Chapter 971: Chapter 970: Please, Senior, Cover Our Rear_1
"Yuan Zi, don’t underestimate this person. Without using the Power of Sacred Bones, it wouldn’t be so easy for our Young Master to defeat him," she said.
The woman speaking had a passable appearance, standing behind Wudao Xuan with a cryptic smile at the corner of her mouth—none other than the Wind Thunder Blade Queen.
It seemed as though she was speaking on behalf of Shi Xiaole, but to anyone with a discerning eye, it was clear that her intent was to belittle Shi Xiaole in order to elevate Wudao Xuan’s status.
However, it was true that from beginning to end, Wudao Xuan had never displayed his full strength. Even though he was not yet at the Void Origin Realm, he possessed unfathomable power.
Dark Night Proton nodded. "Brother Wu, I’ve heard that your last battle with the Kirin was delayed due to an accident. Why not choose today instead of any other day and fight a battle?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd was thrown into an uproar, with many eager onlookers immediately turning their attention to Wudao Xuan and Shi Xiaole, keenly observing their expressions.
The Wind Thunder Blade Queen sneered, "In a battle of equals, our Young Master has never been defeated. I’m afraid some people don’t have the courage."
Many thought the Wind Thunder Blade Queen was too arrogant, but the moment the words ’never been defeated’ were mentioned, it fell like a massive hammer, fiercely striking everyone’s hearts.
In the Martial World, there were countless masters. Any notable figure must have been through numerous battles, hundreds of battles, and no one could remain undefeated. Not even the Martial Emperors of the three great dynasties could escape this fate. Yet, take note, this refers to all major battles since one’s debut, including times when one was pursued by powerful enemies when weak.
Even so, this kind of measure to judge one’s combat strength wasn’t always accurate, hence the concept of battling on equal grounds arose.
Without a doubt, the three great Martial Emperors were seen as invincible among their peers, seldom defeated at their level, which was one of the important factors earning them the title of the number one person in the jianghu of their respective dynasties.
But since the beginning of the new era, voices have gradually emerged in the Martial World suggesting that the three great Martial Emperors were not unbeatable and that sooner or later someone capable of contending with them would appear.
Therefore, the Martial World was very sensitive to the four words ’undefeated in their rank’.
For a moment, many eyes fell on Shi Xiaole.
Yan Yuchai, draped in Shi Xiaole’s green shirt, held back her Vigorous Air; her face was still a little red. Under the influence of the Wood Empress, the masters from the Sky Water Palace had already ceased their attack, allowing Yan Da and the other two some respite, now standing behind Yan Yuchai.
Yan San, with a broken leg, stemmed his bleeding, but upon hearing these words, he laughed loudly: "Undefeated in their rank? Last time during the fight for the glazing box, if it wasn’t for someone’s interference, that person would have been defeated by Young Hero Shi already. And now they dare claim to be invincible, do they take everyone for blind fools?"
The Wind Thunder Blade Queen’s face darkened as she shouted, "Utterly ludicrous! If Young Master had not been merciful and refrained from using the Power of Sacred Bones, would the Kirin still have the life to stand here? Ask him if he has that kind of confidence!"
As she spoke, a surge of hidden energy transformed into an invisible blade, cutting towards Yan San’s sea of consciousness. Just as it neared him, it was shattered by an even greater force of mental energy, causing the Wind Thunder Blade Queen’s body to sway from the backlash.
"Have some shame, and don’t always resort to such sneaky tricks,"
Shi Xiaole spoke indifferently.
It was a pity they were too far apart, or else he would not hesitate to take the opportunity to destroy her.
Her face turned shades of green and white, both shocked and furious—shocked that her Black Hand had been blocked, and angry that her motives had been exposed. She resolved that at the first chance, she would certainly annihilate him!
Their covert exchange was noticed by only a few, but the conversation and their expressions gave away some clues, leaving the onlookers quite shocked.
From the looks of it, it appeared the Kirin had the upper hand over the Wind Thunder Blade Queen, but how could that be, when one had not even reached the Void Origin Realm while the other was an Earthly Realm Martial Emperor? What an enigma!
It was said the Kirin possessed a peerless talent in mental strength within the Martial World. It seemed to be no exaggeration!
Wudao Xuan said nothing, and Shi Xiaole remained still. The Wood Empress spoke, "I hope you will give me face and let the Yan family go. I owe them that much."
Shi Xiaole surveyed the scene, noticing many change their expressions yet not withdrawing their presences. He sighed helplessly inside. After all, the Wood Empress was not among the ten greatest experts, her deterrent power yet to reach that extent. It seemed a difficult battle was inevitable today.
"We should give face to the Wood Empress in principle, but unfortunately, my Evil Blade Sect has long-standing grudges with the Yan family, with many of our esteemed masters having fallen at their hands. Such deep-seated hatred cannot go unavenged!"
The Earthly Realm Martial Emperor of the Evil Blade Sect, Different-eyed Sword Emperor, was the first to speak up, grasping the sword at his waist.
"Wood Empress, why bother wading into these muddy waters?"
A short elder emerged from the midst of the Yan Family’s masters.
Many Martial Emperors at the Void Origin Realm recognized him as a renowned Earthly Realm Martial Emperor in the Void Origin circle, the Angry Flame Emperor.
"My Sky Water Palace and the Yan family are sworn enemies."
In the distance, a giant wave parted into countless droplets, each reassembling to form an elegant male figure, whose formidable presence was in no way inferior to the Different-eyed Sword Emperor and the Angry Flame Emperor.
"The deputy palace master of Sky Water Palace, True Water Emperor,"
Someone exclaimed.
The True Water Emperor’s strength, certainly not within the top ten, was more than enough for the top thirty, at most only slightly weaker than the Wood Empress. If joined by the Different-eyed Sword Emperor and the Angry Flame Emperor, the trio could pose a considerable challenge to the Wood Empress.
Zi zi zi...
Suddenly, half the sky was covered by a dark veil, and it was only then that the onlookers realized that the black-robed elder standing behind Dark Night Proton had become the center of this dark miasma. This level of skill, even the True Water Emperor took a slight note.
"Holy Wood Tower doesn’t hold that much face."
The words of the black-robed elder were more direct and far harsher.
In this space, the wind ceased flowing, for under the influence of the five pinnacle Earthly Realm Martial Emperors, no breath of air could enter, leaving the atmosphere unbearably oppressive and stifling.
If an ordinary person entered now, they would instantly be pulverized, but even the Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm present felt as though a massive stone weighed upon their chests, making breathing nearly impossible.
"Wood Empress, we have come to assist you."
Every moment, the gate of light continued to shrink, inviting an ever-increasing number of arrivals. With the powerful aura permeating the area, it was hard to avoid attention. Amidst the tense standoff, a robed elder escorting several others flew towards the scene.
"Limitless Dao Emperor!"
The Different-eyed Sword Emperor looked towards the robed elder, with a flicker in his gaze.
The strength of the Limitless Dao Emperor was on par with the Wood Empress’s, recognized as one of the top twenty masters. His presence undoubtedly alleviated much of the pressure on the Wood Empress.
Moreover, he could see that the individuals following the Limitless Dao Emperor were also formidable, not to be underestimated.
The atmospheres of both parties clashed intermittently, each collision emitting a terrifying rending noise that extended to the outskirts, transforming into a level ten storm, which wrought a destructive landscape of flying sand and rocks.
Martial artists who had initially entered through the twelve heavenly gates were now converging here more frequently.
When a figure that could command ten thousand swords appeared, everyone present felt their hearts pound.
Sword Worshiping Emperor!
Unexpectedly, the Sword Worshiping Emperor merely glanced at Yan Yuchai and her companions before swooshing past the gate of light. It was only after his departure that many recognized the cold sweat that had formed on their backs.
As time passed, almost everyone outside the gate of light was drawn here, aside from a few Heaven Realm Martial Emperors engaged in fierce combat far in the distance.
Some arrived in groups of three or five, others alone, each standing thousands or tens of thousands of meters apart, with varied expressions as they fixed their eyes on the center. The collected aura in the sky occasionally echoed with sounds reminiscent of tigers roaring and dragons soaring.
To Shi Xiaole’s surprise, while most chose to stand by and watch, the experts of the Longevity Sect stood out and allied with the Wood Empress.
"The Longevity Sect has deep ties with the Holy Wood Tower."
Yan Yuchai beside him explained.
Only then did Shi Xiaole feel somewhat relieved.
"Wood Empress, should we engage in battle, it will surely result in a pyrrhic outcome. Have you considered the implications for the Holy Wood Tower of supporting a Yan family on the brink of collapse?"
The atmosphere grew incredibly tense as the True Water Emperor spoke, seemingly advising but with an unmistakable threat in his tone.
Upon hearing this, the experts of the Sky Water Palace, the Yan Family, the Dark Sect, the Evil Blade Sect, and other major forces all heightened their auras, forcing them towards the opposite side with madness.
The Holy Wood Tower, Longevity Sect, and even the Limitless Dao Emperor and his allies were not to be outdone, fully resisting.
"You flatter yourselves too much. When the Holy Wood Tower takes action, we never entertain the possibility of a mutual defeat, only a mutual destruction," the Wood Empress declared, her words causing everyone’s souls to tremble.
Those familiar with her knew that this extraordinary woman who understood the martial way of wood was notorious for her iron-fisted command, peerless in slaughter. Once she decided on a course of action, she never wavered, allowing no room for negotiation.
The True Water Emperor clenched his teeth in secret.
The soft fear the hard, the hard fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who are desperate. The Wood Empress, this madwoman, was the epitome of desperation, and her followers inherited her will, making them especially troublesome to deal with.
Including the Sky Water Palace, none of the major forces genuinely wanted to fight to the death.
After all, they had received orders early on to guard the gate of light and prevent the Yan family experts from escaping. At that time, Uncle Wang hadn’t appeared yet, and everyone felt confident of victory.
Late, Uncle Wang took Yan Zhenning on evasive maneuvers, intentionally leading the six powerful martial artists even farther away. With the aura being too terrifying, no one dared to approach and investigate, much less comprehend the changing situation.
In a situation where victory seemed certain, to engage in a deadly battle seemed like madness—at least, that’s what the experts from the major forces thought.
"Why push it to this extent? In my opinion, it’s better to let them resolve it among themselves."
At a crucial moment, the Different-eyed Sword Emperor stepped forward, his gaze successively falling on the younger generation, like Ling Shangyun, Yan Jicheng, and Mu Linger before he swiftly departed.
Many were startled for a moment, then their eyes lit up instantly.
What a brilliant idea!
If the higher-ups erupted in all-out war, it meant a fight to the bitter end with no way back. But the younger generation was different; no matter how intense the competition, there was still room for maneuver.
Truth be told, involving all the major forces because of Yan Yuchai and her few companions seemed like an overreaction. You, Yan Yuchai, want to escape? Fine, prove your own worth!
"Wood Empress, you should realize that if you insist on initiating a great war, the people of the Yan family will certainly be unable to escape. However, if it’s the younger generation contending, hehe, with the Flying Horse Dynasty’s Kirin present, there might just be a chance," the True Water Emperor said, laughing.
Of course, the latter comment was completely facetious. Among their peers, no one could escape from the hands of Yan Jicheng, the Dark Night Proton, and Wudao Xuan, let alone with someone else in tow—and Mu Linger was no exception.
In the eyes of the True Water Emperor, Wudao Xuan alone was enough for Shi Xiaole to contend with, not to mention the other two with even higher realms. Anyone of them would easily suppress Shi Xiaole.
This time, the Wood Empress took her time to respond.
In the quietude, Shi Xiaole suddenly cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Senior Wood Empress, for your assistance. I am deeply grateful. May I now request your help in forming my battle array?"
