Chapter 47: A Formidable Foe Appears Again
Chapter Forty-Seven: A Formidable Foe Returns
Shi Bai lay limp on the ground, watching the scene unfold before him. In truth, he hadn’t been affected by the narcotic smoke; the sudden turn of events had simply made him decide to feign weakness and observe for now.
Senior Brother Zhang tapped a few points around his wound, and the bleeding immediately lessened. Shi Bai was astonished—he actually knew acupoint sealing.
At that moment, a man who appeared to be the leader stepped out from among the men in black. He chuckled, “It’s useless. You’ve all been poisoned with the Muscle-Softening Powder. For the next ten hours, you won’t be able to move. Even if you stop your bleeding, you’ll still die by my hand.”
Senior Brother Zhang looked shocked. “Muscle-Softening Powder? Who are you people?”
The black-clad leader burst out laughing. “The Black Blade Sect!”
An uproar swept through the members of the Broken Mountain Sect. The Black Blade Sect was the most powerful gang on the Shanyin Plain, monopolizing its entire logistics trade. The two sects had always been enemies—now that they’d fallen into their hands, their prospects looked grim.
Yet the young woman among them showed no fear. She retorted firmly, “Black Blade Sect, what brings you here?”
The leader mocked her, “Spare me your pretense! When the Earth Dragon appears, the divine weapon emerges! Did you really think only you knew this secret?”
A sudden realization struck Shi Bai—so that monstrous creature was called the Earth Dragon, and it was connected to some legendary weapon. No wonder everyone had rushed after it so desperately.
But what exactly was this so-called divine weapon?
At this, Senior Brother Zhang’s expression darkened. He said coldly, “Only our Broken Mountain Sect knew this secret. How did you learn of it?”
The black-clad leader laughed again. “You’re all doomed anyway, so I might as well tell you. Your own sect harbors one of our people!”
A gasp of horror rippled through the Broken Mountain Sect. Eyes darted from face to face as they tried to guess the traitor among them.
Senior Brother Zhang seemed stunned, then sighed in resignation. “To think our proud sect would fall to such a ploy.” He shook his head. “I suppose you’ve been tailing us from the very start.”
The leader grinned smugly. “Exactly! In fact, we were prepared before you even set out.”
A look of bitter regret crossed Senior Brother Zhang’s face. Turning to the young woman, he murmured, “I’m sorry, junior sister. I’m useless—I can’t save you.”
Her eyes filled with sorrow as she replied, “Don’t say that, senior brother. If I hadn’t insisted on coming with you, none of this would have happened.”
The leader snickered at their exchange. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill her. Who doesn’t know that Murong Yan, the daughter of the Broken Mountain Sect’s leader Murong Ba, is famed for her beauty? A woman like that—why would I kill her when I could enjoy her first?”
The Black Blade Sect men erupted in raucous laughter.
“Shameless!” Murong Yan spat. “Despicable scoundrels!”
The leader sneered, “We’re despicable? Didn’t you drug the mine owner yourselves?”
Murong Yan flushed with embarrassment but gritted her teeth. “You’d better release me now. If my father finds out, he’ll never let you go!”
The leader roared with laughter. “Your father? He’s a thousand miles away. Besides, if you die, it’ll be at the hands of that monster, not us. What does it have to do with us?”
The young woman glanced at the corpse of the giant centipede and suddenly her eyes filled with despair.
Indeed, all they had to do was kill everyone here and blame it on the Earth Dragon. With no witnesses left alive, who would ever know the truth? It seemed that today, there was no escaping this doom.
The black-clad leader smiled, then strode over to Senior Brother Zhang. “Your time is up, boy!” He raised his broadsword high, preparing to strike.
Everyone cried out in alarm. Murong Yan wailed in despair, “No—!”
Just then, two strange screeches echoed down the narrow passage. All eyes turned to see that the centipede’s corpse, which had been severed in two, had somehow transformed into two new centipedes.
The monsters fixed their gaze on the group, their antennae quivering, lantern-like eyes glowing red, and their massive mandibles clicking ominously.
The crowd recoiled in terror. The black-clad leader kicked Senior Brother Zhang unconscious and his expression grew grave.
“There’s something unnatural about this beast! Form ranks, quickly!”
The Black Blade Sect hurriedly formed a line and drew their rifles.
To Shi Bai’s surprise, every weapon was an AK-47. These men fought each other with swords but faced monsters with guns—how amusing.
The leader barked, “Focus your fire! Aim for its eyes!”
“Yes, sir!”
The sound of bullets being chambered rang out in unison within the mine.
“Start with the left eye—fire!”
A barrage of gunfire erupted immediately.
Bullets rained down on the centipede’s eye, but the creature didn’t even bother to dodge. It merely shook its head, completely unfazed.
The Black Blade Sect were stunned. The leader shouted, “Form up! Channel your inner power into your blades!”
“Yes, sir!”
About a dozen men quickly raised their broadswords, which began to glow with an eerie red light.
“Release!”
At the command, a storm of blades flew at the two centipedes like a rain of steel.
The centipedes shrieked in fear at the sight of the glowing swords—the earlier combined sword attack had clearly left them with some trauma.
Hope flickered in everyone’s hearts—perhaps this would work?
But at that moment, the centipedes’ eyes blazed crimson, and they suddenly fired four beams of light.
The lasers tore through the air, smashing the blades to pieces. The broken weapons clattered to the ground in a scattered heap.
The crowd was stunned, but the centipedes had been enraged. The one on the right suddenly extended its antenna, snatching up a member of the Black Blade Sect.
The man screamed and fired wildly, but the centipede stuffed him into its mouth. Its mandibles snapped, bones cracked audibly, and the man fell silent.
The centipede lifted its head and, with a gulp, swallowed him whole.
Everyone was aghast—none had expected the creature to be so powerful.
The leader’s brow furrowed. “This monster has been hiding underground for ages, cultivating its power. Ordinary methods can’t kill it.”
He shouted, “Bring the rocket launcher!”
The Black Blade Sect hurriedly pulled a rocket launcher from a backpack.
The leader hefted it onto his shoulder. “Channel your energy into me—now!”
“Yes, sir!”
A dozen men lined up behind him, forming a chain like children playing at Eagles Catching Chicks, each pressing their palms to the back of the man in front, channeling their energy into the leader.
His face swelled with exertion, and the rocket launcher began to glow with a golden light.
Murong Yan gasped, “They’re infusing the rocket with inner power!”
The leader said nothing, focusing all his strength, and his men did the same.
Sensing danger, the centipede lunged first at the leader, its centuries of cultivation having granted it intelligence.
The leader’s eyes narrowed. He squeezed the trigger, and the golden rocket shot forth with a roar, flying twice as fast as usual.
There was a resounding bang—the explosion tore the two centipedes to shreds, their remains scattering in all directions.
Some of the wounded from the Broken Mountain Sect fainted on the spot.
The Black Blade Sect members finally exhaled, collapsing to the ground. With all their strength combined, they had finally slain the monster.
They exchanged glances, relief and satisfaction on their faces.
“Uncle Master’s skill is truly formidable—this technique of gathering inner power is unmatched!”
“Of course! Our Uncle Master is the Black Blade Sect’s peerless genius.”
“Uncle Master?” Murong Yan exclaimed in shock. “You’re Zhao Tianming of the Black Blade Sect?”
The leader, having spent the last of his strength, now looked utterly drained. He managed a faint smile and panted, “Indeed, that’s me.”