Chapter 748: Who Made It Through?

The excited roar of the hulking man reverberated through the forest, his voice brimming with overbearing dominance, startling the soul beasts around him.

The weaker beasts trembled in place, too frightened to move.

The stronger ones, though alarmed, fled in terror.

Wind Hawk stood where he was, watching his master charge forward with a helpless expression on his face. "Master is always like this. Once he's locked onto prey, he gets overly excited. It can't be helped; it's the nature of the Wild Hunt Clan."

Whoosh!

At that moment, Wind Hawk's face changed dramatically, and he quickly dodged to the side.

However, while he avoided the sharp edge of a blade, he was struck hard by the shaft of the Fang Tian Halberd.

Bang!

His entire body was flung into the air, smashing through over ten spirit trees before finally coming to a halt.

Pffft!

Wind Hawk clutched his abdomen, vomiting a mouthful of green blood onto the ground. The blood swirled with a faint breeze, lifting the shattered wood and fallen leaves around it, a remarkable sight.

"What a fascinating world this is, where there are races whose very blood can command the wind," a voice remarked.

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Wind Hawk's breathing became heavy as he stared at the imposing man in dark red armor before him. "Who are you?"

"I am Lü Bu, commander of the Red Hare Legion of the Huaxia Empire. Knowing my name is an honor for you, alien," Lü Bu declared arrogantly, hoisting his Fang Tian Halberd onto his shoulder.

Clop, clop, clop!

Suddenly, to Wind Hawk's horror, a large number of cavalrymen riding fiery red horses charged out of the dense forest, moving like a crimson whirlwind in every direction.

The sight caused Wind Hawk's heart to sink.

"How... could you have already regrouped?" Wind Hawk exclaimed in disbelief. "It's only been an hour! How could you possibly have gathered all your forces?"

Lü Bu looked down at Wind Hawk with disdain, his tone dripping with pride. "The might of the Emperor is unparalleled, both in heaven and on earth. It is not for the likes of you to comprehend."

"Prepare to die!" With those words, Lü Bu hefted his halberd and leaped forward.

His movement was like a volcanic eruption, the Fang Tian Halberd slashing downward with unstoppable force.

The aura emanating from Lü Bu's body terrified Wind Hawk. He could instantly tell that he was no match for this opponent.

"Run!" In an instant, Wind Hawk turned and fled, his innate abilities pushing him to his limits. The wind itself seemed to gather around him, propelling him forward at an incredible speed.

He had to escape and warn his master about the situation.

The cavalry that had charged ahead earlier wasn't simply attacking—they were surrounding his master.

"We fell into their trap!" Wind Hawk realized too late that Lin Qian had likely detected their presence and had lured them in, with hidden forces lying in wait to surround and eliminate them.

"What a devious plot! This human truly is an unstable factor," Wind Hawk thought, his heart pounding as he sped forward. But suddenly, he stumbled as a tremendous force slammed into him from behind.

Thud!

Wind Hawk was pinned to a large spirit tree, an arrow with a red shaft piercing through his body. Chains of soul energy extended from the arrow, locking him in place against the tree.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu lowered the red longbow in his hand, his expression one of mockery. "Did you really think you could outrun me just because you're fast? Though my archery skills aren't the best in the Empire, they're more than enough to deal with scum like you."

As Lü Bu approached the pinned Wind Hawk, ready to extract information, he noticed a bright light radiating from Wind Hawk's body.

Buzz!

A strange hum filled the air, and before Lü Bu's eyes, Wind Hawk vanished in a flash of formation energy.

"Hmm?" Lü Bu frowned at the bloodstains left on the tree, his face puzzled by what had just occurred.

After a moment of contemplation, Lü Bu finally understood. "He didn't die but was transported out of here. Could it be that he was also a trial participant?"

"Well, that was quicker than expected. Looks like I've already taken down a trial participant and earned some merit for the Emperor," Lü Bu mused, satisfied with the outcome.

This time, Lin Qian had chosen Lü Bu to lead the Red Hare Legion in assisting with the trial, a great honor that Lü Bu cherished. Determined not to waste the opportunity, he resolved to perform well.

Meanwhile, in the observation hall of the Sea Spiral Sacred Academy, many of the academy members watching the trial were astonished by Lü Bu's display of power.

"This particular subordinate seems quite extraordinary. He appears very young as well. Investigate his age," the elderly man and middle-aged man, who had been closely monitoring Lin Qian and his companions, were both amazed by Lü Bu’s skills.

Shooting down a member of the Wind Hawk Clan, even while the target was using its swift-moving ability, said a great deal about Lü Bu's prowess.

"His aura is somewhat elusive, but it seems to match Lin Qian's exactly—fifty years old!" After checking, the middle-aged man was taken aback and began investigating the other Red Hare Legion soldiers.

The final result surprised him even more. "All the subordinates are the same age as him! How could that be?"

"The same age? Does that mean this Lü Bu and the Red Hare Legion soldiers were all born in the same year as their Emperor, Lin Qian?" he speculated.

The elderly man also found this odd, but after a moment's thought, he guessed, "Perhaps it's just Lin Qian's personal preference. Maybe he selected subordinates born in the same year as himself for fun..."

"Wait!" The elder suddenly came to a realization.

Most trial participants' subordinates had inferior talents, taking many years to reach their current cultivation levels.

But Lin Qian's subordinates were all the same age as him, and yet their cultivation levels were higher by two or three stages. Could it be that Lin Qian's subordinates were as talented as the top-tier trial participants?

The thought made the elder's hands tremble slightly. "What kind of force is this Huaxia Empire?"

"According to the records, it claims to be an ancient empire with a 500-billion-year history..."

"Utter nonsense!"

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter