Free Web NovelChapter 1730: Chapter 995: Mysterious Expert (2)
Thanks to the fact that one of them had a magic artifact whose abilities were extremely effective against their opponent, Sui Chengguo found an opportunity to successfully ambush, severing one of their arms, defeating and capturing them.
However, the cost was extremely high, with two Ghost-level Apostles dying on the spot, while Sui Chengguo and another Ghost-level Apostle were seriously injured, leaving only Tong Han, who was responsible for containment, with the lightest injuries.
Soon, Tong Han searched this person and found the Red Ruby Ring, but what the person said next sent chills down their spines. With blood at the corners of their mouth, lying paralyzed on the ground, they kept letting out hoarse laughter, saying that they were doomed too, and their end would not be much better. Anyone who had seen this ring would die.
This person claimed to be from the Business Association, serving as the head of an intelligence agency they planted in Western Europe. A few months ago, they received an order directly from Sea Sect, instructing them to personally escort a batch of goods secretly back to the country.
The hardships of the journey need not be said, but what they never expected was that upon returning to the country, their squad was ambushed, leaving all members dead except for them, who only managed to escape by relying on an extremely special magic artifact. freēwebnovel.com
Later, they realized that they had been betrayed; those who ambushed them were insiders from their own chamber, trusted associates of Sea Sect. The Business Association wanted them dead to silence them.
All for the sake of this ring.
Now that Tong Han and the others had seen this ring, they too would not survive; Sea Sect would not spare them for this is an extremely special magic artifact.
"Sea Sect..." Yang Xiao had heard this name mentioned more than once. This person is the vice president of the Business Association with a prestigious position in the martial arts world.
Coincidentally, Chen Nang had also been imprisoned because of this person; it was due to the accidental killing of Sea Sect’s son that the Patrol Defense Office detained him to protect him, resulting in a seven-year imprisonment.
"After finishing saying these words, that person died. I couldn’t ascertain whether their words were true or false, so I took the ring overnight and found Daoist Qingfeng, who then introduced me to an extraordinary place where I met that senior," said Tong Han, referring to the senior whom Yang Xiao respected greatly, the Second Demon Uncle.
"After listening to my recount, that senior sighed and said that person’s words were likely true. This ring is a Nether-level Magical Artifact, a rare space-type artifact, and surprisingly, there is a person hidden within the space of the ring."
"Who?" Yang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, his first thought being of a resentful spirit like Sister Goodness or the Sword Lord, entities that are extremely troublesome to deal with.
"It’s another Apostle, a woman, someone from Western Europe. According to Second Demon Uncle, the woman’s condition is quite strange; she is sealed in a crystal coffin, one can sense spiritual power from her, but she cannot be awakened."
"Additionally, this person is a high-rank Apostle with extremely strong powers, such that the Second Demon Uncle said her strength could likely exceed his." Tong Han stated seriously.
This stunned Yang Xiao. What kind of person is the Second Demon Uncle? According to his estimation, he was at least near or even at the Mid-stage Nether Realm level, yet this woman exceeded him. Regardless of where she is, she would be considered an exceptional powerhouse.
Such a person would certainly not be unknown overseas. Yang Xiao inquired about the woman’s identity, but Tong Han shook his head, saying that Second Demon Uncle was also unaware, as he never associated with Western Apostles.
"Second Demon Uncle knew of the relationship between you and me; he decided for me, saying that if this item was handed over, my life would be in jeopardy. If it caught the attention of the Business Association, even he couldn’t protect me. Therefore, he advised me to swiftly eliminate anyone with knowledge of this matter, as if it never happened."
"Following Second Demon Uncle’s advice, I first dealt with the new surviving Ghost-level Apostle, then eliminated the informant who provided the clues and every insider, finally confirming that only Sui and I knew about this matter."
"Well done," Yang Xiao nodded without change of expression, greatly appreciating Tong Han’s decisive personality.
"After erasing all traces, I returned to see the Second Demon Uncle, only to receive very bad news. The ring’s current state is extremely unstable, and a supernatural incident is imminent; furthermore, it cannot be sealed. There are only two ways: abandon the item, which will surely arouse suspicion from the Chamber, or find a suitable candidate to attempt to control the artifact." Tong Han stopped at this point.
"So you chose to be brave?" Yang Xiao furrowed his brow, having already grasped what happened afterward. No wonder the backlash came so suddenly this time.
"Second Demon Uncle said my physique was fairly suited for this artifact, and if I could successfully control it, perhaps... perhaps..." Tong Han’s tone became hesitant.
"Perhaps what?" Yang Xiao pressed.
"Perhaps it might resonate in some way with the sleeping woman. This was an exceedingly rare opportunity," Tong Han replied.
The following events became clear: Tong Han did successfully control the artifact, but immediately suffered a backlash, leading to the current situation.
Yang Xiao didn’t want to say any reproachful words; he took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly is the ability of this artifact?"
Tong Han looked at Yang Xiao, mentally focused, and the ring appeared on her left ring finger. In the next second, Yang Xiao sensed a powerful but exceedingly chaotic spiritual power turbulence.
This scene utterly shocked Yang Xiao. In that moment, the aura faintly emanating from Tong Han unexpectedly overpowered him, a mid-stage Ghost-level Apostle, surpassing Upper Ghost Level and very close to the Peak of Ghost Level.
"You... you can extract her spiritual power to strengthen yourself?!" Yang Xiao finally understood why this artifact was so coveted by the Chamber.
In the next second, Tong Han’s aura dissipated, and at the same time, her complexion grew paler, cold sweat covering her forehead, she panted as she replied, "Something like that. But the enhancement I can achieve is still quite limited; the real strength hasn’t been fully displayed, only reaching mid-stage Ghost-level."
Even so, it greatly shocked Yang Xiao. It must be noted that Tong Han’s current spiritual strength didn’t even reach the level of a genuine Ghost-level Apostle. At best, she merely touched the threshold, but possessing this artifact allowed her to exhibit the power of a mid-stage Ghost-level Apostle, which was a formidable enhancement.
If she could withstand this wave of backlash and fully master the artifact in the future, the improvement it would bring was astonishing, considering that the woman in the ring possessed an above Mid-stage Nether Realm level of strength.
But at the same time, the resulting backlash was also frightening, as it nearly amounted to depleting one’s life force. Tong Han’s current condition was poor, and without a solution to this backlash, she would not survive.
Yang Xiao quickly deliberated on a course of action in his mind. This matter was too significant to let outsiders know. He planned to take Tong Han to the Secret Realm of the Jiu Mountain Family. If that could successfully curb the backlash, it would be best; if not, they would immediately return home and go to the Esoteric Sect to seek help from Cannibal Buddha.
If Cannibal Buddha still failed, then reporting to the Patrol General Bureau would be the last resort, almost akin to gambling with their lives.
In fact, in Yang Xiao’s heart, the best candidate for treatment was someone from Japan’s Kusunoki Family, considering Jiushan Cangxuan was reputed to be the foremost in Japan for spiritual magical artifacts. However, the primary issue troubling Tong Han was the uncontrollable spiritual power turbulence within her.
Yet, this was very risky, because if Jiushan Cangxuan were to intervene, with his abilities, he would surely discern the mysteries surrounding that ring.
The ring contains a "sleeping" Western top-tier expert, and it is also linked to the domestic Business Association. The matter is too significant to gamble with.
As far as Yang Xiao was concerned, the Jiu Mountain Family was far from being trusted allies. He had every reason to believe that for the sake of profit, they could unhesitatingly betray him, even the Patrol Defense Office.
