I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 41
"Kid, stop right there!" a shout suddenly rang out behind him.
"W-who a-are you people? W-why are you c-chasing after me?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in panic.
Instead of stopping, he ran even faster. The group chasing after him were all mounted on demonic beasts, and there were more than ten of them.
"I say, stand right there! Disobey and you will die!" the leader of the group shouted. He was a Transformation Realm cultivator, and he was moving very quickly. At this point, Xiang Shaoyun was running with all his might.
The people behind Xiang Shaoyun were getting closer and closer when he suddenly noticed that there was a new group of people ahead of him. The new group was Wen Jinrui's group he had met at the market earlier. His eyes lit up as he quickly shouted at Wen Jinrui, "Hold right there! This young master is here to teach you people a lesson!'
Wen Jinrui's group had also noticed that a group of people was approaching, and when they saw Xiang Shaoyun pointing at them while shouting, they came to a conclusion that the group was there for them.
"Protect the young master!" shouted the old man beside Wen Jinrui.
"What is there to fear? If they dare try anything, kill them all. Do they really think a single King Realm cultivator is enough to face the Wen Clan?” Wen Jinrui said with a frown on his face.
"Since they have a King Realm cultivator working as a guard, they must have a rather powerful background as well. But if they do try to attack us, we'll just fight them. We have nothing to fear," the old man said.
"Stand right there!" shouted the group behind Xiang Shaoyun.
From the perspective of Wen Jinrui's group, Xiang Shaoyun was chasing after them with a group of people, with the people behind Xiang Shaoyun being his underlings. That was why Wen Jinrui tensed up when he saw the approaching group.
"You sure are ballsy to try snatching something I have my eyes on. Time for you to suffer!" Xiang Shaoyun continued shouting. At this point, the group chasing Xiang Shaoyun was right behind him. Thus, it looked very much like he was leading them against Wen Jinrui's group.
"Screw you! You might be the one to suffer instead! Kill!" Wen Jinrui was never a cowardly person. When he saw Xiang Shaoyun coming with a large group, he commanded his men to attack instead of waiting like sitting ducks.
The group behind Xiang Shaoyun was only there for him. But before they were given a chance to say anything, Wen Jinrui's men were already assaulting them.
Xiang Shaoyun dodged an attack aimed at him. He slammed his palm into the attacker before shouting, "Kill! Go go go!"
"Kill! Kill them all!" Wen Jinrui thought Xiang Shaoyun really was trying to kill him and his men, so he also commanded his men to attack to kill.
As for the group chasing Xiang Shaoyun, they were completely caught by surprise. Only when one of them was killed did they start going mad as well.
"You dare attack us, members of the Mad Lion Hunting Group? Die!" the leader howled before charging toward Wen Jinrui's men with his saber raised.
And thus, a chaotic battle broke out. The two groups fought valiantly while Xiang Shaoyun sneaked around the battlefield with his excellent footwork without actually getting involved in the fight.
"Ahhhh!"
The battle raged on as the two groups killed each other off. Blood sprayed everywhere.
While sneaking amid the chaos, Xiang Shaoyun did not forget to keep shouting for them to kill. Toward the end, a Transformation Realm expert nearly struck him. Fortunately, he was able to flee in time. Otherwise, he would've gotten himself killed.
"Damn, time for me to leave." Xiang Shaoyun finally left the battlefield.
"Kid, stop right there! Kill him first!" commanded Wen Jinrui, seated on his mount.
At his command, the demonic beast charged Xiang Shaoyun. As a whole, Wen Jinrui's group held the advantage in the battle. Although they had fewer people, the Transformation Realm experts they had were stronger.
The Transformation Realm experts worked together as they slaughtered the Mad Lion Hunting Group people one after another, to the point the people of the Mad Lion Hunting Group trembled with fear.
Wen Jinrui was an eighth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. Riding a mount that was a peak Intermediate Demon, he quickly caught up to Xiang Shaoyun before sending a flying blade toward Xiang Shaoyun's back.
Sensing the danger, Xiang Shaoyun immediately bent down and narrowly avoided the sneak attack. At the exact instant he bent down, the demonic beast arrived and stomped down at him.
The demonic beast was a bear-type beast. Its stomp was extremely powerful, and if the attack landed, anyone would be turned into mincemeat. At this moment of crisis, Little White finally showed his prowess. He roared, releasing a roar of a king of beasts that shocked the bear so much it shivered and paused slightly.
Taking the opportunity of the bear pausing, Little White jumped on it and furiously bit at it.. As for Xiang Shaoyun, he took the opportunity to roll out of the way before standing up. After standing up, he sent an Astral Realm cultivator who had just arrived flying with a kick.
"Little White, don't waste any time on them. Let's go," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Hearing that, Little White hopped away after tearing a piece of meat off the bear. He ran after Xiang Shaoyun.
"Damn it! Get him!" Wen Jinrui yelled.
Hearing the command, the Transformation Realm old man killed a random Mad Lion Hunting Group member near him before chasing after Xiang Shaoyun.
"Die!" yelled the old man as he clawed at Xiang Shaoyun.
An energy claw shot out of his hand and hurtled toward Xiang Shaoyun. If the attack hit, Xiang Shaoyun would definitely be turned into mincemeat.
"Elder Zhen Peng, where are you?" Xiang Shaoyun finally called for help after sensing a danger he couldn't avoid.
"Those who dare harm my young master will die!" Elder Zhen Peng yelled as he appeared suddenly from the sky. He landed a kick on the old man's head.
Bang!
The old man's head exploded.
Chapter 85: I Hate Traitors The Most
Just like that, a Transformation Realm expert was killed by having his head smashed apart. Fear rippled through the crowd at his death.
"Damn it. I don't care who you are. But since you dare kill members of our Wen Clan, you should be ready to face the wrath of the Wen Clan as well," Wen Jinrui cried out fearfully. Even as he shouted, he retreated and no longer dared to keep attacking Xiang Shaoyun. As for the two groups in battle, they all separated from one another as well. A large number of them had been killed, and the survivors looked extremely miserable.
"Young master, shall I…," Elder Zhen Peng asked as he made a throat-slitting gesture.
That frightened Wen Jinrui even more, nearly causing him to fall off his mount from fear. He quickly urged his mount to flee, "Go, run!"
He then fled with his mount, leaving all his underlings behind. When the others saw Wen Jinrui fleeing, they started scattering in all directions. None of them was unafraid of death. The Mad Lion Hunting Group members were also fleeing madly.
"Young master, do I...," Elder Zhen Peng asked.
"Forget those people. As for the other group, leave one alive and kill the rest," said Xiang Shaoyun as he pointed at the Mad Lion Hunting Group members. Elder Zhen Peng obeyed and chased after them. Soon, all but one of them were killed, and Elder Zhen Peng captured the sole survivor, a Transformation Realm hunter.
"Don't kill me. Please don't kill me! I am only following orders!" the Transformation Realm hunter begged, completely losing all his courage upon knowing that Elder Zhen Peng was a King Realm cultivator.
"Mad Lion Hunting Group, how did your people find me?" Xiang Shaoyun asked. When he encountered them at the Hundred Beast Mountain Range, he had been able to escape without even revealing his identity to them. Thus, it did not make sense for them to come after him. And since they were really coming for him, something he was unaware of might have happened. He had to figure out what was going on.
"What?" Xiang Shaoyun cried out in astonishment. That was the worst answer he could get. The moment he heard that, he already had a rough idea who the traitor was. Who could it be apart from Mei Lianhua?
"Why are you chasing after me so relentlessly?" Xiang Shaoyun asked with an unsightly expression.
"Because they said that apart from getting the Earth Star Spring, you had also gotten a large number of spiritual treasures. That was how you have been growing so fast. That was why we came after you. Please spare me. I won't ever attempt to do anything against you anymore," the hunter begged.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you," Xiang Shaoyun said and gestured at Elder Zhen Peng before he turned and started leaving. Just as the Transformation Realm hunter thought he had been spared, Elder Zhen Peng's palm struck his forehead.
Bang!
Just like that, the Transformation Realm hunter was killed. His last thought before his death was, I thought he said he wasn’t going to do anything to me?
Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself, "I didn't do anything to you, but that does not apply to the people around me."
Xiang Shaoyun had decided that he would never spare anyone who had ever tried to kill him.
"Old Peng, do you know about the Mad Lion Hunting Group?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Of course. It is a very powerful demon hunting group," Elder Zhen Peng answered. He proceeded to give Xiang Shaoyun a rough explanation about the Mad Lion Hunting Group. After listening to Elder Zhen Peng, Xiang Shaoyun finally understood that the Mad Lion Hunting Group was no ordinary demon hunting group.
The Mad Lion Hunting Group was a group formed by a large number of experts in the surrounding regions. Their commander was a ninth-stage Transformation Realm expert, and they had four deputy commanders who were all late-stage Transformation Realm experts as well. Additionally, their members were filled with numerous experts in both the Transformation and Astral Realms. One could say that it was definitely an incredibly powerful organization.
They mainly operated in the Hundred Beast Mountain Range, and they even involved themselves in banditry. More importantly, it was rumored that they were also connected with a certain organization at the Cloud Margin City. The Cloud Margin City was the largest city in the region, surrounded by over a hundred towns. Wu Town was one of those towns.
Xiang Shaoyun was very clear on the difference between a city and a town. A proper city was a place where experts converged, and any random organization of a decent size could very well be much more powerful than the Martial Hall Palace. A town was incomparable to a city. Because of that, although the Mad Lion Hunting Group had many enemies, many of their enemies were helpless to do anything.
"Looks like the Mad Lion Hunting Group is no pushover," Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself with his eyes narrowed.
"If the young master wants them dead, I can go do it right now," Elder Zhen Peng said as a show of loyalty.
Xiang Shaoyun shook his head. "No. They are all going to be my stepping stones."
Although Xiang Shaoyun was only 15 years old, he had a deep ambition and ideas in his mind that many people couldn't understand. Back then, he was a frivolous young man. After that incident, he had quickly matured. He might usually behave like an undisciplined child, but his thoughts were something very few people could actually understand.
"Let's return to the Martial Hall Palace. I hate traitors the most," Xiang Shaoyun said with loathing. After returning to the Martial Hall Palace, he first went to meet Xia Liuhui.
"Boss, are you fine?" Xia Liuhui asked anxiously.
His concern filled Xiang Shaoyun's heart with warmth. "I'm fine, brother."
No matter how many people betrayed him, he still had a brother loyal to him.
"Boss, what's going on? You seem off," Xia Liuhui asked as he could sense that Xiang Shaoyun was acting differently today. In the past, Xiang Shaoyun would usually call him Xia Liu, but today, Xiang Shaoyun was actually calling him brother. The change was too sudden. One could say that some people really did enjoy wallowing in degeneracy.
"I have something I need your help with," Xiang Shaoyun said seriously.
"Just say it boss. I will do whatever I can," Xia Liuhui slapped his chest and promised.
"I want you to challenge Mo Buhui and trample him," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"Challenging Mo Buhui? Sure, I'll do it!" Xia Liuhui agreed after a short astonishment. He knew his boss had his reasons for this. So he did not question it.
"If you want a woman, you must first become strong yourself. You can do it," Xiang Shaoyun patted Xia Liuhui's shoulder before heading off to look for Lu Xiaoqing. Lu Xiaoqing had been cultivating in seclusion all this while, but the moment Xiang Shaoyun arrived, she left seclusion to meet him.
"You're here!" Lu Xiaoqing was overjoyed. An enchanting smile bloomed on her flawless face.
"I need you to challenge Mei Lianhua to a duel," Xiang Shaoyun went straight to the point.
Lu Xiaoqing blanked out slightly, but immediately after, pure confidence surfaced on her face. She said, "Ok. I'll defeat her."
After getting the Earth Star Spring from Xiang Shaoyun, her strength had skyrocketed. She had now reached the third stage of the Astral Realm, and coupled with her bitter cultivation in recent days, defeating Mei Lianhua wouldn't be a problem. More importantly, this was Xiang Shaoyun's request of her. Thus, she would complete it no matter what.
Chapter 86: Who Can Do It?
Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing had respectively challenged Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua at the same time. This news shocked the people in the Martial Hall Palace. Lu Xiaoqing challenging Mei Lianhua was still understandable since they were both among the top 10 outer peak disciples, and they were probably evenly matched.
But Xia Liuhui, a completely unknown person, actually dared to challenge Mo Buhui. Nobody could understand why. But when they recalled that Xia Liuhui's boss was Xiang Shaoyun, their shock lessened.
While Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing were challenging their respective targets, Xiang Shaoyun was at the Hall of Limits. He did not show up, not because he did not care about Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing but because he was sure they would win.
Of course, there was also the fact that in his heart, both Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua were two insignificant individuals not worth more of his time. Because of that, he did not bother watching the duels. His priority was still his own growth.
This time, he broke through three limit rooms in a row, and by the time he was done, he was already in an incomparably sorry state, as he had sustained terrible injuries. The seventh and eighth rooms were supposed to be challenged by only those at the late stage of the Astral Realm.
Since Xiang Shaoyun had combat prowess comparable to a late-stage Astral Realm cultivator, both those rooms weren't that hard for him. But he countered troubles in the ninth room. That was a room that generally only those at the eighth or ninth stage of the Astral Realm could survive. He suffered greatly in that room, but he eventually survived and broke through its limit.
After he was done challenging the three rooms, he received word that Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing had both emerged victorious in their duels. Xia Liuhui's fame thus spread, and he was even accepted as a personal disciple by an elder.
As for Lu Xiaoqing, she was now known as the most outstanding female disciple after Gong Qinyin. Xiang Shaoyun was happy for them, but then again, this was a result he had expected.
The only reason he had them challenge Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua was to break the two's cultivation spirits, causing them to be forever stuck at the same cultivation level, to forever wallow in degeneracy from then on. Doing that was much better than giving them an easy death. More importantly, he couldn't be bothered to personally lift his finger against them.
Of course, he also feared that if he did personally move on them, he wouldn't be able to hold his anger and would end up killin
g them instead. If he did kill the two, it would only adversely affect his status in the Martial Hall Palace.
Perhaps I need to start making some plans, Xiang Shaoyun thought to himself.
Xiang Shaoyun spent three days recovering from his injuries. During the period, Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing did come to visit, and even some elders had come to visit him as well. Although the elders were visiting Xiang Shaoyun, their actual target was Elder Zhen Peng, as all of them wished to receive some sort of guidance in cultivation.
After the three days, Palace Master Yang Gaochuan summoned Xiang Shaoyun to the meeting palace. The meeting palace was in fact a place only the elders and the higher ups of Martial Hall Palace could enter. Regular disciples were never allowed in.
Xiang Shaoyun had no idea why he was summoned, but the summon wasn't something he could refuse. Thus, he went as summoned. When he arrived, he found that apart from Yang Gaochuan, many elders and overseers were there, so were a few youngsters he didn't know.
When Xiang Shaoyun arrived, many gazes landed on him, especially the youngsters, who were all sizing him up. He greeted the people before standing aside. A graceful figure then walked into the room. When Xiang Shaoyun saw the newcomer, his expression shifted as he thought helplessly to himself, Looks like I can't run from her forever.
He was expecting the newcomer to start picking on him, but the newcomer merely greeted the others before standing aside as well. She did not even spare him a glance.
Huh? Has this girl forgotten about me? But that doesn't make any sense, Xiang Shaoyun mused inwardly.
It was at this moment that he sensed the newcomer staring daggers at him. In his astonishment, he continued his inner monologue, Shit, looks like she was only pretending to not recognize me.
When the others noticed that Xiang Shaoyun was staring at the newcomer without even blinking his eyes, their hearts were filled with contempt of his shamelessness. It was fine for a man to want to check out girls, but doing it so blatantly was simply shameless.