by Shian Jeen
Shaping both of his hands into claws, Huwang Xiao slashed towards Qin Yang across the voidㅡAsura Demon Claw, Lament of Thousands of Demons.
Screams of wraiths echoed in the valley, scaring the four other people. All of them turned their heads to look and saw a dazed Qin Yang, under the Eye of Reincarnation’s influence. Failing to dodge, the claws slashed down vertically on Qin Yang’s torso, “Poof!”
Qin Yang buckled back, crashing straight into a mountain cliff wall some distance away, tumbling down to the ground.
When it says, flickered into a blur
Ch.282
All four directions fell into abrupt silence.
The three fighting in the distance, Jie Dong, Liu Chong, and Fen Encheng, were dumbstruck as their attention shifted to Huwang Xiao’s side of things, where Qin Yang lay sprawled on the ground, barely able to move.
Lifei fared better than them, after all, to be able to control Black Demon City from the shadows without real strength was an implausible feat. Recovering from their brief shock, Jie Dong and Liu Chong abandoned Fan Encheng and hastened to their Master’s side.
“Master!” Jie Dong and Liu Chong called out anxiously as both of them carefully helped Qin Yang up.
At this time, Fan Encheng finally recovered his senses, panicked at the circumstances of his situation, he leaped to the sky in an attempt to flee. What he didn’t know was that Huwang Xiao was watching his every movement, from the moment Fen Encheng stood up, Huwang Xiao took a side step, and he was already blocking in front of Fan Encheng.
Seeing Huwang Xiao in front of him, fear filled Fan Encheng’s eyes, but he managed to force himself to calm down, squeezing an ugly smile on his face, “May I know this Little brother’s great name? Many thanks for Little brother’s help earlier, this one is hardly Qin Yang’s opponent.”
Many thanks for Little brother’s help? Huwang Xiao shook his head inwardly. This Fan Encheng’s skin was quite thick, knowing his goal was the same as Qin Yang’s group, yet could still pretend so naturally he didn’t know.
“Hand over the map part.” Huwang Xiao had no interest in babbling nonsense with Fan Encheng. His expression remained indifferent as he extended his hand, cutting the chase short.
Fan Encheng’s face tightened for the briefest time, smiling even milder: “Map part? What map part? Is Little brother perhaps misunderstood something? There is no map on me.”
Huwang Xiao smiled coldly “Don’t have it?” he glanced over at Lifei, “You’re saying she lied to me?”
Lifei hurried forward, “Young Lord, this subordinate absolutely dare not deceive Young Lord!” She turned to Fan Encheng, “Fan Encheng, I advise you to hand over the map part, don’t place your hopes on a slim chance of luck. If my Young Lord were to seize the map part from your body, you can imagine the consequences.”
Lifei’s threat shook Fan Encheng’s resolve.
A painful grunt sounded at this time, coming from Qin Yang. Being helped up by Jie Dong and Liu Chong, Qin Yang barely managed to stand up. Visible to everyone’s eyes was the horrifying black claw print on Qin Yang’s chest that seemed to emanate death aura, accompanied by thousands of shrieks of wraiths that sent shivers to the soul. The flesh around the claw print had started to rot and die, revealing the whites of bones underneath.
Qin Yang’s eyes too were filled with unprecedented fear as he watched Huwang Xiao. At the same time, his face twisted with pain, obviously he wasn’t having an easy time trying to suppress the Asura frigid qi that was wreaking havoc within his body.
Huwang Xiao did not bother with Qin Yang and the other two people, he stared at Fan Encheng saying, “I’m giving you a last chance, hand over the map and I can spare your life, otherwise, I’ll kill you and then search for the map!”
Seeing Qin Yang’s tragic state, hesitation flitted back and forth on Fan Encheng, struggling to make a final decision.
In all honesty, this ancient God Tribe master’s partial map was something he had gotten by killing someone else, but he held a great blood grudge in his heart, with this piece of ancient God Tribe master’s partial map, he had hope for revenge, but now…!
“Fine!” A short while later, Fan Encheng relented, albeit reluctantly through gritted teeth. He took out something from his spatial ring that seemed to be made out of some kind of beast hide leather. This was the said ancient God Tribe master’s partial map.
Looking at the piece of map in his hand, Fan Encheng sighed deeply, exerting a mild strength from his hand, the piece of map floated towards Huwang Xiao. Although the map was important, what would it matter if he was already dead, what could he do about his hatred and blood-feud at that time?
Huwang Xiao received the map and studied it briefly; the map itself was probably made of some kind of ancient beast’s hide, eroded by time, the edges were frayed and most indications on the map were blurred and hardly discernible. Without another word, Huwang Xiao kept the partial map in his ring, Fan Encheng wouldn’t dare to trick him by giving him a fake map.
Close by, Qin Yang, Jie Dong, and Liu Chong could only stare begrudgingly as Huwang Xiao kept the map away. They had been chasing Fan Encheng for ten days and ten nights straight, yet the map still fell into someone else’s hands. Deep as their unwillingness may run, none of them dared to make a move to snatch it from Huwang Xiao.
The three of them stood there, wary and somewhat scared to move.
After keeping the map, Huwang Xiao turned his attention back to Fan Encheng, “I can spare you,”
Fan Encheng’s face lit up.
“But, on the condition you swear allegiance to me just like her, with me as your master.” Huwang Xiao indicated a finger at Lifei. Of course, Huwang Xiao couldn’t let Fan Encheng leave like that, once a rumor spread, he would be the next Fan Encheng.
Looking at Lifei, Fan Encheng’s resistance was evident from his expression. But he already knew that Huwang Xiao wouldn’t have let him go just like that.
Half an hour later, Huwang Xiao branded Fan Encheng’s soul sea with a soul mark. Watching the whole thing right in front of them, Qin Yang, Jie Dong, and Liu Chong each was preoccupied with their own thoughts.
After taking care of Fan Encheng, Huwang Xiao finally turned to Qin Yang’s group of three. He continued to watch them without saying anything, an inexplicable pressure spread out, covering the four directions of heaven and earth.
Under this immense pressure, the gravely injured Qin Yang turned even paler as he needed to suppress the frigid Asura qi inside his body at the same time, whereas Jie Dong and Liu Chong sweated bead-sized drops of perspiration.
Not much time had passed when Qin Yang opened his mouth: “I, I’m willing to submit to you,” pausing here momentarily, he added, “But I have a condition.”
“Condition?” Huwang Xiao coldly repeated, shaking his head at Qin Yang in refusal saying: “You’re not qualified to negotiate any condition.”
This remarked greatly pierced Qin Yang’s pride.
“Master, you need not beg this person! Even if Senior Apprentice-Brother and I die, we will make sure to send you out of here safely!” Liu Chong shouted righteous sounding words. “You can avenge us later by killing that bastard and that wench!” Wench referred to Lifei.
As his last word was uttered, Huwang Xiao disappeared from where he stood, the next thing everyone heard was howling pain. Searching for the origin, everyone saw the middle of Liu Chong’s forehead had been pierced and now had a finger-sized hole that sprayed out blood like a red pillar. When Liu Chong’s body tumbled to the ground, Huwang Xiao’s figure gradually reappeared, standing on the same spot as he did before.
Everyone present stared dumbly at Liu Chong’s stiff corpse, including the first amongst them who submitted, Lifei!
No one saw exactly how Huwang Xiao killed Liu Chong, not even Qin Yang next to him.
The power to manipulate space?! Qin Yang watched Huwang Xiao, drastically astounded. Only a Saint realm expert had the ability to manipulate the power
of space, but Huwang Xiao was not a Saint realm warrior!
Ignoring the shocked looks directed at him, not even sparing a glance at the dead Liu Chong, Huwang Xiao looked at Qin Yang, “Now, do you still want to negotiate conditions?”
Qin Yang paled in his speechlessness.
It didn’t take long for Qin Yang to submit to Huwang Xiao without any condition. Following Qin Yang’s submission, Jie Dong also submitted without much resistance.
Huwang Xiao proceeded to mark their souls, and when all was done, he relaxed. With this, the Ghost Shadow Sect was under his control now, in other words, the Blood River City was already in his pocket.
In fact, this was an unexpected harvest to him. Telling the four of them to deal with Liu Chong’s corpse, the five of them left the valley and traveled forth. Half a day later, they came to a stop at the foothill of a certain mountain.
Taking out the map, Huwang Xiao began to study it. In the past, while he was still studying in Cosmic Star Academy and Duanren Institute, he researched many times this ancient text and writing, therefore he managed to decipher what was written on the partial map.
“City of Myriad Gods, Four Seas Mountain?” After several hours of going over the map, the location the map pointed to was close to the City of Myriad Gods, in a place called Four Seas Mountain.
In other words, the place where this ancient God Tribe master cultivated during his life was at this Four Seas Mountain!
Ch.283
“Four Seas Mountain...” Huwang Xiao took out the Bedlam Lands map, searching for the said location on it, but ended up creasing his brows. From what he could see on the map, among the hills and mountains surrounding the City of Myriad Gods, none were called Four Seas Mountain. Then he called Qin Yang, Lifei, Jie Dong, and Fan Encheng over, asking them about the Four Seas Mountain.
“Four Seas Mountain?” Qin Yang shook his head, “Replying to Young Lord, around the City of Myriad Gods there is a Hundred Venom Hill, Golden Leaf Mountain, and others, but this subordinate has never heard of Four Seas Mountain.”
Lifei, Jie Dong, and Fan Encheng all shook their heads simultaneously at Huwang Xiao, the three of them had never heard of the name either.
Huwang Xiao’s brows locked together, there was no Four Seas Mountain in the proximity of City of Myriad Gods? Perhaps due to the passage of time, the name Four Seas Mountain was replaced by another name, maybe the Four Seas Mountain doesn't exist anymore.
Several tens of thousands of years had passed, countless ancient cities had submerged in the river of time, what more a mere Four Seas Mountain!
This is truly a headache! But, a light shone in Huwang Xiao’s eyes, he still needed to make the trip to the City of Myriad Gods. No matter what, he had to find this Four Seas Mountain, find the location stated on the map. Only this way could he break through to Saint realm before the Deities Templar’s next disciple selection began.
The sky started to brighten, sunlight streamed over the Savage Sanguine Wasteland, penetrating the layer of sanguine fog that was slowly thinning and dissipating.
Huwang Xiao looked at the vast wasteland and stood up, saying to the four people with him: “Let’s go.”
“Yes, Young Lord!” The four answered.
Thus all five people continued on their journey to the City of Myriad Gods.
On the way, Huwang Xiao gave Qin Yang injury healing pellets and forced out the extreme cold poison caused by the Asura Demon Claw from his body. Huwang Xiao then questioned Qin Yang regarding Ghost Shadow Sect and Blood River City, which were all truthfully answered by Qin Yang.
As the Ghost Shadow Sect’s Patriarch, the things he knew were undoubtedly more than Lifei, extending to some of Five Poison Cult’s confidential secrets.
Two days later, the group was out of the Savage Sanguine Wasteland, arriving in a place called Saber Imperial City.
This Saber Imperial City was one of the Bedlam Lands’ ten mega cities, although in the lower ranks, at number nine. According to rumors, that person’s comprehension and skills in the art of Saber were bordering perfection, even gods and demons needed to give way.
Huwang Xiao stood before the gates of Saber Imperial City, looking at the large stone saber hanging on the gate arch that exuded a sharp saber energy that seemed to pierce the passersby straight at their souls. He was amazed, a mere stone saber could exude this extent of pressure, affecting even one’s soul.
“Young Lord, it was said that this giant stone saber was the Lord Saber Emperor’s personal weapon before breaking into the Saint realm.” Qin Yang walked up, explaining to Huwang Xiao respectfully, there was a look of awe and worship in Qin Yang’s eyes as he faced the stone saber, “After Lord Saber Emperor broke into the Saint realm, he made a Fiend Saber. Later, when he built Saber Imperial City, he hung this stone saber on top of the city gates.”
Huwang Xiao nodded.
The Saber Emperor was one of the few top rank experts of the Bedlam Lands famous for his saber skills. Since this sword was his personal weapon before he broke through Saint realm, it must have absorbed a certain amount of Saber Emperor’s saber intent.
I wonder who’s stronger, comparing Zhao Shu and Zhang Fu with this Saber Emperor... Huwang Xiao mused.
Asura’s Gate was Star Cloud Continent’s super large sect. As Asura’s Gate Left and Right Custodians, not only were they considered as the sect’s top tier power, they were also Star Cloud Continent’s top-level experts.
“Let us enter.” Huwang Xiao retrieved his sight from the huge stone sword on the gates and said to Qin Yang and the rest. The five of them no longer delayed, entering the Saber Imperial City.
By the time they passed through the gates, the sky already darkened, therefore Huwang Xiao decided to first look for a place to rest for the night before continuing on their way. At the speed the five of them were traveling, they could make it into the City of Myriad Gods in good time before the auction date.
The five of them checked into an inn called Warm Fragrance.
The inn had a restaurant on the ground floor, medium-sized but packed with people, so many that they could hardly find a vacant table. When they walked in, a tantalizing wine fragrance filled every inch of the restaurant space; the moment Huwang Xiao stepped inside, the scent of wine teased his nose.
Huwang Xiao found a vacant table in a corner and sat down, whereas Qin Yang, Lifei, Jie Dong, and Fan Encheng stood behind him, hesitant to sit.
“All of you also sit down.” Huwang Xiao pointed at the empty chairs around. The four answered with respect and each took a seat with Huwang Xiao’s expressed permission.
Lifei called for the waiter after she sat down. Seeking Huwang Xiao’s opinion, she ordered a table of dishes and two jugs of good wine.
The waiter returned a short while later, bringing up Lifei’s orders.
The table was laden with good food, fulfilling three main criteria: color, fragrance, and taste, rousing Huwang Xiao’s appetite. Although with Huwang Xiao’s Xiantian realm strength he could go more than half a month without food, he still kept the habit of eating.
Beside him, Lifei opened up one of the wine jugs, pouring out a cup for Huwang Xiao, which he downed in one gulp. The wine smoothly passed his throat, spicy and austere with a slightly bitter taste lingering on the top of the tongue at the end, yet it filled his tastebuds with a memorable vibrance.
“Good wine.” Huwang Xiao praised. Although it could hardly compare with the Beauty Allure Wine or Sapidity Wine, it was a different flavor on its own. He indicated Qin Yang and the rest to fill their cups, enjoying the wine together.
While the five of them were lifting their cups and drinking, a commotion sounded outside the inn and a group of five people walked in, amongst them were two women.
When Huwang Xiao caught a clear glimpse of the women's faces, he was shocked.
Cui Li!
Ever since the Duanren Imperial City Battle ended, he rarely came across Cui Li. The last time he saw her was three years ago, before he
departed from Duanren Empire to come here, to the Bedlams, Xie Puti mentioned Cui Li in their conversation.
He’d never imagined he would run into Cui Li here, in the Bedlam Lands! What is Cui li doing here? The other woman was Cui Li’s young aunt, Huwang Xiao met her once, many years ago, at Duanren Imperial Palace on the reward ceremony day. The other three people, from the way of their dressing, were probably members of Cui Family.
The moment she entered the restaurant, as if she sensed something, Cui Li raised her head and looked up, her gaze precisely meeting with Huwang Xiao’s. Seeing Huwang Xiao there, Cui Li’s beautiful eyes contained surprise, followed by melancholy.
Cui Li’s youngest aunt also noticed Huwang Xiao and she was just as surprised.
“Li Li, you know that kid?” At this time, the young man beside Cui Li asked as he watched Huwang Xiao with hostile eyes…
Cui Li recovered her thoughts, but she didn’t answer the young man, merely shaking her head. The group then proceeded to an empty table in another side of the restaurant and sat down.
Ordering some dishes, the five people started eating quietly when their orders were served. Each had their own thoughts, especially Cui Li, the frown on her forehead was too obvious in Huwang Xiao’s eyes.
A short while later, the five paid and left.
Though curious about Cui Li’s presence in the Bedlam Lands, Huwang Xiao didn’t think too much about it, nor did he care.
A quiet night descended over the Saber Imperial City.
Huwang Xiao sat cross-legged in his room and was about to start practicing when a noise came from outside his room and he focused to listen.
“Our Young Lord has spoken. In any case, tonight, those two Cui Family women must be sent to his bed.”
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Two Cui Family women? This sentence caught Huwang Xiao’s attention.