by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
In order to escape the destructiveness of the millennium earthcore fire, Long Hui was fully focused on fleeing. He had not expected to be attacked in this manner at all. Before he even understood what was going on, the headband was already snugly wrapped around his head.
"What is this? F*ck off!" Long Hui howled as he tried ripping the headband off.
Xiang Shaoyun quickly chanted the Nether Dragon Soul Curse mantra, sending numerous ancient symbols drifting forward to the Nether Dragon Soul Headband.
"Roar! Roar!"
The Nether Dragon Soul Headband had seemingly transformed into a devilish dragon that started wreaking havoc in Long Hui's mind. Thundering dragon roars sounded in his mind, putting him in intense pain.
"Ahhhh!"
The dreadful and devilish curse almost seemed like it was actually a dragon devouring the victim's soul. The process was excruciatingly painful, and Long Hui felt like his head had completely gone out of control; the throbbing pain gave him the sensation that his head was about to explode.
He resisted endlessly, but his physical body was being burned by the millennium earthcore fire at the same time. His king-grade armor was already on the verge of completely falling apart. With the two sources of suppression, escape was nearly impossible for Long Hui.
"Submit!" Xiang Shaoyun channeled his will into the Nether Dragon Soul Headband, forcing Long Hui to submit.
Long Hui was clear that if he dared to keep struggling, his soul would be completely destroyed. In any case, the pain his very soul was experiencing was too much for him to handle. Thus, he answered without the slightest hesitation, "I am willing to submit! I submit!"
The moment he agreed to submit, Xiang Shaoyun withdrew a large portion of the flame power assaulting Long Hui. He increased the speed in which he chanted the mantra, imprinting a brand in Long Hui's soul.
Long Hui was given no chance to resist. Everything proceeded smoothly, and before long, the Nether Dragon Soul Headband sank into Long Hui's head and encased itself around his soul.
The original Nether Dragon Soul Headband flew back into Xiang Shaoyun's head, leaving behind a duplicate around Long Hui's soul. This duplicate was actually a soul brand created by the headband, and it was also the brand Xiang Shaoyun would use to control Long Hui.
One could say that the brand was a seed of the Nether Dragon Soul Headband and that the actual Nether Dragon Soul Headband was something akin to a queen capable of exercising full control over its seed. This was the marvelous part of the Nether Dragon Soul Headband.
After completing the process, Xiang Shaoyun felt his soul power weaken considerably, to the point he felt slightly lightheaded. That was the side effect of soul power exhaustion. It proved that using the Nether Dragon Soul Curse wasn't easy after all.
"Luckily, it was a success." Xiang Shaoyun smiled smugly.
At present, a strand of Long Hui's soul brand had appeared in his head. This soul brand was under control of the Nether Dragon Soul Headband, and the moment he chanted the mantra of the curse, Long Hui would be tormented by an excruciating pain. Apart from that, if he erased this soul brand, the brand in Long Hui's soul would immediately explode, destroying Long Hui's soul.
This was a form of absolute control that nobody could hope to escape. Even after Xiang Shaoyun died, the disappearance of his soul power would also result in Long Hui dying together with him. The only way Long Hui could regain his freedom was by having Xiang Shaoyun personally remove the curse from him.
"Leave and make sure nobody approaches this place," Xiang Shaoyun issued his first command.
"Yes!" Long Hui was already fully under Xiang Shaoyun's control. He also knew what Xiang Shaoyun was capable of doing to him. Thus, he agreed without hesitation and flew away.
After Long Hui left, Xiang Shaoyun was still able to sense his soul undulations, giving him a clear picture of Long Hui's location at all times.
"What an exquisite curse," Xiang Shaoyun told himself gleefully.
In the future, he would have a King Realm guardian by his side. Things would be much safer for him, and the power under his control would also grow. This was an excellent start to the growth of his personal faction.
Xiang Shaoyun then started replenishing his soul power with the Nether Dragon Soul Curse. He would only leave after recovering to an optimum condition. At this time, Xiao Wenbo had already returned. When he saw the sorry look on Long Hui, he quickly asked, "Long Hui, what happened to you? You look terrible with all the burns on you."
Long Hui replied nonchalantly, "It's nothing. I tried searching under the lava and got myself in this sorry state."
"Haha, are you trying to get your hands on the millennium earthcore fire as well? Forget it. If the pavilion master found out, both of us will suffer," Xiao Wenbo said with a smile.
"Of course not." Long Hui refused to admit the truth. He paused for a bit before asking, "So is the millennium earthcore fire over there fake?"
"It's most likely a strand of the millennium earthcore fire's flame instead of its actual body," Xiao Wenbo said.
"Um. Let's continue guarding out there then. Let the kids continue what they're doing," Long Hui said.
"How about what's down there?" Xiao Wenbo pointed at the lava pool and asked.
"There's nothing there. Come on, let's go," Long Hui said and left.
Xiao Wenbo was still feeling doubtful, but he did not push further. He did not cultivate the power of flame anyway. Any secret the place had would have nothing to do with him. Furthermore, he was not as strong as Long Hui. It would be better for him to obey.
After Xiang Shaoyun recovered, he peeked out from the lava again.
"Time to leave. Staying will only cause more problems," Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself before quickly climbing out of the lava. Without the two Kings, he was able to easily reach the edge of the crater. When he appeared, the flame beasts noticed him and immediately wanted to attack.
Xiang Shaoyun allowed some of Yun Flame's power to leak, and he bellowed, "Scram!"
When the flame beasts sensed Yun Flame's power, they instantly became deferential and retreated from Xiang Shaoyun. After extending his senses to his surroundings to ensure there was nobody around, he left. As he traveled, he ripped the human skin from his face.
"A lot of people saw me drop into the lava. If I show myself with that face, they will be able to guess that I have obtained the millennium earthcore fire. It is time to return to my real face," Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself.
Chapter 212: Call Me Young Master From Now On
Xiang Shaoyun was finally out of the volcanic crater. He had stayed in the crater for 13 months in total—a long period of time. Now, he was already a 17-year-old young man. Back when he first joined the Martial Hall Palace, he was still only 15 years old. Two years had passed, and he had grown considerably since then.
His height had grown, and his physical body was much sturdier than before. His temperament had improved greatly as well. All those were the results of his hard work in cultivation.
From a weak and frail scholar, he had transformed into a peak seventh-stage Transformation Realm expert, a level high enough to accord him some sort of status as he wandered the world of cultivation.
Xiang Shaoyun did not go far from the Flame Mountain. He found a water source nearby and quickly washed up. After putting on a new set of clothes, he looked handsome and elegant enough to cause a maiden's heart to flutter at his sight.
"Finally, I see the sun again. This is such a refreshing feeling," said Xiang Shaoyun as he spread his arms and bathed under the sunlight.
Life in a lava pool for more than a year was incredibly dull. That period of time helped him further appreciate how beautiful the outside world was. Concurrently, Yun Flame was also transmitting a feeling of joy toward him. It could also sense the outside world, and it placed it in a great mood. Out here, it was able to absorb the power of extreme yang contained in the sunlight, which would only help it grow faster.
&nbs
p; "Looks like you like the outside world as well. In the future, you will have the chance to witness even more wondrous sights," said Xiang Shaoyun.
He then sank into thought, pondering his next steps. He had to first look for Mo Mo and see if she was still waiting for him or if she had left. After that, he had to consider if he should bring Long Hui on his adventures. Leaving Long Hui in the Cloud Margin Pavilion to help gather news was an option as well. And after he was done with all that, he would continue doing whatever it took to grow stronger.
Xiang Shaoyun took a detour around the Flame Mountain and returned to the fringe of the mountain. When he arrived at the place where he separated with Mo Mo, he found that she was no longer there. Somewhat disappointed, he muttered, "Looks like even she thinks I am dead."
Nevertheless, Xiang Shaoyun wasn't overly bothered. Mo Mo still wasn't important enough for him to go all melancholic over her.
"I'll think of my next step after a trip to Cloud Margin City," Xiang Shaoyun decided after giving it some thought.
But before that, he had to look for Long Hui and have a proper chat with him. Although Long Hui was now under Xiang Shaoyun's control, he was still able to act as before and think freely. The only difference was that he now had to obey Xiang Shaoyun's command.
Xiang Shaoyun returned back to the vicinity of the Flame Mountain. He would encounter the occasional cultivator on his way, but they mostly ignored him. Everyone assumed that he was yet another young man here to temper himself.
Along the way, he managed to overhear a lot of people talking about the fire on Flame Mountain suddenly extinguishing. When he heard that, he felt somewhat smug as he thought inwardly, Sorry guys, the millennium earthcore fire is already mine!
After he arrived at a random remote corner, he summoned Long Hui.
Long Hui and Xiao Wenbo were both only here on a Cloud Margin Pavilion mission to watch over the area and to not allow any Kings to harvest the millennium earthcore fire. Normally, they would remain hidden. Regular Transformation Realm cultivators would not even realize that the two were there.
It did not take Long Hui long to arrive beside Xiang Shaoyun. With an unhappy look, he stared at Xiang Shaoyun and asked, "Are you the one who did that to me?"
Xiang Shaoyun gazed at Long Hui and smiled. "Surprised?"
"Die!" Long Hui suddenly attacked.
But the moment he thought of attacking, Xiang Shaoyun was notified. He immediately chanted the Nether Dragon Soul Curse's mantra. Numerous incorporeal symbols drifted toward Long Hui, and before he could even get near Xiang Shaoyun, he felt like his head was going to explode.
"Ahhhh!"
He clasped at his head and wailed. The terrible pain he was experiencing caused him to instantly collapse where he stood. Just like that, a sixth-stage Skysoar Realm King was tortured to the point he was rolling around on the ground. It was quite a sorry sight. Xiang Shaoyun felt no pity whatsoever. He only stopped when Long Hui started begging for mercy.
"If you dare think of harming me again, you will immediately explode and die," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
"Y-yes, I-I won't dare to try that ever again," said Long Hui, fear covering his face.
After that experience, he was truly afraid of Xiang Shaoyun. The torturing of one's soul was a kind of torture nobody could resist.
"Get up. Call me young master in the future. I am your master, and my every word is the law for you. Disobedience is not an option," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Yes, young master," Long Hui stumbled back up and said deferentially.
"Ok. Let's start with you. Tell me about yourself," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Thus, Long Hui told Xiang Shaoyun about himself, including his position in the Cloud Margin Pavilion. After listening to him, Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed as he thought, A high-level elder of Cloud Margin Pavilion? Sixth-stage Skysoar Realm cultivator? Not bad at all.
"Will there be a problem if I want you to leave with me immediately?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"There won't be a problem, but I need to report my departure to the pavilion," Long Hui said.
"I'm returning to Cloud Margin City anyway. Let's go back together, then," said Xiang Shaoyun. He added, "Oh, why don't you take me for a stroll at Cloud Margin Pavilion? You should have enough authority for that, right?"
"Yes, but only the outer pavilion. Only those with an official position in the pavilion can enter the inner pavilion," said Long Hui.
"Just show me around first," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Long Hui then left Xiao Wenbo a message before heading toward the Cloud Margin Pavilion with Xiang Shaoyun. The Cloud Margin Pavilion was located at a mountainous area outside the suburbs of Cloud Margin City.
This was a place with imposing mountains, lush forest, and rare plants growing everywhere. In fact, it was incredibly scenic. Numerous buildings were constructed on the mountain ridges. Shrouded among clouds, the buildings looked spectacularly imposing and wondrous.
Just the pedestrians alone made up no fewer than 10,000 people. Each of them were dressed in martial outfits, looking healthy and spirited, displaying the might of the Cloud Margin Pavilion.
This was how a tier-3 organization looked. Its size was not something regular organizations could compare with. In the eyes of the people here, this was an absolutely magnificent organization.
At present, Xiang Shaoyun had just arrived at the outer pavilion with Long Hui. He was only here to take a stroll, but surprisingly, he actually stumbled upon someone he knew. Moreover, that person seemed to have encountered some sort of trouble which caused the person to fume.
Chapter 213: Brother in Suffering
The Cloud Margin Pavilion was separated into the inner and outer pavilion. Naturally, the inner pavilion was an important place where only inner disciples could enter. There, the environment and facilities were much more optimal for cultivation. As for the outer pavilion, that was where the outer and common disciples resided, and it was considered the low-level zone of the Cloud Margin Pavilion.
The outer pavilion was located at the foot of the mountains. Numerous buildings stood tall, with some of them being special areas for different cultivation needs. Here, over 3,000 outer disciples and common overseers resided.
Even so, the environment of the outer pavilion was already much better than the academies of the various towns. As for the disciples, they were naturally far stronger than the regular town disciples as well.
Not a single one of these disciples were below the Astral Realm, and most of them were above mid Astral Realm. There were a large number of Transformation Realm disciples as well. These were all proud geniuses gathered from Cloud Margin City. All of them had only managed to become a disciple after going through a harsh selection process.
Xiang Shaoyun had just arrived with Long Hui. From far away, he saw a gate several dozen meters tall framed by two towering pillars. In between the pillars, the large words "Cloud Margin Pavilion" were carved.
Each of the three words emanated a majestic feeling capable of giving others an incorporeal sense of pressure. It was clear these words were personally carved by a supreme expert, leaving behind a trace of that person's presence in the words.
In fact, the words were carved by the first generation pavilion master of the Cloud Margin Pavilion. Standing in front the gate were eight sturdy fully armored guards. They were staring straight ahead with solemn expressions.
All eight of them were Transformation Realm cultivators. Just the fact that Transformation Realm experts had to serve as guards was proof of the Cloud Margin Pavilion's strength.
When the guards saw Long Hui coming with Xiang Shaoyun, they deferentially saluted Long Hui and greeted, "Greetings, Elder Long Hui!"
Long Hui nodded nonchalantly before sauntering through the gate with Xiang Shaoyun. Not a single one of them dared to say anything. This was the prerogative enjoyed by high-level elders, something common elders couldn't compare to.
"Young master, do you want to enter the i
nner pavilion with me or do you want to stay at the outer pavilion?" Long Hui asked.
"I'll look around the outer pavilion first," Xiang Shaoyun said. He only came to have a look around because he had nothing to do anyway. He had yet to think of what his next step would be. He was also trying to see if there were any good cultivation spots that would be helpful to him.
Long Hui brought Xiang Shaoyun to the outer pavilion overseer and told the overseer that Xiang Shaoyun was his distant relative and that Xiang Shaoyun was going to rest at the outer pavilion for a bit. The overseer naturally did not dare to slight Xiang Shaoyun after hearing so. He even wanted to set a feast to welcome Xiang Shaoyun in hope of buttering up to Elder Long Hui.
However, Xiang Shaoyun rejected the offer as he only wanted to stroll around freely. The overseer did not dare to say anything against it. After telling Xiang Shaoyun about the outer pavilion's forbidden zones, he left Xiang Shaoyun to his own devices.
Looking at the youngsters dripping in sweat as they trained, Xiang Shaoyun lamented inwardly, It has been a year. I wonder how Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing are doing nowadays.
Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing were among the very few friends Xiang Shaoyun had made during his time at the Martial Hall Palace. The scene of the hardworking youngsters stirred his memories, causing him to think of them. However, as he arrived at the corner of the training field, his attention was attracted by a certain silhouette.
"What is he doing here?" Xiang Shaoyun muttered joyfully.
He then quickly walked toward that person. There, a spar was going on. One of the combatants just happened to be one of the friends Xiang Shaoyun was thinking about just a short while ago.
It had been a year, and Xia Liuhui was now an eighth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. His growth had been astonishingly outstanding. However, the opponent he currently faced was far stronger than him—a ninth-stage Astral Realm cultivator.
And as expected, facing such an opponent, Xia Liuhui was constantly suppressed. After a few exchanges, Xia Liuhui was already bleeding all over. He was completely disadvantaged in the spar.