Chapter 602: The Azure Cloud Never Falls

Chapter 602: The Azure Cloud Never Falls

“Li Jun enters the city! Li Jun enters the city!”

A piercing voice spread throughout the entire Xinan by the special means of bio-telepathy, striking the hearts of everyone, friend and foe alike, simultaneously.

The instant the message was transmitted, the other three physical bodies of the Heaven-Striving Four Pests, the farm-beasts, fled in all directions.

Her movements could not be called slow, nor indecisive. Yet she still could not escape that pressure far stronger than Jiang Wei’s “Mountain Realm.”

In an instant, an indescribable deep terror spread through the heart of the Heaven-Striving Four Pests, as if a world full of malice had trapped her within it.

Tempered martial inner energy, overcoming the foe.

The fleeing cockroach beast seemed caught in a morass, its every movement labored, its exaggerated gestures appearing utterly ludicrous.

At the brink of life and death, the bestial ferocity in its bones temporarily broke the grip of fear, and it swung its forelegs to stab at the person who had suddenly appeared to block its path.

Crack!

The cockroach beast’s two forelegs were torn off at the shoulders, and strange dark green, nearly black blood splashed onto the blood-soaked carpet on the ground, giving off a pungent, rotting stench.

“Neither human nor ghost, what kind of creature are you!”

Thud!

Li Jun’s gaze was indifferent. He stepped forward, thrusting his right hand straight into the terrified woman’s face on the cockroach beast’s neck, burying it to nearly the wrist. With a twist of his wrist, he gave a vicious stir and lifted the twitching, trembling body of the cockroach beast clean off the ground.

Bang!

The five fingers buried in the viscous mess suddenly clenched tight. With an explosive burst of power, the upper half of the cockroach beast was instantly shattered, its life severed.

This farm-order pest, whose body was as strong as a sect’s Martial Order Four, was nothing but a paper tiger in Li Jun’s hands.

In midair, the more maneuverable mosquito beast, though also struggling to flap its wings, had at least managed to flee some distance.

Sharing one body with the other pests, it naturally knew the fate of the cockroach beast on the ground.

But now was not the time for rescue, nor was there any need to rescue.

As long as even one of the four pests escaped, the main body would be unharmed. In this flesh-rich farm of Xinan, recovery would be a simple matter.

Thus the only thing that mattered now was to stay away from Li Jun!

“Where do you think you’re flying off to? A decent woman, and you’ve turned yourself into this? I really don’t know what you farm-order people are thinking.”

A dark golden armor over ten feet tall hovered in the air, arms crossed over its chest, while a great banner of black flowing flame behind it blazed and fluttered noisily.

The scorching torrent of flames roared and swirled, instantly engulfing the mosquito beast.

Of the four pests in the field, three had already fallen in the span of a few moments.

The last fly beast, which carried the main consciousness of the Heaven-Striving Four Pests, now flapped its wings desperately, trying to break out of the range of “Overcoming the Foe.”

“The current losses are nothing. As long as I can get a share of Li Jun’s flesh and genes, even just a shred, I can immediately breed even stronger versions of the four pests. All I need to do now is avoid his edge, but—”

“He’s just an Order Four of the lone Martial Order—how can he be so powerful?!”

Though this was a critical moment of flight, the intense unwillingness and curiosity still drove the woman to lower her gaze and look below.

On the ground, a black sea of flames that even the torrential rain could not extinguish was burning the fields of flesh that covered the long street.

The undulating waves of flesh let out faint human-like screams, and as if conscious, tried to split into independent clumps and flee into the cracks in the ground. But no matter how they struggled, they could not escape their fate of being turned to ash.

Li Jun stood amid the sea of fire, the half-corpse of the cockroach beast under his foot, his gaze piercing through the mist from the evaporating rain, fixing like a blade on the woman’s eyes.

“Li Jun… you won’t be arrogant for long. Xinan is the burial ground and hatching ground we chose for you! You are destined to die here!”

The woman’s face embedded on the fly beast’s head was dark and ugly, surging with hatred in her heart.

“Dragging such an ugly freak into the dream is truly revolting. But if I let you get away, Master Zou would be even more disgusted.”

A displeased voice suddenly sounded in the heart of the Heaven-Striving Four Pests, and a character “Zou” slowly emerged in the woman’s ghastly pale eyes.

The fly beast’s frantically flapping wings suddenly halted at that moment, and it plunged toward the ground.

But the next moment, fine cracks suddenly appeared on the character “Zou.”

The dream that was dragging the Heaven-Striving Four Pests was shattered and broken by her in an instant, but just as she regained clarity and steadied herself, a black-red lightning bolt had already flashed before her eyes.

A finger was pressed squarely between the woman’s eyebrows.

“Heaven-Striving Four Pests? I’ll remember that name. In your next life, remember to be a proper person, not some monster or demon.”

“Li Jun!!!”

Bang!

A sharp burst of power erupted, like a blade piercing through a skull.

The woman’s terrified scream was cut short. Her head snapped back, and a fountain of blood burst from the back of her skull.

[Acquired 100 Proficiency Points]

[Remaining Proficiency Points: 272]

One hundred proficiency points indicated that the strength of the Heaven-Striving Four Pests had crossed the threshold of Order Three.

But now, she was only fit to become a pile of scattered flesh, cast from midair into the raging sea of flames rising from the ground.

Wang Qi looked up, staring blankly at the torrent of blood raining down from the sky.

How could the plot of this Golden Millet Dream unfold like this?

This doesn’t make sense. I’m the protagonist—shouldn’t I be the one to save the day? Why have I only been watching the show from start to finish?

And why does this man look so familiar to me too?

“Ao Hu, isn’t that man called Li Jun?”

Just as Wang Qi asked in confusion, the surging power in his body suddenly vanished, and the intense emptiness that struck him nearly pulled him down to the ground.

The armor fell away, and the cold rain soaked through his clothes.

Wang Qi’s expression was mournful, indignant, and resentful as he looked at Ao Hu standing beside him.

Being a protagonist like this is really frustrating.

Is this even still my Golden Millet Dream?!

“Brother Jun… long time no see.”

Li Jun, who had landed back on the ground, turned his head at the sound.

He saw Jiang Wei leaning on a half-length spear, wearing a set of heavily corroded and damaged dark armor. Beneath the loose helmet was a pale face with blackish lips, clearly poisoned.

Though gravely injured, Jiang Wei still stood tall and upright.

“Can you hold on?” Li Jun asked with a frown.

“Just a mosquito bite, I won’t die.”

Jiang Wei said in a light tone, smiling, “It’s just that I’ve caused you trouble again.”

“You really are too polite.”

Li Jun said, “Although I’m not from Tianque, I’ve had fairly good cooperation with you during this time, and you’ve helped me a lot. It’s only right that I lend a hand.”

“Business is business, and sentiment is sentiment. They are two different things and cannot be conflated.”

Jiang Wei pressed one hand against the wound on his abdomen and shook his head.

Characters so stubborn to the point of obstinacy, even rigid in their beliefs, were rare in this day and age.

It could only be said that fortunately he followed Wu Xu; had he chosen any other Sequence, he would likely have been devoured long ago, bones and all.

Li Jun had no interest in arguing with Jiang Wei at the moment; his gaze shifted to Shen Li, who was being supported in Ao Hu’s arms in the distance, and he naturally also saw Wang Qi, whose expression was unusually strange.

“What happened to Shen Li?”

“He was dragged into an illusion. Although he barely escaped, his mind is still unclear.”

It was Ao Hu who spoke, his eyes fixed on the towering suit of armor standing behind Li Jun.

“Lord Ma.”

From within the crimson eyes came Lord Ma’s deep voice: “Don’t panic. Since I’m here, leave the rest to me.”

“Forty-nine.”

Li Jun called out softly.

“Mm.”

Zou Sijiu responded, stepped forward to Ao Hu, and took the unconscious Shen Li from his hands.

Li Jun could not understand the methods of the Yin-Yang Sequence.

But moments later, Shen Li slowly awakened.

“Jun-ge.”

The moment Shen Li saw Li Jun, his dull eyes suddenly brightened, but soon his gaze dimmed again.

“Did someone get to you?”

Shen Li gave a bitter smile and nodded: “Yeah, I got beaten pretty badly.”

Li Jun frowned: “Why didn’t you let me know sooner? If I hadn’t heard it from someone else, I still wouldn’t know you were in trouble.”

“The other side planned this for a long time. They surrounded the city before making a move; there was no way to get the news out.”

“It was Sheji, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“And the one who beat you?”

“Sheji Four Seasons. Wu Ci!”

Shen Li’s face grew fierce, his eyes blazing with intense hatred, along with a deeply hidden trace of fear.

“How did you lose so badly?”

“I was caught in an inside job.”

Shen Li laughed bitterly: “Tian Chou, one of the Five Pillars of Tianque, was also from Sheji. From the very beginning, he joined Tianque with the sole purpose of hunting us down. As soon as the ambush began, all Tianque members below Sequence Four were killed off in an instant. Those lucky enough to survive became their farm beasts.”

“By the time we realized it, we were already caged beasts. If the remaining old-timers hadn’t risked their lives to hold the enemy back, I’d have turned into blood and become fertilizer by now.”

Shen Li’s answer was what Li Jun had expected.

After all, though the sect’s martial order had declined for years, its overall strength was barely a tenth of its peak.

But a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; Tianque still had at least three Sequence Threes guarding it, and it was no easy target anyone could bully.

For Sheji to force Tianque into such a desperate corner so easily, they couldn’t have done it by sheer frontal assault.

But betrayal—Tianque must have experienced plenty of that over the years; how could they have fallen for it so easily?

There must be something more going on, something even Shen Li didn’t know.

“I understand.”

Li Jun nodded at Shen Li: “Rest for now. I’ll take care of the rest for you.”

“Take it easy. That woman who dragged you into the illusion—her name’s Wu Ci, right? Consider this debt settled by Uncle Zou. I’ll tie her up and send her into your dreams; you can vent however you want.”

Zou Sijiu put his arm around Shen Li’s shoulder carelessly and patted his chest in promise.

“I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to take revenge myself, Uncle Zou.”

Shen Li’s gaze was dim, with none of his former spirited vigor.

“What’s with the defeatist talk?”

Zou Sijiu’s heart skipped a beat, and he raised an eyebrow: “So you got beaten by a woman—so what? It won’t break you, will it? You, Shen Li, back in Jinmen, you were forced to jump into the sea and still found a way to swim back and take revenge. Why are you so pathetic now?”

“If I hadn’t been crippled, I’d have chopped off her head myself.”

Shen Li seemed barely able to stand, leaning crookedly against Zou Sijiu’s shoulder, head bowed, voice trembling: “Mentality, martial arts, physique—I have none of them anymore.”

Zou Sijiu’s expression changed drastically: “Fuck!”

Shen Li had been crippled!

Only then did Li Jun realize that Shen Li carried no trace of martial aura; his vitality was so weak he was worse than an ordinary person.

“Shen Li.”

Jiang Wei clenched his teeth so hard his eyes seemed to split.

He stared at Shen Li, who was looking at the ground, his lips pressed together, holding his breath.

At this moment, he had no idea how to face Li Jun.

In the city of Jinling, he had approached Li Jun out of admiration and respect.

In Jiangxi Guangxin, he chose to return to Tianque in order to keep up with Li Jun and not become a burden.

To be honest, how could anyone who advanced to Sequence Four during the decline of martial order not have a streak of pride?

Shen Li had never considered himself inferior to anyone in his life.

Even back in those days of drifting through the streets, trading in fists, knives, and guns for a meal, he firmly believed that one day he would soar into the sky, ascending to the nine heavens.

Later, he joined the sect’s martial order, advanced to Sequence Four, and became one of the three most outstanding youths of Tianque.

Along the way, it hadn’t been smooth sailing, but Shen Li always kept his back straight.

Shen Li knew he was no genius; everything he had, he had won with his own hands through mountains of corpses and seas of blood—not a fraction came from begging for pity, not a shred from pleading for charity.

So even when he encountered an anomaly like Li Jun, who defied all logic, Shen Li only thought himself temporarily inferior and never considered giving up the chase.

He even believed that one day he would stand before Li Jun and shield him from wind and rain.

But his once unyielding ambition had tonight turned into filthy water flooding the ground.

He had become an ant beneath the Sequence.

Who would continue to call an ant brother?

“Shen Li, stand up straight. Don’t disgrace yourself here!”

A rebuke rang through his heart.

Shen Li instinctively looked up and saw Li Jun standing before him.

Under the intimidating pressure of two sharp, knife-like gazes, Shen Li pushed away Zou Sijiu’s support, gathered all his remaining strength, and forced himself to stand in the rain.

Lost is lost. If you're outmatched, you must accept it. Anything else is just bullshit.

Li Jun said with resolute words: "But you have only lost for a moment, not for a lifetime. As long as you're still alive, there's still a chance to turn the tables!"

"Since you've lost your sect, then walk the path alone. If your flesh is utterly ruined, then replace it with a body of steel and bone, and enlist in the military order! Not because you must become a follower of the order, but so that you'll have the ability to rely on yourself to give tooth for tooth and eye for eye. This is what you should be considering now. Understand?"

"Brother Jun."

Shen Li's face was streaming with rain, his words fragmented, his expression pained.

"I too once lost all the way, like a stray dog, chased everywhere by people. I never gained much face, and I dragged many down with me. But no matter how insurmountable the barriers, people like you and me have no way back! Once we back down, we let down not only ourselves, but also those who died for you!"

"Shen Li, listen carefully. Losing is never the problem. It's those who surrender and admit defeat who are cowards!"

Surging emotions choked his throat, leaving Shen Li unable to utter a single word.

He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and steadied his frail body that was swaying back and forth.

"Find a place to get a good sleep. After today, think carefully about how to take the next steps."

Li Jun stepped past him, and in the moment they crossed, he raised his hand and pressed it on Shen Li's shoulder.

"Brother Jun."

"They may band together, but you are not alone. Even if the sky collapses, you still have us behind you."

Li Jun said softly: "No matter who defeated you, and by what means, I will make them pay with their life. Killing is something I'm good at. Si Jiu and Master Ma are good at it too."

Shen Li's blurred vision focused ahead, and his pupils reflected the ferocious grin of Zou Sijiu and the scarlet single eye of Horse Lord.

"Ao Hu, and you, your name is Wang Qi, right?"

Wang Qi, who was called by name, was startled and nodded hurriedly: "It's me."

"Help me take care of them. I owe you a favor."

Seeing Li Jun cupping his hands and bowing to him, Wang Qi quickly stepped back to get out of the way.

"N-no problem."

Li Jun looked into the distance at the city overwhelmed by the torrential rain.

Boom!

Thunder crashed, the world turned stark white.

Acres of proliferating flesh covered the entire ground of Xin'an City, and intersecting blood vessels hung like spider webs over every building.

Countless farm beasts revealed themselves in the lightning, their twisted bodies like ghosts, their opening and closing teeth chewing rotten flesh, their murky eyes filled with naked desire.

Terrifying howls rose and fell in the storm, and thick blood energy drifted everywhere in the cold wind.

The lightning faded, leaving only a blood-red full moon hanging in the night sky.

A city covered in flesh, a farm growing demons.

Anger burned in his heart, and his very bones were seething with killing intent.

"Let's go."

Li Jun raised his head, knowing full well that this might be a trap, yet he still chose to enter without hesitation.

"Crush them."