Chapter 1053: Chapter 1052: Jingyun Palace_1
The Vigorous Air Vortexes increased from four hundred and nine to four hundred and fifty-six, the additional forty-seven vortexes distributed across the body in a specific pattern, each storing an equal amount of Vigorous Air.
In other words, Shi Xiaole’s total amount of Vigorous Air had increased by about one-tenth, that is, by ten percent. It might not sound like much, but in reality, many Martial Emperors in the Void Origin Realm couldn’t increase their Vigorous Air by one-tenth even if they cultivated for a lifetime.
The reason for such a substantial increase wasn’t merely the Vigorous Air Vortexes, but rather because he had broken through the second potential spring of humanity, which allowed him to accommodate such a vast amount of Vigorous Air.
"The second potential spring varies from person to person, and the timing of its emergence is different for everyone, but undoubtedly the sooner it appears, the better. It means that I might be able to reach the legendary third and fourth potential springs," he said.
Shi Xiaole took a long breath, releasing the excitement brought about by his increase in power.
In the Martial World, only a very few Martial Emperors in the Void Origin Realm had reached the second potential spring, and none had openly reached the third.
Now, Shi Xiaole had effectively reached the pinnacle of the Martial World, and there wouldn’t be many who could look down on him.
"Based on my current strength, I’m afraid I could defeat the Flame Sun Great Emperor through martial arts alone. And with the Spiritual Path, defeating him would take no more than twenty moves," he mused.
Whether it was the Black Absolute Emperor, the Four Symbols Sword Emperor, or the Unfathomable Leg Emperor, any one of them posed a greater danger than the Flame Sun Great Emperor, especially the Black Absolute Emperor, whose strength was unfathomable.
Yet Shi Xiaole was no longer afraid. His unrivaled mental strength allowed him to accurately assess his own power, which was certainly not below the Black Absolute Emperor’s, and possibly even above it.
As far as he was concerned, there was no difference between facing them together or individually, as long as they were at the same realm level.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, an extremely subtle yet terrifying mental force swept over Shi Xiaole, causing his hair to stand on end and goosebumps to cover his body.
If his senses were correct, this barely perceptible mental force originated from even deeper within the black fog forest!
A chill ran down Shi Xiaole’s spine. Could it be that a tremendously powerful master lurked within, and he had been completely unaware of it from the start?
Ten breaths.
Twenty breaths.
Thirty breaths.
With no response, Shi Xiaole, suppressing his alarm, stood up and dashed without looking back out of the black fog forest until he was far away, finally relaxing when he realized no one was following.
The moment he was swept by that force, he truly felt as if a fierce beast had targeted him, and he doubted that even if he used lethal techniques he could have withstood an attack.
In the deepest part of the black fog forest.
Within a pitch-black pool, a head slowly surfaced. If one’s eyes could see through it, they would find that strands of energy were flowing from the bodies of the Martial World visitors who had died in desire, and entering into this head.
At a certain moment, the eyes of the head opened slightly.
"How long have I slept? The energy of these prey is too weak, they are all worthless. It seemed as though I found a fat sheep just now, where has it gone?"
"Never mind, never mind, I’ve feigned death six times and finally deceived the great way of heaven. I mustn’t stir up trouble, lest I attract attention. After all, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is overflowing, I can show myself openly!"
"Hahaha, Holy Monarch, the Three Great Divine Generals of the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, are you dead? And all those old monsters of yesteryear, I can’t wait to show you the power I’ve gained after feigning death six times, hahaha..."
A light that could make the heavens and earth pale flashed briefly in the half-open eyes, which then closed again, as the head sunk back into the depths of the pool.
The black fog forest remained as tranquil as ever.
...
Only after running tens of thousands of miles away did Shi Xiaole truly dispel the unease in his heart, and even the joy brought about by his power increase was swept away.
Now was far from the time to relax. There were far too many masters in the world.
Officially, the Martial Emperor was the number one of the Flying Horse Dynasty, as well as all three major dynasties. But from Shi Xiaole’s encounters, he was certain that he met at least six individuals whose abilities surpassed those of the Martial Emperor.
The old man who played the zither in Rainbow State, the Nameless Elder, the man in blue, not to mention the Shattered Space Blade Ancestor need not be mentioned.
Not to mention the sound of the Erhu that suddenly aided his breakthrough while practicing the Dragon Gate Divine Skill—at the time, it seemed like coincidence, but now, upon reflection, the skill of the Erhu player was inconceivable.
Plus the owner of the mental force today, made six in total.
And this was only what Shi Xiaole knew. In the hidden corners of mountains and forests, in alleys and markets, could there be even more hidden experts? And if one included the mysterious South Sea and the land of Miaojiang, teeming with strange people...
For a moment, Shi Xiaole’s spirit surged, and the initially cautious demeanor gave way to boundless boldness. As a martial artist, what could be more exhilarating than competing with these extraordinary figures from all over the world for the pinnacle of the martial path?
Could this great era be just such an opportunity?
"I must grow faster and not miss out," he resolved.
Clenching his fists, Shi Xiaole’s expression turned resolute as he flew off in a certain direction.
...
At Heavenly Desire Origin, there were days and nights just the same, and before anyone realized it, half a month had passed since the celestial light made its appearance in this world. The number of warriors entering continued to increase, but the death toll rose even more drastically, with large-scale clashes and bloody battles happening all the time.
In such a perilous place, Dragon Gate Realm Lords were merely cannon fodder, and even Earth Immortals of the Divine Barrier Realm couldn’t ensure their own safety. Only the Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm stood high above the rest, often reaping astonishing rewards.
Among them, a few Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm had the most prominent reputations and the greatest harvests.
Accompanying this, a message was being whispered amongst the warriors--the Black Absolute Emperor, the Four Symbols Sword Emperor, and the Unfathomable Leg Emperor had jointly declared that whoever could provide information on the Kirin Sword Emperor’s whereabouts would receive a favor from them.
One must know that these three Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm were among the strongest in the secret realm, holding absolute authority. The Kirin had offended all three of them, and its future looked grim.
However, curiously, no one had seen the Kirin since the incident occurred.
Although the Black Absolute Emperor and his peers were enraged, they were helpless to act. Fortunately for them, a dilapidated palace called Jingyun Palace had recently appeared and drawn their attention.
Jingyun Palace contained no spiritual herbs or secret manuals, but it held Spiritual Weapons.
Every three days, a torrent of Spiritual Weapons would gush from the innermost attic of the palace. Even during the previous few times, a high-grade Spiritual Weapon had appeared, sparking fierce competition among the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors. After a bitter struggle, it had been claimed by the Xuanming Taoist Emperor from the Wudang Mountain of the Flying Horse Dynasty.
Apart from the deepest palace, other areas of Jingyun Palace also birthed Spiritual Weapons of varying levels. These weapons, which the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors disdained for their bulk and inconvenience to transport, thus became the battleground for other powerful figures.
From a distance, Shi Xiaole also saw Jingyun Palace.
This palace was nestled between two mountain passes, with a gate in the shape of crossed swords and axes. Its walls were mottled and the bricks were uneven, looking very dilapidated.
"The Spring Fury Sword is broken, I do need a handy weapon, so it might be worth a look."
A swordsman without a sword felt odd, and Shi Xiaole had yet to reach the realm where he could wield the world itself as his sword. He had intended to forge a medium-grade Spiritual Sword on this trip, but now it seemed there might be more options.
Of course, whether he got one still depended on luck; sometimes, the sword was of fine quality but didn’t feel right, and that would be a waste.
In a hasty flash, Shi Xiaole entered Jingyun Palace.
"Hey, was that the Kirin Sword Emperor just now?"
"I think it was. Ever since the Black Absolute Emperor and the others issued their message, hardly anyone dares to wear green clothes, to avoid being mistaken for him. Who else could it be but Kirin?"
"He may not know about this. If someone denounces him, well..."
A crowd of warriors were making their way behind Shi Xiaole, some astonished, some worried, but more of them were schadenfreude, eager to see the Kirin capsize.
Passing through the gate, Shi Xiaole was greeted by many corridors, each leading in a different direction. Choosing one at random, he soon saw a two-story pavilion.
There were weapon racks inside the pavilion, but no weapons--they must have been taken by others already.
It was only after passing some murals and reading inscriptions that Shi Xiaole learned Jingyun Palace used to be a renowned artifact crafting sect of the ancient Martial World, and they even possessed the method to forge high-grade Spiritual Weapons!
But high-grade Spiritual Weapons weren’t so easily crafted; from its founding to its demise, Jingyun Palace had only managed to forge a mere five such weapons, with two having gone missing. Each one, however, was renowned in the Martial World, coveted by countless warriors.
What caught Shi Xiaole’s interest the most was that among these five high-grade Spiritual Weapons, there was a sword named "Cleansing Evil." It was the personal beloved sword of the palace master of Jingyun and one of the most famed treasures of that era’s Martial World.
"I wonder if the Cleansing Evil Sword got lost. When Jingyun Palace was destroyed, it was likely due to the method for crafting high-grade Spiritual Weapons, and the enemy probably wouldn’t have overlooked it."
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Shi Xiaole didn’t set his heart on the Cleansing Evil Sword; he would be grateful enough if he could find a suitable medium-grade Spiritual Sword for himself.
Pavilion, rooms, floor tiles, and long corridors with recesses--wherever there had been a spot for weapons, someone had already beaten Shi Xiaole to it. He saw only two damaged weapons, which crumbled into seven or eight pieces the moment he picked them up.
However, deeper inside, the scene changed. Everyone was fighting, corpses and blood littered the floor, and occasionally, Vigorous Air would sweep in, instantly blasting the bodies to shreds.
"This is mine."
"Gents, give the Yin Mountain Ancestor some face."
"Scram!"
Not far away, several peak Earth Immortals were fighting fiercely over a lower-level medium-grade Spiritual Weapon. In their distraction, a surge of Vigorous Air headed towards Shi Xiaole.
Zzzt.
The Vigorous Air dispersed into countless fragments, and the lower-level medium-grade Spiritual Weapon ended up in Shi Xiaole’s hand: "Poor quality." Tossing it aside casually, Shi Xiaole walked deeper in.
"Kirin, Kirin, he’s finally shown up!"
"How dare he come here?"
The group of peak Earth Immortals were taken aback and too shocked to fight over the weapon anymore.
