Luther slightly frowned. His older brother had only promised him the position of vice-captain, yet now he was being addressed as captain, which seemed somewhat inappropriate. However, his mood was too good to dwell on such details. “What’s Yang Hao to me? Just some arrogant fool who doesn’t know his place. If the elders hadn’t already ordered his death, I’d have loved to meet him myself.”
Toady A shivered slightly. Mentioning Yang Hao still sent a chill down his spine, but for the sake of his illustrious brown-nosing career, he had to press on. “Luther, the Great Sword Master, is the most promising young man in the capital. Countless noble beauties are waiting for your attention. Yang Hao is nothing but a nobody who relies on his minor fame. At the end of the day, he’s just a peddler of aphrodisiacs. How could he ever earn the princess’s favor?”
“Princess…” Luther’s eyes gleamed with a dazed light.
Though Princess Xuanlan had a reputation for being a mischievous troublemaker, she was still the daughter of the emperor. If he could marry her and gain the support of the Senate, he might even ascend the throne one day. Besides, Xuanlan was always accompanied by her two closest companions, Ling Ziyun and Lan Ling, both peerless beauties. If he could win all three of them, what other man could rival such a life of carnal bliss?
“Yang Hao is already dead. As long as you, Great Sword Master Luther, complete this mission and become captain, the princess will inevitably be yours.” Toady B seized this opportunity for flattery. “In the capital, who could possibly be more handsome or more powerful than you?”
Luther was delighted, his face breaking into a wide grin.
Toady A had started well, but his companion had stolen the glory, leaving him feeling quite disheartened. He could only hum and force a smile.
“Huh?” Toady A suddenly noticed something strange.
“What’s wrong?” Luther was in a good mood and didn’t want to be interrupted, showing a hint of displeasure.
“There, there…” He pointed toward the distant spaceport. The orderly line of ships had suddenly been disrupted by three others, which were flying in a crooked path and had thrown the entire queue into chaos. The port’s order was instantly thrown into disarray, allowing these three ships to jump the line and enter the port ahead of schedule.
When Luther saw the insignia of the Divine Edict Autonomous Territory on the three ships, he sneered, “Another batch of easy lambs has arrived. What difference does cutting in line make? They won’t be going anywhere.”
The Senate had long issued orders that any ship from the Divine Edict Autonomous Territory should be seized on sight. Not even a single leaf was allowed to pass into the Milky Way system.
Sure enough, when the particle cannons at the port were aimed at the three ships, they had no choice but to stop within the spaceport. From the lead ship, over a dozen people jumped out. These newcomers were quite perceptive and did not tangle with the port staff. Instead, they flew directly toward Luther.
“Halt!”
The approaching figures seemed to be in a hurry, prompting Luther’s subordinates to hastily block their path. “Don’t you see our Captain Luther is here?”
There were over a dozen people in the group, led by a tall young man who was even more handsome than Luther. He carried no weapons. The other was an elderly bear-like humanoid. Since the rebellion on Saint Bear Star, bear soldiers had become rare in the Empire, especially the elderly ones with gray fur, which were even rarer. Seeing this bear, Luther instinctively stepped back a few paces, fearing fleas.
The young man looked at the cross-shaped sword on Luther’s belt and asked in confusion, “Isn’t the captain of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps supposed to be Haik?”
“Since you know Haik is the captain, why don’t you step aside!” Toady A, trying to make up for his earlier failure to flatter properly, stepped forward first. “This is the future vice-captain of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps and Haik’s younger brother, Captain Luther.”
“Vice-captain…” The young man blinked, looking up at the sky, muttering to himself, seemingly lost in thought.
The elderly bear, however, was very polite, nodding and bowing while producing a diamond card full of Imperial Credits. “It’s an honor to meet you, Captain Luther. We’re just merchants, transporting some goods to the capital. Would you please grant us passage?”
Luther gave a signal, and his subordinates took the diamond card and quickly put it away.
“Goods? I suppose they’re medicinal herbs.” Luther sneered. “You people from Divine Edict keep shipping herbs here. Don’t you know that the Dan Ding Group has been branded as rebels by the Senate? Do you want to die by transporting herbs for them?”
“We’re just doing business.” The elderly bear smiled apologetically. “We don’t care who’s good or bad. Since someone paid us, we have to deliver the goods. That’s the rule of commerce, after all.”
“Rules?” Luther sneered again. “Rules are made by my sword. If you want to pass through the Tuo Hai Acceleration Station, you’ll have to ask my sword first.”
The elderly bear opened his mouth in shock, not expecting Luther to accept the money so readily but then refuse to let them pass without even a bone to pick.
“Can we pass?” The young man put on a strange smile, leaning in a bit closer to ask.
“What are you doing?” Luther was startled, already gripping the hilt of his sword.
The young man sighed, nodding slightly. “I just asked your sword, and it agreed to let us through.”
“Pretending to be mad!” Luther drew his cross-sword with a clang, its golden blade emitting a dazzling glow. This was a fine sword that had been specially blessed by the Senate.
The subordinates around him also drew their swords, pointing them directly at the newcomers.
Toady B sneered maliciously. “You dare to provoke Captain Luther? This is your own doing. Luther’s sword skills are personally taught by Great Sword Master Haik and have been refined under the guidance of the elders. You won’t even know how you died.”
“You’re Luther?” the young man asked.
“This is Mr. Luther, the strongest young swordsman in the capital, the future vice-captain of the Divine Retribution, and the future husband of Princess Xuanlan.” Toady A, in a fit of flattery, added all the imaginary titles.
“Ahh…” The elderly bear could only sigh.
The young man shook his head helplessly. “The previous vice-captain of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps was killed by me. I didn’t expect the next vice-captain would also be left for me to kill.”
This statement was arrogant, but the way he said it made it sound like a simple fact.
“You… Who are you?” Others were still confused, but Luther recalled something, something only the upper echelons of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps knew.
The previous vice-captain had captured one of Yang Hao’s subordinates, thinking he could use him to blackmail the Dan Ding sect. However, he hadn’t expected that a great swordsman would be torn in half by Yang Hao using the Thousand Mile Flow Kill technique in a single move.
And Yang Hao himself was actually thousands of miles away.
“Who exactly are you?” Luther stared at the young man in front of him, his heart pounding.
The young man smiled. His subordinates immediately draped white cloaks over him and themselves, each adorned with an arcane emblem.
Luther was trembling all over, his hand even slipping on the sword hilt. In the Galactic Empire, only one force wore white cloaks like this, and three months ago, these white cloaks had caused a stir throughout the empire like a blizzard.
“Dan… Dan Ding Sect?” The two toadies were also well-informed and were immediately stunned. “It’s really the Dan Ding Sect. How is this possible? How could this be?”
“The Dan Ding Sword Sect has already been eradicated, right here in the capital. Who exactly are you? Who?” Luther backed away, shouting wildly.
“Dan Ding!” Yang Hao coldly shouted.
“Hao!!” His swordsmen behind him roared in unison.
The two toadies were nearly fainting. They were the first to recognize the young man’s identity, besides Luther. Who else in the Empire could be so young, handsome, yet exude such an aura of power, except Yang Hao?
But this person, wasn’t he confirmed to be dead by the Elders themselves?
Yang Hao’s white cloak fluttered in the wind, his face cold and sharp, like a grim reaper staring at the people before him. “Can the Dan Ding Sect be destroyed? It survived a thousand years ago, so why not now?”
“Kill him! Kill him now!!” Luther, hiding at the back of the crowd, was shaking like a sieve but still desperately commanding his subordinates. “Yang Hao has no power at all. Whoever kills him will be rewarded with ten million Imperial Credits!!”
To be honest, Luther was filled with regret now. If he had known this was the god of death, he would have taken the money and let them go. Now that he was face to face with this cursed killer, his life was in grave danger.
The two toadies hid even further behind Luther. They could talk, but fighting was left to other swordsmen.
Toady A asked with a dry voice, “Will you go?”
“Go to hell!” Toady B’s thoughts finally aligned with his companion’s. “That’s Yang Hao, the youngest lord, the youngest sword sect leader, the youngest merchant council head. Even the Elders couldn’t kill him. He’s practically an immortal war god. Whoever goes up there is just asking to die.”
“Right.” Toady A completely agreed. “Whoever goes is just asking to die.”
These two were filled with regret in their hearts. To be a supreme villain, choosing the right master was so important. If they hadn’t chosen Luther but had chosen Yang Hao instead, how many flattering words could they have said at this opportunity.
Just as these two villains were lamenting missing the best opportunity to flatter, a group of Divine Retribution Sword Corps swordsmen had already rushed up. These were the guards properly assigned to Luther by Haik. When their master was in danger, they naturally rushed to his aid without hesitation.
Unfortunately, they were facing the current Yang Hao.
Clang!
Yang Hao’s Shadow Moon didn’t even emerge from its sheath. It merely vibrated slightly within his body, and the killing intent spread out like blades, flying toward the ten swordsmen rushing up.
To others, it seemed Yang Hao was still standing normally, not moving at all.
But the throats of the ten swordsmen simultaneously burst open in a gorgeous spray of blood.
They fell down in unison.
With just a thought, he harvested ten lives. Around Yang Hao’s body, the light of the Holy Domain blossomed, a sight that was not commonly seen.
Even experts like Lan Ling and Xie Fengting, who were at the Sword Saint level, could not emit the light of the Holy Domain, as they only had the strength of a Sword Saint during battle.
But Yang Hao was different. He had already crossed into the peak of the Holy Domain.
There are also two levels in the Holy Domain: the initial stage and the upper stage.
A warrior who has just entered the Holy Domain can unleash Holy Domain strength during battle but does not possess the Holy Domain’s radiance themselves; they are only slightly stronger than a Great Sword Master.
However, those at the peak of the Holy Domain are different. Their power increases geometrically, and several warriors at the initial stage of the Holy Domain might not be able to handle them.
Among the previous Three Sword Saints, at least one could reach the peak of the Holy Domain. The Nine Elder Council members were also at the peak of the Holy Domain.
Also at this level were the old man Qin Feng and possibly the mysterious Elder Hert.
But now, another name must be added: Yang Hao.
Yang Hao looked at the terrified Luther like he was looking at an ant. The Luther of now had none of the demeanor of a young expert.
Indeed, in the entire universe, when it came to young talents, probably no one could rival Yang Hao. At such a young age, he had already become an imperial governor, commanding both the Merchant Guild and the Dan Ding Sword Sect. The Elder Council had used all their strength but failed to eliminate him, and now he had reached the peak of the Holy Domain.
Yang Hao stood there, the light of the Holy Domain enveloping him, making his white cloak shine brilliantly. This was the light that chilled the hearts of enemies.
Luther was utterly defeated in spirit, especially when he noticed Yang Hao continuing to walk toward him, and there were no more experts around to resist.
Yang Hao’s Shadow Moon was still in its sheath, but the sharp sword qi firmly controlled the surroundings.
He took one step closer to Luther, and one of Luther’s arms suddenly fell off.
“Did you say the Dan Ding Sect was destroyed?” Yang Hao said coldly.
Luther screamed. He watched his sword hand twitch a few times on the ground before it was forever separated from his body.
“Did you say I was already dead?” Yang Hao took another step forward.
Luther’s two ears suddenly disappeared. Ears don’t just vanish, of course. When Yang Hao vibrated his Shadow Moon inside his body, those ears were sliced off by the vibrating killing intent, landing on the ground as two ugly lumps.
“Please, spare me. I’m… I’m Haik’s brother. I’m from the Divine Retribution Sword Corps.” Luther knelt on the ground, crying and begging, “Please don’t kill me.”
“I won’t kill you.” Yang Hao took another step forward, and one of Luther’s thighs said goodbye to his body.
No one had imagined that Yang Hao’s strength could improve so terrifyingly, slicing off an organ with each step.
“Ahh!!!” Luther screamed in agony, clutching the stump of his thigh, “My brother will kill you. Haik won’t let you go. Yang Hao, just wait until Haik comes. You’re dead.”
“Still arrogant?” Yang Hao’s eyes gleamed as he took another step forward.
This time, Luther’s intestines burst open in pain because Yang Hao’s sword exploded inside his belly. What an eerie sword technique! Yang Hao’s sword qi and intent could penetrate a person’s body and directly reach their internal organs.
“Where is Haik? I was looking for him.” Yang Hao smiled coldly, “He killed my people. He’ll suffer even more than you.”
Luther’s eyes were blank. He wasn’t stupid. Suddenly, he realized that Yang Hao dared to come here now, of course, his strength was extraordinary. Perhaps he had even surpassed his older brother. If he told Yang Hao where Haik was, wouldn’t that be sending his older brother straight into the tiger’s mouth?
Thinking this, Luther was even more terrified. He spat blood into the sky and used his remaining hand and foot to crawl away. As he turned his head, he saw the two toadies, Brother A and Brother B, still watching from a distance.
Luther, like grabbing a lifeline, screamed desperately, “Quick, save me! Save me!! I’ll give you one hundred million Imperial Credits, and each of you a planet.”
Brother A and Brother B exchanged glances, their minds in sync: “Okay!”
Then the two drew their long swords and rushed over.
Luther felt a little relieved. He naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to think these two could defeat Yang Hao, but at least they could buy him a little time to escape, using others as cannon fodder. This was the usual practice of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps.
Just as Luther thought he had a plan and was bravely crawling away, two familiar long swords pierced his heart together.
He stared blankly at the sword tips protruding from his chest, recognizing these two swords as the ones he had given them. At that time, the two who received the swords were so grateful they almost licked his toes.
But now, they had taken Luther’s life in one fell swoop.
Yang Hao and Elder Hert watched the scene unfold before them, their brows also furrowing slightly.
The two toadies, however, reacted quickly. After killing Luther, they stuck their swords into the ground and bowed deeply to Yang Hao: “Lord Yang Hao, we’ve taken care of this small matter for you.”
“Do you think this person is enough to save your lives?” Yang Hao shook his head. “It seems insufficient. In my eyes, this kind of spoiled brat isn’t even worth as much as a dog.”
Toady B quickly replied, “What’s a spoiled brat? Lord Yang Hao’s reputation is far-reaching, and his martial skills are unparalleled. If you’re going to kill, you should kill someone more powerful.”
“Like the captain of the sword corps.” Toady A indeed shared the same thought.
“We know where the Divine Retribution Sword Corps’ captain, Haik, is hiding and can show you the way.” The two said in unison, smiling with flattery.
Yang Hao let out an “Oh,” “Where is Haik?”
“He’s hiding on the Fire Sand Planet, less than a light-year away.” Toady A revealed everything. “It’s said he’s guarding a plant called Fire Cloud Grass, and the entire Divine Retribution Sword Corps is stationed there.”
“Fire Cloud Grass?” Yang Hao’s expression changed slightly, nodding.
“What’s wrong?” Hert asked.
“It’s the main ingredient for my next stage of sword cultivation. It seems the Senate is preparing to oppose me.”
Hert frowned, “The Fire Sand Planet controls the throat between the acceleration station and Earth. Even if we break through here, we’ll be stopped by reinforcements from the Fire Sand Planet.”
“Then kill him.” Yang Hao said coldly. “Whoever dares to stop me from delivering medicine to Earth will die.”
Since the battle at the Grand Palace, Yang Hao had vowed never to let anyone harm his brothers again. Those who had been struggling in the Dan Ding Sword Sect were all comrades who had shed blood and tears for him.
For them, Yang Hao would kill gods and Buddhas without hesitation.
Haik was indeed on the Fire Sand Planet. However, he wasn’t hiding there, but rather had worked hard to secure this honorable mission.
This time, Haik left only his younger brother to guard the acceleration space station, while bringing the main force of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps to the Fire Sand Planet, naturally for a more important reason.
The Fire Sand Planet is a special planet, orbiting the main star of the Centaurus constellation. Although the natural conditions are barely suitable for biological survival, due to the excessive heat here, the landscape is a vast expanse of red sandstone with little sign of life at a glance.
The only hint of life was the Fire Cloud Grass near the Divine Retribution Sword Corps’ encampment.
The Fire Sand Planet’s temperature is always above 30 degrees Celsius, and the air is always filled with the smell of sulfur. Sometimes, when people lie on the ground, they can feel the tremors of magma surging beneath the surface.
But Fire Cloud Grass is a peculiar plant. It must grow in an environment like the Fire Sand Planet. Fire Cloud Grass is a biologically red plant as hot as flames. It requires years of high temperatures and irrigation with lava to grow. According to legend, this grass needs decades of cultivation to sprout from its seed, but once it sprouts, it grows rapidly, reaching full maturity in about two months.
However, once it reaches full maturity, the entire plant will be engulfed in flames from within after three days, eventually turning to ash.
Therefore, the timing for harvesting Fire Cloud Grass is only three days. Decades of growth can only be harvested and used within these three days.
These days were the most critical period for the Fire Cloud Grass to reach full maturity. One of the important tasks for Haik staying on the Fire Sand Planet was to protect these plants from being harvested by others. If the Fire Cloud Grass successfully passed these three days and was completely burned, it would be considered a successful mission.
The Fire Sand Planet was already unbearably hot, and being stationed near the Fire Cloud Grass made the heat even more intense. Haik had already removed all his armor and was cooling off with air conditioning directly delivered from the spaceship, but he still couldn’t suppress the rising anger in his heart.
This anger was not just caused by the heat, but also by the surging desires in Haik’s mind.
Recently, the Empire had been in a state of upheaval, with fierce power struggles unseen in decades.
But Haik felt he was very capable because he always chose the right side.
When the Ten Sword School was fiercely battling Yang Hao, Haik wisely preserved his strength. When Yang Hao was weak, the Divine Retribution Sword Corps launched a full-scale attack, not only destroying a series of shops of the Dan Ding Group but also burning down the Dan Ding Sword Sect’s mansion, earning great merit before the Senate.
When the Yaoji appeared and completely took control of the Ten Sword School, Haik once again stood on the side of the Elders and did not participate in the futile resistance led by Mingse and the Wang family.
Because of this, Haik was able to obtain the important task of guarding the Fire Sand Planet.
Sitting in his tent, Haik drank beverages while calculating the current situation.
The Yaoji had completely taken control of the Ten Sword School, and Haik, as a meritorious official, had significantly elevated his status within it. The two strategies of “Annihilation” and “Dragon Binding” firmly placed the capital’s situation under the control of the Senate. The Dan Ding Sword Sect was nearly completely destroyed, and even the mighty emperor had become a caged beast.
Now, as long as Yang Hao’s death was confirmed, the Senate would achieve a great victory. The emperor would either be deposed or placed under house arrest, forever deprived of the Yellow Spring.
As for Haik, he would rise even higher. Elder Wu Yi had promised to teach him the secret techniques left by the Zunzhi, enabling him to qualify for the Senate and become a highly respected elder.
Just three days, three days later, Haik would lead the Divine Retribution Sword Corps back to the capital to fulfill his dream of becoming an elder.
Just as Haik was basking in his self-satisfaction, an alarm suddenly sounded outside.
This was the highest alarm agreed upon between the Divine Retribution Sword Corps and the outer family army.
Haik didn’t even put on his outer clothes, grabbed his cross sword, and rushed out. The hot air outside hit him like a wave, making his irritation even more intense.
“What’s going on?” As soon as he stepped out, he found the camp in chaos, and even the four small teams guarding the surrounding areas were in uproar.
“Report, Captain. We just received an alarm from the family army fleet stationed at the edge of the Fire Sand Planet. Three merchant ships from the Divine Edict Autonomous Territory appeared. They broke through the defense five minutes ago and are heading towards Earth.”
“What did you say?” Haik grabbed his subordinate’s collar angrily. “Break through the defense? That family army fleet has two battleships and over a hundred warships. How could they be breached by three merchant ships? What are they doing?”
“Th… those three merchant ships seem to be modified battleships with large-scale weapons.” The subordinate stammered. “The family army was caught off guard and was breached. Now the enemy has initiated the migration and has probably been flying towards Earth for a long time.”
“Waste!! All waste!!!” Haik threw his subordinate to the ground, his anger boiling over.
Originally, if the next three days passed without incident, the position of elder would be within his grasp. But now, this problem was too big. Both the Tuo Hai Acceleration Space Station and the Fire Sand Planet defense line were under his management. Now that the merchant ships had broken through the defenses, if they truly delivered the pharmaceutical materials to the Dan Ding Sword Sect on Earth, wouldn’t the Ya Ji’s annihilation plan be in vain?
Thinking of this, Haik’s anger flared. He wished he could fly out of this hot planet right away and capture those damned ships.
But before Haik could give orders, the Divine Retribution Sword Corps’ camp became even more chaotic. Especially in the northeast corner of the flank, several fire dragons could be seen flipping around. Soon, the swordsmen there were seen fleeing in panic, completely abandoning their defense without resistance.
“Someone is attacking?” Haik’s anger finally had an outlet. “Gather everyone and attack!”
He led the charge himself, sword in hand, heading northeast.
The Divine Retribution defense in the northeast was completely collapsed. About fifty swordsmen in white cloaks were flying around, slaughtering the Divine Retribution forces with ease.
And chasing the cross-swordsmen was a fire dragon. This fire dragon was already majestic and powerful. On a planet like Fire Sand, with its intense heat, the dragon was even more formidable, able to exist as if it were a real dragon, turning the Divine Retribution swordsmen into charred ashes.
“The captain is here!” Seeing Haik rush over, the Divine Retribution swordsmen excitedly shouted, regaining their composure and stopping their retreat.
In their eyes, Captain Haik had already reached the peak of the Great Sword Master and was soon to become an Elder-level expert, a top-ranking figure in the Empire. Who else could rival him besides the Senate?
Now that Haik had arrived, no matter how tough the opponent, they would just be ghosts under his cross-sword.
Feeling the adoring gazes of his subordinates, Haik arrogantly laughed, raising his cross-sword and roaring at the fire dragon: “Divine Retribution! Die!!”
A milky-white holy light accompanied his shout, colliding with the fire dragon.
Indeed, a black object flew out.
But what followed was the Divine Retribution swordsmen’s heart-wrenching exclamation.
Haik’s mighty Divine Retribution sword clashed with the fire dragon, and in the end, it was Haik who was sent flying backward, spitting out five mouthfuls of blood mist in mid-air. He fell onto the Fire Sand ground, struggling several times but unable to get up, eventually needing his aide to help him.
In the eyes of the swordsmen, the invincible Haik was actually defeated in a single move. This time, the confidence of the Divine Retribution Sword Corps was completely shattered. If their most powerful captain could be defeated so easily, what more of themselves?
So when Yang Hao sheathed his Flame Dragon Sword and walked over slowly with Hert, what they received was the enemy’s incredulous, unwilling, and extremely fearful gaze.
“Yang… Yang Hao…” Haik stared blankly at the figure before him.
of the enemy, the words he spoke only deepened his subordinates’ despair, “You are Yang Hao, you’re really still alive.”
The swordsmen of the Divine Pardon Sword Group were greatly alarmed, and an uproar ensued:
“It’s Yang Hao!”
“He’s still alive!! Didn’t the elder steward kill him?”
“Could it be that he’s truly immortal, and the rumors are true?”
“Last time, someone already said that Yang Hao is the Indestructible War God!”
Yang Hao stood there quietly, with another Sage Domain peak expert named Hald and fifty top swordsmen from the Dan Ding Sword Sect behind him.
This force was already terrifyingly powerful. It goes without saying that if only the Divine Pardon Sword Group were here, even if several more martial arts sects were added, they would likely be unable to withstand Yang Hao’s cold and ruthless killing intent.
“Captain Haik, it’s been a long time,” Yang Hao said indifferently, gazing at Haik. “You killed my disciple and burned down my house. It’s truly remarkable that you’ve managed to stay alive for so long. However, your good fortune ends here.”
“What do you want?” Haik pushed his deputy aside forcefully and made a gesture.
“I just want the entire empire to know that no one can kill my brother and still live. An eye for an eye, a life for a life—that is my way, the way of Yang Hao.”
Haike took a deep breath to withstand the icy aura emanating from Yang Hao. Even on this scorching planet, the surrounding temperature seemed to rapidly plummet into a chilling cold. It appeared that the very temperature of this place would shift in response to Yang Hao’s demeanor.
“Do you even know who you’re defying?!” Haik roared, his voice brimming with murderous intent. “It’s the Senate, the High Elders, the most powerful experts across the entire empire! Your Dan Ding Sword Sect is already finished, the emperor is finished too. With just you, just you!!”
“Relying solely on myself!” Yang Hao took a step forward. The Shadow Moon within his body shot out, unsheathing in midair with a graceful arc, and claimed the heads of several sword masters around Haik.
The speed was so fast that even Haik himself didn’t have time to react.
Not until this moment did Haik realize that Yang Hao’s strength had far exceeded his imagination. Back in the capital, Haik had already been no match for Yang Hao, and now, he not only stood no chance against him but had completely lost the qualification to even be considered his opponent.
The two of them, one a dim and shattered comet, while the other a brilliant star at its zenith, were no longer on the same level.
Even so, Haik still felt confident about winning. Because he had been well prepared.
The Divine Pardon Sword Group has survived until today not merely by brute force and arrogance; rather, it has relied on numerous life-saving tactics to endure crisis after crisis.
The aide that Haike had just pushed away returned again, but this time, he was holding onto five individuals wrapped in white cloaks.
These five individuals were no more than teenagers, their bodies covered in wounds. White cloaks, serving as their only clothing, were wrapped around them, soaked entirely in blood.
When they saw these five individuals, Yang Hao and the fifty disciples behind him changed expressions. They recognized them at first glance — these were five brothers from the Hao Sword Corps, and also five of the orphans Yang Hao had brought out from Remon Star. On the day of the rescue battle at the Grand Palace, these five had remained stationed at the Dan Ding Sword Sect, and later events took an unexpected turn.
In contrast, the crisis in the imperial city was resolved, but the Divine Pardon Sword Sect launched a surprise attack on the Dan Ding Sword Sect. They not only burned down Zhuang’s country, but also captured these five individuals.
It turned out that Heike had been waiting for this day all along—he intended to use these five people as hostages to save his own life.
Yang Hao was furious beyond measure. His original attitude toward the members of the Ten Sword Stream had been one of cold determination; if they didn’t resist, he would simply crush them and be done with it. However, Haik repeatedly mistreated his brothers, which had crossed Yang Hao’s innermost底线 (limit).
To him, the blood of the people in the Hao Sword Group is connected to his own. From the moment they decided to storm the palace to rescue Yang Hao, their lives had already been bound together.
Yang Hao looked at the five people who were barely alive. The flames of anger had already engulfed Ying Yue, and the surrounding temperature rose rapidly, causing the Huoyun Grass to show signs of blooming prematurely.
“Do you want to kill me? Then they’re all doomed!” Haik pointed the tip of his cross-sword at a hostage.
“You will die a very painful death—I guarantee it. Every single one of you will suffer a gruesome fate!” Yang Hao spoke each word with clenched teeth, his eyes staring at Haik like sharp knives, as if he could carve a piece of flesh from him.
“Get out of Husa immediately and crawl back to your dominion!” Haik pressed the tip of his sword against the hostage’s neck. Blood dripped down the blade. “Otherwise, they will all die.”
“Captain!” The hostage in Heike’s hands woke up in pain. When he saw Yang Hao, he forgot his predicament and became ecstatic. “Captain, you’re still alive.”
Hearing his weak voice, Yang Hao’s heart trembled, and the flame on Yingyue also flickered faintly.
The hostage suddenly screamed, “Commander, kill me quickly—kill all of us!!”
“What?” Haik stared in shock at the man beneath him.
The member of the Hao Sword Group, who was being held hostage, shouted with almost all his remaining strength: “Leader, don’t worry about us. Hurry back to the imperial capital. The brothers there are barely holding on. They said the brothers there are dying and you must go save them.”
His series of shouts awakened the other four people, and they simultaneously joined in the screaming: “Captain! To save our Earth brothers is the top priority—quickly kill us and avenge our deaths!”
“You are forbidden to go to Earth, or I’ll kill them!” Hake felt increasingly unable to control the hostages in his grasp, and panic began to rise within him.
“What should we do?” Hude softly transmitted his voice.
“Not giving up on any of them.” That was Yang Hao’s answer.
As the hostage in Haik’s hands realized that Yang Hao had no intention of taking action, the pain in his heart felt like being cut by a knife. Now, the suffering was not limited to just the few of them, but extended to more brothers back at the Danqing Sword Sect on Earth. If Yang Hao didn’t return in time, there would likely be a massacre leaving corpses strewn everywhere.
He gritted his teeth, summoned all his strength, and actually rammed his own neck onto Haik’s sword tip.
This was something Hector had never anticipated. According to his usual principles, he believed that if one didn’t act for their own benefit, heaven and earth would condemn them. Yet, the hostage in his hands was actually willing to sacrifice himself.
But this was even more of a life-saving ace for Haik, who had refrained from killing these few people all along to prevent the Dan Ding Sect’s members from coming after him for revenge. How could he let him die in vain like this?
Hake, after all, was a great swordsman. With sharp eyes and quick hands, he swiftly retracted his cross sword, causing the young men of the Hao Sword Group to miss their strike.
But Haik forgot that standing opposite him were Yang Hao and, even more notably, the legendary figure Hed.
How could they possibly pass up such an opportunity?
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage