Chapter 62: Desperate Situation

The two fireballs flew much faster than a person could run, basically matching the speed of an ordinary swift horse. Especially since sparks were flying in all directions from the two fiery flames, the high-temperature sparks forced the thugs of the Black Tiger Family around them to stay back, and they could only awkwardly dodge to both sides.

Bar, who had succeeded with one slash, sneered coldly, “Two puny Divine Art Masters, how dare you run wild here!”

Just now, that slash easily cut through the protective Divine Art of Ya and Ling, allowing Bar to accurately judge the two girls’ cultivation level. Corresponding to the nine colors and nine levels of the Knights, the Church’s Divine Art Masters also had similar nine ranks. Divine Art Masters from the first to third ranks were called the ‘Mortal Rank’ by the Church, those from fourth to sixth ranks were called the ‘Spirit Rank’, and the highest three ranks of Divine Art Masters were called the ‘Honor Rank’.

In the long war with the Five Great Archipelagos, to unify the Continent’s understanding of different professions, the ranks of Divine Art Masters and even mages were clearly marked with nine colors, just like the nine major ranks of Knights. And like the Knights, when Divine Art Masters and mages made a move, regardless of what kind of spell they cast, there would always be some corresponding colored light that appeared matching their rank.

When Bar’s scythe shattered the two girls’ protective Divine Art, within the scattering flames, there was a faint shimmer of deep green light. This proved that the two girls only had strength equivalent to that of an Earth Rank Intermediate Stage Knight—utterly no match for Bar, who had already stepped into the Celestial Knight realm.

Seeing the two girls flee while the thugs couldn’t get close, Bar let out a weird, cackling laugh, stepping in a strange manner, light and ethereal like a ghost, swiftly closing in on the two girls. He swung his long scythe again, this time aiming to slash at the girls’ waists.

“The Young Master said you must die, so you must die!” Bar’s eyes turned red with excitement. A pair of beautiful twins, and also Divine Art Masters of the Church—how wonderfully enjoyable it would be to cut down such enemies under his blade. Countless Wraiths had fallen to his blade, even including fierce beings like the Frost Titan, but such lovely, beautiful prey—this was his first encounter in his life.

The long scythe raised a soul-hooking, spirit-stealing shriek, and a deep blue halo swirled on its sharp blade. Heaven Rank Lower Stage—this was Bar’s true strength. Without such power, how could he alone control the tens of thousands of sailors, ruffians, thugs, scoundrels, and those vicious wanted criminals who scrambled for a living in Dun Er Ke Harbor?

Ya and Ling felt a chilling wind attack from behind. Bar, dressed in a Black Robe, with a pale face almost like a Malicious Ghost, had already pounced to their rear. They could even feel Bar’s breath. Like his appearance, Bar’s breath was icy and bone-piercing; the air he exhaled was even colder than the frigid winds blowing from the Odin Ice Plain.

With a sizzle, the protective Divine Art the two girls had barely managed to reinforce shattered once more, but this time, before Bar’s scythe could strike their bodies, the two girls simultaneously crushed a small red scroll hidden in their sleeves. They shouted in unison, “Protection of the Fire Deity! Those who disregard the Deity’s dignity shall be punished!”

A golden-red flame, like melted colored glaze, shot out from the girls’ sleeves and swiftly surrounded them, forming a sturdy shield. Bar’s scythe struck the shield heavily. With a loud bang, Bar’s scythe vibrated violently, and the bright shield cracked with countless fissures. Then, a dazzling flame, accompanied by a long, dragon-like roar, transformed into a two-foot-long, winged wyvern that shot straight out, heading right for Bar’s chest.

Bar’s face changed. He let go of his scythe, his hands covered in a layer of pitch-black mist, with a faint blood-red shimmer at the edges. Countless deep blue light threads mixed within the mist. Bar’s claws, like iron hooks, reached forward and firmly grabbed the wyvern, which was entirely composed of high-purity Divine Power.

“Heartless women! With this spell’s power, do you want to destroy this entire area?” Bar’s hands sizzled as they were burned by the flames on the wyvern’s body. Enduring the severe pain, Bar suddenly spun rapidly, using all his strength to throw the wyvern toward the seawater on one side of the harbor.

The wyvern hit the water, and with a tremendous roar, a large area of sea surface about a hundred meters across bulged up into a huge water dome. The deafening sound was like thunder; the wyvern blasted up a water column tens of meters high, and the waves it raised caused nearby ships to rock violently.

With this loud explosion, not only the residents near Seafront Avenue but the entire Dun Er Ke was awakened.

Rapid gong sounds came from all directions, and sharp alarm whistles sounded from the garrison outposts densely located around Dun Er Ke. The Hundred-Year Land-Island War had ended thirty years ago, but Dun Er Ke had always maintained wartime alert standards, only slightly lowered. Now, such a huge explosion woke the entire city’s residents. The Garrison Army from the barracks, the Copper Helmets from the Dun Er Ke Garrison Office, and the civilian defense team organized by Dun Er Ke itself all mobilized, countless torches converging toward the docks.

Lin Qi had already rushed to the dock with several guards, shouting sharply, “Finish this quickly! Heavy Crossbows, shoot them dead!”

The grating sound of steel crossbow strings being drawn echoed, and in the darkness, the clacking of mechanisms turning could be heard. Bar snorted coldly. Enduring the pain of his hand’s skin being burned away by the flames, he reached out from afar and retrieved his scythe. He charged like a gust of wind, once again reaching behind the two girls, and slashed at their backs once more.

The Divine Art shield, already cracked from the earlier strike, shattered with a loud crash. The two girls cried out in alarm, their fingers twitching as they prepared to crush another powerful Divine Art Talisman hidden in their sleeves.

But the well-trained thugs of the Black Tiger Family didn’t give them the chance. Thirty thugs holding Heavy Crossbows emerged from the darkness. Aiming at the two girls’ brightly glowing figures in the night, they simultaneously pulled the triggers.

With eerie screeches, thirty two-foot-long, thumb-thick Crossbow Bolts, made entirely of black steel blended with volcanic red silver—specifically designed to kill the thick-skinned rhinoceros riders among the Alien Races of the Five Great Archipelagos—shot forth at invisible speed, brutally piercing the flames protecting the two girls.

The Hunting Crossbow could pierce through the bodies of the Beastfolk’s rhinoceros riders’ three-horned savage rhinos, with terrifyingly great force, far beyond what could be compared to thrown battle axes by human strength. The girls’ flames could block those axe attacks but couldn’t withstand the power of these bolts.

Under the firelight, the thirty Crossbow Bolts quickly closed in. The two girls were so frightened their minds went blank. Instinctively, they released all the Divine Power within their bodies simultaneously. A fiery tornado swept around them, and their bodies spun and shifted rapidly with the whirlwind.

A scream of pain rang out as the two girls’ bodies, spraying blood, flew more than a dozen steps away.

Both Ya and Ling were hit by three to five Crossbow Bolts. The pure steel bolts pierced through their bodies, leaving fist-sized holes in their shoulders and thighs. What made the two girls even more desperate was that one bolt had penetrated Ya’s lower abdomen, and blood continuously spurted from the wound.

The two girls let out cries of despair.