Chapter 138: Battling a Ninth-Rank Battle Emperor

Deep within the Taihang Mountains.

Gu Sha naturally had seen the announcements from the Four Great Powers.

“Why do they all like to play this game?” he muttered, tossing his phone aside in boredom. He turned to Feilong and the other Beast Kings nearby and asked, “How’s everything arranged?”

Feilong nodded. “We’ve already set up the ambushes at the locations you specified. But, Boss, I’m a little uneasy. Can this really work? You did say that the ambushing forces are all Battle Emperors!”

“What’s there to fear?” Gu Sha replied. “You’re just laying the trap. If you can’t win, retreat. We hold the hostages, so there’s nothing to worry about. The real action will be taken by me.”

With that, Gu Sha waved his hand, signaling his men to prepare.

After the men had left, Gu Sha picked up his phone again and began scrolling through the forum posts. A cold smile crossed his lips.

He was well aware of the Four Great Powers’ scheme.

He knew they intended to play a game of feigned submission, a trap to lure him in before executing a decapitation strike.

However,

from his memories of future battles,

Gu Sha had fought the elite warriors sent by the Four Great Powers many times, winning some and losing some. Ultimately, he devised a strategy to counter them.

Just as the Four Great Powers planned their decapitation strike,

Gu Sha knew that their true strength was concentrated in only a few Battle Emperors.

He carefully selected a group of exotic beasts tailored to counter each of these Battle Emperors based on their unique traits. His goal was not necessarily to defeat the Battle Emperors outright, but to delay them, preventing them from regrouping quickly, allowing him to defeat them one by one.

...

At dawn one day,

dozens of helicopters appeared on the outskirts of the Taihang Mountains.

This was the convoy from the Four Great Powers delivering the ransom.

Once all the aircraft landed, the men began unloading, placing the “ransom” at designated spots as per Gu Sha’s instructions.

Amid the comings and goings,

several figures quietly slipped away, stealthily entering the mountains. They were the seven Battle Emperors dispatched by the Four Great Powers.

Leading them was He Ling, a ninth-rank Battle Emperor from the Crimson Crane clan.

He Ling moved silently through the forest, resembling a ghost. Wearing an earpiece, he whispered, “Everyone, be cautious. That human, Gu Sha, controls the entire Taihang Mountains. The beasts here are his eyes and ears. If we’re discovered, the entire mission could fail.”

“He Ling, rest assured. We are Battle Emperors. Even if we’re not adept at stealth, ordinary beasts won’t detect us,” one of the Battle Emperors responded.

He Ling lowered his voice. “Don’t be complacent—the boy is highly suspicious. He will only release the hostages after we place the ransom and leave. He’s watching us closely. If he senses our movements, he could use the hostages to blackmail us. That would put us at a disadvantage.”

“Understood, understood!”

...

At this moment, atop a peak in the Taihang Mountains,

Long Fei was peering through a telescope. “Boss, the people from the Four Great Powers have left by helicopter. The items are all placed on Yellow Ox Ridge.”

Gu Sha sat on a rock and said slowly, “As planned, first retrieve all the items. Meanwhile, feign releasing the hostages. Everyone else, be ready to act at any moment.”

Feilong nodded.

Gu Sha continued, “Are the Golden Monkey and the Black Hawk ready?”

Feilong replied, “The Monkey King already knows how to use a phone. He just sent me a message. Both he and the Hawk King have their own kin ready. Once the Four Great Powers’ helicopters return, they will attack. The Monkey King will lead the mountain assault, and the Hawk King will lead the aerial strike. Not a single helicopter will escape.”

“That’s good,” Gu Sha said as he slowly rose. “You coordinate the overall deployment here. I’m going to meet that ninth-rank Battle Emperor.”

“Boss, are you confident?” Feilong asked with concern.

“Three moves to kill,” Gu Sha said firmly.

Without another word,

Gu Sha leapt down the cliff, swiftly flying to a towering ancient tree. The ring on his finger pulsed slightly, and a Tang Dao blade materialized.

This Tang Dao was brand new; his previous blade had been damaged in battle. This one came from Lin Miaoyi’s spatial ring and was of excellent quality—far superior to the last.

The tree was enormous, easily over a hundred meters tall. On old Earth, it would have been a rare sight, even a scenic wonder. But here in the Taihang Mountain Range, such trees were common.

Gu Sha perched quietly on a branch, waiting.

He did not wait long before He Ling appeared beneath the tree.

He Ling moved alone and swiftly, his mastery of the pure and subtle flying technique making him ghost-like in the forest; ordinary eyes could not trace him.

A faint smile appeared on Gu Sha’s face.

The instant He Ling reached the base of the tree,

Gu Sha sprang forward in a flash of light, slashing down with his blade.

The speed was blinding, like a streak of lightning.

In an instant, a brilliant golden light blazed as the blade struck through the air, erupting into a dazzling explosion; a terrifying slash descended.

He Ling, worthy of a ninth-rank Battle Emperor, had exceptional perception and immediately reacted, summoning a heavy black shield in his hand.

“Clang!”

A thunderous clash rang out, accompanied by sharp “pfft” sounds as the ground beneath them exploded into deep pits. Nearby trees shattered under the force of the energy waves.

A massive crater formed around He Ling.

“Gu Sha!”

Upon recognizing his opponent, He Ling’s face lit with delight. “I was cautious, sneaking around precisely because I feared you’d escape. Yet here you are, seeking your own death. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered with all this stealth!”

At that moment,

He Ling’s earpiece crackled with voices.

“Elder He, we’ve been ambushed!”

“Same here. Looks like we’ve been exposed!”

“Elder He, what’s your situation?”

“...”

He Ling’s voice turned cold. “Don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourselves. Gu Sha’s foolishly walked into a trap all alone. I’m going to take his head right now!”

With that,

He Ling cut off his earpiece and leapt from the crater, his voice icy. “Young brat, arrogant as the legends say. You saw me and didn’t hide, even boldly showing yourself. Seems like you’re tired of living!”

Gu Sha sneered and slowly raised two fingers. “You’ll fall in two moves.”

At that moment,

Gu Sha sprang into action, stomping the ground with force.

The earth cracked violently, a massive black fissure snaking out several dozen meters.

His Tang Dao gleamed sharply, emitting a terrifying aura that chilled the soul.

(End of chapter)