Chapter 0530: Overwhelming Force
The light across the sky dispelled the gloom over the village, and even the grayish-green fog started to recede rapidly.
There was an incredibly pure power arriving.
The ordinary man-wolves yelped and shrieked as they began to disappear.
Even the two-faced man-wolf's bile had started to dry up.
“Awhoo!”
It howled angrily, turning its demented eyes towards the light and loping towards it.
Swoos.h.!.+
Two beams of light appeared from above like fire from heaven, shooting straight at the two-faced man-wolf.
Huang Lou narrowed his eyes. They were nails made out of pure light, burning with heat from their intensity. The nails of light had enough resonant power charged in them to send a s.h.i.+ver down his spine.
A s.h.i.+ver of fear and respect hit him, but also a s.h.i.+ver of joy.
This was light resonant energy!
They were about to be saved by a light resonance expert!
“Praise the heavens!”
The two-faced man-wolf sensed the danger behind the attack and fired two more puffs of black smoke from its mouth. They formed two cloud-like claws that flew out at the nails.
Pss.h.!.+
At the point of impact, the two light nails blazed with power, completely evaporating the smoky claws. They continued on their trajectory unhindered, burying themselves into the terrified two-faced man-wolf's head and tail.
Weng!
The two-faced man-wolf was pinned to the ground at top and bottom, then the nails burst into flames, burning it from both ends.
The two-faced man-wolf struggled desperately, clinging on to its life force.
Swoos.h.!.+
A wash of green energy came from above, and a green Luan bird swooped down gracefully. The two-faced man-wolf was smashed into bits, cutting it off mid-howl.
The pieces were quickly incinerated by the light nails.
Huang Lou and his other defenders watched the entire development agog.
The two-faced man-wolf had been strong enough to raze their entire village, but now it had been so easily disposed of.
Huang Lou swallowed hard. That light resonant energy was strong, and the user of the green light stronger still.
He cupped his fist and called out to them. "This humble person is Huang Lou. I do not know what manner of ally you are, but let me thank you on behalf of the village. You have saved us."
The flashes of light sped over and appeared before him soon enough.
Huang Lou and his men squinted curiously through the brightness and then gasped.
Before them were two beautiful, young girls.
The one on the left had golden eyes with a unique charm to them. She looked cool and aloof, and yet the golden light resonant energy she exuded filled them all with a sense of relief.
The one on the right was an out-of-this-world beauty with a kindly expression on her angelic face. She looked a lot more approachable than her companion at first glance, but there was something about the manner in which she held herself... “Is this a Heavenly Dipper General expert?”
With a start, Huang Lou realized that there was one other person, a silver-haired young man who stood behind them. He was handsome enough, but the overwhelming resonant power in front of him had caused Huang Lou to overlook him at first. He was probably a Resonant Master cultivator.
Two girls, one guy.
A Heavenly Dipper General expert, a light resonance expert he guessed was at the third and final Fiend Finisher Tier of the Earth Fiend Stage, and a Resonant Master.
A strange group indeed.
Huang Lou forced a smile despite his reservations. "My thanks to you three for saving us."
He was polite but guarded. The Blackwind Empire was no more, and what remained was lawless and orderless. He could not be sure that they had helped the village out of the goodness of their hearts, bearing no ill will.
He once stood with the might of the Blackwind Empire at his back, and he would not have feared even a Heavenly Dipper General. But things were different now.
"You are too kind," the First Princess said with a smile at his welcome. "We too are just carrying out our mission."
"Mission?" Huang Lou was puzzled. With no semblance of a system remaining in this land, who would commission rescue missions?
"We are from the Academic Federation!" the First Princess explained. "The Academic Federation is joining forces with some other factions to cleanse and cordon off the expansion of the Others."
She did not hide their true purposes here. When they entered the town to place the cleansing dew, they would also need Huang Lou's help.
"Academic Federation?" Huang Lou's eyes lit up with hope. He had heard of that powerful body before in his work at the Blackwind Empire. "Are they coming to end the Other Disaster?"
"The Blackwind Empire's Other Disaster is too severe," Li Luo said gravely. "The Federation can only limit the expansion of the disaster, even with collaborative help. At the same time, we can do some basic cleanups, but completely resolving the disaster is no easy feat." He did not wish to give Huang Lou any false hope.
"Ah, thank you for bringing me back from my fantasies," Huang Lou said with a self-deprecating smile. "But it is still a good thing that the Academic Federation is helping. Any life saved is still a life saved."
Li Luo nodded. "We're going to place a cleansing object in the village. Things should be safer afterwards, and it should help stop the corruption from spreading. We'd like to ask for your cooperation."
"That's great!" Huang Lou's face lit up. He had seen such objects in the past, but creating them was a tricky process that was too advanced for him. If these three could help with that, it would be a real blessing for them.
"Please enter, saviors!" Huang Lou ushered them in happily.
The trio nodded to each other, then followed him inside the village.
The paths within the village were slick with moss, and many curious villagers poked their heads out for a look at the three strangers.
Huang Lou announced loudly to all of them that these three had come to set cleansing objects, and they were immediately welcomed warmly with a cheer.
Li Luo studied their faces carefully and spotted a faint, green-black tint on many of their complexions.
He frowned. This was a clear sign of corruption.
Bang!
A door on the left blasted open, and a person rushed out on all fours, howling.
The villagers nearby screamed and fled.
A woman holding a crying baby rushed out and grabbed the chain around the madman's neck, forcefully dragging him back into the house.
Li Luo watched with concern. The man's face was starting to warp, and the green-black hue on it was markedly obvious.
"Get him back in, quick!" Huang Lou ordered, and some others rushed up to restrain the corrupted person.
Li Luo's group waited.
After Huang Lou dealt with the incident, he came back over to them. "Although our village is far on the outskirts, the Others have grown stronger over the last few years. There have been more cases of corruption amongst the weaker-willed villagers recently. They lose their minds."
"Why don't you destroy them?" Li Luo asked carefully.
Huang Lou sighed. "Close-knit communities in a small village. That man had a wife and a child, as you can see... We can't really kill him right in front of them, at least not before he completely loses control."
Li Luo's heart was heavy. They had not encountered such a problem back in the Umbra Cave. After all, those who entered the Umbra Cave were elite students. But here at the Blackwind Empire, he was witnessing the devastating effect of Others on ordinary folk firsthand.
And this was just the outskirts, where corruption was supposed to be lighter. He could only imagine how much worse things were in the depths of the Blackwind Empire.
"When the cleansing objects are placed, such situations should lessen," the First Princess said comfortingly.
"I hope you are right," Huang Lou said with a short nod.
"We will be leaving after we finish our task," Jiang Qing'e said. "We are headed for Riverguard City. You are from the Blackwind Empire, do you have any useful information for us?"
Riverguard City was the primary mission that the school had deemed compulsory for them, a crucial base point for the ward.
"Riverguard City?!" Huang Lou exclaimed, his eyes wide with dismay.
"You're going to Riverguard City? You can't! There are Heavenly Disaster-cla.s.s sightings there!"