Chapter 37
Dark Battle Angel: Evil Lurks The Shadows.
Pit Of The Damned~
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"Jie jie jie jie…"
A chilling laugh slithered through the air, drilling straight into the bones. It was revolting, sharp enough to make skin crawl, yet its source was nowhere to be found.
Every instinct screamed the same thing—A terrifying fiend had arrived.
"Wow… isn't this a surprise," the voice drawled, soaked in mockery.
Faces darkened all across the arena. Even the strongest powerhouses frowned deeply. Not a single one of them could pinpoint the origin of the voice.
"Who goes there?! Show yourself!" Yang Jiang roared, his aura bursting forth like a tidal wave. The ground quaked beneath his feet, the weaker ones amongst the crowd felt their blood flow in reverse under the sheer pressure.
But the eerie voice only chuckled again.
"Jie jie jie… Keep your little tricks to yourself… unless you wish to embarrass yourself further."
Boom!
Yang Jiang's overwhelming aura collapsed on the spot—snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
"What?!"
"Senior Yang Jiang's aura… vanished just like that?"
"Impossible! Even lords from the surrounding nations hesitate before him!"
The crowd erupted into panicked murmurs, their voices trembling. A heavy weight pressed on their chests. If even Yang Jiang's might could be crushed in an instant… then what kind of monster was hiding in the shadows?
A freezing wind swept through the entire Pit of the damned replacing his aura with a chill that pierced souls and shivered spines.
Lu Xietong stiffened, her breath catching. She could feel it—an unseen gaze slithering over her body, dissecting, prying, as if trying to peel away her very secrets. That gaze hadn't left her since the first laugh.
'What is this now…?' Her heart sank.
Her eyes darted to Yan Feitian. Though his battered figure lay sprawled on the ground, his brows were locked tightly together. His restless gaze darted every-which-way.
'So he feels it too…' Lu Xietong exhaled faintly, not sure why she was relieved though. 'At least… it doesn't seem like I'm the only prey.'
The eerie voice slid into everyone's ears once more.
"Defeating a second-level True Qi cultivator while still at the first level… unimpressive. But birthing a False Idol at such a stage? Heh. That is interesting. However… being beaten into such a pathetic state by a first-order Qi Refinement lass? Now that's just sad."
The words scraped directly against her soul. Lu Xietong's skin prickled, every hair standing on end. A cold shiver gnawed its way down her spine.
"What do you want?!" Yin Feiyu's voice suddenly cut through the growing unease. Her sharp eyes scanning every corner of the arena. "Why do you refuse to show yourself?!" She added.
"If I revealed myself so easily, where would the fun be?" The voice was playful, twisted. "Tsk, tsk… believe me, you shouldn't be so eager to meet me. Jie jie jie…"
The arena fell into utter silence.
Disciples clutching their elders' sleeves with pale faces. Some weaker ones were getting drenched in cold sweat, their breath becoming more uneven with each breath they took. Even patriarchs shifted uneasily in their seats.
The seed of dread was wretched and it grew, slowly consuming from the inside out.
Every heartbeat thundered like war drums.
"You're stalling for time."
Lu Xietong's calm voice pierced the dreading silence.
Her profound memories, her countless years of experience prior to age regression—they sharpened her instincts to the extreme. And those instincts screamed one thing: this thing whatever it maybe was waiting… biding it's time… for someone or something.
For a moment, the mocking voice faltered in surprise. Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave tore across the crimson evening sky, rattling the arena.
Yang Jiang's eyes flashed cold. He had been waiting for just such a slip in the eerie entity's aura and it's momentary surprise had caused such slip. His palm lashed out, a strike fierce enough to sunder mountains.
Bang!
It collided with a pale, glass-like wall. Ripples spread across it like water, effortlessly dispersing his mighty blow.
"Jie jie jie…" The laughter oozed back. "Young lass, far too perceptive for your age. Even those decrepit old fogeys failed to notice. But you? You saw through me… only a little too late. Even if you'd realized earlier, it would've changed nothing. Everyone here is far too weak… far too useless to be useful."
The voice dropped lower, heavier. The cold grew sharper.
"But you… and that strange boy… you two interest me."
The pressure tightened, suffocating. Breaths grew shallow.
"Doom calls, and I answer. Your souls… will be my sacrifice! Jie jie jie… Don't blame me. Blame your own weakness. Every one of you… is useless!"
Snap!
A translucent semicircular ward snapped into place around the battlefield, sealing Yan Feitian and Lu Xietong inside.
"You dare!" A Yin-yang dynasty elder smashed his fist into the barrier. Bone cracked, but the ward didn't even ripple.
"Lord Jiang, We can't break it!"
"He has trapped the young miss within."
"What kind of existence is this…?"
Despair rippled through the crowd even more like a rising tide.
But then—
"Hmph."
A voice thundered out, deep and commanding. "So this was your aim… to erect this glass facade?"
Everyone eyes fell on a figure.
An elderly figure rose to his feet. His long white hair merged with long brows that flowed to his beard like snowy rivers. Despite his age, his body was burly, corded with muscle, clad in leather armor that strained against his massive frame. Molten silver eyes blazed with disdain as he stared down the ward.
The audience erupted.
"That's—!"
"Beast Tabernacle Palace's Lord… Duan Mu!"
"Ranked third in all of Yin-Yang City… he's finally making a move!"
"We're saved!"
ROAR!!!
A thunderous roar split the skies.
Around Duan Mu, a colossal white tiger erupted into existence, its form towering higher and higher until crimson clouds churned beneath its paws.
Dharma Idol—White Tiger Treading the Clouds!
Lightning burst from its blazing eyes, crackling across its massive body before fusing with the crimson sea beneath.
White Tiger—Lighting the Sky!
Screeeech!!!
The titanic claws raked down against the ward, shrieking as lightning clashed with glass.
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