Chapter 393: The Showdown

Chapter 393: The Showdown

In the secret realm of Zone 11, time seemed to have turned back.

After a series of events, the battle had come full circle, and once again, Li Wu and the Third Apostle faced off in a climactic clash of their ultimate abilities.

However, the power unleashed in this round far surpassed that of the first.

On the Third Apostle's side, having merged with two summoned beasts, his strength had skyrocketed to its peak, truly reaching epic proportions.

His Epic-tier skill, Fallen Holy Light, lacked the grandeur of its first release; it no longer covered the entire sky, nor did it possess that awe-inspiring black sacred light.

But with a smaller scale came greater intensity.

The power was more restrained, concentrated in a black cross that pulsated with strength it hadn't possessed before.

This was the power of the epic realm.

The combination of epic power and an ultimate skill unleashed a destructive force like no other.

On Li Wu's side, it was evident that he was giving it his all.

The voice within him resonated, his aura intensified, and the Celestial Cloud Sword in his hand shimmered.

At this moment, Li Wu harnessed all the power he could muster.

Divine Judgment erupted.

A celestial shadow of the Celestial Cloud Sword descended from the sky, slamming into the black cross.

In the instant their powers clashed, the black cross showed signs of crumbling.

Li Wu's Divine Judgment, imbued with sacred energy, had an advantageous attribute against the Third Apostle's skill.

The Third Apostle keenly felt the Fallen Holy Light he controlled raging out of control.

But that wasn't the most dangerous part.

The most perilous moment came when, as the radiant sword struck, the Third Apostle's vision blurred.

"Daddy!"

In his daze, the Third Apostle seemed to see a chubby child standing before him, stretching out his plump hands. The child's face was filled with joy and happiness, softening the Third Apostle's heart.

"Hold me, Daddy?"

This scene also stirred up a sense of shame within the Third Apostle.

Unconsciously, he halted his attack and took a few steps back, wanting to avoid the child reaching out to him.

Even though this was the child he had longed for day and night, he dared not, and could not bear to, touch him.

His hands were stained with blood, and his body was covered in filth. He didn't want his son to see him like this; as a father, he wanted his son to see him at his best.

This was a passive effect of Divine Judgment, capable of triggering the softest spot in an opponent's heart, eroding their will to resist.

The Third Apostle had clearly fallen victim to this effect.

The black cross began to flicker, hinting at an impending collapse.

Just as the black cross was about to shatter, the Third Apostle's heart skipped a beat, and the vision before him changed.

The chubby child stopped in front of him, and the once adorable, plump face visibly thinned, transforming into a ghastly pallor smeared with blood. The child's heart was torn open, and his eyes, filled with pain and helplessness, fixed on the Third Apostle as he muttered, "Daddy, it hurts, save me, it hurts so much."

At this moment, the Third Apostle's sealed memories burst open.

The scene of his son's heart being ripped out replayed in his mind, unleashing a torrent of hatred. He broke free from the grip of Divine Judgment.

But at that very moment, his black cross was on the brink of collapse.

The light of the Celestial Cloud Sword had already enveloped him.

The razor-sharp sword intent was about to pierce through him, and without any surprises, this would be his final destination.

In that instant, the Third Apostle unleashed his power.

"How could I? How could I die here? I haven't avenged my baby yet, how could I die here?!"

With a hysterical roar, the black cross, which was about to shatter under the Celestial Cloud Sword's power, erupted with unprecedented might.

Epic power surged.

A terrifying force coursed through the black cross, revitalizing it and directly striking the shadow of the Celestial Cloud Sword that had descended from the sky.

Li Wu's ultimate move was shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, suffering from the backlash.

Simultaneously, the Celestial Cloud Sword in Li Wu's hand dimmed significantly.

It was evident that Li Wu had suffered a severe blow, his combat strength reduced to a mere fraction of what it had been.

In this moment, the Third Apostle emerged victorious in this fierce battle.

Perhaps due to the previous hallucination, the Third Apostle's current state was slightly different from before.

Having defeated Li Wu, his face didn't show excessive pride or euphoria.

Instead, holding his sword, he calmly approached Li Wu, muttering under his breath, "You were right just now; I did sell you and the Ninth.

Because Feng Xiu offered me a condition I couldn't refuse.

For that one bargaining chip, I chose to sell you out.

I had my reasons to become powerful and obtain that item.

And, the reason you ended up like this today is entirely your own fault.

However, I can promise you that if the opportunity arises, I'll help you kill Feng Xiu to avenge you."

The Third Apostle's sudden speech was clearly influenced by the previous hallucination.

The hallucination prompted him to justify his actions.

But upon hearing this, Li Wu, who was facing him, laughed.

The Third Apostle's expression changed.

Most people would be bewildered and suspicious in this situation, and so was he, but unlike others, he didn't ask any questions.

Upon hearing Li Wu's words, the Third Apostle immediately attempted to strike and kill him.

The Third Apostle was well aware of the phrase 'the longer the night, the more dreams'.

However, just as he was about to make his move, he realized he couldn't move.

The evil aura within his body started to surge uncontrollably, and if he dared to move, he would explode before even harming Li Wu.

"What's going on? How is this possible? What did you do to me?"

"Nothing much, just gave you a little medicine."

Li Wu looked at the Third Apostle, who was now under control, and his mouth curled up in a smirk. He found a comfortable position and sat down.

Then, he explained to the Third Apostle before him, "Recently, while researching evil cultivators, I discovered that evil summoners have very little control over the evil aura within their bodies.

Many subtle operations are beyond their control.

One slight mistake, and the evil aura might even riot."

"Then, I had an idea. Could I possibly create something to control the evil aura within evil summoners?

I'm a man of action; when I have an idea, I make it happen. In about a week, I successfully developed something to control the evil aura within evil summoner's bodies.

You don't need to know the specifics.

All you need to know is that you've been drugged, and without my suppressant, you could explode at any moment."

This was the project Li Wu had been working on recently.

His previous arrow rain was meant to drug the Third Apostle.

When the Third Apostle shattered the arrow rain, the potion covered that area, and Li Wu unleashed his ultimate move.

His goal was never to kill his opponent with this move but to attract his attention and deplete his energy.

Li Wu's plan was a success.

【God's Judgment】 captured his attention, preventing the Third Apostle from noticing he had inhaled the potion.

The release of his ultimate move accelerated energy consumption and the potion's activation.

Unaware, the Third Apostle was directly affected.

"The Third Apostle has successfully captured the Ninth Apostle and Zheng Da Guang Ming, retrieving the Angel Wings."

"The Third requested that we give him what he wants first, and then he'll bring the Ninth, Zheng Da Guang Ming, and the Angel Wings to meet you," said the number 13, relaying the Third Apostle's conditions to Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu's attention was piqued when he heard these conditions, his focus momentarily distracted.

"Who is Zheng Da Guang Ming?" he asked.

The number 13 promptly replied, "He's a recent genius who emerged in Zone 11 a few months ago. He cleared the God Blade Tower and obtained an Epic-ranked artifact. After that, he joined the Zhi Mu family under the recruitment of Princess Zhi Mu Gong."

"However, after joining the Zhi Mu family, there was a change in circumstances. Princess Zhi Mu Gong killed all the direct descendants of the Zhi Mu family for him, and he was imprisoned by Zhi Mu Gang Yan for a period of time."

"Not long ago, with the help of Xing Zhan Long, he killed Zhi Mu Gang Yan and escaped from Zone 11 to Zone 12."

"After arriving in Zone 12, he had a conflict with the Ninth Apostle, and it seems that the Ninth's base was destroyed."

"But then, he returned to Zone 11, and with the help of the Ninth Apostle, he killed the Eighth..." The number 13 summarized Li Wu's recent activities for Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu listened intently to his subordinate's report, his eyes narrowing involuntarily.

The more he heard, the more he suspected that there was something fishy about this Zheng Da Guang Ming.

"Cleared the God Blade Tower? Killed Zhi Mu Gang Yan? Killed the Eighth Apostle?" he asked in surprise.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, "When did he first appear in Zone 11?"

"The exact time is unclear, but it should be around June or July."

"June or July?" Feng Xiu's expression turned cold as he heard this timeframe.

"This timing is quite coincidental!"

His intuition told him that there was a connection between Zheng Da Guang Ming and Li Wu, and it was highly likely that they were the same person.

This deduction had no evidence, but Feng Xiu firmly believed that his guess was correct.

He felt that Li Wu's death at the time was too suspicious.

The most suspicious part was the sudden and unprovoked intervention of the Demon Subduing Bureau.

This was the biggest flaw in the plan.

Feng Xiu racked his brains but couldn't understand the reason for their intervention at that time. Could it be that they had lost their minds?

"If Zheng Da Guang Ming is actually Li Wu, then everything makes sense. That guy was clearly being used, and Li Wu must have faked his death to escape!"

As this realization hit him, Feng Xiu's eyes widened in shock.

"If my guess is correct, has Li Wu truly been dealt with by the Third this time?"

Feng Xiu suddenly considered a possibility. Could Li Wu be coming for him this time?

This thought made Feng Xiu seethe with anger. "Tell the Third to send Zheng Da Guang Ming's head over first!"

"Yes, sir!" The number 13 nodded, ready to carry out the order.

But just as he was about to leave, Feng Xiu changed his mind. "Wait, never mind."

This wasn't a change of heart, but rather a realization.

If Zheng Da Guang Ming was indeed Li Wu, and if he was truly coming for Feng Xiu, then the Third Apostle must not have truly captured Li Wu.

Whether the Third Apostle was being controlled or manipulated by Li Wu, Li Wu was undoubtedly in control of the situation.

The Third Apostle's demands at this time would surely yield no results and might even alert Li Wu to the exposure of his identity.

This would put Feng Xiu at a disadvantage.

So, Feng Xiu quickly retracted his previous order, lowering his head in thought for a moment.

After careful consideration, he looked up at the number 13 beside him and said, "Give the Third what he wants first, and let him bring the items and people over.

Also, expedite the preparations for the ceremony. There are some things I need you to arrange, and contact Elder Five for me..."

Feng Xiu issued a series of commands, and under his orders, a web of plans began to take shape.

He was going to give Li Wu a surprise.

Didn't Li Wu want to come after him? Didn't Li Wu want to mess with him?

Feng Xiu would give Li Wu this chance, and he guaranteed that if Li Wu dared to come, he wouldn't leave alive.

After giving out the orders, Feng Xiu glared in the direction of Zone 11, his eyes narrowing, "Faked your death, did you? Trying to get my attention? This time, let's see if you can survive!"

...

A cool, angry laugh asks you for a subscription.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end