Chapter 234 – The Darkness Returns

Longyao City, Ruins.

In the underground ruins that had already become a dilapidated wasteland, at the center of the wilderness, a massive meteorite remained suspended as if supported by an invisible force that never seemed to deplete, never falling.

Just as Su Ming and Xu Qianqian left Longyao City together, entering the dangerous wilderness zone in pursuit of the Mo Family, and while the major forces within Longyao City were busy with emergency discussions about the Seal and seeking external assistance—leaving no spare capacity to deal with these ruins—the place welcomed its original invaders.

A ruthless-looking man silently appeared before the meteorite with a large group of underground Professionals, occupying this stretch of wilderness.

They were clearly the survivors of 『Sin』.

The ruthless man leading them was none other than the Vice Captain of 『Sin』, one of the two Seven-Star Hunters in this underground world’s giant organization.

At this moment, the expression of this 『Sin』 Vice Captain was far from pleasant—it could even be described as ferocious, making his already ruthless face appear more terrifying than usual.

Not only was the Vice Captain like this, but the expressions of all the underground Professionals present were equally grim.

This was unavoidable.

No one could have anticipated that 『Sin』’s main force, personally led by one of the two Commanders and accompanied by a host of formidable combatants—who should have been capable of easily subduing any top-tier force in this Base City—had suffered a crushing defeat the previous night.

A complete and utter defeat.

Not only did the assault organized by the Vice Captain himself end in failure, forcing a humiliating retreat, but the troops left behind in the ruins were also ravaged, suffering heavy casualties and losing the crucial “Sword” and “Blood.”

This worsened the already foul mood of the Vice Captain, filling his eyes with a menacing glare that made those standing closer to him tremble with fear.

The two trembling most violently, closest to this 『Sin』 Vice Captain, were none other than Scarface and Baldy, who had previously escaped from Su Ming.

The ruthless man lifted his head, gazing at the enormous meteorite before him.

With his level of insight, he naturally recognized how this meteorite had come to be.

After all, the dense Spirit Power fluctuations lingering on it were impossible to conceal.

Thus, the Vice Captain could confirm that this meteorite was formed through a Spirit Art.

Moreover, it was an Advanced Spirit Art.

“The technique ranked sixty-first in the sequence—【Futian Falling Blossom】?”

The ruthless man snorted coldly, turning to the two trembling figures beside him.

“Are you certain Crow fought the monster you mentioned here?”

Upon hearing this, Scarface and Baldy hurriedly responded.

“Yes, Vice Captain.”

“Lord Crow indeed battled that monster here. Everything around us is proof of that.”

The area had been completely flattened by terrifying power, leaving no doubt that this was the center of the battle.

The ruthless man didn’t doubt this point, but he was highly skeptical of Scarface and Baldy’s account.

“A Four-Star Hunter who can easily kill experts of the same star level and even defeat Crow?”

The ruthless man’s eyes blazed with menace.”This kind of existence, let alone whether it truly exists or not, even if it does, what’s the deal with the 【Futian Falling Blossom】 technique appearing here?”

This was clearly an Advanced Spirit Art cast by an Upper-Rank Sorcerer.

Yet someone was telling him that the person who fought Crow here was an extremely powerful Four-Star Hunter?

“Interesting.” The Vice Captain said expressionlessly, “Don’t let me find out you’re deceiving me, or I’ll make you die horribly.”

Scarface and Baldy immediately trembled all over, nodding frantically like chickens pecking at rice.

Only then did the Ruthless Man turn around, facing the meteorite before him again.

Seeing this, Scarface gathered his courage to ask.

“Vice Captain, what are you planning to do?”

The Ruthless Man answered this question.

“Break it open.” The Ruthless Man said coldly, “Crow is inside. We need to rescue him.”

“Rescue him?”

Scarface was stunned.

Even Baldy looked astonished.

“Is Lord Crow still alive?”

Being directly hit by an Advanced Spirit Art, buried and crushed by such a massive meteorite – even an upper-rank Phantom Demon would be completely dead by now. No matter how strong Lord Crow is, he’s still just human. Could he possibly survive under such circumstances?

Scarface and Baldy were immediately filled with doubt.

Only the Ruthless Man spoke with absolute certainty.

“A man like him wouldn’t die so easily.”

Saying this indifferently, the Vice Captain of 『Sin』 slowly stepped forward and hoisted a weapon.

It was an axe.

The axe was enormous. Though it was a one-handed axe, its blade was as wide and thick as a tower shield, comparable to half of the Ruthless Man’s body. The handle was also very long, at least one meter – any longer and it could have been a two-handed battle axe. It perfectly matched the Vice Captain’s ruthless image, appearing completely natural.

Scarface and Baldy’s eyes were immediately drawn to this axe.

“Is that the Vice Captain’s personal alchemical weapon 『Raging Mad』?”

Scarface’s gaze toward the alchemical weapon seemed somewhat fervent.

Baldy beside him was the same.

The reason was simple.

The massive alchemical axe named 『Raging Mad』 in the Vice Captain’s hands was quite famous in the underground world.

It was recognized by Professionals and Alchemists worldwide as one of the strongest alchemical weapons, ranking at the top in terms of performance and power among all alchemical weapons.

It might not be well-known here in Longyao City, but deep in the continent, there was actually a special ranking list for all alchemical weapons in the world.

The list was simply called the Weapon Ranking, quite plain and unadorned. It only had one hundred spots, and only the one hundred alchemical weapons evaluated as the strongest and most excellent worldwide could make the list.

These one hundred alchemical weapons were considered the strongest weapons in the eyes of the world, each possessing performance and power far surpassing ordinary alchemical weapons. Their origins were also extraordinary – either masterpieces from famous historical figures or weapons forged by certain Families or organizations expending vast financial, material, and human resources. They were fundamentally different from ordinary alchemical weapons.

Of course, they couldn’t compare to the legendary Three Divine Artifacts.

Divine Artifacts were treasures from another Domain. Compared to them, even the strongest alchemical weapons were merely ordinary iron.Beneath the Divine Artifacts, the world’s strongest alchemical weapons are these hundred listed on the Weapon Ranking.

Compared to the largely legendary and unattainable Divine Artifacts, these hundred alchemical weapons are, in a sense, the lifelong dreams that Professionals can actually touch and pursue.

Whenever one of these hundred alchemical weapons appears, it triggers a frenzied scramble among various factions. Though not as insane as the historical battles for Divine Artifacts, it can still stir up storms of bloodshed and fierce dragon-like struggles.

If obtaining an alchemical weapon is the wish of any Professional, then acquiring one listed on the Weapon Ranking is the aspiration of every powerful Professional.

The giant axe wielded by the Vice Captain of 『Sin』 is one such alchemical weapon from the Weapon Ranking.

『Rage』, ranked eleventh on the Weapon Ranking, possesses destructive power far surpassing ordinary alchemical weapons. The greater the user’s strength, the more power this alchemical weapon can unleash. If its true potential is realized, it can even split a mountain apart.

This is, in the truest sense, an alchemical weapon capable of cleaving mountains.

About seven years ago, this alchemical weapon emerged in the underground world, sparking a mad rush among major underground forces. It eventually fell into the hands of this Vice Captain of 『Sin』, becoming his signature weapon.

With this weapon, the Vice Captain of 『Sin』 could retreat unscathed even when facing five powerful Six-Star Hunters, severely injuring one or two of them while only suffering some exhaustion himself. He reluctantly withdrew only when the situation turned unfavorable.

At this moment, the Vice Captain of 『Sin』 once again drew this renowned alchemical weapon.

His purpose was singular.

Not to split a mountain, but to shatter a stone.

“Haaaaah!”

With a roar from the Ruthless Man, an astonishing Aura erupted from his body, shaking the very air.

“Boom!”

A resounding crash echoed.

It was the sound of the Ruthless Man shattering the ground beneath his feet, propelling himself into the air like a cannonball.

The Seven-Star Hunter, with a roar akin to a tiger’s snarl, surged into the sky carrying a towering Aura, shooting toward the meteor suspended in midair.

Then, he swung down his giant axe.

The next second, terrifying power exploded along with a massive axe-light.

“Boom—!”

A deafening roar erupted.

The earth trembled.

The atmosphere quaked.

Countless fragments flew, causing the ruins to experience violent shaking once more.

Caught off guard, the Underground Professionals were thrown into disarray by the earthquake, exclaiming in surprise and stumbling about in extreme embarrassment.

And the meteor suspended in midair shattered.

Yes.

The meteor broke apart.

A single strike from a Seven-Star Hunter wielding the eleventh-ranked alchemical weapon on the Weapon Ranking had completely split the meteor.

The flying debris were blasted from the meteor, with countless rock fragments crashing to the ground in an endless cacophony that lingered for a long time.

The axe-wielding Ruthless Man descended from the sky, paying no mind to the falling rock fragments, his gaze fixed intently on the location of the shattered meteor.

There, within the broken meteor, a light abruptly appeared, catching the Ruthless Man’s attention.The Ruthless Man’s eyes flickered, but he remained motionless.

The light from the meteorite had somehow fallen to the ground, forming what seemed like a luminous shield that deflected all the crashing rocks and debris.

It was impossible to tell how long this scene lasted.

By the time everything settled, the wilderness had transformed into a chaotic forest of towering boulders, appearing exceptionally disordered.

Ignoring it all, the Ruthless Man stowed his battle-axe and strode forward.

The disheveled group of Underground Professionals didn’t dare delay, hastily following suit.

Before long, the party arrived before the light.

Only then did everyone see that the light’s true form was a tattered figure enveloped in a hazy glow, as if draped in a veil of radiance.

“L-Lord Crow…!?”

Scarface and Baldy exclaimed in shock.

Indeed.

The figure within the luminous veil was none other than Lord Crow.

This once-arrogant Underground Professional now appeared utterly battered, stained with blood, a pitiful sight to behold.

But he was alive.

“The Fool’s Radiance Garb—a single-use alchemical artifact that activates automatically when the wearer is near death,” the Ruthless Man explained, nodding with a faint smile. “It creates a barrier lasting twenty-four hours, protecting the wearer from all attacks and preserving their last breath. One of the most revered life-saving tools in the world.”

“I never expected you to possess such a precious artifact. Just as I thought—you’re not so easy to kill.”

With that, the Ruthless Man poured an alchemical potion into Lord Crow’s mouth.

“Cough, cough…”

As if revived by a surge of energy, the barely conscious Lord Crow coughed and slowly opened his heavy eyelids.

He gazed at the Ruthless Man standing before him, scanned his surroundings, then struggled to sit up.

“So, even you can be reduced to such a state,” the Ruthless Man remarked, his tone unreadable.

Lord Crow ignored the comment, merely lifting his eyes to meet the Ruthless Man’s gaze.

“You saved my life,” he uttered in an extremely feeble voice.

Had the Vice Captain not intervened, he would have truly perished once the Fool’s Radiance Garb’s effect faded.

The Ruthless Man shook his head, seemingly indifferent to the gratitude.

“Even now, I can’t believe you lost in a place like this,” he said. “Was your opponent really just a Four-Star Hunter?”

The response he received was unexpected.

“I will no longer regard him as a Four-Star Hunter,” Lord Crow stated calmly. “From now on, I shall consider him a formidable foe whom I must confront with my full strength from the very beginning.”

The Ruthless Man raised an eyebrow.

He understood the implication of those words.

“Who is he?” he pressed, his voice grave.

“Ming Wang—a truly terrifying individual,” Lord Crow replied, his gaze burning intently at the Ruthless Man. “But I will defeat him.”

Recalling the figure that should have been weak yet displayed astonishing power, a blazing fire ignited in Lord Crow’s heart.

Was it rage?

Or the flames of hatred?

He didn’t know.

He only knew that, in this lifetime, he was destined to face that opponent once more.This time, he would definitely not be careless or underestimate the enemy, and he would absolutely not lose.

Seeing Lord Crow like this, the Ruthless Man said nothing more.

“Let’s go.” The Vice Captain turned around and said: “Our plan has failed. The situation will become very troublesome from now on. We need to return and discuss with the Commander and the others about what we should do next.”

Lord Crow nodded indifferently.

He no longer cared about such matters.

Only one thought remained in his heart now.

That was revenge.

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(End of Chapter)