Chapter 1047: Chapter 1046: The Honor of the Kirin_1
Although an Earthly Realm Martial Emperor could break a medium-grade Spiritual Weapon, thanks to Shi Xiaole’s added power, the Spring Fury Sword had been invincible until today.
Frankly speaking, nowadays, the Spring Fury Sword barely increased Shi Xiaole’s strength, but outsiders could never understand a swordsman’s affection for his beloved sword.
As the saying goes, a husband does not dismiss his wife in times of poverty; in the Divine Barrier Realm, the Spring Fury Sword had always been by Shi Xiaole’s side, helping him defeat one powerful enemy after another. This sword carried too many of Shi Xiaole’s glories and sweats.
"Maybe, it’s time for you to rest."
Putting the Spring Fury Sword into the system space, Shi Xiaole made a note of this enmity today. His martial arts realm had been on the verge of a breakthrough after many days of arduous cultivation, and he believed revenge was not far off.
In the time that followed, Shi Xiaole still roamed the Heavenly Desire Origin, encountering many wanderers from the Martial World, including three Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors.
Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors were certainly not common, but in the world’s ten most dangerous places, these were the kind of people who enjoyed exploring the most, hence encountering them was naturally more likely.
He had also run into that group of Burial Martial Artists several times, and wherever they went, almost no one escaped the calamity. Martial artists were like fish on a chopping board, subject to their arbitrary slaughter, with extremely cruel methods.
Even Shi Xiaole dared not approach them, because that fragrance seemed capable of dissolving his Vigorous Air.
"Such a cold breath."
On this day, a gleam of jubilation flashed in Shi Xiaole’s eyes as he entered a glacial plateau.
This was not a manifestation of his desires, but rather the actual scenery of the Heavenly Desire Origin, which was terrifying; it indicated that Shi Xiaole could now hide his desires so well, he could even deceive himself.
The glacial plateau stretched for thousands of miles, clothed in shimmering silver. The cold here exceeded the world’s understanding and could directly freeze a martial artist’s Vigorous Air. Even amidst the cold, Shi Xiaole could sense the aura of the martial path of ice!
He figured that if he fought in the glacial plateau, his strength would likely fall by more than thirty percent.
"How can there be a martial path of ice?"
After careful inspection and finding no danger, Shi Xiaole temporarily set aside his worries and was replaced with excitement.
If one studied the Sacred Heart Technique closely, they would find that it was closely related to the path of ice. So, would cultivating in such a place speed up his progress?
Without hesitation, Shi Xiaole dug a hidden and deep cave in the glacier and concealed himself within, immediately entering a state of cultivation.
Hiss hiss hiss.
The cold air penetrated every nook and cranny, and to Shi Xiaole’s excitement, under the influence of the martial path of ice, his cultivation of the Sacred Heart Technique really went smoothly, better than ever before.
"The Sacred Heart Four Technique requires the enhancement of the martial path of ice. My cultivation is useless; better to put effort into mastering the Sacred Heart Four Tribulations."
Within the Sacred Heart Four Tribulations, the Shocking Eye Tribulation and the Evil Blood Tribulation were both nearing perfection. Shi Xiaole hoped to advance further so that when he encountered first-rate Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors, he wouldn’t be so passive.
One day.
Two days.
Five days.
...
In the secluded ice cave known to none, a figure sat cross-legged, formed into an ice sculpture. A terrifying spiritual force that was gathering yet unfledged, was fermenting within the ice sculpture.
Half a month later.
Whoosh!
The cold was split by a pathway of spiritual force, and even the martial path of ice was temporarily dispelled.
"Shocking Eye Tribulation has finally reached perfection."
The eyes of the ice sculpture seemed to open for an instant and then quickly closed again.
Ten days passed, and a terrifying and surging vitality mixed with spiritual force cracked the surface of the ice sculpture.
"The perfected Evil Blood Tribulation combined with the Purple Blood Great Method might rival the killing moves of first-rate Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors, but there are still limitations in distance; it’s not enough."
The weakest of the Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors still exert Earth-level killing moves, like the Asura Martial Emperor from Rainbow State. Of course, it’s regrettable for the latter, for after his martial path breakthrough reached 120 percent, had he not died at the hands of Shi Xiaole, he might have created a Heaven-level killing move.
Second-rate Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors generally have Heavenly List-level killing moves, but they do not rank very high. On the other hand, first-rate Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors’ killing moves, by rule, rank within the top thirty of the Heavenly List.
However, it should be noted that not all killing moves of first-rate Heavenly Realm Martial Emperors make it to the Heavenly List, as some may disdain fame and fortune and do not take the list seriously at all.
At this very moment, if Shi Xiaole were to test on the list of ultimate moves, his Evil Blood Tribulation might well make it into the top thirty of the Heavenly List.
"The third tribulation of the Sacred Heart Four Tribulations, the Heaven’s Heart Tribulation, is almost reaching minor achievement; let’s break through here."
The power of the Heaven’s Heart Tribulation was greater than that of the Evil Blood Tribulation, and this move was driven by heart force. Shi Xiaole’s Heart Sword force had long been perfect, and once combined, it might well surprise him greatly.
Rushing through another twenty days.
In the air flowed an indescribably mysterious spiritual force, which was finally retracted back into the ice sculpture.
Crack crack crack.
The ice sculpture shattered, and a green figure shot out, soon arriving below a floating pavilion. Inside the pavilion, tens of thousands of people were singing and dancing.
Shi Xiaole silently activated the Heaven’s Heart Tribulation, and in an instant, thousands of masters were directly controlled. It’s important to note that this time, it was not the spirit that was controlled, but the heart force.
To some extent, heart force is a more terrifying and mysterious existence than the spirit. There are secret methods of defense against the spirit in the Martial World, but there has never been any kind of defense against heart force.
Shi Xiaole unleashed his Heart Sword force, and the number of controlled individuals surged from a few thousand to tens of thousands in an instant. Among these people were Earth Immortals of the Divine Border, Lords of the Dragon Gate Realm, and they had no inkling of what had transpired until Shi Xiaole withdrew everything.
To further confirm his suspicions, Shi Xiaole returned to the place he had passed by and took control of an Earthly Realm Martial Emperor, sustaining the influence for dozens of breaths.
"The mental strength of an Earthly Realm Martial Emperor, even though it isn’t on par with a top-tier Heaven Realm Martial Emperor, shouldn’t differ by dozens of times. Within a certain range, this move ’Heavenly Heart Calamity’ is definitely a trump card."
Shi Xiaole’s confidence surged, and he could hardly wait to seek revenge on Flame Sun Great Emperor.
But when he got back to the battleground, Flame Sun Great Emperor had vanished, as had the Three-life Subordinate Fate Flower; only a broken rootstock remained, which must have been consumed by the opponent.
...
In the midst of the vast plain, the scorching sun, icebergs, and sea of thunder melded together, obscuring the azure sky and white clouds, looking like an abnormally abstract world.
Three terrifying figures of immense stature stood their ground, each in their own domain.
"Ice Emperor, you’re indeed not dead."
The speaker stood at the center of a rolling red sun with a diameter of a thousand zhang, his voice itself like waves of heat, assaulting the ears of the martial artists who had inadvertently been caught in this barrier and struggled to escape.
"Very strong, this person must be Flame Sun Great Emperor of Bei Liang Dynasty," said the Tang Family members present. The speaker was the eighth Elder Tang Que. Although he was just a peak Earth Immortal, his insights were wider than many Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm.
"If you didn’t die, how could I possibly have died?"
Opposite the red sun stood an unmeltable iceberg, and beneath a sweet-scented tree atop the iceberg, sat a white-robed, white-haired young man with even his pupils a silvery white—his entire being devoid of any color but white.
It was none other than the notorious Ice Emperor.
Legend held that Ice Emperor was born with an unusual physique, encased in ice in a coffin at birth, later drifting to a remote island overseas. By chance, he was saved by a reclusive remarkable person and eventually became one of the exceptional masters in the world.
"There are only two objects, but three people. One of you should back down."
Ice Emperor raised a cup made of ice and drained it in one gulp, without so much as glancing at the two other formidable experts.
Within the thick lightning bolts as large as child’s arms, the Thunderbolt Emperor of the Tang Sect laughed thunderously, "Ice Emperor makes a good point. So, between you two, who is going to quit?"
Watching the pair, Flame Sun Great Emperor sneered.
Three fearsome forces collided suddenly—one blazing, one chilling, one explosive. In an instant, the red sun shattered, the iceberg collapsed, and the sea of thunder fractured, and the fabric of space itself seemed to burst, as though a cloth was being torn into thousands of pieces.
Fortunately, the capacious nature of Heavenly Desire Origin spared the trapped martial artists around from harm, even as the shockwaves weakened in layers. Still, many were frightened into fainting on the spot.
"With two top-grade Spiritual Weapons emerging, this battle is sure to turn the heavens upside down."
The Multi-armed Martial Emperor from the Tang Sect looked uneasy.
In the very center of this barrier, two orbs of light floated. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t merely lights but a seven-foot-long saber and a thirteen-segment iron mace, their intensities so immense, they outshone rays of light.
They were, indeed, two top-grade Spiritual Weapons.
If mid-grade Spiritual Weapons were suited for Terrestrial Immortals, then top-grade Spiritual Weapons were tailor-made for Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm. Such weapons possessed infinite killing power and came with various functional attributes.
Bluntly said, even the weakest Martial Emperor of the Void Origin Realm, armed with a top-grade Spiritual Weapon, could fight against a second-tier Human Realm Martial Emperor. At the Heavenly Realm level, it could increase strength by about fifty percent.
Does it sound minimal? Fifty percent for a Heaven Realm Martial Emperor is worth decades, even centuries of cultivation!
The seven-foot-long saber emanated intense heat and was most suitable for Flame Sun Great Emperor, while the thirteen-segment iron mace was firm and domineering, a perfect match for Thunderbolt Emperor, which is why both of them became frenzied at the outset.
As for Ice Emperor, although he was not a perfect fit for either top-grade Spiritual Weapon, the mere increase in power they offered was reason enough not to pass them up.
Bang bang bang!
At some moment, Flame Sun Great Emperor and Thunderbolt Emperor began to team up, attacking Ice Emperor from both sides.
"Heh, you’ve got a clever idea of splitting the top-grade Spiritual Weapons. Play nice," sneered Ice Emperor, conjuring two ice balls in his hands that exploded into countless ice shards, piercing through both the red flames and the purple lightning.
Thunderbolt Emperor cried out, "Ice Emperor, why don’t you let go? We are willing to exchange for it with something else. You must understand, these two things are not very effective for you."
Ice Emperor’s strength surpassed imagination, faintly exceeding both Thunderbolt Emperor and Flame Sun Great Emperor. To defeat him, it would take at least ten days or half a month, and with long nights come many dreams, introducing the possibility of unforeseen events.
Ice Emperor remained silent.
Flame Sun Great Emperor suddenly said, "Ice Emperor, how well have you mastered the Diverting Heart Technique? Haven’t you always wanted a perfect substitute? Just recently, I have come across the most suitable candidate—Kirin Sword Emperor of the Flying Horse Dynasty! It’s said that although he is not yet forty-five years old, he is already a Heaven Realm Martial Emperor."
At this statement, a flicker of interest finally appeared in Ice Emperor’s eyes.
Moreover, the expressions of all martial artists present, including Thunderbolt Emperor, shifted.
"Heh, if I hadn’t been careless last time, I would have already captured him. Although the rumors are often exaggerated, we cannot underestimate the boy—he took several of my moves and only suffered minor injuries," Flame Sun Great Emperor knew Shi Xiaole’s identity and continued smiling, "If you don’t believe it, you can ask Thunderbolt Emperor. As long as you quit vying for the weapons, Thunderbolt Emperor and I are willing to help you capture the lad."
"Of course, before that, you need to let me absorb some of his life essence. After all, if he becomes your substitute, his life essence will be of no use to him anyway," said Flame Sun Great Emperor, transmitting the latter part of his message telepathically. He secretly delighted in his heart, as it seemed to be a perfect solution beneficial to everyone involved. He didn’t believe Ice Emperor would refuse.
As for Shi Xiaole, becoming a tool for improvement for him and Ice Emperor should be considered an honor.
What Flame Sun Great Emperor didn’t expect was that at this very moment, the very Shi Xiaole he was thinking of had sensed the commotion, especially his aura, and was actively making his way over.
