Chapter 858: Chapter 857: The Fury of the Three Ghost Kings_1
Shi Xiaole couldn’t imagine where he had ended up.
In the Void Origin Realm, Martial Emperors were rare and difficult to kill, but here, a full eight corpses lay before him, each appearing to have met an abnormal death.
Who could have the ability, or rather, for what reason had eight Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors gathered here?
Wait, he couldn’t possibly be the first person to discover this place. Why had no one collected their bones? After all, the bones of a Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor were worth a fortune and greatly beneficial to cultivation.
His mind thundering, Shi Xiaole quickly burst forth from the sole source of light, arriving atop the stone statue’s head, like a flea on a human head, his gaze sweeping across the picturesque expanse of rivers and mountains.
"Am I overthinking it?"
Despite sensing no immediate danger, Shi Xiaole didn’t dare to let down his guard. Mental strength wasn’t omnipotent; something could surpass his perception.
However, he was reluctant to leave just yet. Moreover, the Demon Bone was undergoing transformation, its origin seemingly connected to the stone statue before him.
"Could the statue be related to the mysterious cave, or perhaps, are they both the work of beings from beyond our realm?"
In the past, whether it was the Demon Crystal or the Heaven-devouring Devil Bone, they merely cleansed his bones or absorbed their power. But the changes induced by both the previous cave and the current situation were causing deep transformations in the Demon Bone, fundamentally different concepts.
Shi Xiaole checked his surroundings once more, finding no other remains.
Given the miraculous nature of this place, it was unreasonable to think it had been overlooked. Either no one had ever set foot here before, or those who had were dead.
Under the pitch-black night, the face of the stone statue was peaceful, but a faint unease arose in Shi Xiaole’s heart.
To be on the safe side, he decided to perch on the left eyebrow of the statue. From this distance, he could clearly sense the aura of the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors’ bones and retreat at a moment’s notice.
Shi Xiaole allowed himself a faint smile as he released his mental awareness. The profound and intricate essence of martial arts immediately enveloped him.
After his enlightenment in Sword King Valley, the essence of the Wind Sword Way had almost reached its limit, but that was the Shi Xiaole of the past. The present Shi Xiaole’s perceptiveness had increased greatly, enabling him to notice many previously overlooked things.
Furthermore, if the martial arts of life and death could absorb this essence and convert it into pure energy, the benefits would be enormous.
Time slowly passed by.
The martial essence of the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors was too rich and profound. Even if it was less than one percent of their strength in life, it was enough to keep Shi Xiaole busy digesting for a long time.
Three days later, he had to distance himself from the statue temporarily. The overload of information risked leading to madness, and it could damage the still maturing martial arts of life and death.
And so, Shi Xiaole would return to the statue’s left eyebrow after intervals, leaving again when he felt saturated to digest the fresh essence of martial arts.
During this process, the silvery radiance of the Demon Bone grew stronger, progressing from fifty to sixty, seventy, and eighty percent, causing Shi Xiaole’s thought processes to speed up and the digestion time to shorten even further.
Initially, if he absorbed for one day, it would take five days to digest, but now it had been shortened to less than three days.
Mysteriously, the essence of the Wind Sword Way was further strengthened, reaching new heights. A month later, accompanied by a piercing sword cry, the Wind Sword Way advanced to the late seventy percent stage.
"My strength should be close to that of an average Ninth Tier Earth Immortal now."
Shi Xiaole’s lips curled into a smile.
The martial level of an average Ninth Tier Earth Immortal generally hovered around the mid to late eighty percent, but Shi Xiaole’s Vigorous Air was exceptionally robust, largely compensating for the difference in martial prowess.
He had a feeling that if the Wind Sword Way reached the peak of seventy percent, he might be able to stand toe-to-toe with an average Ninth Tier Earth Immortal.
And judging by the remaining aura of the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors’ bones, this seemed to be an effortless task. Forget the peak of seventy percent, breaking through to eighty percent was highly likely.
Just as he was preparing to get up, suddenly, Shi Xiaole’s brow furrowed, and he quickly utilized his Flying Skill to flee.
Before long, three figures landed in the area.
"That kid must be nearby. Let’s split up and search. If you find any trace, notify the others immediately," the leader amongst the three, none other than the Ninth Void Ghost King, instructed while holding a bronze Bagua in his hand, which had a glowing point at the center.
The other two average Ninth Tier Earth Immortals didn’t waste words and went their separate ways.
"With the tracking device personally bestowed by the Ghost Emperor, I refuse to believe you can escape to the ends of the earth."
No one hated Shi Xiaole more than the Ninth Void Ghost King. His grand plans had been ruined twice by this adversary, and not killing him would not suffice to quell his fury. But beyond his anger, there was a deeper fear, one that nearly kept the Ninth Void Ghost King awake at night.
He had even secretly decided that if he failed to kill Shi Xiaole this time, he would immediately go into hiding to avoid future retribution.
"How did the people from the Ghost King Ruins find my trail? Could it be the Ghost Emperor’s doing?"
Shi Xiaole was well aware of the Ghost Emperor’s infamous divinations and witchcraft in Rainbow State and knew that none targeted by him had ever escaped.
The stone statue lay ahead, and not wanting to lead the trio there, yet fearful they might discover it themselves, Shi Xiaole thought for a moment before deciding to wait for them on the road.
"Kid, ha ha ha, I’ve found you," the Gloomy King laughed heartily from afar, while swiftly sending a covert message to the other two.
The Gloomy King had not entered the Mirage Mountain Range, but having heard of Shi Xiaole from the Ninth Void Ghost King, he was cautious yet somewhat skeptical. Gathering his full strength, he struck a palm toward Shi Xiaole.
Clang!
The Red Left Sword unsheathed, Shi Xiaole proactively struck with his sword towards his opponent.
"How dare you!"
The Gloomy King was enraged.
According to the Ninth Void Ghost King, Shi Xiaole’s strength was below that of an average Ninth Tier Earth Immortal, but he might last dozens of moves. However, this head-on approach was far too disrespectful.
But moments later, the Gloomy King’s eyes widened in shock.
Shi Xiaole saw that after his palm force collided with the opponent’s long sword, it failed to crush it as if it were dried weeds and rotten wood. After exhausting the opponent’s Sword Qi, only a tenth of the palm force remained, easily dodged by the other party.
"Still slightly inferior, huh."
Shi Xiaole left in the direction he had planned long ago.
Soon, two more figures hurried over.
"Where is he?"
The Ninth Void Ghost King demanded.
The tracking disc could only determine a small area where the target might be within a certain range, but it couldn’t specify the exact location.
"He discovered us in advance and escaped."
The Gloomy King’s eyes flickered.
Following the Ninth Void Ghost King’s plan, the discovery of Shi Xiaole was not to startle him; naturally, the Gloomy King dared not tell the whole truth. But he could never have imagined that Shi Xiaole was even more formidable than the rumors suggested, practically on par with an ordinary Ninth Tier Earth Immortal.
Could they really afford to provoke such a freak?
The three of them continued their search separately.
"How can this be?"
At the same time, Shi Xiaole discovered something that thrilled him. Despite the Ninth Void Ghost King’s perceptive abilities, he did not notice Shi Xiaole even when he was less than a kilometer away, several times.
Shi Xiaole turned around and followed the Gloomy King, who was even more exaggerated. Passing right beside Shi Xiaole, he didn’t even glance in his direction.
"Could it be that only I can see the stone statue because of the Demon Bone?"
More and more doubts emerged in Shi Xiaole’s mind. Knowing it couldn’t possibly be the trio’s plot, he still observed for a long while until he was certain they couldn’t see the stone statue; then he leaped to the top of the statue in a flash.
"Where is he? Can he turn invisible?"
The unchanging light on the tracking disc proved that Shi Xiaole was nearby, but the Ninth Void Ghost King couldn’t find him no matter what, his forehead veined with fury.
After a moment of thought, he reluctantly pinched out a seal and injected a stream of Vigorous Air into the tracking disc.
Among the three groups that had set out this time, not only were there ultimate Ninth Tier Earth Immortals, but also a Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor. The Ninth Void Ghost King had hoped to claim all the credit, but now he had no choice but to notify the Floating Light Demon Emperor.
You dare to toy with me, kid. I’ll make sure you pay for it, just hope that when the time comes, you won’t run away like a lost dog!
Shi Xiaole noticed the action but didn’t care. With his mental strength unable to grasp the true nature of the stone statue, he’d be fine as long as it wasn’t the Ghost Emperor or the master of the Illusion Orchid Tower personally involved; the rest didn’t matter.
Now was the time to seize the opportunity to absorb the essence of martial arts, and quickly enhance his own strength!
Perhaps it was the presence of enemies nearby that made Shi Xiaole even more focused. By now, 85 percent of his Demon Bone had turned silver, his digestion speed incomparably faster than before.
Boom!
On the third day of the Ninth Void Ghost King’s arrival, Shi Xiaole successfully brought the Life and Death Path of martial arts to a peak of thirty percent.
Suppressing his joy, Shi Xiaole continued his understanding of the martial arts.
On the sixth day, as the essence of martial arts filled him, he had to stand up and leave.
Since the Ninth Void Ghost King and his group were frantically searching for him, peacefully digesting became a challenge. Shi Xiaole steeled his heart, deciding to substitute healing with battle, using fierce fights to promote digestion.
"No need to sneak around, I’ve spotted you."
Without even glancing, Shi Xiaole flicked his long sword, thrusting directly at the Gloomy King, who was hidden yet signaling his comrades.
"Unstoppable Ghostly Demon Palm!"
The overlapping palm shadows burst forth in layers, and the Gloomy King’s face contorted in rage, having never encountered such an audacious Eighth Tier Earth Immortal in his long life.
Thud...
Amidst the thunderous roar of heaven and earth, Shi Xiaole struck three swords in succession, fighting while retreating.
The commotion here immediately attracted the Ninth Void Ghost King and King Senluo, but by the time the two arrived, there was no sign of Shi Xiaole.
"Why didn’t you hold him back?"
The Ninth Void Ghost King roared in anger.
The Gloomy King looked displeased and said, "That kid is too cunning; he refuses to fight up close, otherwise we could have captured him." The Gloomy King didn’t tell the others that he only had a slight advantage and that even in a fight to the death it would take nearly a thousand moves to defeat Shi Xiaole.
On the other hand, he also resented the attitude of the other two and wished to see them humbled. Of course, it was impossible for Shi Xiaole to give the Ninth Void Ghost King a hard time; there was a qualitative difference between them.
The strange scene continued in the mountains. Every few days, Shi Xiaole would provoke the Gloomy King or King Senluo but never engaged in a prolonged battle. And when the three experts from the Ghost King Ruins were together, Shi Xiaole would hide and not show himself.
After several attempts, the Gloomy King and King Senluo, too, were inflamed with anger, demanding to separate to lure Shi Xiaole out. But no matter what they tried, they couldn’t keep a hold of Shi Xiaole.
What shocked them even more was that it seemed after every battle, Shi Xiaole’s strength increased slightly. Although it wasn’t much, after several times, they distinctly felt the pressure.
"No need to panic; the Floating Light Demon Emperor will arrive soon. Let’s just play along with him for now."
Feeling helpless, the Ninth Void Ghost King noticed another light approaching on the tracking disc and couldn’t help but sneer.
Above the left eyebrow of the stone statue.
A violent aura, as swift as both wind and sword, suddenly rose and was about to explode when it transformed into countless gentle breezes. Yet each strand of breeze was clearly ten times sharper than a sharp sword, slicing light marks into the void.
