Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  Hesitating for a moment Hui Yue was clearly uncertain how to answer. “I guess it depends on what treasure they obtained,” He finally said slowly. “If it happens to be medicinal pills or herbs then I’m afraid I might take them. If it turns out to be weapons or armor then I don’t really mind.”

  “If it’s a rare treasure like soul shadows, magical items, inscriptions, or other interesting things then I am afraid I’ll take those too.” He continued.

  “But don’t worry, even if the treasure is from other experts we’ll still split it evenly,” He assured the friend by his side as Xiao Ning nodded his head absentmindedly.

  “I am a Saint of the Taiyang Kingdom,” He suddenly said. “I am known as the Shield of Taiyang. For me to fight fellow Saints over a few treasures would leave me with no face. Even more so killing fellow Saints is something I am not willing to do unless I have to. On the other hand, if the Saints from Yueliang were to be robbed or parish then it would not matter too much,” He continued, and Hui Yue understood what he meant.

  “I might rob the Saints of Taiyang, but I won’t kill them. If we fight against Taiyang’s Saints, I’ll fight alone but in that case, the treasure I get will also be mine,” He said stating his terms, and this was something that made Xiao Ning nod his head in relief. He had feared that Hui Yue would not give him any face and would slaughter Taiyang and Yueliang’s Saints indiscriminately. To give up treasures for the sake of the Saint’s lives, that was without a doubt a good trade.

  The two experts continued onwards without paying too much attention to one another; instead, they focused on the tunnel they were walking through. Moving swifter than before, these two Saints quickly noticed that they had caught up to the group that had left before them, but Xiao Ning nor Hui Yue felt like overtaking them. So they kept fifty meters between one another while slowly walking behind them.

  The group of Saints in front of them felt a cold sweat break out, and their hearts were beating rapidly as their eyes constantly glanced behind them. It was clear that these two experts were going to use them to deal with the traps, and when the time came, they would probably steal any treasure they found.

  “They are monsters!” One of the experts at the front muttered as he skillfully disabled another trap slowly moving forwards. The other experts could only agree yet none of them said anything as they feared that the two experts would hear them.

  “We are from the Taiyang Kingdom!” The one who had muttered at first said with a stern expression on his face. “I will not be bullied by someone who is supposed to be my comrade. Although that kid Xiao Ning is protecting is strong, I doubt he is capable of defeating all of us at the same time. If he can’t kill us, do you really think that Xiao Ning, the shield of Taiyang, would dare to kill experts from his own kingdom?”

  This logic made sense to the others who were walking, yet even so, none of them stopped to test whether or not Xiao Ning actually dared to attack them. If they died, Xiao Ning could easily blame other Saints to clear his name if anyone found out.

  The reason these Saints, although certain that Xiao Ning wouldn’t interfere, did not dare to stop and directly challenge the Emperor was because they knew that if they had Xiao Ning’s strength, then they would not care about which kingdom the opponents were from. Although they were all part of Taiyang Kingdom and were willing to protect it against an outside force, their allegiance lay with their own families and the factions they supported. Getting rid of supporters of other factions would be something they’d enjoy doing.

  It just so happened that Xiao Ning supported the King. The reason he chose to support the King was simple. He did not want to be used to fight for the throne; he just wanted to support whoever was the ruler. Who he wished to support when the King died, completely depended on who won the power struggle. Even Xiao Ning did not know yet.

  “They seemed to have guessed your personality quite well,” Hui Yue grinned as he looked at the experts in front of them. Their opinions were voiced so loud that Hui Yue could easily hear it.

  “If they chose to attack me, I will return their kindness,” Xiao Ning said casually. “But if they ignore me and go straight for you, then although I owe you a lot, I will not take sides.” His expression was clearly apologetic, but Hui Yue did not mind as he shrugged his shoulders.

  These experts were two or three star Saints. Even Xiao Ning who was a four star Saint could defeat all three. Although it would be hard for him to defeat them it was possible, and if Xiao Ning could do it, who was to say that Hui Yue couldn’t? Just by controlling Lan Feng’s power his strength rose to the fourth star. Imagine if the bird personally controlled the body, or if he turned into the wolf form while controlling Lan Feng’s powers. He would then be even more dangerous than he was in his human form, not to mention Lan Feng’s divine phoenix form. The two had so much hidden strength that although Xiao Ning was not willing to step in, beating Hui Yue would be incredibly hard unless quite a few Saints worked together to get rid of him. Even if he had the strength, he could only use it for a limited amount of time which of course was an issue.

  Hearing Hui Yue sigh, Xiao Ning completely misunderstood the reason, and he gently patted the younger male’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, even if they beat you I won’t let them kill you,” He said showing he truly valued their friendship and his words made Hui Yue laugh out loud. Without correcting the misunderstanding, Hui Yue smiled at the older man. “Thank you,” He said as he truly felt grateful. It was rare to meet such an honest and honorable person like Xiao Ning.

  Suddenly Hui Yue’s laughter died out, and he stopped in his tracks. “Seems like someone is finally catching up to us,” He said seriously as he looked behind them. At first, Xiao Ning could not hear anything, but after a few minutes, he heard rapid steps of people alongside seeing a soft light which shone through the tunnel. Clearly, this group was not going to rely on the light stones on the walls and instead had their own.

  “What a waste,” Hui Yue mumbled. He too had light stones with him but considering that he did not know what lay ahead, he was hesitant to use them. Xiao Ning seemed to think the same.

  “These people are not from the Taiyang Kingdom,” Xiao Ning commented casually, and his words made Hui Yue grin evilly. It was pretty much the same as saying they could go steal their treasures.

  Although Hui Yue tried to be a fair person, he was aware that he needed to improve his strength. These experts were all higher ranked than him, so he sighed. It was their own fault for being unable to defeat an Emperor ranked expert.

  Looking at one another for the last time, Hui Yue noticed the cheeky smile on Xiao Ning’s face and with a smile of his own the two of them charged at the incoming group. Neither knew how many expert each side had, and no one truly cared. Both sides were certain of their strength.

  When Hui Yue rushed away, the experts who were in the front finally felt a bit of relief, yet in their hearts, they pitied the experts who thought it was a good idea to fight those two.

  “Those two are way more dangerous than any trap within this tunnel,” One of the experts commented. “They are without a doubt monsters no one wishes to encounter.” Having said this, the group of four once more started to move forward. This time much faster than before as they hoped to be able to escape the eyes of this monster.

  ….

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Deng Wu’s voice sounded throughout the tunnel. His eyes were frosted over, and his voice was so cold that one could easily detect the hostility. By his side was Rong Ming and Rong Xing alongside Gao Yan. A pair of experts obstructed the four of them, both clearly Emperor ranked.

  “It’s fine, pass us the beautiful woman and all your treasures and we will let you live,” One of the Emperors said with a lascivious smile on his face. His eyes were filled with greed as he looked at Rong Xing licking his lips from time to time.

  The words spoken were enough for Deng Wu to become furious, yet although his blood was boiling with hate, he did not act u
pon it at all. Gao Yan, on the other hand, had to hold back Rong Ming with all his power.

  “I am sorry, but these treasures belong to us, and this beautiful maiden is not someone we can give away. She is our goddess so you can have her over our dead bodies.” He asked, his face filled with an evil grin beneath his ice-cold eyes.

  Hearing the words Rong Ming, Rong Xing, and Gao Yan were all taken by surprise. It was obvious that the experts in front of them were Emperors. How could they possibly fight them? Still, they decided to do as Deng Wu said. They had, after all, no other option.

  Looking at Deng Wu with shock was not only his friends but also the two Emperors; they were completely dumbfounded before they started laughing out loud. A mere King ranked expert was threatening them? This was without a doubt the most hilarious thing they had ever heard, yet their laughter quickly stilled.

  The expert in front of them, Deng Wu, was knowingly smiling as the energy ripples around him started to build. The strength of the king in front of them started to rise rapidly, and it did not stop as soon as it reached the Emperor rank. It kept climbing and the two experts who had been so proud of themselves suddenly stepped backwards while swallowing their saliva. It turned out that this entire grave was filled with monsters.

  Chapter 363 - The Might of the Divine Dragon Qing Long

  * * *

  Chapter 363: The Might of the Divine Dragon, Qing Long

  Noticing his strength continuing to rise, the experts in front of him, who had been so certain about their strength, suddenly swallowed their saliva as some fear crept into their eyes.

  “I haven’t actually tried this out before,” Deng Wu said with a calm voice. “But to think that you would want to touch the queen of my heart with your filthy hands, it seems desperate measures need to be taken.”

  Hearing his words the two Emperors started smiling. So this man was using a skill he had never used before? Then although his energy was far stronger than theirs, he might be incapable of controlling it and as such, they would be able to defeat him. Their courage rose once again as they pounced towards Deng Wu intending on pincering him. Unfortunately, Deng Wu’s strength was still surging to the heavens, and the energy ripples that were bursting from his body were so strong that the two experts’ advance was slowed.

  Turning around, Deng Wu’s long blue hair started to flutter around him. His blue eyes were glistening with anger as he lifted his hand using Wu Wei to create a massive hammer.

  The Wu Wei floating through his meridians was far stronger than anything he had experienced before, and he was reassured knowing he had the strength to protect his friends. Without waiting for the two experts to reach him, he swung the hammer accurately at the first expert.

  The target was an Emperor and although he had looked down on Deng Wu and his friends he had some ability. The moment he saw the hammer coming his way he halted his advance and a grin appeared on his face as he was about to tell Deng Wu how weak such an obvious attack was.

  Unfortunately, he never had the chance to say anything as a shriek suddenly sounded from his side. Turning his head, his face paled as he noticed that his comrade, who had been standing right next to him, had been hit on the arm. His arm was now hanging limply, clearly impossible to move. His bone was obviously shattered, and even his shoulder had caved inwards. It was clear that he had taken a direct hit, and the energy contained in the blow was frighteningly powerful. The expert who avoided the attack was directly in front of his friend blocking his sight and not giving him enough time to react.

  Sucking in a deep breath the Emperor who dodged finally understood that he was not the target; he was just a tool to allow for Deng Wu to hide his attack. This way he ensured that the moment the other Emperor noticed, it was already too late.

  After being hit by the hammer, he flew backwards like a kite with its string cut. His arm was hanging limply as he regained his footing and got up, and a trail of blood was slid down the corner of his lips. His entire body had been wounded by the hammer even his internal organs.

  “You guys are too weak!” Deng Wu laughed as he saw the damage his enemy took after only one exchange of blows. The wounded Emperor gnashed his teeth and got ready to attack. This time, he distanced himself from Deng Wu. He formed a ball of Wu Wei after another which he threw at Deng Wu.

  Unlike the Emperor, Deng Wu knew that he could not move as if he did the attack would land on his friends, and that was the one thing he would not allow.

  His energy suddenly burst out from his body creating a massive scale-like shield. The balls of Wu Wei landed straight onto the scaled shield. Both sides were extremely nervous. Deng Wu feared that his shield was not strong enough to block both of these two, and the Emperors feared that it would be. A boom resounded and dust exploded from the floor. Deng Wu had been forced three steps backwards, but the scale held strong, albeit a crack had formed on its surface.

  ‘Do you have enough time to playing with these kids?’ A voice suddenly asked from within Deng Wu, and he instantly knew that Little Dragon was becoming impatient. They were wasting too much of his precious Wu Wei which had taken him years to cultivate.

  Hearing the dry voice Deng Wu grinned and his consciousness entered the lower dantian allowing for the dragon to take over his body.

  A shudder run through his body and everyone was shocked as they felt that the man in front of them had suddenly become frighteningly more dangerous than before. Even the Rong twins took a step backwards taken aback by the strength Deng Wu was showing.

  “I will let you know what it feels like to insult the Divine Dragon, Qing Long,” He said with a low voice. His eyes glowed with an azure blue light, and his hands slowly transformed to the arms of a drake. Azure scales appeared on his arms, and his fingers turned into claws. His arms were clearly far stronger than that of a normal Emperor, so strong that they could compete with the raw strength of a Saint.

  Seeing the transformation, the Emperors furrowed their brows in surprise. A beast should not be able to transform only parts of their bodies, and if he was of mixed blood, he should not be able to control his shape at all. Being able to make his arms transform, what kind of crazy strong technique was this?

  Having spoken Deng Wu no longer paid attention to everyone’s shock and instead instantly attacked. His speed had increased many times over, and his strength was so frightening that the two Emperors instantly understood that they had truly woken a sleeping dragon. Trying to protect themselves they suddenly felt a shadow looming above them. Less than a second later, the young, blue man descended upon them, and his claws ripped open the two throats as he instantly jumped backwards. He straightened up as the transformation vanished. He once more looked the same as before, but his friends would never forget what they had seen today. They finally understood that Deng Wu truly was a hidden dragon.

  ‘Thanks for your help,’ Deng Wu said while bowing to Little Dragon, yet the dragon within his dantian cave did nothing but smile at him before he sat down to refine more energy. He had used quite a bit of energy he had gathered up. Although it had been needed, he still felt a little depressed and knew he had to keep working hard.

  Seeing the dragon instantly start working, Deng Wu was slightly guilty as he knew that he had wasted quite a bit of Wu Wei. Though he knew that Hui Yue had done the same, so much so that Lan Feng called him a wasteful brat. Compared to Hui Yue, Deng Wu did not do too badly, he hoped.

  ….

  “Do you know the Grand Marshall?” One of the beasts in human shape asked with big eyes as he looked at Sha Yun, and the snake-woman was currently deep in thought. Seeing that she did not seem to hear him, the beast went towards her and gently patted her shoulder to ask her once again.

  “I know him,” She said tentatively. “He is the one I have a contract with.” She said straight forwardly, and the words caused the majority of the group to gasp out loud. Some of them were quite jealous because of her words.

  “If he is your master, why don’t you go hel
p him?” One of the others asked, and the jealousy was evident in her harsh words. These were people Sha Yun viewed as her friends yet now many of them looked at her with hostility.

  Suddenly a group of men walked in front of her, and one of them patted her head gently. The others stared back menacingly at the group of experts.

  “I am sure Sha Yun has her own reasons. However, she is a beast just like us, who are we to judge her? If you want to have a contract with him, why don’t you just go speak with him about it and make your own contract?” The man asked with a warm, gentle voice but the words he said were direct and harsh.

  Although some of them mumbled something that no one could hear, they all pulled backwards and said nothing else. Seeing their reaction, the speaker took another step forward. “We should be grateful that Sha Yun has a relationship with the Grand Marshall, had it not been for him the Saints would have robbed us, and they could have killed us easily.” The man reminded everyone and the ones who had been jealous just moments before finally started to understand that they were in the wrong. They should indeed be grateful to her and not hostile.