Chapter 970: Chapter 969 Five Great Geniuses Gather_1
"I definitely can’t beat them."
That was Shi Xiaole’s first thought.
Indeed, as he thought, among those who entered the Heaven King Tomb, there were not only Human Realm Martial Emperors but also Earthly Realm Martial Emperors and Heaven Realm Martial Emperors in abundance.
Setting aside the Fire Emperor, the Heavenly Water Great Emperor, and others, even if just one Earthly Realm Martial Emperor came along, they would be beyond the current Shi Xiaole’s ability to contend with, let alone more than one.
And if these Earthly Realm Martial Emperors had any good intentions towards the Yan family, they would have already offered assistance earlier. The only explanation was that they were either enemies or simply indifferent, staying out of the affair entirely.
So, what should he do?
Shi Xiaole never liked owing favors to anyone, but he was even more averse to acting on mere passion. That would not only fail to save Yan Yuchai but also cost him his own life.
The sounds of smug laughter and roaring anger, coming through faintly, struck Shi Xiaole’s heart, telling him that Yan Yuchai was undergoing a terrible ordeal.
Various considerations flashed through his mind rapidly. Between loyalty and safety, Shi Xiaole finally gritted his teeth and decided to take a risk, "I can only resort to a desperate strategy."
Just as he was preparing to act, a voice reached his ears that made him show an unusual expression.
...
"This strike will slash through your sleeve."
Ling Shangyun pointed at Yan Yuchai’s left hand. The tormented expression of the beauty, rather than deterring him, seemed to fuel a perverse thought, and he laughed shrilly and arrogantly.
The blade flashed.
Her robes turned to dust, but a layer of misty Vigorous Air enveloped Yan Yuchai’s arm just in time. Untouched by makeup, her face, still as exquisite as mutton-fat jade, revealed a bitter hatred.
"Hate all you want. I love that look on your face, and even more so when we’re in bed. Despite wishing you could kill me, you end up crying for your daddy and mommy. It must be quite a sight," he taunted.
Probably conjuring up such a scene in his mind, Ling Shangyun’s excitement caused his face to redden, his eyes to narrow, and his blade’s momentum to climb ceaselessly. Each slash resulted in more of Yan Yuchai’s clothes being torn.
In the end, much of Yan Yuchai’s body was enveloped in Vigorous Air. But this also meant she had to defend against the deliberately alternating strength of Ling Shangyun’s attacks while maintaining the Vigorous Air she needed, causing her consumption of it to soar past previous levels.
Yan Yuchai estimated she could hold on for, at most, fifteen minutes. After that, she would be exposed as the vile man wished, her body laid bare for all to see.
For her, such an end would be worse than death!
With a smirk, Ling Shangyun said, "Thinking of self-detonating, aren’t you? Useless. My Evil Blade’s blade energy naturally restrains that tactic. Whether you live or die, in the end, this delightful body will definitely be left for everyone to enjoy."
As if to prove his point, Yan Yuchai, who had been about to initiate self-explosion, suddenly felt remnants of blade energy still lingering in her meridians, preventing her Vigorous Air from gathering properly. She immediately felt as if death were upon her.
Seeing this scene, many of those secretly watching couldn’t bear to look any longer. It’s one thing for a martial world man to die in the Martial World; but for such a beauty, the ending was far too cruel.
Of course, there were also some whose eyes widened with excitement, refusing to let Yan Yuchai out of their sight.
"Ling Shangyun, Evil Blade Sect, I, Yan Da, swear that as long as I draw breath, I will see you torn to pieces in this life, ah..."
In the midst of Yan Da’s heart-wrenching roar, Ling Shangyun chuckled and aimed at Yan Yuchai’s chest. With a calculated force, his blade hacked down savagely.
He believed this strike would be sufficient to shatter her protective Vigorous Air and expose her soft chest for all to witness.
The slash was so artful, a push that felt like a pull. Yan Yuchai’s first thought was that she couldn’t counter the move, then her mind went blank.
This was the darkest day of her life.
Whoosh!
The blade light skimmed by Yan Yuchai, and after a moment’s wait, her body’s Vigorous Air remained unbroken. The atmosphere around her seemed different as well. Subconsciously, she turned her head to look and saw a familiar figure.
"Shi Xiaole!"
For some reason, Yan Yuchai’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
Nodding towards her, Shi Xiaole looked at Ling Shangyun and beyond him, where a figure was standing a thousand meters away, exuding an identical aura that clearly identified him as a master of the Evil Blade Sect.
"Whoever you are, I advise you not to interfere with my fun, or I wouldn’t mind chopping you up as well," Ling Shangyun threatened.
The identity of the sudden apparition, a young man in green, whether by face or by disposition, aroused burning jealousy in Ling Shangyun. But soon after, he tentatively identified the newcomer through some rumors, feeling an odd sensation.
"Kirin!"
"Ah, is he the exceptional swordsman who defeated the Qingyuan Sword Emperor?"
"He is well-known for his past with the Yan family, but how dare he intervene? There’s more than one Ling Shangyun present."
More than a month had passed since the 24th floor was closed. During that time, Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm who knew each other inevitably talked whenever they met, and as a result, they heard about the events that had transpired.
Who among them did not know the name Shi Xiaole?
So, upon seeing him, everyone around was visibly shaken.
"Kirin Young Emperor? Isn’t that title a bit exaggerated?"
Someone from the Yan Family sneered coldly.
Even their young master, Yan Jicheng, had never been called the "Young Emperor." Of course, in their opinion, it wasn’t that Yan Jicheng was unworthy; it was simply unnecessary.
The title "Young Emperor" implies that one has not yet achieved the status of Martial Emperor, but Yan Jicheng was a bona fide Martial Emperor, and his current strength had already surpassed the human realm, how could Shi Xiaole compare to that?
Of course, while they looked down upon Shi Xiaole on the surface, the Yan Family’s experts were all warily cautious at heart upon thinking of Shi Xiaole’s young age and his terrifying combat power.
Murderous intent flashed secretly in the eyes of some.
Yan Jicheng didn’t speak; he merely watched the youth in the green robe in the distance silently.
On the other side, a group of people approached from afar.
The woman leading them had an enduring elegance and was dressed in green. Without deliberately exuding any presence, her appearance alone made the world around her teem with vitality.
The barren ground unexpectedly sprouted seedlings, which rapidly grew into large trees, sprouting branches and buds, visibly forming a forest.
"Wood Empress!"
The Earthly Realm Martial Emperor of the Evil Blade Sect, the Different-eyed Sword Emperor, revealed a chilling expression.
People in the Martial World only knew of an old connection between the Yan family and the Holy Wood Tower; they didn’t know that in years gone by, Yan Zhenning had been the talk of the Martial World and had a complicated entanglement with the Wood Empress. Although later he married Qin Shuning, there was still contact between the two.
Since the other party had appeared, it was impossible for them to sit idly by.
Equally attracting everyone’s attention was a woman in green next to the Wood Empress.
If Yan Jicheng to the east was like a fiercely burning sun, hot and blinding, then the woman in green was excessively tranquil and gentle. Everyone who saw her couldn’t help but want to draw closer, to drop all their defenses, a stark contrast to Yan Jicheng.
"That woman must be Mu Linger!"
"I heard that in her battle against the Fire Emperor, she merely acted without effort, and her real killer move has already surpassed the human rankings."
Some Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors whispered among themselves in twos and threes, while many others had peculiar expressions.
Suddenly hearing low murmurs, the crowd looked in the direction of the sounds and were immediately stunned.
It turned out that just as the Holy Wood Tower group appeared, off in the distance, nightfall spread across the sky, covering tens of thousands of meters. With the night slowly expanding, a group of people in black stood high upon the clouds.
The leader, a young man with an extraordinary appearance and unnaturally pale skin, had eyes so dark they seemed bottomless. When his gaze fell upon Mu Linger, he smiled, "Miss Mu, I’ve always said we are fated, destined to be a perfect match."
The crowd was secretly shocked by his brazenness, daring to tease Mu Linger in public. Some guessed his identity, taking a sharp breath, "Dark Night Proton!"
As a newly risen sect, the Dark Sect had caused quite a stir in the Daxia Martial World.
Its suzerain, the Dark Night Emperor, was a top-notch master amongst the strong. As for Dark Night Proton, he had proven in this endeavor that he was no less exceptional than Yan Jicheng or Mu Linger, one of the most supreme geniuses in the Martial World.
Perhaps only such a person would dare to speak to Mu Linger in this way.
Dark Night Proton’s gaze turned to another side, and he laughed heartily, "Brother Wu, since you have come, why not show yourself? It’s been many years since we have tested our skills against each other."
Suddenly, all the signs of wind and rain appeared in the sky, followed by the sound of thunder. Mountains, rivers, birds, reptiles, and other things flashed by in the spectacle of the sun rising and moon setting.
A handsome young man emerged, his long hair draped casually, his eyes bright, bathed in a holy light that seemed in harmony with all things. The moment he appeared, he captured the gaze of everyone present.
"The possessor of the Selfless Sacred Bone, Wudao Xuan!"
Shh!
A soft gasp rippled through the surroundings.
The three great sacred bones are supreme, possessing one predestines one to stand out amidst people. Many had never seen Wudao Xuan before, but upon seeing him now, they were captivated by his charm and silently praised the rumors to be true.
All of a sudden, the atmosphere on the scene skyrocketed multiple times, and everyone felt like they didn’t have enough eyes to take it all in.
The supremely arrogant Yan Jicheng, the aloof and breeze-like Shi Xiaole, the calculating and hidden Mu Linger, the unfathomable Dark Night Proton, and Wudao Xuan, who had assimilated with nature and forged his own path— who could have imagined that on the eve of the Heaven King Tomb’s closure, the most dazzling five geniuses of the journey would gather here?
Dark Night Proton’s gaze swept around and finally settled on Shi Xiaole, who had just taken off his blue shirt and draped it over Yan Yuchai’s shoulders, he smiled, "Kirin Young Emperor, I’ve long admired your name and truly wish to see your prowess in person."
His words shocked the crowd.
Indeed, Dark Night Proton had once fought fiercely with Yan Jicheng and Mu Linger and had an old connection with Wudao Xuan; he presumably knew them inside and out. The only one he was unfamiliar with was Shi Xiaole, but saying such words in this situation inevitably led to wild speculation.
Many people had seen with their own eyes the Dark Night Emperor take part in the battle against Yan Zhenning. By stance, Dark Night Proton and Shi Xiaole were natural adversaries.
Was he intending to take this opportunity to suppress Shi Xiaole?!
"However, let’s forget it, our realms are not equal. When you reach the Void Origin Realm, I might be interested in a battle," he said, shifting his tone and shaking his head.
This seemingly objective but condescending attitude caused more hearts to tremble.
Everyone knew the Kirin possessed top-tier Human Realm Martial Emperor combat power, but indeed, Dark Night Proton had surpassed the realm of a Human Realm Martial Emperor. One couldn’t deny that he indeed had the right to say such words.
