SWNOVELXO Chapter 380: This will be a bloody battle
Brody scoffed.
"I'm afraid it's you who will die, Hudson! Why do you think, out of all the Sunshine Mansion projections, they sent you? Because you're the most useless! You've lived for eight thousand years and you're still only at the middle stage of Basic Mastery! Your power would be better off with the rest of us!"
"You..." Hudson's face contorted with rage.
The other imperial projections narrowed their eyes.
It was no wonder Brody thrived in the imperial court, able to lead so many projections and even hold an official position.
With just a few words, he shattered Hudson's attempt to sow discord and united the imperial projections.
These projections were not only independent, but they also came from different regions.
They radiated outwards from Sunshine Mansion, gradually spreading across the Emerald Empire.
Naturally, the projections from Sunshine Mansion were the oldest.
The oldest projection in the imperial court had only lived for two thousand years before dying of old age!
However, this didn't mean that the projections from Sunshine Mansion held the highest status.
They all looked down on each other.
Brody, for one, held the Sunshine Mansion projections in contempt.
He had reached the peak of Pinnacle Apprentice at the age of five hundred and was only a hair's breadth away from breaking through to Basic Mastery.
He was confident in his abilities!
"Heh." Hudson, an old fox himself, sneered.
"Brody, Brody, do you really think you're so talented? If it weren't for the Basic Mastery expert who died in the Battle of Glory City, and the twenty-plus Competent Force experts who perished alongside him, you wouldn't have received so much natural energy or obtained the Phoenix Blood Physique. You wouldn't have made it this far!"
Brody was about to retort...
...when all the projections in the sky turned their attention towards Amber Hill.
"Boom!"
Dark clouds gathered, unleashing a torrential downpour that stretched for thousands of miles.
Bolts of lightning crashed down towards Amber Hill!
In an instant, the projections shot forward.
They didn't fear the lightning tribulation.
Their main consciousness had given them an order: stop Chuck from undergoing the tribulation, even at the cost of their own existence!
They knew this was their main consciousness's way of forcing the Blackwoods out and annihilating them.
As expected...
As they pressed forward, figures emerged from all directions!
Upon seeing these figures, the projections were consumed by rage.
"Finally shown yourselves, you rats! You filthy rats!!!"
Donna, Bill Daoist, The Celestial Star Swordmaster, Sam...
These were the ants who had been hunting down their weakest projections all these years, playing a game of hide-and-seek across the imperial lands.
These were the ants who had tortured their captured projections day and night, forcing them to share in their agonizing memories.
They glared at the group from Azure Cloud, their killing intent burning especially fiercely for the dozen or so Rogue Cultivators among them.
Those Rogue Cultivators were capable of anything!
...
Thunder roared, wind howled, and heavy rain lashed down as over a hundred cultivators from Azure Cloud faced off against the Heavenly Path Venerable projections.
For years, they had been fighting a guerrilla war against the Heavenly Path Venerable projections, knowing full well that even killing a projection would only make the main consciousness stronger.
They held their breath, their heartbeats echoing in their ears amidst the storm.
Despite years of fighting wits and courage against the Heavenly Path Venerable projections...
...they had to admit, they were terrified.
If they could, they would rather flee and never face such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy again.
Over the years, they hadn't managed to kill a single Heavenly Path Venerable projection.
Instead, they resorted to capturing and imprisoning them.
But today, bloodshed was inevitable!
The Celestial Star Swordmaster stared at the approaching Heavenly Path projections, their expressions mocking.
He couldn't deny the fear that gripped him.
His voice, though icy, trembled slightly.
"Donna, is it true that killing their projections will only make them stronger?"
"Yes." Donna nodded solemnly.
She wouldn't lie to her comrades about the true power of a Heavenly Path Venerable, even if it meant discouraging them.
"Besides capturing them, are there any other weaknesses we can exploit?"
The Celestial Star Swordmaster's knuckles turned white as he gripped his sword.
"Can we use formations to trap the energy they release upon death?"
"We've tried, but it doesn't work."
Donna's gaze locked onto Brody.
Twenty years ago, she had fought against Psychic, ranked eighteenth on the Pinnacle Apprentice Ranking, and lost.
Now, she wanted to see how she measured up against Brody, the third-ranked prodigy!
The others also fixed their gazes on the Heavenly Path projections.
Bill Daoist exhaled slowly, assessing the strength of their opponents.
"Two hundred and five in total. Hudson, at the middle stage of Basic Mastery, will be my opponent. In addition, there are twelve at the Competent Force realm, one hundred and twenty-one at the Developing Skill realm, and the rest are all at the Emerging Ability realm. None of them are to be underestimated."
"Among those at the Developing Skill realm, a few are particularly formidable. They're already at the peak of their realm."
"This will be a bloody battle."
A bloody battle indeed.
They were completely outnumbered, and unlike the Heavenly Path Venerable projections, they wouldn't grow stronger from the deaths of their comrades.
If a Heavenly Path Venerable projection died, it would be replaced by another, potentially even stronger one.
If they died, they died.
Their battle against the Druids had at least been a fair trade, but this... this was different.
This was never a fair fight.
By killing the Heavenly Path Venerable projections, they were only making the main consciousness stronger!
As if sensing the fear in his companions, Bill Daoist lowered his head slightly, his voice heavy. Discover more content at empire
"So, my friends, are you afraid?"
Thunder boomed over Amber Hill, the rain intensified, and the Heavenly Path Venerable projections drew closer.
Despite their own strength, the cultivators from Azure Cloud couldn't shake the bone-chilling cold that seeped into their hearts.
"Damn it!" Sam gritted his teeth.
"My mother always told me, as the head of the Jones family, I should never act impulsively. I should always prioritize our interests. Looks like I'm making a bad business decision today. I'm scared, but I will fight!"
The Celestial Star Swordmaster glanced at the young man, a sudden sense of relief washing over him.
"Let's fight then. There's no point in being afraid. My friends, if I fall today, I have two favors to ask. First, tell Olivia that... that I never got to say what was in my heart. And second, Jayden of the Crimson Gate Syndicate...
he beat my brother to near death. I want him dead."
As their voices faded, the gazes of the Azure Cloud cultivators hardened with resolve.
"To hell with the Heavenly Path! I came here to kill these bastards!"
"Alright, let's see just how terrifying this Heavenly Path really is!"
"They call Azure Cloud a backwater, treat us like country bumpkins. If Senior Chuck becomes a Basic Mastery expert, then we'll have a true powerhouse in Azure Cloud! If my worthless life can help pave the way for a Basic Mastery expert, then it's a worthy sacrifice!"