Chapter 684: I Shall Return I
t [V7C001 – In Life and In Eternal Rest]
Knowing that the general outcome had been decided, those consciousnesses on the firmament receded like the tides.
The general direction of this battle had been decided, but the details had yet to be carved out.
Zhao Jundu didn’t check on Qianye. Instead, his gaze fell upon Edward and that azure rifle shifted its aim onto the vampire Holy Son.
A serious expression flashed through Edward’s eyes as he subconsciously tightened his cloak. That shot was originally prepared for a showdown with the Demoness. How was he supposed to take on such an attack?
Edward discovered that his peerless speed was useless before Zhao Jundu’s gun. He wouldn’t be able to evade this shot no matter how he dodged. Only at this point did he recall that terrifying ability of the empire’s number one genius—True Shot.
The only way to break True Shot was to flee into the void before the shot was fired, using space itself to break Zhao Jundu’s lock on him.
Edward looked behind him and saw all the young geniuses of Evernight standing behind him. There were vampires among them, as well as demonkin, werewolves, and arachne. Edward, as a marquis, was the only one who could escape with the help of the void. Once he had done so, however, none of the others would be Zhao Jundu’s match. Not many could even deal with Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan.
Edward pulled his cloak tighter and his eyes burned with sanguineous flames. He stared at Zhao Jundu’s gun and decided to take the attack head-on instead of running away.
Somewhat surprised, the latter asked with a cold smile, “You’re actually not running away? Are you so confident about taking a shot from me?”
Edward laughed wryly. “Not at all. But I am, after all, the Holy Son of the vampire race and descendant to the Queen of the Night. How can I flee at such a time?”
Zhao Jundu pondered for a while before lifting his gun. “You may leave.”
Edward was greatly astonished, but he didn’t linger about for long. The Holy Son looked deeply into Zhao Jundu’s eyes before flying away into the dark night. The other young experts didn’t dare remain after he was gone and quickly followed suit.
That young demonkin in the depths of the void stood in solemn silence. After a good while, he said, “Let’s return.”
All the demonkin behind him were stunned. One of them quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, “Young Master, wouldn’t this mean an utter defeat for us? Those quotas…”
The young demonkin sighed. “Zhao Jundu hasn’t fired that shot yet. I have no confidence in taking it on.”
The demonkin looked at one another. Apparently, they hadn’t expected their young master to evaluate Zhao Jundu so highly. An elderly demonkin said in a deep voice, “Why not force Edward to waste Zhao Jundu’s attack? Even the Holy Son can’t refuse as long as you take out that command token!”
The old man’s voice was full of malice, yet it moved all the other demonkin and caused them to echo his sentiments. A vampire who had gone through the blood sentence would mean great trouble in the future—it was best to finish him off here and now.
The young demonkin revealed a helpless smile. “You have all underestimated Zhao Jundu. He definitely won’t use that shot on Edward. He’s saving it for me.”
“He knows we’re here?”
“How can that be?”
The young demonkin shook his head. “Regardless of the method, he surely knows I’m here. Let us leave, I cannot accomplish a mission which even Her Majesty the Demoness has failed.”
Under his command, the warship turned around quietly and left through the void.
Zhao Jundu never so much as glanced at the Evernight experts near him. He only stood in the air and continued gazing at a certain direction in the void. Moments later, his aura gradually receded as he returned to the ground.
Qianye was currently in a bizarre state. He was floating toward the ground like a falling leaf, almost as though his body were an illusion with neither weight nor substance. Countless people wanted to sense and even touch him, but their perceptions could only find an empty space there. It felt like Qianye simply didn’t exist.
A number of people among the crowd suddenly moved toward Qianye, but Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan quickly overtook them. At the moment, the two were also somewhat puzzled and couldn’t judge Qianye’s situation. They couldn’t even tell if Qianye’s figure here was real.
How were they to catch him when they couldn’t even sense him?
Seeing Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan overtake them, those moving people halted their steps and wanted to move back into the crowd. After observing everything clearly from above, Zhao Jundu suddenly raised his hand and tapped at the air. Beams of azure light flickered past those people, cutting them right through the waist! Their faces were full of shock, bewilderment, terror, and anger, but they couldn’t even cry out.
All the imperial experts were dumbfounded at the sudden development. Many people realized that these people had evil intentions, but no one had expected Zhao Jundu to be so ruthless and tyrannical in his actions. Moreover, he had no intention of hiding anything, either.
“Add them to the list of casualties.” The fourth young master paid no heed to the peoples’ expressions.
Countless netherworld flowers blossomed below Qianye. Zhao Ruoxi stood in the sea of flowers and gently reached out to catch his falling body.
The flowery demarcation conveyed a clear message—that anyone daring to approach would die. Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan looked helplessly at one another before stepping back. Few in the entire base would dare to stand beside the red spider lilies, and their cultivation wasn’t at that level just yet.
Zhao Jundu, however, descended straight into the flowery sea. Several equinox flowers blossomed around him the moment he moved. However, the unknown azure gun in his hand flickered, shooting out beams of green light and effectively sealing the lilies.
Seemingly sensing the change, the Red Spider Lily cried out in Zhao Ruoxi’s hand, and dozens more flowers appeared in front of Zhao Jundu. As the flowers blossomed, Zhao Jundu’s movements immediately slowed down and his entire figure became flat. It was as though he had been sealed in a mirror.
The rifle in Zhao Jundu’s hand flashed brilliantly, and the near-tangible azure radiance pushed opened space itself. Zhao Jundu’s figure became full once more as he jumped out of the warped dimension and appeared in front of Zhao Ruoxi. Nonetheless, this exchange dulled the radiance on his rifle, while the Red Spider Lily remained unchanged. The winner had already been decided in this short moment.
“Scram!” Zhao Ruoxi clenched her teeth and pointed the Red Spider Lily at Zhao Jundu’s forehead.
The latter sighed softly as he pulled the gun away. “This isn’t how you use a magnum.”
“It’s much better than not firing!”
Zhao Jundu said meaningfully, “The enemy isn’t limited to the ones that have just escaped. Not firing is the wiser choice.”
Zhao Ruoxi was clearly puzzled. She didn’t understand the meaning behind his words, and at this moment, she didn’t want to, either. She only looked down at Qianye, but tears started falling as she did so.
Qianye was lying there quietly as though he were in deep sleep. There wasn’t a single injury from head to toe, and even the small wounds he had gotten from fighting were gone. It was just that there was no breath, heartbeat, or any signs of life at all. His lustrous skin made him look like an incomparably exquisite but lifeless work of art.
Zhao Ruoxi was helpless. In all her young life, she had never encountered or even heard of such a condition. She looked up at Zhao Jundu subconsciously because, as far as she could remember, there was nothing this fourth brother couldn’t do. This time, however, she only saw a serious countenance through her blurry tears.
The girl was anxious because she had never seen such a solemn expression on Zhao Jundu’s face.
“Life, life…” she muttered to herself. All of a sudden, she drew the vampiric blade at Qianye’s waist and thrust it at her own chest.
Shocked, Zhao Jundu reached out at lightning speed and caught her wrist. However, her action was just too sudden—the tip of the vampiric blade had already stabbed through her clothes and cut open her skin.
“What are you doing!?” Zhao Jundu roared.
Zhao Ruoxi struggled frantically. “That origin crystal in my body is his. He’ll wake up if I return it to him!”
Zhao Jundu raised his voice. “That’s useless!”
“I don’t care!!!”
Amidst the struggle, several red spider lilies appeared on Zhao Jundu’s body and sealed his movements for a brief moment. Zhao Ruoxi then snatched the vampiric blade, closed her eyes, and stabbed her chest once more!
The blade indeed struck flesh, but Zhao Ruoxi felt no pain, only the sensation of warm, dripping blood.
She looked down and found that the dagger had gone through Zhao Jundu's hand instead of her chest. The latter’s fingers were tightly closed around the blade that had pierced into his palm, preventing it from moving a single inch. After being weakened by the Red Spider Lily, Zhao Jundu’s body was almost no different from that of an ordinary person. A fountain of fresh blood was gushing out from the wound and pouring down on Zhao Ruoxi’s body. A bloodstain was expanding rapidly on her dress.
“Ruoxi, it’s really useless.” Zhao Jundu’s voice was gentle.
“I know… but, what should I do?” Zhao Ruoxi’s tears fell like rain and mixed with Zhao Jundu’s blood.
“Qianye will be fine. Leave him to me, no one can take him away in front of me.” Zhao Jundu’s voice was soft yet filled with unquestionable resolve.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Ruoxi nodded and let the blade go. The other shore flowers in the vicinity also disappeared along with the netherworld river.
Zhao Jundu removed the vampiric blade from his palm and returned it to the sheath at Qianye’s waist. He then turned around and ordered, “Send the young miss and Qianye to my place. Make sure no one disturbs them.”
The moment he stood up, Zhao Jundu was once again the commander, that young genius of the empire who was destined to become a heavenly monarch.
He didn’t clean the wound on his hand just yet. Instead, he allowed the blood to drip down and watched as it fell to the floor.
Moments later, Zhao Jundu said calmly, “I heard the Li family owes Qianye a Stillwater Rebirth, and it just so happens that he needs it right now. Send someone to retrieve it.”
A Zhao clan champion took a step forward. “I’m willing to undertake this task!”
Zhao Jundu nodded silently. Swift and fierce, the champion flew straight for the airship port without even waiting for a car.
Everyone knew that this journey wouldn’t be easy, and Zhao Jundu made no mention of what needed to be done if the Li family were to put off delivering the medicine.
The city of Indomitable became solemn all of a sudden.