Volume Five: Return from the Other Shore - Dark Knight (Part One)

"Demon Extermination Holy Thunder Burial!!!"

The gathering thunderclouds roared, and a lightning bolt with a diameter of no less than ten meters descended from the sky, cracking the very space it passed through! Faced with this attack that could be described as the might of the heavens, Yu Jie's figure was as insignificant as an ant, and he was instantly engulfed by the rolling lightning!

"Hey, hey, hey—don't underestimate me!!!"

However, the silvery-white lightning paste was tainted by the rolling darkness, and in an instant it transformed into a dark river with eerie pinkish-purple patterns. The black lightning emitted bursts of roars, and its destructive aura was several times stronger than before!

"Gather around here, everyone!"

Yu Jie gripped the Sword of Judgment tightly in his hand—this sword had been completely assimilated by him—and with a powerful swing, countless jet-black lightning bolts were immediately condensed and compressed, eventually swirling onto the blade to form an indestructible black lightning sword!

Yu Jie pointed the tip of the Thunder Sword at the Heavenly Law, while his other hand held a human-shaped black cocoon, which was the sacrificial spirit he was protecting.

(Tsk tsk tsk... Damn it, this time they really went too far...)

Although he wasn't injured yet and seemed quite relaxed, he knew in his heart that this was a very bad situation. He used to be Special Class Combatant in the organization, and due to his unique abilities, he could even restrain several other top-tier combatants to a certain extent. However, facing Tian Lu, who was comparable to a high-ranking member, was still too much of a challenge. In the past, Tian Lu lacked combat experience, which gave him an advantage, but these days, Tian Lu had been fighting in the south and north and had accumulated a lot of experience compared to before. So now, let alone defeating her, he would be lucky to even escape.

Not to mention, he also has to protect the sacrificial spirit—although it's a bit rude to say that, the sacrificial spirit is indeed a huge burden right now—so he can't possibly focus all his energy on fighting!

Tianlu's eyes, filled with icy rage, glared at Yu Jie. A flash of intense light appeared in her hand, and the hundred-meter-long Godly Sword of Heaven cleaved through space, slashing towards Yu Jie! Yu Jie parried with his jet-black lightning sword, the dark lightning and golden holy light intertwining in the air like two beasts tearing at each other! He groaned, the violent impact making his shoulders ache. Using the momentum, he swooped down, his feet stepping on the assimilated air, to dodge the second strike!

(This is terrible... I have the upper hand in terms of experience and skill, but this guy relies on pure destructive power and speed. It's precisely because it's simple and brutal that it's so troublesome!)

Lightning bolts struck relentlessly, and crosses rained down like raindrops, shaking the very air! While still airborne, Yu Jie displayed astonishing agility, weaving through the dense barrage of attacks, narrowly dodging deadly lightning and explosions time and again, skillfully maneuvering behind the attacks to neutralize their force—he used every trick in the book! However, the difference in their stamina was immense; Yu Jie would eventually tire, while Tian Lu was like a perpetual motion machine, attacking relentlessly!

"Tell me..."

Tianlu used his Divine Speed, and in a flash, Yu Jie immediately thrust his sword forward, just managing to block Tianlu's heavy punch, which had teleported in front of him. Yu Jie himself was also sent flying backward toward the ground by the impact.

"Tell me, Yang Yujie, the Chief Templar Knight, why have you rebelled!"

"Huh? You want to know me that much? Even the Heavenly Law Goddess has her moments of girlish infatuation?"

"Presumptuous!"

The Light Sword was hurled downwards by Tianlu, transforming into a streak of light that shot towards Yu Jie! Yu Jie immediately dodged, and the streak of light continued its downward trajectory, blasting a side hall with an unknown history of several hundred years into ashes!

Yu Jie caught a glimpse of Tian Lu's face twitching out of the corner of his eye. Despite the extremely dire situation, he couldn't help but secretly smile.

(As expected... Tianlu has absolute loyalty to the Divine Law Cult. She must be an absolute member to see the facilities of the Cathedral of the True God being damaged.)

But if she fights here, any use of divine magic will inevitably cause massive destruction! Therefore, her next move will inevitably be--

Boom!!!!

--Close combat!

"The Body of the Holy Son!"

Tianlu's entire body became as translucent as a diamond, and his powerful punch, shimmering with spiritual light, slammed towards Yu Jie's face. Although Yujie dodged at the last second, the violent force of the punch still left half of his face a bloody mess! The following kick was even more ferocious, the extremely enhanced toe aimed straight for his heart! Yu Jie immediately gripped the sword blade to the side, and at the same time, the remaining black lightning on the sword exploded completely. The clash of the two forces, the perfect timing, and the flawless control of the power all successfully deflected most of the impact! But even so, his tiger's mouth was still splattered with blood!

If Yu He is the top economist, Gustav the top martial arts master, Neumann the top mathematician in the organization, then Yu Jie is undoubtedly the top swordsmanship expert.

However, the existence of skills is ultimately to compensate for a lack of strength. Once the gap in strength exceeds what skills can compensate for, then...

A crimson wave surged forth, the roars of tens of thousands of warriors shaking heaven and earth. Before them stood an iron wall of defense composed of tens of thousands of paladins and Divine Spellcaster, like a dam blocking Gloria's path!

"Charge! Warriors! For final victory!!!!!!!!!"

"All troops, engage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

When the two sides were less than a kilometer apart, the Divine Spellcaster, under unified command, unleashed Holy Light Arrows. Although it was the most common offensive divine spell, when tens of thousands of Divine Spellcaster released it at the same time, its power was absolutely comparable to a true natural disaster!

--That's how it should have been.

The superhumans in the Revolutionary Army camp also unleashed their powers.

Beams of light and holy arrows collided in the air like dazzling fireworks! Although the Revolutionary Army was at a disadvantage in the long-range artillery fire, the Papacy's attack did not achieve the expected overwhelming effect! The first and second units of the Revolutionary Army, which attacked first, had successfully interfered with the Divine Spellcaster earlier with their superior mobility and defense, diverting their attention and firepower, allowing the follow-up troops to focus on breaking through the barrier!

In the dazzling light of the explosions, the battlefield seemed to transform into a series of animated frames, with soldiers dancing like shadows amidst the interplay of light and shadow! The roars of the Revolutionary Army, the flashes of the paladins' swords, and the crimson tide finally clashed violently against the silver dam! The Light Sword, the splatter of flesh and blood—all stirred the deepest desires of humanity for violence!

However, the advance of the crimson tide was greatly slowed down. The Shield Knight formed a large column, unfurling massive shields of light like city walls, successfully blocking the attack of the vanguard! Taking advantage of this opening, the Papal army regrouped, and wave after wave of cavalry riding magically modified monsters launched a counterattack against the Revolutionary Army! Tens of thousands of gleaming knightly lances advanced in a single line at high speed, enough to crush any obstacle in their path—

"--But can you crush the mighty tide of history?"

Clang!!!!

A sword rang out, and even amidst the constant roar of the battlefield, the sound reached everyone's ears.

The young man in the dark red trench coat remained in the stance of wielding his sword, while several rows of heavy cavalrymen were all cut in half at the waist, along with their mounts.

The once-mighty counterattack force is now a pile of corpses.

Our steps will not cease, just as time will not stop flowing, my soldiers--

Nid Bradwich stood before the vast army, his sword pointed at the countless Papal soldiers caught in chaos, hundreds of silver-white mechanical giants appearing beside him.

"--Forward! Bring me victory, and in return, I will bestow upon you unparalleled glory!"

For Nid Bradwich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The crimson tide surged even more fiercely, breaching the dikes and spreading into the city! Every soldier brandished their weapons and roared as they charged into battle, led by the silver-white giants, disregarding even their own lives!

"What a moving scene..."

Nid marveled at the magnificent sight; with each swing of his sword, hundreds of lives were claimed, and no one could stop his advance.

"But... where is 'that guy'? I thought he would definitely be the first one in front of me."

--As if in response to him,

In the center of Gloria City, at the location of the Cathedral of the True God, a thick, black plume of smoke shot straight into the sky.

A few minutes ago--

Thump!!!

A dark figure crashed through the top of a bell tower, shattered the monastery's walls, ripped off the chapel's ceiling, and finally rammed into the sanctuary, embedding itself firmly in the thick gray stone walls.

"You're really treating me like a football... damn it..."

Yu Jie grumbled as he leaned out, still tightly holding Ji Ling in his arms. When they passed through so many layers of barriers, his first instinct was to protect her.

With a clatter, a golden figure landed in front of him. To facilitate movement, Tianlu had already deactivated his Body of the Holy Son form.

"You still haven't answered me: why did you betray me at this crucial moment!?"

"Heh... Why rebel? To fight against evil forces alone for the girl who loves him—it's childish and cliché, but you can't deny that it's also a man's romance~"

"..."

With a snap of his fingers, a beam of holy light grazed his ear, shaving off a few strands of hair.

Yu Jie raised his eyebrows as if he had no other choice.

"I thought you were going to kill me first."

"That's true..."

Every note Tianlu uttered trembled with anger, but she forcibly suppressed it and spoke to Yu Jie.

"I want to kill you, I really want to kill you, but with the Rebel Army at hand, pointless infighting will only lead to defeat! Yang Yujie, if your actions are just a momentary lapse of judgment, then kill the sacrificial spirit right now, and come back to lead your troops to meet the enemy! That way, I might give you a chance to live!"

"Oh dear, should I thank you for your kindness? But unfortunately, I am—"

Just then, a buzzing sound resounded through the sky, followed by the Pope, amplified countless times by divine magic:

"Attention everyone! All Imperial Guard, immediately go on high alert to repel the Rebel Army! Also—it has been confirmed that Yang Yujie, the Chief Templar Knight, is a traitor within the Revolutionary Army! The target is currently on the run; once spotted, immediately assist the Heavenly Law in eliminating him!!!"

The sound waves echoed and reverberated between the buildings for a long time.

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The train is during the day, so it's now on the 16th.