Chapter 953: 952 Chapter Half-Foot Mirror_1
"The two Ghost Prison Blade Emperors, though top-notch experts among the Human Realm Martial Emperors, could not stand against this young man even when they joined forces."
"He must have had a great stroke of luck."
Some Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors quietly communicated with each other, their eyes filled with irrepressible shock, trepidation, and even a sense of bewilderment.
It was said that the Kirin Young Emperor was only in his mid-thirties. At that age, they were still accumulating their foundations. The slower ones hadn’t even reached the high stages of the Divine Barrier Realm, let alone the Void Origin Realm, which seemed as unattainable as a beautiful dream.
Yet, looking at him, he could kill even the famed Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors, breaking not just the records of the Daxia Dynasty but possibly all those within the Martial World.
Once this battle spread, Shi Xiaole’s name would be known throughout the land!
The gazes of the crowd had not yet dispersed because they saw Shi Xiaole walking under the sword-shaped pavilion. The three Sword Emperors nearby all stood up.
"Kirin, are you challenging the Qingyuan Sword Emperor?"
An elderly man with a goatee and a kindly face asked. Some recognized him as the Purple Wood Sword Emperor, whose killing moves, though not listed on the Human Billboard, were renowned due to his forthright personality and wide connections.
"May I ask, senior, is there a particular custom here?"
Shi Xiaole inquired.
Hearing his humble and polite inquiry, the Purple Wood Sword Emperor’s smile deepened by three parts as he explained, "The Kirin is perhaps unaware that in front of each of these twenty-four towers stands a bell. To issue a challenge, one need only ring the bell, and those within cannot refuse. Of course, the minimum interval between challenges is five days. By counting the days, the Qingyuan Sword Emperor will descend tomorrow."
Though this place had not been open for long, the observational skills of the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors were no joke—they were able to discern patterns from the feedback of multiple towers.
Shi Xiaole expressed his thanks, and without fear of deception, stepped forward to ring the bell hanging outside the tower and then found a spot to sit down on his own.
Since there was still a day to go, he decided to meditate and reflect on what he had gained from his previous battles.
"What an arrogant fellow, he seems to be quite confident in himself."
By the Purple Wood Sword Emperor’s side, a middle-aged man with a stern face secretly transmitted his voice, his tone inevitably carrying some disdain.
The Qingyuan Sword Emperor was not someone the Ghost Prison Blade Emperors could compare to. His killing moves ranked nineteenth on the Human Billboard, undoubtedly one of the top current Human Realm Martial Emperors of the Daxia Dynasty.
If all the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors present were ranked, the Qingyuan Sword Emperor would also be firmly within the top three.
The Purple Wood Sword Emperor chuckled in response, "Young people are always spirited and full of vigor, especially a youngster of such peerless talent. Let’s just wait and watch the show."
Others in the distance, upon seeing Shi Xiaole’s actions, reacted with indifference, sneers, or head-shakes, but soon withdrew their gazes.
Quietness returned to the surroundings, interrupted only occasionally by the sounds of intense combat. It was the result of someone challenging the experts in the towers, but after watching a few rounds, Shi Xiaole noted they all ended in a challenger’s defeat.
Those who had entered the towers represented a superiority in strength and, having gained the opportunities within, further widened their advantage. Hence, it was difficult for them to lose. In theory, in this place, the strong would only get stronger, and the weak even weaker.
There were exceptions, of course.
Like the Mysterious Heart Blade Empress, whose strength was lesser than the Earth Destroyer Knife Emperor, challenged and failed, then went on to challenge and defeat the emperor of the Ice Heart Tower.
There were also the Light Martial Blade Emperor, the Thunderbolt Martial Emperor, and even Yan San and Yan Si, who likely couldn’t find their preferred towers and had to settle for less. After all, it was better to be inside a tower than waiting outside in vain.
The Purple Wood Sword Emperor was very enthusiastic and took the initiative to chat with Shi Xiaole. It was from him that Shi Xiaole learnt Wudao Xuan and Yan Yuchai had also entered two towers.
Given Wudao Xuan’s strength, without using the Selfless Sacred Bone, he had no hope to get into the top towers but could make it into the second tier. As for Yan Yuchai, it was said she used a secret treasure.
"Actually, with your strength, Kirin, there’s no need to be obsessed with the Sword King Tower. If you meditate in the other towers, it will probably be more worthwhile," the Purple Wood Sword Emperor advised in a persuasive tone, indirectly suggesting.
Shi Xiaole simply smiled and didn’t respond. He, of course, understood the other’s meaning, but if one didn’t measure oneself against the strong, how could one know the limits of one’s strength?
Seeing this, the Purple Wood Sword Emperor said no more. He was keen on befriending Shi Xiaole but also knew the principle of not overdoing it.
A day passed quickly.
Within the Sword King Tower, a man with a burly frame and a purple-gold crown, with a stern face, walked out. His gaze was sharp as he coldly asked, "Who wishes to challenge this emperor?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Several gazes turned his way.
Shi Xiaole stood up from the ground.
"You?"
Danger flickered in the eyes of the Qingyuan Sword Emperor. The doctrines within the Sword King Tower had him utterly captivated, wishing to immerse himself forever, yet he couldn’t ignore the challenges from outside the tower.
If the challenger had been a well-known Martial Emperor, it might have been a different story, but what was this now—a Terrestrial Immortal? Despite guessing Shi Xiaole’s identity from his appearance, talent didn’t equate to strength.
"Everyone must pay the price for their ignorant actions."
The Qingyuan Sword Emperor felt deep humiliation and decided to be harsher this time, to prevent just anyone from crowding in and wasting his time.
An invisible sword intent filled the air, and as Shi Xiaole sensed the opponent’s rage, his expression remained calm. With the Spring Fury Sword drawn, he lunged straight at his foe with a thrust.
The Purple Wood Sword Emperor, the stern-faced middle-aged man, and another Sword Emperor all brightened at the sight, for Shi Xiaole’s strike was even faster than when he faced the Ghost Prison Blade Emperors—much faster.
Clang!
But to the Qingyuan Sword Emperor, this was child’s play. His sword, twice as wide as the Spring Fury Sword, was firmly placed before him, and with a flick of his wrist, a magnificent and powerful Sword Qi surged towards Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole hastily parried with his sword.
It could be a coincidence that both of their Sword Qi were azure in color, with the only difference being that the Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s azure was deep while Shi Xiaole’s was a lighter sky azure. As soon as the two clashed, it was like contrasting colors, and the deep azure Sword Qi immediately shattered the sky azure Sword Qi.
"Wind Wound!"
Not intending to hold back and gathering his energy to the limit, Shi Xiaole unleashed a series of sword shadows in a sweeping motion.
"Hmm?"
Qingyuan Sword Emperor was somewhat surprised. With his keen vision, he could easily discern that Shi Xiaole’s sword technique had not reached the level of a human-grade killer move, yet its power surpassed some of those killer moves. This indicated that the opponent’s foundation was exceptionally solid, even surpassing some martial emperors of the Void Origin Realm.
Truly a monstrous talent!
"Sword Source Integration!"
With a cold snort, Qingyuan Sword Emperor stood still, simply pointing his sword. A single strike seemed to be myriad strikes, filling the void and Shi Xiaole’s consciousness, giving him a feeling that there was nowhere to dodge.
At the critical moment, a giant sword enveloped Shi Xiaole, but it only lasted a moment before being shattered. The remaining sword force kept hitting Shi Xiaole’s body, causing blood to spill from his mouth and nose, and he only managed to stabilize himself after retreating thousands of meters.
"Not severely injured?"
The spectators were all stunned.
Given Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s strength, first-rate martial emperors could hardly last a few moves against him, let alone when he used his special techniques.
"The No Gang Spiritual Armor really comes in handy."
Shi Xiaole knew that he only suffered light injuries thanks to the effects of Wind Mastery and the protection of the No Gang Spiritual Armor, which absorbed at least thirty percent of the damage. Additionally, the balance of his life-and-death martial arts had saved him from danger.
The Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s face darkened. He had no intention of being a stepping stone for the opponent. Without giving Shi Xiaole time to speak, Qingyuan Sword Emperor raised his power to the utmost, launching endless sword shadows towards Shi Xiaole like a roaring sea of swords.
"Qingyuan Myriad Forms!"
The crowd couldn’t help but exclaim.
Qingyuan Myriad Forms was, indeed, the Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s killer move that ranked on the human list. Its power was nearly twice that of Sword Source Integration, and first-rate human realm martial emperors dared not face it head-on.
"He’s going to get serious now."
"Hehe, his challenge has failed, and he’s only brought heavy injury upon himself, a mere act of self-humiliation."
Some people’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
Even the Purple Wood Sword Emperor thought that Shi Xiaole would surely be severely injured under this sword technique. Only Shi Xiaole, in the midst of the sword sea, stood unflinchingly still, with not a hair out of place, as he was pierced by the onslaught of swords.
At the same moment, just like a mirrored image, another Shi Xiaole appeared half an inch from the Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s side, swinging his long sword surrounded by a myriad of bubbles.
This wasn’t an illusion, nor had Shi Xiaole been lying in wait; with his power, he could not have concealed himself from the Qingyuan Sword Emperor. Instead, it was the Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s attack that had inadvertently placed him there.
Boom!
The Qingyuan Sword Emperor forcefully exerted seventy percent of his power, and as the swords clashed, both figures were sent flying backward.
Shi Xiaole retreated nearly ten thousand meters, spitting out a gush of blood and appearing slightly pale, but his injuries looked far less severe than imagined. Qingyuan Sword Emperor, on the other hand, retreated only a few hundred meters and, apart from rapid breathing, showed no other signs of distress.
However, his expression was quite ugly.
In the presence of those gathered, who, apart from a few like the Earth Destroyer Knife Emperor, could force him back? Shi Xiaole’s strength was clearly not on that level, yet he achieved what many could not.
The spectators were equally astounded.
"What was that move just now?"
Qingyuan Sword Emperor asked coldly.
"Half-Inch Mirror."
Shi Xiaole made no attempt to hide it.
The Half-Inch Mirror was indeed the third style of his self-created Great Illusionary Formless Sword. This move could only be passively triggered when the opponent made a move, and it was a deadly strike. No matter how far apart they were, Shi Xiaole’s point of attack would always be half an inch from his opponent.
Unfortunately, due to the vast difference in strength between Shi Xiaole and Qingyuan Sword Emperor, he not only failed to injure the opponent but was injured himself. Of course, such injuries were inconsequential to him.
"This was just a lesson, and I hope it’s the last one."
After taking a deep look at Shi Xiaole, Qingyuan Sword Emperor returned to the Sword King Tower.
His objective had been achieved, and there was no need to waste time. More importantly, he considered hurting Shi Xiaole easy but killing him difficult.
"It won’t be the last time."
Muttering to himself, Shi Xiaole turned and swiftly headed towards the distant Absolute Wind Tower.
He was determined to enter the Sword King Tower, but before that, it was better to understand the gap between him and his opponent, to have a clear goal to strive for.
The master of Absolute Wind Tower had not previously made an appearance, but Shi Xiaole had inquired and learned that today was the fifth day. He directly rang the bell with his Vigorous Air.
Soon after, the Fierce Wind Martial Emperor emerged.
The Fierce Wind Martial Emperor’s strength was comparable to the Ghost Prison Blade Emperor at his peak. In a real match-up, Shi Xiaole could only compete in terms of frontal attack power; in all other combat abilities, he fell far short.
Yet, amidst astonished gazes, he managed to fight a fierce battle with the Fierce Wind Martial Emperor, relying on his unbeatable combat skills, and won narrowly with the Half-Inch Mirror.
Ignoring the Fierce Wind Martial Emperor’s ashen face, Shi Xiaole entered the Absolute Wind Tower.
