Chapter 43: The First King
The dark red sun hung overhead. On the flat summit of the molten mountain, a figure holding a worn greatsword slowly stood up. Aide Li Dewen, over three meters tall, exuded an oppressive presence. He wore full-body armor, battered and decayed, yet it seemed fused with him, the pitted surface having become like his very skin.
Aide Li Dewen was indeed not a true king, never having sat on a throne for even a moment. Yet in the hearts of the people of Tarin, he was the First King.
The Tarin Kingdom had a population of nearly one hundred million. Do not underestimate these ordinary people. Over centuries, the collective will of Tarin’s people had unknowingly formed a power akin to faith, ultimately feeding back to Aide Li Dewen in a special way.
This was a situation many gods envied. Influenced by this force of will, Aide Li Dewen became the uncrowned king. Even though he had never set foot in Tarin, his blood had always protected it, passed down through the Tarin royal family in a near-cruel manner across generations.
Only the strong were worthy of inheriting the king’s blood—this was Tarin’s tradition. Only the strongest could be the First King.
However, Aide Li Dewen himself was unaware of all this, and could not know it. Behind his helmet, his eyes held nothing but a flame-like dark red, devoid of any emotion.
The Apostle’s Eye floated behind Su Xiao. He urgently needed to know his enemy’s information. The pressure bearing down on him was… a bit too strong.
[Comparing intelligence attributes… Comparison complete. Your intelligence is 1.038 times the enemy’s. Obtaining only 58% of enemy data.]
Name: First King·Aide Li Dewen
Category: Source Guardian
Health: 100%
Source Power: 92,900/92,900 points
Strength: 182 (True Attribute, 8 points higher than the Hunter. When the Wild Beast Potion’s duration ends, it will be 18 points higher, forming a strength crush.)
Agility: 170 (True Attribute)
Endurance: 180 (True Attribute)
Intelligence: 157 (True Attribute)
Charm: None (First King·Aide Li Dewen is an absolutely non-negotiable unit. His charm attribute cannot be quantified.)
Skill 1, Source Guardian (Passive, Lv.75): Health +87,000 points. Immune to all control effects. Fire, slashing, and blunt damage reduced by 40%.
Skill 2, First King (Passive, Lv.73): Health +32,000 points. All defenses increased by 32.7%. If a mental ability is used on Aide Li Dewen, the user will suffer mental backlash, causing permanent mental damage.
Skill 3, Aide Li’s Mad Sword (Technique-type ability, Lv.54): Increases sword-type weapon attack power by 712%. Attacks have an uninterruptible property. Attack intensity rank +1.
Note: Due to the stable state of the Source Power within Aide Li Dewen, this ability is not fully activated.
Skill 4, Source Flame (Passive, Lv.62): This ability is not activated.
Skill 5, Death Grip (Active, Lv.70): Aide Li Dewen charges forward with unstoppable momentum, causing collision and stun effects to the enemy. After grabbing the enemy’s neck, he pins them to the ground with his sword and performs Source Power·Flame Explosion.
Note: After the charge collision, the enemy will be stunned for 0.7 to 12 seconds, depending on the difference in strength and endurance attributes, and will take 520 to 940 points of collision damage.
Note: After the enemy is stunned, grabbing the neck has a chance to cause a neck-snapping effect, dealing 750 points of defense-ignoring damage + (strength attribute difference × 30.7) neck-snapping damage.
Note: Using the greatsword to impale the enemy and pin them to the ground, followed by Source Power·Flame Explosion, will deal 32.7% of the target’s maximum health as penetrating damage.
Skill 6, ???
Skill 7, Source·Inferno Burst (Passive, Lv.70): When Aide Li Dewen’s health drops to 50%, 20%, 10%, and 3%, the Source Crystal within him will activate once each, creating an inferno burst effect with a range of 430 meters.
Note: The inferno burst will deal 17% to 50% of the enemy’s maximum health as true fire damage, and stun them for 1.5 to 7.9 seconds. Damage and stun duration depend on distance.
???
???
Skill 14, Source Awakening (Ultimate Ability, Lv.30): Activates when health drops below 50%. ???
…
Seeing the First King’s data, Su Xiao took a deep breath. If he compared the First King to past enemies, the Archbishop versus the First King would see the Archbishop slightly weaker.
As for comparing him to the sisters who devoured gods, please don’t insult the First King. There was no comparison. The First King was a half-technique type with extreme survivability and large-scale Source Power attacks.
Facing such an enemy, a one-on-one fight was very unwise. At Su Xiao’s signal, Amu and Baha circled behind the First King, forming a triangular encirclement with Su Xiao. As for Bubu Wang, while providing its aura, it only needed to keep an eye on the First King’s health.
Source·Inferno Burst would trigger four times. For Su Xiao, who had execution abilities, he only needed to dodge one of these bursts. He rarely fought strong enemies with health below 25%; the Demon Blade of Dragon-Slaying Flash was that reassuring.
The First King, Aide Li Dewen, stood still. His broad upper body was slightly hunched, as if he had a stoop and couldn’t stand straight. This might be related to his former identity, before becoming a Source Guardian, before becoming the First King.
The First King didn’t move, but that didn’t mean Su Xiao wouldn’t take the initiative. The Wild Beast Potion’s duration had already passed a few seconds. Once it ended, the enemy would have a strength crush over him—that would be very bad.
Su Xiao vanished from his spot in an instant, slashing at the First King’s neck.
Clang!
The long blade sank into the First King’s neck less than five centimeters before being stopped by his body, which was no longer entirely flesh. It couldn’t penetrate any further. If it were an ordinary Holy Spirit-rank weapon, it might not even break through the defense!
The First King suddenly raised his head, his eyes, burning with dark red flames inside, fixed on Su Xiao.
Gripping his greatsword with both hands, he ignored the blade stuck in his neck and swung the sword down at Su Xiao’s head.
Su Xiao leaped backward, dodging a black-red sword aura to the side.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
The First King went berserk, wildly slashing at the ground where Su Xiao had just stood. This was no king; his attacks were savage, with overwhelming power and speed.
Calling it wild slashing wasn’t quite accurate either. Each swing of his sword sent out black-red sword auras. If Su Xiao hadn’t been faster than the First King, and had been hit by even one strike, even blocking with his blade would have led to a relentless barrage he’d have to endure. The result would be…
Broken stones flew everywhere. The layers of expanding air waves settled. The First King stood on a pile of rubble, glanced at Su Xiao, then turned his gaze to Baha.
“Huh?”
Baha was startled. It hadn’t even acted yet, but it had already caught the First King’s attention.
With a boom, the First King turned into a black-red blur, charging straight at Baha. Baha immediately tried to teleport into an alternate space.
Bang!
Like a thunderclap, the First King slammed his shoulder into the air. The air burst with a deafening sound. Baha’s figure suddenly appeared, its bones feeling like they were about to shatter, its head spinning. Before it could be sent flying, a large hand grabbed its neck.
“Gah~!”
What Baha wanted to say but couldn’t was: Why are you targeting me?