Chapter 1117: Chapter 1116: Breakthrough_1
Aside from the Martial Emperor and the master of the Ghost Carriage, who were healing from injuries, as well as several high-level experts from both righteous and devilish paths guarding the two, nearly everyone was engaged in battle.
The violent and forceful Vigorous Air, like countless boulders thrown into a lake, shattered the sky into pieces. The Array System of Endless Risky Peak was lit up every moment, giving people the illusion that it could collapse at any time.
Even many mountain peaks experienced the phenomenon of rocks splitting and crashing down in torrents for the first time. This caused countless hearts to tremble, and immediately some people flew down to escape.
"Run away!"
"What are you standing there for like an idiot? Don’t just watch, saving your life is what matters!"
Experts from the Martial World love a commotion, but no spectacle is as important as one’s own life. Endless Risking Peak had stood for many years, never affecting the spectators, but that was before a battle of this scale had ever taken place.
If the Array System were broken, they, mere shrimps, wouldn’t know how they died!
Looking down from high above, a swarming black tide rushed frantically towards the mountain base, filling the void at one point, causing a chaotic collision. Some people got angry and attacked, and in an instant, it triggered more retaliations.
Boom Boom Boom...
Scores of people were obliterated, and the space that opened up in the blink of an eye was crammed again by the tide from behind, followed by more intense conflicts and outbursts. By the time the pressure from the crowd lessened and spread in all directions, no one knew how many had died, turning into blood and bones.
In the sky, Shi Xiaole was in more danger than anyone else.
In front of him, a man wielded a pair of battle axes with every strike possessing the mighty force to rend the heavens and split the earth, causing massive cracks in the void, not far from becoming severe rifts.
Shi Xiaole easily recognized him as the Dark Axe Emperor, who was ranked seventh on the Emperor List, from the Daxia Dynasty.
That which blocked the axe’s shadow was a pair of hands, hands with silk sleeves. The hands weren’t large, but they held a universe within them, effortlessly erasing swathes of axe shadows as if wiping dirt off the void.
Having such power and being skilled with hand techniques, naturally, it was the Northern Liang Martial Emperor, who was ranked sixth on the Emperor List. He stood behind Shi Xiaole, engaging with the Dark Axe Emperor at a distance.
To Shi Xiaole’s left was Dezhi Shangshi from the Secret Sect. The old man chanted Buddhist scriptures, and the world resonated with the constant chanting as if countless monks were reciting. Rings of runes issued forth, warding off gods and ghosts, yet they could not penetrate a layer of Sword Qi.
This layer of Sword Qi, without the aggressive sharpness, without the might to break through all with a single sword, had only simplicity and profound depth, like an ancient monk who had seen through the vicissitudes of the world, unmovable by mountains and seas, unbreakable by thousands of armies.
From this Sword Qi, even Shi Xiaole could perceive the Buddhist compassion for the world. Observing the world, there was only one man capable of wielding such swordsmanship.
The Galan Sword Emperor!
Years ago, the Divine Strategy Academy had rated the top ten experts of the Flying Horse Dynasty, and the Galan Sword Emperor had been just the ninth.
A few years before, when the Emperor List was published, including all top-tier experts from the five great Martial Worlds, this man rose above the rest, obtaining the astounding rank of eleventh. The eight experts who had been ranked before him, except for the Martial Emperor, were all surpassed by him, which showcased his extraordinary talents.
Apart from the Dark Axe Emperor, the Northern Liang Martial Emperor, Dezhi Shangshi and the Galan Sword Emperor, almost all directions around Shi Xiaole, northeast, southwest, were occupied by experts ranked within the top twenty of the Emperor List. Their every move was earth-shattering.
Fortunately, they were very cautious with their attacks for fear of accidentally hurting Ling’er. Otherwise, with Shi Xiaole’s own strength, he would have long been beyond help.
Nevertheless, Shi Xiaole had sustained severe injuries, protecting both Ling’er and the corpse of Beigong Jue while dodging attacks. His face was pale as a ghost, spitting out life essence blood, with wounds on his chest, abdomen, shoulders, and many broken bones and veins.
Had it not been for reliance on the martial path between life and death, Shi Xiaole would have been at the end of his rope.
Ling’er clung tightly to Shi Xiaole, tears streaming down but she pursed her lips, refusing to cry out. Brother Shi was risking his life for her; she couldn’t distract him further.
"Should I use the killing technique now?"
With the power of his killing technique, Shi Xiaole was confident he could break through the encirclement. However, there were many other experts waiting hungrily in the periphery, and he had to choose the best opportunity.
But as time passed, his injuries worsened, and even at full strength, his life and death martial path struggled to heal him, undoubtedly affecting his condition.
Clenching his fists secretly, Shi Xiaole decided to take the risk.
"You should escape from the southeast side."
A deep voice suddenly reached Shi Xiaole’s ears, coming from... the Galan Sword Emperor.
Shi Xiaole was startled.
Was it a trap, leading him into the net, or was it something else?
The Galan Sword Emperor continued swinging his sword. The simplistic Sword Qi could not repel Dezhi Shangshi, but likewise, Dezhi Shangshi couldn’t injure him. Even in Shi Xiaole’s silent observation, in terms of defense, the Galan Sword Emperor seemed to be the strongest among them all.
Without any hesitation, at the next moment the great experts fiercely battled, Shi Xiaole suddenly turned and rushed towards the southeast where the Galan Sword Emperor was.
No matter the other’s plot, this was an opportunity for Shi Xiaole. If the help was sincere, best; if it was a deception, armed with his killing technique, he could use the opponent to break the situation.
"Galan Guardian Sky Pass!"
A flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, seemingly not expecting Shi Xiaole to be so decisive, the Galan Sword Emperor’s right arm shook, sending ring upon ring of blue Sword Qi, like glass crystals, expanding to a radius of two hundred meters, enveloping him and Shi Xiaole together.
Boom...
Seeing this, the other top experts quickly launched their ultimate moves, but the blue Sword Qi held firm for a full breath’s time before shattering.
"What a sly fellow!"
The faces of the Dark Axe Emperor and the others changed drastically.
They had always known that the Galan Sword Emperor’s defense was strong, but they never imagined it to be this formidable. The opponent had clearly concealed a significant portion of his power previously.
The crowd may have had their own ace up their sleeve, but a delay of a breath’s time was enough to change many things.
"Run!"
As they crossed paths, the Galan Sword Emperor picked up Shi Xiaole and fled, but was immediately struck by an attack from the surrounding experts. These people were not as strong as the Galan Sword Emperor, but the difference was slight.
With a swing of the Galan Sword, he switched from the ancient defensive stance to a majestic and overwhelming offensive, also the only attacking form within the Saintly Spirit Sword Technique.
With a clang! A gap appeared in the encirclement, and the Galan Sword Emperor fiercely flung Shi Xiaole out. Shi Xiaole looked back and saw the other party trapped, and regardless of their intentions, he would remember this immense favor.
"Do you think you can escape? Stay!"
Someone shouted ahead, the master of the Great Heaven Divine Palace from the Northern Liang, ranked twenty-second on the Emperor List. With a single slash, the blade hadn’t even come close yet, and Shi Xiaole already felt a chill on his skin, as if his body might split open at any moment.
Behind him, the Galan Sword Emperor let out a silent sigh, realizing he had perhaps underestimated the situation. Even with his assistance, it would be tough for the Kirin to break through given its strength.
"Without dust or dirt, without self or mind."
A curtain of swords appeared in front of Shi Xiaole, halting the blade light for a moment before it shattered through, but it undoubtedly bought Shi Xiaole some time.
In the distance, the Flying Sky Stick Emperor, locked in fierce combat with the Dustless Sword Emperor, was seething with rage, unable to believe that his opponent had the spare strength to assist someone else.
Shi Xiaole charged straight ahead, never looking back.
The blade light appeared before him, and the master of the Great Heaven Divine Palace’s second slash was also about to fall, as fast as thunder.
Now is the time!
"Limitless Cloud Ten Swords!"
Activating his killing technique, Shi Xiaole made his move. An unrivaled sword qi, shining like a meteor and rushing like a rainbow, brutally struck the master of the Great Heaven Divine Palace. The captivating momentum of the sword made it impossible for one to resist, and the power of his sword was even beyond the endless limits of the Wuji swordsmanship.
The "Limitless Cloud Ten Swords" was an unparalleled sword technique created by Bu Jinyun himself, hailed by martial legends as a peer to the Saintly Spirit Sword Technique!
Since the last time Shi Xiaole had obtained it from the "Wizard Scroll," along with fifty thousand reward points, he had no chance to use it until today.
The heavens and earth resounded with a thunderous roar.
On the boundless plain, as everyone engaged in combat lifted their heads, they saw the master of the Great Heaven Divine Palace covered in blood, yet his face still revealed confusion and shock.
At the other end of the sword light, which extended ten thousand meters away, Shi Xiaole was seen fleeing with Ling’er and the corpse of Beigong Jue.
"Don’t let them get away!"
Witnessing this scene, at least a dozen experts ranked in the top fifty of the Emperor List made their move. However, since they had been blocking Shi Xiaole from the outside, they could only attempt to chase and hinder him after he had broken through.
There were also masters on the road ahead trying to strike at Shi Xiaole, but their strength was not a match for his.
Whoosh...
Shi Xiaole carved a path with the "Extreme Divine Tribulation," completely disregarding the consumption of his mental strength, while deploying the "Heavenly Palace Illusion" to its fullest, rushing faster and faster and finally breaking the sound barrier, steadily increasing the distance between him and the pursuers behind him.
"What?!"
The Mysterious Trace Emperor, known for having the world’s number one Flying Skill, was taken aback, nearly biting his own tongue. Shi Xiaole’s lightness skill was only a notch below his—could it be this youngster was holding back a secret ace?
Not just the Mysterious Trace Emperor, everyone was stunned and filled with limitless rage at being played.
After some pursuit, forced by Shi Xiaole’s strong mental interference and his top-tier lightness skill, they could only watch helplessly as he went further and further away until he vanished without a trace.
"Damn it!"
"Shame, this is a disgrace to our Western Region’s martial world. Without the destruction of Kirin, this shame cannot be washed away!"
"It concerns the secrets of East Victory. We must find the Kirin and that little girl. If they fall into the hands of the Devil Path, it will be too late for us."
Some raged uncontrollably, some beat their chests and stamped their feet, while others immediately took action. Some began searching for the Galan Sword Emperor and the Dustless Sword Emperor; without these two, Shi wouldn’t have been able to escape so easily.
But what made everyone even more infuriated was the fact that these two had also disappeared.
"They must have slipped away while we were all chasing him," one person guessed.
The Dark Axe Emperor laughed coldly, but the laughter carried a bone-chilling coldness.
They had made two mistakes. First, they didn’t realize that Kirin had connections with those two people.
Second, and what puzzled the Dark Axe Emperor the most, he couldn’t understand how Kirin, with its strength, was capable of delivering a sword strike that wounded the master of the Great Heaven Divine Palace so grievously. If it had such strength, there would have been no need to feign incompetence before.
Moreover, considering the heavy injuries sustained by Kirin, it was illogical that it could withstand for so long.
"Could it be some kind of secret technique to stimulate potential?"
After much consideration, that seemed to be the only explanation. Nonetheless, the immediate priority was to find Kirin and the little girl; the latter could very likely be linked to the secrets of East Victory.
The Dark Axe Emperor believed that after today, the entire Martial World would never be at peace, even the Martial Emperor and the Supreme Pavilion wouldn’t be able to remain detached.
Looking towards where the Martial Emperor was supposed to be, he saw that the latter had already left, along with the master of the Ghost Carriage. Other major forces were also gradually withdrawing from combat, apparently receiving orders from their leaders.
Only at the edge of the sky, the pairs of Forbidden Martial Emperors were still engaged in a frenzied battle, hell-bent on fighting to the death.
