Chapter 18: Seizing the Proof

With a savage method like this, breaking through four stone walls in succession, the four finally arrived at the source of the black light. Their speed was formidable—yet, astonishingly, someone else was even faster.

A warrior wielding an iron staff was in a frenzy, every blow ruthless and relentless, clearly intent on utterly destroying his target. The one under attack was a handsome young man, clutching a piece of black talisman in his hand. Amidst the flickering black radiance, he darted desperately left and right, battered and harried, unable to escape the shadow of the iron staff. Just one or two more mistakes, and he would lose his life; the situation was perilous to the extreme.

“Don’t kill me, you can have the talisman,” the youth pleaded helplessly, forced to choose between the talisman and death, and he shrank back, choosing to save his life.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The iron staff danced ever more frantically, the sound of wind tight and urgent, the force behind it tremendous. Evidently, the warrior, seeing others arrive, was desperate to finish his target before they could intervene.

“Please don’t kill me, I’m the only warrior in my village. Even if I fail this trial, I don’t want to die—I must return to protect them…” The youth’s face was bleak as he begged for mercy.

Sniffling, the little girl in Du Gu Bieli’s arms quietly entreated, “Big brother, help that boy, chase off the bad man.” Not long before, the iron-staff warrior had glared at her during the hunt, and she remembered it, certain he was a villain.

“Alright, just as you wish.” Du Gu Bieli smiled, then set her down, letting the younger sister lead her, both guarded by the wolf.

Crack—

With a slight tilt of his neck and a crouch, Du Gu Bieli arched his back. When he straightened again, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Swish—

In a single breath, he plunged into the midst of the whirling iron staff.

The Fountain of Strength surged, his power tenfold, his fist like a divine hammer punishing heresy, smashing straight into the iron staff.

Clang—

A muffled, oppressive clang of metal rang out, deafening and echoing. Du Gu Bieli charged forward, swept aside the foe’s arm, and his large hand pressed against the man’s chest.

“It’s done,” the wolf said airily. He’d seen this sort of thing many times along the way; his nerves were honed to iron, and none of it surprised him anymore. He even blew a mocking breath, jesting, “Ashes to ashes…”

Rustle—

In truth, that warrior was no weakling; to challenge and kill another champion alone marked him as one of the strong. But luck was against him—he’d run into someone even more monstrous, who gave him no chance to speak, dispatched him instantly, and left not even a bone behind.

The young man stood stunned, utterly shocked by the sudden turn of events, too dazed to give thanks, muttering to himself, “So there really are true prodigies in this world… I’ve finally seen one…”

“Hey, kid,” the wolf called out carelessly as he stepped forward, “Hand over the talisman. Live to be useful—go home and keep protecting your people.”

The youth obediently handed over the black talisman. At that moment, the black light it emitted began to dim.

“Let’s go,” said Du Gu Bieli, lifting the little girl into his arms. Seeing her beaming with happiness, he kissed her and asked, “Not scared anymore?”

“Not scared, not scared!” she replied with clear, childlike innocence, blinking her big eyes. “With big brother here, I’m never afraid again.”

“Wait,” the youth called out after they’d only taken a few steps. He’d finally come to his senses and hurriedly spoke up. When he saw two of the men’s displeased expressions, he hastily explained, half nervous, half fearful, “I mean no harm—I’m not trying to get the talisman back. I just want to ask—could you… let me come along? I’m useful, not a deadweight—I’m a warrior too… and I have a rather odd ability…”

“What is it?”

“I… I…” The youth swallowed, stammering, “I can… sense… the presence of black talismans…”

“Oh?” Wolf and Du Gu Bieli exchanged looks, both deeply surprised. Wolf gaped and stammered, “Is that how you found the first talisman?”

The youth nodded vigorously, speaking timidly, “I don’t know what happened exactly, or what’s wrong with me, but I really can sense the talismans. As long as I get close, I can detect them.”

“That’s pretty useful…” Wolf was amazed. He turned to Du Gu Bieli and whispered, “We may be a team, but in the end, it’s still a matter of headcount. To get everyone through, we need four talismans or forty tokens, and tokens aren’t easy to collect.”

“Then let’s bring him along—he’s one of us now.” Du Gu Bieli was no fool; he knew at once that fortune had smiled on them. Why refuse? Another member might seem to increase the difficulty, but in fact, it would save time, effort, and worry.

“Really?” The youth was overjoyed, thanking them repeatedly, scarcely believing he wasn’t dreaming.

The black glow had faded. After Wolf stowed away the talisman, he nodded to Du Gu Bieli, who said, “Let’s go—let’s search elsewhere.”

They returned through the breached passage and headed for another. The five began their new search. Not long after, several other groups arrived, stunned by the empty corridor and the stone walls battered open by brute force.

“What kind of champion is this—so fierce?”

“Fierce, indeed. Tremendous potential, strong foundation, and unlike that mad scion of the Kuang family—not crazed and indiscriminate when fighting, but full of feeling and loyalty. A fine seedling…” The elder of the Chaotic Canopy revealed a pair of enormous eyes, gazing down from afar at everything happening in the maze below. Judging by his muttering, he’d developed a keen interest and expectation for Du Gu Bieli, as well as a sense of bafflement and awe. “Turning a man directly to ash—what kind of technique is that?”

...

Xiaohua had no parents since childhood, raised by the whole village. Grateful, he’d resolved from a young age to cultivate diligently, to gain great strength and protect the elders and children of his home.

His efforts weren’t in vain. At only seventeen, he’d entered the ranks of the warriors, opening five Fountains of Strength, standing at the very peak of his class. With one more opportunity, he would become a general—an object of reverence. He was also the only warrior in his village.

But lacking much experience in life-and-death situations, his skills were somewhat lacking.

This was Xiaohua, the newest member of the team.

Eager to prove his worth, he took the lead, constantly striving to sense the next talisman.

The broad corridor wound endlessly; after a full day’s journey, they found nothing. As the five prepared to rest, a group of ten approached from ahead. The two parties passed each other without incident, but the last man, glancing back, suddenly halted and called out with a half-smile, “Hey, you guys need to get your eyes checked. Look—there’s a black character right there.”

“Black?” The nine in front froze, then suddenly realized, exclaiming, “A talisman? That talisman!”

Their eyes blazed with naked killing intent. Clearly seasoned in sudden conflict, they moved swiftly and instantly surrounded Du Gu Bieli and his group. One of them, excited, demanded, “Hand over the talisman now, or die!”

“What a nuisance.” Glancing up at the black character floating overhead, Du Gu Bieli said to Wolf and Xiaohua, “Protect the girls—the rest is mine.”

“Huh?” Xiaohua was dumbfounded, stammering, “Ten… warriors… how do we fight…”

Wolf snorted. “You’ve only seen a fraction of what Old Man Du Gu can do. Relax, just watch the show. All we have to do is keep the little sister and the girl safe—he’ll have no worries.”

Xiaohua swallowed hard, unable to calm his nerves, but he and Wolf spread out to shield the two girls.

“You want the talisman?” Du Gu Bieli strode out easily, not the least bit flustered. “It’s right here on me. If you want it, come and take it.”

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