Chapter 824: 823 Chapter: One Battle Destroys Six Factions_1
The door was pushed open, and at first, a long shadow was cast inside, followed by the entrancing, tall silhouette of a figure standing against the sunlight like a graceful jade tree swaying in the breeze.
Only when the dappled sunlight could no longer reach inside did the three women make out the newcomer’s appearance.
He appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with features as if painted, and skin translucent. The streaks of white at his temples did not diminish his good looks; instead, they added a touch of elegance and vicissitudes beyond his years.
This was a person whose mere presence would captivate anyone’s gaze.
Yu Yourong said, "You finally made it."
As she turned to introduce Shi Xiaole to the other two women, she noticed they were both stiffly frozen, their expressions locked and muscles on their faces as if set in stone, as though they had been struck by lightning.
Shi Xiaole was also taken aback for a moment.
How could it be them?
But after all, he was not an ordinary man and quickly regained his composure with a smile, "Miss Wang, Miss Xu, it’s unexpected to see you here. How have you been these years?"
Wang Zuying’s lips trembled, and it took several tries before she could speak, confirming it was not a dream: "You, you, you are Commander Shi?"
He hadn’t changed a bit, still the same as in her memories—no, he had changed, becoming even more dazzling and distinguished than before. It turned out the rumors in the Martial World hadn’t been exaggerated.
Xu Nianxue said nothing, but her eyes were moist and blurry.
Fate, truly a curious plaything.
The very person she once despised upon their first meeting, whom she had wished to dismiss with a second-rate secret scripture, now stood proudly opposite her, separated by an entire chasm.
Having revealed his edge at the Clouded Skies Gathering, she had been a bit shocked but had not taken it seriously.
It wasn’t until he astounded everyone at the Heroes’ Contest, besting one master after another to claim the championship, that Xu Nianxue belatedly realized just what kind of person she had misjudged.
But what of it? He was merely the number one genius of Qingxue State; what was that to the outside world? For a long time, Xu Nianxue could only disguise the slight remorse deep in her heart by belittling him.
Yet, as if to spite her on purpose, the youth who should have faded into the vastness of the Martial World not only did not sink into oblivion upon leaving Qingxue State but shone like gold, growing ever brighter.
He created miracle after miracle, causing a sensation in the Martial World. He dominated at the Linjiang Immortal Assembly, was dubbed "Kirin" by the Celestial Phenomenon Elder, and had his name carved first on the Celestial Phenomenon Stele.
She thought he had finally reached his limit, even though that limit was a peak unattainable by countless others, but once again, he used facts to overturn the imaginations of the entire Martial World.
Atop the Endless Risky Peak, he defeated masters of the False Divine Barrier Realm with his Dragon Gate Realm cultivation.
In the Qin Family of Yuanling, he equaled the record of the Martial Emperor, ascending to the Divine Barrier at the age of twenty-seven. As soon as he achieved the status of Earth Immortal, he displayed extraordinary strength, slaying enemies on all sides.
Many said he was even more powerful than the Martial Emperor of the same period, and while there were scoffers, claiming he was limited by the Wind Sword Way and wouldn’t achieve much, he remained aloof and merciless.
Also on the Endless Risky Peak, under less favorable conditions, he defeated Yao Mie Sheng, who had grasped half of the Supreme Martial Arts and was at the zenith of his power, trampling the presumptuous discussions of the world underfoot, shattering them to pieces!
Xu Nianxue knew that on that day, his radiance must have been blinding, that he was the young Sword God, the idol of countless young swordsmen, and recognized as the number one genius of the entire Flying Horse Dynasty Martial World.
He had also once been engaged to her.
Countless scenes intertwined, surging from Xu Nianxue’s memory and flowing into the unreachable expanse of years past.
There he was, standing before her, the very target of her earnest quest.
"These years, I haven’t been doing well at all."
Xu Nianxue thought to herself, quickly bowing her head and closing her eyes, using her inner strength to dry the tears that threatened to fall, then looked up nonchalantly.
Yu Yourong noted the demeanor of the two women, pondering it thoughtfully.
"How did you come to be on Rainbow Island?"
Shi Xiaole sat down, personally pouring tea for the two women and pushing the cups in front of them.
Wang Zuying felt a sense of unexpected privilege and took a long while to quell her tumultuous thoughts before murmuring, "It’s a long story... Commander Shi, could you perhaps rescue Commander Li?"
She repeated the details she had told Yu Yourong and laid out the various stakes involved, making it clear that allying with Li Xinghe was all benefit and no harm.
In fact, seeing Shi Xiaole had bolstered Wang Zuying’s confidence in accomplishing their mission on this trip.
"If you agree to the request, what’s in it for you, Commander Shi?"
Before Shi Xiaole could respond, Yu Yourong chimed in first.
Wang Zuying paused before saying, "Ten fourth-tier totems and one third-tier totem. Plus, should we secure the Black Spider totem, a share of its energy proportionate to our efforts."
The Gun Spirit Tribe’s aggression towards the native clans was even fiercer than that of the Heavenly Stone Clan, and Li Xinghe naturally had collected many totems. But with his power level, just a few third-tier totems were of little use.
With the Black Spider Tribe on the brink of besieging the city, he used them as bargaining chips right away, for if they could survive this ordeal, would they not find more third-tier totems?
"Isn’t that a bit too little?"
Yu Yourong shook her head.
"That’s already the bottom line Commander Li can offer, especially since we still need to invite other helpers. Commander Shi, Junior Sister and I have come with sincerity," said Wang Zuying earnestly, her beautiful eyes filled with a beseeching plea.
Xu Nianxue, on the other hand, stayed silent, her gaze fixed elsewhere.
This time, without waiting for Yu Yourong to speak, Shi Xiaole said, "Alright, I will go with you."
He would eventually have to face off against a second-tier tribe, and if he could get his hands on the Black Spider totem, he might recover to the Divine Barrier Realm—that is, if he had heard about it earlier; otherwise, Shi Xiaole would have set off on his own.
"That’s wonderful!"
Wang Zuying burst into laughter.
Although Shi Xiaole alone would not be a match for the Black Spider Tribe’s chief, as long as he joined forces with Commander Li, coupled with support from others, it was not impossible to hold off the Black Spider Tribe.
Xu Nianxue also heaved a sigh of relief, but then an even more complicated feeling surged in her heart.
There was no time to lose. Immediately, Shi Xiaole mobilized some experts and set off with Wang and Xu, the two ladies, rushing to the Gun Spirit Tribe.
...
The Gun Spirit Tribe was situated atop a peak with steep cliffs on three sides, easy to defend and hard to attack, with a secret path on the east side for retreat.
Thus, even though they were surrounded by the Black Spider Tribe, Li Xinghe was not anxious. He was not willing to flee just yet; instead, he saw this as an opportunity to take a gamble. He planned to form an alliance with several nearby second-tier tribes to seize control from the Black Spider Tribe.
Only three days were left before the deadline set by the Black Spider Tribe.
The first wave of reinforcements arrived.
They were the experts from the Xiaoxiang Tribe.
"Ye Xiaoxiang, I knew it would be you."
Li Xinghe, a young man with a full head of red hair exuding a heroic demeanor, laughed heartily at the youth leading the newcomers.
"Same for you," nodded Ye Xiaoxiang.
Like Li Xinghe, Ye Xiaoxiang was also a prestigious figure of the Bei Liang Dynasty. Though under sixty years of age, he already possessed the strength of the Seventh Tier. However, constrained by this space, he had only temporarily recovered to the ninth level of Dragon Gate Realm.
In Li Xinghe’s plan, Ye Xiaoxiang, whose fame equaled his, was an indispensable force, and the offered reward was substantial. Now that his wish had been granted, his confidence was half restored.
Not long after.
The Autumn Water Tribe arrived.
Their leader, Wang Qiushui, was not any prodigy but a famous figure in the Martial World from the Daxia Dynasty, also restored to the ninth level of Dragon Gate Realm. His combat power could not be taken lightly.
Subsequently, the people from the Huangshan Tribe and the Blue Cloud Tribe also arrived.
The leaders of these two tribes, in terms of aura, were not inferior to Ye Xiaoxiang and Wang Qiushui.
Anyone who could cut a swath from a commoner to the position of a tribe leader was usually an influential figure in the outside world. The five sitting together created an unexpressed yet overpowering atmosphere, making the spacious tent seem cramped.
"We’re just waiting for the Heavenly Stone Clan now."
Because they were closest, Li Xinghe had sent the weakest duo, Wang and Xu sisters, to invite them. He hadn’t expected that they were yet to arrive—could they have refused?
Under such circumstances, the absence of a single expert equated to a decrease in assurance. Moreover, Commander Shi was by no means an insignificant figure.
"Commander, the people from the Heavenly Stone Clan have arrived."
Soon after, a subordinate rushed in with the news.
"Quick, invite them in!"
Li Xinghe immediately stood from his seat and stepped out of the tent, his gaze instinctively locking onto the young man in green among the crowd. He exploded into laughter, "Commander Shi, I’ve long admired your reputation."
"The feeling is mutual," Shi Xiaole responded with a salute.
"Please, come in, everyone is waiting for you."
After entering the tent, Shi Xiaole saw four individuals with distinct temperaments, but equally formidable presences. Their gazes were evaluating him—some indifferent, some nodding in acknowledgment.
"With the aid of the five of you, I believe we shall surely triumph and drive back the Black Spider Tribe! Let’s raise a toast in advance to our victory," declared Li Xinghe, taking his place at the head of the table and lifting a cup filled with wine before downing it in one gulp.
For Li Xinghe, a true warrior of Dragon Gate Realm ninth level, it was virtually impossible to defeat a Terrestrial Immortal of higher rank.
But now things were different. Although on the surface he was still of Dragon Gate Realm ninth level, his overall qualities were at Divine Barrier Realm standard, especially the martial power within him, which had reached 50% of its peak, far surpassing his past self.
Li Xinghe estimated that his current combat strength had reached the Fourth Tier.
Ye Xiaoxiang was not inferior to him, with a high probability of being at the same level.
Although Wang Qiushui, Wei Huangshan, and Lan Tianyun did not possess the same innate talent as them, as well-known figures in the Martial World with a variety of tricks up their sleeves, they could easily bridge the gap in combat strength within the same tier.
As for Shi Xiaole, Li Xinghe was unclear about his strength, but he believed that even if Shi could not match him, the difference wouldn’t be significant.
Their joint efforts, if they coordinated well, might just be able to contend with an ordinary Fifth Tier Earth Immortal. According to the secret intelligence he had gathered, the Black Spider Tribe’s chief might not even be at that level.
As for the Black Spider Tribe’s other experts, the members of their six tribes were not to be trifiled with either. As long as they could hold the line for a while, they could secure the overall situation.
...
"Chief, all the people Li Xinghe invited have assembled."
At the foot of the mountain where the Gun Spirit Tribe was located, black tents were hastily erected.
Inside the central tent, a man with a spider painted on his face reported to an elder sitting at the head.
"A bunch of overconfident foreigners really dare to come. Heh, I simply laid a trap because it was too much of a hassle to attack them one by one," said the Black Spider Tribe’s chief, his cruel smile spreading across his face as he waved his hand. "Launch a full-scale attack tonight. I will exterminate all six tribes in one battle!"
