Chapter 260: Chapter 247: Slaying the Beast King (Part 2)
"Betrayal? A crime deserving of death at the hands of all?"
Nie Yun hadn’t expected to be branded with such a heavy accusation just for refusing to kill the Beast King, and his eyebrows shot up in anger.
"That’s right. Now get over there! If you dare disobey, we’ll kick you out. You’ll lose any claim to the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree, and we’ll hunt you down. There will be no escape!"
Muu Shengxue burst out laughing, his voice dripping with indescribable glee and smugness.
"Hmph. Even if you’re going to hunt me down, I’ll teach you a lesson first!"
He had already been planning to find the Beast King to study the cryptic patterns on its back anyway, so he wasn’t particularly opposed to Young Master Qii Yang’s demand. However, Muu Shengxue’s taunts grated on him. Nie Yun raised a hand and lunged, reaching straight for him!
"Hmph, still trying to act tough? You’re hopeless!"
It seemed Muu Shengxue had anticipated Nie Yun’s attack. His body flickered to the side as he dodged. With a cold snort, a brilliant sword light erupted from him, sealing off the space all around his body.
"Break!"
Ignoring the radiance of his opponent’s sword, Nie Yun covertly activated his Soaring Water Master ability. Muu Shengxue felt a sudden, immense force strike him from behind. His sword light dissipated, and a moment later, the youth’s hand was clamped around his neck.
"You..."
Never in his wildest dreams had Muu Shengxue imagined he’d be caught by the throat without even lasting a single move. His face contorted in a savage scowl.
"Let go of Muu Shengxue! We’re in grave danger, yet you’re blind to the situation and fighting amongst ourselves? You’re courting death!" Qii Yang roared, taking a step forward. The great hammer in his hand pulsed with energy, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
With the three men caught up in this commotion, Mu Qing, Mu Xia, and Baihua Xiu began to struggle against the onslaught of the Demon Wing Black Armor Beasts, and they were forced to retreat again and again.
"Hmph, I’ll go kill the Beast King. You lot should focus on saving your own skins!"
Seeing that the three women were struggling, Nie Yun raised his hand and slapped Muu Shengxue across the face more than a dozen times. He put his full strength into every strike. After just a few slaps, Muu Shengxue’s once-handsome face was twisted out of shape, his teeth were knocked loose, and his lips were grotesquely swollen. He was beaten so badly even his own mother wouldn’t have recognized him.
THUD!
Done with the slapping, Nie Yun casually tossed Muu Shengxue to the ground.
"You... you dared to slap me? No one has *ever* slapped me before! I’ll kill you for this..."
His face throbbed with a fiery pain, and Muu Shengxue’s eyes were so bloodshot it looked as if they might start bleeding.
’He couldn’t understand it. How could this youth be so arrogant? To dare attack him, to slap him so viciously, even under the watchful eye of Young Master Qii Yang!’
You don’t hit a man in the face; a slap is the ultimate humiliation. Muu Shengxue felt he had lost all shred of dignity. He was so mortified he could have died.
"I hope you can all hold out until I get back!"
Ignoring Muu Shengxue’s screams, Nie Yun pushed off with his feet, parted the water, and shot off in the direction where the horn had sounded.
"Yun Tong... Isn’t he being too reckless? If it gets too dangerous, all we have to do is leave the Dark Gold Cold Stream. The Demon Beasts would never dare to follow us out. There’s no need for him to rush in there to die..."
Mu Qing frowned as she watched the young man disappear into the distance.
"He probably has his own reasons..."
Baihua Xiu said softly, blocking the attacks of several Black Armored Beasts with a pair of quick palm strikes.
’Though she didn’t understand why he would yield to Young Master Qii Yang and risk his life to kill the Beast King, she remembered his "glorious achievements" of wiping out the Assassin Union and the Mi Tian Sect Imperial Family in just a few days. He was definitely no reckless fool; he must have a plan.’
Once out of the others’ sight, Nie Yun channeled his Soaring Water Qi. He immediately felt an unparalleled connection to the water, as if he had instantly transformed into a fish—or a great dragon living in the depths.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
He circulated his Soaring Water Qi, controlling the surrounding seawater. He could breathe freely and darted through the water at incredible speed. The swarming Demon Wing Black Armor Beasts couldn’t even touch him, let alone block his path.
’As expected of one of the three great escape talents. Its power in the water is terrifying!’
Feeling this change in himself, Nie Yun had the urge to let out a triumphant roar.
Unless you experienced it firsthand, you could never know how terrifyingly powerful someone with the Soaring Water Talent was in the water. The adages "like a fish in water" and "like a tiger with wings" were a perfect description.
’It seems Ouyang Cheng was deliberately hiding his strength earlier. That guy... I bet he’s plotting something behind our backs...’
Now that he had used his Soaring Water Qi, he understood just how powerful a Soaring Water Master was in the water. When Ouyang Cheng had shrunk the protective barrier earlier, Nie Yun had assumed it was because he was under too much pressure and couldn’t maintain it. Now, it was clear that wasn’t the case at all!
’If he could control the seawater within a certain range, how could he possibly be affected by the pressure?’
’The only explanation is that he’s also conserving his strength, waiting for a critical moment to strike and carry out some nefarious plot!’
’Looks like their goal this time is definitely more than just the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree!’
Realizing this, Nie Yun became even more certain of his suspicions.
The Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree was valuable, its effects almost heaven-defying, but it definitely wasn’t valuable enough for Ouyang Cheng to go to such lengths.
After all, with the Soaring Water Talent, the entire ocean was his personal backyard. What kind of treasure couldn’t he find? There was no need to offend a disciple from a great family like Qii Yang over a few Nine-Heart Demon Fruits.
’Heh, no matter what they’re planning, as long as I tag along and play it by ear, I’ll be fine!’
With a faint smile, Nie Yun settled on a plan. At that same moment, the Demon Wing Cloud Armor Beasts ahead grew scarcer, and a massive Demon Beast with a golden carapace appeared before him.
This Demon Beast was a full two sizes larger than an ordinary Cloud Armor Beast. Its entire body was golden, and the cryptic patterns on its carapace were dazzling. Just as he’d expected, they were even more profound and inscrutable than those on the Black Armored Beasts.
’These cryptic patterns really will be a huge help in comprehending Dark Force...’
Seeing the dense web of lines on the creature’s back, Nie Yun’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. It was as if a treasure mountain had appeared right in front of him, and he couldn’t contain his excitement.
"Human Cultivator, you dare barge into my territory? You even want to kill me? Today will be your last!"
The giant Demon Wing Cloud Armor Beast before him spoke, its voice rolling toward him like a tidal wave, shaking the very rocks on the seabed.
’It can speak human language! It’s an Ultimate Venerable Demon Beast!’
"Heh, we’ll see whose day this is to die. Why don’t you go first!"
Seeing that the creature was relying on its defense and had no intention of moving, Nie Yun laughed, raised his Profound Jade Sword, and charged forward.
FWOOSH!
The Beast King was decisive. Knowing its opponent had come prepared, it opened its massive maw and a Cold Ice Stream shot toward Nie Yun.
Nie Yun didn’t dodge. He activated his Great Strength Dantian, his True Qi surging, and brought the Momentum of the Earth crashing down on the Beast King’s hardest point—its carapace.
’Hmph, courting death!’
The Beast King saw the youth strike its carapace and paid it no mind. It was just about to swallow him whole when it suddenly felt a sharp pain in its innards. BOOM! In an instant, the muscles inside its shell turned to mush. Its proudly raised head drooped and crashed heavily to the ground.
Killed in a single blow!
