Chapter 945 - A Toad Going After a Swan
“Elina, what a coincidence.” Han Wu greeted her awkwardly as he set Jia Gui down.
Jia Gui’s eyes were glued to Elina. As the Daughter of Light, her beauty was already extraordinary. Combined with her graceful figure and an aura of noble purity, she was enough to leave anyone speechless.
Jia Gui was completely dumbstruck and blurted out like a man possessed, “Now that’s what I’m talking about. That’s the one!”
Only then did Elina notice Jia Gui. He was short, scrawny, covered in wrinkles, and spectacularly ugly. She thought a rat had somehow gained sentience.
She dismissed Jia Gui and turned her attention to Han Wu. She had once told him that if he joined the Light Faction, she would willingly offer herself to him. Han Wu had refused, then nearly destroyed her divine realm in the process.
It had taken her a long time to repair it. That experience had shown her Han Wu’s true colors. He was never going to side with the Light Faction. Since her faction couldn’t have him, nobody would.
“Han Wu, what are you doing here?” she demanded.
Her eyes drifted to his shadow, which was disproportionately large and deep. She couldn’t detect the former Dark Faction members hiding within it, but she could sense boundless darkness radiating from inside.
“Nothing much. I came to catch a few creatures to bring back and raise,” Han Wu said casually.
Elina didn’t believe a word of it.
“I’ve long heard that you have ties to the Dark Faction. It looks like you’re here to rescue the remnants. Unfortunately for you, you’re too late. They’ve all been wiped out. The Dark Faction will never appear in the Divine Civilization’s history again!” she said triumphantly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Han Wu’s face. He knew the Dark Faction forces on Paradise Island had numbered around sixty. After they split up, one group was in his shadow while the other had followed An Yunian. It seemed that the other group was wiped out.
Su Lan and the others listened from within the shadow. Once they realized that An Yunian and his people had been eliminated, their reactions varied. Some genuinely mourned comrades they had fought beside for years. Others felt grim satisfaction upon realizing that An Yunian’s decision to expel them had ultimately saved their lives.
Regardless of how they felt, every former Dark Faction member was certain they had made the right choice by following Han Wu. He had now saved them twice.
“There’s nothing to be surprised about. The Light Faction’s power is beyond anything you can imagine,” Elina continued. “If you pledge yourself to the Light Faction now, it’s not too late.”
She still valued his talent and made one final attempt to recruit him before resorting to force. She knew full well that the odds of Han Wu accepting were slim to none.
Han Wu shook his head without hesitation. “I’ve told you many times. I’m not joining the Light Faction.”
Elina’s expression hardened. “Then die here.”
She ordered the Radiant Ministers behind her to start gathering Light Energy.
Han Wu was currently under Replicate’s effects. Maintaining the Shade Jurisdiction prevented him from using his own Jurisdictions to fight back.
Just as he was weighing whether to reveal his true strength, the timid Jia Gui stepped forward, his expression deadly serious. “Wait!”
Elina shot him a look of pure disgust, as if he were nothing more than a rat that had turned into a man. “You’re going to stop me?”
Jia Gui thumped his bony chest. “Beautiful lady, my name’s Jia Gui. Don’t let this face fool you. I’m a World powerhouse with the potential to become a God King!”
“The Commerce God King? He’s my pal. The Wisdom God King? That’s my buddy. The Death God King? He and I used to drink together...
“I’m not saying all this to brag. Just do me a favor today and let Han Wu go. I’ll throw a banquet tomorrow. You and me, a nice dinner. We’ll get to know each other better—”
Before he could finish, a Radiant Minister behind Elina blasted him with a bolt of aurora. Jia Gui flew more than a hundred meters before carving a shallow trench across the ground.
“What a revolting fly,” Elina muttered.
Han Wu glanced back at Jia Gui. Based on what he knew of Jia Gui’s strength, that single aurora bolt wasn’t enough to kill him. What he couldn’t figure out was why the normally cowardly Jia Gui had stepped forward of his own accord. Then the answer struck him. Considering Jia Gui’s behavior, he had fallen for Elina.
Han Wu let out a long sigh, mourning the doomed one-sided infatuation of a toad pursuing a swan.
Elina ordered the Radiant Ministers to charge another volley at maximum output, this time aimed directly at Han Wu.
Han Wu’s timing was impeccable. The instant the Radiant Ministers fired, he burst into motion. Even without activating a Jurisdiction and relying on physical strength alone, he was already a match for those at the Microcosm rank. After obtaining the True Martial Jurisdiction, he had pushed his physique and bodily control to an even greater degree.
He effortlessly dodged the aurora and closed the distance to Elina in a heartbeat. His fist, harder than steel, hurtled toward her cute face.
Unexpectedly, a hand shot up and intercepted the blow before it could land. Whoever had blocked it matched Han Wu’s strength.
Han Wu retreated several steps to widen the distance. The one who had intervened was a masked figure clad in black, radiating Microcosm energy. The figure’s physical prowess was impressive enough to make even Han Wu wary.
Elina recovered from her brief panic.
“Han Wu, I underestimated you.” She gestured at the masked guard. “Sadly, your little tricks are useless against my escorts. Surrender.”
“Is that so?” Han Wu replied.
Shadows gathered around him, wrapping tightly around him like a suit of black combat armor. Since he couldn’t use other Jurisdictions while the Shade Jurisdiction was active, he would lean into it fully.
Han Wu possessed the Darkness Aspect, and his understanding of darkness was no less than An Yunian’s understanding. The Shade Jurisdiction was a branch of the Dark Jurisdiction, and the two shared significant overlap.
Drawing on his mastery of darkness, he manipulated the shadows and pushed his current combat strength to its limit. It was still far from his true power, but it would be more than enough for the opponent before him.
Seeing Han Wu ready to fight in earnest, Elina grew cautious and instructed the masked guard, “Don’t kill him. I want him alive.”
“Understood,” the masked guard replied.
From the crater behind Han Wu, Jia Gui pleaded, “Don’t hurt the pretty lady. At least, don’t hit her face.”
“Get lost!” Han Wu snapped.
In the next instant, he and the masked guard clashed.