Chapter 925: Chapter 924 Life Like Summer Flowers_1
Sitting astride the Divine Eagle, Shi Xiaole released his spiritual power.
One kilometer.
Two kilometers.
Three kilometers.
...
It wasn’t until he reached five thousand five hundred meters that his spiritual power hit its limit.
Originally, Shi Xiaole’s detection range was three thousand five hundred meters, but upon reaching the pinnacle of the Void Origin Realm, it immediately surged by two thousand meters, an increase that was nothing short of terrifying.
And when utilizing the Heaven and Earth Changing Great Method, which allowed his spirit to leave his body, this range expanded to ten thousand meters. Within that distance, not a single movement of wind or blade of grass could escape Shi Xiaole’s eyes.
This was a probing ability that surpassed the level of the Void Origin Realm!
Of course, there were some Martial Emperors in the Void Origin Realm who possessed inscrutable methods to accomplish similar feats, but regardless, Shi Xiaole believed that his spiritual techniques were definitely among the top at the Void Origin level.
Although the Heaven Transforming Earth Striking only ranked as a first-rate, high-grade technique, one could count on their fingers the number of top-tier spiritual martial arts techniques available in the world. Most Martial Emperors at the Void Origin Realm were only practicing first-rate, high-grade spiritual martial arts after all.
His attention returned to the Divine Eagle. Shi Xiaole smiled and urged it onward, accelerating at full speed. In an instant, the Vigorous Air howled beside them, and the world seemed to shrink down to an arm’s length.
"Very good, the speed is about the same as that of an average Martial Emperor in the Void Origin Realm, and judging from the battle earlier, the Divine Eagle can sustain this full-speed flight for about two days."
For Shi Xiaole, the gratification of having the Heavenly Divine Eagle was no less than the growth of his spiritual power. Not only was it a divine artifact for traveling and escaping, but it was also equivalent to having a helper at the Void Origin Realm level — something he wouldn’t have dared to dream of before.
Thank you, Mu Qianji. Thank you, Old Han. Thank you, Heavenly Will Sect!
Thinking of the Heavenly Will Sect, Shi Xiaole’s gaze grew cold. Those people probably thought he was dead. Good, once his injuries healed, he would surely give them a huge surprise!
...
In the Heavenly Will Sect’s square, the members were amassed.
Just as a nation needs a leader every day, a sect needs a master every day. With Zhuo Wansheng and his confidants overthrown, the Heavenly Will Sect had several positions to fill, igniting ambition in many.
Under sect opinion pressure, the Grand Elder had to "heed the voice of the people" and called this assembly to decide on the candidates for the new Sect Leader and other positions.
"The Grand Elder, with his highly esteemed virtue and strength, is the foremost within our sect. Over the years, he has made countless remarkable contributions to the sect. Besides him, who else is qualified to ascend to the position of Sect Leader?"
Mu Sheng was the first to speak, his voice echoing far and wide, his gaze imperious, and the rest bowed their heads in assent.
"Indeed, I nominate the Grand Elder!"
"Who else but the Grand Elder?"
Seventy percent of those present were followers of the Grand Elder; the remaining thirty percent, despite their resentment, had neither significant martial skills nor a voice in the sect. Even if they spoke up, it would be futile and only make them targets for criticism.
The Grand Elder remained outwardly calm, but inside he was gripped with excitement.
He had waited far too long for this day, even going as far as collaborating with external forces to achieve his goal. From now on, he intended to make the Heavenly Will Sect much stronger, refusing to lurk in the shadows. Instead, he would become a leading power within the Daxia Dynasty.
The Divine Sect?
To hell with it.
"What merit and ability does an old man like me have? But since you all have nominated me, I will shamelessly..."
The Grand Elder was about to go with the flow when suddenly, a clear voice rang out, "Hold on!"
"Who? Come out!"
Mu Sheng was furious. As the Grand Elder’s chief aide and warrior, he wouldn’t allow anyone to disrupt the day’s proceedings.
"The fusion of the Heavenly Will Sect is impending, and the selection of the Sect Leader may as well be spared."
This time, everyone clearly heard the voice. Following its source, many were dumbfounded, others were shocked, and a few felt as if they had been struck by lightning. They rubbed their eyes vigorously, saw that they were not mistaken, and their mouths fell open in disbelief.
On the eastern eaves stood a middle-aged man in yellow robes, standing tall like an aged pine, his face waxen, with an ancient sword hanging at his waist—if not Shi Xiaole, then who?
"Le Yan, how is it you?"
Mu Sheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Impossible, wasn’t this man dead? He had been in the Heaven’s Intent Secret Realm for over half a month, and no one could survive there, not even the Sect Leader or the Grand Elder. Moreover, without an Array System Grandmaster’s manipulation, how did Le Yan manage to come out?
Was there a traitor?
Mu Sheng’s first thought wasn’t about how terrifying Shi Xiaole was but that a mistake had occurred within the Heavenly Will Sect. It must be the Sect Leader’s followers who had colluded with Shi Xiaole in secret.
The Grand Elder’s face didn’t look much better. For some reason, seeing Shi Xiaole gave him an ominous feeling. He laughed, "Hall Master Le, you’re incredibly fortunate. I have been worried about you these past few days. How did you manage to come out?"
"I walked out," Shi Xiaole said.
"Nonsense! Without someone colluding with you, how could you have walked out? Now you even have the audacity to interfere with the important affairs of our Heavenly Will Sect. What is your intention? In my opinion, your role as the Divine Wind Hall Master is also possibly a sham!"
All of a sudden, the Grand Elder dropped the cordial facade and berated angrily. With things having come to this point, he had no inclination to conceal his feelings any longer and simply tore his pretense away with Shi Xiaole.
Zhuo Wansheng had been subdued, with his power, dealing with Shi Xiaole would surely be an easy task, so why be cautious?
As for the Divine Sect, they were far off in the Flying Horse Dynasty, out of reach, so even if one did not give them face, what of it? Furthermore, the force behind him was not at all inferior to the Divine Sect, so what was there to fear in their coming?
Shi Xiaole shook his head and then suddenly blew a whistle.
The deep and vast cry echoed across the land. A black speck approached from the distance, and soon, a fierce wind descended, forcing many experts of the Heavenly Will Sect to urgently summon their Vigorous Air for protection, yet they still couldn’t help but retreat, their faces showing shock.
"Divine, Divine Eagle, my heavens... it’s the Divine Eagle!"
Someone shouted with a strangled voice, looking almost as if the sky had collapsed when they saw a giant eagle in the sky, whose wingspan was a full thirty-six feet, body golden as if cast from metal, exuding an untouchable divine might, making their hearts feel like jumping out of their throats.
Shouts, gasps, and cries of astonishment merged into one.
Whether it was the Grand Elder’s men or Zhuo Wansheng’s followers, everyone was stunned into a standstill, especially when they saw the Divine Eagle tuck in its wings and stand docilely behind Shi Xiaole, nearly causing them to faint.
"The Divine Eagle has acknowledged me as its master. Will you, followers of the Heavenly Will Sect, not kneel?"
Shi Xiaole’s voice wasn’t loud, but it boomed ceaselessly in everyone’s ears, shaking their souls. Some immediately fell to their knees.
The Divine Eagle was the highest totem of the Heavenly Will Sect, and the dying words of the Heaven’s Intent Master were like a tight spell, always reminding the Heavenly Will Sect followers that when the foretold noble person appeared, they must not oppose his will!
Others hesitated, looking at the Grand Elder with a pallid complexion, unsure whether to kneel or remain standing.
"Demon, you dare to deceive the Divine Eagle with sorcery and harm our Heavenly Will Sect. I swear, today, I will dismember your demonic body to restore purity and save the Divine Eagle!"
The Grand Elder was panic-stricken, hardly daring to believe that the Heavenly Divine Eagle had truly been tamed by Shi Xiaole. Could it be that the other party was indeed the destined noble person?
No, there was never a noble person, and even if there was, he would kill him. The situation that he had painstakingly managed over the years could not be disrupted by anyone.
With murderous intent surging in his heart, the Grand Elder transformed into many afterimages, each launching different palm strikes toward the distant Shi Xiaole.
Clang!
Three pavilions were turned to flying ash, and in the void, array system beams appeared, greatly weakening the attack. Otherwise, the entire residence would have been leveled.
Shi Xiaole too was bound, surrounded by crisscrossing beams of the array system, forming a cage. It turned out that the master of the array system in hiding had received the Grand Elder’s command and acted against Shi Xiaole in secret at the first opportunity.
"You wish to contend with the Grand Elder? You’re far from ready!"
Mu Sheng laughed heartily within, especially when he saw the Divine Eagle make no move, which greatly relieved him. It seemed the Divine Eagle had not truly submitted to Shi Xiaole; surely, the latter had employed dishonorable methods.
"Rotating Thousand Turns Palm, die!"
All the afterimages merged into one, and the Grand Elder, with the momentum of a rainbow, thrust out his palm. The void continuously collapsed inwards as if tofu was being flattened, layer upon layer, until all the force converged on the first layer and slammed fiercely toward Shi Xiaole.
"Fearless Wind!"
A thin thread of sword energy surged out, slicing through the palm force, sparking endless golden sparks, burning tiny black holes in the sky. Even the numerous layers of the residence’s array systems were affected, resulting in chaotic streams.
"What, unharmed?"
The Grand Elder could not believe his own eyes.
This palm of his carried his full power, yet it only forced Shi Xiaole back. Hadn’t the other party lacked this kind of power last time?
What he didn’t know was that through the continuous fierce battles with the Heavenly Divine Eagle, Shi Xiaole had not only improved his psychic power but also increased the count of his Vigorous Air Vortex to one hundred and one, enhancing his strength significantly.
"Now, try taking one of my swords."
Flickering, Shi Xiaole appeared ten zhang above the Grand Elder’s head.
"You?"
The Grand Elder reacted with scornful laughter. Earth martial arts of the late Peak stage were imbued into his palms; two transparent palm shadows formed out of nothing, growing from small to large, compressing from both sides toward Shi Xiaole. The sheer strength of the force leaking merely a trickle made it difficult for the Heavenly Will Sect followers in the distance to breathe.
"As fleeting as summer flowers."
Right before the Grand Elder made his move, Shi Xiaole attacked with his sword. The blade caressed the air, and suddenly a flower made of Sword Qi appeared, its stamen right below the Grand Elder’s feet, the petals opening and closing, perfectly enveloping the Grand Elder within, a moment of beauty that withered in an instant.
A few drops of fresh blood fell to the ground.
The Grand Elder watched in a daze as the nine sword holes appeared on his body. His injuries weren’t severe, but he was unable to accept that he had been wounded by a Peak Earth Immortal.
If it were a miracle for a Peak Earth Immortal to take a blow from a Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor without defeat, then that sword move was enough to dim the luster of swordsmen in the eternal sky.
It was that very sword strike that convinced the Grand Elder that the man before him, Le Yan, was indeed the number one genius of the Flying Horse Dynasty, Shi Xiaole.
"No, it can’t be..."
Mu Sheng’s eyes bulged, every hair on his body standing on end, a chill frantically pouring into his pores, making him feel cold from head to toe.
The residence was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, all eyes fixed on the man in the void.
"My Illusion Martial Way has finally surpassed the Wind Sword Way."
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but be flooded with emotion.
At the same late nine-tenths stage, the Illusion Martial Way was not quite on the same level as the Wind Sword Way, yet under the support of Shi Xiaole’s peak Void Origin-level psychic power, the Illusion Martial Way had forcefully surpassed the Wind Sword Way.
That sword move was none other than the one Shi Xiaole had realized in his fierce battle with the Heavenly Divine Eagle.
