Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

That night, as darkness fell, Yang Fan, Li Xianyi, and Hu Dao led their small squad out of Jubei City. Silent as shadows, they pressed forward toward the curtain of night.

An hour later, upon reaching their destination, Yang Fan finally saw what the dark canopy truly was. From the vantage of Jubei City, it seemed a cloth shrouding the landscape thirty miles away. But up close, it was a barrier formed of countless bubbles, each merging together to create a seamless band of darkness.

Li Xianyi drew his sword and thrust it toward the curtain. With a muffled sound, the blade's tip pressed in, forming a shallow depression. No matter how much strength he exerted, the barrier would only dent, never break.

"I told you, the dark canopy can't be pierced," Hu Dao remarked with resignation.

Li Xianyi sheathed his sword, unconcerned. "I had to try. Seeing it up close, the urge is irresistible."

Hu Dao reached out and pressed his hand against the curtain; the result was the same—a gentle indentation. Yang Fan watched the two, bemused by their insistence on testing the obvious, yet could not help himself and pressed his blade against the barrier as well.

The three exchanged glances and shared a quiet laugh.

"Enough. Let's get to business," Yang Fan said with a serious air.

Li Xianyi and Hu Dao nodded in agreement. They had not come merely to observe the dark canopy; they had a mission.

Several dozen men produced engineer spades from their backs and began to dig beneath the shadowed curtain. Yang Fan dug, wearied in spirit. According to Li Tian, the black canopy seamlessly joined earth and sky, stretching endlessly if there were no obstacles at the moment of its release. Yet it had a weakness: one could tunnel beneath it.

Their task was to break through the ground, enter the ruins of the Dark Realm, and gather intelligence. What exactly they were to look for, Li Tian had not said—only that they must adapt to circumstances.

The ground of the ruins was hard as stone. Though it appeared to be soil, as soon as they began digging, they found it solid as rock. Only specially crafted spades wielded by martial artists could barely make headway.

With the first spadeful, Yang Fan and his companions understood why ordinary soldiers had not been sent. Common men lacked the strength to break through the earth of the ruins.

…

Upon the walls of Po Bei City stood dozens of formidable warriors. At the forefront were three eleventh-rank masters: Yu Tian, Cui Li, and Huang Yuetian.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, especially among the leading trio whose expressions were grim. Just days before, all three had been defeated by the enemy’s Overlord Blade, who had single-handedly bested them. Had they not fled swiftly, at least one or two would have been left behind.

The Dark Realm had launched a full-scale war. Every city was guarded by eleventh-rank masters, and their side boasted numerous experts. Yet, none had expected such an outcome.

"What are they doing?" Yu Tian asked, gazing into the distance.

Huang Yuetian frowned. "Digging through the canopy?"

Cui Li scoffed. "Digging through the canopy? Are those fools on the other side mad? Even if they figure out how to cross, what can they accomplish once here?"

"It’s hard to say. The outsiders are cunning beyond measure; we must not let them continue digging," Yu Tian’s unease grew, though he could not pinpoint its source. After a brief pause, he declared, "Whatever their aim, we must be proactive. Send someone to wipe them out!"

Huang Yuetian and Cui Li nodded. Soon, a squad led by an eighth-rank master—twenty-seven in all—shot out of the city like arrows.

Seventh-rank warriors soared through the air, twenty-seven streaks of light weaving through the Dark Realm’s sky.

In moments, the squad reached the dark canopy.

Yang Fan’s group did not notice, continuing their labor. Only when Li Xianyi shouted for a retreat did Yang Fan look up to see dazzling bursts of energy exploding in the sky.

Suddenly, the weight of deadly peril descended upon Yang Fan, and he felt himself precariously close to the threshold of death.

A figure appeared above them. With a sweep of his hand, the energies shattered.

A man in Daoist robes stood, blocking the heavens.

At once, Yang Fan’s sense of danger vanished.

Zhang Daoyi! The Martial Emperor of the tenth rank, ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly List, known as the Gun Emperor. Principal of the Magic Capital Cultivation Academy, reputedly its mightiest.

The twenty-seven seventh-rank masters of the Dark Realm, seeing Zhang Daoyi, faltered and retreated, desperate to re-enter the dark canopy.

Zhang Daoyi watched the fleeing aerial warriors and smiled, the wrinkles on his aged face deepening.

A long spear appeared in his hand; with a flick of his wrist, the spear shot forth like a dragon, its tip striking the void.

Waves of visible ripples formed in the sky, gathering instantly and lancing toward the retreating Dark Realm warriors, just as they were about to breach the canopy.

The leading eighth-rank master roared in terror, his face contorted with fear.

On the walls of Po Bei City, the watching warriors burned with rage.

Yu Tian cursed aloud, "I said it—those outsiders are all treacherous villains! If we are to fight, then fight openly, not with these tricks. They send a squad of ants to dig at the canopy, then secretly place a tenth-rank Martial Emperor underground. Truly despicable!"

…

At the edge of the dark canopy, blood rain began to fall from the sky, along with severed limbs.

With a single spear, Zhang Daoyi slew all twenty-seven attackers.

Gone was the air of Daoist tranquility; he radiated fierce, unrestrained battle spirit. Then, he thrust his spear into the canopy, instantly tearing open a gap nearly fifty meters wide.

The curtain began to writhe and slowly mend. Zhang Daoyi stood before the breach, spear pointed toward the walls of Po Bei City.

He called out, his voice echoing far and wide: "Do any of you dare meet me in battle?"

His challenge resounded, growing louder and spreading farther.

Yang Fan, Li Xianyi, and Hu Dao were dumbfounded as they fled.

How wildly audacious! One man alone—what was he thinking?

Now they understood their purpose in coming: they were bait. All talk of tunneling through the dark canopy and gathering intelligence had been nonsense.

Li Tian, that old fox, had never spoken a word of truth.

Yet, thinking on it, they felt a thrill—serving as bait to lure dozens of seventh-rank and higher masters was no small feat.

…

Upon the walls of Po Bei City, the dozen tenth-rank masters behind Yu Tian, Cui Li, and Huang Yuetian all bristled with fury, clamoring for battle.

"King, let us go forth and strike him down beneath the canopy!"

"King, I will fight him!"

"King—"

Yu Tian, Cui Li, and Huang Yuetian wore grim faces. Outsider martial artists were cunning; now, one stood alone before the canopy, issuing a challenge. Surely, it was another trap.

But the opponent was a tenth-rank Martial Emperor. Their side would need to send several together, or else the eleventh-rank masters themselves.

Otherwise, victory was uncertain. Yet, to send tenth-ranks risked ambush; if the enemy’s Overlord Blade lay in wait, all three of them—still wounded—might not survive.

Zhang Daoyi continued to call out, his challenge ringing again and again: "Who dares to come forth and fight?"