I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 57
Suddenly, five late-stage Intermediate Demon gold serpentine crocodiles appeared in Xiang Shaoyun’s vision. Behind them was a stalk of shiny gold orchid. The five gold serpentine crocodiles did not give Xiang Shaoyun any time to even think, as the moment he appeared, they pounced on him from five different angles.
Xiang Shaoyun did not fear these five beasts, but he could sense that an even more powerful demonic beast was approaching.
Chapter 122: Hunting Gold Serpentine Crocodiles
I need to end this quickly, thought Xiang Shaoyun. At that thought, he started using his unique footwork to travel amid the five gold serpentine crocodiles, slashing his Golden Wolf Sword left and right as he dashed in their midst.
Golden Wolf Sword Technique! Full power!
When a cultivator flawlessly executed a battle technique, the might of the battle technique would be further amplified. Sword energies streaked across the air accompanied by wolf howls, and the severed heads of all five gold serpentine crocodiles went flying.
But after unleashing the attack, the Golden Wolf Sword was also completely destroyed. The gold serpentine crocodile's skin and flesh were too tough for the sword. If it wasn't for Xiang Shaoyun's strength, the sword wouldn't be able to even penetrate their skin. Thus, severing the heads of the gold serpentine crocodiles became the Golden Wolf Sword's final mission.
Right this moment, an even larger gold serpentine crocodile arrived. This gold serpentine crocodile did not attack the moment it arrived like the other gold serpentine crocodiles. Instead, it fixed its eyes on Xiang Shaoyun and stuck out its tongue every now and then like a snake. It studied Xiang Shaoyun as if it was aware he was a powerful opponent that it shouldn't lightly attack.
When Xiang Shaoyun's gaze landed on the gold serpentine crocodile, it even started retreating. It would seem like it had no intention of battling Xiang Shaoyun.
"Hey, don't run. You're my dinner!" Xiang Shaoyun darted forward and stabbed his broken Golden Wolf Sword at the gold serpentine crocodile.
Other disciples would flee without a second thought when encountering a gold serpentine crocodile at the Great Demon level. But instead of fleeing, Xiang Shaoyun was instead pursuing the beast. This was the result of the difference in their strength.
Clang!
When Xiang Shaoyun's sword struck the gold serpentine crocodile, he failed to penetrate the beast's skin, and a loud clang rang out. This gold serpentine crocodile's skin was even more durable than even a tier-3 weapon, causing Xiang Shaoyun's broken sword to break again.
In its pain, the gold serpentine crocodile counterattacked and spat a golden beam at Xiang Shaoyun. Xiang Shaoyun flipped his body and stepped to the other side of the gold serpentine crocodile's body before striking out with his fist.
Lightning Bolt Fist!
Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation with this fist technique had reached the mid stage. His fist shot out, carrying with it the power of his innate purple lightning, and created an explosion when the fist landed. The electrical currents burned the gold serpentine crocodile's skin black. The gold serpentine crocodile wailed and twitched in pain, creating a mess of its immediate surroundings.
Xiang Shaoyun was not going to spare this gold serpentine crocodile. He went behind the crocodile, hugged its tail, and started slamming the gold serpentine crocodile around.
Bang! Bang!
Xiang Shaoyun repeatedly slammed the crocodile onto the nearby boulders, killing the crocodile ruthlessly. With the death of a Great Demon, his points grew again. In only two days, he had already accumulated 660 points. This was a speed not many disciples could compare to.
After killing the gold serpentine crocodile, he did not continue traveling. Rather, he stopped and roasted the gold serpentine crocodile. He had exhausted a large amount of energy today. It was time for some replenishment.
After Xiang Shaoyun finished eating the gold serpentine crocodile, he found with astonishment that within his body, strains of metal energy were streaming into his stars. Although they were extremely thin strains, they were incomparably pure. With his inner gaze ability, he was able to see everything clearly.
This is not the first gold serpentine crocodile I’ve eaten, but this has never happened before. So only gold serpentine crocodiles at the Great Demon level will create such pure metal energy? Xiang Shaoyun pondered.
Although these strains of metal energy were very thin, they still replenished a sizable chunk of his energy. They had also increased the intimacy between him and the metal element.
Demonic beast meats are capable of increasing one's vitality. But this is the first time I have ever sensed flowing energy from consuming beast meat, Xiang Shaoyun continued pondering as his mind wandered to the rumors he had heard about the Golden River Valley’s secret. That secret must be related to the large number of gold serpentine crocodiles here as well.
He gazed at Little White and found that Little White was enjoying the meal as much as he was. Evidently, Little White had sensed the strains of metal energy too. He recalled what Little White had said earlier. This was a place where Little White had sensed an intimate aura. Perhaps a fortuitous encounter was waiting for him somewhere in the Golden River Valley.
Xiang Shaoyun sat cross-legged in meditation, pushing his cultivation level to the completion of seventh-stage Astral Realm. At this point, he could break through at any time he wanted. But he still suppressed his breakthrough and continued building his foundation. Rushing was never a good thing.
The next day, he got Little White to swallow the gold orchid. He wanted to help Little White grow quickly as well. Currently, Little White was already a Great Demon and was no weaker than Xiang Shaoyun.
But for Xiang Shaoyun, that was far from enough. He wanted to help Little White become a Demon King as soon as possible. At that time, he would be able to soar through the skies just by riding Little White. Traveling would be much easier then. Little White did not bother holding back when Xiang Shaoyun gave him the gold orchid. He required a large amount of energy to grow, and the gold orchid was indeed very useful for him.
Xiang Shaoyun resumed his travel, and the deeper he went, the more gold serpentine crocodiles he met. Moreover, the gold serpentine crocodiles he encountered were getting stronger as well, slowing his advance considerably. He had a sensation that he was heading to a gold serpentine crocodile lair. Even so, he did not regret his choice. Only bitter battles would properly temper him.
Three days later, Xiang Shaoyun had accumulated 2,500 points. This was his gain from slaughtering a large number of Great Demon gold serpentine crocodiles. His body was riddled with wounds while his clothings were completely soaked with blood.
If it wasn't for the king-grade inner armor he was wearing, he would have died long ago. The gold serpentine crocodiles were no pushovers. They had fearsome defenses and violent attacks. Any carelessness when facing them would result in death.
Today, even Little White was forced to join in on the battle. When Little White enlarged his body, he looked mighty and formidable and was no less fearsome than the gold serpentine crocodiles. He could be seen darting about as he battled the gold serpentine crocodiles he encountered, his body emanating a violent aura.
Just like that, three tier-3 (Great Demon) gold serpentine crocodiles were bitten to death by Little White. Despite his victory, his body was riddled with wounds. Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was no longer fighting bare handed, and had just severed the heads of two other Great Demons with his Overlord Skyslaying Saber before retreating with Little White. He was clear that if he continued advancing, he would most likely encounter late-stage Great Demons.
Yes, Xiang Shaoyun wanted to temper himself and obtain the hidden fortuitous encounter, but he was also certain that staying alive was more important than anything else. Both he and Little White hid at a concealed spot and started healing themselves with their backs to a boulder.
Both of them were currently in terrible conditions. If they were ambushed right now, things would get
troublesome. But instead of some gold serpentine crocodiles, disciples of a different academy found him instead.
"Hehe, found you. You are truly quite capable, huh? You can reach this deep in the valley?" a sinister voice rang out.
Because of his injuries, Xiang Shaoyun had been paying close attention to his surroundings. Even so, this person had been able to arrive without him noticing it. That proved how good this newcomer was at concealment.
Chapter 123: Forced Into an Impasse
Xiang Shaoyun and Little White both stared at the newcomers vigilantly. It was already clear they had not come with friendly intentions. When Xiang Shaoyun finally got a good look at the newcomers, he found that he knew none of them.
"Are you sure you got the right person?" Xiang Shaoyun asked calmly.
There were seven of them, and all of them had mighty cultivation levels. Two of them were already in the Transformation Realm. As for the other five, even the weakest was an eighth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. In the Battle of Towns, such a group could already be considered an extremely powerful group. Xiang Shaoyun studied them carefully and was sure he had never seen these people before.
"It's fine if you don't know who we are. You only need to hand over your jade plate and break your own legs, and we will be done here," said the person who had spoken earlier.
The speaker was a youth dressed in black. He had a robust body and a ruthless expression on his face. After he spoke, he waved his hand and ordered the people around him to move on Xiang Shaoyun.
They were clearly here to rob him without giving him any explanation. Xiang Shaoyun could see that these people were not about to spare him. He naturally couldn't sit there and allow them to do whatever they wanted even if he was currently badly injured.
"Let me pluck his head off his body," said a young man. Eager to perform, he moved ahead of his companions. Dashing forward, he swung his pair of scythes straight at Xiang Shaoyun's neck.
Double Dragon's Feast!
He was attacking to kill, not intending to spare Xiang Shaoyun at all. Xiang Shaoyun did not do anything. Little White was the one who jumped forth to face the incoming attack.
"Howl!"
Little White thunderous roar rumbled out and stunned the attacker with a shocking soundwave. Then, Little White's merciless paw clawed the attacker's chest, digging a chunk of flesh off the chest to reveal the bones and internal organs within.
"AHHHH!" With a miserable wail, the young man died.
"Bastard! Everyone, attack together!" the youth in black cried out. After giving the command, he dashed forth and led the attack. He was a Transformation Realm cultivator. Although he was only at the first stage, his cultivation was enough to let him defeat many disciples in the competition.
Like a nimble snake, his black sword pierced through the air straight toward Xiang Shaoyun's neck. At the same time, the other Transformation Realm cultivator also slashed his blade at Xiang Shaoyun. The other four cultivators surrounded Xiang Shaoyun and Little White, preventing any escape.
"I don't care who you are. Since you want to die that much, I'll grant you your wish," Xiang Shaoyun roared. Ignoring the pain all over his body, he drew his Overlord Skyslaying Saber and raised it, the saber erupting with the power of innate purple lightning.
Rumble!
The saber attack arrived like a sudden lightning bolt from a clear sky with an unstoppable might. The youth in black was greatly shaken by this attack, but he was still a Transformation Realm cultivator. Clenching his teeth, he pressed on and faced the attack. He felt terrible after meeting the attack head on.
The innate purple lightning was terrifyingly powerful and directly burned his entire body black. He was sent flying far away before crashing on the ground. Even on the ground, his entire body twitched repeatedly, looking extremely sorry.
The two companions beside the youth in black were scared shitless by what they saw. Just as the two were distracted, a purple trail streaked across the air, followed by two severed heads.
After killing the two, Xiang Shaoyun clenched his teeth and was about to continue attacking the youth in black when a fresh fountain of blood burst out of an old wound on his arm. He nearly dropped his saber in pain. Forcing himself to fight at full power had worsened his injuries. These were the injuries he had sustained when killing gold serpentine crocodiles. If he kept on fighting, he would be in an even worse condition.
"Little White, let's leave," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Little White wasn't any better off than Xiang Shaoyun. He bit a head off one of the attackers before jumping back to Xiang Shaoyun. The two then fled.
"Damn it! He is already so injured yet is still so powerful. No wonder the Gateflag Academy people are willing to pay to have him killed. They won't be able to run far. You, stay behind and look after them. I'll chase after them," said the other Transformation Realm cultivator that was still uninjured.
He left the other uninjured person behind to look after the others while he went after Xiang Shaoyun alone. The reason he went after them was because of the heavy injuries Xiang Shaoyun and Little White had sustained. If he was able to kill Xiang Shaoyun, not only would he obtain Xiang Shaoyun's points, he would even obtain the reward Gateflag Academy was offering for Xiang Shaoyun's head.
Xiang Shaoyun's vitals were protected by his king-grade armor, but his four limbs were badly injured. His aura was growing increasingly unstable, as he could no longer suppress his cultivation base, which was trying hard to rush into the eighth stage. But this was not the time for a breakthrough.
"You won't be able to escape!" shouted the young man hot on his tail.
A short while later, Xiang Shaoyun arrived at the edge of a deep canyon that was more than 10 meters wide. It was also so deep the bottom couldn't be seen. With his injuries, it was impossible to jump over the canyon. As if to make matters worse, he could see gold serpentine crocodiles in his immediate vicinity, blocking all other paths. This left him with nowhere to go.
"Hehe, run, keep running. Why are you not running anymore?" the Transformation Realm cultivator smiled gleefully.
At present, the gold serpentine crocodiles were attacking Xiang Shaoyun and Little White. Because the Transformation Realm cultivator had arrived later, the gold serpentine crocodiles ignored him.
He was in no rush to attack. Rather, he stood there waiting for the gold serpentine crocodiles to further injure Xiang Shaoyun and Little White. If Xiang Shaoyun and Little White were outright killed, it would be even better.
To his disappointment, Xiang Shaoyun and Little White were still fighting on valiantly and were able to kill the gold serpentine crocodiles attacking them. But because of the battle, their injuries worsened.
One of Xiang Shaoyun's arms had a fractured bone while the other had a long wound on it. Both his legs were filled with bloody cavities, and his entire person was soaked red with blood, looking to be in an extremely terrible shape.
Propping himself up with the Overlord Skyslaying Saber, he kept his back straight and stared at the young man that was leisurely walking toward him. Numerous expressions flitted through his eyes.
"My...my only...question is...which academy are you from? Why are you after me?" Xiang Shaoyun spoke with great difficulty.
"You are already a dead man. What is the point of telling you?" the young man sneered.
"Sure, come on then. We shall see who is the actual dead man," Xiang Shaoyun said, a ruthless glint surfacing in his eyes.
By his side, Little White was also roaring furiously. But his injuries were even worse than Xiang Shaoyun's. He couldn't even stand anymore.
"Haha, fine, you are going to die anyway. I'll let you know. You are going to die in the hands of Sun Songli." The young man roared with laughter before darting forward. He attacked with his full power.
Chapter 124: Breaking Through During Crisis
Sun Songli was one of the most outstanding disciples of Blackhill Town's Blackhill Sect. He was an 18-year-old young man and
had a cultivation level of first-stage Transformation Realm. He mustered all his strength and released his energy before giving shape to them, creating several shadows that dashed straight toward Xiang Shaoyun and Little White.
Stacked Shadow Kill!
Although Xiang Shaoyun and Little White appeared completely helpless, Sun Songli had no intention of being careless. He still attacked with his full strength. He filled the area with his shadows and sword projections, which proceeded to destroy everything in the area and turned even the grasses in their path into fine powder. Both Xiang Shaoyun and Little White could sense how dangerous this attack was. They were in a critical situation.
"You want to kill me? I'll kill you first!" Xiang Shaoyun roared and stopped suppressing the astral energy within him, allowing it to run wild. The energy coursed through his veins and meridians, instantly flooding his entire body with energy. His 365 acupoints started shining brightly, and his badly injured body started recovering after the rich astral energy coursed through it.
It was at this moment that Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation level broke through the seventh stage to the eighth stage. At the same time, his lightning bone reacted as the purple dragon escaped from it. His nine stars and his astral cosmos sea formed a resonance with the bone, forming a river of stars connecting all of them while Xiang Shaoyun's boundless aura surged to the peak.
At this moment, Sun Songli's sword had already arrived at Xiang Shaoyun's forehead. He was attacking to kill. At this critical moment, a layer of purple energy formed a barrier around Xiang Shaoyun's body, protecting every inch of his body, his forehead included.
Clang!