GDK 469: Ruptured
Fact proved that both the metal elite zombie and fire elite zombie, who obtained treasures of their respective attributes, could indeed release an incredible amount of energy.
Under the metal elite zombie's manipulation, the golden cudgel turned into a huge pillar glittering with golden rays. Carrying the force of millions and millions of tonnes, it directly hammered down on the enormous Boulder of ice that enveloped Ice Celestial Corey. A terrifying splintering noise broke out. Being in the center, Corey suddenly felt an unparalleled vigorous energy rush forth, causing his body to violently quake and his aura to become unsteady.
The fire elite zombie immediately followed. One after another, clouds of raging inferno continuously leapt out from the Fire Lotus in his hand and fell onto the solid ice that had yet to completely disintegrate. Thick smoke fiercely discharged from where the fire and ice made contact.
Corey turned pale with fright. If it was just one of those miraculous martial techniques of Han Shuo's that destroyed his ice shield, he may not have been so appalled. However, it was merely two strange looking zombie warriors that defeated the ice boulder which contained divine energy of the Ice Goddess, something absolutely beyond his imagination.
"What the hell are they!" Corey was stunned in fear by the fire elite zombie and metal elite zombie. He held tight onto his longsword that was covered with a layer of diamond-hard ice as he stared at the two elite zombies somewhat flustered.
It was at this moment that, like a ghoul, Han Shuo suddenly scudded out from the thick smoke. The Demonic Blades caused fingernails on both his hands to dramatically grow to a meter long. As he fluttered his hands in criss-cross motion, trails of demonic light violently shot out, seemingly weaving a huge intangible web to trap Corey.
Corey was extremely flustered. It was already extremely difficult to handle Han Shuo alone. Now to add to that, there was the fire elite zombie refined with pure elemental energy of fire. Indistinctly, he felt as though the Fire Lotus was actually subduing him, making Corey extremely uncomfortable. When he saw Han Shuo charging over, Corey shot out shard after shard of ice as he inched backwards, retreating.
Suddenly, right before Corey, Han Shuo gradually turned fainter and fainter until he completely vanished! Yet, that sense of danger never diminished but instead swelled in magnitude. This caused Corey great distress.
With him at the center, icicle after icicle fiercely shot out from the longsword in his hand in every direction. After losing Han Shuo's trail, that was the best idea Corey could come up with to attack him.
After Corey launched the full coverage attack, the huge net falling right over his head was seemingly destroyed and dissipated under the bombardment of the icicles.
However, Corey did not feel any more comfortable. On the contrary, that sense of danger that always shrouded his heart grew more and more intense. Corey had gathered all his concentration, rapidly revolved at the same spot on the ground in his attempt to locate the source of the danger, and yet, couldn't find anything.
When that sense of danger amassed to the very brim, a stab of pain shot at his soles. Corey was visibly frightened, and hastily rose high up into the air, escaping from the sneak attack that had suddenly come from beneath his feet.
Below Corey's feet, Han Shuo, who utilized the earth elite zombie to construct underground tunnels for him to mount a surprise attack, with a malicious grin, raised his head to look at Corey the Ice Celestial. As cold lights glistened from the Demonic Blades in his two hands, ten dark rays emitted from his fingertips like serpents, biting at Corey. Not only did they travel faster than lightning, their trajectories were even more tricky and unpredictable.
Damn it! Corey cursed at his own negligence. In a flurry, he whirled his longsword downwards.
Of the ten slithering rays, six were stopped in their paths by Corey's panicked defensive strike, while another four attached to his body as though they were his own shadows. Then, they exploded one by one at his hips and waist. A waterfall of fresh blood gushed from his wound and Corey's miserable howl sounded.
While he's wounded, deal him the final blow!
Han Shuo soared into the sky. There seemed to be demonic lights constantly circulating inside the meter-long Demonic Blades in both hands. Another ten rays again accumulated at his fingertips, ready to take Corey's life at any moment.
Out of Han Shuo's anticipation, this Ice Celestial Corey, one of even more honorable status than Tiana in the Shrine of Ice, when his lower body was burst open by those rays, he went as far as to hastily pull out a magic scroll. Before Han Shuo even came close to him, Corey had activated the scroll that was as white as snow.
"Retreat!" Corey shouted at the top of his lungs. The snowflakes that filled the air suddenly rushed towards him. In just a split second, Corey the Ice Celestial vanished into the snowfall.
When Corey's miserable howl reverberated, the snowflakes that blanketed the entire region all of a sudden wrapped around each of the few remaining experts of the Shrine of Ice. The five seemed to have melted into the snowflakes, and miraculously disappeared before Han Shuo's eyes.
Even though he could feel their presences in the snow with his outstanding consciousness, Han Shuo could not trace their exact locations. It was as though they had all melted into the snow. He could sense them, but had no way of attacking them!
When the group of six disappeared, the snowstorm that shrouded the entire canyon ceased. Han Shuo could sense the presences of Corey and his party disappearing bit by bit. When Han Shuo could no longer feel any of their presences, although the frosty coldness that shrouded the entire canyon remained, there were no longer any snowflakes wafting through the sky.
The undead creatures who had lost their targets, not knowing what to do, stood their ground dumbfounded as they awaited further commands from Han Shuo.
"Father, they have disappeared!" earth elite zombie transmitted naively after slowly emerging from the ground beside Han Shuo.
"They managed to escape! Their escape method was truly a miracle. It was actually achieved by blending into the ice and snow," Han Shuo mumbled to himself. He instructed the earth elite zombie, "Open the underground tunnel. Bring dark dragon Gilbert and the cage out!"
"Okay!" the earth elite zombie replied bluntly. Right after, the ground beside the two suddenly split open to form a cavern. Therefrom emerged dark dragon Gilbert and the cage imprisoning the dark dragon race.
Gilbert lay on top of the cage, his tears constantly falling into it. He said nothing, but cried unceasingly at the patriarch of dark dragons, Gilges, who was right below him. His grandfather's eyes were red through and through as tears rolled down, choking with sobs as he consoled Gilbert.
After glancing at Gilbert and the other dark dragons in the cage, Han Shuo quietly pulled open a distance with them. Han Shuo knew that it was best for them to have time together by themselves at such moments. Besides, perhaps Gilges might want to tell Gilbert about certain secrets of the dark dragons. It seemed inappropriate for him to remain there.
As the temperature in this tract of land had returned to normal, the ice and snow that previously covered the earth gradually melted away. Han Shuo sent the undead creatures back to the netherworld one after another, and then pondered the objective of the Shine of Ice making a presence.
The Shrine of Ice and the Church of Light had very friendly relations, and both possessed great influence over the continent. Although the two religions professed distinct doctrines, it was an open secret that they were allied with each other in private. Therefore, stemming from Han Shuo's loathing towards the Church of Light, and adding to Tiana's betrayal the last time, it seemed fitting that Han Shuo would view the Shrine of Ice as his enemy.
Although Corey had successfully fled through the snowflakes that filled the sky, Han Shuo nevertheless left an eternally unforgettable mark on his body. On top of that, given the existence of Tiana, this enmity he had with the Shrine of Ice would be impossible to resolve peacefully. Han Shuo had even begun considering how to deal with the Shrine of Ice.
As Han Shuo continued to ponder, he felt a message from Gilbert, asking him to come over. Without hesitation, Han Shuo arrived beside Gilbert. He saw that although Gilbert was still wearing the same sorrowful face as before, his mood had at last somewhat stabilized.
With every one of the dozen dark dragons imprisoned in the cage looking at Han Shuo, Gilbert's grandfather, Gilges, leaned in towards Han Shuo from within the cage, and thanked him sincerely, "The last time Gilbert returned, I did hear of some of your past achievements. Never did I expect that it would be you who would end up saving our kind. On behalf of all dark dragons, thank you for your great favor!"
"You're welcome. The relationship between Gilbert and I isn't as simple as you would imagine. Assisting you was the right thing to do!" Han Shuo made a hand gesture, indicating to Gilges that he need not be so courteous.
"I do understand. No ordinary person would ever be willing to risk their life for their magic pets. To rush over here from distant parts in order to help us dark dragons, that alone has fully explained your affection for Gilbert. It was indeed his good fortune to have followed you!" Gilges was definitely a thoughtful person. Due solely to the fact that Han Shuo would head over to aid Gilbert, he reasoned that Gilbert had definitely followed the right master.
"Grandpa, stop discussing such pointless things!" Gilbert complained. Afterwards, looking impatiently at Han Shuo, he asked, "Master, can you open up this damned cage? I have tried countless methods, but nothing has worked!"
"Let me try again!" Han Shuo replied and proceeded to deploy several demonic martial skills. However, this cage was blessed by the Ice Goddess, as mentioned by Corey, and indeed contained an exotic divine energy. A multitude of attacks, no matter how powerful, we're all frozen and disarmed by the bone-penetrating frigid divine energy, unable to break open the cage.
As the main soul of the Demonslayer Edge was fusing with the energy of the Crystal of Destruction, it now needed to be absolutely cloistered. With the assistance of the inconceivably incisive Demonslayer Edge, Han Shuo had absolute confidence that he could break this cage into pieces. However, as the Demonslayer Edge was currently unavailable, it remained a big headache.
Although the golden cudgel that the metal elite zombie wielded could destroy anything, if the cudgel really were to bombard the cage, the dozen or so dark dragon already on the verge of death would most likely give out before the cage did.
If this cage hadn't been enchanted with the divine energy of the Ice Goddess, Han Shuo would have been certain he could cut it open. But the situation at hand left him at his wit's end.
While he racked his brain, he suddenly recalled someone who might be of use. He let out a soft cry at once, "Perhaps there's still a way!"