Chapter 336: Grisly Meatballs
After Yun Xiao's daring move, the powerful beings from the seven hells faced a choice. Their hearts churned with silent, stormy undercurrents.
The wise assess the times and the tides, the fools dabble in dark plots. Life and death, wealth and poverty, sometimes they're not in the hands of fate.
Yun Xiao returned to his Sword Cultivator comrades.
Exile Yun. A fervent cheer erupted, sweeping through the Immortal Asylum.
In the Sword Ruins, there remained no soul unconvinced of his might!
Yun Xiao's first battle had ignited an explosive start to the Nine Hells Conquest Clash.
Congratulations to the Eternal Sword Prison for seizing the first victory. Mo Jianzhi's voice, dry and monotone, made the announcement.
Few joined him in congratulations. Most powerhouses of the Nine Hells were still wrestling internally with acceptance.
Also, a note for everyone Mo Jianzhi looked around, Behind each of the eight gates, there's a guest palace. Those who finish battling can rest there temporarily.
As his words faded, a rumbling noise came from behind Yun Xiao!
A wall caved in, revealing a colossal underground palace, its entrance adorned with a plaque reading Radiance Palace.
Similar palaces emerged around the battlefield, one for each of the Eight Trigrams.
Perfect, a place for cultivation. Yun Xiao was quite satisfied with the Immortal Asylum's hospitality.
The Fate Ocean Battle Royale, with nine hundred contenders, would last nearly ten days. These palaces meant most didn't have to keep vigil by the battlefield, especially the Sword Cultivators! Having decided to forfeit, the battle was even less of their concern.
Clear the field! Those in the second battle, prepare to enter. Mo Jianzhi announced.
Mu Daxiong stepped forward with his Radiance token. He had been itching for a fight, but Yun Xiao's order was final. Strong as he was, he accepted the decision to forfeit, setting an example for the other Sword Cultivators!
Ignoring the mocking gazes from other hells, Mu Daxiong tossed his token into the battlefield.
"Whoever wants it, pick it up!" he said, retreating to his corner.
Sure, we might be at the bottom of the competition, and that's a bit of a letdown. But didn't Exile Yun start off spectacularly by thrashing his opponent?
Comforted by this thought, the mocked Sword Cultivators managed to keep their spirits up. Yun Xiao's single fight had straightened their spines!
Before the other fighters for the second battle entered the stage, Yun Xiao noticed someone cleaning the bloodstains off the battlefield.
Who's that?
It was an old man in a gray robe! He was hunched over, looking as old as the hills, with not a tooth in his mouth. He held a broom, seeming to have been there for ages, yet completely unnoticed.
However, Yun Xiao had taken a keen interest in him!
Oh, him? He's been around the Immortal Asylum for a long time, the Sword Warden said.
How long? Yun Xiao asked.
Well, he was sweeping the arena platform when I first came here. Looked about the same? The Sword Warden chuckled. At first, I found him odd, but its been decades, and hes never caused a stir. Just known as Old Immortal by Mo Jianzhi and others, not much respect there.
Old Immortal? As Yun Xiao mulled over this title, the sweeping old man looked up and smiled at him. He was toothless and somewhat goofy-looking, appearing perpetually cheerful.
Yun Xiao returned the smile.
Finish up and get out of here, dont dawdle, Mo Jianzhi barked.
Right-o! The old man rolled up his trousers and hopped off the battlefield, disappearing into a shadowy corner.
Yun Xiao soon lost sight of him.
By the way, Yun Xiao asked the Sword Warden, didnt you say the Immortal Asylum was like a sect? Shouldnt there be quite a few people around? It seems a bit deserted.
The Sword Warden paused. True, not many have shown themselves... I remember, ten years ago, there were thousands of Immortal Asylum elites watching the battle.
This Nine Hells Conquest Clash, with Yun Xiao at its center, indeed made many overlook this peculiarity.
Right now, all we see are Mo Jianzhi and his three companions, the Sword Warden murmured.
And the Old Immortal, Yun Xiao added.
Did you notice something odd about this place? the Sword Warden asked.
Yun Xiao didn't answer directly but threw back a different question, Since weve all decided to sit out the fight, can we temporarily leave the Immortal Asylum?
Every time the Nine Hells Conquest Clash ensues, the Immortal Asylum is completely sealed. No leaving The Sword Warden glanced towards the Radiance Palace behind him, Since the palace has opened, it clearly means they want us to rest there for a while.
Was there no guest palace before?
In past battles, it was all over in a day or two. No need for a break, the Sword Warden said.
Alright then. Yun Xiao didn't linger on the subject. He headed straight for the Radiance Palace, You guys take your time surrendering, I'm off to level up.
Level up
This term left the Sword Warden with a mix of amusement and bemusement. Others would say they were off to cultivate. The result of cultivation was leveling up!
Yun Xiao was skipping straight to the endgame.
In the Radiance Palace, Yun Xiao strolled around and found this underground palace quite expansive.
Tens of thousands of rooms, countless courtyards.
A few thousand people could live here for a month or two, no problem.
Yet, now it was just him, making it eerily spacious. Standing in a long, chilly corridor, he sniffed the air and wiped the dust off a windowsill.
At least a decade since anyone's lived here. He frowned slightly. Looking up and around, this silent, dark palace felt like the gaping maw of an abyss, mysterious and unsettling at every turn.
In the quiet, he could faintly hear the sounds of combat from the distant battlefield.
After the Sword Cultivators withdrew, the seven hells had lost their hunting target. In their quest for dominance, they had turned to internal strife.
By the sound of it, theyre not holding back. Yun Xiao shook his head. Life, when it came down to it, was always about interests. His emergence as a common enemy momentarily united them, yet it couldn't change their inherent nature to fight each other.
The Inscription Cultivators aspired to be the ruler of the Nine Hells for another decade!
The Yang Devils of the Rising Sun Inferno, in fact, harbored the same desire.
So did the demons, especially those from the Undead Depths!
And the Endless Netherworld, Primeval Demon Hell, and Leviathan Ravineif they couldn't rule, they sure as hell wouldn't let their arch-enemies do so!
The Reverie Abyss was the only hell that seemed a bit more laid-back. However, they also feared being gobbled up by the other two oceanic hells.
So, these 900 battles signified a brutal internal drain for the entire Nine Hells.
For the Sword Cultivators to sidestep this carnage was a wise move indeed.
Just as Yun Xiao was about to dive into cultivation, the Radiance Palace trembled violently, a terrifying beastly roar sweeping through, nearly bursting his eardrums.
The Nian, it's close to me Yun Xiao swiftly turned, peering into the swirling dark mists behind him.
Did Mo Jianzhi want us to stay put in the palace after the fight so we wouldn't stumble upon some unsavory secrets of the Immortal Asylum? Standing up, Yun Xiao vanished into the darkness.
He left the Radiance Palace, finding a dimly lit, sinister path. The roars echoing within were intimidating, downright savage.
Blue Star popped out of his embrace, his deep blue eyes scanning the surroundings.
Any mommy milkers out there? Red Moon, huddled inside, peered out with large red eyes.
There is, but it's probably a corpse. Want a taste?
Nah! It's expired, surely gone sour, Red Moon shuddered in refusal, Drinking that is asking for trouble.
After a pause, he glanced up at Blue Star's jaw, dead serious, It might even cause... problems for your mouth.
Ugh! Just imagining that scene made Blue Star retch.
Quiet. Yun Xiao silenced them, treading deeper into the corridor, his steps light.
Most times, the passage was as silent as the path to the underworld, but occasionally, it quaked violently, emitting brutal soundwaves.
The bricks and walls bore signs of decay!
Swirls of dull yellow mist formed small rings in the air, floating about like suspended mouths.
I feel like we're getting closer to the Nian. Yun Xiao furrowed his brow, continuing forward.
Be careful, we might not be able to take it on, Blue Star cautioned.
Isn't it locked up? Yun Xiao queried.
Hard to say, any seal loosens over time, Blue Star said, hinting at deeper meanings.
I get the idea! Red Moon exclaimed excitedly, screeching, Like that Phoenix Empress, sealed for ages, then loosened up the moment she saw Moon Fairy!
Shut up! This time, it was Yun Xiao and Blue Star's turn to silence Red Moon.
Yun Xiao took a deep breath and pressed on.
The roaring of the Nian grew closer, hammering his heart like a heavy mallet.
Huh? Then, amid the beast's roars, Yun Xiao heard a series of dull, rhythmic hammering sounds.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Yun Xiao and Blue Star exchanged glances.
The sound was not far from them!
As they drew closer, the hammering grew louder, accompanied by heavy, labored breathing!
A corner appeared ahead!
THUMP! THUMP! The hammering was just around the bend.
Easy there, the meatballs will be ready in a jiffy. A hoarse, slick voice came from around the corner.
Yun Xiaos brows furrowed slightly! He inched forward, peeking around. And there he saw it! In the midst of the corridor, an old man in a gray robe, hammer in hand, was pounding away.
Beneath him lay a large chopping board.
On it, a mass of crimson flesh, unclear whether from a human or a demon!
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! The old man, smiling, was vigorously pounding the flesh, humming, Patience, little one, fresh and tasty meatballs coming up! Nice and firm, hehehe
Yun Xiaos pupils narrowed.
Old Immortal?
Wasn't he cleaning up the battlefield?
With this question in mind, Yun Xiao glanced up.
Suddenly, he saw behind the old man a wall covered in countless inscription runes, easily in the hundreds of thousands!
And now, a huge crack had formed in this wall! Within the crack swirled dull yellow streams of air, creating a deafening storm! Abruptly, a massive yellow eye appeared in the crack! It was staring right at Yun Xiao!!!
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