Chapter 394: Chapter 393: I’ll Let You Have Your Way
A few days passed, and other prominent figures from the Devil Path, who were in favor of the Lan and Huang Union, gathered. Two of them, apart from the blind elders, were the top-tier elder figures.
Upon hearing that Yang Ding and Xue Pan were killed, the prominent figures from the Devil Path were shocked.
"Were the two men killed for plotting to steal the Faceless Divine Skill?"
Given Yang Ding and Xue Pan’s skill, if the two had joined forces, only two among the present figures could fend them off.
As a result, the group of prominent figures from the Devil Path looked at Shi Xiaole, who was clad in a black cloak with a long sword hanging from his waist, his demeanor imposing, their eyes all shifting in color.
Could the strength of this Holy Young Master have grown even more?
In the square hidden by the Lan and Huang families, hundreds of people stood in order, their expressions solemn.
These people were all the true elite fighters of the Lan and Huang families, with the weakest among them having reached the Eighth Level of the Spiritual-Passage Realm, capable of fighting above their level.
Shi Xiaole stood at the forefront, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the experts, taking in their eyes filled with admiration, fervor, and loyalty, he drew a deep breath and commanded, "Depart!"
"Go!"
Lan Tian, the Vice Minister, bellowed, shaking the clouds.
Today was the day they set out to follow the Holy Young Master’s lead to take control of other Devil Path factions, truly uniting the Devil Path. Every person was overwhelmed with surging emotions, ecstatic beyond measure.
Since the emergence of the Holy Young Master, he has created too many miracles; thus, no one doubted when he claimed to unify the Devil Path.
"The youngster has truly matured."
Not far away, several prominent figures of the Devil Path watched as Shi Xiaole entered his simple, translucent carriage, their feelings mixed.
While they supported Shi Xiaole, they were not without their own motives deep down and secretly decided to follow along and see what the Holy Young Master had up his sleeve.
"He may be impressive now, but in the end, he’ll still have to rely on us."
Some elders sneered. There were no lack of supreme fighters among the opposing Devil Path organizations, and merely relying on Shi Xiaole, they would never be subdued.
Everyone said that he killed Yang Ding and Xue Pan, but who knew what tactics he used.
...
Amid the vast mountain ranges, there was a power hidden within a cave.
Inside the depths of the cave, a strong desire permeated the air, which was then all absorbed within the body of the Demon Marquis, possessing a fair complexion, who opened his eyes.
"Seventy percent of my internal power has transformed into Inborn Gang Qi. My Demon Desire Divine Skill has improved further, showing signs of breaking its cocoon."
Without Shi Xiaole, the Demon Marquis would surely be recognized as one of the most talented fighters in the martial world of the Eight States. With his current pace, he had the confidence to reach the formidable strength of an elder within sixty years.
"Xie Xiaofeng, life is long. I won’t be concerned about a mere moment in time; we’ll see who gets the last laugh."
The Demon Marquis clenched his fists.
A rush of wind came from outside, and the Red Charm Demon rushed into the cave, a serious look on her face.
"Charm, what could possibly make you so flustered?"
"Master, Xie Xiaofeng is here."
The Demon Marquis suddenly looked up.
...
Outside the cave, the experts from the Lan and Huang families formed a semicircle around the cave entrance. The members of the Demon Sky Sect were outside the cave, weapons in hand.
The two sides stood hundreds of meters apart in a standoff, the atmosphere tense enough to drip water.
At some moment, several shadows swept out of the cave.
"Holy Young Master, you did come after all."
The Demon Marquis sighed.
He had guessed that Xie Xiaofeng wouldn’t let this go easily and had used various means to cover his tracks, but it seemed that he wasn’t able to counterbalance the six hundred years of preparations by the Lan and Huang families.
He was simply too far behind!
"Die or submit."
Shi Xiaole sat within the thin, veiled carriage, his figure blurred, and his cold, merciless voice echoed out.
"If I were to surrender, would you believe me?"
The Demon Marquis chuckled.
"This time, I want you to swear by the will of Heaven and Earth. If anyone dares to break this oath, you shall not be spared by Heaven and Earth!" Shi Xiaole said.
Upon hearing these words, every skilled person belonging to the Demon Sky Sect was shaken to their core.
Swearing by the will of Heaven and Earth had always been a taboo in the Divine Continent. Whatever was sworn would often come true. Was Xie Xiaofeng forcing them to become his slaves?
"Wild fantasies!"
The Red Charm Demon scoffed.
The Heaven Eating Demon held a piece of raw pig meat in his hand, chewing hard, his eyes fierce.
Seeing the other several solid carriages hidden behind the thin, veiled carriage, and sensing the breath within, the Demon Marquis said, "Holy Young Master, we’re willing to submit, but we can’t swear by the will of Heaven and Earth."
Today, Xie Xiaofeng was well-prepared. The power comparison between the two sides was clearly against him. However, thankfully, there were two top-tier elders on his side. He figured Xie Xiaofeng wouldn’t dare to push too hard.
A real man could bend and stretch. Even if he surrendered many times, the winner would be the one who got the last laugh.
The Demon Marquis clenched his fists tightly.
"It seems you didn’t hear me clearly. Either swear by Heaven and Earth’s will, or die. I won’t say it a third time!"
Shi Xiaole’s voice echoed all over the place. Even though it was calm, it carried an irresistible dominance.
How could he not see through the Demon Marquis’s scheme? Unfortunately, times have changed. During the Mountain Cang conference, he had endured it due to his lack of strength. Now, Shi Xiaole no longer needed to endure it.
Within the carriage, a few renowned veterans of the Devil Path opened their eyes one by one. Where did this Holy Young Master derive his confidence from? Could his skills have really improved so significantly?
"Hahaha, such arrogant words. I would love to see what makes you so confident!"
Amidst the laughter, several shadows burst out of the cave and stood in front of the Demon Marquis. Their powerful aura dispersed in all directions, putting all the experts present under intense pressure as if a mountain was pressing down on them.
These people were none other than the renowned veterans who supported the Demon Marquis from the Devil Path.
Through the veil, Shi Xiaole only looked at the two people standing in the middle. Besides the two elders known as the Blind Eyes, these two were the top-level experts of the Devil Path and the foundation of the Demon Marquis’s confidence.
The speaker was the one on the left.
The elderly man directly ignored the veiled carriage and looked behind him: "Wang Laogui, Liu Laogui, the Holy Young Master thinks he can take control of the Demon Sky Sect by relying on you two. He’s miscalculated."
Those veterans who support the Demon Marquis might not genuinely care for him, but they could not stand the arrogant and conceited behaviour of Xie Xiaofeng.
If they were to be pressured without making a stand, how would others within the Devil Path view them once the news was out?
Inside the carriage, one of the top veterans supporting the Lan and Huang families immediately responded: "Three years ago, the four of us battled and could hardly determine a victor. We won’t make a move today."
The experts of the Demon Sky Sect were initially taken aback, but then they simultaneously burst into laughter, feeling much relieved.
The experts of Lan and Huang families wore unhappy expressions.
The statement was a clear indication that the two top veterans who supported them would not take action today. Without them, how difficult would it be for the Holy Young Master to take control of the Demon Sky Sect!
Everyone had to acknowledge that nobody saw how the Holy Young Master killed Yang Ding and Xue Pan. What if those were sneak attacks? Regardless, if you could kill Yang Ding and Xue Pan, which one of the four top veterans present wouldn’t be capable of doing the same?
If the two individuals on their side did not make a move, it wasn’t certain whether the other veterans would make their move. Would the Holy Young Master have to face all the veterans of the Demon Sky Sect alone?
"Can’t we rely on relationships after all?"
Lan Tian clenched his teeth.
The ancestors of these renowned veterans had all benefited from the Black Devil Divine Monarch to various extents. But it seems that time had diluted these good graces.
Inside the carriage, several famous veterans watched with amusement.
Shi Xiaole had acted too dominantly, so much that it made them uncomfortable. It even triggered a kind of anger in them, as if their superior status was being challenged.
Do you really think that the identity of the Holy Young Master is a silver bullet? If you had asked us nicely, we might have considered helping you. Now, we’ll wait and see how you clean up this mess!
"Holy Young Master, those who follow the path gain support, while those who lose their way lack support! Being too stubborn isn’t a good thing. Here’s a proposal, why don’t we form an alliance, with you and the Demon Marquis co-leading? How does that sound?"
The top veterans supporting the Demon Marquis chuckled delightfully, as though they were offering an exit for the Holy Young Master.
The onlookers watched with varied expressions, all waiting to see how the confident Holy Young Master would respond. Would he refuse outright, despite the circumstances, or would he adapt to the situation and back down?
"It seems you’ve made your choice. I’ll grant it."
In the silence, the veil was blown open, revealing Shi Xiaole. The cold and murderous look in his eyes was as chilling as the twinkle of cold stars.
Whoosh!
Aiming at the speaking top veteran, Shi Xiaole leapt forward and launched an attack with his sword.
"You’re seeking death!"
The top veteran showed a shocked expression, which quickly turned to rage.
Had this youngster eaten the heart of a lion and the gall of a leopard, daring to make a move against him?
"Intense Earthquake from South to North!"
The top veteran sent out a powerful palm strike. The vehemence of the strike seemed capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks. The force of it tore through the air, leaving gashes like a piece of ripped cloth, creating a loud tearing sound.
Using his understanding of the essence, he launched a powerful attack. With 20 percent power combined with a perfect palm strike, he was determined to teach Shi Xiaole a lesson.
Wham!
The clash of Sword Qi and palm force caused the surrounding rocks to shatter. Amidst the wave of energy, the top veteran was forced to step back, exclaiming in shock, "Impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible."
After absorbing more than 56,000 Mystic Crystal Stones, Shi Xiaole’s cultivation had already reached the peak of the Spiritual-Passage Realm. His internal power had been constantly strengthening on top of that foundation, plus the catalyst of the Faceless Divine Skill, he had now transformed 95 percent of his internal power into Inborn Gang Qi.
His internal power was so strong that few martial artists in the realm could match him.
"What?!"
Seeing Shi Xiaole forcing the top veteran to retreat with a single strike, everyone present was taken aback.
Without any hesitation, Shi Xiaole, who was mid-air, launched an attack using the Death Claiming Fourteen Sword Art aimed at the top veteran. The air was densely filled with red Sword Qi, forming an image that looked like a devil’s face, ready to bite the top veteran, who was forced to retreat.
"Shock Gang Divine Fist!"
The veteran forcefully gathered all of his power and swung a fist that was emitting furious Gang Qi.
Thud!
The power of the fist dispersed, and a sword Qi pierced through the veteran’s body, splitting him neatly in half from the top of his head down to his hips.
In just two moves, a prominent top veteran of the Devil Path had been killed on the spot.
Everything happened in a flash, so fast that many people hadn’t even reacted. It was only when they saw the corpse on the ground that they were rendered speechless, dizziness overwhelming them.
"This boy’s strength?"
The veterans from both sides gasped inwards.
They couldn’t ignore the fact that Shi Xiaole’s internal power was higher than that of the top veteran who was just killed. This was already shocking enough.
What was even more shocking was that they realised Shi Xiaole’s sword, compared to the fierce ones in the past, had improved a level, which made even them feel apprehensive!
