"Everyone! Look at the sword in his hand! Itâs the powerful weapon the Duke has long desired! If we let him go, the Duke will never forgive us! We must stop him! The reinforcements from the castle will be here soon! Hold on, everyone!"
Just as he started speaking, Wang Zhifan saw the knights around him quickly closing in, while the archers retreated to prepare to shoot, and the mages began gathering mysterious energy in their hands. An unavoidable battle was imminent.
"Boring... if youâre seeking death, Iâll grant your wish!"
Wang Zhifan felt a fiery rage ignite within him. Normally, he didnât like attacking the weak, but if they insisted on stepping into his path, he wouldnât show mercy.
"Source of Ice!"
With a mindset focused on maximum efficiency, he immediately unleashed his trump card, covering all nearby enemies. In one move, he aimed to kill, forcing the icy power to freeze the water within their bodies, forming ice crystals, which then wildly expanded and scattered!
In theory, Wang Zhifanâs method wasnât as undefeatable as it seemed. Anyone strong enough could use their extraordinary power to suppress the icy force he unleashed. He had encountered such opponents in the sea realm before, but it was clear that those blocking him now were not that strong.
In an instant, they were all caught. Each of them seemed to explode into countless ice crystals, and even their gear was shattered into pieces. Everyone was instantly killed and turned to dust!
"What a waste of my power."
After completely clearing his opponents, Wang Zhifan didnât feel relieved. He stepped over the ice crystals and fragments of equipment, extending his senses to check for any remaining hidden enemies, determined to eliminate all opposition.
Yet, his powerful senses didnât detect any pesky threats nearby. Instead, he noticed the black greatsword in his hand undergoing a mysterious transformation, seemingly absorbing some enigmatic substance from its surroundings. The swordâs overall aura was becoming increasingly heavy and powerful.
"Is this sword absorbing the life energy that just faded away, or is it taking the souls of the dead?"
At that moment, Wang Zhifan wasnât sure. He only knew that the greatsword in his hand was getting stronger, feeding off the many freshly deceased bodies around him.
"Come out and explain! I know youâre hiding inside the ring!"
Feeling perplexed, he barked with an unfriendly tone towards his hand, aiming at the modified Sea God Meditation Ring he was wearing.
But no one responded to his words, as if he was speaking to thin air.
"Wonât come out, huh... then Iâll let you taste the feeling of death!"
Wang Zhifan became furious. He focused his spiritual power to open the space connected to the ring, and forcibly channeled the icy power into it!
"Stop! Adventurer! I wasnât hiding in there on purpose!"
A white small flying elephant instantly shot out from the ring, surprisingly the strange existence from the tower earlier.
"Iâm asking you about the sword! Donât tell me you donât know anything!"
Wang Zhifan wasnât surprised at all that this creature jumped out from the ring. He sternly questioned it, ready to finish it off if it didnât cooperate.
The small flying elephant, seemingly intimidated by his terrifying aura, quickly responded:
"It could very well be the legendary Sinful Greatsword! It can absorb the souls of the deceased to grow stronger! Thatâs all I know! Please donât kill me! I mean you no harm!"
"Sinful Greatsword... I see..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan raised the black greatsword in his hand, noticing that the series of red gems on the hilt seemed to have slightly changed color, becoming more crimson. This was likely the reason for the change in the weaponâs aura.
"Do you know what the cloak Iâm wearing is? Be honest, donât think of hiding anything!"
Now that he knew the general function of the greatsword, Wang Zhifan continued to inquire about another piece of equipment, the gray cloak draped over his back.
This time, the small flying elephant appeared hesitant, its gaze sweeping over the creation on Wang Zhifanâs back before cautiously stating:
"Sorry, this cloak hasnât shown any mysterious characteristics yet, so I canât determine it. But I can assure you itâs not an ordinary item, its quality wonât be much inferior to the Sinful Greatsword..."
Wang Zhifan didnât immediately react to its words, but then he suddenly leaped from the ground full of corpse debris, shooting up into the air, flying towards the distance. He then summoned the Red Deer Horse in midair, disappearing from the area.
After a short period, he was riding on horseback towards his next destination when he suddenly turned to look behind him. There, the silhouette of the small flying elephant was faintly visible, having apparently followed him!
"Why are you still following me? Havenât you already escaped the tower!"
Finding the little creatureâs actions peculiar, Wang Zhifan directed the Red Deer Horse to turn and confront it directly to uncover its ulterior motives.
The small flying elephant, seeing his still unfriendly demeanor, backed off a bit and replied:
"I have an important mission to complete and I need your help, thatâs why Iâm following you."
"Hmm? Are you trying to scheme against me?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan was displeased. He hadnât yet killed the small flying elephant only because he hadnât actually been harmed by it and had discovered its presence early.
"My mission relates to the Demon King."
The small flying elephant then replied, seemingly sure that Wang Zhifan would be interested in matters concerning the Demon King.
"Heh... So you do know about the Demon King... Tell me where the Demon King is! Otherwise, I wonât hesitate to use force!"
Wang Zhifan ordered the Red Deer Horse to hover in midair, his gaze locked intently on the strange creature before him.
But the little creature didnât seem too afraid, directly meeting his gaze as it responded:
"I canât find the Demon King alone, it requires more beings like me. But I suggest you wait, as the Demon King should soon break the seal and appear."
Upon hearing the small flying elephantâs words, Wang Zhifan immediately grasped its meaning, responding with some astonishment:
"Are you saying... youâre one of the necessary runes to break the Demon Kingâs seal? Impossible... youâre clearly a living creature!"
Heâd considered various possibilities for the small flying elephantâs true identity, but even with the answer presented to him, it was hard to accept.
"Why canât a living thing be a rune? Besides, Iâm not truly a living being; itâs all just a facade."
The small flying elephant said, transforming its form into a white cloud, then a ball of light, a bird, and a leaf. Each form was flawless, even under Wang Zhifanâs powerful perception, showing no obvious flaws.
"This..."
By this point, Wang Zhifan had little choice but to believe. Recalling the creatureâs previous ability to modify the ring, combined with its current display, he could determine it possessed mysterious power close to the essence of mystery, rather than being a mere creature.
"Whatâs your mission? To defeat the soon-to-be-revealed Demon King?"
He speculated, questioning the seemingly rune-spawned being before him.
"My power canât defeat it, only when itâs defeated can I join with others like me to restore the seal and lock it away again."
The strange being, now back in the form of a small flying elephant, responded, then added:
"The Demon King is extremely powerful. Youâre the most promising person Iâve seen to defeat it, so please, cooperate with me! Allowing the Demon King to exist in this world would be a complete disaster. Whatever your motives, you should help us defeat it, or else the entire world will face doomsday!"