Imperial God Emperor (Web Novel)
chapter-724

The way that this refined young gentleman raised his hand was full of style and bearing, resembling a painter lifting his brush to paint. Yet, a shadowy mist would travel in whichever direction he pointed at, as if he was the Grim Reaper performing a roll call. His targets would instantly begin to burn upon making slight contact with the mist, just like when kerosene met a spark...

This sight was simply too strange to behold.

Every one of his fingers was like a longsword on which mist formed.

If he fired his seven fingers all at once, a spectacular bright gloss would burst forth like a killing god stepping out from the sea world.

The dozens of opposing [Savage Army Demon Race] experts continually expended their demonic qi and broke off their limbs voluntarily to prevent the shadowy mist from entering their bodies. New functional limbs rapidly regenerated and helped to fire the experts' demonic power up to the maximum level.

Watching the fight from a distance, Ye Qingyu had already made several judgments.

The shadowy mist ignition skill which Ge Ming languidly exerted was probably an innate magical ability of the Seven Fingers Race. It was indeed remarkably powerful and contained a Dao essence that was near-Great Dao.

The history of the Seven Fingers Race was definitely not simple.

It probably had some connection to the Ancient Demon God Race.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn off.

The battle situation became increasingly clear.

The demonic power of the young Half Step Immortal Step realm expert was running thin, having been expended on continuous attacks and self-regenerations.

Only the two elders, as well as a few other young Second Step Immortal Step realm experts, continued to fight.

"I'd long reminded you guys that the bounty on the Alliance of Domains' wanted list ain't that easy to get. Even if that smelly old fart Tuozheng came, he won't be able to touch me." Ge Ming appeared to casually point in any direction as he revealed a jovial-looking smile on his face. "Scram now, and Heaven will be merciful. I'm in no rush to kill all of you, but don't blame me for being heavy-handed if you still don't know the time of day."

"Hahaha, you don't even know when Death's in front of your eyes!" The black-vesselled elder suddenly erupted with an extremely brutal black demonic power once more, saying, "A wanted criminal like you has no right to call the honorific name of His Highness, the demon king of my clan. You'll die today!"

"His yuan qi has been largely expended. He'll be ours to slaughter if we can just keep things going for a while longer!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill!"

Several young experts, too, circulated their demonic power once more as they charged toward Ge Ming.

In the distance.

Having been observing the situation all this while, Ye Qingyu had long figured out that although both sides were expending yuan qi, the disparity in strength between them meant that Ge Ming had taken the upper hand.

However, what baffled Ye Qingyu was that Ge Ming seemed to be pulling his punches against the attackers. Otherwise, these demon experts would not have lasted more than, and would have perished within, an incense stick's worth of time.

"Come, bring me that lass." Enraged, the red-beared elder knew that the contingent could not sustain for much longer. "Ge Ming, you'd best submit yourself for capture, or I'll chop off one of her arms... Heh heh, unless you don't care about her life, that is."

As he was speaking.

One of the experts brought the little girl out of the white bone cage and held a frosty bone knife at her neck.

Ge Ming's countenance changed faintly.

The red-bearded elder acutely perceived this change.

He felt assured in his heart.

Because this showed that Ge Ming indeed cared very much about the girl.

As a result, the subsequent plan should proceed smoother.

"Hoho, Ge Ming, still not giving up?" In a flash, the red-bearded elder arrived beside the child and sharply clasped her head with five fingers such that it would be crushed into pieces if he exerted the slightest force.

Ge Ming sighed when he saw this.

A shadowy mist power rose from his solitary palm and pushed back the demon experts. He was not going to hold back any longer.

"Hoho, the [Savage Army Demon Race] is certainly becoming even more promising. Their noble elder is actually using an innocent child as a threat. He's truly doing the race proud." As he looked at the red-bearded elder, a hint of anger finally surged in his eyes which had remained indifferent throughout, and his tone became filled with sarcasm.

The elder's face blushed.

As a renowned expert of great strength and status, it was indeed beneath him to employ such a method.

But he quickly switched his thoughts and got over the embarrassment, then said sneeringly, "Any method is fine when used against a vicious and evil wanted criminal like you, as long as it gets us your skull... Ge Ming, seeing as you were once also Heaven's pride, I propose that you take your own life now and, in return, we'll keep your corpse in one piece."

"Hoho, you think I'm a three-year-old kid? If I take my own life, Shui Xiu probably won't survive either. You people wouldn't dare to kill her only if I'm alive." Ge Ming poured scorn on the suggestion.

Hearing this, the elder was momentarily dazed before he gnashed his teeth and said, "I can guarantee you that she won't die if you kill yourself. I'll bring her to Sunrise City and find an ordinary family to raise her."

With a sarcastic look on his face, Ge Ming rhetorically questioned, "Is that so? You think I'll believe a despicable character like you?"

The elder's expression became that of embarrassment at once.

A hideous look emerged on his face as he snorted, "Haha, whether to believe it or not is up to you, but what other choice do you have? If you don't kill yourself, I'll slice her up piece by piece and see how long you remain stubborn for... Hoho, Ge Ming, haven't you loved gambling your entire life? Why not bet that I'll release this girl after you've killed yourself, or else... Heh heh, you make your choice."

With that, the elder clenched his five fingers a little.

His dagger-sharp nails lacerated the forehead of the girl, who thereupon revealed a painful look on her face as her twig-thin limbs spasmed violently.

Ge Ming's countenance showed further changes.

"Stop it... Alright, you win." He gritted his teeth, saying, "I hope you keep your word... My life for hers. She's still only an ignorant and harmless child, and won't ever be capable of taking revenge against your race. Let her have a peaceful life..."

With that, Ge Ming promptly raised his hand and slapped a palm onto his own forehead.

When they saw this, every present member of the [Savage Army Demon Race] revealed a tinge of delight on their faces.

The red-bearded elder was all the more overjoyed. He never expected Ge Ming to actually value the girl so much that he would willingly sacrifice himself... It seemed that the elder's plan had succeeded this time.

Amid the darkness.

Ye Qingyu was also stunned by what he saw.

In the rumors, Ge Ming was described as a wicked person who was fanatical about gambling and causing bloodshed, and as a vicious, sinister, and murderous evil demon. Yet, would such a person offer to end his own life for the sake of a young girl?

This incident did not tally with the rumors.

For a moment, Ye Qingyu did not know whether to act or not.

However, just as everyone was in a thoughtful state, they saw that the anticipated sight of Ge Ming's blood and brain fluids spurting out did not transpire after he slapped himself on his forehead. Instead, his entire being thumped to the ground and turned into a cloud of mist which instantly dissipated...

"Hahaha, you people are too green to bet with me. Go back to your mothers' wombs and be reborn."

Ge Ming's voice sounded in the void in a shifting and extremely strange fashion, as if he had become invisible.

Virtually at the same time, the young girl who was tightly clasped in the elder's palm, too, thumped the ground and turned into a cloud of silver mist which dissipated into the void.

"This..." The elder winced as he looked at his own palm and immediately understood. "The Seven Fingers Race's occult technique, [Shadowy Mist Doppelganger]? Oh no, we've been had... Quick, guard the white bone cage!"

It was only now that the experts woke up from a sort of dream.

Everyone looked toward the white bone cage.

Earlier, pretty much everyone, including the demon experts responsible for guarding the cage, was captivated by Ge Ming's performance such that they became oblivious to everything happening beside them. After all, the girl was already in the elder's grasp, but...

To their utmost horror, they only now discovered that the girl was actually still in the cage.

It was but a doppelganger that had been brought out.

At the very instant that Ge Ming had appeared from within the tower, he silently used a shadowy mist occult technique to create a doppelganger of the girl in the cage and conceal her true body. As a result, it was but this shadowy mist doppelganger which the expert had brought out at the very start.

This kind of technique could be called a bluff.

Ye Qingyu suddenly understood why Ge Ming was known as the gambling demon. A technique like this was too good at fooling the eyes and senses of other people. If one used it for gambling, the chips would never stop rolling in.

"Quick, stop him!"

The red-bearded elder bellowed furiously.

Countless [Savage Army Demon Race] figures bolted maniacally toward the white bone cage.

"Hahaha... too late." Ge Ming guffawed as he pointed his fingers casually.

"Ahhh...."

"Nooo..." Two demon experts who were guarding the cage were already in flames and thus were screaming in pain.

Ge Ming's movements were perfectly elegant, easy, and nonchalant. Passing his arm, which was shrouded in silver mist, directly through the cage bars, he instantly destroyed the Demon Race formations on the bars and carried the girl's real body out.

"[Savage Army Demon Race], I'll remember this grudge and come for you all in due course." With the girl in his arms, Ge Ming's now-immaterial body flickered several times as he broke away from the fight and shot like electricity into the darkness.

"Dammit!"

"Don't let him escape."

The red-bearded elder and the rest of the [Savage Army Demon Race] experts roared and bellowed.

The bird in their hands had flown away. This enraged them like nothing else could and was very difficult to accept.

It appeared that it was too late to give chase. Over these few years that he had spent on the wanted list, Ge Ming's escape abilities had attained such perfection that his body was fast and elusive. However, just as he was about to disappear completely...

Another strange change occurred!

Swish!

A sharp, jarring, and air-breaking noise rang out like booming thunder.

Shining in a golden brilliance, an arrow suddenly shot toward Ge Ming from several hundred meters away within the Black Demon qi.

More precisely speaking, it was headed mercilessly and murderously toward the young girl in his arms.