Chapter 28: Capital
Borise’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Zhang Dingtian’s blade. She retreated as quickly as she could, but she simply hadn’t expected him to be able to attack her so quickly after dealing with the combined force of Veron and Parlie. The blade glanced past her, leaving a gaping slash in her abdomen that quickly stained her shirt crimson. Her nerves immediately felt like they’d been set on fire, forcing her to her knees even as sweat started dripping from her forehead.
One man and one blade could control the entire capital. The Head of the Seven Sages, the Frenzied Blade. It was only now that Parlie’s trio understood why Zhang Dingtian deserved the respect he commanded; he could very well be the strongest person currently on Earth.
Realmbreakers were beings who could display power beyond their current realm. While one’s ability in a battle depended on a multitude of factors, even a peak 3,000 combat level Sentinel like Parlie couldn’t actually get to 3,001 until he broke through to become a Melder. He could certainly use skill and battle techniques to fight Melders before then, but the difference between the two realms was a wall. Those who could break that wall were extremely rare even across the Great Yu Empire, and each one was a freak. Zhang Dingtian’s combat level had jumped to 3,200 the moment he attacked.
“RUN!” Parlie barked, directly flying out of the capital. Veron and Borise were a little slower owing to their injuries, but Zhang Dingtian calmly watched them leave. He had been surprised by their strength; five students had attacked the capital before, but each one had died to a single strike. These three could endure the strength of a High Sage, especially the formidable shorty.
“Bladesage,” a young woman in a suit walked out of an armored vehicle nearby, a concerned expression on her face.
“Send down orders to investigate all foreign cultivators immediately. Report back immediately about any that look like these students, and don’t act against them.”
"The ones you just traded blows with were from the heavens?” she asked.
Zhang Dingtian looked at her, "Don't overthink it, no one can match me."
The woman nodded respectfully, heading out to pass on his orders.
……
“A native actually wounded me… I want him dead, I want him dead right now!” Borise growled as the trio landed outside the capital.
Veron wiped the blood on the corner of his lip, "There’s an actual realmbreaker with the natives, quite extraordinary."
"No worries, combat level is the most unreliable means of measuring one’s battle ability. Victory and defeat still depend on battle techniques and skill,” Parlie tried to quell them, but Veron frowned and stared at the city. Unreliable? Indeed, combat level wasn’t a reliable statistic in general, as many powerful people held themselves down in certain realms and focused on battle techniques. Those kinds of people were powerful, but realmbreakers were an entirely different story. Each one could enter one of the thirteen imperial squadrons without any test; that was the highest military organization in the Great Yu Empire, where realmbreakers were treated with the same kind of favor that those with natural endowments received. That native was proof of why; he hadn’t even used a battle technique in that engagement, beating them back with simple slashes.
Parlie tried to act calm, but it was difficult to disguise the respect and envy in his voice. He was a peak Sentinel himself, capable of defeating Melders using his battle techniques, but he still couldn’t break through the barrier and get to level 3,001. That one level had cut off countless geniuses, but this native could cross it at will.
“The bastard actually dared wound me, he’s going to get it!” Borise was still immersed in her hatred, “I’m inciting a beast wave!”
Parlie’s gaze focused and he did not speak. Beside him, Veron agreed, “The capital definitely has clues about the criminal. Zhang Dingtian might know himself, but a direct confrontation might not be a good idea. Send the beast wave and lure him outside; Parlie and I will look for clues.”
Borise nodded and licked her lips, dashing into the distance.
……
One day later, as Lu Yin and Jeraldine arrived at Hebei, they heard the news that the capital was under attack by a wave of beasts. The entire city was surrounded by mutant beasts.
“There are over 10 million zombies outside the capital, no beast wave wants to go there. Didn’t Jaeger say his school leader Borise was around here?” Lu Yin guessed. If it was her, she couldn’t be allowed to remain in the vicinity.
“It’s possible. Everyone from Blue Mountain knows at least one kind of beast taming skill,” Jeraldine replied, quickly following up, “But this is actually a good thing. The beasts will just go fight the zombies, the people will be safe as long as they stay inside.”
Lu Yin started muttering to himself. If Jeraldine could think of it, so could Borise; why would she still send out a beast wave?
The soldiers within the capital were constantly shifting formations, ready for the off-chance that the beasts and zombies would join together and attack the capital. The occasional flying Sentinel beast would incite cries of fear from within the city. Upon a high building, two figures watched as one flying beast was beheaded with a single strike, sending a shower of blood to the ground.
"That's Zhang Dingtian, Head of the Seven Sages. Truly powerful!” Gerlaine exclaimed.
Balaror was solemn, "This person is stronger than me."
"Obviously, he’s a realmbreaker. Even the two of us combined might not be a match for him.”
“But I don’t have to confront him directly, I can suffocate him over time,” the green man clenched his fist.
Gerlaine changed the topic, “This beast wave should have come from that snake Borise. Looks like she suffered at Zhang Dingtian’s hands, or she wouldn’t incite a wave so massive. It must have cost quite a lot.”
Balaror nodded, “It’s attracted Zhang Dingtian’s attention, so there’s no one left in the city. Parlie and Veron are likely looking for clues right now.”
Gerlaine activated her scanner at his statement, “Woah, five Sentinels! There’s Zhang Dingtian on one hand, so the others should be Parlie, Veron, Eddy, and Hayden. We’re all here, guess things will get lively soon.”
Balaror’s face sank, “Eddy being here could spell trouble.”
“Mm. They made an exception for him to enter Yu Academy, and he recently defeated thirty school leaders… but no matter, what do you think will happen if we leak this news to Zhang Dingtian?”
“You want us to betray our peers?” Balaror frowned
Gerlaine rolled her eyes, “There are no peers here, only competition. The earthlings are perfectly valid trainees in the Empire’s eyes, we’re betraying nothing.”
Balaror nodded, “I can have the plants help stop the beast wave, and let Zhang Dingtian show his hand.”
“Then we’ve come to a great decision.”
……
Elsewhere in the city, two figures in black gowns were within an abandoned hotel.
“Eddy, I just sensed Balaror’s plant smell,” one of them said with a cruel smile.
“There are seven Sentinels in this city, eight including Borise. It’s a little troublesome, but nothing too difficult to eliminate. The only problem is Zhang Dingtian; I didn’t expect a realmbreaker among the natives.”
“Leave him to me, I want to know what a realmbreaker is like,” the other person’s eyes twinkled green.
Up atop the steel walls, Zhang Dingtian stared solemnly at the fight between the zombies and beasts. This was a millstone of flesh and blood, dozens of creatures dying every second. The smell of blood stained the air. The zombies were weak enough for the beasts to tear apart easily, but their bodies were also toxic. Every beast had a limit to how many it could kill before it was poisoned to death.
Around ten kilometers to the east, Borise stared into the distance with excitement despite a pale face, “Go and bury this city. A bastard native actually had the gall to wound me, you’ll pay.”
She didn’t notice immediately when a chill started below her legs, nor did she see the occasional snowflakes in the air. Focused purely on the massacre in the distance, she pulled on her clothes and shuddered; why was it getting cold?