Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 596: Take Care of Yourself

Boom!

The violent collision between the darkness and the sword radiance created a terrifying explosion of energy.

Silver light flickered as the Peacock Great Demon King exerted all his strength to teleport Tang San and Mei Gongzi away again. Although he knew that such teleportations were ultimately futile—as soon as the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's tokens were used up, they would still fall into the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's grasp—any extra moment of life, any additional time they could buy, might give them a chance.

The Peacock Great Demon King pushed himself to the limit, teleporting as far as he could.

Tang San took out the third sword token and threw it without hesitation.

***

The Sword Saint Demon Emperor raised his right hand again, a strange light shining in his eyes. He could sense thoughts[1] coming from his token far away.

It was a very peculiar intention, a wave of belief transmitted through the token.

"What is the sword?" This was the question from the first sword token.

"The sword is justice!" This was the answer from the second.

The Sword Saint Demon Emperor could be sure that this thought did not come from the Peacock Great Demon King, but from the young man he had once acknowledged.

What is the sword? Someone actually dares to ask me of all people what the sword is?

When the first thought came, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor found it amusing. As the strongest swordsman of his time, who understood swords better than he did? But in spite of that, he still acted without hesitation. A gift that grand could not be received without any reciprocation, and he had the ancestors' honor to uphold.

But when he received the second message, he couldn't help but be moved.

The sword is justice? What is justice? he pondered.

And then, the third thought came through.

"The sword is judgment!"

As he felt the will behind this thought, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's eyes instantly brightened. Judgment!

In that instant, he seemed to grasp something he’d been long missing.

His right hand grabbed at the void, and a beam of light appeared within. The next moment, he and his sword became one, shooting out like a bolt of lightning. At the same time, a terrifying sword radiance slashed through the void. This time, it was an attack from the Red-Crowned Divine Sword!

The sword is justice, the sword is judgment!

This seemed to be what he had been searching for all along. So, what else was there?

What else?

As he unleashed this strike, he even felt a sense of eagerness within him.

*** n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the distance, Tang San activated the third sword token.

In the void, a gigantic Red-Crowned Crane seemed to appear, carrying unparalleled sharpness, crashing fiercely into the darkness. This time, it was as if the entire void shattered; thousands of sword beams erupted, blocking all routes of the night’s invasion.

Silver light flickered, and they teleported again.

When the Peacock Great Demon King saw the Red-Crowned Crane appearing in the void, merging with the sword, he was shocked but also had a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Could it be that they really had a chance to escape? That was clearly the full support of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, even though it was coming from afar! Even the Eternal Night Monarch wouldn't easily fend off an all-out attack from another Demon Emperor.

Indeed, when they reappeared after teleporting again, the darkness did not immediately follow.

The fourth sword token appeared in Tang San's hand, and he said to the Peacock Great Demon King in a deep voice, "Please rest for a moment and prepare to teleport as far as you can."

The Peacock Great Demon King didn't speak; he just closed his eyes to restore his energy. None of them knew how long the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's full-force strike could hold back the enemy.

This time, it indeed lasted quite a while, a full two minutes. When the pervasive darkness descended again, the voice coming from within was tinged with frustration.

"I want to see how many more tokens you have!"

The Tenebrous Demon Emperor was filled with anger. Had the Sword Saint Demon Emperor gone mad? Even if the other had whatever tokens, it should have been one strike and done. But three times in a row, and the third time a full-force attack? Why? He had never heard of any connection between the Sword Saint Demon Emperor and the Peacock Demon clan.

In any case, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor himself was not here, and intervening remotely required a medium. Emperors were not omnipotent, after all. These people had to rely on the sword tokens, and they only had so many. Once the sword tokens were exhausted, Tang San and the others would still face certain death.

Then he saw Tang San throw out the fourth sword token.

Tang San's divine consciousness fluctuated, and he attached a message to the sword token.

The massive figure of the Red-Crowned Crane appeared once more, this time even clearer than before.

Seeing this, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression changed drastically. From the increasingly clear figure of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, he could sense that the latter was heading in his direction.

The sword radiance, like a flowing ribbon, cut through the void. A calm voice resonated in the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's heart, "The sword breaks all laws!"

Breaks all laws?

This had always been the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's pursuit! It was also the direction he had always worked toward. These five simple words spoke directly to his heart. At this moment, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor felt an itch he couldn't scratch, wishing he could immediately sit down with the young man and discuss the true meaning of the sword.

Silver light flashed again, and the teleportation was initiated once more. After a brief period of rest, the Peacock Great Demon King was able to teleport Tang San and Mei Gongzi even farther. With the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's full support from afar, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor would surely be affected for a longer time.

However, both Mei Gongzi and the Peacock Great Demon King knew that the sword tokens were exhausted. Once the night descended again, they would have no chance of escape. Therefore, their expressions were grim. Even if the Peacock Great Demon King could perform another timely teleportation, it would not take them far enough. With the shadow following, they would be caught in an instant.

"We have to fight," the Peacock Great Demon King said as the Peacock Golden Crown slowly emerged on his forehead.

Tang San turned to the Peacock Great Demon King, and his lips moved as if he were saying something, but Mei Gongzi was surprised to find that she couldn't hear his voice. Then she saw Tang San raise his hand, and in his palm, there was another token. A fifth sword token!

Where did he get a fifth one?

This was the sword token Tang San had received when he had climbed the Sword Saint Palace and ultimately gained the recognition of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor. Naturally, Mei Gongzi had no way of knowing about it, but she didn’t dwell on it too much. The important thing was that he had it. And even though this was likely the last one, she felt a slight sense of relief upon seeing it. Even if it only bought them a little more time, it meant they could live a bit longer.

The Peacock Great Demon King's expression was somewhat strange at this moment. He looked at Tang San, wanting to say something, but hesitated.

Tang San gave him a calm nod. Then, to Mei Gongzi's astonishment, he came over to her, opened his arms, and embraced her.

Because there was no warning, Mei Gongzi didn't even have time to react before Tang San was already holding her.

He had a pleasant scent, fresh and elegant. Despite facing life and death, Mei Gongzi found herself feeling oddly at peace.

Then his voice whispered in her ear, "Take care of yourself."

1. The original word here is rather difficult to translate; it does mean “idea/thought” in the normal sense, and it is used like that, but it also refers to intention and will; it implies that what is transmitted is not just a plain message but something full of intent. ☜