Chapter 116: Collapse

Among the myriad of treasures radiating light, the brilliance emitted by Chu Jie’s Universe Treasure Wheel was the most formidable, its glow nearly suppressing the light of all other artifacts. Although everyone present was aware that Chu Jie possessed valuable items, they also knew he was not to be trifled with. Furthermore, since they were all currently focused on attacking Zhou Jie, no one had yet dared to challenge Chu Jie.

Numerous treasures bombarded Zhou Jie, fully revealing the power of his golden armor. A galaxy of light swirled around his body, dimming slightly at this moment as the armor absorbed a massive amount of spiritual energy from the star-like river. The golden light expanded infinitely, covering a radius of a thousand feet, shimmering like a scorching sun. Most of the artifacts were repelled, sent hurtling into the distance with such force that their owners could not regain control, and some warriors even coughed up blood from the backlash.

The ones who suffered the most were those in the center constructing the defensive perimeter. Many artifacts rebounded directly into their formation, striking their defensive barrier with intense force. More than a dozen individuals vomited blood, struggling to stabilize the formation through sheer suppression.

In the air, for every rotation of the galaxy around Zhou Jie’s body, his aura grew a fraction stronger. "That must be the galaxy that only Star Core Realm warriors possess," Chu Jie thought, his eyes lighting up. Before Zhou Jie reached the Star Core Realm, he had never seen such a phenomenon. It did not look like a treasure at all, but rather a band of energy formed by highly compressed spiritual power. Without reaching the Star Core Realm, one could not comprehend the mysteries of that galaxy, making Chu Jie even more eager to attain that level.

Two beams of blood-red light, three feet long, shot from Zhou Jie’s eyes. His state was now even more powerful than when he had been pursuing Chu Jie. The long sword in his hand had also changed; runes emerged along its surface, and the blade glowed with a sinister radiance, as if stained with fresh blood. Zhou Jie slashed the blood sword toward the warriors on the ground. A colossal, crimson blade manifested in the heavens, and wherever it struck, those unable to dodge were ground into pulp, leaving fissures several feet deep in the earth.

As the galaxy around Zhou Jie’s body circled once more, the light of the blood sword intensified, and he struck again. Everyone scrambled to evade; those who were too slow met certain death.

"Boss Lin Yuetian, I've never heard of a golden-armored warrior having a move like this. What should we do?" someone near Lin Yuetian shouted. Lin Yuetian remained silent, seemingly searching for a countermeasure.

Meanwhile, because Chu Jie and his companions were positioned far from the center, the two blood-sword strikes caused them no harm. The immense offensive power Zhou Jie displayed when pushed to the limit left everyone in shock.

"Boss, should we leave?" Wu Long asked. In his view, remaining here might not result in Zhou Jie’s death, and there was no telling what other terrifying techniques he might possess. Zhou Jie was a subordinate of the Peerless Fiend; he surely possessed many extraordinary items, and the Fiend might have even passed down powerful techniques to him. Thus, defeating Zhou Jie seemed virtually impossible.

"Wait a little longer," Chu Jie said, frowning. He then asked abruptly, "Why hasn't a single Star Core Realm warrior from Blood-Slaughter City appeared?"

Wu Long replied, "There are some Star Core Realm warriors in Blood-Slaughter City, but none have emerged. Could it be they received some information and went to some unknown place?"

Chu Jie nodded. The Abyss of Gods and Demons held many unknown secrets, but now was not the time for exploration; their current objective was to kill Zhou Jie. However, doing so now seemed incredibly difficult.

Some had already grown fearful, and a few had deserted, fleeing the scene, though most remained. Under the assault of the blood sword, the defensive perimeter of fifty men had been severely compromised, leaving only thirty-odd survivors, their strength greatly diminished. Zhou Jie could no longer be contained, and he unleashed another wave of frenzied slaughter. Everyone realized this golden-armored warrior did not belong to Blood-Slaughter City, but was a powerhouse unique to the Abyss.

During the carnage, Zhou Jie caught sight of Chu Jie again, and his body abruptly paused. Chu Jie felt a surge of unease. Was Zhou Jie targeting him again? Was he truly so conspicuous that he could be noticed even from this distance?

At that moment, a frail warrior behind Zhou Jie attacked with a minor artifact. It looked tiny, trailing only a faint wisp of light, much like a tickle. Zhou Jie turned and roared at the weakling, who was so terrified he collapsed to the ground. Immediately after, Zhou Jie’s blood sword descended. Once he had killed that warrior, Zhou Jie turned back, but the aura that had puzzled him was gone, so he continued his massacre.

Chu Jie and his companions took advantage of the distraction to shift their position. Anyone chased by Zhou Jie was likely to die, so it was best to rely on the other warriors present and avoid standing out too much. Chu Jie kept contemplating how to slay Zhou Jie; with so many people gathered, there was a high probability of success, but the outcome remained uncertain until the very end. It was clear that even though Zhou Jie had lost his sanity, he would still hunt down anyone whose aura matched his or Duan Kun’s.

The temporary commander, Lin Yuetian, was issuing non-stop orders in an attempt to turn the tide, but it was proving extremely difficult. Zhou Jie was now blinded by bloodlust; everything his sword pointed at turned to ash, and the flesh and blood of the slain warriors were absorbed into the blade, further enhancing its power.

Chu Jie, wielding the Wolong Blade, stayed on the ground since he wasn't wearing golden armor. He occasionally struck at Zhou Jie before rapidly changing his location. Lin Yuetian eyed the Wolong Blade in Chu Jie’s hand, his eyes narrowing.

"Wang Shan's Wolong Blade, why is it in his hands? Could it be that he is even stronger than Wang Shan?" Lin Yuetian was perplexed, but he soon stopped dwelling on it. A third of his men were dead, yet they were still far from killing Zhou Jie. He had to finish this quickly, or the high-ranking officials who had entrusted these men to him would not show him mercy.

"The situation is at its peak. We've surrounded him several times, and now we finally have a chance—I must kill him," Lin Yuetian thought, staring at Zhou Jie in the sky. Just then, he realized Zhou Jie was looking back at him. A blood sword slashed toward him. At the moment of impending death, Lin Yuetian utilized an unknown method, finding a scapegoat to take the blow while he escaped. It appeared to be a mysterious displacement technique. The warrior who had been swapped into his place froze for a second before being slaughtered by the blood sword.

Chu Jie watched it all and shook his head. He found Lin Yuetian to be ruthless, willing to sacrifice his own men to survive. Based on his observations, the two hundred or so men Lin Yuetian had brought were all elite, well-trained experts, likely from various noble families. One-third had already perished, and their respective families would surely be aggrieved.

Having failed to kill his target, Zhou Jie’s eyes suddenly erupted with a foot-long beam of crimson light, scanning the surroundings. He slashed his blood sword three times in succession. Each time, Lin Yuetian used the displacement technique to dodge, indirectly causing the deaths of three of his own men. Yet, Lin Yuetian remained unharmed, though his face was deathly pale, indicating that the technique was taking a heavy toll on him.

"Everyone, stop him for me!" Lin Yuetian shouted in a panic. He was terrified; even though he could escape, he would soon be too exhausted to move if this continued. However, because the others had seen him using his subordinates as shields, few remained willing to obey him. The team that had once been as responsive as an extension of his own limbs now ignored his commands.

"You dare defy me? When we return to the center of the Abyss, you don't know how your family leaders will punish you!" Lin Yuetian roared, his voice filled with anxiety. He had a premonition that this battle was going to end in failure. Yet, if given the same opportunity, he would do it again, for no one's life was as precious as his own. Only by surviving could he accomplish his goals. Therefore, he had no regrets.

Just then, he saw Chu Jie brandishing the Wolong Blade and his eyes lit up; he ran toward him. He reasoned that anyone who could defeat Wang Shan must have genuine skill and would certainly be able to help him stall for time.

Chu Jie sneered. So, he wanted to use him as a scapegoat? He wasn't that stupid. "Move, let's go elsewhere," Chu Jie said. He took a long look at the approaching Lin Yuetian, a murderous glint in his eyes. It was one thing for Lin Yuetian to cause the deaths of others, but now he wanted to harm him as well—his intentions were unforgivable, and Chu Jie felt the urge to cut him down.

Because Lin Yuetian was busy fleeing for his life, he couldn't command the others, and even if he did, few would listen. The situation was total chaos. More people fled, and although the killing intent radiating from Zhou Jie grew more intense, the galaxy around his body had dimmed significantly compared to the start.

Seeing Chu Jie dash away, Lin Yuetian realized he couldn't match his speed, so he simply ran toward his own men. "Hurry and block him! If I die, there will be no one left to command you, and you will all perish!" he bellowed. Zhou Jie was closing in behind him.

Chu Jie surveyed the surroundings. He had originally intended to use these people to eliminate Zhou Jie, but it now seemed highly unlikely. The thought of leaving crossed his mind once more. Just then, Lin Yuetian triggered some kind of device, causing an object to explode near Chu Jie with a deafening blast. Zhou Jie’s figure in the air paused, and he turned his gaze toward Chu Jie.