Chapter 972: Chapter 971: Battle with Wudao Xuan (Part 1)_1
The evolution of the situation far exceeded Shi Xiaole’s expectations, but it hadn’t reached the worst-case scenario yet. He knew he had to make a decision, or he would lose the last initiative.
Surrounded by formidable enemies, each stronger than the last, Shi Xiaole harbored no superfluous emotions in his heart. Yan Yuchai had saved his life, and now, it was time to repay that debt!
"Have you thought this through?"
The Wood Empress looked at Shi Xiaole.
She had, of course, heard of him and knew well that he was a unique prodigy, one of a kind in this great era, but age and cultivation level were not on his side. It wasn’t just Yan Jicheng or Dark Night Proton that would be difficult to defeat, even Wudao Xuan would be a tough challenge.
Even with the help of young experts from the Holy Wood Tower like Mu Linger, escaping with Yan Yuchai was an uphill battle. However, the Wood Empress felt somewhat reluctant to see the young man step forward with such an outstanding bearing, so she spoke up to remind him.
"The words spoken by Shi Xiaole are never taken back,"
Shi Xiaole declared.
"Arrogant!"
"Ignorant fool who doesn’t know whether he’s alive or dead!"
At this moment, the young masters from the Yan Family, Dark Sect, Evil Blade Sect, and even those from the Sky Water Palace who had just arrived, all sneered inwardly. To bring down the number one talent of the Flying Horse Dynasty here seemed like an amusing matter.
"Really thinks he’s invincible, what a fool!"
Standing behind the experts of the Longevity Sect, Helian Duba was having a good time. The Longevity Sect had earlier offered Shi Xiaole support, much to his frustration. Now, seeing Shi Xiaole pose as a hero, he couldn’t help but feel elated, eager to witness Shi Xiaole covered in blood, torn to pieces on the spot.
"Why must the Young Emperor do this?"
A trace of sorrow and complexity flashed across the weathered face of the Purple Wood Sword Emperor, outside the crowd.
"It’s said the Yan family once saved the Young Emperor from the hands of the Wind Thunder Blade Queen; with his unstoppable Sword Way, how could he retreat for the sake of his own safety?"
The Mysterious Ice Sword Emperor shook his head.
If he were in Shi Xiaole’s shoes, he didn’t know if he would have the courage to stand up, because if things went wrong, not only could his unbeatable streak be broken, he might even lose his life.
In this world, there are always those who, for certain convictions, will spare no effort, and he admired them all the more for it, as he could not do the same.
The Mysterious Heart Blade Empress, Thunderbolt Martial Emperor, and others who had once crossed swords with Shi Xiaole also wore a mix of expressions, their faces a portrait of contemplation.
"Junior Brother Shi..."
A deep, husky, yet heavenly voice arose beside his ear, and after several attempts to speak, Yan Yuchai finally reached out and grasped Shi Xiaole’s arm.
"Actually, you really didn’t have to do this. With your capability, preserving a useful life is far more important than saving me. Your life is more precious than Yan Yuchai’s!"
Yan Yuchai knew it was too late to say such things now. The moment Shi Xiaole appeared, he had made his decision and was destined to not escape from this mire.
This man was the son of Shi Xuanzhong, and the only bloodline of Ling Jingsi’s most revered and admired Junior Brother; because of her, he was putting himself in peril. Not to mention that there was a ninety-nine percent chance of no escape today, even if there was that one in ten thousand chance, the price would be more than she could bear.
"My life is precious, but Senior Sister’s life is also important. Senior Sister should not feel burdened because Shi Xiaole always does what he believes is right, unrelated to others, responsible only to his own heart,"
Shi Xiaole said with a smile.
Yan Yuchai felt somewhat dazed, thinking that perhaps for the rest of her life, she would never forget this smile, never forget that in a desperate situation with enemies all around, there was once a young man who stood before her without regard for anything else.
Gazes of coldness, mockery, disdain, or silence fell upon the pair in the center. In the distance, the setting sun was fading, leaving behind a lonely, solemn, and tragic shade of red.
"Different-eyed Sword Emperor, words alone are not proof. I want you all to swear that if the Young Emperor Shi has the ability to take Miss Yan of the Yan Family away, you must not interfere; otherwise, don’t blame me for being unkind!"
Knowing well that Shi Xiaole was resolved, the Wood Empress turned to look at the several Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors who were opposing them.
The Different-eyed Sword Emperor, True Water Emperor, Angry Flame Emperor, and a man in black exchanged glances, and it was the Different-eyed Sword Emperor who smiled and said, "We can take an oath, but the Wood Empress, your subordinates, friends, they must all vow, too."
After taking another look at Shi Xiaole and seeing his indifferent but resolute expression, a will unchangeable, the Wood Empress was the first to swear. Seeing this, the experts from the Holy Wood Tower, Longevity Sect, and even the Limitless Dao Emperor followed suit.
The four major forces, including the Wind Thunder Blade Queen, also took their oaths one by one, each declaring they would not interfere with the confrontation of the younger generation, with violators subjected to the sanctions of heaven and earth.
For a moment, everyone was solemn.
From an original blood battle between two factions to a clash of the younger generation, the situation changed so fast it left people astonished; but after the astonishment, there was an indescribable excitement.
Compared to a blood battle that could affect everyone, a battle between young elites was undoubtedly on a lower level, but who dared to say they didn’t look forward to it happening?
"Young Master Shi, if we survive today, Yan Da will not hesitate to render any service you might request in the future!"
Yan Da was a rough man, now looking at Shi Xiaole with cold determination as if life and death were of no concern, his eyes involuntarily reddening.
Yan Er and Yan San quickly followed suit, swearing thanks.
Smiling at the three, Shi Xiaole soared out, his gaze sweeping across his opponents, he said lightly, "Shi Xiaole is here, who will fight me?"
Dark Night Proton sneered coldly, enshrouded in darkness, exuding superiority from above.
Yan Jicheng’s eyes shone like lamps, his hands clasped behind his back, he remained silent without saying a word.
Ambient natural energy diffused around Wudao Xuan, with the gloomy-faced and mocking Wind Thunder Blade Queen standing by his side, also without any response.
This made everyone’s hearts tremble.
Silence, to some extent, was also a form of disdain.
With the strength of Dark Night Proton and Yan Jicheng, they naturally wouldn’t lower themselves to confront the Kirin, but even Wudao Xuan refused to fight. This open snub would harm the reputation of the Kirin Young Emperor if word got out!
"Hahaha, I’ll take him on!"
Suddenly, a burst of wild laughter sounded. It was Evil Blade Sect’s top talent, Ling Shangyun, who stepped forward to face Shi Xiaole. Holding the blade in one hand, he licked his lips, a wicked light flickering in his eyes, "Kirin, you’re not qualified to contend with the elite talents of the Daxia Dynasty! Since you’ve spoiled my plans, let my blade measure your worth and see if your reputation is deserved!"
To say Ling Shangyun wasn’t wary of Shi Xiaole would be a lie, but he had greater confidence in his own strength. Already a top-tier Human Realm Martial Emperor, he believed he stood a chance against Qingyuan Sword Emperor, so even if he couldn’t beat Shi Xiaole, the defeat wouldn’t be too terrible.
On another note, what if he could fight to a draw, or even... gain the upper hand?
Then, his status would surely rise a level, especially since his opponent bore the halo of being the Flying Horse Dynasty’s top talent!
The blade was drawn bit by bit, while the force of the blade silently spread to the surroundings. The process seemed slow, but in reality, it was as fast as lightning. As the thought crossed his mind, Ling Shangyun’s blade was already unsheathed.
"Evil Dominates the World!"
The blade light swept upward at a slant—its intended target was Shi Xiaole, yet the Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors standing behind him all felt as if they were locked by the blade light, unable to evade.
With just one strike, including the Seven Slaughter Martial Emperor and the Tianying Martial Emperor, everyone was convinced that Ling Shangyun’s abilities were at least equal to, if not surpassing, those of Qingyuan Sword Emperor.
The Qingyuan Sword Emperor’s expression changed unpredictably as he focused intently on that unpredictable strike.
"Shangyun’s swordsmanship has truly reached a masterful level," thought the Different-eyed Sword Emperor, feeling a bit proud.
The Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors had killing moves that were either self-created or inherited from their sects. In the rankings, inherited moves often outnumbered self-created ones.
This was understandable. Most Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors came from major sects or powerful families, which guaranteed an unbroken line of succession.
Some moves, refined by generations of Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors, were powerful; their inherited moves were usually much stronger than those they created themselves.
The move "Evil Dominates the World" was one of Evil Blade Sect’s inherited killing moves, ranked eleventh among the human rankings. The Different-eyed Sword Emperor could see that Ling Shangyun had mastered it, a prowess that let him dominate among the top-tier Human Realm Martial Emperors.
Other experts familiar with the Evil Blade Sect were inwardly shocked by this display, while even prominent figures like True Water Emperor and the Wood Empress couldn’t help but feel surprised.
Without a doubt, everyone had underestimated Ling Shangyun, whose strength was among the foremost of all centennial Martial Emperors due to his length of cultivation—few could compare.
In most people’s eyes, Ling Shangyun’s move was flawless and posed a serious threat to Shi Xiaole. However, in Shi Xiaole’s view, although the swordsmanship was strong, the person wielding it was not strong enough.
Too slow, far too slow.
Nobody could imagine how perfect Shi Xiaole’s Vigorous Air Vortex theory had become after he comprehended all the breakthrough manuals in the twenty-fourth floor, an achievement that even Uncle Wang had been astonished by. Though his cultivation level had not increased, his essence was incomparably different from the past.
Not to mention, Shi Xiaole’s Heart Sword had already reached full maturity. Anyone who hadn’t reached this realm, every move, every subtle change, couldn’t escape his eyes.
Thinking of Ling Shangyun’s treatment of Yan Yuchai and the way he looked at him, Shi Xiaole’s heart turned cold as steel. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, why not enjoy a good fight today!
The sword was drawn little by little, like the wind of spring, like glimmering water, facing the incoming blade light. Shi Xiaole’s right hand moved, and before many could see clearly, the sword light had already taken the lead to spring from the sheath.
The sound of ripping fabric!
In the sound of tearing cloth, what was once an unstoppable blade light was now slowed down by the swift speed of the sword, and under its fierce cutting, it was inevitably split in two.
Yet, the Sword Qi that passed through didn’t change its course, like an iron rod that became sharper after friction. Despite diminishing strength, the sword’s momentum kept rising. This strange and terrifying contrast shocked the previously smug Ling Shangyun so much that he didn’t have time to continue his attack and frantically dodged.
But.
How could he escape from Shi Xiaole, who was ready to make an example of him?
After the first strike, with the acceleration of the Wind Sword Way, Shi Xiaole swung three more swords like lightning. The first sword was a horizontal cleave, the second a diagonal slash, and the third was a slight flick.
"Roll away..."
Ling Shangyun was forced to summon his true qi, but he had not anticipated such strong Sword Qi. The first sword shattered his metacarpal bones, sending his long blade flying. Although he managed to avoid the second sword, it blocked his retreat.
The third coming sword, far less powerful than the first two and seemingly inconspicuous, cut effortlessly through Ling Shangyun’s shoulder, trailing down to his lower ribs, with blood spurting out recklessly.
With a scream, Ling Shangyun, still in the mist of the dissipating Sword Qi, met a pair of indifferent eyes, deep and mocking.
Suddenly, he couldn’t tell: was it that Shi Xiaole had no energy left for a stronger third strike, or was it all intentional? This thought sent a chill throughout Ling Shangyun’s body.
