Chapter 190: The Death of Captain Wang (Part One)
Chapter 190: The Death of Captain Wang (Part One)
“Wings of Frost!”
The thought that he might have missed Tang Yilin made Tang Jinbiao’s eyes suddenly brighten with hope. With a silent shout within his heart…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Following Tang Jinbiao’s internal command, his Qi Energy surged violently from the silver Frost Qi pond the size of a fist inside him. It instantly spread throughout his body, coursing through his veins.
At the same time, a huge pair of translucent, Frost Crystal-colored bone wings materialized on his back.
Whoosh!
The Wings of Frost instantly spread to a length of nearly ten feet, flapping slowly.
Viewed from a distance, these Wings of Frost appeared incredibly beautiful. Clad entirely in white, Tang Jinbiao now resembled an Ice Phoenix.
“Damn! This damned brat gave me a fright! Never saw him use a flying Martial Technique before, thought he couldn’t!”
Seeing the massive Wings of Frost sprouting from Tang Jinbiao’s back, the Azure Dragon stopped and cursed under his breath with deep dissatisfaction.
If Tang Jinbiao really fell to his death, who would the Azure Dragon even complain to? He’d have had no one to vent his grievances to.
Of course, seeing Tang Jinbiao was safe, the Azure Dragon’s mind settled slightly. At least for now, Tang Jinbiao wouldn’t suffer against Captain Wang in the short term.
Though, prolonging it wouldn’t work either, as flying Martial Techniques consumed Qi Energy intensely. Though Tang Jinbiao’s Frost Qi was peculiar, it wasn’t abundant.
These Wings of Frost weren’t some profound Secret Art, merely a basic flying Martial Technique. After all, not every Body Refiner could achieve the Fourth Rank of Body Refining. Nor could every Body Refiner just wait until after achieving the Fourth Tier before engaging in combat. If Body Refiners couldn’t fight before reaching the Fourth Tier, their very existence would be pointless.
Combat could turn fatal in an instant. Imagine saying to your opponent mid-fight: “Hold on! I can’t fly yet! Let’s resume when I can!” Wasn’t that absurd?
During his solitary training period outside the Divine Wind Academy, Tang Jinbiao had secretly gleaned some knowledge and practiced covertly. This was his very first attempt at manifesting the technique.
“Fly!”
Seeing he could successfully form the Wings of Frost on his first attempt, Tang Jinbiao felt a slight thrill inside. His previous reluctance was due to his weak Qi Energy reserves, barely sufficient for ordinary battles. But after this long period of accumulation and strengthening of his Divine Sense, his confidence grew enough to attempt it.
Naturally, this served another purpose: testing the Azure Dragon’s attitude toward him.
“Hmph, seems this Azure Dragon truly doesn’t want me dead!”
Tang Jinbiao was satisfied with the Azure Dragon’s reaction. A smirk curled on his lips as he regarded the dragon with a meaningful gaze.
Thud!
Locked under that stare, the Azure Dragon gave a start and immediately grasped the situation. An internal curse surfaced: Fuck, this damned brat is toying with me!
“Hmph!”
Though unaware of the exact wording, Tang Jinbiao knew the Azure Dragon’s internal grumbling wasn’t flattering. He chuckled coldly and declared crisply, “Ah Huang! I appreciate your attitude. Whether out of genuine intention to save me, or merely to pressure me into lifting your Seal, I’m pleased. Perhaps I might dissolve your first layer of Seal before long!”
“What?”
Caught off guard by Tang Jinbiao’s scheming, anger flickered momentarily in the Azure Dragon’s eyes. But on hearing Tang Jinbiao mention dissolving the first layer of his Seal, that anger instantly dissolved into astonishment. He stared at Tang Jinbiao almost disbelievingly.
“No need for doubt. While I, Tang Jinbiao, may not be an honorable man, I keep my word. For now, guard the air above. I’m heading down to deal with that man. If anyone approaches… Handle those you can drive away. For those too troublesome, you know what to do. I trust your power.”
As if to reassure, Tang Jinbiao affirmed resolutely.
“Fine! I agree! As long as it’s not a Nascent Soul Cultivator approaching… But let anyone who has the audacity dare intrude – I guarantee their annihilation!”
Tang Jinbiao’s promise sent a surge of excitement into Azure Dragon’s eyes as it replied.
Although only one layer of the restriction would be lifted, a restriction with seven layers was undeniably reduced by one. Once released, even if Tang Jinbiao reapplied it, Azure Dragon was confident it could break it on its own. After all, the gap in their realms was evident.
Restrictions placed by Huang Biaozi were beyond Azure Dragon’s ability to unravel. Be it something like the Divine Confinement Seal or even a casually applied ordinary restriction by Huang Biaozi, Azure Dragon couldn’t break them. But Tang Jinbiao was different; even a Divine Confinement Seal in his hands couldn’t be that powerful.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Tremendous energy burst forth from Azure Dragon as it howled at the sky. The energy exploded outward in all directions, sweeping through like autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.
The sheer power of this aura surpassed that of an ordinary Early-stage Golden Core cultivator; it neared the strength of a Late Core Formation Stage cultivator approaching perfection, even brushing against the might of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Instantly, this aura enveloped an area of over ten li in radius, its presence distinctly palpable even thirty li away.
“Hmm?”
Feeling the immense pressure of this aura, Tang Jinbiao’s expression changed slightly. But a smile soon spread across his face. The stronger the aura, the fewer troublemakers would dare intrude, making his confrontation with Captain Wang that much easier.
Though Tang Jinbiao didn’t view Captain Wang as a particularly formidable opponent, his past contact with that strange Talisman/Protective Amulet had shown him its extraordinary nature. A fierce battle was likely ahead. This was precisely why Tang Jinbiao had drawn the Frost Silver Spear the moment they faced each other.
“Alright, Ah Huang, stand guard! I’ll be right back!”
Tang Jinbiao ignored Azure Dragon after the command. Flapping his pristine jade-like Wings of Frost, he descended towards the chaotic pile of rocks below.
“Master, please rest assured!”
Azure Dragon, now immersed in the joy of having the first layer Seal potentially lifted, focused solely on unleashing its aura.
…
As Tang Jinbibo slowly descended towards the ground, high in the sky two hundred li away, more than ten massive Flying Chariots crept steadily towards this direction.
At the forefront fluttered a banner, high and defiant. Embroidered upon it were two large, distinct characters: “Divine Wind”!
The immense banner snapped and rustled in the wind.
Beneath the banner stood a student clad in the signature blue robe of the Divine Wind Academy. Handsome with a delicate air, he stood at the very front, chin resting on his hands as he stared with an inscrutable gaze towards the vast expanse of snow-capped peaks ahead.
Had Tang Jinbiao been present, he’d have instantly recognized him: Jia Longwu.
Jia Longwu’s expression was vacant, like that of a lovesick young maiden, his eyes unfocused towards the front. Softly, he murmured, “Tang Jinbiao, where are you? How fare you?”
Just then, a man in his forties emerged. He wore green robes, his presence exuding the aura of an Early-stage Golden Core cultivator, his face grave. At a glance, it was evident he was not a student of the Divine Wind Academy.
Seeing Jia Longwu standing at the bow of the lead Flying Chariot softened the man’s solemn expression a fraction as he approached slowly.
“Huh? Why is Captain Jia acting so strange today? Normally, she’d notice anyone the moment they appeared nearby. But today, there’s no reaction?”
The man moved towards Jia Longwu, puzzled by her unresponsiveness.
Ordinarily, without a restricting barrier to shield him, Jia Longwu could detect any of her cultivators within ten zhang of her. Today was peculiar; the man had reached a step behind her before Jia Longwu reacted at all.
Standing behind her, the man took in Jia Longwu’s expression. He froze briefly, then a flicker of amusement glinted in his eyes. Unable to suppress a chuckle, he thought to himself, “Aha! So, Captain Jia is lovesick, pining for her betrothed!”
“Who’s there?”
The moment the man chuckled, Jia Longwu snapped back to reality. She instantly leaped back a zhang, demanding sharply. When she saw the man clearly, she paused, an awkward apology coloring her face. “Ah, it’s Uncle Ma! Apologies for my rudeness just now!”
“Heh, no matter. I only hope I didn’t startle Captain Jia,” the man surnamed Ma replied with an ambiguous, half-smiling expression before cutting directly to the point. “I came to report. The road ahead seems troubled. Should we detour?”
“Did he perhaps discover something?”
Seeing that expression on Uncle Ma’s face, Jia Longwu’s face flushed with embarrassment. Watching her reaction only deepened the man’s urge to laugh.
“No! Regardless of what he might think, he doesn’t actually know who I was thinking of! Hmph!”
Jia Longwu quickly regained composure, straightened her posture, lifted her chin, her face turning cold and authoritative. “Report, Uncle Ma! Are there cultivators battling ahead?”
“Such innate command. Truly a pity she was born a woman,” Uncle Ma thought silently, impressed by her quick recovery but betraying nothing. “That remains unclear. According to the detectors, only the aura of a Sixth-Level Demon Beast near its peak, bordering on seventh-level, and indications of a massive Formation/Array exist ahead. No presence of other cultivators has been registered.”
“What? Are you saying it’s likely powerful Body Refiners engaged in combat?” Jia Longwu grasped the implication immediately.
The middle-aged man replied, “I cannot confirm that, but it is highly plausible. The intelligence of a Sixth-Level Demon Beast would be insufficient to set up a Formation/Array. Therefore, powerful Body Refiners battling the beast is a strong possibility. Alternatively, cultivators might have been driven by the beast into a Formation/Array, trapping them.”
“Hmm, let me ponder… A Sixth-Level Demon Beast poses no significant threat to us, yet it cannot be slain lightly. Without deploying thunderous blows, casualties are possible! However… this offers a prime opportunity. The younger cultivators need the tempering; to avoid helplessness when challenging greater beasts inside the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain later. Yes. We proceed!”
Resolve swiftly crystalized in Jia Longwu’s mind. Raising her head, eyes steely with certainty, she commanded the middle-aged man: “Continue forward!”
“Yes!”
With Captain Jia’s confirmation, the man bowed and retreated back into the Flying Chariot.
“Could you be there?”
After Uncle Ma withdrew, Jia Longwu returned to the prow. Gazing once more towards the horizon, eyes filled with hopeful longing, she echoed her earlier whisper.