Chapter 117 - Jin Fen’s Fiery Entrance
——(POV third person, Li Huang and others)——
~'Are you sure she won't use this to cause you trouble after the trial?'~ Hu Anjing asked Li Huang. She didn't want He Junli to use this to her advantage. She knew that Li Huang had a plan so she asked him directly.
~'She can't. It is not the matter of our sect, there were three other groups from the holy lands with us so it won't be something that their sect can handle easily and that aside, this is going to be known by others and even if they don't want to, they have to do something about it.'~ Li Huang answered her. He knew that He Junli would try to do something after the trial but he had a plan in action for that even now. With what he had in mind, He Junli would be so preoccupied that she can't come after him.
When Li Huang and Hu Anjing were talking with sound transmission, Cai ZhenKang got near Li Huang and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Li Huang, you have a problem communicating with women but don't worry, I can teach you." Cai ZhenKang said. He wanted to change the gloomy atmosphere as they still had a few hours and having this mood wouldn't help them at all.
Li Huang couldn't help but laugh, the fact that someone like Cai ZhenKang is telling him that he can't communicate with the opposite gender was really funny to him.
"It would be an honor to learn from the legendary ZhenKang the lady killer himself." Li Huang cupped his fists and said.
…
They had some conversations about the white moon sect before they got separated but they didn't talk much as they knew that these final hours will be hectic. Along the way, Cai ZhenKang also checked on Kong Zexi who was ready to get back on the battlefield. Well, he was ready before Cai ZhenKang punched him on the head for getting injured.
"Doesn't the lack of beasts show that the punishment is finished?" Cai ZhenKang said. It has been 20 minutes that they have been back to their wall but there is no sign of new beasts as if the punishment has finished.
"No, it can't be that, if it was so the old man would show up and he would give us a life lesson." Li Huang shook his head and said. That old man wouldn't be happy with just this and Li Huang didn't think that they would be having an easy time as a result of that.
"What is the plan now?" Li Wanrou asked.
"…I think there is a change in these beasts' behavior. They might have understood that they can't fight us from all fronts so they are getting ready to attack us from one flank but with full force." Li Huang said and he was ready for remarks that Cai ZhenKang would throw at him.
"HAHAHA, what is next? Do the beasts come and drink tea with us?" Cai ZhenKang said. He didn't think that the beasts have enough intelligence to do such a thing.
Li Huang rolled his eyes at Cai ZhenKang.
"Just look at the beast hordes. Throughout the time that we were fighting them, they kept on getting better. With each horde, they got bigger, better, and stronger so it is not weird if there is a few of them who can control the horde." Li Huang explained as he dabbled in conspiracy theory. He was ready for this possibility from day one of the punishment but didn't tell anyone as he didn't want to give it more chance of happening.
"…And there is also the old man who can be the one guiding the beast and act as their general so this possibility is a danger that we should consider." Li Huang finished with this. He was almost sure that they had to fight until the very end of the trial so this free time didn't sit well with him.
"If that were to happen we have to get ready for it." Hu Anjing said.
"Yes, arrange the meeting and let everyone know that we might have to fight in a united front in these last hours." Li Huang said and wanted Hu Anjing to get the disciples updated on the new developments but the old man had different plans for them.
Behind Li Huang, the horizon started getting filled with black dots as the beasts were getting closer to the fort and they numbered in hundreds of thousands. Seeing this scene Cai ZhenKang gulped his saliva as he was the one who saw this first hand.
"I think everyone would get to know about it themselves." Cai ZhenKang said as he pointed a finger toward the beast horde.
Li Huang turned and saw the size of the horde that was getting toward the fort.
"…Shit." Li Huang said as he was putting on storage rings and different defensive treasures as he was looking at the horde that would reach the fort in a minute or so.
"This is Hu Anjing, relocate to eastern walls. Everyone, relocate to the eastern walls." Hu Anjing used the emergency communication device to let everyone in the fort know that they have to get their asses here as soon as possible.
"Li Huang, if we get out of here alive, I will invite you to spar with me." Cai ZhenKang said. He wanted to motivate Li Huang to fight with all his power.
Li Huang who heard Cai ZhenKang stopped for a second as he felt weird by this.
"Suddenly I have less motivation to fight the horde." Li Huang said and they both laughed.
Li Wanrou who was readying her spears and defensive gear stood beside Li Huang and spoke to Cai ZhenKang.
"If Huang has an injury after this fight, the Li Family will hold you responsible." She said and the smile on Cai ZhenKang's face turned stiff. He didn't know how in the world Li Huang's injury has anything to do with him but he couldn't say anything to Li Wanrou as he was afraid of her.
Seeing this Li Huang laughed more as he knew that Li Wanrou was playing with Cai ZhenKang. Li Wanrou also smiled a little.
Hu Anjing who teleported to the wall to let them know what is going on and what to expect just got back and looked at everyone.
"This is a battle that I can use my full power in." Hu Anjing said. She was restraining herself so that she doesn't break through to the next realm all along the trial and after the last formation, she had to do so actively because she was at the peak of the twelfth stage of the Meridian formation realm.
"It is certainly so…" Li Huang said. He too was ready for a fight as he was sure that Jin Fen would show up in this battle if he has any thoughts of showing up.
Ye Ling, Lai Xinyue, Dai Bao, Mo Hui, and every other disciple on the battlefield were ready to fight these beasts as they only had 4 hours left on the trial itself so holding on for that long was their plan.
"On a side note, if anyone saw Jin Fen, kill him." Li Huang said and every disciple from the heavenly sword sect nodded with a frown. With Li Huang's words, they were reminded that all these fights were because of that idiot, Jin Fen. And not only did he create all these problems he ran like it has nothing to do with him.
"Who the hell is Jin Fen?" Cai ZhenKang asked. This was the question of everyone who was not from the heavenly sword sect.
"I will tell you later, it is a waste of time to talk about him now…" Li Huang didn't say anything as he didn't want to create a distraction when everyone needs to focus on the upcoming fight.
From behind them, every disciple who participated in the trial and was a member of close-range fighters got out of portals one by one.
Even He Junli could be seen on the wall. She didn't want to be here but Li Huang's threats were fresh on her mind so she didn't resist coming here.
"Wha—" Zheng Jingyi wanted to ask what is going on but he saw with his own eyes that the horde was getting near the fort at a high speed.
"Yes, it seems to be the last horde. Let us finish this." Li Huang said and everyone who just got here started gearing up more than they had before this.
…
Four hours passed and everyone fought the horde with all they got. The horde was strong but they were stronger. Well, for the most part, they were richer as they could use expensive items and defensive treasures that would be akin to having a second life.
The prolonged fight and the high number of the beasts made it so that every disciple had to cover an area and the stronger participants, mostly the leaders and vice leaders had to cover even larger areas.
When the fight was drawing close Jin Fen saw his chance to attack the exhausted Li Huang who has been fighting none stop.
Teleporting behind him, he slashed his sword toward Li Huang's neck.
"Li Huang, yo—" He tried to trash talk but Li Huang who have been faking exhaustion was ready for him and attacked him with twenty different scrolls and ten attacks with piercing fingers of the [Eclipse devourer] sword art to make sure that he is dead. He used two-thirds of his Qi reserves with these attacks so he swallowed the pill that he had in his mouth to replenish his Qi.
He also used a treasure that he had acquired before the trial as he was paranoid that a heaven's favorite might be able to survive with only his soul and somehow reform a body or something. This artifact is called [Soul Scorcher] as it will destroy the soul of however that is hit with it. Li Huang used this as an icing on the cake so that there is no way that Jin Fen could even remotely be a problem in the future.
He also didn't wait for the dust to settle and used Qi to clear the area and see Jin Fen's remains. Li Huang didn't want to wait and let Jin Fen have a chance to surprise him.
When the dust was no longer obscuring the view Li Huang could see Jin Fen's body. He had lost one shoulder and half of his skull and his heart was pierced by the piercing finger attacks so there was now a hole there.
'Might have used too many resources but it is always better to be safe than sorry…' Li Huang thought as he looked at Jin Fen's lifeless body.. Even now that he was dead you could see that arrogant look on his half-destroyed face.