Rise of The Demon General-Chapter 457. The Clan that Double-Crossed
Chapter 457: Chapter 457. The Clan that Double-Crossed
At the shrine where Amon met the seven clans, Lin Li rushed into the shrine’s hall. Right before the door behind the altar was Yuka’s Prison Box. The box was open, and above it was the portal leading to Yuka’s prison dimension.
Lin Li grabbed the box. While it was still active, she carried the box and ran out of there.
While Amon planned to meet the seven clans who expressed their desire to cooperate, he didn’t neglect the possibility of one or more of them having second thoughts. He placed Lin Li outside to watch in case unwanted people approached. It turned out they did.
He had also planned on what to do if this worst-case scenario happened. When he covered the exit with the black cloth, he secretly placed Yuka’s box behind the cloth and activated it. The activated portal would release energy that could be sensed by cultivators above the Human Realm, but he had prepared for that.
The words of power around the door weren’t there to prevent their voices from escaping the room. They were there simply as a decoy. By explaining that the words of power created a barrier at the door, they assumed the energy they sensed behind the black cloth was that barrier.
The black cloth covered their perception from seeing the portal. When they charged through the black cloth to escape the shrine, they were too in a hurry and didn’t notice they were entering the black portal.
Amon planned this so they could continue the meeting despite the interruption. Lin Li had a fast movement speed and was an expert at sneaking. With her speed, she could escape the clan approaching the shrine. All the while carrying the box where Amon and the others were in.
*
"Let us out!" One of the cloaked people demanded.
The portal was still there. They should be able to leave if they went into it. However, the battle puppets around Amon formed a barricade in front of the portal. Those who wished to enter would have to go through them.
"Do not panic. It is not my intention to keep you here," Amon explained before they acted. "I was serious about my offer to have you all pardoned by the kingdom. I’m also telling the truth about one of you betraying us. While we are in this pocket dimension, the people sent by one of you will not find us. We can continue our discussion here."
"One of us? Who?" They started looking at one another.
Amon wasn’t confused like them. His eyes were fixed on one group. He asked, "Yon Clan, why do you throw away the chance of redemption the kingdom offered you? Don’t you know your action will doom your whole clan?"
Everyone turned their eyes to the four people Amon was looking at. None of them knew which clan they were from because their identities were covered from head to toe.
"Colonel Amon, what do you mean...? We are not from the Yon Clan," one of the four tried to deny.
Amon was amused by their futile attempt. "Don’t try to weasel yourself out. Though I don’t know for certain who each of you four is, I know you are from the Yon Clan, and I know it is the Yon Clan who is on their way to the shrine to ambush us. I figure you had a change of heart and decided to sell us out to gain favor from the rebellious mayor. That was a mistake, a very dumb mistake."
Another person from the four Amon identified as the Yon Clan challenged Amon’s claim, "That is a lie! We are sincere about working with the kingdom, but it seems that is not your true intention. Maybe you are not even a colonel like you claimed to be. That’s why you trap us here. Everyone, don’t fall for his lie! Let’s break our way out!"
"I am not sincere? Then why did I see you writing something on a message talisman after reading the paper I gave you?" Amon challenged back. "You originally wanted to wait until I revealed all my plans. But since I kept the tasks for the other clans secret, you decided not to delay any longer. You sent a message to your people waiting outside to approach the shrine. You want to capture everyone and interrogate them later."
"What are you talking about? I didn’t use any message talisman."
"Actually, I did see you wrote on one," someone from a different group said. "I found it weird but didn’t think much about it until now."
The four, who Amon claimed to be from Yon Clan, looked at each other. One of them uttered, "Tsk! Break our way out!"
The four were about to lunge, but Amon charged at them first.
Everyone else was still confused about what was happening. They didn’t move from their places. The battle puppets also remained near the portal, maintaining their barricade formation.
The four were surprised that Amon took the initiative but didn’t remain passive. One made a throwing motion, and multiple twirling knives headed to Amon. Amon used the Infinite Phantom Slash. His ceremonial dagger cut the twirling knives into pieces without him slowing down.
Another Yon Clan member created a long javelin made of rock and threw it at Amon. Amon used Invisible Sky Steps to dodge and return to heading at them.
Two frontmost Yon clan members advanced to engage Amon. One revealed a rapier. He thrust this rapier forward. The thin blade of the rapier elongated, covering the distance between him and Amon in an instant.
Amon wasn’t flustered by the enemy’s art. He put up his left arm. The lengthened blade of the rapier stabbed into Amon’s tattooed arm but failed to pierce it. When he received the enemy’s stab, he threw his ceremonial dagger forward.
The Yon clan member with the rapier didn’t expect his rapier stab to be completely ineffective. He expected Amon to be staggered from the stab or at least attempt a dodge. He didn’t think Amon would trade blows like this.
This unexpected move cost him his life. Amon’s ceremonial dagger pierced into his skull, killing him instantly.
Amon dared to trade blows because he knew the enemy couldn’t wound his left arm. He then pulled the ceremonial dagger back using the Xian Cloth. The ceremonial dagger flew toward the second advancing Yon Clan member, targeting the back of his head.
This second Yon Clan member was also a Beginning Mystic Stage. He sensed the incoming attack. He swung his weapon, a thick iron mace, to his back. He wanted to knock away the incoming dagger before swinging it back to the front to hit Amon.
However, the ceremonial dagger sliced through the thick mace like blade through butter. It pierced into the back of the head of the Yon Clan member. The man died without realizing what had happened.
The two remaining Yon Clan members were shocked to see their two comrades die in such a short instant.
"He is using concealment art! He is at the Mystic Stage!" One of the two exclaimed.
He shot upward while saying that. He released an aura that showed he was a Peak Mystic Stage cultivator. This aura was directed at Amon, pressuring and giving him difficulty in moving.
At the same time, the other Yon Clan member who threw the rock javelin earlier slapped his hands on the floor. Energy radiated from his hands. This energy traveled to where Amon was. The floor underneath Amon shook, and multiple rock spears pierced out of the ground.
Amon had sensed the incoming energy. With difficulty due to the aura pressure from the Peak Mystic Stage cultivator, he flew up to avoid getting stabbed by the rock spears.
The Peak Mystic Stage cultivator didn’t just rely on his aura to assail Amon. He flew high and channeled aether into his hand. Raging flames converged on his palm. When he pushed his flaming hand down, a huge image of a burning palm was conjured. This flaming palm rushed at Amon from above.
The power pressuring Amon intensified. He was pushed down toward the rock spears. He couldn’t use his movement art to escape to the side due to the intense pressure. If he surrendered to the pressure, he would be slammed into the ground and impaled by the rock spears. Meanwhile, the flaming palm continued to come close.
Amon used the Great Virulent Serpent. His body transformed. Earlier, when he was entering the portal into this pocket dimension, he had applied the body-strengthening meridian points technique. Combined with his mutated constitution and transformation art, he currently had a power rivaling a Peak Mystic Stage.
The pressure bearing on him was no longer unbearable. He could now move freely. But instead of dodging to the side, he shot upward. He placed his tattooed left arm above him. A shadow swirled around that arm, forming a small shield as he crashed into the burning palm.