119 The Sound of Life Slipping Away (4,000)

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Dozens of dark shadows appeared on the street, totaling more than a dozen figures. The four in the lead exuded a fierce aura, their eyes cold and piercing.

The moment they arrived, a faint, grayish-black mist began to crawl and spread across the ground. Within moments, it had blanketed the entire block, obscuring vision.

"A Knight? A Rune Expert? It's a pity you're going to die by our hands today. I truly feel sorry for you..."

A young man spoke in a flippant tone. He was handsome, with a straight nose and a flamboyant hairstyle. He wore a ring on his right hand and a fashionable necklace around his neck.

He wore a playful expression, and one could discern a deep sense of confidence in his eyes. This time, the Ancient Society had mobilized several nearby squads to form a task force.

There were four Second-Circle Ring Masters and twelve First-Circle Ring Masters in total, all dispatched to carry out the assassination.

In Dean’s eyes, Xiunan was already a dead man.

"That's quite a grand formation..."

Xiunan squinted slightly, scanning the four in the front. Each of them exuded a dangerous aura.

"To deal with me, you’ve actually mobilized four Second-Circle Ring Masters. I feel somewhat honored..."

He lifted his head slightly.

"Haha, you’re certainly not worth all four elite captains acting together. Unfortunately, our superiors issued a death order not long ago. We must have your head within a week, so we have no choice but to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut..."

Dean chuckled and shrugged helplessly.

"You really think you’ve got me cornered?"

Xiunan’s cold gaze swept across the surroundings; the members of the Ancient Society had already begun to move, closing in to surround him.

*Hum...*

"What else? Don't tell me you’re planning on some futile..."

"Huh? Where did he go?"

Mid-sentence, Dean suddenly froze. Xiunan, who had been standing there with an exceptionally tough attitude just a moment ago, had vanished. At that very moment, the encirclement had just closed.

"Where is he?!?"

He lunged forward, his fist, wreathed in black smoke, slamming into the spot where Xiunan had been standing.

A shockwave erupted, engulfing the surrounding few meters, but it produced no substantial effect.

Dean scanned the surroundings, his face darkening.

"It’s not an invisibility ability. He actually managed to escape!"

"What’s going on!!!"

In an instant, three more figures rushed over as the other three elite captains arrived at Dean's side.

"He got away. It must be some kind of special ability..."

Dean analyzed coldly, his face grim.

"What do we do now?" one of the captains asked.

"Only a few seconds have passed; he can't have gone far! I don't believe he can keep using this ability... Spread out and search the block!"

Dean pondered for a moment before issuing the order.

Immediately, the four elite captains split into groups and began a rapid search of the surrounding area. They were not afraid of being picked off one by one; every elite captain of the Ancient Society was formidable among Second-Circle Ring Masters, not to mention they were supported by teams of subordinates.

If they encountered anything, they would report it immediately; within the limited confines of a city block, other squads could arrive within twenty seconds.

*Whoosh...* Cold wind carried the mist as it drifted slowly.

This grayish-black current had enveloped most of the street, carrying a faint, chilling sensation. Only the dim yellow light of the street lamps could barely illuminate the surrounding area, where one could see the substantial swirls of mist.

This layer of mist had sound-dampening properties; no matter how intense the battle inside became, the outside world would not notice.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Agile figures darted through the mist. The combatants of the Ancient Society scanned their surroundings frantically, their sharp eyes like those of hawks.

"Nothing?"

The bald captain leading the group frowned.

He glanced at the wall to his right. "Could he be hiding in the residential buildings? It’s a possibility..."

*Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...*

Before the bald captain could finish his thought, a heavy, nasal sound emerged from the mist ahead.

It didn't sound human; it sounded more like a horse snorting...

*Boom!*

The mist in front of them parted like water. A massive figure charged out.

A hideous knight sat atop a horse wreathed in roaring flames, its crimson pupils flickering beneath its helmet. What terrified everyone was that their combined height reached over five meters—nearly two stories tall, like a moving building.

The opponent charged like a heavy tank.

The members of the Ancient Society looked grave, preparing to instantly channel their Ring Power to form defensive membranes on their bodies.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Four figures were sent flying instantly. Three of them coughed up blood mid-air, wracked with intense pain.

The Ancient Society member’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. By the time he hit the ground like a broken sack, his breathing had stopped completely. His corpse rolled several times before coming to a rest.

Face up, his chest was deeply collapsed, white bone shards protruding from his clothes.

Two other First-Circle Ring Masters were also near death. One was curled up in a corner in a twisted posture; the other hung from a dark street lamp, dripping blood.

Both were breathing their last.

Only the bald captain remained, his feet landing heavily on the ground as he looked at Xiunan in the distance with a solemn expression.

They had made a mistake—a mistake that wasn't exactly a mistake. Every Ring Master instinctively conserves their Ring Power before a battle, usually avoiding the activation of energy shields, which are extremely taxing, until they are fully committed to combat. Otherwise, a Ring Master’s limited reserves would be drained within minutes of intense fighting.

This instinctive thrift had its advantages, but it also had drawbacks. In a situation like this, where the opponent possessed an ability triggered suddenly, they could strike before you even had a chance to activate your defensive membrane, resolving the conflict before you could even react.

Ultimately, the members of the Ancient Society had underestimated Xiunan. The intelligence they had received differed significantly from reality, leading to a misjudgment of his strength.

They hadn't been cautious enough to activate their defenses early, which resulted in three members being instantly taken out in the first exchange.

The bald captain’s eyes filled with rage as his strong right hand gestured slightly. An icy giant python, radiating a bone-chilling cold, suddenly appeared from his leg, coiling around his thigh, torso, and neck, its giant mouth flicking its tongue.

*Crack, crack, crack...* A thin layer of ice spread across the ground, centering on where he stood; everything within a four-meter radius was encased in frost.

The bald man watched Xiunan warily, one hand touching his earpiece, about to report the situation.

*Clatter, clatter, clatter...*

The sound of hooves galloping rapidly toward him made him abandon that thought.

First, the opponent was an extreme threat, and he couldn't afford to be distracted. Second, the sounds of battle were already sufficient to signal the situation through the earpiece; the other squads would surely arrive.

"Ice Demon Snake, Ice Arrow!"

In an instant, the python coiled around the bald man’s neck opened its giant maw. Clusters of pale blue arcs shot out, leaving long trails of fire in the air.

*Swish, swish, swish...*

*Boom!*

Flames roared as black fire suddenly rose from the Ghost Horse, instantly wrapping around Xiunan.

Clusters of ice arrows, carrying special Ring Power energy, shot through, twisting rapidly as they passed through the flames. The energy contained within them was draining away rapidly.

In the next moment, the weakened ice arrows struck the Pale Knight’s (Xiunan’s) armor, merely bursting into ice flowers.

[Ability: Heavy Armor: The Pale Knight grows hard, bone-like armor on its body, possessing powerful defensive properties. The armor can be retracted or equipped; when equipped, defense is high but movement is clumsy; when retracted, it is lighter.]

This level of attack was nothing more than a tickle to Xiunan.

Opposite him, the bald man quickly switched forms. The charging Pale Knight was almost upon him.

"Ice Prism Pillar!"

With a roar from the bald man, the Ice Demon Snake coiled around him suddenly began to expand violently, instantly turning from a serpentine body into solid ice radiating intense cold.

Layer after layer of solid ice encased the bald man, with a faint blue light flickering inside.

*Boom!*

A giant fist slammed heavily into it.

Ice shattered, and a massive cloud of ice mist mixed with the surrounding fog, radiating waves of cold.

*Thud!*

Another massive fist came down.

The Pale Knight used both fists, his terrifying strength continuously venting onto the ice pillar, making the very ground shake.

"Heh..." The bald man sneered.

He knew the defense of his Ice Prism Pillar best; it could easily withstand a peer for over a dozen seconds. That much time was more than enough for the others to arrive.

*Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!*

Only two seconds later, the bald man suddenly realized something was wrong. His internal Ring Power was depleting far too quickly! It was gushing out in massive, frantic amounts.

It was as if a pump were rapidly draining him dry.

In a short time, the bald man was down to only a third of his Ring Power. The speed of this drain was inconceivable!

"How?! It's this flame!"

He looked at the Ice Prism Pillar in horror. It was clearly solid ice radiating cold, yet it was now covered in a thick layer of black flames. The flames were spreading and burning frantically, seemingly using the Ring Power within the ice as fuel.

*Whoosh...*

A giant arm pierced through like a spear.

In an instant, it punched through the thick ice. The Ice Prism Pillar exploded into pieces, turning into a sky full of blue ice shards.

"Impossible!!!"

The bald man’s eyes widened as he scrambled to retreat.

But an arm, reaching out like a giant python, was faster, slamming heavily into his chest.

The fist burned with black flames and was coated with a layer of corrosive energy. Under this dual penetration, his resilient Ring Power membrane was torn apart in an instant.

The arm, thick as a marble pillar, punched through his chest and out his back. A massive spray of blood mist erupted, mixing with the ice mist in the air.

"Waah! Argh! Ice Demon Snake!! Ice Blast!!"

The bald man shrieked as he vomited blood.

He had been defeated, but he wouldn't let his opponent get away unscathed. His final, desperate attack would surely leave the enemy severely wounded! The ice energy would also impede his movement!

The person before him would ultimately be buried with him!

The bald man’s eyes were filled with madness.

*Crack, crack, crack...*

As if responding to his call, the Ice Demon Snake lunged from behind him, its fangs bared in a wild frenzy. It displayed the ferocity expected of an extraordinary creature!

*Snap.* Two fingers pinched the little snake.

Then, with a gentle squeeze—*pop*—the Ice Demon Snake, now withered to the size of a pencil, exploded comically.

The power it generated was roughly equivalent to a small firecracker.

"Arghhhhh! Ugh!"

Witnessing everything, the bald man vomited blood and died instantly. His last trace of vitality had been shattered by sheer anger.

The moment the Pale Knight’s arm pierced his chest, the ghost flames had frantically consumed his Ring Power. So, in the end, the bald man didn't even have the qualification to trade his life for an injury. If he had waited even half a second longer, he wouldn't even have been able to summon the snake...

*Clatter, clatter.*

Figures appeared on the battlefield.

Dean, who arrived first, looked grim as iron. The bald man’s corpse knelt on the ground, his chest completely collapsed, exposing a massive hole. Blood dripped silently, forming slow, viscous threads.

"Dead... the other three are dead too..."

Dean’s eyes seemed to burn with fire, but in the next second, he realized something and pressed his right hand to his earpiece.

"All teams, be careful! The opponent might very well..."

"Argh!!!"

"What kind of fire is this!"

"No!"

*Snap.* The sound of bones breaking was exceptionally crisp.

Dean’s expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Hold on! We’re coming!"

All the team members turned in unison and bolted, having only run a few dozen steps when a shrill scream came through the earpiece, followed by the sound of fire sizzling against fat.

Dean said nothing and continued to run at full speed.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ear.

"I feel sorry for killing a few of your men..."

"Hahaha! Hahaha!"

Dean’s form faltered; he nearly shattered his teeth, the laughter on the other end was too rampant.

"I will make you pay the price! You will definitely die by my hands!" Dean roared into the earpiece...

"Is that so? But your people should be almost dead by now..."

"Listen to whose scream this is."

The Pale Knight’s low, hoarse voice sounded again.

"Argh!!! My hand! My hand!" A young man’s painful cry rang out.

"No! My foot! Arghhhhh..."

"Brother! Impossible! How can you move so fast? Don't tell me you’ve mastered other abilities!"

Dean’s stylish hair stood on end. The intelligence was wrong; the opponent’s strength and abilities had been underestimated!

"..." Xiunan did not answer; only the sound of bones breaking came through the earpiece. It sounded like a cork being pulled from a wine bottle.

"You... what did you do to my brother..."

Dean stared in disbelief, seemingly realizing something, his right hand trembling slightly.

There was still no movement on the other end, only the steady, persistent sound of dripping liquid.

A few seconds later, a hoarse voice spoke:

"Your brother’s head is dripping blood. Can you hear it? This is the sound of life fading away..."