Chapter 754: Slaying the Enemy

Three or four years later, Ai Long*Ruiwen Nat was promoted from Legendary High-rank to Apocalypse Knight.

The Death Lord was once an Apocalypse Knight, loyal to the previous Death Lord; every Apocalypse Knight in the Cataclysm Legion holds a very high status, and of course, their power is the strongest. Death Knights are not purely melee classes; they possess spellcasting ability, and Apocalypse Knights also receive the blessing of the Lord of the Dead, making them top‑tier among Saint Rank beings.

Lei En's Soul Eye cannot see through the Apocalypse Knight's Element, but it senses a whiff of death from the netherworld.

In fact, the original purpose of the Apocalypse Knight is to be a messenger of death to the mortal world!

"You're the one."

The Apocalypse Knight also recognized Lei En.

Its eyes spewed a pale green flame, as if recalling the humiliating battle from a few years ago; for a cold, undead creature, it actually generated a strong emotional fluctuation.

Lei En keenly noticed this, was surprised, and then exploited it.

A contemptuous smile appeared on his face, "I thought the Cataclysm Legion had sent some big shot, but it turns out it's you, a defeated subordinate."

Back then I was only Level 6 and could already defeat it.

Now I'm Level 17, and it only rose one level to reach Level 20; its strength has long surpassed mine, so there's nothing to fear.

The fire in the Apocalypse Knight's eyes surged, then instantly calmed.

"Living being, I will bring you great pain," it roared in a deep voice, brandishing a massive spiked hammer over two meters long like a lantern pole, booming as it charged at Lei En.

The ground trembled, as if a giant were running.

A squad of Black Soul Knights stood between it and the portal; unable to dodge, they were shattered, the hammer head glowing with a dim light, absorbing their soul energy.

The Apocalypse Knight's power surged, its metal body forged from Saron Evil Iron emitting scorching flames of death.

In the blink of an eye, it rushed through the portal.

The spiked hammer slammed down, and at the same time, a massive bone claw flew from the Apocalypse Knight's hand, trying to clamp Lei En and prevent his escape.

Swish!

The Death Grip missed, and the spiked hammer failed to hit its target.

Lei En mind‑jumped backward dozens of meters; the two Mirror Images that had blocked the portal also pulled apart, one casting Space-Time Shock, the other releasing Mind Blast, both striking the Apocalypse Knight. Yet these spells have very limited effect on a Saint Rank being, merely causing the Apocalypse Knight to pause briefly.

That is enough.

After the mind‑jump, Lei En immediately lunged back with a thunder charge, gathering greater power through speed, and at the moment the Apocalypse Knight was dazed, his war hammer struck its head.

Bang!

A huge roar echoed as the Apocalypse Knight fell like a meteor from the sky, crashing into the ground.

Amidst swirling dust, the wilderness beneath the portal was gouged into a large crater; Lei En flapped his wings, like a fighter jet diving down straight toward the Apocalypse Knight lying in the pit.

During the dive, his eyes emitted a massive electric beam.

His left hand gathered an Electric Blast Orb.

The beam and orb landed in the pit half a step early, triggering a massive explosion. Yet before Lei En could reach it, the Apocalypse Knight leapt up, letting the spell energy and lightning strike its body; a layer of Iron‑blood Armor blocked them, and its metal‑cast head merely dented, quickly recovering.

It showed no fear, leapt up and swung its spiked hammer toward Lei En.

Clang!

The two hammers collided with a clean strike.

In the instant before the collision, Lei En's body suddenly swelled to over five meters tall, his war hammer enlarging in tandem, entering an infinite berserk state; melodious battle music emanated from him, boosting his power to Level 15, his massive size and weight unleashing the power to its extreme.

In comparison, the Apocalypse Knight was just over two meters tall, like a child.

Boom—

Between the war hammers erupted countless lightning bolts and green flames of death. The two energies clashed head‑on, and in an instant a victor emerged.

The lightning suppressed the flame, extinguishing it.

Lei En's power also crushed the enemy.

The Apocalypse Knight was flung back at greater speed, like a cannonball smashing into the pit, embedding itself more than ten meters underground.

"This is impossible!"

An incredulous roar erupted from the pit, brimming with fierce emotion, unlike any undead.

Because of his loyalty, Ai Long*Ruiwen Nat earned the Death Lord's trust and was promoted to Apocalypse Knight, thus retaining a fragment of free will. He has forever remembered the failure at Weizelan, etched deeply, and had thought that once he reached Saint Rank, meeting that human again would surely...

... but reality struck him hard; although the opponent hadn't reached Saint Rank, its strength completely surpassed his.

"Who exactly are you?" the Apocalypse Knight shouted angrily.

Lei En doesn't waste words in battle, so he gave no reply, and didn't even intend to give the enemy a chance to breathe.

He rebounded, steadied his stance, then fell again.

The Apocalypse Knight struggled to crawl out of the pit; Lei En planted a foot on its body, a booming thud resonated, shaking the ground for hundreds of meters.

War stomp!

Streaks of lightning and thunder flames spread out, sweeping the surroundings.

The Apocalypse Knight possesses a "Soul of Steel"; its body is merely a vessel for its soul and is covered by an "Iron‑blood Armor". After advancing to higher Saint Rank, its defense multiplied several times; even though Lei En hammered it with full force, shattering the Iron‑blood Armor, the several‑thousand‑pound black armor only showed a slight deformation.

It was trampled down, falling back into the pit.

Lei En's body instantly grew to sixteen meters tall; a Titan Giant's size depends on its strength—the stronger the power, the larger the form.

This is his largest Titan Giant form to date.

The larger the size, the stronger the power it can wield.

Such a massive Titan Giant, with the two‑meter‑tall Apocalypse Knight before him like a baby, he raised a foot, crushing it into the earth, and did not move it.

The Apocalypse Knight was pinned, unable to move, only half its body exposed.

Lei En lowered his head, his eyes flashing, and after two seconds fired a massive electric beam, continuously bombarding the Apocalypse Knight's chest.

Others find it hard to discern the Apocalypse Knight's true nature, but Lei En knows clearly that its head is merely a disguise; the real soul hides in the heavily defended chest. Of course, attacking its head still has some effect, because the helmet's defense is the weakest, and once the armor is breached, it can cause lethal damage.

"Ah…"

The Apocalypse Knight let out a painful scream.

After ascending to Saint Rank, it normally possesses Level 13 power, which amplifies to Level 14 in combat, but being stepped on by a Titan Giant feels like being crushed by a mountain; even a desperate burst of Death Power cannot move that foot, and the shame in its heart reaches its peak.

The amplification of six lightning forms makes the Eight‑ring Electric Light Beam's power exceed that of a normal Nine‑ring Technique.

The beam lasted for several seconds.

The heavy armor of the Apocalypse Knight changed from black to red; extreme heat destroyed the runes on its chest, quickly softened, and it seemed about to be pierced.

At the critical moment, Lei En suddenly vanished.

An invisible spell fell, passing him by a hair's breadth.

Lei En appeared several hundred meters away, ignoring the Apocalypse Knight who had escaped the disaster; his gaze swiftly searched, immediately locked onto the source of that spell, his pupils contracting slightly.

Holy Soul Lich!

This Lich looks perfectly normal, appearing as a gentlemanly middle‑aged man, with healthy rosy skin and a head of jet‑black hair. He wears a fitted magical robe, though not at all ornate, and holds a plain rune book in his hands, looking no different from an ordinary wizard.

But all this is merely a façade.

Lei En instantly recognized him as a Lich above Level 20; he himself had not noticed his arrival, only sensed danger at the instant the opponent cast the spell.

That just now was Death Finger.

"Pu La Meng has met Chairman Lei En." The Lich, courteous, bowed toward Lei En, saying gently, "Chief has entrusted me to convey his greetings to Master Anxi and Chairman Lei En."

Lei En felt a weight in his heart.

The Dead Knot Seal and the Catastrophe Legion are the two major forces of the Lord of the Dead in Ai Lun E Si, serving as his left and right arms. This organization is entirely composed of casters, mostly Liches, also Undead Mages and Black Wizards; the latter two, when their lifespan ends, also transform into Liches.

Because of the nature of Liches, they are extremely difficult to kill.

Many members of the Dead Knot Seal have already lived for several thousand years; such a long lifespan, even with poor talent and scarce resources, allows them to master vast knowledge and spells.

Therefore, the number of Liches in the Dead Knot Seal keeps growing, and the probability of birthing powerful casters is extremely high.

It is said that Holy Soul Liches alone exceed a handful.

Sa Zha Si Tan is among the strongest, revered by other Holy Soul Liches as the chief, wielding the power of the Dead Knot Seal. The Pu La Meng before us is also a Holy Soul Lich; his fame may not match Sa Zha Si Tan, his strength is far lower, but still far surpasses ordinary Saint Rank casters.

Lei En knows this Pu La Meng; he is an Empire citizen, once a legendary mage of Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng.

But for some reason, Pu La Meng developed a great interest in undead magic when he was very young, privately studying undead knowledge, was discovered, and fled the Empire.

That was already several hundred years ago.

Besides studying undead magic, Pu La Meng excels at teleportation spells and ice spells.

Lei En cautiously observed, sensing a profoundly unfathomable icy force, thus judging the opponent to be near th Level.

In the sky, two Mirror Images still block the teleportation gate, but the Black Soul Knight Legion no longer bursts out.

The teleportation gate is also closing.

Lei En's mind moved; the two Mirror Images simultaneously performed a psychic leap, appearing above Pu La Meng's head, two war hammers crashing down. He himself turned into a flash of lightning, dashing forward, ready to cooperate with the Mirror Images to slay this Holy Soul Lich.

Yet as soon as the Mirror Images arrived, Pu La Meng vanished.

The war hammers struck empty air.

Lei En interrupted his Electric Flash Teleport, finally showing some apprehension in his eyes; casters truly differ from other professions, being very tricky.

His gaze pierced the void ripples, tracking Pu La Meng's trail.

Pu La Meng entered the Star Realm.

After several rapid flashes, he vanished within the Star Realm, even the Key of Doors could not lock his position. The surrounding air suddenly grew cold; a strand of frost vibrated, transmitting Pu La Meng's voice: "Chairman Lei En, forgive me for not staying."

He actually fled!

Lei En then understood that this Holy Soul Lich may have been lying in ambush nearby, having seen him kill the previous Lich, and thus knew of the anti‑magic field's existence.

The anti‑magic field is a nemesis of casters, but not so terrifying for Holy Soul Liches.

Pu La Meng directly avoided battle, evidently being overly cautious.

Lei En was at a loss for words, yet helpless. Pu La Meng's teleportation spell is indeed formidable, making it hard for him to pursue, and there is a great enemy nearby.

"Human! Die!"

The roar of the Apocalypse Knight echoed across the sky.

Lei En need not turn his head; through the Mirror Image's eyes he saw it swing its spiked hammer toward him, the chest armor already restored, but the runes were nullified, revealing a layer of iron‑blood armor; its whole body unleashed Death Power, hurling a zero‑adjusting coil toward him from afar.

A massive gray light shot forward, swift as lightning.

Simultaneously, each step the Apocalypse Knight took spread a tide‑like Death Power beneath its feet, instantly covering a circular area several hundred meters in diameter.

Nether Soul Realm!

Space within the area solidified, instantly separating from the Prime Material Plane, as if becoming part of the Abyssal Netherworld.

Lei En saw before him a terrifying figure, infinitely tall, remote and deep, vaguely a tall slender humanoid, yet its true form was indiscernible. With a single glance, he felt a soul‑shudder, as if touching the very truth of death.

Lord of the Dead!

A vast death aura enveloped this space.

All living beings within are ravaged by the mad erosion of Death Power; souls constantly assaulted, minds shaken, life drains, movement slows. Yet the one who released the Nether Soul Realm gains power and speed boosts, greatly increasing strength; killing enemies yields even stronger amplification.

The Apocalypse Knight changed its combat strategy.

Knowing its power could not match Lei En, it sought to settle the duel with spells.

Seeing Lei En standing still, even its two Mirror Images fell from midair, the Apocalypse Knight coldly shouted, "Your soul belongs to me now!"

It no longer hesitated, firing a Death Grip that pulled Lei En toward itself.

Then it raised its spiked hammer to strike.

Boom!

The heavy spiked hammer abruptly halted; the devastating blow had no effect, the green flame erupting from the hammerhead also dissipated.

The Apocalypse Knight stared blankly at the ten‑meter‑tall Lei En standing before it, like a wall, extending a massive palm to easily grasp its own spiked hammer. It subconsciously withdrew the weapon, only to find it immobile, as if welded to Lei En's hand.

Lei En tugged the hammerhead, the terrifying force instantly snatching the enemy's weapon away.

The Apocalypse Knight was also dragged forward, falling.

Bang!

Lei En took advantage of the momentum and kicked it flying up, perfectly aiming at a Mirror Image that had recovered its flight posture in midair; that Mirror Image also swelled to several meters high, like hitting a baseball, a hammer smashing it back toward Lei En, with a thunderous boom, it crashed heavily to the ground.

At this moment, Lei En had become a sixteen-meter-tall Titan Giant, raising his battle hammer, which enlarged in sync with his hands; amidst countless thunderous crackles of lightning, he brought it down with all his strength.

The Apocalypse Knight's vision was engulfed in shadow; after a tremendous roar, it fell into eternal darkness.

(End of Chapter)