Chapter 55
Kanzaki Tomomu's gaze remained ice-cold as he severed the familiar face along with the branch in a single clean strike.
"What a filial son, cutting down your own father so decisively." The severed face kept lunging forward.
Before Kanzaki Tomomu could speak, a streak of light tore through the void.
Violent wind blades ripped apart every branch Shuhu had extended, while curses echoed across the entire sector of space.
"Fuck you, Shuhu!"
"The ultimate enjoyment."
The giant monstrous tree showed no anger. Its countless different faces each spoke a single word in turn.
"Jie jie jie. As expected of Yaoqing's General Wind of Evil. Your reinforcement speed is truly impressive. How much farther is Teng Xiao? I miss that old friend of mine so much."
"An abomination that torments all living things."
Wind of Evil's face was grim, his voice thick with fighting spirit and fury.
"With me here, you will pay the price today."
"Hehe… I paid the price long ago. Now it is time to reap the harvest."
A fierce battle was about to erupt with no testing phase at all.
When Emanators of an Aeon clashed at full strength, the aftershocks were more than ordinary people could endure.
Neither the surviving Cloud Knight soldiers nor the Vanguards had any room to intervene.
Kanzaki Tomomu's pupils trembled slightly.
During the great war at Yueque hundreds of years ago, his father and eldest sister had fought to the death to protect the people, ultimately dying in battle without even leaving a corpse behind.
The hatred from those scenes had taken root deep in his heart and had never truly faded over the centuries.
He could have possessed the power to stand against Shuhu, but he had given it up for his mother's sake.
He understood her fear.
The Tomomu Family, and the entire Xianzhou Alliance, had already lost far too much in the wars against the abominations of abundance.
But—
Kanzaki Tomomu had never regretted his decision back then.
As for the future, no one could say for certain.
"No matter how many times you resurrect after death, one day I will kill you."
Hearing this emotionless statement, Shuhu, who had been locked in fierce combat, instantly turned its attention toward him.
The words carried no heat, so the abomination offered no mockery.
"We shall see."
Shuhu replied with only those four words.
Kanzaki Tomomu was not the type to leave threats without action. The sword seals in his hands shifted rapidly.
At this moment, besides General Wind of Evil, he was the only one capable of launching attacks on Shuhu.
Over a thousand flying swords unsheathed and manifested in an instant, slicing through the flexible, whip-like branches one after another.
Yet Shuhu's regenerative power was truly terrifying.
The branches severed by the flying swords restored themselves in the blink of an eye.
This held true not only for Kanzaki Tomomu's attacks but even for those of General Wind of Evil.
Two star-shattering wind punches blasted Shuhu's torso into several pieces, but the scattered fragments reattached in an instant, healing perfectly.
The Xianzhou General knew better than anyone how troublesome Shuhu could be and showed no surprise.
"Exhilarating! The last time I felt this refreshed was hundreds of years ago!" Shuhu laughed loudly.
"Keep shouting. Once Teng Xiao arrives, the news of an Emanator of Abundance's fall will spread across the galaxy," Wind of Evil said coldly.
"Only Teng Xiao?"
A hint of something unreadable crept into Shuhu's tone.
"The Xianzhou Luofu does not seem that far away. Does your Marshal not dare to come?"
"Why bother with such cheap provocation? Everyone knows your kind has coveted the Ambrosial Arbor for ages."
Wind of Evil refused to fall for the trap.
This creature had gone to great lengths to draw both the Yaoqing and Cangcheng Generals here. It surely had other schemes in mind.
If the Marshal left the Luofu, who could say whether a hidden force of abominations elsewhere might strike the ship?
Moreover—
Only a very few people, such as the Seven Luminaries of the Imperial Bow, knew the Luofu was currently in a critical period.
The Vidyadhara High Elder was reinforcing the seal on the Ambrosial Arbor Delve.
Until that work was complete, the Marshal had to remain on the Luofu to ensure nothing went wrong.
"The Ambrosial Arbor… that is the most powerful miracle left in this world by My Lord. It is indeed tempting…"
Before Shuhu could finish, thousands of distorted faces hanging from its branches were pierced through by flying swords.
"Mortal, are you not tired?"
Shuhu looked at Kanzaki Tomomu from afar, almost sounding impressed by his relentless assaults.
Knowing it was impossible, yet continuing anyway.
Why waste the strength?
Kanzaki Tomomu had no interest in exchanging words with Shuhu. He was about to press the attack when a brilliant golden light tore through the starry sky, splitting Shuhu cleanly in half from head to toe.
"Teng Xiao, I have been waiting for you for a long time, hahaha!"
Shuhu laughed loudly once more as it stared at the golden phantom that had appeared.
A burly man holding a giant sword stood before the phantom's chest. Ignoring Shuhu entirely, he flashed to Kanzaki Tomomu's side.
"Your cangxing battle armor is reaching its limit. Take all the surviving brothers and evacuate immediately to the Xianzhou Yaoqing in the rear. This is an order."
Once the cangxing battle armor's energy ran out, fighting in open space would become impossible.
"I obey your command."
Kanzaki Tomomu bowed his head slightly and recalled every flying sword.
"Shuhu, I will not let you escape this time!" Golden flames ignited along the giant sword in Teng Xiao's hand.
"Do not be in such a hurry. There is something you might find interesting. It will not be too late to decide whether to keep fighting me after you hear it."
At that moment, every face on Shuhu's torso wore a devious expression.
"Two Xianzhou Generals, I am honored to announce to you that the Xianzhou is about to be gone…"
The instant the words left its mouths, a special Jade Sign carried by every Xianzhou person present let out a piercing highest-level warning.
It meant only one thing.
The Xianzhou main ship was under attack!
Every face turned deathly pale.
"All Cloud Knights! Return to the Cangcheng immediately for reinforcements!"
Kanzaki Tomomu's sharp voice rang in every Cloud Knight's ear through the comm frequency before Teng Xiao could even speak.
Golden branches burst violently from Shuhu's body, entangling both Teng Xiao and Wind of Evil with an offensive ten times denser than before.
Wind of Evil's expression grew incredibly grave.
This creature was far stronger than it had been during the battle of Yueque. It had not been fighting seriously at all until now.
"General Wind of Evil, kill Shuhu quickly!" Teng Xiao shouted.
Even more terrifying battle aftershocks erupted, nearly destroying the emergency starships evacuating at full speed.
Under the joint assault of two Emanators of the Hunt, Shuhu had almost no ability to fight back.
Yet no matter how severe the injury, it restored itself in an instant.
"Luring the tiger away from the mountain… your true target was the Cangcheng all along!" Wind of Evil shouted coldly.
"No." Shuhu's voice carried clear joy. "It is to have it all."
"Hmph. Without you, do you really think that rabble can break through the Xianzhou main ship?"
"Under normal circumstances it would indeed be difficult. I know there are two Cloud Knight Sword Masters aboard the Cangcheng. But what if they are both dead…?"
Teng Xiao and Wind of Evil stiffened at the same time as a terrifying suspicion took shape in their minds.
"Could there be another Emanator of Abundance?"
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Bonus chapters
200 - Stones
400 - Stones
600 - Stones
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