Chapter 177 Ch-177: End of the Dark Bandit Group
Inside the secret hideout, a group of vicious-looking men, bearing scars on different parts of their bodies, stood gathered. They maintained a hushed silence, occasionally casting fearful glances at their seething leader.
Hei Li, fueled by suppressed anger, awaited the return of the trio who he saw disappearing before his eyes earlier, they were Wang Ming, Wu Jing, and Feng Mei who had easily taken his brother's life which he did not know about. They had managed to teleport to the treasure pagoda before he could catch them.
Despite growing impatience, Hei Li persevered, determined to confront his brother's killers, and vowed he would torture them and tear them to shreds. Little did he realize how perilously close he was to his own demise.
The underlings of the dark bandit group whispered among themselves in low, conspiratorial tones.
"Hey, do you think they're gone already?" one of the bandits asked, referring to Wang Ming and his group.
"I would if I were them. Just look at the boss. If they show up in front of him, their fate will be the worst," remarked another bandit in the group.
"Wait, if they don't come back, won't the boss unleash his anger on us?" said a fearful bandit, recalling instances where Hei Li had taken the lives of their comrades to vent his rage. Despite the danger, they chose to stay for the benefits.
"Don't say such ominous things. The boss has become even stronger after reaching the Golden Realm. There might have been a chance to escape his wrath before, but now he's more powerful and angrier than ever. I doubt any of us could survive a single attack from him," warned a bandit, causing everyone's faces to pale in fright.
"They should return; I mean, the teleportation array is still here," a bandit pointed at the glowing symbols on the ground where Wang Ming and the others had disappeared. The others calmed down a bit, gazing at the marked spot.
"But what if they don't come back? Will any of us survive the leader's attack?" a bandit questioned nervously, swallowing hard.
"I hope they return; otherwise..." another bandit's face darkened.
"We might have to sacrifice a few of our brothers," said the bandit with a cold gleam in his eyes as he surveyed the group. Those with the lowest cultivation shivered, feeling like prey being eyed by strong predators in human skin. In their hearts, they prayed for the vanished group's swift return.
Rumble!
All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and bits of debris and dust fell from the top of the realm. The group, who were quietly talking, was startled, and even Hei Li, who was furious, cast a cautious glance at the surroundings.
"What the heck is happening?" Hei Li grumbled under his breath. Already seething with anger over his brother's death, this unexpected situation only added to his frustration. He cautiously scanned the surroundings, half expecting a stampede or some other disturbance, but found nothing.
"What just happened?" one of the bandits in the group questioned.
"Damn, are there powerful beasts nearby?" asked another bandit with a hint of fear in his voice.
"I don't think so. I thought this place was going to collapse," suggested another person.
"Shut up, you idiots! Your voices are unpleasant," Hei Li snapped at his subordinates, their nonstop chatter starting to annoy him. They promptly fell silent.
Buzz
Suddenly, the entire air buzzed, and a golden light appeared in front of them. Text materialized, causing the once-silent group to erupt in noise. Even Hei Li, who was furious, was momentarily stunned by the words.
The Trial for the treasure pagoda has ended, and the pagoda will disappear
"Damn, the treasure pagoda was here," said one of the bandits in shock as he read the text.
"What rotten luck we have that we didn't come across it," lamented another bandit, feeling a painful clench in his heart at the thought of missing such an opportunity that could have changed his life as a lackey.
"Darn it, now I'm even angrier," veins bulged on his forehead as he thought about it. Not only had he lost his brother, but the chance to enter the treasure pagoda was also gone. His hatred for the group that killed his brother intensified. He decided that after dealing with his brother's killers, he would hunt down anyone inside this place who attempted the treasure pagoda to snatch the rewards they received from the treasure pagoda. However, his face darkened even more when the next text appeared in front of them. A look of disbelief crossed his face, and he wasn't alone; the others, excluding their bandit group, were equally shocked.
An individual has completed all 100 floors of the Treasure Pagoda, and everyone else, please evacuate through the portals within the next 15 minutes, or you will be trapped here.
As the text appeared, a portal materialized in front of everyone within the secret realm. However, they were too stunned to move as their brains processed the information they had just received.
"Darn, I didn't find anything useful inside the secret realm. Why is it expelling me?" complained a person in Hei Li's group.
"Yeah, darn it! Who did this? I'm going to tear them apart!" added another uninformed member. The two of them shouted, but the rest of the group fell silent, casting strange glances their way.
"You...idiots, shut your mouths if you don't understand the situation," reprimanded an older member of the group to the newly joined ones.
" Gulp, Am I seeing things, or did the text say that someone completed all 100 floors of the treasure pagoda?" asked a bandit nervously while swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
"How is this possible? No one in thousands of years has ever completed all 100 floors of the treasure pagoda," exclaimed another member in disbelief.
"But the text clearly says that someone did indeed complete all 100 floors," added another member of the dark bandit group, leaving everyone stunned into silence.
"Boss Hei Li, who do you think did it? Could it be the sect master of the Heavenly Sword Sect?" cautiously inquired a lackey to Hei Li, who frowned.
"No, I don't think she did it," replied Hei Li after pondering for a moment.
Gulp, "Boss, do you think some expert was hidden among the people who entered this place?" asked a lackey, nervously swallowing saliva, his forehead sweating at the thought of their reckless actions at the entrance. Hei Li also realized this, his face turning pale in fright as he recognized how dangerously close he had been to death. Offending someone capable of completing all 100 floors could have cost Hei Li his life. He silently thanked the heavens that he had stopped due to the arrival of the Heavenly Sword Sect master.
"Boss, shouldn't we leave, or we'll be stuck here?" inquired a hesitant lackey. The others were equally nervous, facing the difficult choice between remaining stuck or sacrificing a few weaker members.
"Darn," Hei Li gritted his teeth in anger, torn between two choices.
"Fine, let's—" Before he could finish his sentence, his face lit up as he saw the arrays shining brightly. Two figures suddenly appeared in front of them, but Hei Li's expression soured when he noticed one of the females missing.
Wang Ming and Feng Mei materialized before them. Wang Ming nodded in acknowledgment before sending a killing intent directed towards Hei Li and Feng Mei. As Wang Ming looked up, he saw Hei Li glaring at him with murderous intention.
Feng Mei, sensing Hei Li's murderous glare, became a bit nervous, remembering that they had killed his brother.
"Hey, you two, have you seen my brother, Hei Jin?" Hei Li asked with murderous intent. He didn't care to appreciate Feng Mei's otherworldly beauty; his mind was clouded in rage. The other lackeys, however, noticed and shook their heads in regret, knowing Hei Li would kill them both, whether they were culprits or not. The weaker ones secretly rejoiced, spared from Hei Li's wrath and potential death.
"Heh, you mean the weak, ugly-faced bastard who was threatening me with his brother's name? Yeah, I killed him," Wang Ming said with a smirk, causing everyone to look at him with incredulity, thinking they were dealing with an idiot.
"Good, good. You're very bold. I'm going to capture you and torture you," threatened Hei Li.
"Mm, should I use the new pupil technique?" Wang Ming pondered, ignoring Hei Li's threat. He activated his Immortal Gaze, and his eyes turned golden. He controlled his pupil power and gazed at the lackeys behind; they immediately exploded into blood mist.
"Hey, all of you, quickly capture him for me!" Hei Li ordered his lackeys. Instead, he suddenly heard the sounds of something exploding behind him, and the smell of blood assaulted his nostrils. He turned back and widened his eyes in shock when he saw instead of his subordinates there was a mist of blood
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