Chapter 1490: Chapter 1490: The Shy and Bashful Youth
Although Mu Hanyan’s strength surpasses theirs, in battles among masters, unexpected things can happen. Throughout history, even powerful figures have stumbled in small places. Within their capabilities, they don’t want Mu Hanyan to take risks lightly.
Moreover, only by working together can Mu Hanyan’s combat power rise to the Sword Saint Realm, which is the fundamental reason they resolutely followed Mu Hanyan to the North Abyss Misty Plain.
"Stop!" Just then, a majestic voice rang out.
It was the An Yun Supreme Emperor, accompanied by Yan Yuchu and several other young people, approaching quickly. The young people looked pale and their steps faltering, clearly having suffered serious injuries recently. One of them relied on Yan Yuchu’s support to stand steadily.
"This place is the territory of the Anyun Royal Family and the Holy Court Sacred Land. No one is allowed to act here. Those who violate the ban will be killed without mercy!" The Supreme Emperor said in a deep voice, his gaze staring straight at Zhao Sinin, while a powerful pressure emanated from him, pinning Zhao Sinin down.
Zhao Sinin glared at Mu Hanyan. Finally, he took a deep breath and reluctantly sheathed his Longsword under the Supreme Emperor’s pressure.
"Mu Hanyan, remember my words. One day, I will personally kill you to console Ling Xian’s spirit in heaven." Zhao Sinin said harshly, in a voice only Mu Hanyan could hear, before turning to the Transmission Array.
The Supreme Emperor watched Zhao Sinin’s departing figure, frowning slightly.
"Han Yan, the Transmission Array will open in half an hour. Prepare yourself, I won’t accompany you." The Supreme Emperor said to Mu Hanyan, then lowered his voice: "Be cautious of Zhao Sinin. His Innate Divine Ability is said to be quite peculiar."
Last time, they safely returned from the Longyan Mountain, thanks to Mu Hanyan, so the Supreme Emperor was very close to her. Seeing her conflict with Zhao Sinin, he naturally leaned towards her side.
However, this time the plan in the North Abyss Misty Plain concerns the life and death of the entire continent. Every Descendant of Divine Guardian who has undergone Bloodline Awakening could possibly save the continent. So even if he favored Mu Hanyan, he couldn’t act against Zhao Sinin and could only privately give Mu Hanyan a warning.
"Don’t worry, Supreme Emperor. I will be cautious." Mu Hanyan nodded. When Zhao Sinin’s murderous intent appeared, even she felt her breath becoming heavy, her heart inexplicably chilled, and naturally would not take him lightly.
The Supreme Emperor nodded and turned away.
Just then, Yan Yuchu supported the young man and approached Mu Hanyan.
"Why did you come so late?" Mu Hanyan asked with a playful smile.
"It’s all because of him. He was severely injured, barely treated yesterday, causing me to delay until now. By the way, his name is Yan Yuqing, my distant cousin. You know my temperament isn’t great, but among the Yan Family, only this cousin is close to me." Yan Yuchu explained and introduced the young man beside him.
"So... you are Young Master Mu. I am Yan Yuqing, paying... paying respects to the senior." Yan Yuchu was merely seventeen today, although awakening his Bloodline later than Mu Hanyan by a year, missing the most critical time, he was still earlier than others, hence full of potential. However, he was far from Yan Yuchu’s flamboyance, nor was he as arrogant as other noble family’s sons of the same age. Instead, he was extremely shy, blushed with excitement upon knowing the well-known Mu Hanyan was before him and stumbled over his words.
Seeing that his age wasn’t much different than Mu Hanyan’s, yet he regarded himself as a junior, Huayue and others couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Yan Yuchu and I are life-and-death friends. No need to call me a senior, just call me by my name." Mu Hanyan found his innocent nature quite likable and replied gently.
"How could I do that, how could I do that! Calling Young Master Mu by name is not something I can do. I’ll still call you Young Master Mu." Despite being shy, Yan Yuqing was not pedantic, acknowledging Mu Hanyan’s suggestion without insistence but was too embarrassed to call him by name.
"By the way, do you have a grudge with Zhao Sinin?" Yan Yuqing asked. Seeing that Mu Hanyan was approachable, not bearing the noble family’s Young Master’s arrogance as he imagined, he felt relaxed and no longer stuttered.
He arrived a bit late, missing the conflict between Mu Hanyan and Zhao Sinin, but deduced from the tense atmosphere there was longstanding enmity.
"There is some animosity," Mu Hanyan nodded.
"Then you must be cautious. That guy is formidable," Yan Yuqing said.
"You knew him before?" Mu Hanyan asked curiously.
Mu Hanyan never underestimated any opponent, least of all Zhao Sinin. The earlier encounter gave him a deeply unsettling, unfamiliar feeling. Hence, he sought to understand Zhao Sinin’s background through Yan Yuqing.
"I saw him once in Wuyuan City. I’m the Young Master from Yan Family’s Branch Family in Wuyuan City. Recently, when Wuyuan City faced attacks from Exotic Beasts, our Yan Family’s Branch Family cooperated with the City Guard to resist. Other Exotic Beasts were manageable, but that Fierce Stone Demon leading them was particularly formidable. Our Yan Family’s Branch Family lost three elders, two dead and one severely injured at its hands. That’s when I got wounded too.
Everyone thought the city gates wouldn’t hold and prepared to retreat to the inner city. But when the battle was most urgent, over a hundred disciples from Zhengying Academy arrived. No one expected them to turn the tide, yet Zhao Sinin single-handedly slew the Fierce Stone Demon, allowing us to counterattack and finally repel the Exotic Beasts, saving Wuyuan City." Yan Yuqing said, still visibly shaken by the battle that nearly decimated his branch family.
"So powerful, what is his true strength?" Huayue and others were astonished.
They had all witnessed the terrifying might of the Fierce Stone Demon firsthand. To match it without relying on the Five Great Magical Instruments to forcibly enhance their strength surpassed their current cultivation. If facing a Fierce Stone Demon with Supernatural Abilities, even reaching the Great Sword Master Realm would likely result in, at best, a draw.
Could Zhao Sinin’s true strength have reached the Sword Saint Realm? But he didn’t seem to be?
"I don’t know, perhaps no one does. No one saw how he acted. All we saw was a scene of blood and carnage—with the Fierce Stone Demon dismembered. We barely had time to react." Yan Yuqing said.
Huayue and the others’ expressions grew serious. Killing and dismembering were fundamentally different concepts. The Fierce Stone Demon’s defense was among the top tier of Exotic Beasts; even a typical Sword Saint would struggle to dismember it. Obviously, it wasn’t about strength, but rather his Innate Divine Ability.
