Star Gate

Chapter 271: The Terrifying Ancient City (I)

“Don’t worry, she’s not from Silver Moon.”

“Then that’s good!” Wang Ming relaxed a little. The provinces weren’t a tight-knit whole. Although it was still troublesome if she came from another province, it was at least acceptable.

“She’s from headquarters!”

Wang Ming’s jaw dropped. “Which... which headquarters?”

“Central headquarters!”

“......” Wang Ming sagged to the ground and clutched his head with pain. “We’re done for, done for! You killed her even though you knew her identity...”

“You did!” Li Hao chuckled. “It has nothing to do with me. You said so yourself just now, you killed a Solar. What does it have to do with me?”

“......” Wang Ming couldn’t find tears to cry with!

“It’s fine, Director Hou wanted us to kill her.” Liu Long was the one who comforted him. “Director Hao knows about this as well.”

“Huh?” Wang Ming gulped for air, his thoughts a tangled snarl. What was going on?

“It’s no big deal, just that Silver Moon doesn’t wish to be under central control. The dynasty is the dynasty and Silver Moon is Silver Moon, understand?”

Wang Ming... didn’t. Not really. He was completely confused. He stood up after a long moment and kept his distance from Li Hao.

“I... don’t know anything!” he said in a muffled voice. “I didn’t hear anything. Please, I beg you, don’t drag me into this. I can’t take it!”

His sky was falling in!

Li Hao laughed and threw a piece of bone over. “Do you want that?”

“......”

Did he want that?

Of course he... did!

Despite his internal conflict, Wang Ming immediately accepted the bone. There were roughly two hundred cubes of mysterious power in it, that was a lot!

Li Hao then threw over half of the origin weapon that’d been snapped into two. “Do you want that too?”

“......”

Yeah!

Wang Ming caught the second item as well. Although the weapon of unparalleled sharpness had lost its soul, it was still superior to most supernatural objects. He only needed to hold it in his hand to sense the keenness within.

Could he possibly say no? This type of treasure wasn’t purchasable with mysterious power! It could return to being a powerful weapon if he had someone reforge it when he exited the ruins! Although it was a water attributed weapon to begin with, its soul had been destroyed, leaving it simply an item made of durable materials. Said materials happen to be of the metal attribute, which made it a perfect match for him. He had to constantly detonate his sword of energy in battle because he lacked a proper weapon to wield.

This ruined origin weapon would be highly useful for him!

Wang Ming swallowed and drew a little closer to Li Hao. It felt like he was tying himself to their banner of wickedness in accepting the item!

“Are you a co-conspirator now?” Li Hao grinned.

Still conflicted, Wang Ming wrestled with his thoughts for a bit before nodding. “I guess so!”

“You killed Zhang Ting, didn’t you?”

“Um... well... the three of us did so together. Ahem, you two did most of the work, I was just the cleanup crew,” Wang Ming said sheepishly.

Li Hao and Liu Long started laughing. When it came down to it, this guy couldn’t bear to give up a share of the loot!

“You have no use for water energy,” Li Hao raised. “Give it to chief. We’ll give back two hundred cubes of metal energy later on.”

“Do you guys even have any?” Wang Ming asked curiously. They... didn’t, no? There were only one hundred cubes of fire energy in Li Hao’s storage ring.

“Of course we do, why don’t we?” Li Hao chuckled. “It’s only two hundred cubes, we can get that from one Sunflare. Let me count it up for you—as of now, there’s two Yama Sunflares, four Red Moon Sunflares, and seven Celestial Sunflares. That’s thirteen total Sunflares!

“I ask you, are there metal attributes among them?”

“Pro... probably?” nodded a gaping Wang Ming. This is what you mean by two hundred cubes? You’re going to kill people?

It was then that the sometimes slow supernatural abruptly realized, “How... how are you so strong?”

Li Hao’s a Dominator?

“Am I strong? No!” Li Hao laughed. “My teacher killed a Solar by himself as soon as he became a Dominator! Me? It took the three of us a very long time to kill the Solar, and we almost died in the ambush! Does that make me strong?”

In that case... Wang Ming shook his head after further consideration. No, you’re not strong, just mediocre!

But he almost cried in the next second. Aw fuck, who’s like our teacher? He’s so scary! Liu Long’s a Dominator too, but he’s not going around killing Solars! I’m a Sunflare, how am I the weakest of the three?? And here I go, running my mouth everyday on how powerful I am as a Sunflare!

The traces of blood in the distance disappeared throughout the course of their conversation. The battle site had fully recovered. This was the ancient city, the terrifying ancient city. In here, murder could be kept an entirely private affair.

Clothing and other objects were rejected by the ground. Li Hao took out a bit of fire energy when he noticed what was left behind and threw out a fireball. Everything on the ground turned to ashes and the clothing disappeared.

Everything about Zhang Ting was erased from the world.

“Chief, you should absorb some water energy to nurture your kidneys,” Li Hao mentioned. “You and Wang Ming should split the origin weapon and see if you can store it within your body! I’m worried about trouble after we exit the ruins, if someone will check us or something like that. We should use everything that we have a use for and turn it into our own strength!”

They’d murdered a witness!

Zhang Ting was a Solar from the central region and their superior. If word of their deed got out and Hou Xiaochen disavowed any knowledge of their actions, the trio would be in grave trouble. Li Hao couldn’t endure the consequences of offending the three great organizations and the Night Watchers at the same time. Thus, he wanted to turn all of their gains into personal power before they left the ruins.

Fortified by sword energy, he was cockier than before. He could absorb more mysterious power! His organs had previously absorbed roughly four hundred cubes of metal, water, and earth. Fire energy was the most at five hundred cubes, and wood energy the least at three hundred cubes.

Li Hao wasn’t short on water energy at the moment, but he couldn’t be blamed since Zhang Ting had refused to leave. He\'d had his eyes set on her long ago, in any case!

“Ole Wang, keep an eye out for us. Chief and I will absorb some water energy.”

“Eh?” Wang Ming blinked. “You... absorb water energy?”

What? Why?

“Martial masters can absorb any element!”

Wang Ming was so very envious and almost drooling over the notion. “Even I want to be a martial master now. We supernaturals have limitations when it comes to the type of mysterious power we can absorb and we’re not as strong as martial masters. Sunflare...”

He’d been full of himself a few days ago because he was a Sunflare. And now, he felt that this level was utter trash. It couldn’t match a Dominator! Just look at Yuan Shuo, Li Hao, and Liu Long. Which one of them couldn’t wipe the floor with him?

Damn this is shitty! I want to be a martial master too, but there’s no hope for me since I’ve already broken my supernatural locks.

“Shush and keep an eye out...” Li Hao ignored him as he swiftly used sword energy to distill water elemental power. He was in no hurry to observe the two characters. It was better to heal his wounds and grow stronger. The words were right there and he could study them next time if he didn’t have a chance this time.

He didn’t have Liu Long absorb water energy on its own—he distilled a large amount of water elemental energy and released some into Liu Long’s body. He then took the remaining unattributed power and said to Wang Ming, “Ole Wang, have some unattributed power...”

The baffled Wang Ming had no idea where this energy had suddenly come from, but who cared? Time to feast!

Unattributed energy was just as well as it strengthened supernatural locks and the body. The only drawback was that it would make further ascension more difficult.

The three swiftly absorbed the energy at hand. Li Hao was fine enough, but Liu Long was as if a bottomless pit. He was too weak!

Li Hao’s kidneys at least had four hundred cubes of water energy reinforcing them; it was Liu Long’s first experience being baptized by water elemental energy. It hadn’t been long since he became a Dominator and he was far behind Yuan Shuo—he hadn’t come to the stage of nurturing his five visceral organs yet.

The man swallowed a dozen cubes of water elemental energy in the blink of an eye. As a Dominator, this was precisely when he should be fortifying his organs. This infusion of water energy came at a perfect time—and it was elemental energy, a cut above regular mysterious power.

It felt so good that Liu Long wanted to moan with pleasure! Was this what it meant to nurture his five elements?

Li Hao couldn’t be bothered to explain anything. He swiftly absorbed water energy into his kidneys.

The three quickly depleted the stores of energy that they’d reaped. Wang Ming absorbed unattributed energy, Liu Long took in water elemental energy, whereas Li Hao took in both. Twenty minutes passed before they knew it, whereupon the last piece of human bone crumbled away.

The three opened their eyes and looked at each other, rooted to the spot. Li Hao took it in stride as he was used to this, Liu Long was absolutely not.

“Did... we... kill a fake Solar?” he murmured with shock. Three people had absorbed roughly two hundred cubes in twenty minutes? But... his kidneys felt very normal and he could sense that his aura had grown noticeably stronger. His mind intent was more robust than before!

Wang Ming was likewise incredulous. No wonder Li Hao and the rest wanted to kill people everyday. First they killed Sunflares, then Solars. Not even the Night Watchers could afford to keep them if they had these appetites!

Li Hao absorbed roughly half of the two hundred cubes, with Liu Long accounting for the remaining half. By now, the young man had absorbed roughly five hundred cubes of water energy, placing it on par with fire energy. However, he planned to empty the second piece of bone as well. He’d take in one hundred more cubes as well as the one hundred cubes of fire in the ring. That would ensure his fire and water maintained a balance of six hundred cubes.

His metal and earth would remain at four hundred, and wood... Well, his wood energy was indeed lacking. He could deal with that later.

“Let’s absorb the other piece of bone as well. The rest can stay in the storage ring.”

Liu Long had no objections, he wasn’t feeling fully satiated yet either. This was a damned good feeling!

No one asked where the pure energy came from, there was no need for questions. Just enjoy the bounty! They began absorbing once more; the last piece of bone crumbled after another twenty minutes.

“I’m going to finish with some fire energy,” said Li Hao. “Chief and Ole Wang, keep an eye on the inner city. They’ve been in there for almost an hour and there was movement before. There’s nothing now... are they all dead?”

Liu Long coughed. Surely not?

Li Hao didn’t care and turned his attention to the fire energy. It was time to strengthen his heart!

One hundred cubes were consumed at a moderate pace, placing both water and fire at six hundred cubes in the young man’s body and eight hundred cubes of water energy in the storage ring.