Chapter 991: Chapter 990: You Have No Right to Show Off_1
In the pupils of almost everyone present, which had shrunk, Shi Xiaole lightly lifted his foot and ascended onto the third stone step.
Boom!
Behind him, a clamor rose from the crowd—a mix of chatter, shouting, screams, and discussion melded into a cacophonous brew that surged toward the sky.
Those present were either geniuses representing powerful factions, unfathomable Martial Emperors of the Void Origin Realm, or high-ranking officials. Not much ordinarily could make them lose their composure and behave in such a way.
But this scene was too impactful!
Even though everyone knew that Kirin Shi Xiaole was unrivaled in talent, surpassing even the bearer of the Selfless Sacred Bone and the celebrated Wudao Xuan, few believed he could master the first layer of the "Wizard Scroll" within three months.
Yet, what had happened?
By stepping onto the third layer, Shi Xiaole had reached the third level of the "Wizard Scroll,"—do you realize the implication of this?
Min Tianliang, the top genius of the Ancestral Temple, began martial arts training at the age of seven and commenced cultivating the "Wizard Scroll" in the same year. He achieved the Void Origin Realm at sixty-nine—a rarity among billions.
Yet, even so, it took Min Tianliang four months to master the first layer and several years for the second. He didn’t achieve the third layer until he was thirteen years old.
One took six years, the other just three months, without a comparison there would be no hurt, but this comparison was simply too brutal, too merciless.
It was like an invisible giant hand repeatedly slapping Min Tianliang’s face, shattering his glory as the top talent of the Ancestral Temple completely.
Not only Min Tianliang, but all the masters from the Ancestral Temple side looked pale, their earlier air of smugness instantly replaced by shock and suppression.
The few who had deliberately ridiculed Shi Xiaole earlier were even more embarrassed, their complexion turning from green to white.
The royal faction did not exhibit the anticipated excitement because they were all at a loss, too shocked to think clearly and took a while to react.
"What, what in the world is going on?"
The old man with the horse-like face gasped in shock.
No one questioned Kirin’s talent, but no matter how talented, it couldn’t possibly be to this extent.
"Could it be that he was exposed to the ’Wizard Scroll’ before, or perhaps, he has the Witch Queen’s bloodline, and a purer one than most people?"
Another elder’s voice trembled as he spoke.
Both explanations were plausible and seemed to be the only two explanations, otherwise Shi Xiaole was not human but a monster.
"Later we can ask him, but regardless, Kirin has given us a pleasant surprise,"
declared Divine Light Emperor, the strongest of the sixteen Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors of the royal lineage.
The crowd nodded in agreement; it was more than just a pleasant surprise, it was a monumental shock that caught everyone off guard.
Some noticed that even the nine Witch Heavenly Guards atop the tenth step sensed the commotion below and looked toward the solitary figure of Shi Xiaole, their auras swelling palpably.
"This kid?"
"Should we test him?"
On the third step, several talents from the Ancestral Temple watched Shi Xiaole pass by them. They hesitated for a long time but ultimately did not dare to make a move.
Lacking even the combat power of the Void Origin Realm, challenging Kirin would result in nothing but humiliation—there would be no second outcome.
The fourth step.
As Shi Xiaole stepped onto it, everyone felt as if a hammer had severely struck their hearts, creating a dent where their blood congealed and bodies felt dizzy.
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
A genius from the Min family was pale.
He had always admired his kinsman, Min Tianliang, considering him one of the greatest figures in Daxia, and indeed the whole world—a conviction repeatedly proven to be true.
He could accept someone having higher talent than Min Tianliang, but not by this much—nor could he believe it!
With every step Shi Xiaole took, it felt as if it were upon his heart, and as if it were a slap to the face of the Min family, causing embarrassment.
"He cannot be allowed to continue, form up! Seven Absolute Linked Array!"
On the fourth step, there were eight talents from the Ancestral Temple. Talents, though some were already over three hundred, even five hundred years old. But compared to the lifespans of thousands, even thirty-five hundred years for Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors, five hundred years old was akin to a teenager.
Seeing Shi Xiaole ascend, all eight displayed cold expressions. Under the command of a youth with a long face, the seven strongest quickly gathered, forming a spearhead formation, while the eighth stood by for support.
"Seven Absolutes Meteor Annihilation!"
The spearhead dispersed to both sides, with the long-faced youth at the tip. He shouted loudly, and power flowed into him from both sides. As he straightened his right arm, the two forces twisted into one, streaking out through his spear.
Boom!!
It was as if twisting steel wires unraveled, tearing the void into pieces in an instant, the cracks revealing chaotic space turbulence and strands of disordered energies. This was the Vigorous Air of seven Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors, nearly uncontrolled due to the ferocity of their power.
This strike was something not even an Earthly Realm Martial Emperor would dare to face head-on.
The Ancestral Temple’s onlookers held their breath, envisioning Shi Xiaole being blown away.
However—
A flash of Sword Qi moved faster than the tangled Vigorous Air. Before it could touch Shi Xiaole, it had fiercely stabbed into the battle formation led by the long-faced youth.
Rumble!
Ripples spread, like waves upon water, rapidly diffusing outward.
"Hold it together, Seven Absolutes Defend Yin and Yang!"
The long-faced youth hadn’t expected Shi Xiaole to strike so quickly. He desperately danced his long spear around, fending off some of the Sword Qi, but the remaining energy was unstoppable, piercing through one defense after another.
With a ’pfft’ sound!
A bloody hole burst open in his right palm, but at that moment, the power of the other six had also arrived. The long-faced youth’s expression turned fierce as he switched from defense to offense, annihilating the Sword Qi while gathering all his strength for a mad thrust of his spear towards Shi Xiaole.
Their combined strength was undoubtedly greater than Shi Xiaole’s. As long as the latter showed the slightest opening, the long-faced youth was confident he could immediately suppress him and drive him down from the fourth step.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the second wave of Sword Qi abruptly struck, hitting the long-faced youth’s arm first and violently shaking the protective Vigorous Air. He was laterally displaced by three feet.
Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth...
Bang bang pound!
The long-faced youth kept stepping back, dragging the entire seven-man battle array with him, constantly shifting sideways and forced on the defensive by the relentless Sword Qi attacks.
As for the other Ancestral Temple prodigy who was outside of the battle array, he had been casually knocked down to the third step by Shi Xiaole.
"Damn it!"
The long-faced youth was filled with horror.
Although they were seven and stronger, they were now being led around by the nose by Shi Xiaole, who seemed not to be fighting alone, but as if there were ten, twenty of him, striking from all angles.
Indeed, had it not been for the protection of the battle array, the long-faced youth believed, his arm would have been crippled by now.
"I don’t believe you can sustain your Vigorous Air indefinitely."
Since a counterattack seemed unfeasible, the long-faced youth simply chose to defend, waiting comfortably for his opportunity, but as a blade of Sword Qi pierced through the battle array, his illusion was mercilessly shattered.
"Not good, retreat quickly..."
Before his words even finished, Shi Xiaole flicked his finger, and twelve blades of Sword Qi formed into four triangles, striking at varying speeds towards different positions.
It turned out that Shi Xiaole’s previous strikes were far from aimless. After consecutive impacts, he effectively dismantled the battle array, and the four triangles of Sword Qi perfectly blocked the seven long-faced youths from any escape.
Bang bang bang bang.
The seven became chaotic in their movements, frantically striking back but only causing harm to each other with their own Vigorous Air. Tossed and tumbled down to the second step, they were left in disarray.
From beginning to end, Shi Xiaole never looked back, as if he had merely swept away a piece of trash from the roadside.
"So easily breaking the Seven Absolute Array?"
"This young man’s strength surpasses the rumors."
The complexions of the Ancestral Temple masters changed again and again.
No pseudo-Earthly Realm Martial Emperor could have broken the Seven Absolute Array so quickly, yet the level of Shi Xiaole’s exhibited strength was exactly that of a pseudo-Earthly Realm. It could only mean that his technique was incredibly powerful.
"Just how far has he mastered the Wizard Scroll?"
Soon, people’s attention was drawn to another matter. At that moment, Shi Xiaole showed no signs of struggle as he casually climbed the steps.
Under the incredulous but somewhat anticipated stares of the crowd, Shi Xiaole ascended to the fifth step.
"Kirin!"
Han Qianqian was so shocked she couldn’t contain herself, looking at Shi Xiaole as if she had seen a ghost. The other two Ancestral Temple prodigies also wore grave expressions as the three of them retreated in unison, immediately giving up on Xia Qianshan and attacking Shi Xiaole from three sides.
"Brother Shi, be careful!"
Xia Qianshan shouted breathlessly. Without Shi Xiaole, he could last at most twenty moves before being kicked off.
The explosive force of qi was faster than sound. Blade brilliance, fist shadows, and leg strength flashed by, but in the eyes of the onlookers, none compared to the speed of the sword light.
The sword light shone three times.
The first time, one Ancestral Temple prodigy was sent flying.
The second time, another Ancestral Temple prodigy lost his weapon and turned pale.
The third time, Han Qianqian screamed as she kept retreating until she came to a stop a kilometer away. As a light breeze passed, locks of her hair became untethered and fluttered in mid-air.
Hisss!
Xia Qianshan gasped in shock.
Defeating three top Human Realm Martial Emperors with three moves, something even some Earthly Realm Martial Emperors might not achieve, right?
If before this Xia Qianshan wasn’t fully aware of just how dazzling the Kirin was, now he was absolutely certain that the other was the only genius he had witnessed in his life!
Below the stone steps, no one spoke.
Until a breaking wind sounded, someone moved. He appeared like a shadow, bypassing the first four steps, and gracefully landed opposite Shi Xiaole, his head crowned in purple gold, his demeanor majestic and fierce—it was Min Tianliang, the leading figure among the Ancestral Temple prodigies.
Without a word, Min Tianliang slapped out towards Shi Xiaole. The palm shadow covered heaven and earth, bearing the might of the cosmos, and even the young people from the Ancestral Temple down the steps felt too pressured to breathe.
Shi Xiaole drew his sword and thrust out with his arm.
Clang!
Under the pressure of the palm shadow, the Spring Fury Sword bent into an arc, and at the instant it tensed, a massive force surged forward. Shi Xiaole had anticipated this, his arm trembling slightly as he retreated, using the momentum to dissipate the force, only stopping hundreds of meters away, fortunate to be unharmed.
"If you can keep up with me, you might deserve to witness my second palm. For now, you don’t have the right to show off."
Min Tianliang’s gaze swept past Shi Xiaole and without giving him another look, he leapt from the fifth stone step directly to the seventh.
