Chapter 533: The True Mastermind... Divine Envoy?
Chapter 533: Chapter 533: The True Mastermind... Divine Envoy?
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Meanwhile, a considerable distance away from the burning capital.
Deep within a quiet forest, a cloaked figure walked unhurriedly along a narrow mountain path.
The distant glow of the raging fires still faintly illuminated the night sky behind him, yet he showed no concern as he continued ascending toward a higher vantage point.
Before long, he reached the top of a mountain that offered a clear view of the distant burning capital.
The cloaked figure stopped and slowly raised one hand.
His palm was covered in lingering frost, the remnants of the ice domain that had injured him earlier.
The cold still clung stubbornly to his skin, refusing to dissipate completely.
He stared at it for a moment before letting out a soft murmur.
"...So this is the power of a Divine Beast."
A faint, regretful chuckle escaped from beneath the hood.
"Ahh~ what a pity. I was hoping to leave Brother Li another surprise gift."
The cloaked figure lowered his frost-covered hand and gazed toward the distant sea of flames consuming the capital.
A soft, almost playful murmur escaped from beneath the hood.
"...But don’t worry, Brother Li. I will make sure the stage... is all yours."
The moment those words left his lips—
Boom!
A heavy impact suddenly shook the mountain peak as someone landed right behind him with overwhelming force.
The cloaked figure smiled faintly as he glanced back over his shoulder.
Standing there was a fully armored figure.
The armor was forged in the shape of a coiling dragon, covering every inch of the body including the face.
Along the dark surface of the armor, sharp crimson lines glowed faintly like flowing blood veins, giving the entire figure an imposing and deadly presence.
Behind it, a long dragon-like tail trailed across the ground.
Without the slightest hesitation, the dragon-armored figure stepped forward and delivered a punch filled with pure killing intent.
The strike was so fast that the air barrier broke, and yet the cloaked figure did not panic.
At the very last moment, he calmly raised one hand and blocked the devastating punch.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!
A deep shockwave exploded outward from the point of contact, shattering the nearby rocks and sending cracks racing across the mountain peak.
The entire surrounding mountain trembled violently as if there was a huge earthquake.
...Yet the cloaked figure remained steady, his feet barely shifting as he caught that strike with his bare hand.
A soft, almost appreciative chuckle drifted out from beneath the hood as he looked at the fully armored figure before him.
His voice was calm as he admired the deadly figure.
"...So this is the famous [Dragon Lord Armor], an artifact said to rival even a divine weapon. What an honor... for you to use it against me, Fen Ling."
"You...!"
Fen Ling was in disbelief.
Even through the Dragon Lord Armor, the sudden shock in her body was unmistakable.
She had already been stunned that her full-powered punch had been so casually blocked... but now, she was in disbelief.
Not only at the strength of this cloaked figure, but also at... that face beneath the cloak.
The cloaked figure let out a light laugh.
His tone remained light, almost playful, yet the pressure radiating from his body made the shattered mountain peak feel heavier with every passing second.
The smile beneath the hood widening with open amusement.
"Ahh... I’m sorry."
His voice carried a casual, almost respectful tone as he continued,
"I should still call you Your Majesty. After all... I am—"
But the moment those words were about to leave his lips—
Another cloaked figure suddenly flashed into existence behind him.
The air suddenly turned chilly as the surroundings seemed to be enshrouded by cold mist.
Without the slightest hesitation, the second figure swung a pure white sword in a silent, lethal arc aimed straight at the back of his neck.
BOOOOOOM!
A violent explosion of power erupted across the mountain peak.
Another massive shockwave swept outward, tearing through the surrounding forest and sending clouds of dust and debris into the night sky.
When the chaotic colliding energy finally settled and the dust began to clear—
The white sword had been stopped.
And it was not by a hand... nor by a weapon.
But by a single, floating... cube.
The cloaked figure let out a soft, almost amused murmur. "...And you are as barbaric as always, Grand Elder... Leng Qianxue."
Leng Qianxue showed no surprise that her sword had been blocked.
A faint smile curved across her lips as a powerful gust of wind swept across the mountain peak, lifting the hood from her head.
Revealed beneath was a strikingly beautiful woman.
Her long white hair was neatly tied back with a single hairpin, while her pure white eyes held a calm yet piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything.
Even standing amidst the shattered rocks and lingering energy, her presence remained elegant and composed.
Leng Qianxue’s smile turned faintly friendly as she looked at the cloaked figure.
"Haha... what do you think of the welcome, oh Great Divine Envoy?"
But then her soft voice carried a clear edge of mockery as she continued,
"Or should I call you by your old name... the First Emissary of the Divine Blood Sect, the Chosen One... or simply, Peng Jianwei?"
The moment those words left Leng Qianxue’s lips—
The cloaked figure suddenly moved.
CRACK!
A strange, invisible forcefield erupted from his body without the slightest warning.
The space around him distorted for an instant, and both Leng Qianxue and Fen Ling were forcefully pushed back.
The two of them landed several dozen meters away, their feet carving shallow cracks into the rocky ground as they stabilized themselves.
When they looked up again, the cloaked figure... No—
The First Emissary,Peng Jianwei was still standing calmly in the same spot.
A faint, unhurried smile remained on his lips as a single cube slowly floated around him, orbiting his body like a silent guardian.
Without any haste, he raised one hand and pulled back the deep hood covering his head.
The night wind brushed past, fully revealing his face with that faint smile.
And Fen Ling’s eyes widened sharply behind the Dragon Lord Armor.
Even though she had prepared herself for the possibility... seeing that familiar face so clearly still sent a wave of shock through her.
Because the person standing before her...
...It was Eunuch Peng.
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[Here an illustration of Fen Ling in Dragon Lord Armor:]