Chapter 792: Chapter 791: Wait for it
A filament-thin yet incredibly tenacious Sword Qi was charging towards him, making Kuang Jinxiong’s heart thump chaotically. The intense sense of danger caused his muscles to tense, and he instinctively dodged with all his might, while also lifting his blade to block.
Clang!
A terrifying scene unfolded.
Kuang Jinxiong managed to avoid half of the Sword Qi and blocked the other half with his Tiger Shark Blade. However, before he could even catch his breath, the Sword Qi, like a rope, maneuvered around the blade’s edge and slashed towards him with even greater speed.
"Frenzied Shark Protection Technique!"
True to his stature as an Earth Immortal of the high Seventh Tier, Kuang Jinxiong remained composed in the face of danger. His body radiated with the shield-like scales unique to sharks, sparkling in the day. Upon closer inspection, each scale was attached with a ball of blade energy, spinning with a strange rhythm, keeping the violent wind from approaching his body.
As the Sword Qi approached, it involuntarily began to spread, resulting in a significant reduction in the lethality.
Any other person would have missed this golden opportunity to defeat the enemy or wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint Kuang Jinxiong’s weaknesses.
Unfortunately for him, Shi Xiaole was not an ordinary person.
Showed no change in expression. After having just wielded a Flying Immortal Sword Qi, Shi Xiaole’s sword momentum did not decrease but increased, as he swung two more slashes that formed a cross-like attack.
"No matter how many you send, they will be all in vain!"
Kuang Jinxiong raised his long knife, ready to counter-attack. However, to his astonishment, a strange transformation occurred in the center of the cross-shaped sword glows, where the Sword Qi followed the vortex of blade energy and charged in.
Pfft!
His protective Vigorous Air shattered, and Kuang Jinxiong pallid in complexion, uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of precious blood.
"What, our Gang Leader is wounded?"
The members of the Water Shark Gang blanched in surprise. A few showed traces of schadenfreude flickering across their faces after the moment of shock.
The members of the Sea Leaf Gang on the other side were all utterly dumbfounded.
Staring at the tall and elegant figure in the sky, Qiu Rou muttered, "Young Master Shi, how could he be this powerful?"
"Leader Kuang, let’s call it a day."
Shi Xiaole refrained from chasing after his victory.
After unleashing three consecutive Flying Immortal Swords Qi, his energy was greatly depleted. If it were a one-on-one duel to the death, he might be able to kill the opponent but would wind up being exhausted himself.
Of course, this was under the circumstances of not using psychic powers.
To ensure the safety of the members of the Sea Leaf Gang, Shi Xiaole didn’t want to push too far.
"Call it a day? The sword moves just now must have drained you a lot. If you think you can intimidate me, Kuang, you’re living in a dream. Ferocious Roaring Shark, Overturning Rivers and Seas!"
As an Earth Immortal at the peak of the eighth level of the Divine Barrier Realm, Kuang Jinxiong could not accept the fact that he would lose to a youngster in the fourth level of the Divine Barrier Realm. His Blade Dao of Gold had been pushed to the limit. His face twisted in rage, he made a vicious slash.
It wasn’t just Kuang Jinxiong who could not accept the truth. Everyone present had been shocked into a stupor.
Wasn’t it said that it’s very hard to challenge a higher tier in the Divine Barrier Realm?
But what was happening now? A gap of four levels! If they weren’t enemies and had not witnessed it first-hand, they would suspect that Kuang Jinxiong was intentionally losing.
"Our Leader will never lose."
Kuang Jinxiong’s diehard followers roared in their hearts. As they saw the blade light covering the sky and dyeing the earth yellow, they envisioned Shi Xiaole lying in a pool of blood, vanquished on the spot.
But reality did not cater to their will.
Utilizing Crossing the River with a Single Reed, Shi Xiaole easily avoided the crucial points of the blade glow. His eyes cold, he made four consecutive slashes of the Red Left sword. The four Flying Immortal Swords Qi appeared almost simultaneously and instantly reached the front of Kuang Jinxiong.
"How is this possible?"
Overwhelmed with shock, Kuang Jinxiong was only able to block two of the Sword Qi, the remaining two hit his left shoulder and right chest, causing blood to gush out as if free of cost.
This time, Shi Xiaole did not stop. He swung his sword twice more in front of everyone’s wide eyes.
Pfft! Pfft!
Kuang Jinxiong’s body, which was retreating rapidly, suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, he was within dozens of meters to the right of Shi Xiaole, his forehead bulging, shooting out a golden blade of light.
A psychic attack!
And it wasn’t just any psychic attack. The moment the golden blade of light appeared, everyone within several kilometers felt a sharp pain in their minds. One can only imagine the results if they were to be hit directly; their psychic seas would inevitably collapse.
"Master, be careful!"
Qiu Mingyue screamed, but her voice couldn’t keep up with the rapid developments in the field.
At the same time the blade light appeared, Shi Xiaole was already aware of it. Instead of avoiding it, he turned his body towards the attack. His eyes, like two twisted whirlpools, directly dragged Kuang Jinxiong’s psychic consciousness into endless reincarnations.
The golden blade light broke apart on its own.
Another pfft!
A figure retreated in a pitiful state, fresh blood hadn’t had time to spill before it was annihilated into nothingness by the Sword Qi.
"Your, your strength..."
If before, Kuang Jinxiong was still clinging to the hope of winning through psychic powers despite being out-skilled, now he was feeling an ineffable frustration and terror.
It turned out that this guy was not only powerful but also had superior psychic power. He was an unorthodox monster.
The spectators around were already dumbfounded. For a moment, there was a strange silence over Sea Leaf Island.
Sheathing his sword, Shi Xiaole landed on the ground slowly and said, "Leader Kuang, can we discuss things properly now?"
"I don’t understand, why didn’t you seize the opportunity to strike?"
Halting the bleeding and swallowing a pellet, Kuang Jinxiong asked in disbelief.
"You don’t need to ask about the reason, just tell me, will you agree or not? Remember, whether my sword is bloodied or not, depends on your attitude."
Shi Xiaole said indifferently.
Kuang Jinxiong’s face twitched, but he dared not rebut. Like the old saying goes, the weak have no right to negotiate with the strong; they could only accept the decision or die.
Using numerical superiority to launch a full-scale attack? That would only provoke Shi Xiaole, resulting in a worse outcome.
The choice was not difficult. Although Kuang Jinxiong did not understand Shi Xiaole’s intention, he nevertheless said, "Since the young hero is merciful, I naturally dare not question. Everyone, follow my orders and retreat!"
Some people were unwilling, some people were angry, but nobody dared to make a sound. They did not want to become Shi Xiaole’s target and could only follow Kuang Jinxiong to leave.
No one would have thought that the mighty Water Shark Gang would make such a retreat.
Watching hundreds of ships quickly turn around and head towards the distance, the members of the Sea Leaf Gang felt as if they were dreaming.
"Young Master Shi, I owe you another great favor!"
The catastrophe was averted in an instant. Even with Qiu Mingyue’s steadiness, she was so excited that her cheeks flushed. She hurriedly led Qiu Rou and her confidants to bow deeply towards Shi Xiaole.
"There’s no need for such formalities, I just happened to be here at the right moment."
Shi Xiaole used his Vigorous Air to lift them up.
Looking up at Shi Xiaole, who was dressed in green jade-like clothing, with a remarkably handsome appearance, Qiu Mingyue was full of emotion.
He was reticent and gentle, seemed polite to everyone, but was actually ruthless, which was the real evaluation Qiu Mingyue had for Shi Xiaole.
However, after experiencing this event, she had to admit that she was wrong.
The fact that he would stand up for her indicated his regard for Niu Dali. Such a person would not be ruthless, but instead be cold on the outside and warm on the inside.
The reason he proposed such terms to Kuang Jinxiong was probably because, besides considering his own strength, he noticed her weary state.
Moreover, even if they wiped out the Water Shark Gang, their own side would also suffer heavy losses. Once he and Niu Dali left, they would still be annihilated by other forces.
This was the best outcome.
Composed yet attentive, kind but not slipping up, and possessing unparalleled martial arts aptitude, at that moment, Qiu Mingyue seemed to see in Shi Xiaole a future where he commands the wind and clouds, and stands proudly in the world.
"Xiaole!"
Niu Dali walked forward, gave Shi Xiaole a hard pat on the shoulder, and didn’t say anything. For great kindness, words of gratitude were not enough. He only knew that he had acknowledged this young brother from now on.
Shi Xiaole just smiled, ignoring the thoughts of Qiu Mingyue and Niu Dali.
Whatever he did, he always strove to have a clear conscience. As long as he was true to his conscience and did not violate morality, did others’ thoughts matter? Could he control them?
Shi Xiaole thought this was probably one of the crucial reasons why he had progressed so quickly without much distraction.
After the Water Shark Gang retreated, Qiu Mingyue announced the dissolution of the Sea Leaf Gang. Those who were used as cannon fodder and were lucky enough to survive didn’t hesitate much. Nevertheless, Qiu Mingyue’s confidantes refused to leave.
They had all been greatly favored by Qiu Mingyue. After years of association, they were no longer simply subordinates, but more like mothers and sisters.
In the end, Qiu Mingyue agreed to take them away with her.
A six-story luxury ship left Sea Leaf Island and continued to move deeper into the West Sea.
...
Water Shark Island, the base of the Water Shark Gang.
Kuang Jinxiong was healing his wounds in a secret room. In truth, he was not badly injured. The Flying Immortal Sword Qi was more unpredictable than it was deadly.
On the other hand, the psychological trauma was harder to recover from.
Heaving a sigh, Kuang Jinxiong chuckled bitterly.
This time, he really messed up. Luckily, the young man did not mean to kill him. It looked like he would have to be more low-profile in the future.
Just as he was thinking this, the door to the secret room was pushed open.
"Master Zhou?"
The person who entered was wearing a square kerchief on his head. It was Zhou Ziheng who had helped him break the Array System of the Sea Leaf Island. What confused and worried Kuang Jinxiong was how Zhou Ziheng knew his secret room’s mechanisms and where were the guards outside?
"Leader, you are too useless."
Kuang Jinxiong looked incredulously at Zhou Ziheng.
"Master Zhou, although I’ve always treated you with utmost respect, it doesn’t mean I will tolerate your insult."
"Insult? You should cherish this opportunity. After all, after today, even if you wish to be insulted, there won’t be a chance."
"What do you mean by that..."
A surprised scream echoed.
Unknown to everyone, a young man had appeared in the secret room, and it was this person who was controlling Kuang Jinxiong, extracting his life force.
After a short while, Kuang Jinxiong’s large body turned into ash and scattered on the ground.
"Such a good feeling, my Vital Energy has enhanced again."
The young man turned around with an evil grin and said regrettably, "This fool’s life essence was so abundant. If I could absorb that man with the surname Shi, hmm, it would be ten times more delightful."
Zhou Ziheng smiled lightly: "Right now, you are not his match. Moreover, it’s not suitable for you to show up. Soon, when the drastic changes in the world occur, and the great opportunity that only appears once every millenniums opens up, that’s when the truly prominent figures will rise. You can never possibly imagine the kinds of people hidden beneath the undercurrents of the Martial World!"
The young man felt stirred up by Zhou’s words, his eyes filled with a burning glow.
The glory of the present was merely temporary. Only in the grand era to come could one achieve lasting prominence and truly be a hero.
Martial World, Wulin, just wait!
