THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

King of the Genie

With a powerful stomp of his right foot, Fang An dashed forward at top speed, launching an unexpected attack. One by one, the soldiers of the Genie Kingdom collapsed to the ground, all bearing similar wounds—gutted stomachs with entrails spilling out in chaos.

The stench was unbearable, carried swiftly by the wind. Yu Lian froze, unable to believe what his eyes were witnessing. A wave of regret filled him as he stood helplessly, watching his soldiers slaughtered before him.

"Bastard!" The expletive burst from the lips of the high-ranking Genie official. The fury of losing his troops demanded immediate retaliation.

Yu Lian leapt from his horse. The massive twin swords strapped to his back were now gripped tightly in both hands.

But before he could move, a thick cloud of dust rolled toward them.

Fang An swallowed hard. His eyes locked on the sight of thousands of soldiers galloping toward him. It was clear he’d have to fight alone, and on top of that, he still had to find a way out of this realm of the genies.

The young man’s heartbeat quickened as the thunder of hooves grew louder. Fang An braced himself to face the overwhelming wave of attackers.

The mounted soldiers dismounted and quickly formed a large circle around him.

Suddenly, the circle parted. The soldiers stepped aside as the King of the Genie walked into the center.

“Is he the one who killed our soldiers, Yu Lian?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. That human is the one who slaughtered our men,” Yu Lian confirmed.

The King of the Genie stared deeply at Fang An. He sensed the youth possessed a power he couldn't quite grasp. But his anger over the massacre of his troops clouded his judgment.

“Tell me your reason for slaughtering my soldiers before I kill you!”

Fang An sneered. His eyes locked with the king’s in an intimidating glare.

“It’s not my fault I killed them. I was lost in your realm, and your soldiers accused me without reason. Was I wrong to defend myself? If you think you can kill me, then go ahead!”

A deep furrow formed on the king’s brow. He admired the courage of the human before him. But as king, he had to maintain his authority.

“Anyone who enters my kingdom must face death—lost or not, with or without permission. So you must die now! All of you, attack!”

The king's thunderous command was met with a unified roar from his thousands of soldiers. They advanced like relentless ocean waves.

Fang An fought desperately, dodging, parrying, and striking back. Each slash of his sword claimed one or two lives.

Unbeknownst to him, while only hours had passed in the genie realm, two days had gone by in the human world.

Zhao Wen, Zhao Jian, and A Long finally arrived at the palace of the Shang Dynasty. Qian Hui had deliberately stayed behind to care for her young children.

Their arrival was met with gloomy faces from Princess Xian Lie and Emperor Li Wei. What should have been a joyous moment for the couple had turned into sorrow.

Inside the royal hall, Princess Xian Lie sobbed uncontrollably. Her eyes were swollen, streaming endless tears.

“What’s going on, Your Majesty? Isn’t tomorrow the wedding day of Princess Xian Lie and Fang An? Why is she crying?” Zhao Wen asked in confusion.

Emperor Li Wei tried to remain composed, though pain tore through him. His daughter’s sadness was his own.

“I’m sorry, Elder… Is Fang An with you?” the emperor asked.

Zhao Wen, A Long, and Zhao Jian were visibly shocked. The deep creases on their foreheads showed their concern.

“Fang An said his farewells two days ago to return here, Your Majesty. Has he not arrived yet?” Zhao Wen asked again.

The emperor slowly shook his head. “Where is he now?” he whispered, though loud enough to be heard.

The three men exchanged looks of disbelief.

“Could Fang An be avoiding the wedding?” the emperor asked.

“That’s impossible, Your Majesty. My nephew isn’t like that. He even told us he’d be marrying Princess Xian Lie soon and asked us to come and bless the union in place of his late parents,” Zhao Wen defended him.

“I apologize, Elder. I didn’t mean to accuse him. As a father, I just can’t stand seeing my daughter like this,” the emperor replied.

Zhao Wen sighed deeply. He was sure something had happened to Fang An. But what obstacle could possibly prevent someone like him from reaching the palace?

“Master, can you sense where Fang An is now?” Zhao Wen asked Zhao Jian, the grandson of the founder of the oldest temple in Jawadwipa.

“I will find him, Hesa,” Zhao Jian replied.

The elder and founder of the Temple of Immortality sat cross-legged on the floor. His hands crossed over his chest, and his eyes shut tight.

His spiritual sight roamed the ether, searching for the missing Fang An.

Silence enveloped the hall for a long while. Everyone waited anxiously for Zhao Jian’s answer. All eyes were glued to the meditating elder.

The deep creases on his brow suggested that he had found something. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

“Fang An is currently lost in the Genie Kingdom,” he said calmly. His breath was steady.

“How could he end up there, Master? Where is the Genie Kingdom located?” Zhao Wen asked.

“It’s here in our world, Hesa. On Mount Tianmen,” Zhao Jian replied.

Zhao Wen felt a little relief. At least there was hope to find Fang An.

“But the problem is, he’s now being attacked by thousands of soldiers trying to kill him,” Zhao Jian added.

Zhao Wen clenched his fists in anger. His jaw tightened.

Meanwhile, hundreds of genie soldiers had already perished under Fang An’s celestial blade, yet the waves of attacks never ceased. The Genie King kept sending more troops to finish him off.

Though immensely powerful, Fang An was still human. Fatigue was taking its toll.

The endless waves drained his energy. He knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. Still, he refused to give up. He slowly moved toward the Genie King behind the frontlines.

Fang An thought that facing the king directly would be better than wasting energy on the unending troops. If he could defeat the king, their morale would likely collapse.