Chapter 417: Chapter 416: Instant Kill
Shi Xiaole didn’t give chase.
Although he had appeared calm and collected, the reality was that the constant usage of his Eyeknife and Illusion Intent Realm had left a considerable burden on his consciousness, causing him to feel disoriented.
If Qu Buping had continued to resist, Shi Xiaole would have ended up being the one to flee.
In short, Shi Xiaole’s promotion to the Spiritual-Passage Realm occurred too quickly.
HIs true essence and Sword Realm, although more advanced than the Spiritual-Passage Realm, was only at the lower rank within the Dragon Gate Realm, especially considering his limited internal power, it would be strange if he could defeat his opponent.
While Shi Xiaole was silently relieved, the surrounding people didn’t think so. Seeing him sever Qu Buping’s right arm, they were stunned as if they had witnessed a miracle.
"Did he really repel a Dragon Gate Realm expert with the cultivation of Spiritual-Passage Realm?"
"Rumors in the Martial World have always been exaggerated, but they are actually underplayed when it comes to this person!"
The skirmish at Heavenly Jade Mountain established Shi Xiaole’s reputation as a genius.
And today, Shi Xiaole made everyone recognize that he wasn’t just a genius, but a peerless genius, who would even rank at the forefront among the 365 states of Shuntian Capital.
"Take care, sir."
Just as Shi Xiaole was about to leave, a voice called out to stop him. He turned his head to see a youngster in white leading a tall and robust man towards him.
"How strong."
Shi Xiaole felt a deep and profound aura from the burly man, tinged with faint echoes of a dragon’s roar. It was clear that he was a Dragon Gate Realm expert, and even more powerful than Qu Buping!
"Can I assist you, sir?"
Shi Xiaole was quietly on guard.
"May I ask which sect or school you are from?"
"I don’t belong to any."
The young man in white took a thorough look at Shi Xiaole before speaking, "With your youthful age and impressive swordsmanship, would you be interested in becoming one of the Sun Sword Lord’s top ten disciples?"
Many people nearby had yet to leave, and on hearing these words, they were all greatly stunned.
This was because in Shuntian Capital, apart from some extremely remote and backward states, there were few people who were unaware of the name Sun Sword Lord.
Names and reputations aren’t assigned randomly in the Martial World, especially those with special connotations, which only a select few individuals are eligible to use.
For example, Marquis and Lord.
If the title Marquis represents the elite masters within the Spiritual-Passage Realm, then the title Lord refers to the elite masters within the Dragon Gate Realm.
Sun Sword Lord, one of the top three swordsmen in Shuntian Capital, was renowned for his strength and superior swordsmanship. Few could match him. Among the top fifty masters ranked by the Divine Strategy Academy in Shuntian Capital, he ranked sixth.
It must be known that the average age of these fifty masters exceeded 250 years, while the Sun Sword Lord was merely 176 years old, ranked just after the number one ’Great Lethal Star’ Xin Zhuliu.
The news that the Sun Sword Lord was broadening his recruitment to three thousand sword servants had already spread across all major states like Xuanwu State and Mirror State, and countless swordsmen were eager to recommend themselves.
While the term ’sword servant’ might sound unpleasant, in fact, they were equivalent to Sun Sword Lord’s disciples via name registration. To many, this status held higher prestige than being the sect master of many top forces across any state.
As for his disciples, they were equivalent to being the personal disciples of the Sun Sword Lord, bearers of his swords, often receiving his direct instructions, they were the envy of many.
Given Shi Xiaole’s remarkable talent, if he could get mentoring from the Sun Sword Lord, that would undoubtedly save him a lot of unnecessary time, and his future accomplishments would be unlimited.
"May I ask who you are and what qualifications you have to represent the Sun Sword Lord?"
Shi Xiaole inquired.
The young man in white responded with a proud smile, "You don’t need to know that. All you need to understand is, nobody in Shuntian Capital dares to impersonate the Sun Sword Lord! So, are you interested?"
A disciple, huh?
Shi Xiaole shook his head, "I deeply admire the Sun Sword Lord’s strength. However, I’ve always been a free and easy wanderer and prefer to live my life that way, so I must decline. My apologies."
The young man in white’s smile stiffened slightly. He said coolly, "Innate talent doesn’t guarantee success. As your realm gets higher, you’ll need the guidance of a renowned master and an abundant supply of martial resources. There are many geniuses in Shuntian Capital, but more than 90% of those who eventually stand on the stage have powerful backers. Sir, there’s a great opportunity right in front of you, so you should think seriously."
"I’ve made up my mind."
The young man in white took a deep breath and his tone turned cold, "I hope you won’t regret your decision." Then, without giving Shi Xiaole another glance, he turned and left with the burly man.
Shi Xiaole smiled helplessly.
He had too many secrets to reveal and couldn’t possibly become anyone’s disciple.
The crowd around him wore complicated expressions. Probably only someone like Shi Xiaole would have the nerve to refuse an offer from the Sun Sword Lord.
Of course, there were also those who secretly sneered at Shi Xiaole’s hubris, thinking that he had missed a great chance to ascend to greatness.
"Young Master, that man dared to refuse you in public and even ignore the Lord’s reputation. Should I..."
In an unnoticed corner, the burly man made a throat-slitting gesture.
The world of martial arts placed a great value on face.
From the burly man’s perspective, Shi Xiaole dared to tarnish the face of the Young Master and should pay the appropriate price.
The young man in white’s eyes flickered, but he finally shook his head, "Never underestimate any genius. Besides, even if he rejected me today, it will be him who regrets it in the future."
Looking across all of Shuntian Capital, martial artists in the Spiritual-Passage Realm could only be considered top-notch, while only the peak masters in the Dragon Gate Realm were the true rulers of the Martial World.
His grandfather once said something profound, namely that until reaching the peak of the Dragon Gate Realm, any genius was still just a genius.
Thinking about Shi Xiaole’s confident demeanor, the young man in white could not help but let out a disdainful laugh.
...
Because the Maple Forest Cottage drifted about, Shi Xiaole had to ask around to find out that he was currently in Yuan City, which was thousands of kilometers from Half Moon Lake.
Helpless, Shi Xiaole had to rush back to Half Moon Lake so that Qingfeng could find him.
About a month later, Shi Xiaole reached the nameless mountain range and gave a shout, and the sound of far-off hooves was heard. Qingfeng galloped over. Upon arriving at his side, Qingfeng immediately started affectionately and worriedly licking his neck, making Shi Xiaole unable to help but laugh.
"Although my internal power has increased, the Golden Puppet Liquid has damaged my foundation. I must find a way to mitigate this effect."
If it were an ordinary warrior, they would be at a loss in the face of this situation. Luckily, Shi Xiaole was different.
He had already completely learned the entire Pity Flower Treasure Identification, and, in addition to disguise techniques, soul capturing techniques, and gu techniques, he was equally proficient in medical techniques and poison techniques. Don’t forget, Wang Lianhua’s medical and poison skills were even more advanced than her martial skills.
...
In the vast wilderness, a man and a horse were sitting by a bonfire.
"In the past half month, I have already collected Three Suns Grass, Purple Bellflower, Almond Blossoms, and Green Vine. The only medicinal ingredient left is Thousand Crowberries, but they’re very rare and not easy to find."
Since it involved his foundation, Shi Xiaole didn’t dare to delay. With the assistance of Qingfeng, he had managed to gather all the ingredients except for the Thousand Crowberries in an astonishingly short amount of time.
He had heard that this medicinal ingredient was very common in Xuanwu State, so right now, Shi Xiaole was on his way to the center of Shuntian, Xuanwu State’s capital.
The long night was more than half over, and the stars were sparse.
A figure was rushing through the wilderness. His clothes had been torn to tatters, stained with fresh blood, and his face was pale. He was clearly severely injured.
"Rainbow Sword Marquis, obediently hand over the object, and I promise you can live the life of a dog."
Behind the figure, more than a dozen people were in hot pursuit and teeming with murderous intent.
The Rainbow Sword Marquis was clearly unwilling to be caught. While the people behind him were shouting, he suddenly swung his sword. Patches of rainbow lights were like heavy rain, covering everything within ten feet of him.
"You’re overestimating your abilities."
"You’re looking for death."
The dozen individuals behind him attacked simultaneously. Chaotic energy dispersed the night wind, making the cold even colder.
The abilities of these people were either on par with the Rainbow Sword Marquis or slightly inferior. The combined efforts of all of them were enough to easily injure the Rainbow Sword Marquis, causing his blood to splatter and his energy to weaken further.
"Even if I die, I will never allow these bastards to achieve their wish."
Under the light of the moon, there was a determined and feral expression on the Rainbow Sword Marquis’ face. Suddenly, he saw a green horse not far away. At this moment of life and death, the Rainbow Sword Marquis somehow dashed toward the green horse subconsciously.
Quick, quick, quick.
Qingfeng’s call woke up Shi Xiaole, who was over a hundred meters away. He opened his eyes and saw the nearly dying Rainbow Sword Marquis on Qingfeng’s back, as well as the fierce pursuers not far after them.
"Whinny, whinny."
Qingfeng ran and hid behind Shi Xiaole, seemingly seeking protection.
"Young man, sorry to trouble your."
The Rainbow Sword Marquis said with a strained smile.
Shi Xiaole kept quiet, reached out and checked his pulse. A sigh flashed through his eyes, but the Marquis only responded with a carefree smile.
"Boy, hand him over, and I’ll leave your corpse in one piece."
Seeing that the Rainbow Sword Marquis was unable to move any longer, the group that had been pursuing him all burst into laughter.
Upon hearing this, a color of self-condemnation appeared on the Rainbow Sword Marquis’ face. He should not have involved this innocent young man.
"So to say, whether I hand him over or not, it’s a dead end either way?"
Shi Xiaole asked.
"If anyone’s to blame, it’s just your bad luck."
A man who was shouting about killing Rainbow Sword Marquis shrugged his shoulders, acting as if it wasn’t his fault.
What happened tonight must not be leaked, everyone who had seen Rainbow Sword Marquis must die.
Some people directly ignored Shi Xiaole, and, seeing the majestic Qingfeng, their eyes filled with greed. They clearly intended to kill people and seize the horse.
"Big brother, we don’t need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, let me handle this kid."
One man was quick to act, his body method pushed to the extreme, and a knife slashed toward Shi Xiaole. The lashing knife-light condensed into a line, as if splitting the night.
This was an extremely skilled Spiritual-Passage Realm expert.
In addition to this man, another five people were not slow either. They all displayed their unique skills almost at the same time, attacking Shi Xiaole from all sides.
The older man was an invincible Spiritual-Passage Realm expert. He also leapt up high, but his target was the Rainbow Sword Marquis on Qingfeng’s back.
The Rainbow Sword Marquis had a mournful look on his face and silently stored internal power in his palm, preparing to destroy the thing in his hand so as not to let the man succeed.
The seven high-level warriors, like hunting eagles, swooped down.
But in the next moment, a blue sword light was even more dazzling, and it pierced straight through the seven people.
Splash, splash, splash...
Blood burst like entire row of watermelons being smashed open and splashed everywhere. Seven heads flew up into the air without distinction.
The blue sword light did not stop its momentum, rushing towards the distance. The remaining few people hadn’t even had a chance to react before they had their throats pierced and fell to ground.
Under the moonlight, Rainbow Sword Marquis stared blankly at the young man in green clothes as he lowered his finger and lightly turned around. Only then did the seven heads hit the ground.
