone's ever possessed within the Southern Border in recent years.
*Thck*
*Thck*
Black boots extending to a brown robe stepped out. Each move was quiet and elegant. Black hair was tied into a bun, and a soft smile spread over those plump lips. Yet all the beauty was for naught due to a disfigured nose cut from its bridge, revealing a horrifying sight.
Empress…
"Wu… Ji…"
Lo Jik whispered the name. His once firm grip was now clammy with cold sweat. The control and plans that led to Tie Mo Xie's death now chased his senses, urging him to make sense of everything.
Why was she here?
Wu Lan Shan began as if to answer that very question.
"Are you not going to greet the new ruler of San Cha Mountain?" She brandished her sword, creating a massive gale that bit into the ground and formed another trench. More and more Wu Clansmen spilled out from the carriage's second, lower door. Among them stood a cold and sharp individual. He was the Rank 4 Elder Wu Yu Tan—Wu Shen Tong's estranged son and the owner of the Wind Falcon Beast Group, also the sword brother of one Lu Tian, who died in Lo Jik's hands and was a pitiful pawn in Lo Jik's and Hu Mei Er's endeavors.
Several gazes focused on Tie Mu Bai since only his Peak Stage Rank 5 Cultivation matched Wu Ji's fearsome might.
His wizened features momentarily quivered as he regained his calm.
Did the Wu Clan know something about the Three Kings' Inheritance?
If they did, why wait until now to make a move?
The Wu Clan purposely hid the truth of their arrival from everyone. It meant the Wu Clan had some designs for San Cha Mountain and other competing forces!
What method did they use to hide this for so long?
'It cannot be… a mortal-based killer move from the Immortal Elders? Wu Ji must have paid immensely for this move. But why? What attracted her?' Several thoughts flashed in Tie Mu Bai's mind as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"Greetings," he spoke in an even tone. His soft and soothing voice dampened the thickening tensions, but it did little to calm Chen Jiu's nerves.
"We need to escape!" She hissed within Lo Jik.
'Working on it.'
"Now!"
'I said—I'm working on it. There's something wrong, alright? Either… there are already Immortals, and we're dead but don't know it… or Wu Ji did something.'
"It doesn't matter," Chen Jiu asserted. "We bit more than we could chew."
Lo Jik remained quiet. The Rank 4 Self-Reliance Gu healed his injuries to the point that he could simultaneously unleash all the Beast Phantoms.
Wu Lan Shan slowly descended, standing behind Empress Wu Ji with a humble expression.
Still quiet, Wu Ji's eyes scanned the ruined battlefield. The silence was deafening. The once snarling Qilin remained extraordinarily quiet, resting its bearded chin upon its crossed claws.
"Leave," Empress Wu Ji began. "Everyone. You have a minute."
Tie Mu Bai's expression shifted from calm to a flash of annoyance as blinding gold covered him, forming the chainmail armor. His intentions couldn't be more explicit. Meanwhile, Lo Jik worked his jaw. These were uncharted territories. Although Lo Jik was also at the same level as Tie Mu Bai and Wu Ji, it was mostly his cultivation. Be it the foundation of his soul or life-saving Gu Worms—Lo Jik was lacking in several points since his Trait alone couldn't compete with a Super Clan's nurturing.
Impassive since the beginning, Empress Wu Ji cocked her head sideways before clenching her fist.
Wu Ji was known to be a leader of a few words and drastic actions. Tie Mu Bai wasn't delusional enough to believe the Tie Clan's name was enough to deter Southern Border's most powerful faction. However, he also had an impeccable understanding of the Super Clan's conduct and wasn't afraid of Wu Ji since she didn't have other reinforcements.
"Clan Leader!"
Wu Lan Shan softly interjected.
"How would your subjects dare meet you in the eye as Wu Clan's proud warriors if we didn't carry your will?" She folded one hand on her chest, bowing slightly. "Let us enforce your wishes, Empress."
"Leave no resistance alive," Wu Ji's words echoed in the quiet battlefield as everyone felt a chill creeping up in their hearts.
What was this but not a declaration of war?
Wu Ji just arrived… and wished for all the smoke!
The injured Tie Elites looked indignant and nervous, much less other parties.
"You heard her!" Wu Lan Shan grinned viciously.
"Gu Yue Lo Jik! Pay for your sins!" Wu Yu Tan hatefully glared at Lo Jik as the latter suddenly chuckled.
"Care to repeat which ones?" The sky-blue wings on his back momentarily shuddered before spreading wide and taut! Though soiled with blood and dirt, his face appeared more charismatic than ever as he slicked back brown locks with a muted smile. "It's hard keeping track of my wrongdoings against Super Cunts—I mean you guys."
"What do you think you're doing?" Chen Jiu panicked.
'Relax. The Oath didn't kill me. See? It's not a suicidal act.'
"You killed my father!" Wu Yu Tan shouted, instantly waving his hand as thousands of falcons issued terrifying cries before flapping their wings and descending like bestial missiles.
"Oh…"
Lo Jik nodded before glancing at Wu Lan Shan. His smile widened as he openly admired her before settling his gaze on the cold but disfigured beauty.
"I've always wanted an Empress to step on me," Lo Jik laughed loudly, instantly shocking everyone. "Let's have my wishes fulfilled!"
*Swish*
Sky Griffin Phantom.
Griffin Wings!
Multiply!
Lo Jik's figure zoomed past the battleground, leaving a realistic afterimage where he stood as Tie Mu Bai's eyes widened!
However, someone was more shocked than Tie Mu Bai—Wu Lan Shan!
'How did he—'
"Hmph!"
Wu Ji quietly snorted as Lo Jik's arm firmly stabbed into her chest. His frivolous gaze all but imprinted itself on Wu Ji's cold but amused hues.
"So try conquering a mountain and stepping on me when you're actually here, Empress."
He pulled his arm back, untouched by blood or gore, for there was none within Wu Ji to offer.
Wu Ji's figure collapsed into wisps of Strength Qi, invisible to most but sensed by Lo Jik due to the proximity as it suddenly traveled into the Wind Qilin.
"Daring Junior…" The Wind Qilin suddenly opened its eyes, and the maddened bloodlust within its bloodshot eyes receded alongside the bloody hues as cold clarity flickered in them, reflecting Lo Jik's features. "I shall fulfill your whims and crush you."
It rose on its claws. The carriage tied to its waist crumbled and turned into streams of several different lights before covering the Qilin in a colorful cocoon!
'Well, I'm not waiting for a fucking transformation to end.'
Lo Jik flapped his wings, tearing a bloody path out from a sky blotted with falcons.
"Stay here!" Wu Lan Shan clicked her teeth with a dark look. She never expected their ploy to be seen through so quickly. She flicked her wind sword, creating a massive green gale sharper than most swords.
"Do not let Gu Yue Lo Jik escape!" Tie Mu Bai frowned and commanded his group before glancing at Tie No Ting. Understanding Mu Bai's intentions, the White Ape army surrounded the Wu Clan's group of elites.
"Ruo Nan, protect others and focus on healing yourself," Tie Ba Xiu glanced at the girl, leaving the safest job to their juniors before leaping into action with Tie No Ting.
"Fight me for a hundred rounds like a man, Lo Jik!" Wu Yu Tan howled. A formless wave turned the falcons more frightening as they attacked Lo Jik with all they had.
"Hah! Says the Enslavement Path Weakling," Lo Jik snickered. He used all his advantages to their maximum potential before flying off, leaving everyone in the dust. After all, he had already fulfilled every goal—from showing off and killing Tie Mo Xie to forcing the Wu Clan out and, luckily, seeing through their tactic shortly after. He would not let any significant force lay a massive claim on San Cha, which left the Demonic Faction several juicy baits and a way to band together and oppose the Super Forces.
"How did you know she wasn't Wu Ji?" Chen Jiu spoke only after Lo Jik had flown far from the battlefield, fearing she might distract him instead.
"Wu Lan Shan gave it away," Lo Jik didn't mind explaining his thought process. He was half-right anyway. "They probably wished to use Wu Ji's appearance to hit our morale before using their numbers to sweep us away. However, I did something similar not too long ago when I gave Bai Ning Bing my Gu Worms so he could safely escape. Still, I did not foresee Empress Wu Ji forming a Killer Move using Strength Qi to create clones or using said methods to control her steed and still use the Gu Worms. I only left unscathed because the transformation took some—"
*Roar*
A terrifying roar shook San Cha Mountain, causing a minor avalanche.
"I guess that Killer Move is complete," Lo Jik shrugged.
"It was risky," Chen Jiu sighed. "But I cannot argue against the results."
It was a simple matter of being slightly more aware of one's surroundings. Being a Wisdom Path master allowed Lo Jik to catch these clues earlier than others. Even if he hadn't surprised everyone by striking Wu Ji, Tie Mu Bai would have eventually challenged the former. However, it would have been too late by then, and the Tie Clan's group would have suffered several injuries.
'But now… they fight and injure each other.' Lo Jik's gaze glinted. Everything was set. Now, he merely needed to wait and adjust his strategy according to the Demonic Overlords his actions and growth successfully lured.
Lo Jik soon reached another neighbor mountain before locating a cave he'd prepared beforehand.
He met a smirking Bai Ning Bing and a scowling Li Xian there.
"Our business concludes here. Hmph! I don't want to see your face again." Li Xian instantly snorted and left as Lo Jik shrugged without seeing his slave off. Li Xian helped Bai Ning Bing escape using the Invisibility Gu after escaping the encirclement. But Li Xian served a better purpose near San Cha Mountain, acting as Lo Jik's eyes and ears.
"That was fun…" Bai Ning Bing chuckled, and a sense of weakness grew in his voice. "I'll have to rest first. My Killer Move wasn't complete, and I had to suppress a few injuries. But using it in battle allowed me to learn more about it. Hehe… plan another battle like this. I want to zombify others more the next time."
"Hopefully, the next time will be in Central Continent," Lo Jik glanced at Tie Mo Xie's headless corpse. "I'll deal with the loot."
<<<>>>
Saying Three Kings' Inheritance took a shocking turn was an understatement. Tie Mu Bai was an expert who was firmly settled on the peak of the mortal realm. And yet, a junior less than half his age toyed with him, his clan, and the Wu Clan despite being encircled from every corner! How could it not shock others? Even experts and generals like Yi Huo would succumb to the predicament and perish, yet it was Tie Mo Xie and a few others who lost their lives!
While only a Rank 4 Upper Stage Gu Master, Lo Jik's shocking strength and vicious wit shook the spectators, creating an image of a beast several times more terrifying than the armored Wind Qilin, who raged across the battlefield and surprisingly forced Tie Mu Bai back on even grounds!
The Tie Clan had arrived to capture Lo Jik before extracting the essence of the Three Kings' Inheritance. However, everything ended in chaos and losses—leaving only the victor's name to resound far and wide.
Gu Yue Lo Jik.
Bai Ning Bing.
Although Bai Ning Bing played a minor role, nobody was foolish enough to forget the Frost Devil's zombification Killer Move since it could change the tide of war.
"Damn it! Everyone only cares about Elder Brother's sickness. I cannot bother with that nonsense anymore. What about Tie Mu Bai or Wu Ji's Puppeteered Clone? I'll sweep them all away!"
Xiao Mang, the Xiao Clan's Young Master, entered his chambers and secretly called his men to act, swiftly leaving the Clan's estate and braving the journey for San Cha Mountain.
<<<>>>
"Hmm? Controlling Wu Mountain is profitable but cannot provide the same benefits as San Cha's Inheritance." An Older Gu Master toyed with a Letter Gu, his eyes flickering cautiously. "But the Wu Clan can be a pain in the ass… hmph. It's just Wu Ji's Clone. Why should I, Wang Xiao, be afraid of a mere fraction of that Empress?"
<<<>>>
"Eh? It's that brat's Li Xian's Communication Gu. Hngh? Tie Mu Bai?!" A voice crackled with ugly hatred in utter darkness. "He dared show his face?! Kekeke! It's time to settle our scores!"
<<<>>>
An enigmatic glow flashed in strange purple hues as a young man calmly held a Letter Gu.
"A method to attain Refinement Path and Flying Mastery… could there be a similar thing for the Soul Path?"
Soul Path was inadvertently linked with the Enslavement Path. It would be a blessed fortune for this young man.
So, he stepped out of his inheritance cave, leaving countless corpses behind.
<<<>>>
"A new Flying Master? I must compete and display my excellent flying skills, too. Let there be two new Flying Masters than one!"
<<<>>>
"Young Master! Please read this!"
Yan Jun calmly read the report before smiling.
"Such joy in the world. It never stopped moving forward when I lay in research within the Ancient Inheritance. Let's set out and seek the glory fated for the clan."
<<<>>>
"Gu Yue Lo Jik…" Lord Desolate worked his jaw and digested the report he got from Jia Fu. 'I never knew about the Three Kings' Inheritance possessing a method to advance one's Attainment in other paths. It could also be Lo Jik's fortune the other Clans only forced out now… no matter what, my circumstances are getting more dangerous since my Dear Little Brother managed to momentarily ally both sides to investigate the murder."
He sighed before shaking his head. "It must be Li Xian spreading information to everyone. It's Lo Jik's misfortune that he offended such an opponent."
<<<>>>
Indeed.
Li Xian recorded most of the battle and spread it across the Southern Border, enticing everyone to try earning the core of the Three Kings' Inheritance. The existence of the Super Forces within the mountain successfully deterred most Large and Mid-Sized Clans. But how could they intimidate the eccentric individuals within the Demonic Faction?
Everyone predicted a massive influx of Demonic Path Gu Masters in the coming months.
However, indifferent to all these circumstances was a man lying in a large, lavish bed.
He was a picturesque being, beautiful and exotic.
His eyelids trembled as he slowly opened his eyes.
Shang Mi Zhu… woke up after somehow passing his tribulation…
Yet, a pink glow flashed in the depths of his pupils before hiding.
***
Alternate Title: Down Bad Lo Jik; From Proposing To Ruo Nan To Wishing For Getting Stepped On By Wu Ji; Female Voldemort Is Here FR; Female Voldemort Doesn't Exist, She Can't Punch You; The Beauty and The Beast; Lo Jik: You Dare Use My Spell Against Me?; Seen Through; Ran Through; The Quickest Plot Dispersement; No! Lo Jik! You Must Wait For The Cool Transformation To End; Lo Jik Cutting Down Author's Work FR; Declaration of War; A Killer Move; Spread Far And Wide (Hu Mei Er: That's What I'm Planning~); Running Away; Winner Despite Running; Fang Yuan Be Like: We're Sharing Fortune and Misfortune With This One; The Immortal Awakening; Pink Day