The Reticent Blade

Chapter 110 - Threat from an Ant

"Are you crazy?!"

When Rao Shuang saw Tang Jinnian swing his sword to cut the suspension bridge, she immediately felt that something was wrong and hurried to try and stop him, but it was too late.

"Do you want to die here and drag me down with you?!" Rao Shuang said as she shoved Tang Jinnian.

Tang Jinnian grabbed Rao Shuang's wrist, sneering at her. "Who gave you the courage to lay your hands on me? If you don’t want to die now, then do as you're told and go find the Soul Locking Sunflower! Go! Scram!"

"You!"

Rao Shuang gritted her teeth, glaring at Tang Jinnian with resentment budding in her beautiful eyes.

Tang Jinnian raised an eyebrow. "Are you still not going?"

Rao Shuang moved her mouth, forcefully shook off Tang Jinnian's hand, and glowered at him furiously before disappearing.

Tang Jinnian paid no attention to Rao Shuang's attitude. He twirled the short sword in his hand and walked toward the east along the edge of the central peak.

There was also a suspension bridge to the east. Tang Jinnian stood at the edge of the bridge with his short sword, glancing around, but it was still silent, with no trace of living beings around.

"Hehe..." Tang Jinnian chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "They're digging their own graves..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved the short sword in his hand, and the ropes of the suspension bridge snapped. Another bridge crashed down the cliff.

After cutting the eastern bridge, Tang Jinnian did not linger and walked to the north.

Arriving at the northern suspension bridge, he was now at the back of the central hall. From this angle, a faint ghastly green light glowed from the windows, exuding an indescribable eeriness.

"Paltry tricks..." Tang Jinnian shook his head, knowing that color came from burning phosphorescence. He drew his short sword, ready to swing it again.

A strange noise suddenly sounded, and an unexpected change occurred!

Just as Tang Jinnian was about to cut the rope, a dried-up hand suddenly burst forth from the ground, aiming directly at his ankle!

Tang Jinnian's lips curled into a cold smile, and there was not a trace of panic on his face, as if he had long anticipated it.

He casually turned to dodge the claw and then stomped down!

Crack!

The dried hand was crushed under his foot.

"Ha..." Tang Jinnian casually kicked away the severed hand, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "The ant... has come out of its hive."

Tang Jinnian strode to the edge of the bridge, his short sword tracing the ropes, and he shouted, "Five God Summit’s vermin! if you don’t come out now, this northern bridge will be no more..."

No one responded.

Tang Jinnian raised an eyebrow. "Then... since that’s the case, I won’t hold back!" He said, raising his hand, and the short sword chopped down upon the rope.

"Hey, thief! Who let you run about?!" A deafening roar echoed across the entire central peak.

Tang Jinnian frowned, momentarily lost in thought. He was considering how deep this person's internal strength was when a sudden whoosh of wind broke above him!

Tang Jinnian had no time to look up and immediately propelled himself to the side, dodging several feet away. Just as he steadied himself, he heard a loud crash, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble.

Tang Jinnian inhaled sharply, focusing his gaze on the burly man who had landed where he had just stood. The man was broad-shouldered and muscular and wielded two axes, each as large as a door.

Tang Jinnian squinted, unable to detect a hint of life from the burly man before him, which made him realize what he was facing. Upon closer inspection, although the man appeared no different from a living person, his skin was dark, and his eyes lacked the crucial spark of life...

That burly man was an animated corpse.

Thinking of this, Tang Jinnian couldn't help but nod slightly in appreciation. The Five Gods Summit's corpse-refining technique has its own unique points. The corpse before him showed no signs of decay and even moved without any stiffness. It was likely that the corpse had been transformed into an animated corpse immediately after the person had died. Such a method is indeed extraordinary.

"What's wrong? Does the Five Gods Summit have no one left? You think you can stop me with just a corpse?"

Tang Jinnian glanced toward the direction of the main hall, knowing that the powerful voice he had just heard had come from within it.

"Hmph!" Another deafening voice echoed out. "You want to destroy the bridge? I had no intention of stopping you, because you will only trap yourself here. However, if I allow you to continue, wouldn’t that tarnish the reputation of the Five Gods Summit?

"As for you, a sneaky little thief, you don't know what you've done by provoking the Five Gods Summit. A single animated corpse is enough to deal with you."

"Hehe..." Tang Jinnian shook his head lightly as he looked back at the corpse that had been standing there for a long time. "You're just an ant... what would you know?"

"Arrogant!" the voice roared. Seeming to receive a signal, the burly corpse leapt three zhang high while raising its axe to chop down toward Tang Jinnian.

"That's why it is said that dead people should stay dead..." A smile curled on Tang Jinnian's lips. At the moment the axe was about to descend upon him, he suddenly sidestepped, revealing a figure behind him!

A puppet! It was a slender female puppet, with a rosy complexion and exquisite beauty. Her facial expressions were vivid and sparkling, making her appear almost indistinguishable from a real person. It was unclear when she had stood behind Tang Jinnian, but he suddenly tightened his gloved right hand and said, "Too slow!"

As soon as Tang Jinnian's voice fell, the seemingly slender waist of the female puppet twisted, and her right leg shot out like lightning, spreading into a perfect split!

Bang!

A muffled collision sounded, creating a gust of wind that blew Tang Jinnian's hair back.

"Mm?" Tang Jinnian's eyes sharpened, and his right hand flicked slightly. The female puppet retreated and stood beside him. "Interesting..."

When the puppet's kick landed squarely on the burly corpse's face, instead of flying back as Tang Jinnian had imagined, the corpse only paused briefly before continuing its descent. As the axe was about to connect with the puppet, Tang Jinnian had no choice but to withdraw it.

In this frenetic exchange, the corpse gained the upper hand. Even though it missed its target, it did not pause. Instead, it pushed off the ground and lunged forward again.

Tang Jinnian's expression grew serious. This time, facing the oncoming corpse, he did not choose to dodge but confronted it directly, charging forward as well!

This also suited the plan of the person controlling the corpse. When the two were just an arm's length apart, the corpse swung its axe straight at Tang Jinnian's face.

In a split second, Forsaken Phoenix showcased his exceptional skills! Facing the descending axe, he swiftly turned in the air to evade. In a flash, he grabbed the animated corpse's wrist with his left hand, using the momentum to flip over and land on the corpse's shoulder, grabbing its hair tightly!

The corpse was forced to tilt its head back, but its reaction was swift. With its right hand, it discarded the axe and reached for Tang Jinnian, who was perched on its shoulder.

"Still want to resist?" Tang Jinnian squinted. With a beckoning motion of his right hand, a figure that moved so fast it was almost a blur rushed forward, accompanied by a gust of wind!

It was the female puppet! She bent low and charged forward with unstoppable momentum, gripping the short sword that Tang Jinnian had used earlier!

"This time..." Tang Jinnian's eyes widened in anger. He applied pressure with his left hand, forcing the corpse to lift its head and expose its neck. "Stay dead!"

In the night, under the faint burning phosphorescence, the silhouettes of the three were cast into sharp outlines.

Whoosh!

The glint of the blade flashed, and a head flew up into the sky!

Tang Jinnian leaped down from the headless corpse's shoulder, and before the body had hit the ground, the female puppet delivered another kick straight into the corpse's chest.

Bang!

The headless animated corpse tumbled down into the ravine below.

Tang Jinnian kicked the head at his feet and looked toward the direction of the main hall.

"You large rat... what other tricks do you have hidden up your sleeves?"