Chapter 1237: Chapter 1235: Nine Profound Ten Venerables
"Congratulations, Ancestor, and celebrations to you, Ancestor, for being invited to join the battle, for establishing an unparalleled feat for the East Victory Continent that will be remembered by countless generations and immortalized in history!"
The middle-aged man reacted the fastest, shouting loudly.
He couldn’t help his excitement.
The land of Fate, known as the largest opportunity between heaven and earth, and those ten individuals who reclaimed the land of Fate for the East Victory Continent, one could imagine even with their toes, what kind of lofty status they would possess!
This prestige was far from ephemeral; it would protect the Undying Ancestor and his relatives, clan, subordinates, and so on, in every aspect.
It could be said that as long as the Undying Alliance did not seek death or collude with the Outer Heaven Demons, it would become one of the supreme symbols of the East Victory Continent!
As a direct descendant of the Ancestor, the middle-aged man could only think about how many benefits he would enjoy, his scalp tingling with excitement and his blood boiling.
"Congratulations, Ancestor, and celebrations to you, Ancestor!"
"Ancestor, may your name be honored for thousands of generations and praised throughout the world!"
The people present were all shrewd, quickly understanding the implications and shouting out loud one by one.
"May your name be honored for thousands of generations and praised throughout the world?"
Even the Undying Ancestor couldn’t help feeling somewhat elated and laughed in a low voice, "I was merely an onlooker; it’s actually others who truly cannot be trifled with now."
...
Inside Fengyang City, at the main sanctuary of the Holy Heaven Sect.
"Sect Leader, have we really won?"
The upper echelons of the Holy Heaven Sect asked in suppressed voices.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, the Holy Heaven Scholar of course knew what they were thinking. He first nodded, but before his subordinates could offer congratulations, he said with a wry smile, "I didn’t participate in the battle."
"What?"
"What exactly is going on?"
The mood of those in the Holy Heaven Sect was like a roller coaster – anxiously uncertain, finally waiting for confirmation, only to be hit by such news, feeling as if their hearts had been hollowed out.
"I was replaced by someone, and that person was Shi Xiaole," said the Holy Heaven Scholar.
"Shi Xiaole! He appeared, that guy!"
In all honesty, some people originally did not have a bad impression of Shi Xiaole, but now, they inexplicably felt disgust. If there had been no news, why did he appear at the last moment, causing the Sect Leader and the Holy Heaven Sect to miss such a tremendous opportunity!
"I know what you are thinking, but without Shi Xiaole this time, we might not have won for East Victory. His strength has already made him the foremost beneath the titans," said the Holy Heaven Scholar.
Hearing this, everyone gaped in shock, doubting their own ears.
...
In Shuntian Capital, within a building full of Japanese style.
"Greetings to our Lord!"
With Fujiki Hideyoshi, the head of the Fujiki Family at the forefront, a group of Japanese warriors knelt down before the master of the Demon Blade, bowing reverently, and only stood up after being told to rise by the master of the Demon Blade.
It was apparent that King Jin was also among them.
His real name was Fujiki Naotsugu, the fifth son of Fujiki Hideyoshi. Many years ago, the master of the Demon Blade, with supreme methods, pre-planted mystical wombs within some of the beautiful women sent by Japan to the Flying Horse Emperor.
King Jin was the only successful example.
But now it seemed that the Flying Horse Emperor had likely discovered it at the time, only choosing to use the strategy of using one’s scheme against them, allowing King Jin to facilitate Mu Yuanhao’s success.
Besides King Jin, there was also a man with a white ribbon on his head standing next to Fujiki Hideyoshi – he was Fujiki Naotsugu. He had once challenged Shi Xiaole at a banquet hosted by King Jin in Sky City.
The current Fujiki Naotsugu was also a Martial Emperor of the Earthly Realm, with formidable strength.
"My Lord, what was the outcome?"
Fujiki Hideyoshi spoke fluent Central Plain language.
"What do you think?"
The master of the Demon Blade sat cross-legged up on the platform, looking down at everyone slantingly.
Swish, swish, swish.
The group knelt again, their voices of congratulations overlapping one another.
"My Lord, of the ten people this time, aside from the Three Elders and the Flying Horse Emperor, who else should we be wary of?"
After congratulating, Fujiki Hideyoshi asked again.
He had known for quite some time that the master of the Demon Blade had agreed to participate in the battle not only for personal gain but also to assess the strength of the others, which would determine their external policies in the future.
"One of them is Che Renzhong."
Hearing the master of the Demon Blade’s words, everyone nodded.
Che Renzhong was a genuine Heaven King-class expert, and moreover, he was under a thousand years old; his future achievements were unimaginable. In the eyes of many clear-sighted individuals, Xuanyuan Di and Qi Muchu were also of this caliber.
"Another is Shi Xiaole."
The master of the Demon Blade’s gaze was sharp and cold.
"Shi Xiaole?"
King Jin and Fujiki Naotsugu reacted the most, with others also looking at one another in bewilderment. They did not deny Shi Xiaole’s talent, but to say that he was now on a par with Che Renzhong seemed like an overstatement.
"You will know the specifics in time. For now, you are all dismissed. I need to meditate and assimilate what I’ve gained from this battle," said the master of the Demon Blade before anyone else could ask for details of the great battle and vanished from everyone’s sight.
...
The news of the East Victory battle group’s victory in the three-way war was concurrently spread in the Daxia Dynasty, the Flying Horse Dynasty, and the regions controlled by the Demon Blade clan. Then, like an eighteen-level earthquake, it rippled throughout the entire East Victory Continent.
Not just every martial sect and large martial arts school, but even the Qin Building and Chu Pavilion, taverns and tea houses, and even roadside stalls – everywhere, people were talking about it.
In the course of the conversation, they expressed endless gratitude and reverence for the ten participants who had joined the battle.
As for the specific ins and outs of this three-way battle, since the number of those in the know was so small, the details did not spread quickly, and most people were still in the dark.
"The Three Dusty Old Men, Flying Horse Emperor, Che Renzhong, Shi Xiaole, Golden Silkworm Emperor, Mu Yuanhao, Undying Ancestor, and the master of the Demon Blade—all thanks to them this time."
In a certain tavern, someone raised their glass, downed it in one gulp, and everyone else got up to echo the sentiment.
"I really want to know the specifics of the tripartite battle, it must have been the most thrilling and the bloodiest battle in the Martial World for thousands of years."
"Isn’t that the truth, pity that ordinary folks simply can’t see the ten great masters who returned."
The news of victory did nothing to curb the curiosity of the East Victory warriors; on the contrary, it made them more eager to know the details of the battle, itching with anticipation.
Especially in recent days, everyone was guessing how the battle went down, with all sorts of theories floating around.
Thump thump thump.
Just then, a rapid sequence of footsteps sounded.
"It’s out! The new issue of Martial World Gazette is out, and it features the full details of the tripartite battle!"
A young man ran up the stairs, holding a booklet in his hand and laughing loudly.
"What, for real?"
"Let me have a look!"
"Give me that Martial World Gazette!"
"Hey, everyone stop shoving, just go buy your own, don’t tear up the Martial World Gazette. I bought this one with twenty taels of silver from my wine money."
"You think I’m a fool? If I go to buy it now, where on earth would I find one?"
The warriors inside the tavern frantically pushed together, while the Martial World Gazette in the young man’s hand was torn into many pieces by the scrambling hands, scattering in the air.
Suddenly, all the paper pieces flew towards a table by the window of the tavern. The stunningly handsome young man scanned through them swiftly, falling into a moment’s silence before his face broke into a smile.
"Brother Shi, you really do create miracles everywhere; I, Gui Zhihang, fear that I will have difficulty catching up with you."
The handsome young man put down a silver ingot, blending into the crowd on the street amidst the stunned looks of the tavern-goers, much like a droplet merging into the sea.
Having wandered the Martial World for a long time now, Shi Xiaole must soon be returning to Nine Heavens Mountain, he thought; it was the perfect time for a visit.
...
In a mountain range, corpses were strewn everywhere.
"You, with your deadly methods, will meet no good end..."
"Yellow Dragon Sect, roaming the Martial World for thirteen years, you have killed ninety-six thousand and seventy-three innocent people, each of them more deserving of death than the last."
The black-clothed man with an indifferent demeanor and eyes filled with boundless hatred smashed the skull of another man in yellow robes with a palm, wiped the blood from his hand with a silk handkerchief, and turned to leave.
He was known as Chou Hentian, with the moniker "Hatred of Evil;" his hands were covered in blood, yet he was guiltless, for he only killed those who deserved it.
Turning his gaze towards Nine Heavens Mountain, Chou Hentian strode away.
...
In a desolate, dilapidated temple bathed in sunlight.
"What did you say, Kirin is your master?"
A few beggars laughed heartily, encircling a young man lying on the straw.
The young man looked unkempt, yet upon closer inspection, his features were quite handsome, and his smile, bright and radiant, was like the sunlight shining into the dilapidated temple.
"That’s right, I never tell a lie," the young man said as he suddenly stood up, dusted off the dirt from his body, and walked out of the temple.
"Hey, Qi Laojiu, where are you going?" a fellow beggar asked.
"Of course, to see my master; it’s been many years," Qi Laojiu replied without looking back, waving his arm as his figure vanished into the sunlight, leaving behind only the teasing and mocking laughter of the beggars.
At the same time, upon receiving the news, Mu Ling, Duanmu Keren, and others like Zhang Xiangfeng and Zhong Lingsui also set off for Nine Heavens Mountain.
...
Flying Horse Dynasty, Xuanwu State.
Nine Heavens Mountain.
This place was originally known as a great ominous land where no sect dared to establish its base.
It wasn’t until decades ago, when a young man named Shi Xiaole personally employed tens of thousands of craftsmen and, with a few friends, established Wuling Villa right here.
Wuling Villa not only avoided calamity but prospered more and more. Over the following decades, nine more villas were erected in various directions, making a total of ten, collectively known by the people of the Martial World as the "Ten Revered Villas," garnering the revered title of "Nine Profound Ten Revered" due to its location on Nine Heavens Mountain.
Nowadays, Nine Heavens Mountain alone, with just the three notorious figures and Hua Yiyun, is already considered a top force in the Flying Horse Dynasty. Add Shi Xiaole to the mix, and it is undeniably the number one force.
After the tripartite battle, it had even been touted by many as the number one power on the East Victory Continent.
Perhaps due to its thriving fate, when Shi Xiaole revisited his old stomping grounds, the vast expanse of Nine Heavens Mountain, shrouded in mist, only revealed its peaks, resembling the legendary fairy mountains.
In the blink of an eye, over forty years had passed, and Shi Xiaole was now in his sixties.
A soft sigh escaped the mouth of a young man in green.
Outside of the Sword Dissolving Pool, the disciples in charge of guarding Nine Heavens Mountain had already noticed this excessively elegant young man with graying temples.
One of the disciples said, "Honored guest, Nine Heavens Mountain is not receiving visitors at the moment, please carry on your way."
Over the years, even the most impressive heroes of the Martial World had to abide by the rules of Nine Heavens Mountain. Who didn’t know that violating the regulations set by "Cold-faced Shura" Qu Wuyan could lead to dire consequences?
In recent days, many influential figures from the East Victory Continent had sent visiting cards, hoping to enter Nine Heavens Mountain, only to be rejected by an order from Manager Qu, startling them into not causing any disturbance.
Seeing that the young man in green had an exceptional bearing and seemed to be one of the main villa owner’s admirers, the handful of guarding disciples kindly reminded him.
