Chapter 1335: Chapter 1333: The Change of the Burial Martial Association
Shi Xiaole returned to Nine Heavens Mountain on his fiftieth year.
The spirit energy in heaven and earth was even richer than before, with ordinary people’s lifespans easily breaking past a hundred years and common men possessing the strength of several hundred jin.
Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors were emerging one after another.
Under such fierce competition, the worth of the fifty emperors had grown even higher. Old powerhouses like the Heavenly Martial Emperor and the Thousand Swords Emperor were squeezed out of the rankings and completely vanished.
The number of Heaven King level powerhouses and major figures had increased by more than a dozen compared to before, with a few of them even being under five hundred years old, all ranked within the top ten of the prodigies list.
The entire East Victory world was still developing at an astonishing speed without the pressure of the Outer Heaven Demons, and the standard of martial arts was getting higher and higher.
During this period, the Fate lands, which opened once every two hundred years, reappeared in the world. Because it was a fusion of three bodies, this battle of Fate almost gathered all the powerhouses outside of East Victory’s old giants!
The level of battle and the intensity of the fighting were widely recognized to be far beyond Shi Xiaole’s generation. Many future dominators of the Martial World who could summon the wind and call the rain splendidly debuted in this battle.
For example, Gao Kun, who had been silent for many years and was once known as the number one in spiritual power talent.
For example, Fu Shuijing, who gained power by absorbing others’ blood and in an era, found few opponents. And the "Carefree Young Master" Ren Xiaoyao, who had just entered the Martial World from the Devil Path...
After rounds of spectacular fights, the final showdown was between Shi Wuyou and the extraordinary woman from Miaojiang, known as the reincarnation of the Supreme Lord, Wang Xi.
In the end, Shi Wuyou won the final victory without any suspense.
A month after the Fate lands disappeared anew, Shi Xiaole suddenly announced that he would cancel the permanent ownership rights of East Victory’s mainland to the Fate lands.
From then on, every two hundred years, a tripartite battle would take place, and the winning side would own the Fate lands for two hundred years.
As soon as the news was released, the world was in an uproar!
Countless people praised the great steward for his profound understanding of righteousness, saying that this move would help the three territories of East Victory’s world form a healthy competition, thereby more quickly enhancing the overall strength of East Victory’s world.
But there were also some native martial artists of East Victory’s mainland who were secretly resentful, although, of course, no one dared to question Shi Xiaole in public.
This decision passed easily under the supreme prestige of Shi Xiaole, with many Supreme Lords expressing their agreement.
"The great steward is truly unmatched in the world, his actions are no longer limited to a corner of the land but envision the whole world," said the Great Battles Emperor in the Hundred Battles Tower with great emotion after hearing the news.
Next to him, the Spirit Ink Emperor, recalling the tripartite battle from the past, felt just as if the past was a dream. The talents they once fought against to the death now stood at the very peak of the world, with no more rivals in their hearts.
Another ten years passed, and just when everyone thought that East Victory’s world would continue its development, a horrific super event suddenly occurred, which, to some extent, even disrupted East Victory’s advance.
Within a few days, many martial artists from East Victory’s mainland, Miaojiang, and South Sea’s mainland suddenly lost their powers overnight and died without reason.
Among these people were many prodigiously talented masters known throughout the Martial World.
It was said their manner of death was extremely tragic, with eyes wide open, hands clutching their necks, fingers puncturing their necks, as if they had pierced their own throats.
No one knew what they had experienced before their death, nor did anyone know who had killed them. But it was certain that it must have been an extremely terrifying force with influence all over East Victory’s world.
In the following days, this shadow of death continued to spread to many other territories.
As the leading force in the world, Nine Heavens Mountain immediately declared it would investigate thoroughly and restore justice to the world. The person in charge of this incident was the great steward’s third disciple, known as the "Bear Pure Sword Emperor," Yao Yuxuan.
By now, Yao Yuxuan was one of the leaders among the giant figures, with few opponents in the world.
With Nine Heavens Mountain mobilizing personnel from all places, along with the cooperation of several major intelligence organizations, it took only a few days for everyone to find the Burial Martial Association.
This was because this force had appeared in Heavenly Desire Origin hundreds of years ago and had been recorded by the Shu Tang Sect and other forces, which had been observing it closely for years.
Shockingly, whenever an important figure was found, either the investigated would die or the investigator would disappear without a trace, and thus, clues always came to an abrupt end.
This time, with the world’s support, within half a month, and led by Yao Yuxuan, many experts blocked the main stronghold of the Burial Martial Association, a vast valley.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, numerous pink fogs started to drift out from the valley.
"It’s Hell Burial Souls Fragrance!"
The team had made thorough preparations before their arrival and held their breath while using their power to protect their bodies. Surprising to them, the pink fog ignored the Vigorous Air, and within moments, a large number of experts fell to the ground, like waves crashing down.
Even Yao Yuxuan felt weakened, a nameless fear welling up within him. His grandmother Yao Caidie appeared before him, looking at him tragically.
"Xuan’er, why haven’t you come yet? Grandma missed you so much and wanted to see you again but never managed to before I passed."
A crimson colored her neck; her arms outstretched, trying to grasp her most worrisome grandson. Yao Yuxuan cried out for his grandmother.
But in the next moment!
The coolness and resilience unique to swordsmen allowed Yao Yuxuan to awaken from the nightmare, suddenly bursting out with resounding Sword Qi, which not only roused others but also sent out a sword strike forward.
With a loud bang!
The powerful Array System outside the valley violently caved inwards.
"As expected of the Master Proprietor’s disciple! This poison, refined by my many years of improvement, is not just a powdery facade—its true potency is such that even the power of Supreme Lords cannot isolate it. That you could temporarily remain lucid is indeed proof of your heaven-sent talent, but alas, you are still doomed to die."
A man with grey hair and a stooped figure, leading the elites of the Burial Martial Association, appeared in front of everyone. Three zhang away from the dipped Array System, it fiercely snapped back.
"Why? Why would you commit such an atrocity that heaven and earth cannot tolerate?"
Yao Yuxuan knelt on one knee, sensing the vital energy within his body dissipating, and shouted sternly.
The grey-haired man’s face contorted viciously, "Why? Heroes with martial arts defy bans; all martial artists should die! In this world, the existence of martial arts should not be! Hahaha, Master Proprietor, Shi Xiaole, I know you have come, roll out here! You have been poisoned by me, and there is no doubt you will die!"
Hearing his words, whether it was the experts of the Burial Martial Association or the people outside the valley, all were utterly shocked.
The Master Proprietor himself came?
"I didn’t expect you could go this far."
The ripples of the void churned as Shi Xiaole, who hadn’t appeared in the mortal world for many years, stepped out. He was still dressed in cyan, and though his black hair was streaked with white at his temples, he seemed more elegant than any statue—as if he was an exiled immortal walking amongst mortals, carrying an indescribable air of transcendence.
Many people were seeing the Master Proprietor for the first time and were captivated by his elegance, almost forgetting the peril they were in.
"Shi Xiaole, as a mighty Supreme Lord who has defeated all under the heavens, to think you would die at the hands of a scholar without the strength to truss a chicken—how unwilling you must feel," the grey-haired man laughed triumphantly.
As they spoke, many noticed that wisps of grey mist were faintly visible on Shi Xiaole’s face and between his fingers, indistinguishable from those around him.
In this short time, many who had been awoken by the Sword Qi were once again entangled in the terrifying nightmare.
"Because of Wu Xuanyu’s death at the hands of martial artists, you unleashed all your hatred on the martial artists of the world, Chi Jinzhi, aren’t you being a bit too extreme?"
Shi Xiaole spoke with a cold tone.
To this day, how could he be unsure that this grey-haired man before him was the same one he found underneath the Divine Transformation Tree in the Transformation City—the man who left behind manuscripts bent on overturning the martial ways of the world.
"How could you know my name, and Xuanyu’s name? How did you find out?"
Upon hearing Shi Xiaole’s words, the grey-haired man’s expression turned to astonishment, and quickly, he became completely dumbstruck, as if struck by lightning.
Just now, with a gesture from Shi Xiaole, a young woman appeared by his side. The light veil on her face fell away, revealing her features.
"Xuanyu, Xuanyu, you’re not dead!"
The grey-haired man trembled all over, screaming loudly as tears poured from his eyes.
He had thought that Wu Xuanyu would recognize him, but from her gaze, Chi Jinzhi only saw a complex mix of resignation, shame, and pity.
"You shouldn’t have done this, the Wu Xuanyu you met meant just a part of me, a segment of my experience. Thank you for remembering me so deeply."
Wu Xuanyu said.
"What are you saying, Xuanyu, I don’t believe it, we were in love! For you, I lived in endless darkness, and I made it through hundreds of years of loneliness and solitude with the memory of you! I want revenge, martial artists killed you, so I will kill all the martial artists in the world, and then I’ll come to accompany you..."
Chi Jinzhi’s madness grew, his earlier triumph completely vanished. In the moment Wu Xuanyu appeared, she was all his world was made of. However, Wu Xuanyu’s cool detachment shattered everything he thought had been beautiful in his past.
"Lies, you’re not Wu Xuanyu! Hahaha, Shi, stop using such ghostly tricks, I will never give you the antidote, and there is no antidote for this poison."
Something dawned on Chi Jinzhi, and his face twisted with bitter resentment.
Shi Xiaole shook his head, and from the sky, endless vital essence descended, engulfing both him and everyone outside the valley. When the vitality dispersed, everyone was restored.
In the past sixty or so years, Shi Xiaole pondered life and immersed himself in it. Although he hadn’t deliberately cultivated, he came to a deeper understanding of the Path of Life and Death.
It could be said that not only did Shi Xiaole completely surpass the Heavenly Martial Emperor in other aspects, but even his martial realm was now far beyond. He had truly transcended the mortal coil and was unparalleled in the world.
With a flick of his fingers,
the Array System outside the valley shattered like tofu dregs, and the tens of thousands of Burial Martial Association elites, except for a few, all vanished into thin air in an instant.
Shi Xiaole sighed in his heart.
No matter how peerlessly talented Chi Jinzhi was, being merely a mortal, how could he concoct a poison that threatened a Supreme Lord? There must be a mastermind behind the scenes!
Yet with Shi Xiaole’s spiritual power, he could only faintly perceive that a segment of Chi Jinzhi’s consciousness had been intercepted. The skill of the person behind this was unimaginable.
Regrettably, this mastermind still did not show themselves.
If that person wanted to overturn the East Victory world, they could have simply acted during the second great battle between heaven and earth. Even if they didn’t personally intervene, they could have let Chi Jinzhi mobilize the might of the Burial Martial Association in a pincer attack.
But they didn’t.
What exactly are you planning?
A contemplative look flashed in Shi Xiaole’s eyes.
