Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Reactions from All Sides (3rd Update)
"You, so ruthless!"
Hu Baisheng had never experienced such a defeat before; just as he was about to rise, he realized that the internal power stored in his lower Dantian was leaking. He then understood his martial arts had been negated.
"Would you have spared me if my power was inferior? The outcome would be even more brutal."
Shi Xiaole didn’t even glance at Hu Baisheng; instead, his gaze fell on the many martial experts in the crowd.
The inherent chilling intention was understood by all— this was a warning to them that anyone who wanted to exploit him for fame would have to pay a terrifying price.
"Such an arrogant fellow."
"He might be arrogant, but he does have the skills. His power is not inferior to the top young heroes by much."
A lot of changes occurred in the minds of the martial people present.
They thoroughly understood that Shi Xiaole was not someone they could handle. There was a trace of hope in group fights, but stepping on the Copper level stage? It was no different from seeking abuse.
Considering this, everyone looked towards Elder Ma and the Iron Bone Sect’s experts.
They did not believe that the Iron Bone Sect was unaware of Shi Xiaole’s strength.
"Hmph, this kid hid really well! However, because of your ruthlessness, the Iron Bone Sect will definitely seek justice for Swordsman Hu!"
Elder Ma stood up, seemingly explaining it to everyone around, and did not forgot to have his disciples lift up Hu Baisheng before he led his people away.
He had to report this incident, but they were prepared for the Sect. He believed there would be a quick response.
"Indeed, a hero emerges in youth, I admire."
The elderly man in white laughed as he walked to Shi Xiaole, handing him a banknote of a thousand taels, saying, "Young Hero Shi, this is your prize money; the more you win, the more money you get."
Shi Xiaole responded with a smile too.
This old man is interesting. He knows that I had no choice but to fight yet he encouraged me.
Because he displayed such astonishing power, the number of martial artists following Shi Xiaole all the way decreased by more than half, probably realizing that even if Shi Xiaole left the Dark Alley, it was not their turn to kill.
With the thousand taels he won, which was just enough to pay the rent for one night, Shi Xiaole returned to his room and immediately began training the Moon Concealing Sword Technique.
People like Hu Baisheng were not worth his attention.
But Shi Xiaole believed that the experts dispatched by Dark Alley would become stronger and stronger. Plus, once today’s incident spread, it was unlikely that other factions would not send people to ambush him.
He could imagine that the people he would have to face soon were the most powerful martial artists in the Floating River Area with a Qi absorption of the seventh level or below.
With Shi Xiaole’s current strength, he truly wasn’t sure how far he could go, so he had to improve himself as much as possible, not wasting a single second.
The Moon Concealing Sword Technique has thirty-eight forms, each of them unpredictable and ever-changing. The word ’Moon Concealing’ perfectly illustrates the true essence of this sword technique.
Closing the doors and windows and blowing out the lamp, Shi Xiaole began to practise in the dark.
Perhaps it was a desperate struggle in a dire situation, maybe it was a natural affinity, or even his previous experience, but Shi Xiaole found that the progress he made in training the Moon Concealing Sword Technique far exceeded that of the Blood Battle Ten Forms.
Three two-hour periods passed, and he had a vague understanding of it.
"What a pity, there’s only one night to train. However, after winning a few more times, I’ll have enough money to pay for a period of rent, then I can focus on training."
After recuperating for a moment, Shi Xiaole lay down on the bed and slept in his clothes.
At the same time.
The Iron Bone Sect outside Zhongshan City was brightly lit.
"I’ve calculated that this boy won’t give up. He can only go to the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform."
Sitting at the top, the Suzerain of the Iron Bone Sect, Zhou Yilou who was known as ’Iron Hegemony,’ was turning two iron gall nuts in his hand, laughing coldly.
"What does the suzerain plan to do?"
One of the Iron Bone Sect’s experts asked, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall to Zhou Yilou.
"The Dark Alley has never allowed anyone to keep winning, and the stakes for each game are far greater than before. As long as the boy loses one game, he will be driven out of the Dark Alley, so we don’t have to do anything."
The smile at the corner of Zhou Yilou’s mouth became increasingly brutal.
He had sent people to investigate Shi Xiaole before and knew that this boy came from the Cloud Triangle. Through analyzing the latter’s combat record, Zhou Yilou deduced that his aptitude was very close to that of the top young heroes, but definitely not superior to them.
But let’s not forget that even Wei Renhao, the renowned top young hero of Red Sword Pavilion, was stuck at forty-six consecutive victories when he was at the peak of Qi Absorption three realms. Zhou Yilou did not believe that Shi Xiaole, who was at Qi Absorption two realms, could achieve fifty consecutive victories.
What’s more, even if he recorded fifty victories, what about it? Ahead were the mysterious nine major fighters, each stronger than the last, none of which Shi Xiaole was capable of beating.
A Copper Banner Master?
Ha, if it were easy to obtain, wouldn’t there have been one amidst all the talents that emerged in the Floating River Area in the past sixty years?
In Zhou Yilou’s view, Shi Xiaole’s journey was merely an effort to hang onto life, there was nothing to worry about.
If it weren’t for the lack of people in the Iron Bone Sect who met the conditions for the Copper Platform and were confident of defeating Shi Xiaole, he would have sent people to act.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yilou turned his gaze towards the west, where the sound of metallic clangs was coming from.
In the courtyard to the west, Yi Nanxiong, whose body was like a block of gold and iron, was thrusting various weapons at his body. Each impact seemed to make his glow more reserved and profound.
"Shi Xiaole, I should thank you. It’s the shame of being plotted against by you that gave me stronger motivation. I hope you won’t get knocked down too soon, because I will personally step on you on the Copper Platform."
Yi Nanxiong’s whole body was soaked in sweat and he was exhausted, but his eyes were brighter than ever.
The Dark Alley, the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform.
The elderly man in white who was in charge during the day was standing in front of a man in blue, not daring to breathe heavily.
The man in blue had tight skin but an aged expression, making his age unclear. He said, "Starting from tomorrow, send slightly weaker people to the fights with the boy surnamed Shi. We will discuss further after twenty rounds."
The old man in white looked up in surprise but, being a cunning man, he immediately realized something.
In the past five years, only twelve individuals have achieved a ten-match winning streak on the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform in the Floating River Area. One can only imagine the sensation that will be stirred if the news of Shi Xiaole’s twenty-win streak spreads.
By then, as long as Dark Alley promotes it properly, the benefits and fame from ending Shi Xiaole’s twenty wins alone would be enough to attract countless experts.
Not to mention, Shi Xiaole is tied to the third Rivers and Lakes Assassination Order and is already amidst a vortex.
The person in charge intends to use this opportunity to capture all qualified martial artists in the Floating River Area in one fell swoop!
Of course, this is easier said than done. After all, the trick behind Shi Xiaole’s twenty victories can’t be exposed, otherwise, it might backfire.
This requires putting more effort into selecting competitors.
The elder in white mumbled to himself.
"You may leave."
At this moment, the man in blue waved his hand.
"Yes."
The elder in white respectfully left.
Only after the other party left did the man in blue casually pick up a piece of information from the table. It contained detailed records of the ups and downs of Shi Xiaole’s life.
"He rose up suddenly after getting his head cracked open at the age of fifteen?"
The man in blue wore a smirk as he read through the documents for a while, then put them down. "The real test for you will come after twenty matches."
People know that the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform is a money-making tool for Dark Alley. But not many know that it has a deeper purpose.
For the man in blue, this moneymaking plan is just a whim, a joke with the martial world of the Floating River Area. As for Shi Xiaole, he had seen many talents at this level and didn’t take it too seriously.
...
The next day dawned.
Having freshened up, Shi Xiaole, followed by a group of experts, once again entered the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform.
The number of spectators in the stands today was noticeably higher than yesterday.
As soon as they saw Shi Xiaole, numerous gazes fell on him immediately.
Among them, one gaze was particularly sharp as if it wanted to pierce through Shi Xiaole.
It was a magnificent man with iron guts and split eyebrows. He sat cross-legged in the front row, surrounded by a group of respectful Iron Bone Sect’s experts.
Without a doubt, Shi Xiaole immediately knew that this man was Zhou Yilou, the suzerain of the Iron Bone Sect.
Zhou Yilou hooked his lips without uttering a word, but his intense killing intent condensed the air into ice blocks, causing shivers among many martial artists around him.
This was an actual aura.
Martial artists who had reached the nine-layer Qi Absorption could develop a unique aura. Zhou Yilou, a Xuanqi Realm Level horizontal practice martial artist, naturally had a heart-stirring aura.
However, the next moment, Zhou Yilou’s expression turned into surprise.
Shi Xiaole, his main target, seemed unaffected by the aura. His face was calm as if he wasn’t influenced by it at all.
The aura is intangible and mainly targets one’s spirit. How would Zhou Yilou know that Shi Xiaole’s spirit was even stronger than his? What would such an aura mean to him?
"Let’s see how long you can keep your arrogance."
Retracting his gaze, Zhou Yilou decided to sit back and watch the show.
Shi Xiaole paid no heed to this friction. Just as he sat down, the elder in white stepped into the arena and laughed, "Welcome everyone. Today’s first match is a Copper Level duel. Who would like to step forward?"
Before his gaze made half a round, a man in a green robe stood up unyieldingly, causing the elder in white to stop and take note.
"Young Hero Shi, are you willing to participate in the match?"
"That’s right."
Shi Xiaole had no intention to waste time. The sooner he won the match, the sooner he could pay for the room and focus on his training.
This time, no martial artist stood out to lend a hand to Dark Alley.
For one, yesterday’s match fully proved Shi Xiaole’s power. Those willing to challenge him needed to consider their own strength first.
Secondly, the time since the announcement of the Rivers and Lakes Assassination Order was short. Many sects and powerful martial artists hadn’t arrived yet.
"I’ll have a go at you."
Dark Alley had its people in place. Just as Shi Xiaole entered the arena, a muscular man leaped into the ring.
Whether by coincidence or not, this man was a horizontal practice martial artist.
"Impressive Qi and blood. His power should be nearing that of a fully matured horizontal practice martial artist."
Elder Ma commented, his heart finally settling.
If they’re starting with a martial artist of this level, what’s next? This guy named Shi is bound to be in trouble.
"Thunderbolt Divine Fist!"
The muscular man was straightforward. As soon as the elder in white stepped down, he threw the first punch that carried a chilling fierce aura at Shi Xiaole.
Whether it was offensive power or aura, this fist was a notch above Hu Baisheng’s yesterday.
What caught everyone’s attention was this set of fist techniques. While attacking others, it also used power to defend oneself, thus reducing the risk of being attacked.
"The Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform has indeed studied yesterday’s battle. This is a formation specially designed to counter Shi Xiaole."
In the audience, a martial artist laughed.
