Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Blocking the Road
What would it be like to see two hundred Profound Level Martial Artists gathered in one place?
Most people would have no concept of such a force. Take the three great families of Yellow Sand City, for example. The most powerful of them, the Shangguan Clan, only had just over thirty Profound Level Martial Artists on paper. Even counting their hidden experts, the number likely wouldn’t exceed sixty.
The Fang Family and the Qin Family wouldn’t have more than fifty Profound Level Martial Artists at most. As for those above the Profound Level, they were even rarer. And Celestial Level experts? They were a family’s ultimate power!
In the entire Cyan Dragon Kingdom today, it was likely that no one but the emperor himself could pull off such a grand gesture: seventeen Celestial Level Martial Artists, fifty Earth Level Martial Artists, and two hundred at the Profound Level... One had to wonder if he had deployed the entire foundation of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom.
But this fact alone was enough to excite countless clever individuals and stir their hearts! If they hadn’t received reliable information, how could the Royal Family make such a massive play, risking leaving their own domain undefended to send all their experts here?
So, this was the true reason that drew countless Martial Artists to flock to Phoenix Lake!
Before this, everyone had assumed that even the Royal Family would have to play by the rules of the Martial World. The Ancient Ruins were bound to be enormous, and Phoenix Lake itself was vast—far too large for just a few people to explore thoroughly. When the time came, it would be every man for himself. Whoever found treasure would be the one with the best luck!
Unfortunately, things are often like that. The imagination paints a beautiful picture, but reality is always cruel.
The current situation was a perfect example.
Phoenix Lake was encircled by high mountains. Though located in the south, their peaks were covered in pristine white snow that hadn’t melted in a thousand years, giving them a majestic and formidable appearance, a truly magnificent sight!
These mountain ranges stretched for hundreds of miles. Viewed from high above, one could see eight massive, symmetrical peaks radiating out in eight directions with Phoenix Lake at their center, like a royal crown. Phoenix Lake itself was like an oval, blue gemstone set in the middle of that crown, a breathtakingly beautiful sight!
However, this geography meant there were only eight paths to Phoenix Lake, each one passing between two of the giant peaks. The biggest obstacle wasn’t the difficulty of climbing the peaks themselves. Rather, it was that every single one of those eight massive mountains was home to countless powerful Spirit Beasts!
Never mind those at the Profound Level... even Celestial Level Martial Artists wouldn’t dare to rashly challenge them!
There was only one road from Yellow Sand City to Phoenix Lake—the one right before them. And now, it was blocked by two hundred Profound Level Martial Artists from the Royal Family. What was more terrifying was their demeanor. Each one radiated a fierce, battle-hardened aura, reeking of iron and blood. A heavy killing intent clung to them, the kind that could only be forged in life-or-death struggles and on battlefields where they had slain over a hundred men.
Most of the Martial Artists gathered here had killed and shed blood before, but even they were intimidated by the aura of these two hundred men. A crowd of three to four hundred people was blocked at the final approach to Phoenix Lake. Many were trying to stir up trouble, shouting and agitating the mob, but no one actually dared to try and force their way through.
Qin Li and his companions made their way to the back of the crowd. Looking at the incensed mob of Martial Artists, Qin Li smiled faintly and chuckled to Hu and the others beside him, "See that? That’s the biggest difference between the government and the people. They just have two hundred men standing there, and no one dares to charge. Because if you do, it’s tantamount to treason..."
Bu Yunyan was taken aback. "Is it really that serious?"
Qin Li chuckled. ’If you had ever lived in the world I came from,’ he thought, ’you wouldn’t even have to ask.’
However, a Martial Artist in front of them seemed to take issue with Qin Li’s words. He turned around and saw a handsome young man in his twenties from whom he couldn’t sense any powerful energy fluctuations. Besides, the latecomers were always looked down upon. The reasoning was simple: those who dared to arrive first were the ones with real skill, while most who trailed behind were just hoping to pick up scraps.
With that thought, the Martial Artist curled his lip in disdain and sneered, "Treason? Hmph, you’re making it sound more serious than it is. Don’t be such an alarmist, kid! We outnumber them two to one, and there are hidden masters in this crowd. How do you know there aren’t Earth Level or even Celestial Level Martial Artists here? Wiping out these two hundred would be a piece of cake!"
Seeing him contradict Qin Li, Bu Yunyan grew displeased. She shot back with a cold smile, "You make it sound easy. Sure, there are a lot of us, but we’re nothing but a disorganized mob, everyone for themselves. Besides, the Royal Family also brought many Earth Level and Celestial Level experts. Even if we killed these men, do you think their superiors wouldn’t come after us?"
"Hmph, if you’re so scared, what are you even doing here? Just turn around and go home!" The Martial Artist, seeing he was being mocked by an ugly woman, sneered and curled his lip. "Or how about this? You could just climb over that mountain. That’s another way to get to Phoenix Lake!"
Bu Yunyan saw the man was just being difficult, so she just snorted and ignored him.
At this point, the Martial Artists from all over were starting to get restless. After all, they had come here to strike it rich, yet now they were being blocked before even catching a glimpse of the ruins.
While their killing intent wasn’t as heavy as the Royal Martial Artists’, most of these men were bold and reckless types who didn’t fear death. Who among them could stomach such a frustrating humiliation?
"Damn it, that goddamn Royal Family is shameless! I busted my ass to get here, and on what grounds do they stop me from going in? Do they really think the emperor’s word is law everywhere? Well, I’m not afraid! Brothers, I can’t take this shit anymore! Can you?"
"Endure my ass! I’m done enduring! They’ve had us blocked here for half the day. Do they really think we don’t have the guts to fight back?"
"Exactly! You royal bastards have gone too far! You’re provoking every hero in the realm! Anyone with any spine wouldn’t stand for this humiliation! Brothers, grab your weapons! Let’s kill these sons of bitches!"
The several hundred Martial Artists from all over began to stir. Being blocked here was no solution, and now, with a few agitators fanning the flames, their blood began to boil. There were definitely some powerful individuals in the crowd—regional masters who never held much respect for imperial authority to begin with. Being stopped by the Royal Family’s men only made them more furious.
The crowd began to slowly advance on the two hundred Royal Profound Level Martial Artists.
The Royal Martial Artists naturally felt the pressure. One of them, who appeared to be a leader, his eyes wide with fury, roared, "What do you think you’re doing? Is this a rebellion? I’m warning you, this area has been sealed off by the Royal Family—"
Before the Royal Martial Artist leader could finish, a piercing WHISTLE cut through the air. An instant later, an arrow, shot from an unknown location, pierced his throat. He collapsed to the ground, dead on the spot.
The faces of the Royal Martial Artists paled in an instant!
"Sealed off, my ass!"
Only then did a sinister, grating voice, like the cry of a night owl, drift from the crowd.
Everyone was stunned by the arrow. The Royal Martial Artist’s leader was at least a High Tier Profound Level expert, yet he was killed by a single arrow before he could even react!
’What level of strength must that archer have?’ A wave of whispers immediately spread through the crowd.
"It’s someone from the Arrow God’s Zhe Family!"
"Has to be. In the entire Cyan Dragon Kingdom, who else besides the Zhe Family can loose an arrow like that?"
"So satisfying! Hehe, now things are getting interesting. The Zhe Family is not to be trifled with. Back in the day, the former emperor sent an army of fifty thousand, and even they couldn’t wipe out the Zhe Family’s estate..."
Qin Li’s gaze fell on the man who had just shot the arrow. He was a slender man in his thirties, not particularly tall and rather inconspicuous in the crowd. He was holding a gray bow, and from his expression, he felt not a shred of fear for having just killed a Royal Martial Artist.
"What’s the story with the Zhe Family?" Qin Li asked Hu in a low voice. "Isn’t he afraid that the Royal Family’s Earth Level Martial Artists will come out and give him trouble?"
