Cave’s End City isn’t a diocre city; it is certainly not one of the most powerful cities, either. It lies far from the weakest cultivation realms, distant from most activity. Completing a mission here would take a year, and even if completed, it would earn only the smallest amount of rit.
Unfortunately, Kuang Fung Ji was the newest captain, and this sort of mission is always assigned to the youngest, with no room for complaints.
The legion she was given was a seasoned team, consisting solely of n, all of whom were coarse killers.
None of them were eligible for rank promotion, and they were often referred to as bottom-feeders. However, even though these cultivators were held in low regard elsewhere, they were revered as gods in Cave’s End, which is precisely why they were chosen to handle this lengthy mission.
Half a year had passed, and Kuang Fung Ji managed to lead the entire team safely through the labyrinthine tunnel systems, let alone the various other caves they had navigated.
As they arrived at the gate leading to Cave’s End, a glimr of unease appeared in the captain’s eyes. She felt as though soone was watching her. Turning imdiately, she faced only the oppressive darkness of the empty tunnels.
No sound could be heard, and the only detectable presence was the foul stench wafting from the blood of the magical beasts they had killed earlier.
After a brief pause, Kuang Fung Ji turned back to the gate. Resolutely, she opened it with firm hands and strode into the sunlight. She gave a slight nod to the two guards but did not pause as she walked toward the distant city.
Because of the new captain and her strict rule against fraternizing with local won, the Dragon Army was often in foul moods during their stay at the City Lord’s manor. Their stops in the city were shorter than usual.
Kuang Fung Ji felt weary about the entire mission, but the mont she saw Sun, a smile flickered across her face.
She had long believed that the entire tax journey would yield no substantial results, but standing before her was a figure out of legend—a remnant of one of the original laws, created when the four divine beasts still road the world. If she could deliver Sun back intact, it would at least secure her a promotion.
As soon as the City Lord presented the woman, a faint smile appeared noticeably on her dazzlingly beautiful face.
She radiated a delicate warmth and subtle glow. Her golden eyes shimred with an otherworldly aura, and her hair seed spun from the purest gold.
Her attire, however, was remarkably plain—a thin, inconspicuous white garnt draped over her figure, held in place by a golden belt.
The entire team behind Kuang Fung Ji was stunned into silence, their mouths unable to form any words.
"I understand," the captain finally broke the quiet. "This ti, you’ve provided soone in lieu of paying taxes."
Although the woman was placed in the care of the Dragon Army and brought along with them, Kuang Fung Ji observed that she had not been restrained nor had any asures been taken to prevent her from escaping.
Frowning, Kuang Fung Ji summoned a rope from her storage stone, only to watch it burst into flas the mont it neared the woman before her.
"I will follow you," a lodious voice arose. The sound carried deep wisdom and a gentle breeze, filling the surrounding air with the warmth of sunlight. Even the most debauched adult n felt childlike reverence, as if they were nestled against their mother’s embrace on a bright sumr’s day. None dared entertain impure thoughts.
"I will follow you," Sun repeated, "but I will not allow you to bind ."
Upon hearing this declaration from their captive, Kuang Fung Ji’s expression darkened, but she had no choice but to comply with Sun’s demands. The rope she had just summoned was capable of restraining even King-level experts, yet this woman had incinerated it into ash in re seconds without even invoking a spell.
Despite Sun’s assurance that she would cooperate, a fleeting unease flickered in Kuang Fung Ji’s thoughts. She nodded briefly toward the City Lord before signaling her team mbers to form a protective circle around their target as they returned to the tunnel entrance.
Each step brought greater imagination to Kuang Fung Ji’s mind—visions of the honor and accolades awaiting her upon her return to Azure Dragon Capital.
Rushing through the fields, Kuang Fung Ji neared the gates, feeling a mix of apprehension and paranoid anticipation after six months of grueling travel. Forrly weary of the journey’s perils, she now began to embrace them with a strange sense of yearning.
This was Sun—an incarnation of an original law, sothing entirely beyond Kuang Fung Ji’s grasp. If she successfully delivered Sun, she might be elevated to the rank of General. But she was painfully aware that failing to safeguard Sun on this journey ant certain death.
Gazing at Sun, there was no pity nor remorse in the captain’s heart—only a fierce determination to complete her mission. At the gates, she gave the guards another curt nod before plunging back into the supposedly empty tunnels, her nerves tightening.
Aware of her heightened vigilance due to Sun’s presence, Kuang Fung Ji walked ahead with two n close on her heels. Behind them, two more followed, flanking Sun on either side, while three others trailed behind her. Finally, the last two n brought up the rear.
This formation did not leave much room for conversation among the n, so of whom grumbled about the restrictive arrangent as they trudged toward ho step by step.
Suddenly, Kuang Fung Ji halted, her sharp gaze locking onto the strange array of flowers littering the tunnel floor. Her eyes burned with alertness as she signaled for the entire group to stop.
"Enemy!" she bellowed as she recoiled. Say what you will about the Dragon Army’s mbers, despite their relatively low ranks, they were survivors.
The lower-ranked mbers of the Dragon Army were often treated as expendable fodder, but these particular individuals had proven resilient enough to earn the rewards granted for such prolonged missions.
Following her roar of warning, the ten n fell into synchronized action. They ford a unified line with their backs to each other, scanning their surroundings and lobbing a few luminous stones ahead to reveal potential ambushers.
"I warned you that wouldn’t work," a mischievous male voice echoed through the shadows, followed by the sound of an impact—then a grunt from the voice’s owner.
"It stopped them, didn’t it?" ca another voice, impossible to tell if male or female, holding an otherworldly calm.
"There are ten cultivators. They’re all at Master and Master-level, the highest being an Eight-star Master," a female voice announced matter-of-factly, analyzing their abilities. Kuang Fung Ji hissed angrily, gesturing for a Fire Elent affinity cultivator to step forward and incinerate the countless flowers in their path.
"Quiet! They can hear you," a fourth voice, icy and playful yet laced with chilling undertones, spoke next, causing a shiver to ripple down the captain’s spine.
Kuang Fung Ji glanced at the man beside her and motioned. In an instant, flas ignited in his hands. The crimson fire illuminated the tunnel, revealing four young figures standing ahead.
Shocked, Kuang Fung Ji studied the four youths. They all appeared younger than her, and their cultivation levels were visibly lower than hers and most of her team. Yet, strangely, their faces betrayed no signs of worry. The confidence in their expressions was palpable, leaving the captain wary of underestimating them.
"Proceed as planned," the figure in the middle announced, unleashing chaos in a split second.
"They have soone with an Earth affinity!" Kuang Fung Ji shouted, imdiately pulling two small circular objects from her bag, which rapidly expanded in size.
As the two circular constructs grew larger, the Dragon Army found themselves standing on rotating tallic platforms. Below them, earthen spikes erupted from the ground but struck only air.
"Not possible!" a female voice exclaid in frustration, followed by a cheerful male laugh. Kuang Fung Ji’s face darkened as she felt the weight of her opponent’s gaze.
Her attention quickly shifted to the laughing, black-haired youth. In his hands were nurous scrolls inscribed with intricate patterns, one of which began to activate as he spoke.
Peering into the shadows of the unknown, Kuang Fung Ji’s face twisted into an alard expression, mixed with subtle traces of disgust. Clearly, she was familiar with the necromantic powers of Deng Wu.
"n!" she shouted. "Take the woman and retreat. We don’t need to fight them; we only need to get past them."
Although Kuang Fung Ji believed she could take down these four young figures, she also knew it would be impossible to do so without losses. Unnecessary death was sothing she refused to tolerate in her mission.
User Comments
0 comments from readers