I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  As for Xiang Shaoyun, he was focused on healing his injuries in his residence. He had charged through four limit rooms in a row the day before, and he had sustained rather heavy injuries in the fifth and sixth room. He needed to spend some time recovering. After a night of recovery, he had nearly regained his full strength, but his external injuries still lingered. But at present, he couldn't be bothered about these external injuries. He was busy grasping the essence behind the power of presence.

  Yesterday, under Elder Zhen Peng's suppression, the presence of a king was forced out of Xiang Shaoyun. His presence of a king was different than the presence of someone at the King Realm. Rather, it was an innate presence of a person born to be sovereign. It allowed him to be fearless in the face of other presences, and no ordinary power of presence could hope to shake his power of presence.

  Although he had grasped an initial understanding of the presence of a king, it wasn't easy to fully master. First, he had to possess the heart of a king who could reign above all others. This was a criteria he had long fulfilled. Secondly, he had to possess sufficient strength to back up this presence. Otherwise, his power of presence would be an empty shell.

  "The presence comes from the mind. By strengthening one's mind, the presence would be all powerful, unshakable, akin to the power of the heavens!" Xiang Shaoyun meditated on the sensation of presence without rest as he tried to increase his comprehension on the power of strength.

  His hard work rewarded him with a growing understanding of the power of presence.

  Of the power of presence, the empty presence was shapeless. He had reached this level. And if he grew further in strength, he would be able to give form to his presence and use it against others.

  Generally speaking, only those at the Transformation Realm or beyond would be able to even sense the power of presence. But Xiang Shaoyun was clearly an exception as he had done the same as a second-stage Astral Realm cultivator. One ought to admit that he truly had an excellent aptitude for cultivation.

  Xiang Shaoyun took out the illusionary star flower and a few stalks of other old medicines. He muttered to himself, "I hope I can further expand my astral cosmos sea."

  He then stuffed all the herbs down his throat. The illusionary star flower was very beneficial in helping one awaken one's stars, but for those already in the Astral Realm, this herb seemed useless.

  But why had Xiang Shaoyun bought it? Because it was also useful for growing the astral cosmos sea. After reaching the second stage of Astral Realm, his astral cosmos sea had also grown in size. It initially had the space the size of a fist, but now, it had the space the size of two fists.

  If Xiang Shaoyun kept this up, he only needed to keep advancing to grow his astral cosmos sea to the point he could store more and more items in it. But he was impatient. He thus needed to rely on spirit medicines to help with the growth. The medicinal power flooded his body as his astral cosmos sea started spinning rapidly to absorb all the medicinal power.

  The illusionary star flower was indeed worthy of being a spirit medicine. The energy contained within it was extremely beneficial, and with the old medicines acting as the catalyst, a pure power streamed into the astral cosmos sea, helping it grow at a rapid pace.

  As the astral cosmos sea grew, the nine stars of Xiang Shaoyun also reacted accordingly, creating a river of light within Xiang Shaoyun's body, one that looked enchanting and magical. Even his physical body seemed to glow. If someone saw the current him, they would most likely cry out in shock that the child of heaven had descended upon the mortal world.

  Xiang Shaoyun was unaware of what was happening, and his only sensation was of warmth and comfort. Unfortunately, that sensation did not last long. In less than an hour, the medicinal power was fully absorbed.

  "It's over just like that?" Xiang Shaoyun muttered in disappointment after opening his eyes.

  The illusionary star flower was a spirit medicine; thus, its medicinal power was pure and thick. At the very least, that was the case for people of Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation level. Even so, it did not last long at all.

  "Let's see how much the space has grown." Xiang Shaoyun did not keep thinking about the issue and quickly moved on. He walked to a corner of the residence, stared at a pile of random objects, and willed with his mind.

  Chapter 65: A Tad Bit Small

  Xiang Shaoyun willed, and the empty space in his astral cosmos sea appeared in his mind, telling him how much space he had available.

  "Huh? It's actually this big now?" Xiang Shaoyun muttered gleefully. He found that the astral cosmos sea was now the size of a head, much larger than its original size. At the very least, it was sufficient to store many medicinal herbs.

  "Looks like training the Astral Cosmos Sea Technique is the correct choice. It helps with the medicinal power absorption rate," Xiang Shaoyun said before standing up and ending his short meditation. He then lifted his Lightning Spear.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The Lightning Spear danced in the air like lightning bolts. With purple qi twirling around the spear, it split the air with an incredible might. Yesterday in the fifth limit room, Xiang Shaoyun had used the Lightning Spear Technique. His mastery over this spear technique had increased, reaching slightly more than 60 percent.

  Zi Changhe required him to reach 70 percent mastery, and he was about 5 percent from reaching it. However, he was only taking this long because he hadn't been spending all his time on the spear technique.

  Of the various weapons, what Xiang Shaoyun loved most was still the saber. The saber was the overlord among weapons, known as the weapon for the fearless. That was also why Xiang Shaoyun had a soft spot for sabers since young. However, brandishing other weapons such as sword, spear, halberd, and so on still looked rather cool, so Xiang Shaoyun did not mind learning all weapons either.

  After practicing the spear technique once, Zi Changhe walked out from a certain corner and praised, "So you've already reached 50 percent mastery. That was unexpectedly fast. Looks like reaching 70 percent mastery won't be that hard for you after all. I don't have anything to teach you anymore."

  Zi Changhe had been greatly shaken after he figured out how freakish Xiang Shaoyun was. He firmly believed that even without his guidance, Xiang Shaoyun would still grow into an outstanding expert.

  "That is all thanks to your guidance, senior brother," Xiang Shaoyun said humbly. Although Zi Changhe had not helped him much, he was still the person who had brought Xiang Shaoyun into the Martial Hall Palace. As such, Xiang Shaoyun was very grateful for him.

  Zi Changhe smiled. "It’s good that you know to be grateful." He paused slightly and continued, "Moving on, you will be able to get anything you want so long as the Martial Hall Palace can provide it. In the coming half year, I hope you can focus on increasing your strength. A grand event will be held in half a year, and I hope you can win glory for Martial Hall Palace during the event."

  Right as Xiang Shaoyun was about to reply, someone else appeared outside the courtyard.

  "Lu Xiaoqing?" Xiang Shaoyun cried out joyfully when he saw the newcomer. Then, he ignored his senior brother and jogged outside. Zi Changhe cursed inwardly when he saw that, What a typical guy, valuing chicks over bros!

  He left tactfully.

  It had been quite some time since Xiang Shaoyun had last seen Lu Xiaoqing. She looked slimmer than before, and the previous tenderness on her face had lessened to be replaced by a tenacious look. This change made her look even more attractive than before. She was dressed in a green, body-hugging outfit, one that showed off her hourglass figure.

  "Shaoyun!" Lu Xiaoqing called out to the approaching Xiang Shaoyun; her eyes rippled with tenderness. For some reason, she addressed Xiang Shaoyun differently now, and this new form of address was much more affectionate than previously.

  The other day, she had left running after Xiang Shaoyun had berated her. But after leaving and thinking back about it, she finally understood that Xiang Shaoyun was only doing that for her sake. In
truth, Xiang Shaoyun was simply trying to put her out of harm’s way. That was why he had scolded her away. But she only realized that after quite a while.

  Upon realizing that, she rushed back to the Martial Hall Palace at the fastest speed she could and told her master, the eleventh elder, He Yinghua, about it. But when she returned to the ambush location with her master, Xiang Shaoyun was nowhere to be found.

  Subsequently, after Zi Changhe returned, her master and Zi Changhe went to the Wu Clan for Xiang Shaoyun. However, they returned empty handed. She thought that Xiang Shaoyun was dead for sure, and she had been grieving over him.

  Recently, she had been in secluded cultivation. Only today when she had ended the seclusion did she find out that Xiang Shaoyun had returned safely. It caused her to be wild with joy. Unbeknown to her, he had already occupied a spot in her heart. Now, she finally saw him again. The confidence and grace he exuded had only grown after all this time. Gazing at him, she fell into a slight reverie.

  But she still needed to maintain the virtue of a young lady; thus, she resisted her urge to pounce into his arms. Xiang Shaoyun was unaware of all that. He only wanted to thank her properly. She was someone who had not abandoned him even during the most dangerous moment, a proof that she was someone worth trusting, a friend he could trust his back with.

  "Tsk tsk, it has been only a month, and you have grown even prettier," Xiang Shaoyun couldn't help but praise Lu Xiaoqing when he got near her.

  Lu Xiaoqing blushed as she replied meekly, "You're lying."

  "Haha, I don't have many merits, but one of the few I have is my honesty. But still, it's too bad," Xiang Shaoyun laughed as he looked at the blushing Lu Xiaoqing.

  "You're still as narcissistic as ever!" Lu Xiaoqing said with contempt before asking curiously, "Too bad about what?"

  Xiang Shaoyun coughed, "Cough, cough. Uhm, I don't think I should say it."

  "No, I want to know!" Lu Xiaoqing purred.

  "Fine, remember, you demanded it. Don't you be angry over it later," Xiang Shaoyun stated before shifting his gaze to Lu Xiaoqing's chest and said, "Cough, cough, they're a tad bit too small."

  Raising her brows, Lu Xiaoqing yelled, "Scoundrel!" Then she sent a slap at Xiang Shaoyun.

  Lu Xiaoqing was a first-stage Astral Realm cultivator. Although she did not use her full power, her slap still carried a considerable might.

  "Hey, hey, you promised you wouldn’t be angry! Why are you beating me? Stop being so coarse lest you won’t find a husband in the future!" Xiang Shaoyun yelled as he dodged the slap.

  "You're the one who won't be able to find a wife! You scoundrel!" Lu Xiaoqing stamped her foot on the ground and cursed.

  "Haha, I don't mind getting married to a queen who can take care of my living for me! That would be great!" Xiang Shaoyun howled with laughter.

  "You? Nobody would want you!" Lu Xiaoqing said. Despite what she said, this naughty disposition of Xiang Shaoyun had in fact deeply attracted her.

  "Alright, I'll stop messing around. Thank you!" Xiang Shaoyun stopped joking around and thanked her solemnly. He deeply hated those who betrayed him, but he also greatly appreciated those who were loyal to him.

  "Don't worry about it. It's not like I was much help anyway. I nearly got in your way instead," Lu Xiaoqing muttered guiltily. During the incident, she had felt completely helpless. And because of that, she had spent the past month cultivating with all her effort. Finally, she broke through and reached the first stage of the Astral Realm, officially becoming the personal disciple of the eleventh elder.

  Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "Don't ever think that way. You are a loyal friend! You're...only slightly lacking in intelligence."

  Lu Xiaoqing's heart was filled with sweetness when she heard the first part of the sentence. But when she heard the latter part, her face darkened.

  Chapter 66: Kidnapped

  "Say that again!" Lu Xiaoqing yelled furiously, looking like a fierce tigress with her hands on her hips.

  "Haha, I’m kidding, I'm kidding. Come in, take a seat. As the saying goes, joy is to have a faraway friend visiting! No, wait, that's wrong. You're not from very far away at all," Xiang Shaoyun laughed.

  After a slight hesitation, Lu Xiaoqing stepped into the courtyard. Little White was sleeping to the side when she walked in. He opened his eyes and gave her a glance before ignoring her and resuming his sleep.

  Recently, Little White had been focused on digesting the demonic core he had swallowed not long ago. He spent most of his time sleeping. When Lu Xiaoqing saw Little White, a cheery look covered her face, and she exclaimed, "Wow! Such a cute kitty!"

  She ran over and tried lifting Little White. But before she could even get near him, he darted to a different spot with a flash.

  "Meow!"

  Little White yelled resentfully while glowering at Lu Xiaoqing, seemingly warning her against approaching him.

  "Don't be rude, Little White. Shoo, go resume your sleep somewhere else," Xiang Shaoyun said.

  But Little White did not move away. Instead, he leaped onto Xiang Shaoyun's shoulder.

  "Shaoyun, is this your pet? He's so cute! I wish I had a kitten this cute, too!" Lu Xiaoqing said enviously.

  "If you like beasts, I will get you a Demon King beast in the future!" Xiang Shaoyun promised generously.

  "Pffft. You just can't stop bluffing, can you?" Lu Xiaoqing did not trust a word of that. Demon King was the demonic beast's equivalent of the human's King Realm. It wouldn't be that easy to get one.

  "I knew nobody would trust me when I speak the truth." Xiang Shaoyun shrugged helplessly. He spoke again, "Take a seat first. I'll go get something for you."

  Then, Xiang Shaoyun entered the house. As for Lu Xiaoqing, she started getting nervous for no apparent reason.

  H-he's g-going to give me something? What would it be? I-is he trying to confess to me? B-but I'm not prepared for that yet! Lu Xiaoqing thought to herself, her face red.

  Soon, Xiang Shaoyun came out again. He was carrying a jade bottle. "Here, for you."

  Lu Xiaoqing looked at the jade bottle and asked curiously, "What's this?"

  "Earth Star Spring," Xiang Shaoyun replied indifferently.

  "T-this is Earth Star Spring? Y-you found it?" Lu Xiaoqing was startled.

  "Nothing surprising about it. This young master is a beloved child of heaven, accompanied by good fortune wherever I go. If I want a spiritual treasure, it will come with a snap of my finger," Xiang Shaoyun said as he flung his hair around.

  Xiang Shaoyun had always been quite handsome, and for some reason, flinging his hair really did work on causing the young lady's heartbeat to speed up.

  Lu Xiaoqing was sent into a daze again, and instead of accepting the Earth Star Spring, she said, "I can't take something this valuable!"

  "Stop dilly dallying. Just take it. Otherwise, I will take it as you looking down on me," Xiang Shaoyun grunted. He added, "If you refuse, I might as well throw it away. No point keeping it with me."

  "No, don't. Fine, I'll take it," Lu Xiaoqing said.

  "That's more like it," Xiang Shaoyun said in satisfaction.

  Lu Xiaoqing accepted the jade bottle, her heart thumping furiously as she thought to herself, Why is he treating me so nicely? H-has he fallen in love with me?

  As Lu Xiaoqing was indulging her thoughts, Little White suddenly meowed, and his fur all stood up on end. He bared his fangs, as if a large enemy was approaching. The moment Xiang Shaoyun noticed Little White's behavior, he started paying attention to his surroundings. He was very clear on the sharp senses demonic beasts had. Little White wouldn't behave like that for no reason. But they were currently within the Martial Hall Palace. What danger could there be?

  Whoosh!

  Suddenly, a figure streaked across the air like a phantom. Then, a black sack wrapped around Xiang Shaoyun from above. Even though Xiang Shaoyun was already on alert, he still couldn't react in time and was subdued just like that. Little White was the only one who could react in
time. He leaped away and was able to avoid being captured together with Xiang Shaoyun.

  "What the hell? What's going on?" Xiang Shaoyun cursed to himself before he started struggling.

  "Keep still!" the kidnapper bellowed and slapped Xiang Shaoyun.

  Bang!

  The slap was extremely powerful, as it caused Xiang Shaoyun to spit blood with one attack. His inner organs almost exploded, and he fainted from the slap. No Astral Realm cultivator could unleash an attack like this. The kidnapper was at the very least a Transformation Realm expert.

  Lu Xiaoqing was greatly frightened, and just as she was about to shout, a kick sent her flying. Fortunately, the kidnapper did not seem to intend to kill her. Otherwise, she would've been killed with one kick. Even so, she was still sent flying several meters and coughed up blood and fainted.

  As for the kidnapper, he quickly left with Xiang Shaoyun. Not far from the residence, a carriage was waiting. The kidnapper directly leaped into the carriage with Xiang Shaoyun.

  "Gya!" The coachman immediately whipped the horse, and the carriage sped toward Martial Hall Palace's exit.

  "Meow!"

  Little White was hot in pursuit, and shortly after, he caught up and hid beneath the carriage. The people on the carriage had their attention somewhere else so they did not notice Little White. The carriage arrived at the exit. The guards took a look at the coachman before stepping aside to make way for the elder's carriage. Upon leaving the Martial Hall Palace, the people on the carriage heaved a breath of relief. Next, the carriage headed toward Wu Clan's estate.

  Meanwhile, Zi Changhe had just returned to Xiang Shaoyun's residence as he had suddenly had a bad feeling. However, when he had returned, he only found an unconscious Lu Xiaoqing. His face immediately fell. He rushed over and woke Lu Xiaoqing before asking, "What happened? Where's Xiang Shaoyun?"

  "H-he was kidnapped!" Lu Xiaoqing struggled out a reply.

  "Damn it!" Zi Changhe bellowed in fury.

  Xiang Shaoyun was his junior brother and also had Elder Zhen Peng as his follower. Yet someone still dared to make a move against Xiang Shaoyun? That person was too brazen! After feeding Lu Xiaoqing a healing pill, Zi Changhe rushed to the exit.