I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 532: Heart of the Behemoth

Chapter 532: Heart of the Behemoth

’This madman!’

He gritted his teeth as the emperor’s grating laughter echoed in the chaotic noises engulfing his kingdom’s every corner.

Simultaneously, the ground gave way under his feet, the endless abyss below gazing straight into his eyes like a ravenous beast eying food. It devoured the falling boulders and would devour him too in a second if he did nothing to stop his fall.

Yet, his eyes only narrowed in focus, the fear that should have seized his heart in its icy grip and made his limbs tremble, unable to creep its way to his emotions. Instead, he scanned the debris falling with him.

Eyes flaring and boiling blood coursing through his veins, he blurred into motion a split second later.

"The citizens had nothing to do with our battle! Because of you, millions will die, and the surrounding countries will bear the scars of your spell. Millions more will die, and then dozens of millions will follow. Don’t you have a sliver of conscience, or are your disproportionate ambitions weighing more than their lives?"

A defiant roar overwhelmed the ambient noises as he leapt from one rock to another in a show of extreme wit. Like a dragon scaling a waterfall, he pushed upwards and emerged in the darkened sky.

"They’re not my people. They’re yours! It was your duty to protect them, and you failed! Curse the day you landed in MY world, die in regrets and witness my powers!"

The emperor roared in response, the brown gem encased in his staff spinning as he continued.

"Cataclysmic eruption, earth furies, mineral halberds!"

With the path open, lava burst from the abyss in a pillar of doom spanning several kilometres. The air became burning and hard to breathe, the toxic smell of sulfur replacing oxygen.

Simultaneously, three colossal broadswords pierced through the sky and thousands of shining halberds as sharp as tier-six weapons surrounded Lin Yao.

Meanwhile, Lin Yao bit his lips, a sad glint flashing in his eyes.

’I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all. Please, hold on to life, my precious subjects.’

However, he didn’t have time to think about them or anything because he could feel the lava tickle the soles of his feet and hear the three swords split the wind.

Fingers cracking into a fist encased in swirling multicolored Qi, he struck down with everything he had.

ROAR

An ethereal dragon embodying his burning spite and the five elements emerged. The sound of its scream made the air tremble as it charged at the lava to confront nature’s wrath.

BOOM

The collision’s shockwave rocked the sky. Angry gales rose, pushing him several kilometers away, just in time to feel the colossal swords’ heat pass a few centimeters by.

But he knew he wasn’t out of danger yet. He could hear the thousands of halberts cleaving the wind to reap his life and see the behemoth push himself from the rubble in the distance.

With a frustrated hiss, he blasted the air with a punch, the shock wave propelling him to one of the blades.

Like a fresh wind amidst the chaos, he stormed across its scalding surface, ignoring his melting boots and sizzling feet.

Meanwhile, the halberds poured on him under the emperor’s control. Yet, his eyes only drifted to them for a split second before his limbs moved. In a surreal dance of exquisite grace and precision, he moved them just enough to feel them brush his skin, cut locks of verdant hair, or leave superficial scratches as he pressed forward.

His blade shone with Qi as one last halberd dug into the rocks behind him, and he reached the tip.

Only a few meters separated him from the flying emperor now. All it would take to end this cataclysmic battle was on strike, and his heart roared for him to deliver it.

Without wasting a second, he leapt above the abyss. Arm tensed, and drawing a multicolored stream of light contrasting with the bleak scenery, he swung it towards his adversary’s neck.

However, the emperor’s lips curled into a meaningful smile.

ROAR

With an enraged roar, the behemoth lunged at him from his dead angle, its mouth wide open and its teeth glinting death in his eyes.

’Shit! I must end this before the raven and the ghost return!’

His teeth cracked, and his jaws tensed at the lost opportunity as he confronted the beast.

Pushed by its lunge, he landed on firm ground by the abyss and engaged in a titanic battle.

Unlike the first time, the creature didn’t underestimate him because of his size and cautiously avoided injuries. After all, its only job was to delay the minuscule yet brave human while the others returned and the emperor bombarded him with earth spells.

Once again, the earth rumbled and cried as spells, Qi, and brute strength ravaged it mercilessly.

His blade crisscrossed through the air, aiming to end the moving mountain without delay.

However, each time his strikes were about to connect, the emperor protected the beast, making his brows crease into a worried frown and the confrontation frustrating to no end.

With no other option, he gritted his teeth and resolved himself to pour most of his Qi to summon the first slash he had used in this battle.

’I’ll have to manage my energy carefully until it recovers, but I can’t let them regroup!’

The behemoth’s fist passed under his feet as he lept high and swung his blade on it.

"Die Lie!"

Scalding arcs danced on his blade’s edge as a sharp stream of Qi, dwarfing the colossus in size, cleaved the air in halves.

The emperor moved instantly, his mana flaring and the ground shifting into two arms glinting with a metallic luster to protect his fighter.

Meanwhile, the behemoth crossed its bulging arms over its chest, covering its vitals as the sword light engulfed its vision in a world of silver.

Despite their efforts, sparks flew as the metal splintered in a split second.

SHRIEK

Two colossal obsidian mountains of muscles flew through the air, a bloody downpour that drowned the battered ground scarlet accompanying their trajectory.

The light dug into the behemoth’s torso, cleaving through its muscle steel-like fibers and reaching its hard bones.

CRACK

Crunching noises reverberated as they splintered. Yet, they had served their use in protecting its internal organs.

Despite its pain, the creature knew it would recover if given enough time. Even its arms would eventually regrow.

However, Lin Yao had other plans for it.

"Die!"

He kicked the air as if it was solid.

The wind ruffled the rags covering his body as he pierced its wounded chest. His outstretched blade shattered everything in its path before he saw it: the behemoth’s hulking heart drumming a song of dread. And he was right to feel it!

Like a saw, he spun towards it, his blade drawing a circular arc that shredded the blood vessels and flesh in its path.

The hum of metal reverberated in juxtaposition with the heart as he passed through it.

HOWL

Its heart divided into two perfect halves, the creature howled in agony as he emerged from its back.

Blood painted him red as the creature gathered its last sliver of strength to gaze upon its killer. Its golden eyes trembled with terror, yet he noticed something else sparkle in their depths.

"The emperor can’t control you anymore. For what it’s worth, you’re free now."

"Thank you..."

The behemoth, once a tyrant who occupied a quarter of the southern continent, groaned in gratitude as its huge eyelids closed.

However, a surge of deep-seated hate engulfed its thoughts even in its last moment and despite its suffering’s end.

’Kill that bastard emperor, human. I’m sure I’ll enjoy watching the world burn from the other side!’