Chapter 1099: Chapter 1098: Before the Challenge_1
In the long street, strong and profound martial auras collided with each other like waves crashing against the sky, stirring up layers of ripples in the void.
To 99% of the warriors under the heavens, the strength of those clashing was considered unmatched, but in the eyes of many in Cliff Peak City, especially the first ring area, it was hardly even mediocre.
Countless pairs of eyes were all fixed on the street, including experts from the Flying Horse Dynasty, masters from the Western Region, and others who came to watch the spectacle. Especially for the latter group, they were more eager to see what kind of reaction would come from the top figures of both sides.
But at that moment, a sword intent flashed and disappeared.
In an instant, the numerous martial auras on the street were subdued and extinguished, as fragile as a candle flame in the wind, snuffed out with a single blow, utterly powerless to resist.
What’s more, many of the supreme experts present, even those from the first ring area, were unable to detect the source of the sword intent. Not to mention its source, they couldn’t even remember the aura of the sword intent because it was simply too fast!
Of course, this also had to do with everyone being caught off guard, but at least it proved that the person who released this sword intent was undoubtedly an unparalleled expert.
"Miss Ji, Miss Qiu, Brother Gong, Brother Liu, Brother Sheng, Brother Huan, long time no see. Would you care to come up for a chat?"
The crowd by the window was originally packed, but as Shi Xiaole stood up, they automatically parted to either side. The look in their eyes was incredulous, as if to say, it was indeed so.
Those who had been boasting that Shi Xiaole was not as good as the Fiery Flame Child Emperor shrank to the side, trying to avoid notice.
They had always thought Shi Xiaole was just another person, nothing to fear, but it wasn’t until this moment, under that intangible aura, that they realized they didn’t even have the courage to look him in the eye.
Shi Xiaole walked up to the window, exposing himself to everyone’s sight.
"Brother Shi!"
Liu Xuantong was first startled, then burst into elation, calling out first.
"Just as I thought, it’s you, rascal."
Sheng Xingzhi exhaled, his tone no longer as stiff as before.
A glint of unusual color flashed in Gong Thirteen’s eyes as he sheathed his sword.
He once ardently wished to redeem his honor and personally defeat Shi Xiaole, but as the latter advanced further and further, that competitive mindset had long since faded. Upon seeing him again, besides feeling emotional, there was nothing left but uncontainable admiration.
Ji Morou stared intently at the handsome young man who appeared at the window, while Qiu Yuchu and Huan Yundu appeared stunned, with no response for quite some time.
Looking at them, capable of drawing such expressions from these proud children of the heavens, with a green robe and white hair, with the surname Shi, there was only one person in the entire Martial World, in the entire world.
In everyone’s minds, an image automatically surfaced of a figure who had overshadowed all other talents under the heavens for a considerably long time, a figure who pressured all his peers so much they couldn’t lift their heads, bright and unmatchable as the rising sun.
Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole, and no one else!
"Would you care to come up for a chat?"
Shi Xiaole repeated his invitation.
"Hahaha, I might refuse others, but how can I not give face to Brother Shi?"
Liu Xuantong laughed heartily, completely forgetting the fierce fight that preceded, and started walking toward the inn. Gong Thirteen and the others hesitated for a moment, then followed suit.
"Wait, would you dare to state your name?"
Just as the entire place was subdued by Shi Xiaole’s emergence, Tuoxu Tuo was the first to react, raising his head to shout loudly. From beginning to end, Shi Xiaole had not glanced at Tuoxu Tuo, which ignited his rage, feeling insulted.
"I am the very Shi Xiaole whom you consider overrated."
Although they had their suspicions in their hearts, when Shi Xiaole admitted it, everyone still trembled.
"The Fiery Flame Child Emperor, my junior brother, has openly challenged you. Do you know this? If you do, why do you avoid battle? Are you afraid?"
Tuoxu Tuo pressed for an answer.
"If you want to challenge me, come and tell me to my face."
Shi Xiaole finally looked at Tuoxu Tuo.
But with just one glance, Tuoxu Tuo felt a shiver travel through his whole body. What kind of gaze was this? There was no effort, no momentum, yet it felt like an unrivaled divine sword, whose mere presence signified overwhelming power, an indescribable, unstoppable force!
Tuoxu Tuo’s expression became dazed, his eyes starting to lose focus.
At that moment, he began to doubt whether his junior brother could defeat this formidable opponent.
No, his junior brother had mastered the Turn-the-Sky God-slaying Art and received the empowerment from two of the top Heavenly Realm masters. Even his master said that his junior brother had an 80% chance of entering the top sixty-five of the Emperor List. What was a Kirin compared to that?
"I will convey your words exactly as spoken to my junior brother; I hope you won’t regret it."
Firming up his belief, Tuoxu Tuo tried to resist the oppressive aura of Shi Xiaole, scoffed coldly, and turned to leave.
The other two geniuses from the Western Region, as well as the skinny young man from the beginning, naturally dared not confront Shi Xiaole, each turning their head to leave, but in their hearts, they were all cursing, hoping that the Fiery Flame Child Emperor would defeat Shi Xiaole and restore the prestige of the Western Region.
"So, this is the Kirin? Heh, impressive."
"A top Heavenly Realm Martial Emperor suppressing a few inferior Martial Emperors, what kind of skill is that?"
"Whether there’s skill or not, we’ll know in the coming days."
Within the first ring area, the expressions of many important figures varied, some smiling, some cold, some closing their eyes and motionless, and some disdainfully shaking their heads, quickly retracting their gazes.
After all, in Cliff Peak City today, there are too many people stronger than Shi Xiaole, and the relations between the top powers are complex, with many matters to address.
In the inn.
The two tables by the window had been joined to form one, and everyone was seated neatly around it. Shi Xiaole took the initiative to raise his cup to Gong Thirteen and others, downing his drink in one gulp.
Gong Thirteen and the others would certainly not refuse to give face, likewise drinking a cup.
Perhaps because of his cultivation in the Way of the Sword, Liu Xuantong was both rigid and flexible. He started a conversation with Shi Xiaole and after a few rounds of drinks, Liu Xuantong couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Shi, with the battle against the Fiery Flame Child Emperor inevitable, are you confident in securing a victory?"
With that question, everyone in the inn, except for Ling’er, the round-faced elder, and the white-haired elder, all turned their eyes toward Shi Xiaole.
Holding his wine cup, Shi Xiaole replied, "I haven’t fought him yet, so it’s hard to say."
As far back as a year before, once his "Body-Breaking Invisible Sword Qi" had broken through to "Invisible Sword Qi," Shi Xiaole could easily outclass the old masters ranked in the top eighty of the Emperor List, hovering around the top seventy, and that was just with the Wind Sword Way. Switching to the Demon Martial Way, he would be even more formidable.
A year had passed since, and his Wind Sword Way was on the verge of another breakthrough. The "Extreme Divine Tribulation" of the Sacred Heart Four Tribulations was also already perfected. Should he reveal all his cards, even he would not dare to estimate his full strength.
But Shi Xiaole has always disliked boastfulness, and speaking of it was meaningless. After all, the outcome would be self-evident in time.
Unfortunately, the others did not know this, and upon hearing Shi Xiaole’s response, everyone, including Liu Xuantong, was both disappointed and worried. After all, aside from a very few, as martial artists of the Flying Horse Dynasty, they naturally hoped Shi Xiaole could win and retain his position as the genius leader.
But now, the situation seemed rather pessimistic.
Ji Morou looked at Shi Xiaole and sighed silently to herself. She had once personally relayed to her master the issue of him being afflicted by the Blood Yang Medium.
But her master did not take action against Shi Xiaole, and Ji Morou couldn’t help but admire her master’s foresight. Such a genius, if he inclined towards righteousness, was not someone Ren Mengzhen could control.
Putting aside prejudice and seeing him purely as a woman, Ji Morou really didn’t want to see Shi Xiaole fail, to see such a once-in-a-millennium legend come to an end at the hands of others.
Ling’er was probably just realizing that the Kirin everyone was talking about was Brother Shi. Gnawing on a chicken leg, she said, "Brother Shi will definitely win. He’s even more impressive than Grandpa and Wooden Grandpa."
Of course, no one took her words seriously, finding them just amusing.
They drank a lot that night, and even Gong Thirteen spoke a few words. By noon, everyone agreed to meet and head to Endless Risky Peak together, and then they dispersed.
Under the watchful eyes of many, Shi Xiaole took Ling’er by the hand, the latter holding her head high with a proud air, and along with the round-faced elder and the white-haired elder, entered the guest room which the innkeeper had waived all charges for.
Over the next few days, the talk about the challenge between the Kirin and the Fiery Flame Child Emperor grew more and more heated. Some even quoted Shi Xiaole’s words from that day, causing many Western Region masters to become incensed and openly criticize the Kirin for his arrogance.
Others believed that the Kirin’s tough exterior and soft interior revealed a person seemingly full of sharp edges but actually full of self-doubt, with no confidence in defeating the Fiery Flame Child Emperor.
Before long, the Kirin’s response to Liu Xuantong was also spread, indirectly supporting this view. For a time, the morale of the Western Region masters surged, while the Flying Horse Dynasty masters were silent.
"Endless Risky Peak awaits your battle!"
When the response of the Fiery Flame Child Emperor was widely disseminated, this battle determining the position of genius leader completely ignited everyone’s nerves.
Clear-sighted people could tell that this was deliberately orchestrated by someone, forcing the Kirin to make a move. It seemed that the Western Region had great confidence in the Fiery Flame Child Emperor—the visitor had ill intent.
Shi Xiaole was unconcerned with the tempest raging outside, nor did he give it any attention.
For on that very night, his Wind Sword Way, after years of transformation in the Way of Life and Death, was on the brink of a breakthrough.
Clang, clang, clang.
In the sea of consciousness, the azure little sword trembled violently, releasing countless sharp Sword Qi. As the erupting Sword Qi reached its zenith, it suddenly retracted. Half of the azure little sword became transparent, as if it were made of azure glass.
The violent Sword Qi had yet to be unleashed when Shi Xiaole suppressed it back into his body. At this moment, his Wind Sword Way officially moved from a full ten stages’ late phase to the peak of ten stages, equivalent to the peak of eleven stages in top martial arts.
If previously, without using the Demon Martial Way and the Extreme Divine Tribulation, Shi Xiaole only had a sixty to seventy percent chance of defeating the Fiery Flame Child Emperor, now his confidence surged to eighty percent.
Though it might seem like a small increase from late ten stages to the peak, the impact on Shi Xiaole’s strength was not so simple; it was quite substantial.
In the next few days, Shi Xiaole stayed inside the inn, but unfortunately, no one from Nine Profound Mountain came to the door. Shi Xiaole guessed that, to be cautious, Qu Wuyan had not sent anyone, and he felt a sense of relief, to avoid being caught in someone’s scheme.
As for Uncle Wang and others, those were even more beyond Shi Xiaole’s speculations.
However, the round-faced elder’s expression had been odd over the past few days, especially when he learned that several Forbidden Martial Emperors had appeared, his face showed a fleeting fierceness.
On the eve of the day of the duel, the round-faced elder, the white-haired elder, and Ling’er mysteriously disappeared together, and even Shi Xiaole didn’t know where they had gone.
