# 84
Chapter 84 – The Great Era
Moon Ghost refused to believe his eyes. He pulled out another Short Sword and smashed it against the golden shield again!
This time he used the tip.
Crack—!
A brittle ring sounded as the sword-tip chipped, while the golden shield… remained flawless.
Moon Ghost: …
“Sorry, pal, I’ve got this [Yao Guang] protecting me—your toys can’t touch me!” Baili Pangpang cheerfully pointed at the pendant on his chest, then added, “By the way, it’s Sequence 171, a high-risk Forbidden Ruins.”
The next instant, the halo around Baili Pangpang converged into two rapidly-spinning rings of light that slashed toward Moon Ghost from both sides!
Moon Ghost darted back, his figure blurring until he vanished into thin air.
“Invisibility?” Baili Pangpang raised an eyebrow, fished an old monocle from his pocket, and perched it on his nose.
A pale-blue glint flashed across the lens. Tilting his head, he waved casually; the two light-wheels tore through the air!
Clang-clang—!
Two Short Swords thrust out of nowhere, parrying the wheels. Moon Ghost staggered, staring at Baili Pangpang in shock.
“You can see me too?”
“[Eye of True Sight], Sequence 315—specialty: shredding illusions.” Baili Pangpang pushed up the monocle and grinned.
“…” Moon Ghost seemed to realize something. “You’re the young master of the Baili family?”
“Please don’t call me ‘young master.’ I’m just an ordinary kid from an ordinary home.” Baili Pangpang answered solemnly.
Moon Ghost: …
“Ahem—since everyone’s fighting so hard, this young mas—uh, I should pitch in too.”
He plunged his hand into his pocket and, to Moon Ghost’s dumbfounded stare, pulled out… a broom!
Not the little household kind, but the big roadside type bundled with twigs for sweeping streets!
Baili Pangpang swung the broom at Moon Ghost. A gale laced with crackling arcs of lightning blasted the brick rubble to dust, kept growing, and charged straight at Moon Ghost!
Moon Ghost: =????(???????) WTF━=????(???????)━!!!
With no time to think, his body dissolved into moonlight, barely dodging. Yet the storm didn’t weaken—it barreled toward Molly and Rose in their own melee!
Hammer and katana clashed several times; the two girls glanced back, saw the thunder-wind roaring at them, yelled “Holy crap!” and sprinted in opposite directions!
“Fatty! Aim, dammit!” Molly roared at Baili Pangpang.
“S-sorrysorrysorrysorry…”
He bowed repeatedly, stuffed the broom back into his pocket, rummaged again, and drew… a greatsword!
Moon Ghost: ??
Are you freaking Doraemon?!
“If [Thunder Tornado] is too much, I’ll use this.” Mimicking Doraemon, he raised the huge blade high. “[One Becomes Three Thousand]!”
Whoosh—!!
The greatsword split into countless after-images, hanging in the sky like a forest of blades, all tips pointing down at Moon Ghost, cold light glinting.
Moon Ghost swallowed.
This… is the heritage of the Forbidden Artifact Museum?
Isn’t this outright cheating?!
Baili Pangpang lowered the sword with a gentle flick and took a deep breath. “Kill!!”
Three thousand sword-lights rained down, converging into a roaring dragon of steel that dived at Moon Ghost!
Moon Ghost also inhaled deeply—
And shouted:
“Vortex, save me!!”
Vortex, locked with Shen Qingzhu, twitched madly, broke away, and sprinted toward Moon Ghost while Shen Qingzhu narrowed his eyes and rode the wind after him!
Just as the sword-dragon was about to swallow Moon Ghost, a purple vortex bloomed and devoured most of the blades. Moon Ghost darted out—
Only for a black-flaming knife to graze his scalp!
He spun around; the demon-like Cao Yuan stood behind him, baring a savage grin.
“Tianping, save me!!”
…
Underground.
The instructors stared at the dormitory ruins that now looked like gods at war. Silence reigned.
Vortex, Rose, Tianping, Moon Ghost, Baili Pangpang, Molly, Shen Qingzhu, Cao Yuan—eight of them in total—brawled in a free-for-all. The screen filled with screaming attacks; now and then the signal itself jittered under the impact.
Boom—!
A thunderous crash overhead shook dust from the ceiling; the monitor-room lights flickered.
Instructors: …
“…Should we move? They’re not going to bring the building down, are they?”
“Surely not. We’re ten meters underground. They’re only River realm—how could they…”
“Look at that level of combat and still call it ‘River realm’?” One instructor pointed at the screen; everyone fell silent again.
“Suddenly I think Chief’s decision to let Mask Squad keep order was brilliant!”
All heads nodded frantically!
If they’d followed the old plan—instructors versus freshmen—it would’ve been a disaster.
“A single training camp, yet so many prodigies appear…” Yuan Gang leaned back, smiling. “In a few years, the vacant fifth special squad might be born.”
“Chief… you think they could become the fifth special squad?” an instructor exclaimed. “Such high praise?”
“Mysteries descending on Great Xia grow more numerous and stronger. Besides city-stationed Night Watchmen, the four special squads are stretched thin. Headquarters is already planning to re-establish a fifth.”
Yuan Gang drummed the table. “After Blue Rain squad fell, the post stayed empty for lack of candidates. Now I see hope in them.
Fate is unpredictable; some of these kids may die on battlefields, some may retire—but a few… will grow into true pillars of the nation and form that fifth squad.”
His gaze settled on one monitor.
“Perhaps… a great era is coming.”
…
Dusk faded; night blanketed the sky.
Outside the chaotic battlefield, Wang Mian stood apart on the edge of the ruins, watching the distance.
There, a youth with a blade walked slowly toward him.
Wang Mian’s lips curved upward.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”