Not long after, a spell was cast, and a bright signal flare shot up into the sky, illuminating the area. This was the emergency gathering signal.
Looking at the signal flare, Xu Qing's heart sank. He knew that there was indeed a problem.
This was because the signal had been sent from the location where Kong Xianglong had gone to.
If everything went according to plan, Kong Xianglong wouldn't have released the signal flare there. He would have only informed everyone after he had left with the spy.
Xu Qing immediately changed directions and rushed toward the location of the signal. After the amount of time it took for an incense stick to burn out, he finally arrived. From afar, he could see Kong Xianglong, Shan He, and the others.
This was a plain and about a thousand feet in front of them, there was a person lying on the ground, on the verge of death.
The person lying on the ground was a young man of about 15 or 16 years old. His body was drenched in blood and he had numerous wounds all over his body, some of which were so deep that his bones were visible.
In fact, upon closer inspection, one could see that other than the skin on his face, the other areas were peeled off!
Clearly, he had experienced unimaginable torture.
Most of his bones were shattered and not a single magic aperture was left in his body.
From the points of collapse, it could be seen that this youth was actually a heaven's chosen with 120 magic apertures.
He was also blind in one eye. His eyeball had been dug out and placed in his mouth, and his two ears were cut off.
He was even poisoned and was rotting.
He wouldn't be able to survive. At this moment, he only had a few moments of life left.
It was a shocking sight.
Xu Qing's expression was solemn and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. When he quickly walked over, he noticed that there was an array formation set up on the ground within a thousand feet of the youth.
He didn't understand array formations but he could sense the shocking killing intent here. This array formation was extraordinary and could be considered a killing array.
That youth was placed at the center of this killing array.
"This youth isn't the spy we want to receive, but he should be related. It was like this when I arrived here. Also, there's this jade slip left behind by the Holy Wave Race!"
Kong Xianglong's eyes were red. He gritted his teeth and let out a low shout as he activated a jade slip he had found here.
Immediately, a calm voice rang out from the jade slip and echoed in the surroundings.
"Hello, Sword Holders."
"It's a pity that we can't meet you, but we, the black-clothed guards, left a small gift for you, Sword Holders. I hope you like it. Please admire it."
His voice was cold and cruel. In the end, he even smiled.
This was a voice recording.
At the side, Shan He, Wang Chen, Night Spirit, and the other Sword Holders who had also rushed over, looked at everything and listened to the voice recording on the jade slip with anger.
The matter was very clear. They didn't need to think too much to understand everything.
With the help of the fortress, the Holy Wave Race managed to delay the Sword Holders' rescue operation. Meanwhile, they also managed to locate the target that the Sword Holder had been waiting to receive.
However, it was obvious that this target wasn't the true spy. Hence, they tortured him until he was on the verge of death. After that, they set up this killing array and left.
The goal of the black-clothed guards of the Holy Wave Race was to let the Sword Holders see the death of the mission target with their own eyes.
Once one stepped into this array formation, it would be activated. The people inside would die, and so would those who stepped in. In fact, it was very likely that the method to activate it wasn't limited to just stepping in. There might also be other unknown triggers that could activate the array formation.
Moreover, even if the array formation didn't activate, the youth inside would have already lost his life. At this moment, he only had one breath left and would die at any moment.
This was the viciousness of the Holy Wave Race.
Everyone fell silent.
At that moment, Wang Chen, who was skilled in array formations, squatted down and carefully examined the array. He then lifted his head with a bitter expression on his face and spoke softly to Kong Xianglong.
"This is the Spirit Heart Absolute Killing Array unique to the Holy Wave Race's black-clothed guards. It is said that this array was passed down from the Black Heaven Race and uses humans as the core. That youth has completely fused with this array, and it will be triggered once someone steps into the array, no matter what method is used. Even controlling bizarre entities is useless. The principles of this array are still being studied by the Deputy Governor, but unfortunately, there has been no result yet."
"It is a one-time use array and there's no way to remove it. Moreover, that youth… is also at the end of his rope."
Kong Xianglong's eyes turned even redder and his breathing became hurried.
Xu Qing looked at the unconscious youth in the array formation and silently walked to the edge of the array formation. He didn't know if the shadow could succeed, so he spoke softly.
"I can give it a try, but I'm not sure if it will succeed…"
Kong Xianglong clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Just as he was about to speak, the eyelids of the youth in the array formation trembled slightly and he weakly opened his eyes.
There was pain in his eyes as he looked at Xu Qing and the others blankly.
"You guys… are Sword Holders?" The youth's voice was extremely weak as he mumbled softly with a hint of distrust.
Everyone instantly looked over.
Xu Qing took out his command sword, as did Kong Xianglong and the others. As the command swords shone brightly, a hint of light appeared in the dim eyes of the youth who was lying there on the verge of death.
"The mark my father imprinted on my soul allows me to sense that you are Sword Holders…"
"I'm sorry for letting you see me like this." The youth seemed to care a lot about the Sword Holder. He tried his best to make himself look more dignified but he couldn't do it.
"My father is a human and my mother is from the Holy Wave Race… I'm not a Sword Holder."
"However, I know your secret art of hiding items. My father taught me that."
"I didn't tell those black-clothed guards of the Holy Wave Race. No matter how they interrogated me, I didn't say anything!" The youth seemed to have regained some strength in his voice. He tried his best to smile but the pain caused his smile to lose its beauty.
"Father asked me to bring something here and hand it to the Sword Holders. He told me that this item won't be destroyed. You can take it away after I die."
"I completed the mission."
The youth tried his best to maintain a smile, as though this was his last act of dignity. The completion of the mission finally caused him to reveal a satisfied expression, but the severity of his injuries caused his smile to slowly fade and his aura to weaken even further.
The pain in his body caused his voice to tremble.
"My father is a Sword Holder. He has always been proud of being a Sword Holder. I also wanted to become a Sword Holder, but I'm not a human. He said that as long as I complete this mission, I can stay in Fenghai County and become a Sword Holder!"
"I have finished the mission, but I can't be a Sword Holder anymore…"
These words moved Xu Qing.
Kong Xianglong and the others were also shaken.
"I really wanted to… become a Sword Holder like Father…"
The youth mumbled. He didn't seem to have much strength to keep his eyes open, and they were slowly closing. But before they shut completely, he struggled to perform a series of hand seals and open his storage space.
A package appeared beside him.
This scene caused indescribable thoughts to rise in everyone's minds. Waves and waves of emotions filled their bodies and minds, pressing down on them.
"You're a Sword Holder!" Kong Xianglong looked at the youth and spoke loudly, raising the command sword in his hand.
"I'm willing to become a Sword Holder. I'm loyal to my duty and not afraid of sacrifice."
Kong Xianglong roared the Sword Holder's oath. Everyone in the surroundings also spoke at the same time. Xu Qing was the same. His heart stirred intensely.
The youth's body trembled. His eyes, which were about to close, suddenly opened. He looked at everyone and mumbled the same thing.
"I'm willing to become a Sword Holder. I will never betray the human race. I'm always prepared to fight."
"I'm willing to become a Sword Holder. I will fight for the human race and protect it."
"I'm willing to become a Sword Holder. I will slash all dangers and bring light to the world."
The youth's voice fused with everyone's voice.
At the next instant, he closed his eyes and the satisfied smile on his face became eternal until an earth-shattering explosion erupted from the array formation.
He was dead and the array formation exploded.
The violent wind and waves swept in all directions, lifting everyone's clothes and hair. After a long time… as the storm dissipated, the youth's corpse disappeared without a trace.
Only a box appeared at the place of his death.
It was a wish box.
It was an opened wish box.
That was the information he had used his life to deliver.
