Chapter 16 The Monarch Asks When to Return, Yet There is No Set Date

{ "translation": "Under the afterglow, the figure of the young man made Huo Ya's heart tremble. If he were not an experienced scavenger, a newcomer might have felt intimidated at this moment, even though their cultivation level was higher. Even he, deep down, felt a stir, but it was quickly suppressed by the ferocity of his desperate nature and the anger from his injuries, revealing a strong killing intent in his eyes. \"Little wolf cub, I will pull out your teeth, one by one, as my trophies.\" As Huo Ya spoke in a low voice, he tore off his garments, exposing his emaciated upper body. He did not care about the missing ear or the wound on his chest; as his face flushed while forming hand seals, a fireball larger than before suddenly appeared. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and his body suddenly moved. \"Scatter!\" Huo Ya bellowed, and immediately the massive fireball in his hand split into five, speeding directly towards Xu Qing. The sound of explosions echoed instantly, the ground was engulfed in flames, and amid the burning, Xu Qing's figure burst out again, still delivering two consecutive punches, breaking through barriers. Although he was inevitably pushed back by the impact, sustaining more injuries, and the high temperature of the flames continued to scorch him, his speed did not decrease in the slightest, nor did his killing intent diminish. Thus, with this reckless fighting style that disregarded his own injuries, he and Huo Ya began to engage in a fierce battle within the jungle. The fierceness of the fight only intensified. Xu Qing was indeed not Huo Ya's opponent. Whether it was the energy barrier or the fireballs, both were extremely disadvantageous to him; the former made it hard to kill at close range, while the latter posed a significant threat. But Xu Qing's recovery ability was remarkable, allowing him to rapidly heal after sustaining injuries, which did not affect his combat power. His stamina was equally abundant, and although the pain from long-term injuries would torment his spirit, having grown up in a slum, he had long developed an extraordinary tolerance. The most critical factor was... the rich foreign energy contained within, which had no effect on Xu Qing, but was an entirely different story for Huo Ya. Huo Ya's ear injury was manageable, but the wound on his chest was becoming increasingly severe, and the key issue was his energy... Even though he was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, he could not withstand such a drain and could only passively absorb energy to replenish it. The intense battle and the pressure Xu Qing applied left him with no time to ease this situation, causing the foreign energy within his body to continuously rise and accumulate. Soon, Huo Ya transitioned from initial anger to tension, until finally, a hint of anxiety appeared on his face. He had already sensed that something was wrong with himself and that the young man before him was problematic! Anyone at the third level, even if they were at the same fifth level as him, would not have been able to endure the bombardment of such fireballs up to now; they should have long since turned into a dried corpse. He asked himself if he could even achieve that. But the boy before him, seemingly suffering severe injuries and accumulating more, had not diminished in speed or strength from beginning to end. This intensified Huo Ya's unease. The continuous increase of foreign energy within him, approaching the brink of mutation, made Huo Ya's breath quicken. \"Huo Ya, you useless fool, finish this quickly!!\" In the distance, the captain of the Blood Shadow team, engaged with the Thunder team, had to divert his attention here; witnessing this scene, an angry roar came. He wanted to help, but the sudden eruption on the Thunder team's side prevented him from pulling away, leaving him anxious. The Thunder team had long since realized that Xu Qing's tactic was to drag Huo Ya toward mutation. Although they did not know why the other party was so confident or why he could perform consistently despite his injuries, everyone had their own secrets, and the Thunder team understood that he did as well. So, without any curiosity, all he could do was to prevent the Blood Shadow captain from assisting. The battle continued. After firing off three more fireballs, Huo Ya, still unable to do anything against Xu Qing, was cursed by his captain, and the anxiety in his heart erupted into madness. His right hand suddenly raised and struck his chest, spitting out a large mouthful of blood, and before it could fall, his left hand swiftly waved to catch some. The sound of incantation emerged from his mouth, and the blood in his hand quickly turned black. Xu Qing's eyes tightened, sensing a more intense crisis; his body swayed and dashed out to interrupt the other's spellcasting. But this time, Huo Ya's spell unfolded extremely quickly; just as Xu Qing moved, Huo Ya suddenly looked up, his expression contorting, eyes filled with ferocity, and his right hand swung violently. Instantly, the black blood in his hand expanded into a bloodball the size of a head. Bubbles inside seemed to boil with tremendous power, screaming towards Xu Qing. \"Die for me!\" Huo Ya growled savagely. Perhaps due to the enormous consumption of this spell, coupled with the continuous rise of foreign energy within him, his legs trembled weakly at that moment. Xu Qing's killing intent suddenly intensified; like the Thunder team's judgment, he did indeed intend to drag Huo Ya to mutation, but he also had a different plan. Xu Qing had never abandoned the thought of killing him during this process. Although his dagger and iron spike were no longer in hand, he had always been looking for the chance to deliver a fatal blow. That opportunity appeared at this moment with Huo Ya's weakening. Almost at the instant the black bloodball came whistling towards him, Xu Qing's body lunged forward, speeding up dramatically. He did not charge in a straight line towards Huo Ya but slightly deviated, reaching the location of the corpse of a barbarian ghost. Its body was marred with burn marks from Huo Ya's fireball earlier, but here, besides the corpse, there was... the weapons of the barbarian ghost! A wolf-tooth club and a finely crafted iron shield split into two pieces. Xu Qing's target was that large piece of shield. His figure rushed forward, seizing the heavy iron shield, and as his small body was covered by the shield, he instantly dashed out, heading straight towards Huo Ya behind the black bloodball. The roaring echoed as Huo Ya's bloodball collided with Xu Qing's shield, exploding into countless shards of black blood. The iron shield could not withstand the impact, shattering into pieces, but it still absorbed most of the force. This allowed Xu Qing, though covered in some black blood, to remain unharmed; gritting his teeth, he did not slow down, transforming into a residual shadow, darting towards Huo Ya like an arrow. Huo Ya's eyes showed derision; he did not dodge, and as he formed hand seals, the black blood that had spread behind Xu Qing began to rapidly rise from the ground, seemingly in no time, it would all rise to become blood arrows. This left Xu Qing with no option to evade, but he had never intended to retreat. As he drew near, his left hand clenched into a fist, but it was his right hand that struck down. Boom! Cracks appeared on the energy barrier surrounding Huo Ya, while blood splattered from Xu Qing's right fist, mixed with some fleshy scales. Before Huo Ya could see clearly, Xu Qing's eyes turned crimson, and he delivered a second punch. With a bang, the barrier shattered into pieces, a massive shockwave erupted from within, pushing Xu Qing's body back, making it impossible for him to get any closer, as he was about to be pushed away by the force. Huo Ya's derision deepened, but at that very moment! Xu Qing's body seemed to have gained extra strength out of thin air. Amidst the shattering impact of the barrier, he did not retreat as he had before. Instead, he surged forward, bracing against the impact, extending his right hand, and forcefully grasped at the bloody, mangled flesh on Huo Ya's chest where the iron spike had pierced. It seemed the extra strength only allowed Xu Qing this grasping force; though he tore open Huo Ya's wound, he could not deal a fatal blow and could only retreat rapidly. Huo Ya's expression changed, and his body staggered backward. Realizing that Xu Qing's grasp posed no significant threat to him, he laughed wickedly and was about to cast his spell to send the black blood shooting forward. But in the next instant, his expression changed again, and he lowered his head sharply. At the bloody, mangled area of his chest... there were actually some broken teeth fragments and scaly flesh. Simultaneously, the wound was corroding, and waves of toxic blood oozed out, rapidly decaying the skin wherever it went. The unbearable pain surged at this moment, causing Huo Ya to scream in agony, his face revealing unprecedented terror. As he continued to retreat, he saw Xu Qing, who was crouching in the distance, his outstretched right hand flinging out many identical pieces of flesh and broken teeth. If these pieces could be assembled together, they would form the shape of a snake's head. This was the venomous snake head that Xu Qing had used when processing the corpse. At this moment, his left hand trembled slightly, slowly extending, and as pieces of amber fell away, it revealed a demonic scorpion tail deeply embedded in his palm! The former made his palm contain venom, while the latter gave him the strength to strike amidst the barrier's impact! \"You...\" Huo Ya trembled, unable to articulate his words in his wailing, let alone cast a spell. His eyes revealed a strong fear of death, and he struggled to wipe away the toxic blood on his body, but the toxic blood overflowed in large quantities, causing his physical strength and vitality to drain rapidly. Xu Qing took a deep breath; the recovery from the purple crystal during the battle against Pang Shan made him aware that he could counteract poison. The fact that his hand, tainted with snake venom, had not been corroded confirmed everything. This was the lethal blow he had prepared for Huo Ya. At this moment, he stood up, charging towards Huo Ya. As Xu Qing approached, Huo Ya's fear turned into despair, struggling to retreat, and he let out a pained wail. \"Captain, save me!!\" This brutal scene made the Blood Shadow captain, engaged in battle with the Thunder team, widen his eyes. He wanted to help, but the Thunder team's interference made it impossible for him to get through. He could only watch helplessly as Xu Qing's figure rapidly closed in on Huo Ya. As Xu Qing drew near, the injuries on Huo Ya's body and his collapsing mentality caused the foreign energy within him to accumulate uncontrollably. Before Xu Qing could fully close the distance, Huo Ya's body abruptly stiffened in despair, the foreign energy spreading all over him, and with a bang... he transformed into a cloud of blood mist. Some people mutate, leaving behind blackened corpses, while others explode into blood mist. Xu Qing halted his steps, gazing at the spot where Huo Ya had turned into blood mist, then turned his head, coldly looking at the Blood Shadow captain still battling the Thunder team. At this moment, the sun was setting, but the twilight sky was different from before, not ushering in night, but instead, the entire sky was tinged with an eerie red. Under this red hue, Xu Qing's figure was also colored; standing there, covered in wounds, his cold, sharp gaze seemed to emanate an indescribable oppressive force. This pressure made even the Blood Shadow captain, whose cultivation surpassed Xu Qing's, feel a strong tremor in his spirit. Huo Ya's brutal death had a tremendous impact on the Blood Shadow captain's heart. After a prolonged battle with the Thunder team, coupled with the ominous aura surrounding Xu Qing, all of this made the Blood Shadow captain uneasy. At this moment, his eyes flickered, and as Xu Qing looked at him, he punched through the Thunder team, retreating without hesitation. He no longer wished to fight. The Thunder team intended to pursue but suddenly noticed the strange red sky; their expressions changed, emotions fluctuating, blood spewed forth, and their bodies turned increasingly dark, teetering on the brink of collapse. Xu Qing quickly approached, supporting the Thunder team. As the Thunder team gasped for breath, Xu Qing set him down beneath a large tree and looked up towards the direction where the Blood Shadow captain had fled, his eyes flashing with killing intent. \"Don't go after him alone; the Blood Shadow team has been wiped out, and he is no longer a threat. Especially with this red sky, I feel like I've seen it before...\" The Thunder team grasped Xu Qing's arm, looking up intently at the sky. \"He is a hidden danger.\" Xu Qing spoke slowly. He did not like any hidden dangers, and in this forbidden jungle, he felt confident that he could drag the Blood Shadow captain to death just like he did with Huo Ya, but the Thunder team's words instinctively made him look up at the sky. Just then... a hauntingly sigh-like song floated through the jungle. All the monstrous roars within the forbidden jungle ceased in that instant. In the silent jungle, the song became increasingly clear. It was as if a woman was lamenting the departure of her husband, and with the echoes, faint red mist began to emerge from the direction the Blood Shadow captain had fled. It swirled around everything and began to spread. Xu Qing's body shook violently, and the Thunder team, leaning against the tree, trembled momentarily; both turned their gazes towards the source of the song. However, the former was extremely vigilant, while the latter... appeared somewhat dazed. The song continued to drift, falling into Xu Qing's ears and sending an indescribable chill throughout his body, as if he were immersed in the icy blood rain of a ruined city. Even though he was now at the third level of body refinement, he could not withstand it; his teeth began to chatter, and he lost the ability to move. Xu Qing's mind roared, and his thoughts involuntarily recalled the taboos mentioned by the Cross when entering the forbidden zone. Meanwhile, the Blood Shadow captain's body came to a halt, visibly trembling. It was as if some invisible force was approaching him, draining away his strength to escape. Before Xu Qing's eyes, wisps of white vapor escaped from the trembling Blood Shadow captain's seven orifices, merging into the encroaching blood mist. As this process unfolded, the Blood Shadow captain's body rapidly decayed and withered until he turned into a dried corpse, reduced to dust, leaving nothing behind. The mist covered the spot he had occupied, spreading towards Xu Qing and the Thunder team. As the mist drew nearer, Xu Qing's body trembled, and he finally saw the source of the Blood Shadow captain's demise: a pair of tattered, bright red women's boots. \"What is this...\" Xu Qing gasped, his eyes widening as he saw the boots appearing in the mist ahead, moving on their own across the ground, step by step, coming towards them. The boots were completely empty... only the haunting song drew closer. It was as if an invisible woman wearing these red boots was approaching while singing. The song became increasingly clear, and the blood-colored boots stepped on the soil, heading straight for Xu Qing. This bizarre scene made Xu Qing's eyes constrict sharply; his body wanted to move but could not. It was as if the coldness had frozen everything about him, forcing his teeth to clack together, helplessly watching those blood-colored boots take one step after another, drawing closer... The threat of death at that moment overshadowed all thoughts within Xu Qing; he wished to step back but found himself powerless, with only the blood vessels in his eyes reflecting his intense struggle. Just as those blood-colored boots were about to take another step towards him, a trembling voice suddenly came from beside Xu Qing; it was the Thunder team. \"Tao Hong... is that you...\" The voice was hoarse, trembling, and carried a hint of uncertainty. The moment those words were spoken, the eerie song abruptly stopped. The boots that had been raised paused for a moment, slowly changing direction, as if the woman standing there turned to look at the Thunder team. Witnessing this scene, the Thunder team trembled visibly, gasping for breath, and in his weary body, a surge of strength erupted, his eyes shining with unprecedented brilliance, staring intently at the emptiness of the boots. It seemed to him that he could see a woman, infinitely important to him as his own life, standing there. Separated by void, by the world, by yin and yang, their gazes locked. Strong as the Thunder team was, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes at that moment. \"You... have you returned...?\" He trembled as he raised his hand, as if trying to grasp something, while the red boots slowly lifted, stepping before the Thunder team, slightly bending. It was as if the invisible woman gently squatted before the Thunder team, allowing his trembling hand to touch her face. But the Thunder team's hand swept through the void, touching nothing, falling empty, and more tears streamed down. Only whispers escaped his lips, desolate in this poignant moment. After a long while, it seemed a woman's light sigh emanated from the void, and the red boots slowly straightened, gradually retreating. Until they were three paces away, they turned, bypassing Xu Qing, and walked into the distance, accompanied by the trailing red mist. \"You ask me when I'll return, but there is no set date. The mist hides lingering feelings, songs of smoke and distance. The song continues to emerge, tinged with bitterness and melancholy, growing fainter with each step. The blood-red mist also bypassed them, flowing like a stream into the distance. Until the song grew weaker and weaker, until... the mist completely vanished, and the song slowly faded away. At that moment, Xu Qing's body finally regained movement; he breathed heavily, his eyes filled with horror, and immediately turned to look at the Thunder team sitting there. At that moment, the Thunder team stared blankly into the distance, his eyes devoid of spirit, tears silently flowing down his face. Xu Qing fell silent, the words he had intended to ask now stuck in his throat. After a long while, the Thunder team softly murmured, \"Are you curious?\" Xu Qing silently nodded. \"Before, the Cross told you that I am one of the few who have heard the song.\" The Thunder team gazed into the distance, speaking slowly. \"You know, the songs in this forbidden zone are strange; most who hear them die, and the ones who can survive are extremely rare. But once someone survives, that person will receive a 'gift' from this forbidden zone, allowing them to see the person they most wish to see the next time they hear the song. I once thought it was merely a legend. For this legend, I quietly waited in the camp outside for decades, until my hair turned white... Until today, I saw it.\" When the Thunder team reached this point, he seemed