Chapter 586: Chapter 585 Heading to Tian State (Extra for ’Boiling Wine - Healing’)
"How on earth did he manage to do it?"
Golden Saber Elder cast a look towards Jade Axe Lady and Silver Sword Gentleman.
Surprise still lingered on their faces. After a long while, Jade Axe Lady shook her head, "Heaven only knows. Despite my discerning eyes, I couldn’t tell at all."
"Compared to the villa master, we are nothing but mundane mortals, no use in guessing."
The remarks from Silver Sword Gentleman caused the pair to be momentarily stunned. Reflecting on their interactions with Shi Xiaole, one could only describe his aptitude as incomprehensible.
The first time they met in battle, he was up against the quartet from Four Symbols Mountain. Back then, he could only rely on his Jade Moon Axe to repel the enemy.
However, in just a few months, the stronger Ou Wukai, Peng Dian, and even the Inferno Lord, ranked eighth in Shuntian Capital, when they came knocking, all suffered defeat at his hands.
They thought that his progress would slow down, yet it didn’t. Instead, it got faster. It was said that when Shi Xiaole participated in the attack on the Dreamy Sect at Pudu Peak, he managed to kill a Devil Path expert of the same caliber as Xin Zhuliu.
Now, he appears once again, his strength displaying earthshaking transformation. The combined effort of three fighters with even more remarkable progress than Xin Zhuliu from Tian State couldn’t withstand his two swords!
It seemed every encounter with Shi Xiaole always left those around him in shock, relentlessly flattering people’s imagination.
This is a freak of nature. Perhaps Shuntian Capital has no room for him anymore. In the Tian State, where outstanding talents emerge one after another, lies his stage.
The three remarkable individuals glanced at each other, quietly contemplating.
"He’s so powerful?"
A handsome young man mumbled to himself, who was precisely Qi Wei.
Having personally witnessed Shi Xiaole’s move, Qi Wei finally realized the disparity between him and Shi Xiaole. Looking at Xia Yunxi’s lingering gaze on Shi Xiaole, unable to accommodate anyone else, Qi Wei felt disheartened but also somewhat relieved.
Losing to a Shi Xiaole like this, what else could he say?
"What kind of essence is that, so miraculous?"
Xin Zhuliu’s discerning eyes were not to be underestimated, yet he still couldn’t make out what kind of essence Shi Xiaole was using. Recalling how Shi Xiaole had healed his wounds, he thought to himself: This mysterious essence is certainly far superior to any other essence, could it be... the Supreme Essence?
"I can’t accept it! You sneak attacked me just now, that’s not a fair fight. If we were to compete fairly, you wouldn’t be able to defeat me so easily!"
Just as the bystanders were either shocked or stupefied, Su Zhaoyang got up from the ground, his face pale, and roared at Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole did not utter a word, his fingers pointed forward.
Thwack!
A spray of blood exploded from Su Zhaoyang’s chest. With a cry of agony, he almost tumbled down the mountain trail, but was grabbed by two others just in time.
One of them yelled, "Shi Xiaole, we’re just sparring here. Why are you using such a heavy hand? Could it be that our Brother Su has touched a nerve?"
Shi Xiaole replied with a cold indifference, "In the same vein, why would this Brother Su deliberately injure the master of Wuling Villa during a spar? This strike was for Master Xin."
"You..."
The two men were speechless.
Shi Xiaole lifted his right hand and pointed forward again.
"You’re too much!"
Su Zhaoyang roared, a layer of red-golden light radiating from his body. His body darted back and forth like a streak of golden smoke, so fast that it was hard for the crowd to keep track.
He indeed was a formidable master. Even in an injured state, he still had this speed, it’s unimaginable to think how formidable he would’ve been in his prime. Unfortunately, he couldn’t fool Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole raised his fingers slightly, and with a "puff", his Sword Qi pierced through the golden smoke, and violently expelled Su Zhaoyang. Two bloody holes appeared on Su Zhaoyang’s arms, from which blood freely gushed out.
"What do you mean by this?"
The two other men were both irritated and furious.
"To destroy the reputation of the Wuling Villa, this is the price."
Shi Xiaole had learned about the previous incident from some people. His indifferent eyes looked ruthless as he smoothly swept across with his raised fingers.
Puff, puff, puff!
This time, including the two men, the three elites of Tian State were simultaneously knocked back while crying out in pain. A three-foot long wound, two inches deep appeared on each of their chests. Sword Qi circulated within their bodies, causing the three of them unbearable pain.
"I had no grudges or grievances with you, yet you deliberately built a hut at the entrance of the villa to humiliate us. Now that I’m back, you’d better leave."
The faces of Su Zhaoyang and the others were extremely ugly.
Being killed in seconds under the public gaze was already humiliating enough, and now they were being insulted like this. If stares could kill, Shi Xiaole would’ve been mutilated by their murderous glares.
Unfortunately, they can’t.
Wincing at his chest pain, Su Zhaoyang tried his best to extinguish the Sword Qi but to little avail. Aware that he would need to find a place to recuperate properly, he wanted to spit out a few harsh words. But Shi Xiaole’s seemingly calm eyes felt like two sharp swords thrusting directly into his chest, causing him indescribable fear.
"The green hills will remain, the clear waters will flow, good, very good."
In the end, Su Zhaoyang finally gathered the courage to laugh out loud three times before leaving at the fastest speed in his life. The other two quickly followed suit, wishing they could even grow an extra pair of legs.
In an instant, Nine Profound Mountain fell silent.
The expressions of the observing Tian State elites were changing, obviously they did not expect the situation would escalate to this extent. This Shi Xiaole, not only was his strength surprisingly strong, but he also had terrifying schemes up his sleeve.
While the other party was openly teaching Su Zhaoyang and his companions a lesson, they were actually warning them, warning the entire Martial World.
"Brother Shi’s talents are truly outstanding, I can’t help but admire! Actually, we came here not to cause trouble, but to seek an explanation. Recently, there were rumors that Brother Shi and Fairy Ji had an inappropriate relationship, what do Brother Shi have to say about this?"
In the silence, a scholarly-looking young man stood up, his demeanor composed.
"It’s all a fabrication. I have no relation whatsoever with Fairy Ji."
Without hesitation, Shi Xiaole made his statement.
There were countless admirers of Ji Morou, so he would be a fool to admit to having seen her body. Moreover, considering the grudges he had with Ji Morou, there was no chance for any ambiguous relationship to occur in the future.
The gathered elites burst into laughter, each of them giving Shi Xiaole a courteous bow before turning and leaving the mountain.
They had never believed in the rumor in the first place.But they asked for an explanation just to save face, otherwise not saying anything would give other people the impression that they had fled in disgrace.
This Master Shi was indeed witty, such a clever man.
Having tackled a major adversary, there was an unspoken elation in the villa. Immediately, a disciple volunteered to sweep the spotlessly clean marble floor with a broom, indicating the act of sweeping away bad luck.
Shi Xiaole, surrounded by cheering disciples, entered the villa, instantly sweeping away the pervading tense atmosphere.
News of what happened in Wuling Villa quickly spread throughout the Martial World in Xuanwu State, causing a great stir. Those who originally looked down on Shi Xiaole were silent, with their awkward situation providing no adequate words to describe it.
However, the first ones to receive the news were Pudu Peak and the Dreamy Sect.
Ji Morou and Ren Mengzhen had undercover informants positioned outside Nine Heavens Mountain to keep tabs on Shi Xiaole’s movements. So, as soon as Shi Xiaole appeared that day, the informants reported the news at the fastest speed.
According to the women’s wishes, they had hoped for the old woman and Uncle Lu to be stationed outside the villa, but they refused, saying they were dedicated to protecting them both personally.
As for the two women stationed outside the villa, it was easier said than done, especially as they had no idea when Shi Xiaole would return.
...
In the center of Wuling Villa, there is a jade-like winding river, known as Green Water Lake.
The lake is home to countless varieties of precious small fish which can be seen darting around. Standing in the octagonal pavilion in the middle of the lake and scattering some feed, would make the fish swarm, looking like blooming flowers, exceptionally beautiful.
Xia Yunxi gently scattered some feed then turned to Shi Xiaole and scolded, "Shi Xiaole, you’re such a silent person. What are you doing sitting over there? Come and join me."
Shi Xiaole smiled and walked over, "Am I really that boring?"
Xia Yunxi pretended to ponder, then pointed at the white swans in the lake, "Can you see them? Even the swans make some noise, but you, you’re even quieter than them." With that, she couldn’t help but chuckle, revealing teeth as white as plump clams.
Shi Xiaole abruptly pulled Xia Yunxi closer and before she could react, he quieted her laughter. After a moment, he chuckled, "Yunxi, you’re wrong. There is one thing the swan definitely can’t do better than me, that’s being as flexible with their mouth."
With Xia Yunxi still catching her breath, her cheeks flushed as red as rouge at his remark. She hit Shi Xiaole’s chest lightly while pretending to be mad.
Shi Xiaole had been back only a day, but Xia Yunxi could clearly feel a sense of urgency emanating from him, even his behavior was much bolder than before.
Even though it was strange, Xia Yunxi could not resist this change.
"I have to leave."
Shi Xiaole suddenly stated.
If his guess was correct, Ji Morou and Ren Mengzhen should have received the news, and he did not want any entanglements with them.
Xia Yunxi trembled slightly, the warmth in her eyes fading, "Where do you plan to go this time?"
"Tian State."
Xia Yunxi fell silent.
She knew Shi Xiaole’s stubbornness. Once he made up his mind, it was hard for anyone to change it. Perhaps she could, but how could she bear the thought of making him unhappy for her selfishness.
Life is long, so Xia Yunix knew all she could do is make the most efforts to improve herself during the days he’s not there. She hoped for the day when she could stand shoulder to shoulder with him, traveling the world together.
Just as expected, Ji Morou and Ren Mengzhen arrived promptly, only to be disappointed when undercover personnel informed them that Shi Xiaole had left Wuling Villa several hours before.
...
On the official road, a fast horse galloped towards Tian State.
The man on the horse was none other than Shi Xiaole.
Tian State, the place every genius, every person in the Martial World aspired to visit. Not only was it the center of the Flying Horse Dynasty, the dwelling place of the royal family, it was also the most flourishing land of martial arts, bringing together all the top forces in the kingdom.
The legendary world-renowned masters hid there, rarely showing themselves. Also, countless unparalleled geniuses emerged, radiating their unique brilliance which made the entire kingdom look aside.
Some say that a martial artist who has never been to Tian State is not worthy to be called a martial artist. And those who have not proven their talent in Tian State do not deserve the title ’genius’, they are merely talents of other states.
Though Xuanwu State was one of the twenty leading states in the Flying Horse Dynasty, compared to Tian State, it was merely a stepping stone.
Only Tian State was the real stage, the central focus of all attention. The masters there, the ancient lands and relics, were far beyond what martial artists of other states could imagine.
Shi Xiaole had been longing to visit Tian State for a long time, and now it was time to take a look.
Of course, the main reason that made him go now was that he learnt from Shui Lingping that the ingredients required to remove the Blood Yang Token were only available in Tian State.
