Chapter 249: Chapter 249: That Shi Xiaole from Cloud Triangle
After controlling a group of people with his Gu techniques, Spicy Scholar decided to wait in a specific area, so as not to lose track of Shi Xiaole once he was found.
Three days had passed, and Spicy Scholar’s patience was wearing thin. He couldn’t help but wonder if Shi Xiaole had already left the Silver Snowfield, which would be a problem.
The Martial World was vast, and if their quarry had left, where would they begin to search?
"Swordsman, swordsman, we’ve found the man you’re looking for."
Just when he was getting restless, someone approached him with the news.
"What did you say? Take me there at once!"
Spicy Scholar promptly stood up, his feelings of frustration swept away.
...
In the snowy weather, a group of people closed in on Shi Xiaole and Ye Yiyi.
They claimed that the weather in the Silver Snowfield was harsh and there had been an increase in people in the Martial World lately. Gathering together brought safety in numbers and eased decision-making.
Ye Yiyi, unsuspecting of their ulterior motives, happily welcomed them, struck up conversations, secretly hoping that if they encountered Spicy Scholar and Wei Yan, she could seek their aid.
"Young lady, it appears your companion isn’t exactly welcoming us."
A middle-aged man looked at the silent Shi Xiaole and sneered inwardly.
"He’s always been like that."
Ye Yiyi laughed awkwardly, also feeling that Shi Xiaole’s expression was slightly off.
"Kid, we meet again."
Just then, a triumphant laughter echoed, followed by the appearance of a figure, somersaulting mid-air and landing in front of the crowd. It was none other than Spicy Scholar.
This group had secretly marked their path and, with the tracking Gu on them, Spicy Scholar caught up with them easily.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
As soon as Spicy Scholar arrived, the people around Shi Xiaole and Ye Yiyi instantly faded behind him, playfully watching the pair.
"You all... you’re spies."
Ye Yiyi, forehead creased in a sudden realization, pointed angrily at the group opposite her.
"Heh heh, those who can read the times are great men. The swordsman needed our help, of course we would lend him a hand."
The middle-aged man, who had spoken earlier, saluted with both hands clasped together, looking extremely honored.
Might makes right in the Martial World. Though Spicy Scholar was no saint, he was powerful. Even if they didn’t wish to oblige, they had to. More importantly, if they could use Shi Xiaole and Ye Yiyi to win over Spicy Scholar, it wouldn’t be a loss for these lone martial artists.
"Shameless!"
Ye Yiyi yelled out in frustration. The kind-hearted girl felt deceived and ashamed; her heart a mess. What made her most distraught was the feeling that she had let Shi Xiaole down once more.
"Kid, how do you plan to flee this time?"
Spicy Scholar leisurely raised his hand, his energy firmly locking onto Shi Xiaole, not giving him any chance of escape.
"Run? Why should I run?"
Shi Xiaole finally spoke up, his eyes calmly fixed on Spicy Scholar.
"Hmm?"
Spicy Scholar was taken aback. Did he mishear? What was the little kid saying?
"Brat, don’t get cocky, it’s not too late to kneel down."
"Kneel."
Sensing the opportunity to shine, those behind Spicy Scholar cried out. Eggs on by the middle-aged man, several of them even rushed forward, aiming to strike at Shi Xiaole’s face unmercifully.
Shi Xiaole didn’t even look at them. With a flick of his fingers, an arc of green light passed by and, amid a series of dull thuds, over twenty heads rolled onto the snow-covered ground.
Those behind them stopped in their tracks, staring dumbly.
"You dare kill someone in front of me, you’re really asking for it."
Spicy Scholar squinted his eyes and, puffing up his palm, raised it towards the sky before smashing it down forcefully. With it descended an overwhelming surge of internal power. Under its pressure, Ye Yiyi felt as if she was being sandwiched, unable to breathe. She looked at Shi Xiaole with great concern.
Unfazed by the incoming palm force, Shi Xiaole slowly grasped and drew his sword in an outward spiral stroke.
Swoosh...
A sudden sound of a bladed weapon against metal echoed. To everyone’s shock, Spicy Scholar’s robust Mixed Element Palm Force was split in half by the blue Sword Qi as if it were tofu. The two halves of internal power exploded outwards, churning up a storm of swirling snowflakes, yet leaving Shi Xiaole and Ye Yiyi right in the center unaffected.
"No wonder you dared to talk big, your strength has improved."
Spicy Scholar’s face hardened, waves of shock sweeping over him.
The same 60% of power he had witnessed just three days ago was dealt with way too easily this time around, causing a sense of uncertainty to creep up on him. However, it was quickly dispelled by rationality.
What a joke, no matter how fast the kid was progressing, was it possible for him to surpass him in just three days?
"If I don’t show you some real power, you might really think you could take me on."
Bringing his power to 90%, Spicy Scholar lashed out three palms towards the front. The subsequent three palm shadows overlapped, forming a storm eye-like area between them that ejected three scorching beams of light.
The beams stopped 15 feet from them, causing Ye Yiyi to feel a scorching pain all over her body. Terrified, she cried out: "Young Master, ignore me, just run!"
She was returned with an unprecedented vortex of Sword Qi that, as it rotated at a high speed, drew in and shattered the three light beams. Everything happened so quickly that Ye Yiyi even had the illusion that Shi Xiaole’s swordplay preceded her cry for help.
"Blocked it, she blocked it holistically?"
Ye Yiyi murmured to herself, as if in a daze.
"Illusionary Tracing Steps."
Shifting his feet, Spicy Scholar’s body transformed into a phantom in the snow, swiftly closing in on Shi Xiaole. Though it was merely a third-rate top-grade lightness skill (qīnggōng), it became tremendously impressive when operated by one with Triple Xuan Qi.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
If one claimed that Spicy Scholar’s body was a phantom, then Shi Xiaole’s body was like the wind; a wind that blew freely and effortlessly changed its direction.
In fact, Shi Xiaole’s flying skill now was no less than that of the Spicy Scholar. Previously, because he was carrying Ye Yiyi, he had only displayed about sixty to seventy percent of his potential.
"Mixed Element Lightning!"
Unable to gauge Shi Xiaole’s position, the Spicy Scholar’s face darkened as he shot out a ball of gathered internal power. It exploded mid-air in all directions, making it impossible for the spectators to open their eyes, and causing a small area of the snowfield to cave in.
"Vortex of Wind."
Within the white light, a straight green thread seemed particularly conspicuous, like a needle stuck in cheese, directly piercing the gathered internal power.
Without making a sound, Shi Xiaole arrived in front of the Spicy Scholar and gently pointed out a sword.
Swish.
A piece of sleeve was torn, and the Spicy Scholar was shocked to the core. He quickly retreated, preparing to counterattack. Yet under equal strength, would Shi Xiaole give the opponent a chance to fight back?
Invigorated by the Wind Intent Realm, in addition to seventy percent of Sword Heart, his every sword strike was faster than the one before. The piercing sharpness of the blade was enough to make the air taste sharp, always aiming at critical targets.
After dozens of moves, one side of the Spicy Scholar’s body was covered in fresh blood. It seemed to be just external injuries, but he could clearly feel a trace of sword qi was damaging his muscles and bones. Erasing the sword qi each time required consuming a large amount of his internal power.
"How could this be? How could this be?"
It was beyond the Spicy Scholar’s comprehension as to why the opponent seemed like a changed person in just a few days. With a shudder, he suddenly shouted, "You’re not a nobody, who are you, really?"
"Shi Xiaole."
As Shi Xiaole brandished his sword, he spoke.
"Shi Xiaole from the Cloud Triangle?"
The Spicy Scholar was shocked. Now everything made sense, but even so, he still found it hard to accept how fast Shi Xiaole was improving.
Grinding his teeth secretly, his right hand secretly moved an eyebrow-sized greenish-brown worm dropped into the snow and burrowed into Shi Xiaole’s body at a speed only the Spicy Scholar could detect.
"Haha, even if you are Shi Xiaole, die for me!"
The Spicy Scholar spun a venomous insect spell, directing the bug to eat Shi Xiaole’s heart. However, in the next moment, he completely lost the sense of the insect’s existence.
"What?"
Barely dodging a sword, the Spicy Scholar’s face turned green. His Essence Blood Venomous Insects, cultivated over many years, invisible killers, his primary weapon, were gone just like that?
"Young Hero Shi, there’s been some misunderstanding between us. I don’t want the Jade Heart Orchid anymore."
The Spicy Scholar shouted loudly.
"You’ve exhausted your tricks, so it’s time to switch to mine."
Faking a surrender, but intentionally divulging the whereabouts of the Jade Heart Orchid, clearly shows he wanted to harm him secretly.
A murderous intent flashed in his eyes and seventy percent of Sword Heart suddenly unleashed, instantly sweeping in all directions. It made the Spicy Scholar feel the pain all over his body. He strained to push his internal power to hundred percent, clapping his hands out continuously.
However.
A dazzling sword light, like a meteor, had arrived first.
This was the last view of the world the Spicy Scholar saw. Beautiful and brilliant, like a meteor falling from the sky.
Splat.
With a red dot between his eyebrows, the Spicy Scholar fell backward.
"Since you’ve come, why leave in such a hurry?"
Even though his sword intent was exhausted, Shi Xiaole didn’t stop and quickly dashed towards the right. From there, a red figure was escaping and shot towards the distance.
This was the swordsman Wei Yan in a blood robe.
At this moment, no sign of previous arrogance was left in Wei Yan. All that was left was fear and horror. Being swordsmen, his perception of certain aspects was much stronger than the Spicy Scholar.
But what did he see? This teenager under twenty years old had actually touched the legendary Sword Heart Realm. How terrifying was that?
"Shi Xiaole, let’s not interfere with each other’s affairs."
Wei Yan didn’t turn back, but he exhausted all his strength to yell out.
"Too late."
Driving seventy percent of Sword Heart, Shi Xiaole became one with his sword and once again launched the Meteor from the Sky.
Wei Yan didn’t even have time to scream before he fell.
Under the incomplete Sword Heart, Wei Yan, as a swordsman, was inherently suppressed. To Shi Xiaole, he was even less than the Spicy Scholar.
Blinking away and returning again, Shi Xiaole only took a few breaths.
Those who were still running were scared stiff.
The cold wind was biting, but it was not as cold as their hearts.
"Young...Young Hero Shi, you have a wonderful skill. I, Yuan Laosan, truly admire you. I admire you very much."
Yuan Laosan, the middle-aged man, trembled, his lips became pale. Cold air emerged from his tailbone making it impossible for him to speak clearly.
The people around weren’t any better. They were all flustered, praising Shi Xiaole with fists and flattering words. It’s such an ugly sight.
If they had known that Shi Xiaole was this powerful, they wouldn’t have dared to provoke him. But who could predict that they’d run into him as they wandered around the Silver Snowfield?
Not bothering to waste words, Shi Xiaole waved his sword and put it back into its sheath.
"Let’s go."
Shi Xiaole said to the stunned Ye Yiyi.
"Oh, okay."
Ye Yiyi glanced at those people and mechanically followed behind Shi Xiaole.
A moment later.
With a soft thud.
Blood gushed from the necks of the middle-aged man and several other people, and they all collapsed into the snow.
