Chapter 585: Chapter 584: Overwhelming (Subscription and Monthly Ticket request!)
"Oh, what, can’t beat him one-on-one so you want to gang up?"
Seeing the high-level martial artists of Wuling Villa rushing out, the two heroes from Tian State sneered, their bodies exploding with an extraordinary aura.
In an instant, a dragon and a tiger swirled above their heads, echoing with roars and growls. Within a kilometer radius, many people felt their blood boiling, as if their vessels were about to burst.
"These three are going a bit too far."
Some of the newly arrived heroes from Tian State narrowed their eyes.
They had traveled from afar to meet Fairy Ji. Unfortunately, although Fairy Ji was affable, she was rarely seen.
Some of them had already returned in disappointment, while some, like them, were still hopeful and remained near Nine Heavens Mountain. They had all heard that Fairy Ji was fond of Shi Xiaole and were hoping to see Fairy Ji again through him.
Many of them disapproved of the actions of Su Zhaoyang and the others, though this was only internally—for them to step in on Shi Xiaole’s behalf was impossible.
First, they did not share that kind of relationship.
Second, Su Zhaoyang and the other two were too skilled in martial arts. Without the certainty of victory, nobody was willing to suffer humiliation on behalf of Shi Xiaole.
"Su is having a spar with your master. If you don’t want trouble, get back!"
Under the phantom union of the dragon and the tiger, one of the two Tian State heroes on the left yelled. His ferocious voice formed a tangible wave, threatening those on the other side.
Before it even approached, it was enough to cause the ears of the people in Wuling Villa to ache and their heads to feel like they were about to explode.
At the forefront were Ai Wenqian, Ai Wenhong, and the three strange men who, despite looking pained, pressed on to ensure that those behind them were not affected.
"Looking for punishment, are you? I’ll accommodate."
The hero from Tian State on the right smiled faintly, raised his hand, and the dragon figure above his head prepared to swoop down.
But at this moment, a long howl suddenly echoed from a distance. Following that, the sky in the distance seemed to be filled with numerous sharp Sword Qis, piercing through the clouds and crazily rushing forward, forming countless small holes like a beehive.
Beneath this display of Sword Qi, no matter if it were the masters of Wuling Villa or the heroes from Tian State, chills ran down their spines. It was as if there was an invisible sharp Sword Qi hanging over their heads that could split them open at any moment, leaving them cold from head to toe.
Su Zhaoyang paused his action and quickly retreated to the side of the other two, shouting, "Who is this master? Please show yourself!"
Chittering...
The dense piercing sounds seemed unending. The immense trees swayed, and their leaves flew off, evaporating into thin air before they even fell, skewered by the Sword Qi.
The Tian State hero with sharp eyes suddenly pointed at the foot of the distant mountain and shouted, "Look!"
A figure was speeding towards them. As the hero’s words fell, the figure, like an unparalleled sword, arrived at the entrance of the mountain gate in the blink of an eye, leaving a long trail of green light behind, within which Sword Qi circulated endlessly.
"Shi Xiaole!"
This was Xia Yunxi’s excited cry.
"Master Shi!"
The three odd men shouted in unison.
Upon recognizing the man before them, the people of Wuling Villa cheered. The words "Master Shi" echoed throughout Nine Heavens Mountain.
Perhaps before this, many people were uncertain whether Shi Xiaole could drive away the three heroes from Tian State, but when he appeared, riding the wind and commanding the Sword Qi in his cyan-colored clothes, his inherent calmness and indifference immediately infected everyone.
Any hesitation, any doubt, they all vanished.
This was their villa master, the invincible and unbeatable master.
He had battled fiercely against the Four Symbols Mountain Clan, and even in adverse situations on the grand villa opening ceremony, he had vanquished three top-tier lords, defending the honor of the villa.
Many people had witnessed Shi Xiaole’s undefeated legend firsthand along their journey.
At some unnoticed point, their faith in him had been deeply entrenched in their bones and blood, inerasable.
"Master? Could you be that Shi Xiaole?"
His pupils constricting, Su Zhaoyang looked at the boy in the cyan robe.
The other heroes from Tian State were also stunned.
This was because Shi Xiaole was nothing like they had imagined. Despite from Shuntian Capital, he carried a kind of demeanor only heroes from Tian State possessed.
It was an indescribable feeling, as if every simple action he took was notably eye-catching.
This man must certainly be an influential figure, and had far transcended the level of Shuntian Capital!
Shi Xiaole didn’t pay attention to the others. Instead, he went to Xin Zhuliu’s side and placed his palm on his back. Xin Zhuliu instinctively resisted—using one’s energy to heal him with a powerful enemy at the doorstep would be unwise.
But the next moment, Xin Zhuliu’s eyes widened as he watched Shi Xiaole, transmitting a message via energy vibration, "What... what kind of witchcraft have you learned?"
His injuries were healing at a perceivable rate, faster than if he were to consume ordinary precious herbs.
"It’s not witchcraft, just a little trick I came up with. I can teach you if there’s a chance."
Feeling that the other’s injuries had healed by about fifty percent, and that he would soon recover by himself, Shi Xiaole removed his hand and casually smiled.
"Little... trick?"
Xin Zhuliu almost choked on his own saliva.
So if this is a small trick, then what would a big trick look like?
"Kid, did you not hear what I said?"
Being ignored, especially by the one he wants to pick on, makes Su Zhaoyang very uncomfortable. He frowned and barked.
Shi Xiaole looked at the three of them, then at the thatched hut in the doorway, and ordered: "You have thirty breaths to tear down this hut and apologize."
Su Zhaoyang and his companions were all stunned, as if they had misheard.
Su Zhaoyang pointed at himself, unable to suppress a smirk: "You want me to demolish the house and apologize to you? Hahaha, I, Su Zhaoyang, have been in the Martial World for many years and never apologized to anyone, who the hell are you?!"
He had to admit, Shi Xiaole’s entrance was impressive, but so what? Was he, Su Zhaoyang, supposed to be scared easily? How will win or lose be determined? You need to fight to find out.
The young heroes of Tian State watching in the distance wore strange expressions on their faces.
It seemed that Shi Xiaole’s skills were quite impressive, but his request was too arrogant. Asking Su Zhaoyang and the others to willingly dismantle the hut and apologize was no different from asking them to slap their own faces.
If he failed to suppress the three of them, it would be a big embarrassment for him.
But how likely was that?
These were well-known figures in Tian State. Especially Su Zhaoyang, known for his tricky speed. Very difficult to deal with.
If Shi Xiaole’s power was a notch above Su Zhaoyang, that would already be his limit. However, this level of power was far from enough to suppress the three of them. He had to be a notch more powerful than all three.
A lot of people were shaking their heads, thinking that Shi Xiaole had gone too far with his words.
"Thirty breaths, time’s up."
While everyone was lost in thoughts, Shi Xiaole calmly called out.
The very next moment.
He suddenly got up, pulled out the long sword from his waist and aimed a fierce slash at Su Zhaoyang. The thin sword Qi was sharp to the extreme, the sword light flashed, causing a sharp pain in the eyes.
"You’re courting death!"
Su Zhaoyang roared fiercely.
No one had ever been so audacious. It was as if any further words wasted upon him would be superfluous. In his fury, he pushed his Heavenly Walk Thirteen Forms to the limit, moving swiftly around with the intention of wearing Shi Xiaole down with his speed.
A bright sword point suddenly appeared in front of him and cut off his path just as he was about to respond, then the sword Qi lightly brushed him.
With a hiss!
Blood splattered and Su Zhaoyang was thrown backward. His face was filled with incredulous expression.
It’s an illusion! It was all an illusion. Shi Xiaole hadn’t made any move at all. Everything that they had seen before was only their own illusion!
Not only Su Zhaoyang, but the other two Tian State prodigies were also caught in the illusion. In their vision, Su Zhaoyang was toying with Shi Xiaole and clearly had the upper hand.
It was only when Su Zhaoyang flew off that the traces of the illusion trickled out. The other two realized something was wrong, but by that time Shi Xiaole was already at their front.
"Get the hell back!"
The two prodigies bellowed in rage. As expected of the prodigies of Tian State, their reactions were swift. With palms facing outward, the illusory silhouettes of a dragon and tiger brought on an imposing aura from the heaven and earth and bore down on Shi Xiaole, intent on tearing him apart.
This was a direct killing move that did away with any tricks. Their plan was simple, to use this move to force Shi Xiaole back, create some distance, and free themselves from any illusion.
Needless to say, this strategy was correct and, in a tight spot, the best possible method.
Any other opponent would have likely succumbed to it.
But the opponent this time was Shi Xiaole.
As the illusory figures of the dragon and tiger bore down on him with a force that could kill several high-ranking lords in an instant, Shi Xiaole neither dodged nor evaded it. A circle of silvery-grey halo appeared around him.
The unstoppable figures of the dragon and the tiger phased out into two as they came into contact with the silvery-grey halo. One part pulverized three thatched cottages, while the other greatly reduced in strength. By the time it was able to break through the halo, its power had already greatly diminished and posed no greater threat to Shi Xiaole than a strong gust of wind.
"How is this possible?!"
The two prodigies were dumbstruck, eyes as wide as saucers. They had taken Shi Xiaole full-on and yet they had failed to even scratch his skin. What was this supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?
"Gale Blade!"
As the illusory figures of the dragon and tiger disappeared, Shi Xiaole was ready to strike. His power was enhanced by Life and Death Dual Qi, making his power recovery speed far superior to others.
The two prodigies from Tian State felt a chill running down their spines. Though they tried their best to launch a counterattack, they could only muster up half of their usual energy. With a bang, their energy was cut down by the sword Qi, and with its relentless momentum, it threw them hundreds of meters away, and they spat a mouthful of blood on the ground.
From the time Shi Xiaole moved to the defeat of Su Zhaoyang and the other two, it had taken only a few blinks of an eye. When he returned his sword to its sheath, the three just landed. It was only then that the air resonated with the sound of him pulling out his sword and putting it back in, a belated realization about what had just happened.
Hiss!
There was an audible gasp from the onlookers, the young prodigies of Tian State.
Two swords. Two waves were enough to defeat Su Zhaoyang and the others. They were right. Shi Xiaole hadn’t simply dominated the three, he outright crushed them. It was a complete and straight-forward instant kill!
Behind the mountain gate, the people from the Wuling Villa were in a daze with the sound of a sword being drawn still ringing in their ears, a reminder that what they saw was not a dream.
