A Good-for-Nothing

265. Crack-Shot Kai

 

Translator: Dragon Rider

 

In the forest, the other three teammates of his were all in intense fighting, while He Zheng was in a standoff with Nakayi Hakute and his Contracted psychic entity, a long distance between the two sides.

He Zheng looked relaxed but in fact, he had also noticed something out of the ordinary.

Dark clouds churning in the sky, three thunderbolts struck the big snake. Shrouded in electricity, it hissed furiously, but it wasn’t reduced to ashes as He Zheng expected. The moment the big snake keeled to the ground, He Zheng heard a familiar anguished scream.

The screech was from somewhere to his left. He Zheng was slightly distracted and looked in that direction. The captain of the Rose team, Joe, suddenly sank to the ground from behind a tree, rigid as a board. Crying in pain, he flung out a hand to hold his back which was blackened and burned as though he had just been struck by lightning.

He Zheng widened his eyes in astonishment. For a moment he lost his cool. “This can’t be happening!”

Nakayi Hakute smiled a faint smile, casually raised his finger and pointed in the direction of Joe. “I can easily have others take all your blows for me.”

He raised his hand again and with that Xiao Qi, Xiao Han, and Luca the Snow Wolf, all of whom had been overpowered by paper men, walked out of the woods, looking terribly ashamed.

“I have many others ‘willing’ to take blows for me. You may try a few more times to see if I’m telling the truth.”

He Zheng noticed that Joe, Xiao Qi and the others all had paper men sticking to their backs, and the big snake, correspondingly, had several paper men on its back as well.

He Zheng immediately came to understand why Nakayi Hakute could easily have others sustain the damage meant for him.

His reputation as the strongest Yin Yang Master in the Neon Kingdom was well earned. Nakayi Hakute was not only powerful but also very intelligent.

By using two paper-cutting men as medium, Nakayi Hakute could transfer the force of attacks. It was similar to the Apparate skills used by Taoists of the Republic of Hua, who could move between two magically marked places in an instant. It was some kind of teleportation. The difference was that Nakayi Hakute was transferring energy.

“This is despicable and shameless.” He Zheng gnashed his teeth, staring at Nakayi Hakute.

Nakayi Hakute ignored him. Naturally he didn’t care about He Zheng’s opinions about him. In fact, things would have been a lot easier if it weren’t for the fact that he was unable to stick a paper man to He Zheng’s back.

At the same time, the organizing committee.

Li Zong’s countenance had become inscrutable the moment Nakayi Hakute had appeared. Given the overall strength of He Zheng’s team and their performance during the previous training, he believed that the opponents facing them were no threat to them, except for Nakayi Hakute, who was different from the others.

If it were Li Zong who was now fighting Nakayi Hakute, there wouldn’t have been so much trouble, because Li Zong didn’t care about the lives of the others. Some might feel that he was heartless or selfish, but only by disposing of Nakayi Hakute would he be able to rescue the others. On top of that, in Li Zong’s eyes, those people didn’t matter much.

However, his flat-chested marriage partner was not him. Unlike him who had been hardened by the many deaths he had witnessed, He Zheng still had misgivings, which was the Achilles heel of He Zheng.

“I didn’t bargain on them encountering each other so soon. It would seem winning this year’s trophy will take a lot of doing,” chuckled the president of the Global Exorcism Committee.

While speaking, he impassively shifted his gaze to Li Zong.

He had called the instructors over mainly because he’d been worried about Li Zong. Robbie had heard that this year the captain of the Hua team was Li Zong’s marriage partner, that Li Zong, though known as a loner, had a great affection for his partner. He believed that he and his staff members were able to stop Li Zong if by any chance Li Zong wanted to do something against the rules, but they would have to pay a very heavy price. Although Robbie was just worried, it was true that Li Zong was an uncertainty, and it was best if he stayed in the company of the instructors.

“Nakayi Hakute is a mature exorcist with broad combat experience.” The instructor of the Lion team let out an inexplicable sneer, clearly expecting the fighting to be an enjoyable show.

Robbie looked at the screen apprehensively. If Nakayi Hakute lost control of himself, they would have to figure out a way to contain him.

The reason why Nakayi Hakute was so relaxed was that he was sure He Zheng would have misgivings about continuing to attack knowing his teammates would suffer.

Or maybe Nakayi Hakute had never seen He Zheng as a threat to him. However, He Zheng’s next move was something he had not bargained for.

“Go to hell!” He Zheng huffed.

A hint of astonishment flashed across Nakayi Hakute’s eyes. It had never crossed his mind that He Zheng would ignore the safety of his teammates.

He Zheng rapidly incanted a Quintuple Lightning Enchantment, which was far more powerful than an Elementary Lightning Fu. A watery smile curled the corners of Nakayi Hakute’s mouth. Xiao Qi and the others, who had seen how Joe had ended up, closed their eyes, waiting for thunderbolts to strike them.

“The four enlightened realms, the infinite heaven and earth, all gods bow before you, thunder is your servant. Ghosts and demons recoil, monsters and bogeys cower. Lend me your power. Bring evil to its end!”

Nakayi Hakute took two steps backward quickly, but the arrows had already arrived with waves of scorching heat. Chen Kai was standing on a branch of a towering tree, the bowstring of his longbow in his hand still shivering.

“Back away another step and you’ll die,” said Chen Kai with a commanding air. Though dressed like a hooligan, he was very handsome.

There were more dark clouds in the sky now than there had been a moment ago, and still more thunderclouds were showing up one after another. The dark forest was cloaked in pitch-blackness.

Nakayi Hakute smiled. Many of the trees around Chen Kai now had paper men nailed to their trunks. Nakayi Hakute still looked calm and composed. “You seriously believe you can hurt my paper men with common arrows?”

Chen Kai picked his nose. He had a pair of beautiful slanted eyes, but what with his devil-may-care attitude, people tended not to notice them. Chen Kai glanced down at Nakayi Hakute and said, “Before you came here, your master told you you should do some background check on your opponents before fighting them, right?”

Nakayi Hakute’s face turned cold. “You’re a dead man.”

Chen Kai appeared totally unafraid. He waved the longbow in his hand, which under the dark clouds started glaring like the sun.

“This is the Sun-Shooting Bow. I stole it before coming here. I can shoot the sun down with it, not to mention your paper-cutting toys.”

He snapped his fingers and with that all the arrows pinning the paper men to tree trunks started to burn from their heads. The next moment, those paper men were burned to ashes and fell to the ground.

“If you keep showing off, Xiao Qi and the others will be struck to death!” Sheets of lightning accompanied by the rumble of thunder were flashing menacingly in the sky, and He Zheng had to yell to make himself heard.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done this many times!” shouted Chen Kai, notching arrows to his bowstring and bending the bow. The next second, flaming arrows shot out at impossible angles towards Xiao Qi and the others and burned all the paper men sticking on their backs.

It was at this moment that He Zheng, holding the Shadow Sword, let out a roar and with that a loud clap of thunder issued from the sky, and several lightning bolts converged on the point of his sword. He Zheng swung it forward. The huge amount of energy made the whole forest behind Nakayi Hakute rustle, as though the forest was angry.

In an instant lightning flashed in all directions. The deafening rumble nearly pierced their eardrums. This was the second time He Zheng had used a Quintuple Lightning Enchantment. Unexpectedly, it was still so powerful. The powerful spell also cost He Zheng a lot of internal energy. When it was over, He Zheng found that he had bitten his lips so hard they were bleeding.

However, this was only the first round.

He Zheng clenched his teeth as the elemental energy filled his body again. Roaring, he charged forward. Nakayi Hakute, having a hard job defending against this kind of almost suicidal attack from He Zheng, tried to sidestep the blow.

This was the exact moment that Carnotte the wolf, who had been biding his time, was waiting for! He tore out of the woods from the side, ferociously leapt towards Nakayi Hakute and grabbed the target’s leg with his teeth. Nakayi Hakute had no choice but to spare some energy to block Carnotte’s attack. Although he dodged it, Carnotte’s sharp fang left a deep slit in his arm.

Finally, blood rendered Nakayi Hakute unable to keep up his pretence of composure. Eyes full of bloodthirstiness, he raised his hand from which blood was dripping to the ground. Without even glancing at it, he said, “You guys seem to want to meet your ends.”

Nakayi Hakute’s voice, so cold as though it issued from the underworld, sent a chill down He Zheng’s spine.

But He Zheng, fearless, slashed at the target once again.

Every thunderbolt he drew to his sword would take a toll on him. How was it possible for a mortal human being like him to withstand the huge energy between heaven and earth unscathed?

Blood was flowing from the corners of He Zheng’s mouth. Nakayi Hakute abruptly dodged behind the huge snake and, as the lightning disappeared, the snake vanished as well.

He Zheng’s pupils contracted drastically. He saw Nakayi Hakute holding a katana in his hand. When the snake’s bones were blackened by the lightning, he decisively cut the snake bones with the katana and then hurled it squarely towards He Zheng.

It was an interval between thunderbolts and He Zheng was utterly powerless to defend against attack.

A kick sent He Zheng flying sideways. He Zheng subconsciously clapped his hands to his head and did a sideward roll on the ground, dodging the blade.

Chen Qianlin, whose clothes were bloodstained, yelled at He Zheng, “Go help Lao Tao!”

Tao Wujiu was at a disadvantage during his fight with Qianli Yu. He had thought that his opponent was just an ordinary Druggist, but it transpired that there was a very powerful Combat Spirit sealed in Qianli Yu’s body. Tao Wujiu was almost thrashed within an inch of his life.

In order to save Tao Wujiu, Chen Qianlin had been distracted during his fight with Susuhana. His left hand was seriously injured and he couldn’t even raise it.

Carnotte rushed to Tao Wujiu like the wind as Chen Kai launched a frontal offensive on Susuhana.

Nakayi Hakute’s katana and Chen Qianlin’s sword, Sharpness, clashed together. Both felt the powerful internal energy of the other as the katana and Sharpness started humming at the same time.

“Well done,” Nakayi Hakute smiled slightly. However, his target was never Chen Qianlin.

He Zheng had scrambled to his feet. When he had been casting a Quintuple Lightning Enchantment during his fight with the Human Devil that day, Li Zong and Zhao Fei had helped him block some of the attacks from the target, but on this occasion, He Zheng was on his own. What with the couple of blows he had taken, he was now unable to withstand the energy of a fourth thunderbolt.

But it was next to impossible to kill Nakayi Hakute without lightning.

He Zheng let out another roar, his gingiva bleeding. Teeth gritted, he raised his sword to receive the fourth thunderbolt before it struck down.

Massive amount of energy coursed through He Zheng’s meridians for the third time. He Zheng, whose body was now like a spent arrow, uncontrollably spat out a large mouthful of blood.

“He Zheng!”

He Zheng was unable to respond to Chen Qianlin. He didn’t even dare open his mouth, for he would vomit blood non-stop if he did that.

He Zheng was biting the tip of his tongue hard to stay clear-headed. The skin between his forefinger and his thumb of his hand holding the sword had cracked, and blood was trickling onto the blade of the sword. All of a sudden, a dazzling red light flashed across the blade.

An extraordinary lightness spread through He Zheng’s body and with that energy started being infused into the Shadow Sword continuously.

The fourth and the fifth lightning bolts struck at the same time. The Shadow Sword drew them to it with ease and automatically directed them squarely at Nakayi Hakute.

This time, it was Nakayi Hakute who looked the worse for wear. Even Li Zong would have a hard job to defend against such tremendous energy, let alone Nakayi Hakute.

As a deafening rumble of thunder rang out, a figure rapidly interposed itself between the lightning and Nakayi Hakute, shielding him.

Nakayi Hakute was shrouded in lightning, but Susuhana, his Contracted psychic entity, stood determinedly in front of Nakayi Hakute, keeping the lightning from harming him.

“Nooooo! Master!” Nakayi Hakute uttered a cry of despair at the top of his lungs.

The next second.

All lightning disappeared, and the sky cleared up as the smoke and fog dispersed.

Nakayi Hakute was sitting on the ground, cutting a sorry figure, vainly clenching and unclenching his hand around nothing but air.