CHAPTER 519: CHAPTER 519. REVERSAL

"Heads up!" Huang Zhan shouted.

The tip of Huang Zhan’s spear detached from its shaft. The tip shot forward while connected to the shaft by a steel chain. The tip had effectively turned into a chain dart.

Huang Zi didn’t need the warning to know the incoming attack. His Spirit Sense perfectly detected the chain dart aiming for the back of his head. The warning from Huang Zhan was another taunt. Huang Zi’s flame cloak flapped and slapped the chain dart away.

"Haha," Huang Zhan laughed. He was not upset at all his attack failed.

"Do you think this is a game?" Huang Zi asked in annoyance. The scepter in his hand discharged a blue lightning that chased after Huang Zhan.

Huang Zhan could already tell the timing when the scepter fired its lightning. He used his movement art half a second before the lightning was discharged. The movement art displaced his position, leaving an afterimage for the lightning to strike.

The Qing Lion lunged from the opposite side when Huang Zi attacked Huang Zhan. Its large paw attempted to squash Huang Zi. Huang Zi swung his free arm. It collided with the paw and the Qing Lion was sent reeling back. A burst of flame from the flaming cloak also burned the lion’s body.

The Qing Lion was only on par with a Peak Mystic Stage cultivator. It could not contest against Huang Zi’s power. It was thanks to its beast’s constitution, which was more durable than the average human body, and Huang Zhan’s nature armor that it could survive the clashes with Huang Zi.

Furthermore, the two coordinated perfectly. Huang Zhan alternated between using his spear for close-range combat and the chain dart for long-range. The Qing Lion utilized its explosive speed to mount an abrupt strike from unexpected angles. This kept Huang Zi’s attention divided. He couldn’t focus his attacks on one target.

To make matters worse, Huang Zi’s attention was further burdened by the situation of his underlings. Jiang Bo didn’t look like he could win against Da Niu. As for his two Mystic Stage followers, their bodies were already filled with wounds.

His other attention was on Xian Fei’s position. She was closed by now but not fast enough. ’What takes that bitch so long?’ Huang Zi cursed.

The two Mystic Stage cultivators couldn’t hold out anymore. They were fighting against five enemies, after all. One finally succumbed. He was pierced by the enemy’s sword from the back, before getting his head bashed in by another enemy’s heavy mace.

The remaining one looked at his enemies with despair. They encircled him. He could see his own demise before his eyes.

"ROOAARRR...!!!"

Two thundering roars beset Huang Zi. Huang Zhan chose the opportunity when Huang Zi was demoralized after seeing his underling’s death to unleash his Lion Roar. The Qing Lion coordinated with him and uttered its own roar. The combined roar shook Huang Zhan’s unsteady mind and caused his movement to pause.

Huang Zhan and the Qing Lion lunged at the same time. Huang Zhan thrust his spear, aiming for Huang Zi’s heart, while the Qing Lion opened its maw. It wanted to bite the back of Huang Zi’s neck.

Huang Zi’s eyes flared before the two landed their attacks.

"Do you think you can defeat me? Think again!" Huang Zi exclaimed. The flaming cloak around his body revolved and intensified. It turned into a flaming tornado with Huang Zi at its center. The fierce flames prevented Huang Zhan and the Qing Lion from proceeding with their attacks.

Huang Zhan chose to persevere. He withstood the fierce flames while channeling his aether. The vines and leaves on his spear grew longer. They entangled each other and formed a longer spearhead. The spear then spun at high speed. It turned into a drill that drilled through the swirling flame wall.

His drilling martial art combined with his enhanced spear managed to penetrate Huang Zi’s flame wall defense. The spear proceeded and headed toward Huang Zhi, who was visible again.

Huang Zi was surprised Huang Zhan succeeded in penetrating his defense, but he was not flustered. He placed his scepter next to the spear’s path. Lightning crackled as the spear passed beside the scepter. Before the spear’s tip hit Huang Zi, the scepter exploded with powerful lightning. The explosion shoved the spear to the side, causing it to miss Huang Zi.

"I will defeat you again like I always did!" Huang Zi slammed his burning palm into Huang Zhan’s chest.

The impact resulted in another explosion, which threw Huang Zhan away. The fire from Huang Zi’s palm stayed with Huang Zhan. It swirled around the point of impact and continued to burn.

The Qing Lion caught Huang Zhan before he crashed into the ground.

"Ugh!" Huang Zhan vomited blood. He concentrated his aether into his burning chest before making a bellowing yell. His nature armor exploded into pieces. The unceasing fire burning his chest followed the broken pieces. He was no longer burned, but his nature armor was also gone.

"Hack!" Huang Zhan vomited blood again. Though he lost the clash, he remained grinning. His bloody mouth made him look especially sinister.

On the contrary, Huang Zi displayed a somber expression even when he won the exchange. He was looking to the side. His last Mystic Stage follower had just been killed. The five Mystic Stage enemies were now heading toward Jiang Bo. Jiang Bo already had trouble fighting Da Niu. If those five interfered, he would lose as well. When that happened, Huang Zi would have to fight all the enemies on his own.

Huang Zi’s thought went to the escape stone inside his pocket. Must he use the stone? But using it meant forfeiting his right to be Echos King. He couldn’t accept such a reality!

"Go ahead," Huang Zhan said.

"What?" Huang Zi didn’t understand what Huang Zhan was implying.

"You were thinking about using your Escape Stone, weren’t you? Go ahead and use it."

Huang Zi clenched his teeth. Losing the throne was already unbearable enough. To be taunted like this, he preferred death to letting his brother win. He resolved to die together with Huang Zhan if he couldn’t win this confrontation. He was about to advance when he heard a voice.

"Your Highness! Sorry for arriving late!"

Xian Fei rushed out of the tall grass. She caught the five Mystic Stage cultivators by surprise. Before the five could react, her sword flashed. Her one thrust produced five sword lights that pierced into the chests of all five Mystic Stage cultivators. The spots where the sword lights penetrated were where their hearts were located. The five slumped to the ground.

"Haha! It seems heaven still favors me!" Huang Zi exclaimed. He was extremely relieved. He had been too occupied with the fight he wasn’t aware that Xian Fei had arrived.

Huang Zhan, on the other hand, frowned deeply after witnessing the demise of his Mystic Stage followers.

Xian Fei rushed away. She didn’t go to help Jiang Bo. He told Jiang Bo, "Sorry, I will help His Highness first."

Jiang Bo waved her away. Though he was having difficulty fighting Da Niu, his mood was much better than before. He was no longer worried about Prince Huang Zi’s safety or the enemy Mystic Stage cultivators. All he needed to do was defend against Da Niu’s attacks. With time, Prince Huang Zi and Xian Fei should have no problem defeating Prince Huang Zhan and his Qing Lion. The situation had reversed. This elevated his morale. They would win this battle!

"Your Highness, let me aid you. I will deal with that lion," Xian Fei said when she arrived.

"Good! I will leave that foul beast to you," Huang Zi said. His tone sounded spirited. "I will teach this brother of mine a lesson."

The Qing Lion had circled to Huang Zi’s back again. Xian Fei put herself behind his liege and brandished her sword. She accumulated her energy into her sword and thrust. However, instead of thrusting toward the Qing Lion, her sword reversed and headed toward Huang Zi’s back.

Huang Zi sensed the sudden attack, but Xian Fei was too close. His protective flaming cloak was no more. All he could employ to stop the sword was his raw power. Dense energy erupted from him, forming a protective layer. It was not enough. He erected the protective layer too hastily while Xian Fei had accumulated enough energy for a proper attack.

Xian Fei’s sword pierced the protective layer and stabbed into Huang Zi’s back. The tip of her sword could only enter one inch deep due to the toughness of Huang Zi’s Peak Spirit Stage constitution. Huang Zi’s hand swung back and landed a fiery strike on her. She was sent tumbling away with a burning wound.

When Xian Fei executed her ambush, Huang Zhan and the Qing Lion also lunged, as if they had known beforehand. The Qing Lion grabbed one of Huang Zi’s legs and bit it, while Huang Zhan’s spear headed to Huang Zi’s head, ready to impale it.