NOVPUB
Chapter 76: The Night of Judgment 5
Aldrian took out the bow and an arrow, the aura from the artifact spreading as though it demanded recognition from everyone around. He had decided to pull out the divine artifact given to him by Emperor Thonias, his legacy weapon, the Earth Shattering Bow, along with the Wind Slasher Arrow.
This time, he needed to end the beast quickly, or the destruction it would cause would be immense. The Black Rock Snake was one of the most venomous creatures on the continent, but now that it had reached the emperor stage, it could turn entire regions into a no man’s land, rendering the land barren and uninhabitable, filled with its deadly venom and poison.
He didn’t want to rely on a divine artifact like the Earth Shattering Bow, but he had no choice. If only he had a Heaven-grade sword, then he could use Slash of the End. He couldn’t unleash the full power of the Slash of the End with just sword shaped energy. With that in mind, he finally resolved to use the divine artifact, though he wasn’t sure what the outcome of its strike would be.
The Black Rock Snake, gazing up at the small figure of Aldrian high in the sky, suddenly felt a terrible aura emanating from the bow Aldrian had just taken out. A surge of bad feeling filled its heart, telling him that if the strike from the bow came down, it would be the end. His instinct as the emperor stage beast were keen, and he trusted his instict completely.
"Die!" the beast roared, lunging upward and spitting venom laced with corrosive properties. To its surprise, the venom halted mid-air and then rebounded back toward it. Aldrian had used his water element comprehension to control the poisonous liquid.
Unable to dodge with its massive body, the venom splashed across its own scales. The sizzle of burning flesh filled the air, enraging the creature further. In a fury, it increased its speed, surging toward Aldrian. All the while, its body continued to emerge from the depths of hole, revealing just how massive the emperor stage Black Rock Snake truly was.
Aldrian continued flying upward, using his energy manipulation within his domain until the snake could no longer keep up. His domain extended to a height of 550 kilometers, making it impossible for the snake to catch him if Aldrian chose to ascend to avoid it.
Without wasting any time, he readied the bow, notching the arrow and drawing the string. As he pulled, he gathered energy from within his domain, not just the newly created domain in this city, but also the domain of the Ivory Empire. The air trembled with the immense concentration of energy surging from Aldrian’s body, and the divine bow shone with golden energy, exuding a mighty aura.
Agrin felt a deep trepidation in his heart as he sensed the aura from the bow, now amplified by the surge of golden energy. He was certain that a strike from this bow would kill him a thousand times over if it hit.
Unable to catch Aldrian, who was flying high in the sky, the snake finally dropped its upper body to the ground. With a swift movement, it coiled its body and, using all its strength, launched itself into the air. The giant snake finally emerged completely from the hole, revealing the full glory of the emperor stage Black Rock Snake. The sight of the two kilometer long serpent launching into the sky horrified many who witnessed it.
The speed of the giant creature was so great that its movement created a powerful windstorm, whipping up the surrounding clouds. Finally, Aldrian completed his preparation and, seeing the incoming giant snake filled with rage, smiled.
"I call this technique Divine Arrow’s Judgment."
As he released the bowstring, a brilliant golden light flared from the arrow. The combined might of the domains and Aldrian’s comprehension of archery was unleashed in this single strike. The air along the arrow’s path became so chaotic that it generated a thunderstorm, followed by the collapse of space itself.
The fabric of space couldn’t contain the arrow’s power, resulting in spatial cracks forming along its trajectory. The giant snake, already in mid-air preparing to strike Aldrian, couldn’t evade the attack and was mercilessly pierced by the arrow. It obliterated part of the snake’s body and dragged its immense form back towards the western peak.
"NO!" Agrin screamed as he witnessed the strike—a force unlike anything he had ever felt—descend from the sky, leading to what could only be described as a catastrophe.
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A minute ago,
At the base of Dual Horns Peak, people were going about their business when suddenly they felt a tremor from the ground. They instinctively tried to steady themselves, confused by the unexpected earthquake. A few quickly looked up at the mountain peak, their faces reflecting terror.
"What is that?"
"That’s a giant beast!"
A loud, shrieking sound echoed throughout the city, causing the hearts of the entire populace to shudder. The terrifying aura of the middle emperor stage beast spread expansively, making many stop in their tracks and tremble with fear.
The city guards, observing the beast from a distance, struggled to suppress their own fear as they attempted to coordinate their response. Suddenly, one of the commanders issued an order to stay in position.
"Commander Jin, what are you doing? We need to help evacuate the citizens around the mountain!" one of the battalion commanders shouted.
"We can’t send our men up the mountain recklessly!" Commander Jin responded. "My battalion will move toward the northern gate to help organize the evacuation of the citizens."
Commander Jin, having been knocked out by Aldrian, woke up confused in the interrogation room. When he discovered that all the children he had been holding had been released, he was furious and ordered a search. However, shortly after, his master, Agrin Lavin, contacted him with an urgent update about an accelerated plan but provided few details.
Agrin instructed Commander Jin to act as if his battalion was helping the citizens, but in reality, they were to lock down the city to maximize the destruction. Consequently, Jin halted the search and prepared for the night’s operation.
When the giant beast suddenly emerged from the mountain, Jin wondered if the plan had been put into motion too soon. He questioned why there had been no prior warning from Master Agrin. Despite these concerns, he knew he had to follow the plan. Without consulting the other battalion commanders, he led his battalion, which was secretly composed of devils, toward the northern gate.
The long-awaited operation to find the ’thing’ was about to begin. As they moved swiftly toward the northern gate, they suddenly stopped and looked up at the western peak where the giant beast was. Jin felt an overwhelming aura that made his skin crawl and saw a brief flash of golden light at the top of the mountain before it vanished into the ground.
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Inside one of the largest brothels in the red district, the woman in the red robe looked at the mountain with a shocked expression. The appearance of the Black Rock Snake at the middle emperor stage was beyond her expectations, leaving her at a loss. Suddenly, a woman in a black cloak appeared behind her and reported:
"Ma’am, the unknown group has attacked the Yu family Manor!"
The ground continued to tremble from the giant snake’s movements, intensifying the situation. The woman in the red robe gritted her teeth as she gazed at the massive beast now atop the western peak.
"We were careless! I didn’t expect something like this to be hidden right under our noses!"
She had always kept a close watch on the city lord’s manor. Since news of the events in the Ivory Empire spread across the continent, every major power had been strengthening their defenses and intelligence to detect any potential devil infiltrations.
She was one of the agents to monitor the city. Her role as an informant had been crucial in keeping the devils in check, but discovering that the devils had outpaced her made her feel foolish for being outsmarted.
"We must ensure that whatever the devils want inside the Yu family manor is not taken! Send the Rose Garden to the Yu family Manor! As for the rest, let’s contain that beast while helping the citizens evacuate!"
"Yes, ma’am!" The black cloaked woman replied and disappeared. The woman in the red robe grabbed a sword from the table and rushed outside the brothel to call for her other subordinates.
Once outside, she was stunned and looked up at the mountain as she suddenly felt a mighty aura. In that split second, she saw a golden light descend from the sky towards the western peak.
A moment later, a scene unfolded that the people of Dual Horns Peak City would never forget.
BOOOOM!!!!
