owlsbooks Chapter 193 The Killing Intent Beneath the Grand Ceremony
Chapter 193 The Killing Intent Beneath the Grand Ceremony
Occasionally showing a more approachable side might reduce some unnecessary trouble and suspicion.
"...Alright." Lin Tian finally nodded, his tone still calm. "Tell them I'll be there on time, but it won't be for long."
When the news reached Grayrock City, the entire city was in an uproar!
Wan Heng was so excited he almost jumped up, and Liu Ji's eyes instantly burst with uncontrollable elation, but he quickly lowered his head to hide it, though his hands, placed at his sides, trembled slightly with excitement.
......
Finally, the day of the grand ceremony arrived.
The central square of Gray Rock City was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Players eagerly awaited the arrival of the game, their voices a cacophony of chatter, laughter, and expectant whispers creating a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.
Sunlight shone on the fluttering flags and the players' brand-new armor and robes, reflecting a dazzling light that seemed to dispel the gloom brought by the undead scourge of the past few days.
Wan Heng, dressed in his finest armor, stood on one side of the platform, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness, constantly adjusting his armor.
The core members of the Ironwall Guild stood on both sides, their faces also beaming with glory.
Liu Ji, dressed in an inconspicuous gray leather armor, moved nimbly through the crowded throng like a slippery eel.
He didn't choose a front-row seat near the platform, as it was too conspicuous.
He finally stopped in a corner where he could clearly see the platform, where the crowd was relatively sparse, making it convenient for him to launch a sudden attack at a critical moment, and where there was cover and an escape route behind him.
His heart was pounding like a drum, his palms were sweating with nervousness, but his mind was unusually clear and cold.
He repeatedly simulated the steps he would take later in his mind: identify the target, adjust his breathing, lock on, and activate his talent!
He was like a precise and cold machine, checking his own status—his mana was full, his mind was highly focused, and the [Soul Replacement] skill icon was clearly visible in his consciousness, ready to be activated.
Time ticked by, each second feeling like torture. The louder the cheers around him, the more intense the murderous intent in Liu Ji's heart grew.
He looked at the players' faces filled with adoration and sneered inwardly: "Cheer, worship... Soon, this body you worship, this invincible power, will belong to me, Liu Ji!"
......
At that moment, the atmosphere in the square reached its peak!
A dazzling white light illuminated the teleportation array in the center of the square, and the next moment, a figure slowly emerged.
There was no overwhelming pressure, no deliberately emitted energy fluctuations.
The newcomer simply stood there calmly, his posture upright, wearing a seemingly simple yet subtly radiant shadow robe, and holding a strange staff that seemed to be formed from nebulae.
His face was calm, his eyes like deep pools, scanning the dark mass of people before him. There was no excitement, no annoyance, only a detached indifference as if looking down upon all living beings.
It was Lin Tian!
"Boss Lin Tian!!"
"It really is him!"
"Lin Tian! Lin Tian! Lin Tian!"
A deafening roar of cheers erupted instantly, soaring into the sky! Countless players waved their arms excitedly, trying to get his attention.
Wan Heng quickly led the core members of the guild to greet them, their faces filled with excited and respectful smiles.
Guided by Wan Heng, Lin Tian slowly walked towards the high platform covered with a red carpet.
His steps were steady, and he seemed to notice the frenzy around him, yet he seemed completely indifferent to it.
For him, this occasion was more like a formality that needed to be completed as quickly as possible.
And at that very moment, when everyone was focused on Lin Tian, the atmosphere was at its most heated, and all eyes were on him, even Lin Tian himself felt most relaxed because of this purely "benevolent" environment—
Hidden in the shadows, Liu Ji's pupils suddenly contracted to the most dangerous pinpoints!
It's now!
Target confirmed! Distance...less than fifteen meters! Within his effective firing range!
The environment is perfect! Everyone is in a state of high excitement, providing the best cover!
The timing was perfect! Lin Tian had just stood still and hadn't even spoken yet, when he was completely relaxed and unguarded!
Liu Ji held his breath instantly, all tension and fear replaced by extreme excitement and greed.
He seemed to see himself standing on that high platform, enjoying the cheers of the crowd, with world-destroying power surging within him!
Like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait, he leaned forward slightly, his muscles and mental strength stretched to the limit, locking onto the seemingly unsuspecting figure.
Beneath the grand ceremony, a deadly trap is already brewing!
......
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment, each frame frozen into eternity.
Lin Tian had already stood on the high platform.
He stood tall and straight, his Shadow Weaver robes motionless in the breeze, as if they absorbed even the light.
His gaze swept calmly across the dark mass of people below, the tidal wave of cheers and fervor seemingly failing to stir even the slightest ripple in his deep eyes.
He slightly raised his hand, not in response, but merely as a gesture to signal for quiet.
The clamor subsided as if pressed down by an invisible hand, leaving only countless expectant, admiring, and curious gazes focused on him alone.
Wan Heng stood to the side and behind, a proud and excited smile on his face, preparing to step forward and say a few opening remarks to bring the ceremony to its first climax.
In the absolute stillness, with everyone's spirits taut like a bowstring, awaiting the moment Lin Tian would speak—
Liu Ji, who had been hiding in the shadows of the crowd, made his move!
There was no warning, no shouting, not even a trace of extra energy fluctuation.
All his power, all his spirit, all his greed and determination, were compressed and condensed at this moment, and then erupted like a volcano that had been dormant for millions of years!
His eyes instantly lost all human emotion, leaving only a burning, pure, and mad desire!
Deep within his pupils, two miniature, rotating gray vortexes seemed to be forming, locking onto the figure on the high platform.
Soul swap!
Talent, activate!
An invisible and intangible yet strangely powerful wave, capable of freezing thoughts and tearing apart the very essence of the soul, shot out from between Liu Ji's eyebrows in a manner that transcended the speed of light and disregarded conventional physical distances!
This wave is not an energy attack; it does not carry any elemental properties and does not cause any physical damage.
It is more like a key to "existence" itself, a cursed blade containing the rule of "exchange"!