When Ling saw the sinister grin on their leader's face, he suddenly had a bad premonition. He immediately started monitoring the entire combat field to see if there was any abnormal thing happening. 

After looking around for five breaths he was unable to find anything which caused him to get more worried. But suddenly he saw something in the enemies' eyes who was fighting Meng. Ling's eyes slightly widened as he swiftly looked at every enemy as well.

‘What's happening? Why are there eyes becoming yellowish? ’ Ling thought. A bad feeling grasped his heart. Although they seemed to have the advantage, he couldn't just get rid of that feeling. At last after thinking for a moment he shouted out, “Everyone fall back! ”.

The inner disciples as well as Tianying, Shun, Meng, Sao and Caihyi were all confused as they didn't get that why they should fall back when they totally had the upper hand on the enemies. But before any of them could retort or say anything, the leader of the mercenary branch suddenly let out a cold wild laugh and said, “Hahaha! It's too late now! Do it....All for the sake of Revolters!”

Right after he said that, all the bandits' eyes suddenly started glowing with yellow light as several marking of dark green color appeared on their skin. Even the elders of the mercenary group were no exception!

All the inner disciples got startled as they backed off in the blink of an eye but then one of them who was surrounded by six bandits suddenly said, “You think a little power up can save you! ”. Then he rushed at a bandit who was right in front him.

Seeing him eight other disciples also attacked. But instead of defending themselves the bandits also jumped at them from different angles without any weapons. As soon as their weapons touched the enemy's body, something unexpected happened.

Boom! Boom! Boom!…

Simultaneous cacophonous explosions erupted all around the battlefield and screams of agony, pain and despair resounded through the air. The inner disciples who were caught up in the explosion didn't die after the first burst of energy. They only died because multiple bandits were using themselves as suicide bombers to kill the inner disciples. Dust covered most of the field and a thick smell of blood flowed throughout the air as burnt corpses filled the entire ground. 

The remaining disciples of the Starlight Imperial sect were standing in awe as all of their mouths almost hit the ground and their pin sized pupils were trembling. Ling immediately shook his head harshly to he came back to his senses and screamed at the top of his lungs, “Don't let them get close to you! ”

His voice caused other to retain their mind and Tianying hurriedly ordered, “Use range attacks! Kill them immediately!”. But the bandits were not that good willed to give them enough time to recover from the shock. The bandits instantly darted at them like crazy maniacs without caring for their life at all.

Although the disciples who were surrounded by comparatively low number of enemies were able to escape but still one disciple didn't have such fate!

Boom!Boom!…

With multiple blasts, the disciple along with a large number enemies perished into ashes. The inner disciples who were fighting with the elders wanted to retreat as well to regroup but before they could even do that, a horde of twenty bandits jumped at them from every possible side along with the elders.

Shun was startled and panicked at first but right after that he circulated Heavenly energy through his lower body as he muttered, “Thunder God steps!” and in a flash like a lighting bolt his body appeared almost thirty meters behind from his previous spot. Another disciple also used a movement skill to got away from that place but the other two were not that lucky as they didn't seem to know any movement skill!

BOOOM!

All the elders and the twenty bandits alongside the two of the best inner disciples turned into charred dust in the blink of an eye! But Shun immediately gazed at the place where there leader was standing and he saw no one was there anymore. “Shit! Their leader escaped. Brother Shuan....we can't let out comrades deaths to go to waste. Go ahead and search for him. After we take care of things here..we will also go.” Shuan nodded and headed out without wasting any breath. Then Shun spun around and rushed at the remaining enemies near him.

All the other disciples were able to deal with the enemies somehow. Although Sao, Tianying and another female disciple were specialized in close combat, they still were able to suppress the enemies. Caihyi , Meng and the other two disciples didn't look like they were having much trouble either. Specially as Meng had chakrams as her weapon, she didn't even need to use much Heavenly energy as she was dealing with the remaining enemies.

Ling was standing at the same spot as he said quietly under his breath, “What was that? ”

“They most likely used some kind of technique to explode all the stored up energy inside their dantian at once so that they could act like an explosive tailsman. But just what is driving them….that they are not even hesitating to commit suicide like that? ” Vanisha explained slowly as even she couldn't believe this sudden turn of events. 

At this moment, one of the two enemies who were fighting with Meng glanced at Ling who looked distracted and a cold smile crossed his face. The bandit immediately dashed at Ling avoiding Meng completely. 

When Ling sensed the approaching aura, he turned to look at the enemy.  The bandit was at first stage of Blue Star realm and he knew that even if he blowed himself up like others, there was no way he alone could take down someone who was at higher level than him. Even to kill Meng it would need at least three of them. But if it was someone who was at a lower level than him then it was a different story. When he saw the aura of a late stage Yellow Star realm from Ling, he decided to drag him down with him.  

Ling was unmoved and calm as always because he knew that even if he take it head on, there was no way an explosion of this caliber could grievously injure him. At most he would have some minor injuries.

But Shun who just killed all the enemies near him and Meng  who was fighting with the other enemy saw that a bandit was going to attack Ling, their eyes abruptly widened. After all, they also thought Ling was only at Yellow Star realm.

“Crap! ” Shun blurted out with wide eyes as he instantly rushed towards Ling but even with his speed which was comparable to Ling, he knew there was no way he could make it.

On the other hand Meng who was closest to Ling, reacted in a flash as she threw the chakram in her left hand at the remaining enemy who she was fighting. The chakram swiftly went through the bandit's throat but Meng didn't even look at that or didn't even bother to call her Chakram back as she instantly threw the other chakram at the enemy who was only a meter away from Ling. Then she also dashed towards Ling.

When the enemy got close, Ling was about to dodge his attack. But suddenly a chakram reflected on his eyes as it cleanly cut the enemy's throat when the enemy was already about to explode and Meng suddenly jumped and embrace him and pushed him from his left which caused him to lost his balance. Then she generated a defensive barrier in front of them.

Boom!

The blast of energy blown the two of them away for some meters before they fell heavily on the ground. Meng was lying over Ling as she was groaning lightly. Ling also looked shocked and surprised.

“Are you okay….junior brother Ling? ” Meng asked while trying to withstand the pain in her left arm which seemed to receive a deep wound and burn marks from the explosion. 

“I am totally fine thanks to you princess Meng!….now do you mind…getting of me? ” Ling said while feeling a bit guilty. ‘This idiot…why did you even do that? Who risks her life to save someone who they had never met before! ’ Ling thought. Ling had never experienced this kind of feeling of being protected by others. Although Murong tried her best to make his life comfortable and easeful in the Twilight Moon sect but even she couldn't save him when he was being bullied by disciples outside.

When Meng heard Ling a blush appeared on her face as she hurriedly tried to get up in a flustered manner. But the pain in her hands were excruciating. After she got up and Ling slowly stood up as well. Then he turned to look at Shun who just arrived. 

“Sister Meng...are you okay? ” Shun worriedly asked. “Mnn…” Meng only nodded as a response. Although the energy was unable to kill her but still the injuries she got were really terrible. This alone was enough to tell Ling that how terrifying the explosions were and he was actually glad that he didn't have to take that head on!

Shun said sorrowfully as he looked at the corpses and blood that was spilled on the ground, “To think we would suffer these many casualties! Sigh….once we get that leader….I will make sure he suffers something worse than hell! ”.

Ling looked at the spot where their leader was standing and seemed to think something as his face grew darker, ‘Is this it?... well probably the leader was laughing because they had this thing under their selves.....ai....what a madman! ’.

Then he turned around and brought out a recovery pills and gave it to Meng. Meng took the pill and started recuperating as their were almost no enemies left. Almost all the bandits died without a whole corpse and their entire base was almost destroyed.

After three minutes, finally all the sounds of combat stopped. Only ten disciples were still alive. They regrouped and when others came to know of Meng's injuries, all of them got worried while the three disciples were also somewhat furious on Ling. 

Then Tianying asked while gasping heavily, “Where is their leader? ”

“I have sent Shaun to find him! We should also go and help him.” Shun replied.

But at this moment suddenly a figure came out of the hall from where the elders and their leader also came. It was the leader of their group. 

When Shun and others saw him, all of them were shocked. It wasn't because he still dared to come back to his deathbed but rather Shuan was nowhere to be seen.

“You sent a rather pitiful rat behind me! Heh….to think he would just die like that! ” the leader spoke up.

Tianying couldn't control himself anymore as he said boiling with rage, “You still dare to come back! Even if you were able to kill brother Shuan….do you think you can take all of us? Everyone…kill that bastard! ”.

But then suddenly the leader said, “Hahaha! Do you think I can kill him? Of course not! But our revered Guardian can!” the leader said as he knelt on the ground after coming outside the hall and bowed his head deeply.

Then all of a sudden, a spatial crack appeared and from their a figure in black robes came out. The figure's head was covered with a hood and there was a mask covering its face. The long black robes with red markings on it completely covered its every part of body. And there was a crimson Dragon symbol embedded on the left side of the chest.

When the figure appeared, the disciples who got ready to jump at the enemy suddenly froze in their feet. A cold and monstrous yet auraless pressure was weighing on them like a heavy mountain. They couldn't even measure the depths of the figure's power.

Cold sweat drenched everyone as their hearts started beating faster. 

‘I can't read its power level! ’ everyone including Ling thought as fear grasped their hearts.

Vanisha who looked bored till now, suddenly wore a grin expression on her face. Then she worriedly blurted out as fast as she could, “Don't make any movements!…...This person...is a Monarch!”

SoulBlaze

Next chapter on 31/07/2020. I hope you liked the chapter and tell me your thoughts in the comments as they make me improve my writing.