Chapter 615: Chapter 614: Master of the Divine Barrier Realm
The Sword Qi rubbed against the Vigorous Air shield, making a hissing sound.
By the time Fu Tong’s shield was worn down, the Sword Qi also vanished, but the force it carried continued to act, pushing Fu Tong into the mountain wall three feet away.
Fu Tong was terrified.
How could this sword be so coincidental? The moment his shield disappeared, the Sword Qi also disappeared. The only explanation was that it had been a deliberate move by Shi Xiaole!
Two strokes, defeated.
Was this the gap between himself and the top monsters?
Fu Tong dared not challenge the well-established top four monsters, but through Shi Xiaole, he had truly felt the fear of those elites.
"Who else wants to challenge me? Step forward."
As Shi Xiaole scanned the crowd, his gaze passed over everyone around him.
Many instinctively lowered their heads when he looked at them. But some Martial World’s girls brazenly gazed back at him, their eyes twinkling and fixed on him.
Since no one came forward for quite a while, Shi Xiaole turned around and left, his figure quickly disappearing from their view.
"The strength of the Kirin cannot be opposed, we were simply daydreaming."
The people who previously supported Shi Xiaole murmured to each other. They refrained from using the word ’underestimate’ because calling him that would mean insulting themselves.
"We are quite fortunate to witness the rise of the fifth monster, having missed the staggering four."
"Let’s go, I can’t wait to share this with my senior brothers and sisters, they must be eager to hear it."
After everything was over, the talented youngsters no longer wanted to linger and started to leave with sighs.
Originally, Wu Siming wanted to test Huan Yundu, but influenced by Shi Xiaole, he lost interest and just went over to Qiu Yuchu to chat.
Huan Yundu remained silent on the side.
By contrast, Qiu Yuchu maintained his composure, chatting with Wu Siming indifferently with a lack of enthusiasm.
...
Running through the forest, after noticing that no one was following him, Shi Xiaole immediately called for a disguise mask from the system space, put it on and switched from his green robe to a purple robe.
It was obtained when he killed the City Lord, the man in the purple robe, in Divine Transformation City.
Shi Xiaole didn’t dare to underestimate anyone, especially the Three Talents Association. If he ventured out of the thirty miles radius of Mount Wanxiang with his real face, it would not be good if they caught him.
Of course, the chance of that happening was pitifully low.
With Mount Wanxiang at the center, a radius of thirty miles meant a circumference close to nineteen hundred miles. Even if a Divine Barrier Realm master from the Three Talents Association’s Branch Hall personally took action, it would be hard to catch him in such a large area.
Moreover, the Righteous Path sent a Divine Barrier Realm master to guard outside Mount Wanxiang every year, to prevent unforeseen circumstances
However, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so necessary precautions needed to be taken.
In disguise, Shi Xiaole simply looked like an arrogant young man in his early twenties dressed in a purple robe. He intentionally looped around and happened to encounter a few departing talents, they chatted and then walked together.
After leaving the thirty-mile radius, Shi Xiaole suddenly felt a sense of extreme danger. Fortunately, the person hidden in the shadows had no hostile intentions towards him; a glance was cast over them and then the focus was shifted away.
"A Divine Barrier Realm master!"
At this point, the only threat to Shi Xiaole was a Divine Barrier Realm master.
Not daring to release his spiritual power, Shi Xiaole apologized to the talents and immediately took to the air and left.
Ironically, not long after he left, a figure flashed by. The speed of the figure was so fast, it was more like a ray of light, traversing thousands of kilometers in a blink.
"You better scram right away, or don’t blame me for being impolite."
Boom!
Suddenly, a dazzling light burst in mid-air.
The figure took form, revealing a hunchbacked old man. Opposite him stood a sturdy giant with a beard.
The one who swept Shi Xiaole and the others with spiritual power was the sturdy giant.
The number of talents participating in this Mount Wanxiang challenge was countless. To be safe, the Righteous Path Alliance deployed several more Divine Barrier Realm masters this year to prevent any accidents.
The sturdy giant was one of them.
"Whether I stay or go, what business is it of yours?"
The hunchbacked old man chuckled.
"If you don’t leave, I will make you leave, Elemental Limit Fist!"
With a punch thrown by the sturdy giant, an immense golden light pierced through the void and intertwined with the sunlight on the horizon, seemingly enveloping the whole world.
"Nine Walks Ghost Steps!"
In nine continuous flashes, nine old men appeared in mid-air. The aura of each was so vivid that it was hard to distinguish the real one. In a ’swoosh’, the nine figures darted in different directions and disappeared in an instant.
"The old fool from the Three Talents Association."
Gazing in a particular direction, the sturdy giant gave a cold laugh but didn’t pursue. His mission was to prevent disturbances. It would certainly be inappropriate to abandon his post.
"A bunch of troublemakers! Nevertheless, I wonder if that kid has arrived yet, or he managed to escape?"
Tens of thousands of meters away, the hunchbacked old man appeared, clearly annoyed.
It was rather embarrassing for a man of his status to have to hunt down a kid. It was particularly infuriating because it was an order from the Branch Hall Master that he could not resist.
What frustrated him even more was being interrupted halfway. How unlucky!
"So, did you find him?"
Soon after, a middle-aged man materialized next to the hunchbacked old man like a ghost, completely undetected.
"No."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in green squinted his eyes.
As a master of the Divine Barrier Realm, it doesn’t take too long for him to circle a one-thousand nine-hundred-mile radius. But firstly, it is impossible for him to keep circling; that would be foolish.
Secondly, the Righteous Path has unexpectedly dispatched ten more Divine Barrier Realm masters than before, greatly hindering his actions.
If this continues, he is likely to be discovered, and a big fight would be inevitable.
As for retreating to a more distant place to catch someone, it is not easy to escape the perception of Divine Barrier Realm masters. If he retreats too far, he is likely to miss the target.
In fact, if it were so easy, the Three Talents Association could just block people here each year. Why would they need to secretly capture geniuses throughout the Martial World?
"Let’s go back for now. There will be plenty of opportunities to find that kid."
After some thought, the middle-aged man in green made his decision.
Upon hearing this, the hunchbacked old man heaved a sigh of relief. Although the Divine Barrier Realm masters from the Righteous Path would not harm them, no one would want to confront them directly without any certainty.
...
The news from Mount Wanxiang spread like shockwaves. One stone stirred up a thousand waves; because the news was so shocking, it spread throughout the surrounding fields of Mount Wanxiang within three days.
Moreover, it just so happened that it was the day of the Martial World’s quarterly journal. The Divine Strategy Academy directly placed this explosive news on the first page of the journal.
In less than half a month, the whole Flying Horse Dynasty was buzzing.
"Four monsters weren’t enough; now a fifth one has appeared?"
"This guy is too terrifying. It’s said that his position on the Ten Thousand Forms Stele is even ahead of the Young Dragon. He seems to be hinting at having the best talent."
"Shi Xiaole? It’s actually Shi Xiaole?!"
Warriors from various states and fields were all engaged in endless discussions.
In the eight states, and even in Mirror State, Xuanwu State, and other places where Shi Xiaole has made a name for himself, the local warriors were even more astounded. At first glance, they thought the Divine Strategy Academy had printed the wrong name when they saw Shi Xiaole’s name.
But when they looked down and read about the history of Kirin, everyone was entranced.
"Shi Xiaole, a man from Qingxue State, kept a low profile since his childhood. He joined the Huajian Sect and emerged like a dragon from a chasm after turning fifteen ..."
This was indeed Shi Xiaole, the one they knew.
Even among the numerous sects of Tian State, they began to pay close attention to this young man, who astoundingly emerged like a comet. Every day, a large amount of information and letters were transmitted through special channels.
The Martial World was stirred up because of one person.
"These are your ’Three Star Genius?’. Waste, all waste!"
In a luxuriously decorated mansion, a round-faced man furiously pounded the table. His rage lowered the air pressure in the room quite a bit.
This was the Pure Moon Branch Hall of the Three Talents Association, governing the branches of the North Forest and Yundai. The round-faced man was the Hall Master.
The hunchbacked old man and the man in green glanced at each other, their faces filled with regret.
Who could have imagined that not only did Shi Xiaole go to Mount Wanxiang, but he also got the title of Kirin.
If they had known earlier about his monstrous talent, even if it meant fighting desperately with Divine Barrier Realm masters of the Righteous Path, they would have made every effort to hunt him down.
Of course, the Hall Master should also take some blame for not paying enough attention. If they had contacted other branch halls and sent out more experts, they would not have backed down.
Either way, everyone underestimated Shi Xiaole’s potential.
"Ever since that kid left Mount Wanxiang, he has seemed to have disappeared without a trace. There is definitely something wrong."
The round-faced man paced up and down and suddenly said, "I am going to visit someone who might know where Shi Xiaole is. For the time being, forget about looking for opportunities and stay on standby."
Shi Xiaole held too much value; the round-faced man was willing to do anything to catch him knowing the immense rewards he would receive.
"Yes, Hall Master."
The hunchbacked old man and green-clothed middle-aged man dared not disobey and bowed in unison.
...
While the outside world was shifting, Shi Xiaole, the initiator, was living peacefully.
After changing his appearance, he bought a manor in Spiritual Light City, within the region of Mount Wanxiang, where he either practiced his swordplay or meditated every day.
The manor wasn’t very big, with only a courtyard and a dozen rooms, but it cost Shi Xiaole nearly a million taels of silver. The property prices were more than three times higher than in Xuanwu State.
"The only things I can improve now are my sword techniques and my Sword Realm."
According to the standards of the Martial World, with the exception of his Heavenly Sword Realm not being at its peak, all of Shi Xiaole’s qualities had reached the level of the Invincible Lord.
Even because of the addition of the True Intent Sword Art, even if he faces many of the Invincible Lords on the Lord’s List, he might not necessarily be inferior.
Swish swish swish.
In the courtyard, Shi Xiaole continuously practiced his swordplay.
The trial on Mount Wanxiang, especially the battle in the fifth stage, was arguably the most brutal fight since Shi Xiaole started his career. However, it also gave him an unprecedented shock.
His Sword Realm once again showed signs of breakthrough. This was also the main reason he didn’t rush to find other medicinal herbs.
One day, two days...
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
"It seemed like I would make a breakthrough, but I still fell a bit short in the end."
Shi Xiaole shook his head helplessly.
Breaking through the Sword Realm wasn’t easy; sometimes a spark of inspiration might take half a year, or even several years, to fully develop. Luckily, he was well-prepared and didn’t rush for success.
