Chapter 944 - Meeting Elina Again
The Light Faction’s scouting parties sent back a report. They had discovered an underground cavern where the Dark Faction remnants had been hiding, complete with clear signs of long-term habitation.
The cavern was empty now, however. The Dark Faction remnants appeared to have slipped past the perimeter, likely not long ago.
Upon receiving the report, the Light Faction assembled a massive force of Gods and their units to surround Paradise Island with multiple layers of encirclement. The Light God King issued a direct order to eliminate every last Dark Faction remnant.
This was the perfect opportunity to wipe out the Dark Faction once and for all. If every remnant was killed, the Light Faction could enjoy decades of uncontested growth. Its ranking within the Divine Civilization was guaranteed to rise even higher.
After receiving the Light God King’s command, Elina rushed to the outer perimeter of Paradise Island and summoned numerous units to reinforce the blockade.
Han Wu’s superior speed brought him to the outer perimeter first. From a distance, he could already see the Light Faction’s units surrounding the area. The sheer concentration of light-attribute life forms produced a blinding golden radiance that stung his eyes even from afar.
If he was able to summon his own units, he wouldn’t be worried. Unfortunately, he couldn’t connect to his divine realm right now. All those elite troops sitting idle inside it were useless to him here.
Han Wu was confident he could fight his way out alone, but it would require him to go all out. The moment he did that, the Shade Jurisdiction he had copied from An Yunian would deactivate, exposing the former Dark Faction members hidden within his shadow space and forcing them into battle. Han Wu could already predict that the casualties would be severe.
As for having Jia Gui use the Concealment Jurisdiction to mask his presence and slip through undetected, that strategy had only worked when the guards were spread out. Now, the Light Faction’s units were packed so densely that not even a fly could slip through, let alone a full-grown man like him.
“What do I do?” Han Wu muttered, momentarily at a loss.
Su Lan emerged from his shadow, surveyed the scene outside, and immediately understood the situation.
“Han Wu, if it really comes down to it, leave us behind and get yourself out.” She looked as though she had already made up her mind.
Han Wu stopped her right away. “Ma’am, I came here to bring you all back. Things are difficult right now, but they’re still within my ability to handle. At worst, we’ll wait here. I’ll contact my avatar and have it bring units from the Divine Civilization. Even if we have to force our way through, I’ll make sure everyone gets out safely.”
His words deeply moved Su Lan and the former Dark Faction members. A person’s true character revealed itself in times of crisis. Han Wu had no obligation to get involved in this mess, yet there he was, refusing to abandon them.
A thought started to take root among the former Dark Faction members. Maybe they should swear allegiance to Han Wu and serve under him. He hadn’t ascended into a God King yet, but his potential was staggering. Reaching that rank was practically guaranteed. Joining him now was an early investment.
Han Wu had no idea what they were thinking. He had already contacted his avatar and ordered it to bring units to rescue them.
***
On the other side, An Yunian was leading his Dark Faction members toward the perimeter. For Han Wu, this journey would have been effortless.
For An Yunian, it was a nightmare. His personal strength was far inferior to Han Wu’s, and all of his abilities were entirely dark-attributed. On Paradise Island, where such powers were heavily suppressed, he could exert only about ten percent of his true strength. Worse still, nobody among his group possessed anything comparable to Jia Gui’s Concealment Jurisdiction.
An Yunian’s aura was fully exposed. Paradise Island’s native creatures tracked him by scent alone. Fortunately, luck remained on his side. Under their relentless pursuit, he pressed onward and eventually reached the outer perimeter.
The moment he arrived, he saw the Light Faction’s units blanketing the area in a dazzling wall of light, like tens of thousands of miniature suns suspended in the sky. The brilliance was so intense that he could barely keep his eyes open.
Despite his best efforts to conceal his aura, he lacked a true Concealment Jurisdiction. The Dark Energy leaking from him was detected by a patrolling Light Faction Major God, who immediately dispatched a swarm of units to surround him.
Having just escaped the native creatures, An Yunian and his remaining Dark Faction members had no choice but to keep running. His strength was already severely limited, and now he was being hunted from two directions. It didn’t take long before he was captured.
Despite fierce resistance, most of his followers were killed or gravely wounded. An Yunian himself was beaten to within an inch of his life because of who he was. The Light Faction took him prisoner, intending to bring him before the Light God King for a public execution.
With An Yunian and numerous Dark Faction members either dead or captured, the Light Faction concluded that the remnants had been dealt with. As such, the siege started to scale down.
***
At present, Han Wu and Jia Gui were resting in a tree while Su Lan and the others lay hidden within Han Wu’s shadow.
Han Wu happened to glance toward the outer perimeter and noticed that the guard presence had thinned considerably. His pulse quickened.
His avatar and the units hadn’t arrived yet, but an opportunity had presented itself first. With so few guards, he and Jia Gui had a chance to slip past the Light Faction’s watch.
Han Wu woke Jia Gui, who instinctively hopped onto Han Wu’s shoulder and resumed his role as a Concealment accessory. By now, he seemed accustomed to it. It was certainly easier than fighting the native creatures.
Han Wu sprinted toward the perimeter with Jia Gui on his shoulder. As he drew close, he confirmed that the number of guards had indeed dropped significantly, to less than a third of what it had been. Groups of units were still leaving one after another.
He slipped into the guarded zone and carefully inched his way outward. Everything proceeded in silence, and he drew no attention at all.
Just as Han Wu thought they were about to slip through unnoticed, a light arrow streaked through the air and struck his shadow. Under the Shade Jurisdiction’s influence, his shadow remained pitch-black and unchanged even under the intense light, which was exactly what gave him away.
“Dark Faction vermin, I have found you!” The Daughter of Light, Elina, emerged with her Radiant Ministers flanking her. Her gaze locked directly onto Han Wu.
A terrifying wave of light-attributed pressure descended upon Han Wu’s position, shattering Jia Gui’s Concealment Jurisdiction and exposing Han Wu completely.
“It’s you!” Elina exclaimed. The moment she recognized Han Wu, the fury in her eyes blazed