Chapter 66: The God of War Descends

The figure that had suddenly descended from the sky was immensely powerful, his robust frame towering like a mountain. His short, fierce purple hair stood upright like steel needles, and his chiseled, rugged features appeared as if carved from stone. Beads of sweat glistened on his bare upper body, the clusters of bronze muscles rising subtly—though not exaggerated, they were as solid as ingots of copper. His thick black eyebrows lay across his brow like two coiled dragons.

At this moment, the newcomer’s brow was slightly furrowed. He gripped Black Qin’s fist and stood unyielding, resembling a stone tower.

“Black Qin, you’re courting death!”

His deep, thunderous voice exploded through the air, a majestic presence bearing down on Black Qin like a mountain.

“Luo Han, you only managed to slip into the top ten by luck. Do you really think I, Black Qin, am afraid of you?” Black Qin’s expression was grim. Suddenly, a sharp, golden energy burst from his fist, slashing toward Luo Han’s palm like a blade.

“If I kill you, do you think the Jiujang Base would hunt me down for your sake?”

Luo Han’s thick, dragon-like eyebrows creased slightly. Black Qin’s fist in his palm felt as sharp as a blade, the golden energy splitting Luo Han’s skin so that several drops of vivid blood fell.

Luo Han seemed not to notice the blood welling in his palm. He continued to grip Black Qin’s razor-edged fist tightly, a sneer of disdain twisting his stone-carved features.

“Sharp Metal, Diamond, Brute Strength—these three are the greatest innate abilities. Yet, of all those with the Sharp Metal Body, yours is the weakest I’ve ever seen!”

He snorted with contempt, his dark, deep eyes suddenly erupting with two azure flames.

“To kill you—a snap of my fingers would suffice!”

“Arrogant!” Black Qin’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, his face darkening. Though his mouth voiced indifference, a flash of terror flickered deep in his eyes. He was ranked twenty-ninth on the Azure Dragon List; on the surface, the gap between tenth and twenty-ninth did not seem vast, but he knew better. He could be arrogant, bloodthirsty, and mad—so long as his strength surpassed his opponent’s. At Moonwatch Lake, when facing Rui Dongyang, he had been burning with anger but hadn’t dared to make a move.

Why not? Because the other man was stronger.

Now, however, the man before him was not only stronger than Rui Dongyang but also one of the top ten on the Azure Dragon List. Even ranked tenth, if truly angered, this man would be a terror Black Qin could hardly withstand.

“Die!”

Black Qin roared, and thousands of golden blades of energy erupted from his body, slashing toward Luo Han. Deep within, a nameless fear had taken hold. To mask it, Black Qin shrieked and unleashed his full power.

“It’s pointless to struggle. Since I said I could destroy you in a snap—”

“Then in a snap, you will be destroyed!”

The azure flames in Luo Han’s eyes surged, a faint layer of blue fire igniting across his body. The flames were so subtle that, without close inspection, one might not notice the ethereal fire cloaking him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thousands of golden blades shot from Black Qin’s body, crashing into Luo Han. But as they touched the faint azure flames, a bizarre scene unfolded. The razor-sharp golden blades vanished soundlessly, dissolving into golden waves of energy.

Black Qin’s face turned deathly pale. He had never imagined Luo Han’s blue flames would be so terrifying.

“The rumors are true—Luo Han’s strength is monstrous…”

Black Qin stared blankly at his golden blades reduced to mere ripples. He had heard of Luo Han’s reputation but never cared much. People said Luo Han was incredibly strong, yet he had lost in a single move to Han Lingyue during the Azure Dragon List ranking matches and withdrew from the rest, ending up only at tenth place.

As this thought flashed through his mind, a chill suddenly crept through Black Qin’s heart.

“Luo Ling is my younger sister. I dare not upset her, nor would my father wish to see her frown. Yet you dared to make her cry!”

“You dared to break her heart! If you do not die, then I have failed as a brother!” One finger extended slowly; a wisp of azure fire flickered at its tip.

“No!”

“No! Teacher, save me!” Seeing the strange blue fire dancing at Luo Han’s fingertip, Black Qin panicked. He screamed toward Wu Jinshan, stamped his foot fiercely, spun around, and fled up the mountain in wild desperation.

“Remember, in the next life, do not provoke those beyond your reach. Even a single tear may cost you far more than your life!”

Staring at Black Qin’s frenzied escape, Luo Han curled his finger and shot out a streak of azure fire.

The blue flame was blindingly fast—perhaps even swifter than the flying daggers imbued with Nine Yang Divine Power that Ke Bei had thrown. Its speed exceeded three times the speed of sound.

“No! I don’t want to die!”

“Teacher, save me!”

“Save me!”

Feeling the searing heat wave approaching, Black Qin’s heart turned cold. Now he was truly afraid and panicked, but he harbored no regrets. He was determined to kill Ke Bei.

His only regret was not having killed Luo Ling yet, not having reached the Hall of the War God—he was to die before then. If only he had slain Ke Bei and Luo Ling, and then fled to the Hall of the War God, to his teacher’s side, even Luo Han ten times stronger could not have harmed him. At most, he would be imprisoned for several decades.

Black Qin was truly a madman—so long as death had not arrived, nothing could frighten him.

But he had never expected Luo Han to be a madman as well—a madman who would kill for a single tear shed by his sister!

He had been utterly confident that killing Ke Bei and Luo Ling would not result in execution. That was why he had dared act.

But Luo Han was different—he was ranked twenty-ninth on the Azure Dragon List, his status far above mere newcomers like Ke Bei and Luo Ling. Even if it was Luo Han, should he kill Black Qin without sufficient backing, he would face severe punishment, perhaps even death.

Everyone on the Azure Dragon List was a beacon of hope for humanity’s future—each had a high chance of breaking through to the War God Realm. And if they did, they would become pillars of all humankind. How could the Jiujang Base permit such talents to perish? As long as one stood on the Azure Dragon List and did not betray humanity, the high command of Jiujang Base would never truly be enraged.

Every single member of the Azure Dragon List was the foundation upon which Jiujang Base staked its future. Even among themselves, the base would never allow them to kill one another. Should someone slay a fellow member without formidable backing, the only outcome would be death—a warning to all.

Should two such prodigies die in quick succession, the high command would be grieved, but for the sake of the future, this cycle of mutual slaughter among the greatest talents could not be tolerated. Jiujang Base had invested untold resources to nurture these prodigies—not for them to kill each other, but to slay zombies and beasts, to defend all humanity!

It was precisely because Black Qin understood this, and relied on his status as number twenty-nine, that he dared to act. But he had never imagined Luo Han would dare to kill him!

“It’s over…”

As the strange blue fire behind him melted his golden energy, Black Qin’s heart sank into darkness. He could already imagine the next instant: that demonic blue flame would strike him, and like the golden energy before, he would be reduced to nothing but a ripple of air—utterly destroyed.

“Stop!”

Just as the blue fire was about to touch Black Qin’s back, a cold, clear voice shattered the skies.

Boom!

The world turned a pale blue as, within a kilometer’s radius, a translucent blue barrier descended over all. Luo Han’s blue flame halted three inches from Black Qin’s back, suspended in the air.

“A domain! A War God Realm expert!”

Luo Han’s rugged features shifted subtly, his fists clenching tight. The purple bristles of his hair ignited with a faint blue fire, and his entire body was soon wreathed in an eerie blue blaze.

Please support with your Sanjiang votes, brothers—it’s a bit troublesome, but if you have the time, do help out. Getting blown up by recommendations feels great, and if you find my writing readable, please consider adding it to your collection; it means the world to a newcomer. Also, let me recommend a friend’s book, “Rebirth: The Hidden Master’s Counterattack,” which is already out. If you’re looking for something new, give it a try and see if it’s to your taste.