Chapter 131: The Final Showdown [End of Book 2]
Yao Shen stood before the Demon Gate Azlak in Full-Plate Lumenite Armor, feeling no joy at successfully having infiltrated a place that the Eastern Righteous Path would trade any resource for.
He had come alone to the Nayun Forest, infiltrating the Demon Gate alone. All the Demonic Path Elders that had invaded his territory had died at the hands of not him, but the Elders of the respective divisions. They had accomplished the feat without suffering any casualties, but then again, Yao Shen would be surprised if the had so much so as a scratch due to the encounter.
His second master, Yifang Huang, had been returned to the cycle of reincarnation. Yao Shen was not a man who prayed to the heavens, but just that once, he had made an exception. He hoped that his master would be born into a kinder life, whether that be as a mortal or cultivator. He hoped for him to be allowed to chase his dreams in his next life and just a small part of him wondered if it was possible for him to ascend to the realm he had accomplished in this life again to remember the disciple he had taken on in his final few moments.
Illivarra Feralheart had not. Not yet, atleast. Yao Shen had held back from dealing the finishing blow until his preparations were complete. The real Illivarra Feralheart back in the Ancient Codex, the genius spymaster and tactician, was likely already suspicious of the delay in reporting back.
The moment her Soul Fragment was shattered, one as cautious as her would almost certainly know.
Fortunately, that time had already arrived.
Yao Shen held the bell artifact before him, peering into the now despondent Soul Fragment within. He could not blame the Soul Fragment from losing the will to fight after he had robbed her of memories and knowledge so close to her being, but that could not excuse what she had done to Yao Shens master.
Such cruelty came with a price.
Yao Shen gently rang the bell and the Soul Fragment within shattered without resistance.
Now, he was on a timer.
He pulled out the vial of mortal blood mixed with his own in a 1:5 ratio, the former having been obtained from Xiaoli at incredibly short notice. Yao Shen didnt know why or how his disciple had acquired such a substance, but he did intend to sternly question him on the matter once the far more pressing issue was resolved.
Unscrewing the stopper, he splashed the viscous blood on the inert semi-circular gate that had a web of incredibly complex runes running across its surface.
Yao Shen then placed five spiritual herbs underneath the Demon Gates arch, before gingerly stepping back.
Before initiating a chant, he picked up an additional Lumenite Chestplate that he had brought along with him to the concealed chamber.
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Cetri Alam. Warrenchri. Zenipher. Vingani.Mallarchi. AlkrosVigni-Shayan! Yao Shen felt the build-up of Qi before him with every word he pronounced correctly, noticed the micro-tears in the space surrounding the Demon Gate with his Divine Sense and waited for it to reach its zenith.
The blood he had scattered on the Demon Gates surface sizzled loudly, the spiritual plants he had placed in the center winking out of existence in the same instance of time replaced by a shimmering, vivid red portal.
Yao Shens eyes were already closed, as he mapped out every inch of the Eastern Node in his mindspace based on memories that felt old, even when they had been acquired on the same day.
Then his eyes snapped open and his body moved. With a flicker of motion, the chestplate was thrown forward, its acceleration aided by a liberal use of his Wind Qi. Yao Shen chased after it, stepping into a far wider chamber in the span of half a second.
That gap, however, was enough for him to watch as the Lumenite Chestplate covered the distance to the twenty two flesh puppets that lay arrayed in three rows on the series of steps that lead to one of two exists from the Eastern Node.
The groggy Flesh Puppets had expected Yifang Huang, instead they got an angry sentinel of lumenite wielding a chestplate of all things.
Self-Destruct, Yao Shen issued the command a moment a sliver faster than he activated the defensive Amplification Rune to full capacity on his own armor. He stood protectively before the still active Demon Gate, his entire form covered by a thick, incredibly condensed halo of Qi as he stood with outstretched arms.
First came the blinding light. The sizzling, all-consuming heat followed. Then the sound, a sound so loud it would have popped Yao Shens ear-drums if he were not protected underneath the Lumenite Armor.
Despite knowing the potency of Lumenite, it seemed that he had still underestimated it.
It took an entire minute for the aftermath of the devastation to be visible to his gaze, confirming what he had already ascertained with his divine sense. Fifteen Flesh Puppets were dead, gone beyond all forbidden daos to bring back.
Seven had, with their incredibly quick reflexes, managed to barely evade the strike, but even then they had suffered major damage that had forced them onto the ground.
There was no naive mercy in Yao Shens actions, no hope of rehabilitating the Flesh Puppets original souls when considering the timer he was on.
His left greave came loose and once again, Yao Shen called upon his Wind Qi to aid his throw.
Another, smaller yet still incredibly intense explosion followed, devastating another three Demon Gates placed near the end of the chamber on top of the original seven destroyed in the opening salvo.
Yao Shen was forced to place his unguarded arm behind his back as he shielded the Demon Gate behind him from any residual Qi.
This time, the discombobulated Flesh Puppets did not survive.
Yao Shen could have chosen to destroy the Demon Gates by himself, but he was simply unwilling to stay in Demonic Path territory a second longer than required. Unclasping his armor plate, he tossed it in the center of the reinforced chamber. A moment later, he plucked out his helmet and parted with it at the same spot.
Retreating half-way into the portal, Yao Shen took a final glance at the backbone of the entire Demonic Paths operations in the Eastern Region.
His lips curled upwards into a smile that almost seemed demonic himself.
Yifang Huang sends his regards from the beyond! Yao Shen bellowed with a rage that was tinged with grief, as he issued the command a fraction of a second before retreating back into the Azlak Plains.
He backpedaled with haste, using his remaining gauntleted arm to guard his face and chest vitals but the explosion never made it through the Demon Gate as the bright red web of runes running across its surface winked out of existence.
Demon GateAzlak crumbled and the events that unfolded on that historic day would end up granting Yao Shen another title to add to his growing collection.
Yao Shen, Hero of the East.
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