209: Chapter 209 Encirclement from Ten Sides

Meanwhile, at the edge of the mist.

Wang Zhuo jumped down from the back of the Silver-Patterned Peacock and looked ahead.

The mist spread out before him, a grayish-white haze extending from the ground all the way to the Space-Time Rift in the sky, with no end in sight.

The mist was not thick, but it was viscous, like a layer of cold, damp gauze.

Behind him, ten people were lined up in a row.

Han Zhang stood on the far left, with an Iron-Feathered Vulture perched on his shoulder.

The remaining nine people were arranged on either side, with ten Gold Rank Pet Beasts squatting quietly at their feet.

Eleven people, eleven Gold Rank Pet Beasts.

As the eldest legitimate son of the Wang Family, Wang Zhuo was no stranger to the Vicious Beast world beneath the Space-Time Rift.

The Family's intelligence System had begun researching this area more than a decade ago.

He had read those classified files and knew that the rules in this area were completely different from the outside world.

Below Silver Rank, entering the mist zone meant death.

One would be attacked immediately upon crossing the boundary; Silver Rank Vicious Beasts would swarm in wave after wave until the intruder was torn to shreds.

This was the reason why major forces dared not send people in.

It was not because they couldn't fight, but because they couldn't afford the attrition.

But Gold Rank was different.

The aura of a Gold Rank was a "pass" in this area.

Ordinary Silver Rank Vicious Beasts would instinctively detour upon smelling the aura of a Gold Rank.

Gold Rank Vicious Beasts would not attack easily either; they would first observe, evaluate, and judge whether it was worth it.

Therefore, a Gold Rank squad like theirs was safe as long as they didn't venture more than one hundred kilometers into the mist zone.

Wang Zhuo's gaze pierced through the mist, looking toward the northwest.

According to the key for the God-level Ruins, Qin Ce was somewhere in this mist.

But how did a Silver Rank human like him get in?

And how did he survive?

Why wasn't he attacked to death?

He couldn't figure it out, but he didn't need to.

He only needed to go in, find him, and kill him; that was enough.

Could a Silver Rank really withstand the encirclement of his Gold Rank squad!

Wang Zhuo raised his hand, and the rhombic crystal in his palm lit up.

A 3D holographic map unfolded before him, with eleven light dots slowly moving in their respective positions.

The dimmest one was about ten kilometers ahead.

He was almost stationary, but his direction was clear.

He speculated that this special display of the 3D hologram was based on the situation of the second key he obtained through the Wang Family.

This must be the reward privilege specifically granted because he was the first to surpass fifty percent energy collection!

No one else would have it, nor would they know about it!

He glanced at the other light dots on the map again.

At this moment, all thirteen keys had appeared.

The last three had fallen from their respective light pillar positions in the few hours since he set out and were snatched up by different people.

Among these thirteen, the brightness of a few had already surpassed his.

Wang Zhuo's mouth curled in disdain.

"These rats are just annoying; I'm just out to kill someone, and there are people accelerating their progress."

"However, it doesn't matter. As long as I deal with Qin Ce first, and then kill a few Gold Rank beasts in this area, I will soon catch up."

He closed the map and turned to look at the ten people behind him.

"After we go in, spread out the encirclement. Do not gather together; keep a close eye on him and do not let him have a chance to escape."

Han Zhang nodded and turned to make a few gestures to the people behind him.

The ten people moved simultaneously, spreading out in different directions and disappearing into the mist.

Wang Zhuo flipped onto the back of the Silver-Patterned Peacock and patted its neck. "Let's go."

The Silver-Patterned Peacock flapped its wings and carried him into the mist.

...

In the valley.

Tianlu was lying on the grass, playing with the Silver Moon Fox and the Shadow Leopard.

The Silver Moon Fox nudged Tianlu's belly with its nose, while Tianlu lay on its back with all four feet in the air, its little claws scrabbling in the air.

The Shadow Leopard lay to the side, flicking its tail lazily.

Since the Silver Moon Fox and the Shadow Leopard had submitted, Tianlu had gained two playmates.

It no longer stuck to Qin Ce all day, but instead spent a lot of time hanging out with these two Silver Rank Vicious Beasts.

Suddenly, Tianlu's movements froze.

Its body tensed up, and the nine-colored light on its antlers flashed violently.

It turned its head to look toward the southeast—the outer edge of the mist, but nothing could be seen there.

But it could feel a presence that made its blood run cold, rapidly pressing in on it.

"Mew—!"

A sharp, urgent cry exploded from Tianlu's throat.

It turned and ran, its four short legs moving as fast as they could, sprinting toward Qin Ce.

The Silver Moon Fox and the Shadow Leopard followed behind Tianlu.

Qin Ce was organizing his equipment by the pool.

He had just returned from the Three-Headed Hellhound's territory, covered in blood, and hadn't had time to change his clothes.

Tianlu rushed to his feet, butting against his calf with its head, the nine-colored light on its antlers flashing frantically, emitting a series of urgent cries.

Qin Ce crouched down and reached out to press on Tianlu's head.

Through the soul contract, Tianlu's emotions surged like a tide.

Fear, urgency, anger.

Then, a message.

"Disaster is coming from the southeast. Flee quickly!!!"

Qin Ce's expression changed instantly.

He stood up and turned to look toward the southeast.

Nothing could be seen in the mist, but soon information came from his territory telling him that something was entering his territory.

Not just one, but many.

The energy was immense; each one was no less than the previous Three-Headed Hellhound.

That meant they were Gold Rank!

Could it be that those Gold Rank Vicious Beasts from earlier had teamed up for a sneak attack?

But the direction was wrong!

Qin Ce took a deep breath and turned to look at the Silver Moon Fox and the Shadow Leopard. "You two, leave here first."

These two little things couldn't help and would only be a burden, so he should send them away first.

The Silver Moon Fox tilted its head and looked at him.

The Shadow Leopard stood up, its tail standing straight; it sensed the seriousness in Qin Ce's voice.

"Go!" Qin Ce raised his voice and pointed outside the valley.

The Silver Moon Fox and the Shadow Leopard turned and disappeared into the mist outside the valley.

Qin Ce patted the tattoo on his chest.

The Qingluan flew out from the tattoo, its silver-green feathers glistening with a cold luster in the mist.

The injuries from the previous battle had not yet fully healed.

The Qingluan recovered faster while inside Qin Ce, but clearly, now was not the time for recovery.

Tianlu leaped up from his feet and landed on the Qingluan's back.

Qin Ce also vaulted onto the Qingluan's back.

"Xiao Qing, ascend."

The Qingluan flapped its wings, carrying Qin Ce as it soared into the sky, hovering dozens of meters above the valley.

Nine Wind Cores drifted out from between its feathers, slowly rotating around it, but they were not activated.

Qin Ce needed to see who the visitors were first.

In the southeast, within the mist, eleven figures broke through.

They were not gathered together, but dispersed—from different directions, different angles, and different heights, forming a loose arc, closing in on the valley.

Well-trained and coordinated.

Qin Ce's gaze swept over those figures and landed on the one in the center.

The Silver-Patterned Peacock.

With a wingspan of nearly fifteen meters, its silver feathers with patterns glistened in the mist.

A person was sitting on the peacock's back.

Qin Ce had seen him before.

During the beast tide, above the Inner City, that person led a hundred Gold Rank Beast Tamers to charge at the Raven Flock, under the gaze of everyone.

He stood on the back of the Silver-Patterned Peacock, and the three-colored light on his sword illuminated half the sky.

Then he fell from the sky, like a bird that had been shot down.

Wang Zhuo.

The eldest legitimate son of the Wang Family, once the "First Person Under Starlight."

Yet in the end, in the Battle of the Beast Tide, he made a huge mess of things!

He was outshone by Qin Ce.

Now he had actually appeared here.

Qin Ce looked around.

The remaining ten people were all Gold Rank as well.

Clearly, this was an encirclement and killing by eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers.

No wonder Tianlu was so urgent in calling it a "disaster" and wanting to evacuate quickly.

Qin Ce's hand rested on the hilt of his blade, his knuckles turning white.

He definitely couldn't win this.

mid-grade silver against Gold Low Grade, one against eleven; there was no chance of winning.

Qin Ce made a judgment in an instant.

"Xiao Qing, go."

The Qingluan flapped its wings and ascended into the high sky.

Just then, Wang Zhuo moved.

He didn't pursue, didn't order an attack, and didn't even speed up.

He just raised his right hand and pulled a black, hexagram-shaped crystal from his bosom.

The crystal was not large, about the size of a palm, pitch black, with dark red patterns flowing on its surface.

Wang Zhuo tossed the crystal into the air.

"Where are you running!"

The black crystal exploded in the air.

The black shell shattered, revealing a mass of pitch-black, constantly wriggling liquid inside that looked like a living creature.

The liquid stretched, deformed, and solidified in the air, turning into a black chain.

The chain was pitch black, as thick as a thumb, and covered with fine, dark red runes on its surface.

It was like a venomous snake, slithering in the air, its speed so fast that it left a black afterimage in the mist.

The distance of one kilometer vanished in an instant.

Qin Ce had no time to react. The chain had already wrapped around his wrist, circled three times, and tightened.

And the other end of the chain was connected to Wang Zhuo's wrist.

Qin Ce struggled.

The chain didn't move at all; instead, it tightened further.

He could feel that the chain was not just a physical restraint; it was also suppressing the flow of energy within his body.

The Qingluan's Wind-type energy, transmitted through the contract, was mostly suppressed by the chain.

"Don't waste your energy," Wang Zhuo's voice came from a hundred meters away. "Space-Locking Chain. A Gold Rank Magic Treasure. Those who are locked cannot use any space-type skills."

He paused. "Aren't you good at running? Shadow Sight, displacement, spatial swapping. Space-type skills that can be used at Bronze Rank. I have studied you for two months. Now, let's see how you can run?"

Qin Ce looked down at the black chain on his wrist, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Subsequently, eleven people closed in from all directions, forming a tight encirclement around Qin Ce and the Qingluan.

It was not the loose arc from before, but a real, airtight circular encirclement.

The distance between each person was precise to the meter, and the positioning of every Pet Beast sealed off the directions from which the Qingluan could break through.

Wang Zhuo, riding the Silver-Patterned Peacock, stopped one hundred meters directly in front of Qin Ce. He looked down at Qin Ce from above.

"Qin Ce. Do you know why I came?"

Qin Ce did not answer.

"During the beast tide, I was the first to reach the Raven King. It was I who led a hundred-man Gold Rank squad and broke through to its front. It was we who held back the main force. It was we who cleared all the mines for you. Then you ran over, descended from the sky, and picked up a ready-made bargain. The whole city is saying that you killed the Raven King. That you saved Fengling City. You are a hero."

His voice was very calm, as calm as if he were reading an account book.

"But no one remembers me. No one remembers that I was the one who first tore apart the Raven King's layout. No one remembers that seventeen people died in the Gold Rank squad. Everyone is praising you."

"But you destroyed our Wang Family's layout of several years, making everything we paid for come to nothing. You deserve to die!!!"

He paused.

"Then you came to the North. The goods at Zhenhuang Pass were hijacked by you. The Zhao Family's smuggling team was killed by you. Those so-called 'Wang Family people' attacking the Zhou Family caravan, attacking the Lin Family officials, attacking the City Lord's Mansion patrol team—it was all you."

"You forced the Wang Family to give up control of most of the northern region. Zhenhuang Pass, the strongholds on the east side of Beimang Mountain, the supply lines on the outskirts of the Wuji Army—the territory that the Wang Family had operated for three generations was all spat out because of you. You deserve to die!!!"

His voice finally had a hint of fluctuation.

"You even made me compensate the Zhao Family."

Wang Zhuo's fist clenched.

"Three Bright Moon Level Materials. Zhao Tieshan's last hope for a Breakthrough to the Bright Moon Level. You hijacked the Zhao Family's goods, then put one of them into the Zhenhuang Pass secret treasury, deliberately letting the Wang Family people see it. The Wang Family people transported it away, and the Zhao Family people saw that it was the Wang Family people transporting it. Zhao Tieshan came to ask me for it, I said I didn't have it, he didn't believe me. My father said that even if we have to scrape it together, we must gather it and send it to him—what can I use to gather it? Bright Moon Level Materials, you can't even see one in the whole of Fengling City in a year."

His voice lowered, so low that it sounded like it was squeezed from his throat.

"You made me compensate the Zhao Family with three top-grade supplies. You deserve to die!!!"

Wang Zhuo took a deep breath and looked at Qin Ce.

"Stealing my limelight. Destroying my Wang Family's reputation. Hijacking the Zhao Family's goods to frame me. Forcing my Wang Family to give up the North. Making me compensate the Zhao Family. I will make you pay everything back twofold!"

His hand rested on the hilt of the silver longsword at his waist.

"I don't just want you to die. I want you to die miserably. Let everyone know what happens when you offend the Wang Family, when you offend me, Wang Zhuo."

The sword was unsheathed.

The silver longsword lit up with blinding light in the mist.

It was not just pure silver light, but three colors—the dark red of flames, the bright silver of lightning, and the deep black of shadows.

The three-colored light intertwined, wrapped, and fused on the sword blade.

Three-Absolute Sword. The Wang Family's town-clan ultimate technique.

One sword stroke, three absolute kills. Lightning, fire, shadow, the three absolutes all out, invincible among the same rank.

A month ago, Wang Zhuo used this sword stroke and almost killed the Raven King.

A month later, his injuries had not yet fully healed, and the three-colored light on the sword was much dimmer than at its Peak.

But it was more than enough to kill a Silver Rank human.

Wang Zhuo raised his sword, the tip pointing at Qin Ce.

Flames, lightning, shadows, three streams of energy gathered at the sword tip, compressing, rotating, fusing.

Qin Ce stood on the Qingluan's back, with the black chain wrapped around his wrist.

The Wind-type energy he could mobilize was less than half of his Peak period.

The nine Wind Cores were still there, but Phoenix Dance Nine Turns required energy, Wind Barrier required energy, and Shadow Sight was sealed by the Space-Locking Chain.

He had only a battle blade in his hand and less than half of his energy.

Eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers surrounded him, and eleven Gold Rank Pet Beasts stared at him.

Wang Zhuo's sword tip had already lit up, the three-colored light getting brighter and thicker.

Qin Ce gripped his battle blade tightly.

He couldn't escape.

He couldn't win.

His life seemed to be already in Wang Zhuo's hands.

The Silver-Patterned Peacock flapped its wings, carrying Wang Zhuo as it dived toward Qin Ce.

The three-colored light on the sword blade left a long trail in the mist.

Then, the three-colored light shone.

Wang Zhuo raised his sword and slashed down.