Chapter 300 - 240: Settled Outcome (Part 2)

If he didn’t seize this chance to kill as many Neon masters as possible, letting them escape would be like letting a tiger return to the mountains—an endlessly growing threat.

But after witnessing Zhao Xuanqi send An Yuan Wuyan flying with a single palm and then blow open East Mountain Good Horses’s chest with another move, Furukawa Naoto was terrified beyond measure. Any will to fight had vanished. Before Zhao Xuanqi could even give chase, he was already in motion, turning to flee.

They had already lost any chance of defeating their opponent. To stay would only be to die in vain.

As he fled, he saw a figure burst from the water just ahead of him. It was An Yuan Wuyan.

Upon breaking the surface, An Yuan Wuyan did the exact same thing.

He didn’t hesitate for a second, turning to flee out of the harbor.

He had barely managed a defensive stance against that palm strike, but the terrifying explosion of power had still injured him severely. Moreover, the Flower Seed within him had been significantly depleted during the prior battle. In his current state, he stood no chance against Zhao Xuanqi.

’If I die here, the situation in Jinmen will spiral completely out of control. Only by staying alive is there any hope.’

’So, I have to get out of here.’

However, Zhao Xuanqi’s speed was far beyond their imagination. His figure skimmed across the water’s surface, rapidly closing the distance between himself, Furukawa Naoto, and An Yuan Wuyan.

Both the fleeing An Yuan Wuyan and Furukawa Naoto sensed this.

An Yuan Wuyan, running ahead, glanced back at Furukawa Naoto, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of emotions.

In that instant, understanding seemed to dawn on Furukawa Naoto. He offered An Yuan Wuyan a bleak, tragic smile.

He knew that in this situation, someone had to stay behind and buy time. Otherwise, it was likely neither of them would escape Zhao Xuanqi’s pursuit.

And it was obvious that An Yuan Wuyan’s life was far more valuable than his own.

A look of grim determination flashed in his eyes. He suddenly let out a great roar in the Neon tongue: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!!"

Then, he abruptly halted his retreat, spun around, and faced the pursuing Zhao Xuanqi.

He jabbed two fingers into his own temples, appearing to activate some kind of Secret Technique.

"Great Thousand Desire Realm!!"

VMMMM!!

A powerful mental influence radiated outward. The pursuing Zhao Xuanqi shuddered and stopped in his tracks.

Countless images flooded his mind, plunging him into a hallucinatory state where he couldn’t distinguish reality from fantasy.

His expression remained serene as his will flared. His palms moved in a blur, like countless drifting feathers assembling into the wings of a Divine Bird, which then gave a mighty flap.

SHRRIIIP! SHRRIIIP! SHRRIIIP!

The various Illusion Realms created by the mental influence instantly shattered. At the same time, due to the intense, continuous eruption of his own will, a piercing pain shot through his brain, and blood poured from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

’The Nine Dragon Soul Acupoints are still sealed. My Spirit is ultimately still in shackles.’

When the Illusion Realm shattered, the first thing he saw was Furukawa Naoto. He, too, was bleeding from his seven orifices, his face a twisted, savage mask.

As for An Yuan Wuyan, he was long gone.

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was serene as he walked slowly, step by step, toward Furukawa Naoto.

"The Three Saints Association will avenge me! The empire will remember my sacrifice! Everything I’ve done will become fuel for the great sun of the Empire to blaze across the Far East!!"

Furukawa Naoto roared with laughter as blood sprayed from the wounds in his temples, a gruesome sight.

WHOOSH!!

Before his laughter could cease, a large hand swelled in his vision. The Force from the palm sent ripples through the air as it landed squarely on his forehead.

BANG!!

An immense force erupted. Furukawa Naoto’s head exploded like a shattered watermelon. A mist of blood spread for nearly ten meters before raining down upon the sea, staining it a glaring crimson.

His kimono-clad body slowly slumped, hitting the water with a splash.

"So noisy."

Zhao Xuanqi muttered under his breath, his expression calm but his eyes narrowed slightly.

’For a man of his status, realm, and power to willingly stay behind and even sacrifice his life... The masters of the Neon Nation are fearsome in their own way.’

He stood upon the surface of the sea, his Qi and Blood churning within him. His condition was not as stable as it appeared.

He had just survived a series of close calls while under siege by three masters. He was not only injured, but his Spirit and Physical Ability were also severely depleted. A mid-battle breakthrough couldn’t possibly restore his stamina. If not for the fact that this was his second time cultivating—giving him an intimate understanding of each realm’s mysteries—he would have been no match for those three, even with a breakthrough. He would have been utterly doomed.

But he couldn’t let any of that show. The situation in Jinmen was far from over, and his perceived condition was now of critical importance.

SHAKE!!

He gave his body a sharp shake, flinging off the blood from his skin and hair. He tensed his muscles, forcing his horrific wounds to close. At the same time, his Spirit seemed to lock onto a specific direction, somewhere far beyond his sight.

He snapped his head around to face that direction. His expression was cold and cruel, a silvery glint in his eyes. Like a terrifying behemoth, he seemed to lock onto his prey from kilometers away.

「In the Jili Concession, atop the Holy Ring Bell Tower.」

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!

The consuls of the Five Nations were instantly terrified. Like startled cats, the hair on their bodies stood on end as they scrambled backward, away from the specialized spyglass. It felt as if looking through it for a moment longer would cause that horrifying figure to appear before them in some impossible way, ready to devour them body and soul.

The five of them had watched the entire battle from start to finish, and they were utterly stunned by Zhao Xuanqi’s performance.

He had been in a hopeless situation, with no way out and death seemingly imminent. Yet, with a sudden, incomprehensible burst of power, he had shattered the three-man siege, even killing two of the Neon masters on the spot. If not for the one who sacrificed his life to cover the retreat, it’s likely that even An Yuan Wuyan, the Master, would have been in peril.

The turnaround was so stunning that they were still struggling to process it.

"What in the world is with this Zhao Xuanqi?! How could he possibly turn defeat into victory in that state? It’s like a miracle."

"It looked like... he broke through to a new realm during the fight, reaching a higher level of the Martial Dao?!"

"Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. What that man has demonstrated defies all common sense."

"..."

The Five Nations’ consuls looked at each other, at a loss for words to describe the battle they had just witnessed.

"What do we do now? Zhao Xuanqi left two Neon masters dead and one fleeing. The situation in Jinmen is about to be completely overturned. Should we send someone to intervene?"

"Zhao Xuanqi has just endured a major battle and a breakthrough. He must be a spent force. If we seize this chance, we might be able to eliminate this enormous threat."

"An excellent proposal. Why doesn’t the Jili Empire take the lead? We from Gaul will offer our full support."

"And why don’t you take the lead?"

"..."

After a brief argument, the consuls of the Five Nations fell silent. Their minds replayed Zhao Xuanqi’s miraculous battle, and they remembered his final gaze—one that seemed capable of hunting prey across any distance. In the end, not one of them dared to actually endorse the proposal.

It had to be said: when it came to Zhao Xuanqi, a deep-seated wariness—and... fear—had already taken root in their hearts.

...

...

Within Jinmen, the fires of war were spreading. Near the Neon Concession, the two armies clashed in a bitter stalemate.

The remaining masters, aside from Zhao Xuanqi, had split into two groups led by Yang Xun and Li Ping respectively, and were already engaged with Neon’s experts.

Although Zhao Xuanqi had drawn away the three main enemy masters, most of the experts from the Divine Land were wounded as well, resulting in a deadlock.

The Divine Land fighters were growing anxious. They knew that the longer the battle dragged on, the more danger Zhao Xuanqi was in. If something happened to him and the enemy masters returned, they would be utterly overwhelmed.

BWOOM! BWOOM! BWOOM!!

However, just as the battle reached a fever pitch, a series of urgent alarms suddenly blared from the heart of the Neon Concession. When the Neon Soldiers and masters heard the sound, looks of horror spread across their faces.

This was the pre-arranged signal to completely abandon the concession’s periphery and fall back to defend the core area.

What in the world had happened?!!