Chapter 498: Chapter 497 Young Man in Black Clothes
"Black and White Impermanence, you have committed countless crimes, caring not for human lives. I, the Wine Beggar, have long sought to rectify your wrongdoings."
A voice, full of righteousness, echoed through the sky. Wine was splashed around, turning into a rain of alcohol.
"Old beggar, human lives are the cheapest things in this world. The people that we, the two of us brothers, have killed are useless to society, we’re merely saving resources. Where is the harm in that?"
White Impermanence chuckled sinisterly. With Black Impermanence, they launched their attacks simultaneously. A black and white palm force was released, mirroring the contrast of day and night, filled with a chilling and deadly intensity.
Swoosh!
The rain of wine was dispersed greatly by the black and white palm force, with only about ten percent of it falling onto the ground, piercing numerous holes in the bamboo forest floor, each several feet deep. Smoke was rising from the surfaces of these holes, the heat generated from the friction between the falling wine rain and the air slowly burning the surrounding air.
"So powerful!"
Inside a carriage, Crown Sword Marquis had goosebumps from the dread.
He was sure that if he was exposed to the falling wine rain, even ten of him could not withstand it. This was just less than one-tenth of the power Wine Beggar had casually unleashed.
The top hundred masters of Xuanwu State, such is their overwhelming strength!
And to be able to resist a strike from Wine Beggar, it underscores the terrifying strength of Black and White Impermanence.
"You are all blustering criminals, yet you dare to act so confidently. You’ve gone past the point of salvation. Seal the Wine in All Directions, kill!"
With a swoosh, Wine Beggar spat out the wine in his mouth, spreading it in the form of a mist. His hands swung, one high and one low, horizontally. Two shadowy palms came together to form a silver seal. The surrounding wine mist blended into it, and the silver seal seemed to spring to life, rotating, and rushing towards Black and White Impermanence.
"Overconfident, Black and White Soul Arrest!"
The cruel Black Impermanence was the one to attack this time. He took the lead, his body at the forefront. A tremendous force arose from his body as he was hit by White Impermanence, his blackened hand transformed into a claw, and he grabbed the silver seal directly.
Crack, crack, crack.
The silver seal swelled and shrank in the black claw, eventually being crushed into powder. However, the explosion’s shockwave caused the black claw to tremble violently, and it was covered with bloody streaks.
"Everybody, let’s go together and exterminate the Ai Family."
On the ground, Xiahou Wuyi swung his hand commandingly.
Under his leadership, more than a dozen top-tier experts from the Xiahou Clan charged towards the Ai Family members. Mid-way through the air, they each displayed their unique skills. The vigorous air they controlled was more tumultuous than even the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, crushing everything in its path forward.
Without a word, the Ninth Elder of the Ai Family, who was leading the experts from the Ai Family, had charged forward before the Xiahou Clan even showed any sign of attacking.
Bang!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was like two Level-Ten typhoons colliding, the terrifying resulting shockwaves caused the very fabric of space to enlarge momentarily before rapidly contracting. Colourful cracks spread out crazily, like lightning flashing across the sky. A large area of the ground cracked open, dust was raised, and even the official road not far away was cut off in the middle.
The top-tier experts of both sides, their highest level of cultivation was the Ninth Tier of the Dragon Gate Realm, and the lowest was at the Eighth Tier of the Dragon Gate Realm. In the martial world of Xuanwu State, each was considered an unprovokable figure. The outcome of their first clash created an apocalyptic scene.
"Let’s go."
Meanwhile, a carriage turned and drove into the woods from the side. Inside the carriage sat Shi Xiaole, Crown Sword Marquis, Yang Feng, and the siblings Ai Wenqian and Ai Yinghao.
Previously, the reason they hadn’t split up into two groups was for fear of unexpected encounters along the way. It was not until Xiahou Wuyi and others showed up, did the Ai Family start to genuinely believe the intel they had received and officially kickstart their plan.
"Hehe."
As he watched the carriage leave, Xiahou Wuyi sneered in his heart, then quickly withdrew his gaze and engaged in intense combat with the top-tier experts of the Ai Family.
Inside the bamboo forest.
A bleak, mournful sound of a flute echoed forth, like a sad cry. The galloping horses suddenly came to a halt, laying listlessly.
"Miss Wenqian, why such haste? Why don’t you come out and chat?"
A middle-aged man in blue robes stood in front of the carriage, smiling faintly as he held a green bamboo flute, very much resembling a refined scholar.
There was silence within the carriage for a while before the cloth curtain was lifted. Ai Wenqian, her pretty face cold, stepped out and said, "I did not expect the famed ’Green Flute Scholar’, Fang Yijun, would stoop to becoming a lapdog for the Xiahou Family."
Fang Yijun’s reputation may not surpass Black and White Impermanence, but he was still a formidable figure.
The man had been a prodigy of his generation just some decades ago. Despite being only in his sixties, he had already reached the Eighth Tier of the Dragon Gate Realm. His strength considerably surpassed that of 99% of experts at the same stage.
"Lapdog is a bit much. It’s more like a utilitarian collaboration."
Fang Yijun did not anger; he merely smiled gently. His gaze fell on a young boy in blue robes sitting inside the carriage.
The young boy’s blue robe was much lighter than his own. With broad shoulders and a slim waist, this juvenile, although sitting, projected an air of elegance that was immediately noticeable. Quite a fine figure of the world!
"This must be Young Master Shi Xiaole. Your fame now surpasses even mine."
Fang Yijun’s face showed a hint of admiration, but he quickly sighed, "However, the martial world is proficient at forgetting. After your death today, Young Master Shi, who will remember your once splendid reputation years down the line?"
"Who says you’ll be able to kill us? Shi Xiaole asked.
Fang Yijun’s threat seemed enormous to him, and he could guess that Fang Yijun was probably even stronger than him.
This was not hard to understand.
Although Shi Xiaole had comprehended the Heavenly Sword and had broken through to the Fifth Tier of the Dragon Gate Realm, there are still three tiers left before he reaches Fang Yijun. But remember, the opponent is not a mediocre, his decades of cultivation could have allowed him to reach a very high level in the realm of real meaning, far from what Shi Xiaole can currently match.
Take Yu Zhao as an example, at the same level, he is definitely no match for Shi Xiaole, but if he was allowed to cultivate for decades, even if his level remains the same, his strength would definitely far exceed Shi Xiaole, the same logic applies.
"Though I am mediocre, having spent decades more in cultivation than you, I am confident that I can kill you with ease."
A burst of crimson light shot out like a powerful crossbow, too quick for anyone to see its trajectory. Fang Yijun’s smug expression suddenly changed and he quickly dodged aside.
With a crash, a large patch of bamboo forest behind him was blown away, and a blood-soaked scratch appeared on his smooth face. It wasn’t until now that the ripping sound of the crimson bolt streaking through the air echoed loudly.
"You’ve got quick reactions."
In the carriage, a hidden compartment revealed a hard-faced middle-aged man who stepped out. He had been the one to launch the earlier attack.
"Ai Yinghao, it’s you!"
Fang Yijun’s expression darkened. The Ai family boasted many talented members, and Ai Yinghao was a famous one among them, as well as one of his contemporaries who was also a rival of his own.
The Xiahou Clan hadn’t bothered to inform him that Ai Yinghao was hidden within the carriage. Could it be that they too were unaware?
Ignoring Fang Yijun’s ferocious gaze, Ai Wenqian drove the carriage herself, moving away from the other side. Soon after, a piercing explosion sounded from behind them.
"Brother Shi, my apologies for the inconvenience. However, after leaving Fang Yijun behind, we’ve temporarily escaped from danger."
Ai Wenqian lashed the horse as she spoke attempting to reassure him.
Shi Xiaole shook his head: "I’m afraid that may not be the case."
As soon as the first words have been spoken, uproarious laughter came from above, as an intangible force pressed down, like the collapse of a mountain, compressing the surrounding air into a single point.
The carriage instantly shattered into pieces, turning into a sky filled with wood chips.
"Die!"
The newcomer did not waste any words like Fang Yijun, but acted more like a cold-blooded assassin, pointing his palm towards the group of people. From his palm burst forth a violent array of lightning, raining down on them from above.
Ai Wenhong, Crown Sword Marquis, and Yang Feng all turned pale.
Faced with this surge of lightning, they could hardly mobilize their Vigorous Air, just like lambs in front of a tiger, being naturally suppressed. This was indeed a Nine Tier expert from the Dragon Gate Realm.
They had managed to thwart all previous ambushes, but who would have thought that the Xiahou Clan’s real killer move was waiting here?
Ai Wenqian barely drew her sword, wielding it upwards, yet the Sword Qi merely brushed the aftermath of the lightning, immediately shattering and unable to stir up the slightest ripple.
A hint of despair arose in her heart.
Shi Xiaole remained unmoved, his face as calm as ever.
Just as the lightning was about to hit them, a sudden deep blue halo of Sword Qi shot horizontally across the sky, slicing the lightning into dozens of pieces, steadily grinding it into pieces.
"Third Grandfather!"
Having cheated death, Ai Wenhong was soaked in cold sweat, her eyes widened in shock as she excitedly shouted at the man on the far tree branch.
The man, wrapped in a blue cloth robe, appeared to be in his forties and held a long sword. His body was densely covered with moist and sharp Sword Qi, as if he was standing in water.
"Wave Sword Lord, you actually came here personally?"
The elderly man who had previously attacked Shi Xiaole and his companions wore an expression of surprise.
"Breaking Thunder Lord, your Xiahou Clan exploited the ambitions of my second brother, colluding with him to create domestic strife. How could you fool my elder brother with such a plot?"
With just one sentence from Wave Sword Lord, the face of Breaking Thunder Lord became even more unsightly.
The ’second brother’ he mentioned was indeed the most terrifying mole planted by the Xiahou Clan in the Ai family. The original plan between the two sides was to gradually take control of the Ai family’s authority after removing the direct heirs of the Ai family.
It now seems that the activities of the second member of the Ai family have been detected. What a useless wretch who is more of a liability than an asset!
There was a strange look on Wave Sword Lord’s face: "It appears that my niece really terrified your Xiahou Clan back then, which is why you were determined to kill my grandchildren at all costs. But my Ai family will not tolerate the same tragedy happening again."
With a wave of his longsword, a deep blue Sword Qi pierced through the void and slew towards the Breaking Thunder Lord.
"Thunder Palm!"
Electricity was scattered densely between his five fingers, Crackling as they sparked. Breaking Thunder Lord advanced instead of retreating, meeting it fearlessly.
The two of them rightfully earned the title of ’Lord’, being peak masters of the Dragon Gate Realm. Their strength might not be on par with the Wine Beggar and Black and White Impermanence, but it wasn’t much inferior either.
After several exchanges, the Sword Qi and lightning overhead almost covered the sun. The blue and purple lights shining down had hit the ground leaving it pitted with holes. Shortly after the underground water surfaced, it was immediately evaporated into mist, dissipating into nothingness.
Shi Xiaole retreated while observing this rare battle.
The Vigorous Air of Wave Sword Lord and Breaking Thunder Lord was not only extremely potent, far surpassing his own, but even their true intents had reached an intimidating seventy percent. Each move and style possessed the strength of destruction, leaving him to face either of them with no other choice but to be killed within seconds.
In this kind of high-level battle, even with Shi Xiaole’s perception, he could not determine who was stronger.
Suddenly —
Shi Xiaole’s hair stood on end, and without thinking, he evaded to one side. Swoosh, a black fingertip shot past, like a devil’s scythe, cutting off dozens of green bamboo stalks in unison.
"Eh, you actually dodged my attack."
Ten steps away stood a handsome young man in black clothing. His eyes looking at Shi Xiaole were filled with a teeming sense of mockery.
