I Am Overlord c1-962
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"S-Senior Brother Ye, it's an arena battle between Senior Brother Li Tianba and Xiang Shaoyun," answered the nervous disciple.
"I know Li Tianba, but who's Xiang Shaoyun? Is he an outsider?" the young man asked.
"H-he is a new disciple, the junior brother of Elder Purple Lightning Marquis, someone with a five-star physique," the disciple said.
"Yet another five-star physique? Interesting," the young man muttered, a look of envy on his face. This young man was Ye Tianlong, one of the top three inner court disciples. He was also the first elder’s personal disciple.
Chapter 77: All of You Can Come at Once
The top 10 inner court disciples were all at the late stage of the Astral Realm, the foundation of the palace's next generation. Ye Tianlong was a domineering and haughty person, and that was obvious from how he would charge his way forward while riding his mount.
Many outer court disciples were unhappy about it, but they did not dare voice their displeasure. Here, only the strong were entitled to a voice. Those without strength should always maintain a low profile lest the strong would suppress them.
Ye Tianlong's appearance caused the atmosphere to grow more lively. Not long after, Wu Mingguang and Wu Mingliang of the Wu Clan also arrived. They were led by their fifth brother, Wu Mingyang.
Wu Mingyang was an expert equal to Li Tianba, or to be precise, he was now stronger than Li Tianba since he had recently broken through to the seventh stage of the Astral Realm.
"Fifth brother, Ye Tianlong is back," Wu Mingguang said after glancing in a certain direction.
"Yeah. Looks like everyone was making their final preparations for the Battle of Towns in half a year," Wu Mingyang said. He continued, "So long as I get one of the spots, I don't care about anything else."
"Yes, I am confident fifth brother will amaze the world with a single brilliant feat. And if you can get the opportunity to cultivate at the Cloud Margin City, your future will be even brighter," Wu Mingliang said.
"You two have decent talent as well. Stop focusing on other unnecessary issues and focus on cultivation. That is where your focus should lie," Wu Mingyang advised.
Finally, Li Tianba arrived. Equipped with battle armor, he rode an armored lizard and wielded a weapon, looking like a general that was about to head to the battlefield.
Behind him stood Li Hong'er, dressed in red. The bright color was gorgeous, yet she seemed to have an arrogant look forever stuck on her face, one that annoyed anyone who looked at her.
The crowd parted and made way for them, but Li Tianba chose to leap straight onto the arena instead of walking to it. He was still about 10 meters away from the arena. Hence, the distance he covered with a single leap attracted cheers from the crowd.
Regardless of Li Tianba's character, he had the strength to back it up. The moment he landed on the arena, he howled, "Where is Xiang Shaoyun? Today, I, Li Tianba, will teach you an unforgettable lesson!"
With his domineering aura, Li Tianba seized the upper hand by a show of strength the moment he arrived. He would make a great general.
"This young master is here. I shall see what you can do to me today," an indifferent voice rang out from not far away.
When the crowd looked over, they saw Xiang Shaoyun casually strolling toward the arena. He was busy wolfing down some steamed rolls, and Little White was silently hanging around his shoulders. No matter how one looked at him, he did not seem like someone here for an arena battle. He was giving off an impression that both the arena battle and Li Tianba were not worth his attention.
The sight infuriated Li Tianba. He said, "Xiang Shaoyun, I will make you kneel and beg for mercy."
"Heh, you won't be able to do that," Xiang Shaoyun said and smiled as he ate, looking quite comical.
At this moment, a certain figure dashed toward Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Shaoyun, you got something on your mouth. Let me wipe it for you." Apart from Lu Xiaoqing, who else could this person be? The crowd was filled with envy.
Seeing Lu Xiaoqing with Xiang Shaoyun was akin to seeing a blooming flower stuck on a pile of cow dung. Of course, that was due to jealousy. In truth, many of the girls also thought Lu Xiaoqing was not worthy of Xiang Shaoyun.
By reflex, Xiang Shaoyun dodged Lu Xiaoqing's attempt to wipe his mouth, and he smiled, saying, "No, there's too many people. I'm shy."
Without waiting for Lu Xiaoqing to react, he charged toward the arena. When he arrived, he looked at Li Tianba and said, "By the way, I don't mind you and your sister fighting together. I'm worried that you alone won't last long."
"Haha, let me see if your strength is as mighty as your mouth!" Li Tianba howled with laughter before stepping toward Xiang Shaoyun. He did not launch a sudden attack. Rather, he was planning to let Xiang Shaoyun clearly understand the gap between them.
As Li Tianba had a tall and sturdy body, when he opened his eyes wide and glowered at someone, he would give off an incorporeal pressure. Unfortunately, it was ineffective against Xiang Shaoyun, who had faced a King Realm expert's presence before.
As Li Tianba approached Xiang Shaoyun, Xiang Shaoyun suddenly yelled, "Scram!"
His voice rumbled like a thunderclap. Li Tianba sensed a suffocating sensation press down on him, as if Xiang Shaoyun had suddenly transformed into a sovereign looking down upon him. His heart thumped as he stepped backward by instinct.
Xiang Shaoyun withdrew his presence, returned to his flippant self, and said, “Good boy.”
"You...YOU BASTARD!" Li Tianba howled in fury from embarrassment and slammed his palm at Xiang Shaoyun.
Blood Noxious Palm!
A crimson glow surrounded Li Tianba's palm as the palm energy directly crashed towards Xiang Shaoyun's vitals. The moment Li Tianba attacked, he went for the kill. His attack was quick and violent, and even a fifth-stage Astral Realm cultivator would find it hard to defend against this attack. Everyone held their breath and stared at Xiang Shaoyun.
Instead of facing the attack, Xiang Shaoyun dodged it before shouting, "Slow down, I have something to say."
"What final words do you have?" Li Tianba howled, evidently still furious.
Xiang Shaoyun glanced at Wu Mingliang and Wu Mingguang. He said, "All of you come together. Otherwise, this will be boring."
"What!" Everyone was shocked to see that. Li Tianba alone was already a scary opponent, but Xiang Shaoyun was also challenging others at the same time? This Xiang Shaoyun was too brazen!
"You sure you want to challenge us?" Wu Mingguang asked.
"Haha, are you too afraid to come up?" Xiang Shaoyun howled in laughter.
"Fine, since you want to die, I'll oblige," Wu Mingguang said.
Right as he was about to step onto the arena, Wu Mingyang patted his shoulder and said, "Be careful. This kid is not as simple as he looks."
"Don't worry, fifth brother. With Senior Brother Li here, he won't be able to do anything," Wu Mingguang said before jumping on the arena.
"Still not enough. Wu Mingliang, come as well. I thought you've always wanted to defeat me? I am giving you a chance. Come, if you guys are actually capable of defeating me, I will die without regrets," Xiang Shaoyun extended yet another challenge.
"Impudent!" Wu Mingliang cursed and jumped onto the arena as well.
"Do you have the guts to let me on the arena as well?" Li Hong'er couldn't help but ask.
"Come on up then. All four of you can come at me together. Please don't disappoint me," said Xiang Shaoyun as he gestured at all four of them. Everyone was of the opinion that Xiang Shaoyun had gone crazy.
One sixth-stage Astral Realm, two third-stage Astral Realm, and one first-stage Astral Realm cultivators. This combination was one capable of killing even someone at the sixth stage of the Astral Realm. Was Xiang Shaoyun a sixth-stage Astral Realm cultivator? That seemed unlikely.
Chapter 78: Now an Overlord
"Has Xiang Shaoyun gone crazy? He's challenging so many people? Is he planning to settle all his grudges at once?"
&nb
sp; "In truth, the biggest threat among them is Li Tianba. The others don’t really amount to anything. But Xiang Shaoyun has still acted too recklessly. Nobody would dare issue random challenges like him during an arena battle."
"Perhaps he thinks that with a five-star physique he can do whatever he wants? Little does he know that a genius is nothing before he grows up."
"I keep having a feeling that there is some conspiracy here. Look at that sly smile on his face. I can smell the cunning all the way from here."
The observing disciples started talking among themselves. Even for the original match between Xiang Shaoyun and Li Tianba, people were not optimistic of Xiang Shaoyun’s chances. Now that he was challenging even more people, everyone believed his victory was simply impossible.
Li Tianba stood there and watched silently as he thought to himself, Since you are the one with a death wish, you can’t blame anyone for what’s going to happen.
"Anyone else? I'll deal with all of you today," Xiang Shaoyun said, further shocking the people. Was he going to challenge all his enemies?
"Enough. Xiang Shaoyun, are you going to fight or not? Stop messing around," Li Tianba shouted, finally losing his patience.
"Hehe, you guys may attack freely. Remember, don't hold back. Otherwise, your defeat will be very miserable," Xiang Shaoyun sneered as he gestured at them. This was the moment for him to vent his pent up anger. The Wu Clan and Li Clan had nearly caused him to lose his life. Now was the time for him to get a tiny bit of payback.
"We don't need so many people for you. I alone am enough," Wu Mingguang shouted and immediately attacked with his weapon. The long sword snaked through the air toward Xiang Shaoyun.
In the blink of an eye, numerous sword energies enveloped Xiang Shaoyun, each of them incomparably sharp. Wu Mingguang was worthy of being a third-stage Astral Realm expert. His attack unleashed 60 percent of the sword technique's power, and an ordinary Astral Realm cultivator would find it hard to defend against such an attack.
Xiang Shaoyun looked at the sword energies indifferently. With a look of disdain, he said, "Too slow, too weak."
Right after he uttered those words, he moved. He danced amid the sword energies, avoiding all of them before rushing up to Wu Mingguang.
Cloud Splitting Palm!
Xiang Shaoyun only used an ordinary tier-1 battle technique, but for some reason, this ordinary tier-1 battle technique contained an earth-shattering might.
"Careful!" Li Tianba had sharp eyes and immediately realized that Wu Mingguang was in danger. He quickly threw out a reminder as he dashed over. Unfortunately, he was too late. Xiang Shaoyun's palm smoothly landed on Wu Mingguang's chest.
Bang!
The palm sent Wu Mingguang flying. His chest sank, and he coughed out blood without stop. When Xiang Shaoyun was a first-stage Astral Realm cultivator, he was already capable of fighting those at the third stage. Now that he was at the fourth stage, he could dispose of a third-stage cultivator as easily as an adult bullying a child.
What happened was precisely what he had intended—to teach these arrogant fellows a lesson before they even realized how strong he was. After Wu Mingguang was sent flying, Li Tianba arrived with his massive axe and swung it down toward Xiang Shaoyun's back. Xiang Shaoyun moved like he had a pair of eyes behind him. With an odd footwork, he dodged the attack and charged in a different direction.
"F*ck it! Die!" Wu Mingliang had been paying close attention to Xiang Shaoyun. When he saw Xiang Shaoyun rushing toward him, he clenched his teeth and attacked.
Wu Mingliang was only at the first stage of the Astral Realm. His attack was nothing in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes. As Xiang Shaoyun's strength grew, his speed had also grown massively to the point people could hardly catch a glimpse of him when he moved. Noiselessly, he arrived behind Wu Mingliang and heavily kicked Wu Mingliang's back.
Ka!
Thus, Wu Mingliang repeated what had happened to his sixth brother—flying in the air while coughing up blood.
"You are the one who has created troubles for me again and again. I will give you an unforgettable lesson," Xiang Shaoyun said as he chased after the flying Wu Mingliang with a ruthless glint in his eyes.
"Don't get too full of yourself!" Li Tianba howled and mustered all his strength to chase after Xiang Shaoyun. He swung his axe. Unfortunately, his speed was incomparable to Xiang Shaoyun’s. After catching up to Wu Mingliang, Xiang Shaoyun grabbed him and tossed him toward Li Tianba's incoming axe.
"No!" Wu Mingliang peed his pants in fear when he sensed the terrifying axe heading his way. When Li Tianba saw what was happening, he forcefully shifted the trajectory of his axe since it was too late to withdraw the attack. However, Xiang Shaoyun kicked Wu Mingliang to send him toward the axe's new trajectory.
"AHHHH!"
Li Tianba had no way of stopping his attack, and thus the attack squarely hit Wu Mingliang's shoulder, sending his arm flying. Blood sprayed everywhere, presenting everyone with a scene of gore.
"AHHHH!" Wu Mingliang grabbed his severed shoulder and wailed miserably.
"Seventh brother!" Wu Mingyang screamed. He tried jumping onto the arena, but the martial officer stopped him.
The officer said, "An ongoing battle cannot be disturbed. Any offender is punishable by death."
"Bastard! He severed my brother's arm!" Wu Mingyang yelled furiously.
"Who do you think you're scolding? If your brother surrenders, he can leave the arena immediately," the martial officer said unhappily.
"Fine, fine, I am conceding on behalf of both my brothers," Wu Mingyang shouted.
"I-I sur—" Li Hong'er was scared out of her wits, her body still shivering from fear. Thus, she tried to surrender as well. Unfortunately, before she could finish her words, Xiang Shaoyun appeared beside her and slapped her face.
Pa!
"You want to duel me, right? I hope you are enjoying yourself," Xiang Shaoyun said as he slapped Li Hong'er repeatedly, causing her face to swell as she wailed.
In truth, Xiang Shaoyun had already forgotten about Li Hong'er. But since she insisted on creating trouble for him, he decided to no longer hold back when facing her, either. At this moment, Li Tianba finally recovered from the shock of severing Wu Mingliang's arm. Fury filled his eyes. "Bastard! Let go of my sister! Die!"
This time, Li Tianba no longer dared to wave his axe around. He ran over and sent a palm strike towards Xiang Shaoyun with all his might.
Blood Noxious Palm, 100 percent power!
"Li Tianba? The self-proclaimed, number-one overlord of the Martial Hall Palace? Today, let this young master show you what an overlord looks like. I was born to be king, and today, I hereby proclaim myself as overlord. With one punch, I will defeat you!" Xiang Shaoyun decided to use Li Tianba to establish dominance, to properly plant fear in the hearts of all the disciples. The time had arrived for him to prove his might.
He sent Li Hong'er flying with one more slap then clenched his fist and focused his power into it. Purple qi curled around his fist before his fist shot out to meet Li Tianba's palm.
Bang!
Chapter 79: Blood Eruption Technique
The fist met the palm, and the clash created an oppressive sound. Astral energy rippled out everywhere. Everyone believed that the collision would cripple Xiang Shaoyun's fist. But when they saw the sight of Li Tianba clutching his arm with his other hand and retreating, their eyes nearly popped out from disbelief.
"H-how is this possible? Li Tianba is the one retreating? Am I seeing things?"
"No, you're not seeing things. I saw it too. What kind of strength is this? I thought Xiang Shaoyun was only a third-stage Basic Realm cultivator two months ago? Why is he suddenly strong enough to face Li Tianba without losing? This makes no sense!"
"This Xiang Shaoyun is totally a freak! He is actually a match for Li Tianba. No, he is probably even stronger. No wonder he dares to challenge all four of them at once."
"He is definitely an expert at hiding his own strengt
h, and has been hiding his actual strength all along. How else can he be this strong? What a trickster!"
"Oh heavens, he is so handsome! This young lady has a new crush!"
On the arena, Xiang Shaoyun domineeringly advanced with his Overlord's Nine Nether Steps, leaving numerous afterimages behind as he streaked across the arena. The crowd couldn't even see which of the afterimages was the real him. Li Tianba retreated without stop and madly waved his axe around to create a wall of axe afterimages to force Xiang Shaoyun away from him.
"Is that all you have? Too weak," Xiang Shaoyun said with disdain. He sprinted through the wall of axe afterimages then attacked with his Gale Winds Kick.
Bang! Bang!
Several kicks struck Li Tianba, causing him to lose his balance and crash onto the ground. If he hadn't been wearing heavy armor, the kicks would have seriously injured him.
"Come on, stand up! I thought you were amazing? I thought you were going to break all four of my limbs? If you don't get back on your feet right now, I will be breaking your limbs instead," Xiang Shaoyun stopped and said. He needed to vent his anger and prove his dominance.
Li Tianba crawled back up and said furiously, "Do you think this is all I have? Open your eyes wide and watch!"
And then, Li Tianba finally unleashed all the power available from his peak sixth-stage Astral Realm cultivation base. A dense crimson radiance shone from his axe; the radiance surrounding the axe reached a height of several meters. A massive sense of oppression appeared, one that was comparable to even the sense of oppression a seventh-stage Astral Realm cultivator could release.
Bloody Axe Slices the Night Away!
With all his power, he swung his axe, sending a terrifying wall of crimson energy crashing down toward Xiang Shaoyun. This was an attack not even a seventh-stage Astral Realm cultivator could resist. This was a tier-3, high-grade battle technique, an extremely mighty attack.
"That's more like it!" Xiang Shaoyun's battle intent surged as he drew the Lightning Spear from his back and stabbed forward.