Chapter 542: Huang Lou

Boom!

The thunder dragon roared, striking the black-armored figure's waist and abdomen with the speed of a lightning bolt, while the black armor outside the latter's body erupted with intense black light at this moment, seemingly struggling desperately to resist the impact of the thunder dragon.

It was just that this resistance was far too hurried.

Coupled with the mental shock the black-armored figure had experienced a few breaths ago, Li Luo had caught him at the perfect moment of vulnerability.

The thunder light grew increasingly dazzling, while the black light began to fail. Finally, amidst the look of sheer terror in the eyes beneath the black-armored figure's visor, the thunder light pierced through the black light defense, and the incredibly sturdy black armor began to crack and shatter.

Rumble!

The thunderous dragon tore through the black armor, and in the very next instant, it pierced through the black-armored figure's waist and abdomen, slamming him against the tree wall and cracking it with deep fissures.

Pfft.

The black-armored figure spat out a mouthful of blood, which seeped out from his visor, his eyes beneath it filled with fury and unwillingness.

He never imagined that he would actually fall here.

He, a dignified Earth Fiend General stage expert, had actually been ambushed by someone at the Resonance Master stage!

The black-armored figure roared, surging his final bit of resonant power in an attempt to escape.

Swish!

But at this moment, a sharp tree thorn shot out from the tree wall like lightning, piercing his chest with extreme precision and ruthlessness.

The black-armored figure's struggle came to an abrupt end.

His body also slowly slumped to the ground.

The formidable resonant power on his body began to dissipate rapidly.

The activity inside the tree hollow became quiet.

Li Luo released the Light Falcon Bow, panting heavily, his bloodied arms looking incredibly miserable, yet his gaze remained fixed on the black-armored figure's form to prevent any sudden outburst.

Beside him, Lu Qinger also pursed her small lips, her pretty face cold and solemn, her eyes filled with tension.

She was actually a bit incredulous that Li Luo... had actually shot and killed an Earth Fiend General stage expert.

Although the vast majority of the credit was due to the thunderous arrow provided by the Thunder-Sound Tree, it was ultimately Li Luo who did it.

This guy was just too fierce.

Lu Qinger glanced at Li Luo's bloodied arms, and a sense of admiration arose in her heart. There was indeed some truth to this guy being the strongest student in the One-Star Hall of the Eastern Divine Continent; this decisiveness and calmness in the face of an enemy were a cut above Jing Taixu.

Li Luo's expression remained quite calm. He stared at the black-armored figure's body; the latter's chest had a faint rise and fall, clearly still holding onto a breath, but judging by the speed at which his resonant power was disappearing, his injuries were already fatal.

Only then did he slowly step forward, his Profound Elephant Blade slashing out a blade of light that shattered the black-armored figure's visor.

As the visor shattered, a somewhat familiar middle-aged face was revealed—it was none other than Huang Lou, whom Li Luo and the others had met in that small town after arriving in Red Sand County.

At this moment, Huang Lou's face was covered in blood, his eyes dim.

"Commander Huang Lou, I really didn't expect to meet you here," Li Luo said flatly, staring at him.

Huang Lou's mouth twitched, his dim eyes fixed on Li Luo, his voice hoarse and strained: "You, how did you know it was me?"

"I had a slight suspicion back in Zhenjiang City. Although this black armor masked the attribute of your resonant power, some things cannot be hidden. Of course, that was just a fleeting doubt at the time, until I met you again at Thunder-Sound Mountain."

"I remember that when we were in the small town, it was you who specifically revealed the information about the Thunder-Sound Tree. At the time, it might have seemed like an inadvertent reminder, but looking back now, you must have wanted to lure us here to finish us off, right?" Li Luo said.

"Of course, everything was just a guess, and I wasn't entirely sure, so that sentence just now was more to bluff you. If you hadn't reacted, then naturally I would have been overthinking it."

"But my luck seems to be quite good..." Li Luo smiled as he said this.

Huang Lou's face twitched; so this kid hadn't been sure either, and that sentence just now was just a gamble.

And yet, that very sentence had struck the secret in his heart, causing him to be shocked and distracted for a moment, allowing Li Luo to seize the opening and inflict a heavy blow with one arrow.

The savage look in Huang Lou's eyes eventually calmed down slowly. His eyes dim, he said with difficulty: "Little friend Li Luo, I have no other requests, I only hope you won't tell the brothers in the small town and my old mother about my affairs."

Li Luo's eyes were gloomy: "Commander Huang Lou, you know full well that the Black Wind Empire became like this because of those Otherkind, and the rampant Otherkind are caused by this mysterious organization you belong to. Knowing this, why would you still help them?"

Huang Lou said arduously: "If I hadn't joined, do you think that with my strength, I could have really protected the small town for so long?"

Li Luo said in a cold voice: "Then have you seen the people kept in captivity in Zhenjiang City? You were once the city guard commander there; they were supposed to be protected by you."

Huang Lou had nothing to say and gave a miserable smile.

Li Luo stared at Huang Lou, whose life force was constantly fading, and said indifferently: "I can choose not to tell the people in the town about your affairs, but what will you give me in return?"

Huang Lou was silent for a moment, his eyes gradually closing, his voice hoarse: "Li Luo, there is a Red-Armored General stationed in Red Stone City. If you go there, you are just throwing your lives away. Everything on Thunder-Sound Mountain was arranged by him. I advise you to stop here."

"The affairs of the Black Wind Empire are not something you young people can meddle in."

As his voice fell, his head suddenly dropped, and he voluntarily severed the remaining trace of life.

Li Luo looked at the now-deceased Huang Lou and could only sigh with a complex expression.

"What is this Red-Armored General he mentioned? Is it his superior?" Lu Qinger asked in confusion.

"That should be it, though I don't know what level that so-called 'Red-Armored General' is. But to be able to wreak such havoc on the Thunder-Sound Tree... perhaps they are a top-tier expert at the Heavenly Resonance stage," Li Luo said heavily.

The Heavenly Gang General stage is divided into two realms: the Heavenly Pearl stage and the Heavenly Resonance stage.

The Four-Star Hall students in each academy, even the strongest, Lan Lan, are still only at the Heavenly Pearl stage. If that "Red-Armored General" is at the Heavenly Resonance stage, then things will truly become troublesome.

Because although the Heavenly Pearl stage and the Heavenly Resonance stage are only one realm apart, they are two different worlds.

Furthermore, who knows if there are Great Disaster-level Otherkind existing there besides this "Red-Armored General"?

Such a lineup makes one's scalp tingle just thinking about it.

The difficulty of this mixed-grade competition is perhaps a bit too high.

These thoughts flashed through Li Luo's mind before he suppressed them; after all, now was not the time to consider this. He turned around and returned to the pulsing silver tree heart. The biggest trouble had now been resolved, and all that remained was to continue helping the tree heart weaken and suppress that poisonous thorn. The mission would then be considered successfully completed.

Hmm, I wonder what kind of reward the Thunder-Sound Tree will give me after I solve its trouble?

After all, I risked my life to come and rescue it; the reward shouldn't be too light, right?

Li Luo's gaze flickered as he stared at the tree heart before him, a look of anticipation appearing in his eyes.