Chapter 125: Captured

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Just as Gu Changqing landed and darted into the distance, one of the Eight-Armed, Two-Faced Bodhisattvas in the inner courtyard was cleaved apart by a single sword stroke and shattered with a thunderous crash.

The Bodhisattva should have been able to hold on for several more minutes, but Gu Changqing had just drawn away a tremendous amount of wish power, and it could no longer endure.

The commander of the Qi Dynasty forces immediately realized that something was wrong.

He did not need to say a word. The others understood as well and instantly intensified their assault.

Sure enough, barely a dozen seconds later, another Eight-Armed, Two-Faced Bodhisattva shattered with a resounding explosion.

Only two seventh-rank monsters remained, and both were in terrible condition, their bodies mangled and even their limbs incomplete.

The Qi Dynasty's awakened fighters were not faring well either. After battling for so long, they had exhausted more than half the qi within their bodies.

Only the awakened fighters specializing in physical enhancement had suffered little decline in combat strength.

In the next instant, one of the seventh-rank monsters, holding a broken blade, collided with a physically enhanced awakened fighter.

Two minutes later, after the last two seventh-rank monsters had been eliminated, another six sixth-rank awakened fighters from the Qi Dynasty had died.

The commander nearly ground his teeth to powder. These losses had been entirely unnecessary.

When he turned to look at the fourth- and fifth-rank awakened fighters, the fury in his eyes burned even hotter.

In that brief span of time, Gu Changqing had killed quite a few fourth- and fifth-rank awakened fighters while running circles around them. Thirty or forty had died by his hand, in addition to several sixth-rank awakened fighters...

“Southern Chu...”

By then, Gao Wenxin and Gao Tianwu had fought their way from the inner courtyard down to the foot of the mountain. The two had leaped from the cliff, seeking every opportunity to slow their fall as they descended.

Both were drenched in blood. Gao Wenxin was even biting down on an arm.

It was her own.

During the fall, Gao Tianwu had seized an opportunity and hacked off the arm she had already injured.

“Are you really determined to die with me today?” Gao Tianwu asked. One of his legs was completely ruined, and his eyes were webbed with blood vessels.

“One of us dies, or I live!” Gao Wenxin used her knife to support herself. When she opened her mouth, the arm fell to the ground. She did not even spare it a glance.

“Only good for mouthing off. Do you truly want to die here?” Gao Tianwu was also taking the opportunity to recover his strength. Then, softening his tone, he said, “No one could have expected things to turn out that way back then. My second uncle, he...”

“It no longer matters. Do you know why I have remained at the fifth rank all these years? Because I can never feel at ease while you are still alive!”

Gao Wenxin cut him off. Her entire body seemed to ignite as she charged toward Gao Tianwu.

Though it was the middle of the afternoon, Gao Tianwu saw a crescent moon before his eyes.

A moment later, Gao Wenxin lay on the ground, nearly unconscious. Blood streamed continuously from the wounds covering her body. After spending a long time, she finally managed to stand.

Then she saw someone land in front of her.

It was a sixth-rank awakened fighter from the Qi Dynasty. Knowing he could no longer catch Gu Changqing, he had followed the sounds of battle and come here instead.

Gao Wenxin stared at him expressionlessly, with scarcely a ripple in her eyes. Then she raised her blade.

There was even a trace of appreciation in the other man's eyes.

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A fifth-rank fighter had slain a sixth-rank awakened fighter alone, and she possessed such unwavering willpower.

Of course, there was another consideration: she was allied with that young man, and she had been the only one to act earlier. This woman could still prove useful.

Otherwise, the best enemy was a dead enemy.

The sixth-rank awakened fighter raised his arm and used the shield mounted on it to block three strikes. He then knocked Gao Wenxin unconscious, picked her up, and carried her back up the mountain.

...

Gu Changqing naturally had no idea that the two Eight-Armed, Two-Faced Bodhisattvas had been completely destroyed not long after he left, nor did he know that Gao Wenxin had been captured.

The instant he landed, he charged straight ahead. Now that gravity no longer hindered him, he moved considerably faster than the Qi Dynasty's awakened fighters. He reached Martial Extremity City in barely an hour, found a house, slipped inside, and sat down, gasping heavily.

After such an intense battle and flight, even his ability to draw strength through the Blood Prison could not keep him going—especially during the fighting, when his mind had remained taut the entire time.

Then Gu Changqing began to laugh uproariously.

That battle alone had at least killed the people responsible for the Guards' deaths, and it left him feeling considerably better.

He had also seized a great deal of wish power from the two Bodhisattvas. Although he did not know what it was, it was obvious from the spectacle that this was a secret weapon developed by the Qi Dynasty.

There was no denying that the Qi Dynasty was far more advanced than Southern Chu in terms of technical strength.

Of course, he had never visited the headquarters of the Guards or Chongming, so he did not know whether Southern Chu possessed any astonishing technology of its own.

After laughing for quite a while, Gu Changqing noticed a man standing in the courtyard.

The man appeared to be around thirty, with a striking and valiant appearance. He stood roughly five feet nine inches tall, had short hair, and wore loose silk clothing.

Gu Changqing had no idea when he had appeared. It was almost as though he had been standing there from the very beginning.

Gu Changqing studied him for a moment.

“Chen Daoling?”

Gu Changqing had seen his photograph.

As expected, this man had also been on the Clear River battlefield, though he had never revealed himself.

What Gu Changqing had not expected was that Chen Daoling would be here instead of on Cinnabar Sun Mountain.

“Here is an opportunity for you. Join the Guards.” Chen Daoling glanced at Gu Changqing and spoke indifferently, his expression resembling that of a lofty god.

“Tsk, tsk. From the sound of you, if I join the Guards, you think you can control me?” Gu Changqing sneered.

“You are a talented man.” Chen Daoling did not deny it.

“Of course I know I’m talented!” Gu Changqing threw his head back and laughed.

“But the Guards...” Mockery filled his eyes. “You want me to become your dog?”

“You are certain I will not kill you.” Chen Daoling's voice remained indifferent. “You are right. Your value is considerable.”

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“But although I will not kill you, you will not escape punishment. When the time comes, I have ways to dig the contents out of your mind as well!”

Gu Changqing gave a cold laugh. A river of blood surged from his hand and rushed toward Chen Daoling.

He only had to wait three hours before logging off. Who the hell was he supposed to fear?

Chen Daoling's gaze turned cold. The surging river of blood abruptly slammed into an invisible wall. Gu Changqing immediately felt excruciating pain shoot through his arm.

Crack!

Under Chen Daoling's gaze, Gu Changqing's arm twisted and snapped.

Chen Daoling was one of the two seventh-rank awakened fighters specializing in mental abilities.

“Ah...” Gu Changqing let out a tremendous scream, roaring as though he were bellowing in rage.

“I thought you could endure pain,” Chen Daoling said indifferently.

“I’m in agony. Am I not allowed to scream?” Gu Changqing sneered and cursed.

“Such foul language.”

Chen Daoling did not move at all, yet Gu Changqing's right leg snapped as well. The broken bone tore through the flesh and protruded outward.

Gu Changqing screamed again, still making no attempt to restrain his voice.

“Well? Have you changed your mind?” Chen Daoling asked calmly.

His method of control required Gu Changqing to open his heart.

Of course, even if Gu Changqing refused, he could have others torture him without end. Sooner or later, Gu Changqing would break.

It would merely require a little more effort.

“Change my mind? Go to hell!”

Gu Changqing sneered.

The next instant, his other arm and remaining leg were broken as well.

Gu Changqing screamed twice more, but there was inexplicably a hint of pleasure in his voice.

Even Chen Daoling was somewhat surprised.

After staring deeply at Gu Changqing, he saw that the latter was glaring back at him, a ferocious smile on his face.

Seeing this, Chen Daoling could no longer be bothered to waste words.

More than half an hour later, the awakened fighter who had fled from the Guards earlier unexpectedly came directly to the house. No one knew how Chen Daoling had notified him.

“Take him back to headquarters,” Chen Daoling ordered. “If anyone tries to stop you, tell them it is on my authority.”

End of Chapter