Chapter 518

Facing Hei Lou Lan’s demand for surrender, Dong Fang Yu Liang stays silent on the wall and sighs. He reflects that wisdom path has endured since the immemorial era, but is not invincible. Only ten Gu Masters in history have ever truly earned that word. He himself, though at the peak of the mortal realm, is only a rank five wisdom path Gu Master, and his self created killer move, Seven Star Light, costs too much primeval essence to sustain against a force the size of Hei tribe. He thinks that even an enslavement path Gu Master would fare little better, since Wolf King Chang Shan Yin himself does not dare lead his wolves away from the main army alone. He concludes that only ascending to Gu Immortal lets anyone truly rule the mortal world. ^{ch. 518}

Water Demon Hao Ji Liu calls out Wind Demon, and the two fight for dozens of rounds with wind blades and water bullets colliding in the air. Wind Demon’s condition falters as his side’s surrounded, low morale wears on him, and Water Demon gradually gains the upper hand, shouting in joy and attacking harder as Hei tribe’s spirits surge and Dong Fang’s fall silent. Hei Lou Lan sends a second rank four expert, and Dong Fang Yu Liang answers. This pairing is calmer. The two even trade talk of ancestors and old marriage alliances mid battle, while Dong Fang Yu Liang’s expression sours. Individual forces within Dong Fang’s alliance start looking for a way out of the fight. Hei tribe’s rank four experts, morale high, ask to fight one after another until twelve battle rings stand between the armies; Pan Ping enters as the thirteenth after Hei Lou Lan grants him leave. ^{ch. 518}

Dong Fang Yu Liang has no one left to send, most of his rank four fighters dead or now holding back their strength. The alliance’s poison vow binds every leader and expert who swore it, but its terms were never strict, and it carries many loopholes that can be exploited. The alliance leader wants to tie the large tribes closely to him, and the other forces are no fools, so the vow’s content passes down through many generations, shaped by numerous collective agreements. He orders the bedridden Tang tribe leader, Tang You, into the ring. He does so over his son Tang Fang’s furious objection. The elder himself insists he is fit enough, and that the battle may be his last chance to matter to his tribe. Tang Fang tells his father to be careful, since his sister remains within the enemy’s reach. ^{ch. 518}

Tang You and Pan Ping fight to what looks like a controlled draw, neither pressing fully, until Pan Ping suddenly draws the scimitar at his waist and a flash of white light beheads him outright. Tang Fang cries out in pain at the sight. Pan Ping’s eyes shine with a bloodthirsty light as he raises the severed head and announces that he has taken down Tang tribe leader Tang You. Tang Fang faints on the spot. Pan Ping’s reputation was not very high, and among rank four Gu Masters he was not outstanding. The feat, striking down a Gu Master of equal rank, wins Pan Ping sudden fame, enough that even the resting Fang Yuan opens his eyes to look at him. Hei Lou Lan rewards him personally with wine before the assembled tent. ^{ch. 518}

Pan Ping’s weapon is a Gu he found by chance. He bought an appealing scimitar at a market and later discovered a mysterious cold light embedded in its blade. He spent great effort refining it into a Gu whose name he still does not know, only that its attacks run extremely sharp and have already killed many strong opponents for him. He held great hopes for this Imperial Court contest. When Hei tribe and Dong Fang army first clashed, he asked to be the first into battle, meaning to use this Gu to cut down a strong enemy and win fame at once. ^{ch. 518}

Tang Miao Ming called out Wolf King Chang Shan Yin and challenged him first, blocking that plan. Then Fang Yuan broke from custom outright, attacking directly and skipping the challenge, which touched off war between both armies right there. Pan Ping’s chance vanished with it, and the battles that followed never gave him the same opening. He expects the feat to raise his status until he becomes Hei tribe’s number one general. Turning the moment over, he weighs himself against Water Demon Hao Ji Liu, who has greater reputation but has not yet beaten Wind Demon. He dismisses competing with the enslavement path Wolf King Chang Shan Yin as pointless. Then he savors how differently people now look at him, and vows silently that his own name will one day resound across all of Northern Plains. ^{ch. 518}