Chapter 1091: Chapter 1090: The Black Fog_1
After unleashing six swords, Shi Xiaole swiftly dodged to the right. It was then that the attacks from the remaining nine Ferrying Warriors barely hit, easily neutralized by the Array System of the inner wall’s Sky Origin realm.
At the same time, the old geezer, covered in blood, slammed against the other side of the inner wall, rebounded to the ground, and rolled several times in an extremely sorry state.
This was the first time Shi Xiaole had used all his strength to evolve his "Body-Breaking Invisible Sword Qi" into "Invisible Sword Qi", and the effect was even better than he had imagined.
In reality, Shi Xiaole had oversimplified his own improvements.
The increase in the speed of his sword strikes meant that in the same amount of time, he could perform more actions, which was an enhancement both offensively and defensively, equating to an all-around enhancement. So even though his attacking power had not changed substantially, the strength he displayed was beyond comparison with his past self.
Of course, this was only possible for Shi Xiaole. Anyone else could not have made such great progress because even if their speed increased, their minds and bodies could not capture these minute changes to maximize their advantage.
Not to mention, the Vigorous Air expenditure for nine consecutive swords was massive, not something many could withstand.
"Wha—, what?"
"The old geezer has been defeated?"
"This can’t be real!"
The sequence from Shi Xiaole’s sword resistance against the Ferrying Warriors to injuring the old geezer was over in the blink of an eye. Cold Crow Ancestor and the others had yet to react; when they finally comprehended the situation on the field, they were almost driven mad.
This was an ambush by nine top Heaven Realm Martial Emperors and ten top Earthly Realm Martial Emperors—escaping from such an encirclement would be an incredible display of power, and merely surviving for a moment could be described as nothing short of invincible bravery.
But no matter what, no one was supposed to defeat them—it was completely illogical, beyond even the wildest fiction. Not to mention Shi Xiaole hadn’t won with difficulty, but with ease, as if he were merely playing with them.
If not for Shi Xiaole’s attacking power being genuinely at the top of the Heaven Realm tier, everyone would almost suspect that he was the Forbidden Martial Emperor!
Red Stamen Fragrance Queen’s jaw dropped open wide enough to fit an egg. There was no pretense or affectation this time; she had no mind for such things, completely bewildered.
The sight of that tall and straight figure in green robes had completely overturned her worldview. Merely calling him formidable would be insufficient—it would be more accurate to describe him as monstrously powerful.
If all the geniuses in the outside world were this powerful, she might as well stay in the Colorless Realm; otherwise, going out would only bring shame upon her.
"You, you, this old man can’t lose, can’t..."
The old geezer was in complete disarray, his mouth shaking involuntarily. He had obtained the Color Crossing Command and had control over all the Ferrying Warriors. Why had it come to this? How could the young man be so terrifyingly powerful?
As his focus gradually returned, he looked at Shi Xiaole with fear that he could not hide, his body spasming uncontrollably as he stumbled back, shouting in panic, "All Ferrying Warriors, attack together, block him for me!"
The eighteen Ferrying Warriors advanced again, but Shi Xiaole easily dodged them. His words cut like a sharp sword, mercilessly severing the old geezer’s last hope, "Aside from these eighteen, all other Ferrying Warriors are dead. So you might as well give up."
The old geezer’s pupils contracted, and he went cold from head to toe. He swung his sword fiercely at Shi Xiaole, no longer caring about the consumption of his Vigorous Air, and simultaneously flew out of a window, attempting to return to the shore.
"So what if you’re stronger than this old man? If you want to kill me, wait for your next life!"
One on one, the old geezer admitted his inferiority to Shi Xiaole, but so what? At most, he was fleeing for his life. The opponent’s sword was fast, but his Flying Skill wasn’t much stronger than his own.
However, as soon as he left the hall, an intense pressure bore down on the old geezer, and he remembered the mysterious great force on the Color Crossing Ship.
"There’s no need to wait for the next life."
Shi Xiaole did not chase after him. The moment the old geezer made his move, two strands of invisible mental force shot from his eyes, the "Heavenly Palace Illusion" from the Sacred Heart Technique. Following the illusion was the "Heavenly Heart Calamity", launched with the Heart Sword.
Boom! Boom!
Whether in terms of mental quality or the power of the Heart Sword, Shi Xiaole had surpassed his past self, thus the might of these two supreme skills naturally reached new heights. Given their proximity, the old geezer stiffened in mid-air.
The Cleansing Evil Sword stabbed forth, and a glint of cold light flashed through empty space. A very fine line of blood shot from the old geezer’s chest. The old man opened his mouth, and countless cracks radiated from his chest, spreading out in all directions, blowing his body into pieces.
A pitch-black jade token the size of a baby’s palm flew from where the old geezer had been and into Shi Xiaole’s hand. The attacking Ferrying Warriors instantly froze.
"Color Crossing Command?"
Shi Xiaole examined the jade token in his hand. The Color Crossing Command didn’t look unique; it was square, with the characters for "Color Crossing" etched on the front like ghostly talismans, and holding it seemed to send a continuous warm flow into him.
After repeated testing for a while, Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but laugh wryly.
This Color Crossing Command could only control the Ferrying Warriors. It couldn’t even affect the ship’s Array System; its effect was very limited. He had indeed overestimated the old geezer.
On the other hand, this left Shi Xiaole feeling uneasy. It meant that he could not control the Color Crossing Ship, where it was heading, or what he would encounter along the way—he knew nothing and was undoubtedly going to be very passive.
"Oh well, since I’m on the ship already, why bother thinking too much? I’ll deal with whatever happens when it comes."
Having secured the Color Crossing Command, Shi Xiaole cast aside unnecessary thoughts. As he turned around, the experts led by Cold Crow Ancestor were so frightened they dare not even breathe too loudly for fear that any noise might attract attention.
Shi Xiaole sighed, feeling unable to control the overall situation, yet he was unaware that in the eyes of Cold Crow Ancestor and the others, he had already become the controller, holding everyone’s life and death in his hands. It was clear that even the Grandmasters could not escape; if it were them, they would die even faster.
"The Ten Sword Emperor is invincible in this world, this old man has grown old, indeed, I did not recognize Mount Tai. I hope the Sword Emperor won’t take offense, and not lower himself to deal with a petty person like myself."
Fearing that Shi Xiaole would seek him out first, Cold Crow Ancestor preempted by addressing Shi Xiaole directly as the Sword Emperor, an obvious sign of his terror. He flattered in a way that was meant to be comforting and pleasing.
"The Sword Emperor is mighty and domineering, unmatched in all the world!"
"Truly the Sword Emperor is a remarkable talent unlike any other the world has seen. This old man has never beheld such a sight in his life."
"Nonsense! The Sword Emperor is not just a remarkable talent, he is the foremost prodigy in the world, beyond compare!"
"..."
One after another, the crowd piled on praise, each fearing their flattery fell short of the mark and would be outdone by others, potentially displeasing Shi Xiaole.
Looking at these people, Shi Xiaole thought killing them would sully his hands. Their previous actions were normal, simply clinging to power to survive, but what was truly shameful was their utter lack of dignity and ugly groveling.
"All of you, get out. Without my permission, do not even take one step up here."
Shi Xiaole said.
"Yes, yes, at the Sword Emperor’s command, none dare disobey."
"We will obey the order."
Everyone acted as if they had been granted amnesty. After bowing, they scattered faster than anyone else, as if a ferocious ghost were chasing them.
"Suzerain, Senior Brother, feel free to find a room to rest."
Ignoring the rest, Shi Xiaole gestured to the Zhan father and son.
Zhan Renxiong looked at Shi Xiaole and after a long while, he spoke with an emotional tone, "Xiaole, I truly can’t believe that you once were a disciple of our Ten Sword Sect."
He could no longer envision Shi Xiaole’s future; indeed, no one might be able to imagine it; only heaven knows what lies ahead.
Shi Xiaole said, "As long as the Ten Sword Sect exists, Shi Xiaole will be its disciple."
Zhan Renxiong patted Shi Xiaole on the shoulder and suddenly burst into laughter, filled with indescribable pride and satisfaction, exclaiming, "Good, good, very good!"
Zhan Liye did not speak because no words could express his feelings at the moment. Regarding Shi Xiaole, he could now only look up and admire him. Perhaps soon, even that privilege would be gone.
Not far away, the Red Stamen Fragrance Queen stopped herself from speaking.
Aside from the Zhan father and son, she was the only one who harbored no malice toward Shi Xiaole and had not sycophantically flattered him. Instead, she had been watchful all along. Therefore, Shi Xiaole did not drive her away, nor did he intend to make a deliberate acquaintance.
The Red Stamen Fragrance Queen gave a wry smile. Seeing the Zhan father and son each find a room to rest in, and that Shi Xiaole showed no intention of paying her any mind, she had no choice but to turn around and find herself a room on the fifth floor as well.
Once everyone had left, Shi Xiaole, along with the eighteen Ferrying Warriors, ascended to the sixth floor. Then he cycled the Demon Martial Way and Life and Death Martial Way, absorbing dead and resentful energy.
The Life and Death Martial Way had just broken through and didn’t feel much different, but there was a sense of satiation in the Demon Martial Way, almost at the brink of another breakthrough, which caused Shi Xiaole particular regret.
Among the four great martial ways, the highest realm belonged to the Wind Sword Way, which reached the late stage of tenth layer, equivalent to the late stage of the eleventh layer of the top martial ways.
However, the late ninth layer of the Demon Martial Way, which was also equivalent to the late stage of the eleventh layer of the top martial ways, would be even more powerful. In other words, even previously, Shi Xiaole had not been in his strongest state; it would only be when he used the Demon Martial Way.
Of course, the speed of the Demon Martial Way could not match that of the Wind Sword Way, and looking solely at the effects, they were close to equal. But if the Demon Martial Way broke through to the peak of the ninth layer, things would change.
A martial way at the peak of the eleventh layer is the standard for a Heaven Realm Martial Emperor. If Shi Xiaole could further combine it with his Vigorous Air, the power of the Heart Sword, and the attributes of the Demon Martial Way, perhaps he could wrestle with the experts ranked in the top eighty of the Emperor List.
Without the Ferrying Warriors’ supply, Shi Xiaole toured the Color Crossing Ship one more time, making sure there were no anomalies, before settling down on the sixth floor. He spent his days either cultivating or absorbing the death energy from the black stones, improving his Life and Death Martial Way.
About a month after the Color Crossing Ship set sail, a pitch-black fog appeared ahead, enveloping the entire Returning Home River.
"Ah..."
After the Color Crossing Ship entered the black fog, the many masters on the first floor screamed in horror, desperately circulating their Vigorous Air to fend off the invasion of the black mist, but with clearly poor results.
"Such heavy death and resentful energy. Now I understand, the source of power for the Ferrying Warriors is actually from here."
Like everyone else, Shi Xiaole was enveloped in the black fog, but unlike their terror, he wore a smile on his face.
