by <unknown>
Thankfully, karma jumped in. Right before his scheme was to work out, he encountered Li Yao, the unreasonable alien Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, who suppressed him with a crystal suit and blew his soul apart, killing him forever.
The identity of Master Spiritual Vulture is too excellent! Li Yao thought to himself.
First of all, the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator had a clear background, and he had been a reasonably famous person a hundred years ago.
There were too many folks among the ancient Cultivators who secluded themselves for a hundred years. It was not unusual for an old monster who had disappeared decades ago to return to the human world again.
Secondly, Master Spiritual Vulture was an extreme, temperamental, and bloodthirsty lone wolf who had always acted on his own. His senior brother Master Black Moon was perhaps the only one familiar with his appearance and character.
If he had lived in seclusion for decades practicing the evil arts, it was perfectly normal that his appearance and character would be utterly reshaped.
As long as Li Yao did not run into his senior brother Master Black Moon, nobody would notice anything wrong.
Also, because of the guy's brutality, other people would not have the courage to question him even if they grew suspicious of him.
Moreover, although Master Spiritual Vulture was a notorious man, according to the two barbarian Cultivators, he had been active only in the South Land of Sorcerers decades ago. He had never left the place or commit any crimes in the main land of the Great Qian Dynasty. Therefore, the majority of the Cultivators did not hold much of a grudge against him.
After slaughtering eight tribes, his brutality had spread out to the entire South Land of Sorcerers. Together with the announcement that he had made later, none of the barbarian Cultivators had dared to challenge him.
When somebody was smiling, it was difficult to slap them in the face. Since all the local barbarians were worshipping him as a deity, there was no need for him to commit any more murders. Therefore, in the decades that followed, he had not made too many enemies.
In short, although the guy was a notorious man, few people desperately wanted him dead right now.
The South Land of Sorcerers was almost an independent system in the first place. The rest of the world regarded them mostly as cannibals and would not ask them to abide by the law and rules in the central plateaus. As long as they behaved obediently when they were out of their hometown, the two parties would live in harmony.
Of course, it would still be quite inconvenient for him to make friends with the mainstream Cultivators under such a title.
However, Li Yao had slightly changed his mind right now. He was not considering the court of the Grand Qian Dynasty as the sole target of negotiation.
Great Qian, the White Lotus Cult, the Heaven Battering King, and Ghost Qin were four forces that all deserved observation.
Master Spiritual Vulture's identity might be rejected by the mainstream Cultivators of the Great Qian Dynasty, but it might be popular among the rebels led by the Heaven Battering King or the White Lotus Cult and in a nascent force such as Ghost Qin, which was ambitious enough to change the dynasty.
A villain had a villain's advantages. The purpose of Li Yao's journey was observation, and observation might not necessarily have to be conducted positively.
If a certain force knew clearly that he was a merciless, brutal man who murdered innocent people and still talked to him nicely after seeing the souls of two hundred children that he carried, such a force was not worth negotiating with at all even if all the other conditions were perfect.
More importantly, if it was a righteous Cultivator from a famous sect, how could Li Yao kill him and assume his identity?
It's decided then. I'll walk around under Master Spiritual Vulture's identity while I observe the capabilities and beliefs of Great Qian, the White Lotus Cult, the Heaven Battering King, and Ghost Qin, investigate the actions of the Imperium of True Human Beings, and figure out everything about the mysterious signal a hundred years ago. After everything is settled, I'll establish the space gate, summon the space fleet from the federation, and officially communicate with the Ancient Sages Sector!
Li Yao was not a man who liked to play the pig that ate geckos.
Besides, disguising himself in front of the barbarians was almost an insult to his acting skills.
Now that he had ascertained that the identity of Master Spiritual Vulture was not very troublesome, he did not want to keep acting anymore. He was about to unleash his aura and demonstrate the real power of 'Master Spiritual Vulture' so that he could collect information of a higher level from Ling Shoujing, the Appeasing Ambassador of the Fifth Prefecture of the South Land of Sorcerers, and Ling Lanyin, the female sword Cultivator from the Purple Pole Sword Sect.
However, what the two barbarian Cultivators said next made Li Yao stop his movement.
"You might want to watch your mouth, Brother Snake Swallower. Although Master Spiritual Vulture's whereabouts are obscure while he is on his trip, and he hasn't shown up for decades, his senior brother Master Black Moon is the most marvelous sorcerer in the South Land of Sorcerers. He has already advanced in the Nascent Soul Stage and enjoys unparalleled prestige!
"Is there a tribe in the place that does not worship him as a deity respectfully?
"This time, the eldest son and the second son of the Fire Rude Clan only agreed to negotiate because Master Black Moon asked them to!
"Master Black Moon is the host of the negotiation. He is now supervising everything in the village of the Fire Rude Clan. He and Master Spiritual Vulture are of the same origin and share a lot of techniques. Brother Snake Swallower, if you belittle Master Spiritual Vulture's techniques, chances are that Master Black Moon will grow angry, which will certainly be a disaster!"
Master Black Moon was the summoner and the middleman of the negotiation. He was also an expert in the Nascent Soul Stage. The news made Li Yao hesitate again.
If he declared that he was 'Master Spiritual Vulture', others might not be bold enough to question him, but he certainly would not pass his senior brother's test.
There would certainly be trouble if his reactions were off, which could become his fatal weakness at a crucial moment later.
Li Yao could only suppress the thought of revealing his identity immediately and continued walking forward on the giant python.
In the few days that followed, they had been on the road in the forests.
As the flags of yellow dragons and the drafting orders of the Great Qian Dynasty were sent into the deeper forests, more and more barbarian Cultivators were joining them. All kinds of bizarre-looking flags were now flapping in the team.
Li Yao spent most of his time hanging around with Meng Duo and Gu Siduo, the two seasoned barbarian Cultivators. Pretending that he was young and stupid, he elicited a lot more intelligence from them.
It was a pity that they were both locals of a far-flung area. Most of the intelligence was merely about the South Land of Sorcerers. They did not know much about the Cultivators in the central plateaus.
With all the tricks that he had learned from Guo Chunfeng, Li Yao only found one piece of valuable information from him.
A hundred years ago, there were Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage in the Ancient Sages Sector!
It was said that two invincible Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators, one in the Great Qian Dynasty and the other on the northern prairies, appeared at that time. The two of them even had a world-blighting, incredible fight.
After the battle, both Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators were gone. Some said that they had both been killed, some said that they had broken the void and ascended to the heavens, and some said that they perceived the ultimate truth of the universe during their battle and trained themselves in seclusion afterward.
But all in all, a hundred years was not a long time for a Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivator. It was very possible that the two of
them were still living in a certain form!
Besides…
Considering that they had been in the Divinity Transformation Stage a hundred years ago, nobody could tell how strong they might be after a hundred years of training!
Li Yao was quite sensitive about the timing 'a hundred years ago'.
A hundred years ago, two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators disappeared mysteriously after their confrontation.
At approximately the same time, an uncanny signal was sent to the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Flying Star Sector from the Ancient Sages Sector.
Were the two incidents in any way related?
I have to find the two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators and convince them to stand on the federation's side!
If two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators joined the Imperium of True Human Beings, it would be a great blow to the federation!
When he imagined that two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators infiltrating the capital of the federation and going on a killing spree, Li Yao could not help but feel that his blood was freezing.
Besides, both Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators were the leaders of the Cultivators. Their stance might decide the stance of hundreds of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. There would certainly be a chain reaction if they leaned toward one certain side. The consequences might be too dire for the federation if they chose the wrong side.
Li Yao could not help but feel lucky.
There were a lot of discussions as to whether or not such a risky, long-distance exploration was necessary.
It was lucky that he had arrived there after all. He still had a chance to change everything.
On their trip, Ling Shoujing, the Appeasing Ambassador, and his daughter Ling Lanyin, the female Cultivator from the Purple Pole Sword Sect, both greeted the barbarian Cultivators.
Ling Shoujing was fine. Although he was a Class-Two official and in the beginning level of the Core Formation Stage, he was not very condescending to the barbarians born and raised in the rough land. Instead, he tried to be warm when he welcomed the newcomers.
On the other hand, Ling Lanyin, his daughter, was more cold and indifferent.
She was a great expert at the peak of the Core Formation Stage from a noble sect in the central plateaus after all. Most of the barbarian Cultivators understood the gap between them very well and were already satisfied to only have a few words with her.
What was most important of all was that Ling Shoujing's army had brought tremendous crystals and magical equipment besides the weapons. The barbarian Cultivators who were willing to serve the court were promised to return with full loads.
For a moment, the morale was quite high, and the team looked truly like an invincible army.
However, Li Yao's eyes were keen enough for him to discover Ling Lanyin's anxiety and worry from her twisting facial muscles and her moving pupils.
After he sent out Neltharion to eavesdrop on her conversation with her father, he learned that a batch of strong reinforcements from the Purple Pole Sword Sect, led by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, should have joined them days ago. However, for some reason, they had not shown up.
Yet, the village of the Fire Rude Clan, the largest town in the South Land of Sorcerers and the destination of the great army, was right ahead of them.
Chapter 1358: Master Black Moon |
The woods ahead suddenly turned sparse, replaced by a valley and a plateau caused by a red, zigzagging river.
Right next to the valley was a crimson town built against the mountain. The wall of the town was made of Red Steel Rocks, from which red air seemed to be popping up. It could block the snakes, insects, rats, and ants, yet it could not make anyone feel uncomfortable. Looked at from a long distance, the town was enshrouded in clouds and mist, and it appeared rather splendid.
It was the stronghold of the Fire Rude Clan, the largest tribe in the Southland of Sorcerers. It was also the economic, political, and military center of the Southland of Sorcerers that had been influenced by the Great Qian Dynasty most.
Right now, on the two sides of the Fire Rude Clan's village, approximately ten kilometers away from each other, camps had been established, and flags were fluttering. Two multicolored, bizarre-looking armies of barbarians were stationed on the two sides respectively.
They were the battle formations of the two brothers Huo Wuji and Huo Wujiu.
The two of them had fought for half a year, yet neither of them could beat the other one although they were both exhausted. If they fought any longer, the entire Fire Rude Clan would have collapsed and disappeared forever.
Also, Master Black Moon, the most respected sorcerer in the Southland of Sorcerers, showed up to facilitate the peace talk. Therefore, the two of them had finally reached a temporary truce, not entirely willingly.
However, in secret, they were asking for reinforcements from their respective backers, namely Great Qian and Ghost Qin, ready to fight one another when the reinforcements arrived.
At this moment, although the barbarian soldiers were not fighting, a handful of barbarian Cultivators were actually engaged in a fierce battle in the sky.
Colorful, venomous fog was spreading out everywhere, and hideous animals that should have been kept in natural reserves occasionally revealed themselves in the smoke. It was quite a view.
They were all the barbarian Cultivators invited by Huo Wuji and Huo Wujiu.
Barbarian Cultivators, bound by their homeland, generally did not have much communication with the Cultivators from central plateaus. They were often deeply linked with each other. In competition for the poor population, resources, and natural paradises in the Southland of Sorcerers, they often ended up becoming sworn enemies.
If a pair of sworn enemies happened to be invited by Huo Wuji and Huo Wujiu respectively and belonged to different sides, naturally, it was a great opportunity for them to settle scores. Their battle was purely about personal grudges but not about the conflict between Great Qian and Ghost Qin.
When Li Yao arrived with the army, he happened to run into a barbarian Cultivator, who was covered in a gold snake skin and looked like a giant serpent, falling down from the sky with blood spurting out after half of his arm had been cut off by his opponent.
Immediately, dozens of soldiers rushed out of Huo Wuji's camp and carried him back to their camp together. Somebody was even booing inside the camp.
In Huo Wujiu's camp, however, everybody was drumming and shouting. The cheers could be heard dozens of kilometers away.
"Huh? Even Gold Ring Third Man has failed? He even lost an arm? Hehehehe. It's about time his good days ended!"
Both Meng Duo and Gu Siduo were gloating, not feeling any indignation that they should have because the injured guy was on the same side of theirs.
"Brother Snake Swallower, have you noticed the black rock over there? That's the Black Rock Great Arena. For any barbarian Cultivator who wants to rise to fame, a Black Rock Great Arena is always necessary!"
Meng Duo and Gu Siduo grimaced. "It's just child's play and not a real game today. Wait three days, when the Black Rock Great Arena will officially begin. If you win ten games in a row, we guarantee that every tribe in the Southland of Sorcerers will know your name, dear brother!"
Li Yao slightly frowned, somewhat amused.
The so-called Black Rock Great Arena was in fact an abrupt black rock next to the Fire Rude Clan's town. It was as smooth as a desk and about eighty meters long and wide.
It was said that, when the tribes in the Southland of Sorcerers had irresolvable conflicts, they would go to the Black Rock Great Arena and settle the conflicts in relatively fair conditions with their fists, blades, and venomous fog.
As for the disagreement about the leadership of the Fire Rude Clan between Huo Wuji and Huo Wujiu, it would be decided by a magnificent Hundred Victories Great Arena.
The so-called Hundred Victories Great Arena referred to a game where both parties would send out hundreds of war
riors and experts who would fight each other in turns. The winner stayed in the arena, and the losers were thrown out of the arena. As the game went on, the side that secured a hundred victories first would be deemed the final winner.
In case that one party invited a super expert, say, one at the peak of the Core Formation Stage or in the Nascent Soul Stage, and the guy crushed a hundred enemies in a row easily, the rules of the Hundred Victories Great Arena dictated that any expert could only win ten competitions at most before they were forced to leave the field.
Even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator could only help their side secure ten victories. The other ninety victories still depended on the others.
However, there was another rule to the Hundred Victories Great Arena, which was that one could lose but not surrender. Abstention was not an option, either. If any party refused to fight, it would be considered a fail.
It meant that, if one side truly sent out a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator as a champion, the other side would have to pay the lives of ten warriors even if they knew that they were no match for the enemy in order to 'eliminate' the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.
It was rather a cruel rule.
However, it was also appropriate for the presentation of a top expert.
Therefore, what mattered most in the Hundred Victories Great Arena was not personal combat ability but the overall personnel of the side and whether or not dozens of fearless warriors could be deployed to eliminate the experts that were too invincible on the enemy's side.
Meng Duo and Gu Siduo were flattering Li Yao by saying that he could secure ten victories because they thought that he was ignorant and were simply making fun of them.
But they did not know that Li Yao was secretly mocking them, too.
Vulture Li Yao had travelled in the sea of stars for decades. He had played games of wisdom and bravery with the cunning experts such as Xiao Xuance, Bai Xinghe, Jin Tuyi, and Lu Zui, and today, he had degraded himself to the point that he was playing in an arena against a bunch of barbarians.
Li Yao hated the long, dull arena games most. It might pass if the arena games were casual, but the national affairs and the lives of thousands of people were to be decided on the arena. What a joke!