Chapter 97: To Kill, or to Flee? Damn it, Kill!

Lu Jin frowned, but he did not hesitate.

The things Empress Qinglian gave him could never be wrong.

The Heaven Burial Coffin, the Endless Dantian, and the Emperor Tyrant Glazed Bone were all her gifts; even now, he had not fully grasped what grade of treasures they truly were. Now that she was giving him another prize, he was naturally eager to see it.

*But where is this sub-space?*

He gripped the golden key, pouring his Spiritual Force into it.

*Weng!*

In that instant, the key flew directly into the space ahead of him.

Lu Jin was startled, quickly shifting his weight to follow.

The interior of the Heaven Burial Coffin was originally a vast, boundless void, desolate and misty. However, after Lu Jin followed the golden key for a short distance, a golden gate appeared eerily in front of him.

It was just a single door.

It was massive beyond measure, and everything behind the door was obscured from sight.

In the dead center of that golden gate hung a golden lock shaped like the head of a Bi’an.

*Boom!*

The moment he laid eyes on the gate, Lu Jin’s heart jolted violently.

It was as if a deafening roar had exploded within his mind.

*Hmm?*

He did not understand why he felt this way. What exactly was hidden behind that gate?

“Open!”

He hesitated no longer, thrusting the key directly into the lock.

*Kacha!*

The sound of metal clashing echoed as the golden gate slowly swung open. Golden light surged from within like a river of molten gold. The radiance spilled over him, as if the world had been draped in a layer of eternal glory.

An ancient aura swept over him.

Lu Jin frowned again.

He actually felt a trace of familiarity within this ancient aura.

*What a strange sensation…*

He did not know where this feeling came from, but there seemed to be a power within that golden space calling out to him.

He stepped inside, vanishing into the thick golden light.

*Bang!*

Behind him, the golden gate suddenly slammed shut, letting out a roar like the tolling of a great bronze bell.

The entire space was filled with golden light; nothing else could be seen.

Lu Jin’s Spiritual Force swept out, spreading in all directions. A hundred zhang, a thousand zhang; he still found nothing unusual.

He stopped walking. All sound around him had vanished, as if he had fallen into a state of eternal silence.

It was then that he heard the sound of his own heartbeat.

*Thump, thump, thump…*

The sound expanded, growing continuously. It became louder and louder until, in a trance, it seemed to transform into the beat of war drums. They thundered one after another, as if crossing endless time and space, the echoes of an ancient dream.

The golden light in his vision shifted rapidly. Amidst the thundering drums, the earth began to tremble. Beyond the distant horizon, a tide-like army of slaughter came howling toward him. A black mass that blotted out the sky and sun, they carried a heaven-toppling killing intent as they charged!

Lu Jin was stunned.

He seemed to have fallen into a dream from which there was no escape.

There was no one behind him.

He stood alone between heaven and earth. At some point, a trident had appeared in his hand. One man, one trident, standing tall with an aura that pierced the clouds.

*Is it kill, or flee?*

The trident suddenly vibrated, and a human voice actually echoed from within it.

Lu Jin was even more bewildered.

*What the hell is going on?*

He didn’t know if this was a dream or not, but he had never seen a dream so realistic!

The trident repeated the same question.

“Damn it, kill!”

Lu Jin’s eyes suddenly flared with heat.

Since he didn’t know what kind of ghost place this was, he would simply slaughter everything in sight!

Fleeing was impossible. That word didn’t exist in his dictionary!

*Boom!*

The moment the words left his mouth, the trident let out another roar. A terrifying aura spread from it, leaving even Lu Jin wide-eyed with shock.

“Trident, what grade of spirit weapon are you?”

The trident ignored him, tilting forward and falling toward the ground.

“Eh?”

The hand Lu Jin used to grip the trident was suddenly jerked by a massive force.

While it had been standing upright on the ground, he hadn’t felt the trident’s weight. But the moment the weapon tilted, and he tried to catch it, he discovered that his strength was pathetically weak!

He suddenly had the illusion that he was as frail as a scholar who couldn’t even catch a chicken.

No, it wasn’t an illusion!

The trident crashed into the ground, incredibly heavy, even sinking deep into the earth!

“So heavy!”

Lu Jin tried to heave it up, only to find he was completely powerless!

It didn’t budge an inch!

“Move out! Take him alive!”

The tide-like army roared as they arrived. A voice thundered through the air, ordering his capture!

The torrent of soldiers surrounded him completely. Lu Jin was dazed.

What kind of place was this?

Why did it look like an ancient battlefield?

The soldiers surrounding him were all clad in heavy armor, riding various war beasts. The roars, the wild shouts, and the cries of slaughter were earth-shaking!

“He has killed too many of our brothers! We must take him alive and torture him slowly until he dies!”

Somewhere within the legion, someone was barking orders.

“Whatever you do, do not let him take the trident! That trident is his only chance to turn the tables!”

The enemy’s words seemed to be a hint of some kind.

As that voice faded, a group of soldiers in the front surged forward. Their spears thrust out, the sharp whistling of clashing air reaching his ears. Lu Jin immediately shifted his body to dodge.

“Who are you, people!”

He wanted to understand the truth of the situation.

But the opponents gave him no direct answer. A group of soldiers closed in, attacking frantically to capture him.

Lu Jin’s entire aura surged as he reached a total breakout.

“Hell-Suppressing Sinfire Sword! Great Evolution Dragon Transformation Art!

*Weng…*

Facing so many enemies, he directly unleashed his trump cards without holding anything back.

However, what he didn’t expect was that these techniques could not be used here!

He couldn’t condense the sword, nor could he manifest his defenses!

*What’s happening? Could it be… only that trident can save me?*

The words of the man from before had confused him, but they also seemed to offer a glimmer of hope.

“Give… it… to me!”

Lu Jin sprinted toward the trident lying on the ground, grabbing it with both hands to haul it up.

But the trident was simply too heavy. Even though he strained with every ounce of his might, he couldn’t move it even a fraction!

“Do not make useless resistance! Give up your struggle and suffer less!”

The group of soldiers rushing up had contempt in their eyes. They weren’t in a hurry to seize him; some even stood around with their arms crossed, watching the show.

What exactly were these people trying to do?

Lu Jin truly couldn’t wrap his head around it.

*Ceng!*

Suddenly, the soldier at the very front lunged. Lu Jin seemed to have lost his sense of perception; he couldn’t even tell what level of combat power the man possessed.

“Die for me!”

In that split second, he threw a punch. A moment later, it landed heavily on the soldier’s chest!

*Bang!*

The soldier’s chest caved in, and he flew backward like a dead dog. When he hit the ground, he actually scattered into a cloud of golden light and vanished!

*What on earth is that?*

Lu Jin’s brow furrowed. While he was feeling surprised, his keen Spiritual Force discovered that the vanishing golden light had actually burrowed into the trident!

Lu Jin noticed the clue and grabbed the trident once more.

This time, the trident that had been rooted to the spot actually moved a hair’s breadth under his full strength!

*Could it be…*

Lu Jin’s eyebrows shot up. He turned his gaze toward the black mass of the approaching army.

If that was the case, then—

KILL!!!

***

Footnotes:

TN1: Bi’an (狴犴): A mythological creature, one of the nine sons of the dragon, symbolizing litigation and justice; its image is traditionally placed on prison gates and locks.

TN2: Zhang (丈): A traditional unit of length, roughly 3.3 meters.