Chapter 121: Night Raid

Night was falling thick and fast. The setting sun, finally exhausted by the relentless grind of time, sank below the horizon, plunging into the deep valleys and mist-shrouded peaks in the distance, swallowed at last by the final vestige of twilight.

Having listened to Kuang Zhen’s grand, autobiography-like declaration, Tian Ming did not hold back and revealed his true identity. After all, it was not exactly classified information, especially when compared to the revelations Kuang Zhen had already shared; it was like a drop of water in the ocean, hardly worth mentioning. Besides, even if Tian Ming hadn't spoken now, the truth would inevitably come to light later, as he could not live his entire life under the guise of Chu Yun. For the sake of caution, Kuang Zhen suggested they continue the charade, calling him "Brother Chu" to keep up appearances for the Black Demon Clan. Tian Ming had no reason to refuse and readily agreed.

After a hearty meal and settling the bill, the two arrived at the Li estate as promised. The night was now pitch black, yet the estate was eerily silent, appearing as hollow as an abandoned manor. What unsettled them even more was that, despite their arrival, there was no sign of Jiang Cheng anywhere.

"Damn it!" Tian Ming sat down in a pavilion, looking impatient. "Wasn't it agreed we’d meet at the Li estate after dark? That guy can't be playing us for fools, can he? Not a single soul in sight—it’s bizarre."

"Wait," Kuang Zhen whispered, glancing sideways at Tian Ming after a moment of contemplation. "Something feels wrong. They might have started to suspect us. Remember, no matter what happens, stay calm."

Kuang Zhen, having also searched in vain, wore a grave expression. Unlike the deflated Tian Ming, he kept his eyes sharp and icy, scanning the surroundings with vigilance. The sword on his back began to hum, vibrating incessantly.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Tian Ming asked, jumping to his feet upon seeing Kuang Zhen’s reaction.

Before he could finish his sentence, a strange, sinister wind whipped up. A dark figure lunged from the twilight, brandishing a dagger!

*Clang!*

Kuang Zhen reacted instantly, drawing the cold, gleaming sword from his back. A frigid, blue-black sword aura slashed toward the dark figure. Wherever the aura touched, ice crystals bloomed across the ground, and the evaporating black mist swirled in the air, obstructing the eerie gale.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The dark shadow was no weakling. Even under such extreme cold, it passed through the thin ice without resistance. Its daggers, dripping with dark, malevolent energy, struck directly against the icy sword aura, shattering it into freezing mist.

"Who are you? Why attack us?" Sensing the aura radiating from the figure, Kuang Zhen shouted in astonishment, though his expression quickly hardened into cold resolve as he engaged the shadow once more.

*Flash of cold light!*

In moments, Kuang Zhen became a blur of freezing radiance. As he moved, countless ice blossoms erupted, whipping up a frigid gale. A hundred-foot-wide phantom image of a dark ice blade manifested in the air, locking the space around the assailant.

The surging flow of black ice turned the surrounding space into a quagmire of quicksand. The dark figure, perhaps overestimating its own strength or failing to anticipate the power of the technique, continued to thrust forward without a word. Yet, it soon found itself struggling, its feet slowly freezing in mid-air.

"Hmph! You thought you could take us on? You’ve picked the wrong targets!"

As Kuang Zhen launched his assault, Tian Ming flickered like dancing plum blossoms toward the shadow. His dark, silver-toned internal energy surged, and under the enhancement of his "Plum Blossom Flash" movement technique, he became a blur of illusions. Moments later, like a spear piercing the dark sky, he launched a sharp, piercing finger strike from behind the shadow at a treacherous angle.

With the support of Kuang Zhen, a master of the seventh grade of the Void Void Realm, Tian Ming was full of confidence. He didn't even feel the need to unsheathe his Lightning Treasure Sword.

On the other side, Kuang Zhen prepared his final strike.

"Slash!"

Seeing Tian Ming move to attack from the rear, Kuang Zhen nodded to himself and brought his sword down. Endless black frost converged on the tip of the blade, forming a massive sphere of dark ice energy.

As the pincer attack closed in, Tian Ming accelerated, his finger strikes falling like rain.

"Heh heh, a mere sixth-grade Spirit Void cultivator dares to challenge me?"

Faced with a hundred-foot sword aura in front and a lethal strike from behind, the dark figure sneered and stomped the ground. A decaying, black aura spread, instantly reducing the ice to powder. As the figure danced its twin daggers, a swirling gale of malevolent energy swept up rocks and debris like a tornado.

*Bad move!*

Under the crushing pressure of the gale, before Tian Ming’s finger strike could connect, he felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him. Razor-sharp dark energy tore at him; his internal energy couldn't hold out and dissipated instantly.

"This is... the tenth grade of the Void Void Realm! How is this possible?"

Looking up at the gray sky, Tian Ming gritted his teeth, feeling his strength fail. The pain became unbearable. He would have to use the Lightning Treasure Sword after all; the power of these dark cultivators was not to be underestimated.

*Boom!*

After a brief stalemate, a figure was sent flying, crashing into the earth and leaving a spray of fresh blood in the air.

"Brother Chu?"

Seeing Tian Ming struck down, Kuang Zhen’s face turned ashen. He hadn't expected the mysterious figure to possess such a cultivation level. He immediately directed the massive dark ice energy sphere toward the shadow, while the hundred-foot phantom blade descended from the sky.

"Heh, nothing special!"

The dark figure sneered at the sight of the fallen Tian Ming, but didn't stop. Seeing the overwhelming, frost-laden attack, the figure channeled its energy, sending thick blades of dark wind to collide with Kuang Zhen’s massive energy sphere.

"Then let me teach you a lesson..."

As the words fell, Kuang Zhen swung his dark ice sword. Upon impact, the violent collision of energy triggered a cataclysm. The entire estate was shrouded in darkness, saturated with chaotic power.

*Boom!*

*Boom! Boom!*

With a single slash and the dance of dual daggers, the sound of the explosion echoed from the center, shaking everything for miles.

Soon, the chaotic energy shifted in a one-sided trend. Stray energy blasted giant craters into the ground, and the lingering sword aura razed the surrounding buildings into ruins.

*Pfft!*

Kuang Zhen landed on the ground, his face suddenly turning pale as he coughed up dark blood. Ignoring his own condition, he clutched his chest and stumbled with difficulty toward the spot where Tian Ming had fallen, his cold sword still gripped tightly in his hand.