Chapter Ninety-Nine: But I Want to Kill You!

In the center of a vast abyss, stars gathered like a skyful of scattered fireflies, wheeling and drifting in endless circles around the pit.

The pit was not made of stone, but of a crimson crystal. Within it were countless specks, like stars themselves, slowly shifting across the crimson crystal walls as if tracing the ever-changing paths of the heavens.

Suspended in the pit was a crystal shaped like a heart. From the walls of the abyss, beams of blinding light poured one after another into that heart-shaped crystal.

It was red and translucent, exquisite beyond measure, and within it lay some unfathomable, arcane power. To gaze upon it was to feel as though one were staring up at the boundless vault of stars.

The heart-shaped crystal was only the size of a fist, and in that immense abyss it looked no more than a slightly brighter point of light, yet it blazed with dazzling starlight and continuously released astonishing energy.

On the crystal walls of the pit, bands of radiant light streamed into the crimson crystal, dense beyond belief, like a natural barrier enveloping the jewel as it shimmered with brilliance.

Around the outer edge of the pit, Beiming Ce stood with a cold expression. Together with three Dark Nether warriors stationed at different positions, he stared in astonishment at the crystal.

Above them, a massive pattern of a star river hung in the air. Specks of starlight gathered down like rain, swirling around the crystal as they drifted slowly.

Any martial artist could sense the mysterious power within that crystal. It seemed to possess a profound ability to gather the strength of the stars, and to any warrior, it held an almost irresistible allure.

Whether it was Beiming Ce or the three Dark Nether warriors, greed had already taken root in their hearts. Their eyes were fixed on the crystal without blinking.

“Why has the young master still not arrived? At this rate, that mysterious crystal may be seized by Beiming Ce,” said a Dark Nether warrior at the first level of the Hundred Calamities Realm, his face dark and his expression lit by the crystal’s rainbow glow in a faintly sinister way.

The two Dark Nether warriors at the third level of the Human Rank stood on his left and right. They too were anxious, glancing repeatedly about as though Mu Hui might appear at any moment.

Beiming Ce’s face remained stern. Once more, he thrust out his left hand, and clusters of ghostly blue flames drifted forth. They rose slowly into the air, taking the shape of a giant blue hand that suddenly lunged for the crystal.

Boom.

The wall of light surrounding the crystal abruptly unleashed a tremendous force of repulsion, blocking the giant hand formed by Beiming Ce’s extreme frost flame spirit.

The blue hand shattered the instant it touched the barrier.

The clusters of ghostly blue flame scattered into tiny sparks, which flashed violently above the wall of light, only to quickly gather again and reform into the blue hand.

Beiming Ce still refused to give up. He urged the extreme frost flame spirit once more and struck fiercely.

Boom.

The light barrier erupted again with resistance, shattering the extreme frost flame spirit and scattering it back into blue sparks.

Under Beiming Ce’s repeated assaults, the wall of light twisted and trembled, like a balloon being squeezed flat, and even seemed to shrink slightly toward the crystal.

His extreme frost flame spirit carried an intensely frigid chill, a chill capable of freezing all things. With every strike against the barrier, that cold seeped a little deeper inside.

After several more attempts, the barrier’s recoil seemed to weaken a little.

A trace of hidden delight flashed through Beiming Ce’s eyes.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Under the watchful eyes of the three Dark Nether warriors, Beiming Ce continued driving the extreme frost flame spirit into the crystal again and again, slowly forcing the chill into the barrier and gradually weakening its defenses.

“Not good.”

The Dark Nether warrior at the Hundred Calamities Realm changed expression slightly and said in a low voice, “At this rate, it won’t be long before Beiming Ce gets that crystal. If the young master does not arrive soon, we may be too late. If Beiming Ce truly obtains it, how are we supposed to answer to the Dark Lord and the Nether Lord?”

“What should we do?”

“Disrupt Beiming Ce.”

With a sharp cry, the man no longer hesitated. With a thought, the Ghost God Spectral Claw condensed in an instant.

Just as the blue hand formed from Beiming Ce’s extreme frost flame spirit reached for the crystal again, the Ghost God Spectral Claw suddenly sprang forth and dragged at the blue hand.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

The moment it touched the blue hand formed from Beiming Ce’s extreme frost flame, the Ghost Spectral Claw slowed at once. Blue light seeped from the claw, and it was utterly suppressed by the extreme frost flame.

Seeing that something was wrong, the other two Dark Nether warriors hurried into action as well. Countless ghostly black barbs were suddenly unleashed, shooting straight toward Beiming Ce.

Beiming Ce’s expression turned icy in an instant. He said coolly, “So you finally could not hold back after all.”

As soon as he spoke, his body vanished from where he stood.

In the next instant, Beiming Ce appeared directly beside the three Dark Nether warriors, while the extreme frost flame transformed into clusters of fire that came crashing down over them.

The three of them were struck with terror and immediately joined forces to resist him.

“Too slow.”

Beiming Ce gave a low laugh and vanished again.

Bang.

One of the Dark Nether warriors at the third level of the Human Rank suddenly fell backward to the ground, dead.

Only after he fell did Beiming Ce reappear, sneering. “You think you can fight me for the spoils?”

Clusters of ghostly blue flame swept past the fallen man. His entire body was frozen solid, and the life within him was cut off by the chill. He died on the spot.

“Instant movement!”

Beiming Ce barked again, and then appeared in a bizarre flash behind the last Dark Nether warrior at the third level of the Human Rank. He lifted a hand and struck the man’s head with a fierce blow.

Crack.

An explosive sound rang out from within the man’s skull. Blood burst from all seven openings, and he also died instantly.

The remaining Hundred Calamities Realm warrior was horrified. He suddenly sat down cross-legged and channeled all his power into the ghostly black barbs.

Stingers erupted from his body like green steel needles, shooting outward in all directions.

“Although you are also in the Hundred Calamities Realm, it is a pity heaven did not favor you with a martial spirit,” Beiming Ce’s mocking voice drifted over slowly.

A wall of ice condensed from extreme frost flames blocked in front of him. The ghostly black barbs that flew toward him were all stopped by the ice wall; not one could harm him.

The Dark Nether warrior at the Hundred Calamities Realm changed color dramatically. Dare not hesitate, he continued driving the ghostly black barbs, and even more of them burst forth, still shooting wildly in every direction.

He knew Beiming Ce possessed an instant movement martial spirit, so he did not dare launch them in only one direction. Though this consumed a tremendous amount of strength, he had no choice.

He was trying to buy time, waiting for Mu Hui to arrive.

Unfortunately, he did not know that Mu Hui had already died at the hands of Shi Yan. He was destined never to wait for the person he wanted.

Beiming Ce stood leisurely behind the ice wall, neither hurried nor anxious, watching the man as though a cat were toying with a mouse. “Let me see how long you can last,” he said lightly.

Indeed, he could not last much longer.

Three minutes later, the ghostly black barbs he unleashed had grown fewer and fewer, and their power was far weaker than before.

The ghostly black barbs were a martial technique that consumed a tremendous amount of primal energy. Each use required one to condense primal energy into needle-like form, and when unleashing it, one had to add a powerful shock of primal force.

Though the barbs were extremely lethal, the primal energy they consumed was terrifying.

He quickly realized that his primal energy was nearly exhausted.

Why has the young master still not come?

The man’s expression grew increasingly desperate, then more and more frightened, his eyes restless and uneasy.

“You won’t be waiting for him,” Beiming Ce said coldly, as if he knew the man was waiting for Mu Hui. “Because you are about to die.”

As the words fell, Beiming Ce vanished again.

This time, his body had already hardened into ice, and he charged straight through the rain of black barbs to reach the man’s side.

Under the man’s terrified gaze, Beiming Ce’s form seemed to swell larger and larger, and a mass of extreme frost flame covered him from head to toe.

Crack, crack.

The man’s body froze over at astonishing speed, becoming a corpse wrapped in thick layers of ice. The look of terror on his face was sealed there as well, turning him into a grimacing, ice-bound body.

Beiming Ce lifted his foot and kicked him with a cruel expression.

Smash.

The Dark Nether warrior exploded into fragments of ice. Within those shards were his limbs and head.

Even after death, he had been torn apart.

Beiming Ce remained unhurried. He slowly walked back toward the edge of the pit, frowning at the floating crimson crystal and murmuring, “At last, no one is disturbing me.”

Tap, tap.

At that moment, light footsteps suddenly sounded from afar.

Beiming Ce frowned, annoyance written all over his face. “How troublesome. These Dark Nether fellows are like weeds that never stop growing.”

Turning around, he looked toward the direction of the footsteps, his eyes cold.

“Hm?”

Beiming Ce gave a soft exclamation, and a trace of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth. “So this brat is still alive. The Dark Nether people are indeed all trash, not even able to deal with him.”

Shi Yan stopped abruptly and looked at Beiming Ce ahead of him, his expression cold and dark.

“Shi Yan, it was no easy thing for you to survive until now,” Beiming Ce said with a faint smile. “We both come from the Trade Alliance, and we are also members of the five great clans of Skyfall City. There may still be a chance for us to become friends in the future. For that reason, I do not wish to kill you. Leave now, and I will pretend you were never here.”

“You do not want to kill me?” Shi Yan suddenly smiled.

“Yes. Leave at once, before I change my mind,” Beiming Ce said with a nod.

“But I want to kill you.”

Shi Yan wore a smile at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were cold and merciless. “I have waited a long time for this moment.”

At first Beiming Ce looked slightly stunned. After a brief pause, his expression turned sharply cold. He shook his head and murmured, “Truly ignorant of life and death. Very well, killing you will not take much time. Once you are gone, the Shi family will have no hope left. I imagine Grandfather will approve of my doing this.”

So saying, Beiming Ce did not even use instant movement. He merely walked toward Shi Yan step by step.

Tap, tap.

At that moment, footsteps sounded again from afar.

Soon after, Mu Zhidie and Di Yalan rushed over together, both looking rather disheveled.

After they arrived, neither of them looked at Shi Yan. Both stared only at Beiming Ce. Mu Zhidie was even pleasantly surprised. “Young Master Beiming, you are already here?”

Beiming Ce paused, then smiled and nodded to the two women. “I have been here for some time. I also cleared away a few pieces of Dark Nether trash on the way, so there would be less trouble later.”

“I am the trouble you have not cleared away yet,” Shi Yan said flatly, sounding inexplicably irritated.

“You? Heh. You are hardly even worth calling trouble,” Beiming Ce said with complete disdain. “Killing you is no different from crushing an ant.”

“I will be waiting.”