Chapter 385: Chapter 385

In the Star Sea Realm, there’s a special profession known as the Battlefield Killer.

As the name suggests, this profession serves specifically for the battlefield. For instance, if you hire a True Immortal, you can request him to kill a few True Immortals from an opposing force. Of course, the payment must be provided upfront; this model is quite popular among the more financially strapped solo practitioners.

After the battle in the Beastman Territory, Chen Jiuge, the new Divine Son of the Asura, also began to attract the attention of the Heavenly Killing Pavilion, given that the Asura had always been major clients of Battlefield Killers.

After several months, Su Mei and Li Qiwen finally finished reorganizing the spoils from the Beastman Territory and reallocating the clans that had arrived earlier.

Naturally, some were dissatisfied, but faced with generous compensation and the deterrence of the Asura, they all obediently fell in line.

Holding an ice cream, Chen Jiuge looked at the tall building under construction, a hint of surprise on his face. "What kind of store is this? Is there someone in the city capable of opening such a grand tower?"

Covering an area of over a thousand square meters and already three stories high, judging by the way those lunkheaded members of the Gray Elephant Clan were bustling about, it seemed considerable upward construction was still planned.

"Elephant Dragon, who opened this? What kind of shop is it?" Chen Jiuge asked, stopping the busy Elephant Dragon.

Elephant Dragon, initially shaking his hand off with some impatience, turned and saw it was the City Lord. A smile involuntarily spread across his face as he explained, "It’s said to be a branch of the Heavenly Killing Pavilion. Their main business is selling information and hiring personnel."

"They generally don’t open branches unless it’s in a large city of a certain caliber."

"I see. You can get back to your work then," Chen Jiuge said thoughtfully.

Carrying a scroll from the administrative hall, Chen Jiuge said with a touch of exasperation, "Isn’t this just being a mercenary? How does one even become a mercenary in the Cultivation World?"

Shaking his head to dismiss these trivial matters, three years quickly passed.

After gulping down his breakfast milk, Chen Jiuge shook his head again, reluctantly getting up. "Seriously, couldn’t they pick a nice, sunny day to discuss cooperation?"

The weather had been terrible recently, with a blizzard raging for ten consecutive days. Horn Shadow City was entirely blanketed in white.

Originally, Chen Jiuge had wanted to activate an Array to keep the blizzard out. However, Su Mei had stopped him, saying that experiencing the changing weather would bring people closer to life in the city and deepen their sense of belonging to Horn Shadow City.

WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.

Standing at the entrance of the administrative hall, watching the goose-feather-sized snowflakes fall, Chen Jiuge complained, "Why aren’t they here yet?"

"It’s not time yet, is it?" Ming Huayu’s somewhat seductive voice chimed in.

Looking at Ming Huayu, dressed in a severe black dress, Chen Jiuge said coolly, "Well, since you’re here, let’s get down to business."

Ming Huayu chuckled softly, her voice carrying an enigmatic tone. "Now you truly do resemble the Divine Son of the Asura."

In a side hall of the administrative building, Ming Huayu handed over a scroll, leaning back in her chair. "Take a look first."

Scanning it rapidly, Chen Jiuge’s frown deepened.

"What’s this supposed to mean? You allowed the Heavenly Killing Pavilion to set up in the city? And our cooperation has to go through their hiring process?"

Ming Huayu shook her head. "First, let me clarify: the Heavenly Killing Pavilion wasn’t brought here by me. I don’t have that much influence. I merely suggested that cooperating as mercenaries was the most secure plan I could devise."

"The Beiming Clan is a minor clan subordinate to our Netherworld King Clan. For various reasons, I can’t intervene directly. However, I need extremely powerful True Immortals, and it’s inconvenient to ask my own clansmen."

"What’s in it for me?" Chen Jiuge crossed his arms.

"The Beiming Clan possesses a legacy Divine Skill called ’Infinite.’" A hint of greed flickered across Ming Huayu’s face as she continued, "It’s a Great Divine Power."

"Just for one Great Divine Power?" Chen Jiuge asked, puzzled.

"This Great Divine Power once allowed a pseudo-Immortal to kill an actual Immortal in a counterattack," Ming Huayu stated blandly.

"No need to say more. I accept. Go over the details with me again."

Chen Jiuge, clad in a black trench coat, stood with a row of stern-faced children behind him. The back of his coat bore four large golden characters: "All Evil People."

"What’s with this getup?" Ming Huayu asked, trying to suppress her laughter as she looked at the group before her.

Chen Jiuge glanced glumly at Da Bai, the smallest of the group, who was wearing sunglasses behind him, and grumbled, "You wouldn’t understand."

"Alright then, I’ve said all that needs to be said. From here on, it’s up to you. You are now mercenaries for the Lotus Clan. Don’t forget your roles," Ming Huayu reminded them.

"Don’t worry, we know."

The Heavenly Killing Pavilion’s service was indeed thorough; they used a Flying Boat to transport Chen Jiuge and his party directly to the Lotus Clan’s territory.

The Lotus people were about 1.2 meters tall, with white lotus seedpods on their heads, two green lotus leaves around their necks, and arms that extended into long vines.

He Shan, the Clan Leader of the Lotus Clan, leaned on a cane, tears welling in his eyes as he greeted Chen Jiuge and the others. "You’ve finally arrived! Please, save us!"

A blast of Magic struck the Lotus Pond, causing an explosion. Many Lotus people were sent flying, but fortunately, the attack wasn’t very powerful, and they only sustained minor injuries.

"Li Kui, Ming Yujing, you two intercept their Spells and Divine Skills for a moment. I need to discuss the hiring price with this Lotus elder." Since we’re mercenaries, we have to act like mercenaries.

"What’s there to discuss? Wasn’t it agreed that if you help us defeat the Beiming Clan, our Lotus Clan would pledge its allegiance to you?" He Shan exclaimed, his mustache quivering in panic.

Chen Jiuge paused for a moment, then said with a peculiar expression, "So, your payment for hiring us is to sell your own clan to us?"

He Shan scoffed, "Otherwise, what would I use to hire you?"

Chen Jiuge mentally gave a thumbs-up to this old Lotus clansman. What a ruthless fellow! Selling his own kin to hire mercenaries. That’s truly a case of ’injuring oneself by a thousand to kill eight hundred enemies.’

"Since that’s the case, let’s make our move. Da Bai, Tian Que, you two do your best to ensure the safety of the Lotus Clan. They are, after all, our payment."

"The rest of you, follow me. Let’s test the strength of the Beiming Clan first," Chen Jiuge ordered quickly.

To avoid revealing his identity, Chen Jiuge used the Calamity Immortal Sword this time. The Black Qilin lazily emitted streaks of Sword Qi, splitting the dark-complexioned Beiming clansmen in two. It twisted its body uncomfortably and said, "Master, why don’t you just let me handle this myself?"

Chen Jiuge feigned swinging the Immortal Sword and whispered, "If you just fly around on your own, won’t it expose the fact that I don’t know any sword techniques? Just cooperate with me."

The Beiming Clan was just a small race. Their strongest members were only True Immortals, similar to the Lotus Clan, and both were vassals of the Netherworld King Clan. However, the Netherworld King Clan paid no mind to such a race, whose strongest were mere True Immortals, especially with Ming Huayu helping to conceal matters.

A long streak of Sword Qi tore through the sky, severing the Beiming Clan’s hope.

The strongest Beiming Clan Leader was bisected by the Sword Qi, his black blood splashing onto the faces of other Beiming clansmen. These dark-complexioned individuals, resembling humans, let out piercing screams and scattered chaotically across the battlefield.

He Shan, along with a large group of Lotus descendants, continuously munched on dried snacks made from lotus seeds, their mouths constantly forming sounds of amazement.

Da Bai, the natural extrovert, skillfully slung an arm around He Shan’s shoulder, his cheeks working vigorously as he chewed. He mumbled, "Just those few True Immortals on the other side, and you couldn’t beat them?"

A hint of grim satisfaction appeared on He Shan’s face. "Hmph, we’re just lotuses. My old ancestor is so old he can barely walk smoothly, and they still ganged up on him! It’s inhumane!"

"We only have our ancestor as a True Immortal."

Da Bai looked at He Shan incredulously. I sensed this old guy only had Mahayana cultivation before and thought it was due to severe injuries. Turns out he really is only at the Mahayana stage! Good heavens, they’re even weaker than the Milk Cow Clan. How on earth did this lot survive?

The Beiming Clan didn’t have many True Immortals, but there were still dozens of them. They were a bit weaker, sure, but for one True Immortal to hold off several dozen and last this long... that’s pretty incredible.

"Where is your ancestor?" Da Bai asked curiously.

"Little Qilin, you’re eating my dried fruit and standing on me, and you don’t know where I am?" Suddenly, a blurry old face materialized on the green lotus leaf beneath Da Bai’s feet.

"HA!" Da Bai exclaimed, startled. "You’re really huge, old timer!"

"Huge my ass! I’m so old, once I use this Divine Skill, I can’t retract it anymore. Remember to pack me up when you leave; I haven’t lived long enough yet!" the Lotus ancestor cursed crudely.

"Ancestor, you’ve actually lived a very long time," He Shan said shamelessly. "Why don’t you just end it and pass your essence to me? Let me protect the Lotus Clan."

"Get lost, you heartless bastard!"

With the assistance of the Spiritual Beasts led by Chen Jiuge, the Beiming Clan was quickly pushed to the brink. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on noⅴelfire.net

Looking at the dark-complexioned people, their eyes filled with hatred, Chen Jiuge’s mouth curled into a cruel smile. "Kill them all," he said coldly.

One after another, Beiming clansmen fell, their black blood flowing and pooling into a dark lake.

"You won’t meet a good end! The Beiming Clan will return!"

After beheading the last Beiming clansman, Li Kui said disdainfully, "Then we’ll just kill you all over again."

"Are they all gone?" Chen Jiuge surveyed the empty territory of the Beiming Clan.

"All gone. Not a single shadow left. I guarantee not a single Beiming clansman escaped," Yang Huan stated as his concealed figure slowly materialized.

Strange. Where’s the Law Crystal? Is there some kind of delay? Chen Jiuge wondered.

A peculiar sound drew Chen Jiuge’s attention. He saw bubbles rising from the nearby lake of black blood, and a strange life pulsation emerged.

A naked Beiming clansman burst from a bubble, his dark face etched with bone-deep hatred, and charged at Chen Jiuge, baring his teeth.

Easily restraining him, Chen Jiuge briefly examined the being and frowned, saying, "It’s truly a living entity, though its cultivation is only at the Divinity Transformation stage."

A continuous succession of black bubbles burst, and one after another, naked Beiming clansmen reappeared, charging at Chen Jiuge and his group.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Kui suddenly shouted, "This Beiming clansman is the last one I just killed! His cultivation is a bit lower, but his aura and face are identical!"

"Are you sure you didn’t mistake him?" Chen Jiuge frowned.

"Impossible to mistake. It hasn’t been that long," Li Kui affirmed.

Chen Jiuge suddenly recalled Ming Huayu’s earlier words about needing "extremely powerful True Immortals."

So that’s why it was so easy. They were waiting for me here. But why didn’t she tell me about this situation? Was it deliberate, or was she not allowed to say?

Before Chen Jiuge could ponder further, more and more Beiming clansmen resurrected. These clansmen, with cultivation below the True Immortal realm, were bizarrely able to completely ignore the pressure of True Immortals, their movements utterly unaffected.