by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Ever since he had reached seventh-stage Transformation Realm, he had not gotten into a fight where he had to use his full power. Having a great opponent like Qin Yu was something he himself had been longing for.
"Elder Qin, if you want to make a move against me, you have to do it yourself," said Xiang Shaoyun with complete disdain.
When Qin Yu saw how confident Xiang Shaoyun was, he started hesitating. The person before him clearly knew he was a Skysoar Realm cultivator yet still dared to challenge him. He was either a mentally challenged person or someone who had something he was relying on. Of the two, the latter was more believable.
Does he really think that master will protect him? Qin Yu questioned himself.
"Huh? I thought Elder Qin was very angry just a moment ago. Why are you suddenly scared?" said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.
"You sure have a boastful mouth. Fine. I will teach you a lesson on behalf of my master," said Qin Yu.
As a Skysoar Realm expert, why should he be afraid of a Transformation Realm kid? Qin Yu attacked, sending a claw attack flying toward Xiang Shaoyun like a fiery dragon. A King was indeed different from ordinary cultivators. The moment he attacked, an extraordinary might was unleashed. His claw attack was strong enough to rip any Transformation Realm cultivator apart.
Xiang Shaoyun was able to clearly see the entirety of the attack with his pair of keen eyes. He quickly used his footwork and avoided the attack before pushing in toward Qin Yu. Moving like a phantom, Xiang Shaoyun arrived before Qin Yu in the blink of an eye. There, he sent a claw attack toward Qin Yu as well.
First stance of the Seven Scorching Sun Claws, Iron Tearing Stance!
Xiang Shaoyun arrived and attacked quickly, but Qin Yu was nevertheless a Skysoar Realm expert. He was naturally equipped with an incredible reaction time, as he quickly reacted. He countered with yet another claw attack, clasping Xiang Shaoyun's claw attack.
Xiang Shaoyun's other hand did not remain idle as it clawed at Qin Yu repeatedly with strands of flame swirling around it. Qin Yu had not expected that Xiang Shaoyun was actually powerful enough to battle a King. He no longer dared to be careless and gradually unleashed his full power.
Pa! Pa!
The two fought without stop, creating a series of intense explosions in the courtyard. Numerous terrifying claw marks were left in their surroundings. After a while, Xiang Shaoyun's new set of clothes were reduced to shreds. Qin Yu was no better off either, as the defensive barrier formed of his kingly barrier was unable to block Xiang Shaoyun's attack at all.
The longer the fight went on, the more fearful Qin Yu felt. He finally understood why his master favored the kid so much.
So this kid is actually a War King!
The so-called War King was a title given to those possessing combat prowess comparable to a King before reaching the Skysoar Realm. From the combat prowess Xiang Shaoyun was displaying, he had obviously reached that level.
"Even if you are a War King, you still can't step on me! Lose already!" Qin Yu shouted furiously as he clawed madly with both hands.
Flame Dragon Tearing the Clouds!
It was as if a flame dragon had appeared, soaring straight into the sky with sharp, fearsome claws capable of destroying everything in existence.
Chapter 236: Defeating a King
Qin Yu was no longer holding back, completely surrounding himself in a kingly presence. Suppressing an opponent with presence before killing the opponent with attack techniques was a combat tactic only available when one reached the King Realm. Naturally, Xiang Shaoyun was unaffected by Qin Yu's kingly suppression. His presence of dragon and tiger surged out, instantly pushing his combat prowess up.
Third stance of Seven Scorching Sun Claws, Silver Tearing Stance!
Two different claw energies clashed repeatedly in the air, threatening to rip everything in their surroundings to shreds. The intense collisions fell all the trees in the courtyard. In the first series of exchanges, a bloody claw wound was left on Xiang Shaoyun's chest, and he was also jolted backward by the kingly presence.
"Kid, do you think just because you are a War King, you are comparable to a true King? You are too naive! Die!" After gaining an advantage over Xiang Shaoyun, Qin Yu roared with laughter as he pressed on, trying to rip his opponent apart with violent claw attacks.
Although Xiang Shaoyun had been injured in the first exchange, it did not mean he would remain in a disadvantaged position all the time. He pushed his eyes to the extreme, stripping Qin Yu's attacks completely naked before him. Then, he utilized his Overlord's Nine Nether Steps and moved, leaving a series of afterimages everywhere.
Qin Yu's claw attacks only landed on the afterimages and were unable to harm Xiang Shaoyun. Like the wind, Xiang Shaoyun's body drifted everywhere before he attacked from Qin Yu's flank using the same Silver Tearing Stance. A thin layer of Yun Flame's power was wrapped around the claw, greatly increasing the offensive might of Xiang Shaoyun’s attacks.
Qin Yu had not expected Xiang Shaoyun's speed to suddenly rise sharply, but he was confident in the layer of energy around him and was not afraid of Xiang Shaoyun's attacks at all. Unfortunately, he had underestimated Xiang Shaoyun's offensive power. The claw tore through his defense like butter and left a deep claw wound on his shoulder.
Qin Yu hissed in pain and quickly dodged to the side. He wanted to send an instant counterattack, but the wound on his shoulder actually started burning, further worsening his wound.
"Piss off!" Qin Yu howled as his energy rippled out, jolting the flame off his shoulder.
That short distraction was enough for Xiang Shaoyun to launch a fierce offensive. He turned his claw into a fist and sent punches powered by white tiger energy toward his opponent. The golden energy carried with it a dreadful destructiveness that was able to smash Qin Yu's defense apart.
After being hit by two punches in a row, Qin Yu could no longer keep calm. He directly flew up, getting away from Xiang Shaoyun's following attacks. Circulating his energy repeatedly, he pushed the flame and golden energy out of his body. He then fiercely glared down at Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Today, I won't stop unless I kill you!"
He then dove down from the air with a fiery sword in his hand. A flaming crane shot out from the tip of the sword and flew straight at Xiang Shaoyun, who greeted the crane with a fully powered punch.
Gold Helix Fist!
The revolving energy was powerful enough to break all defenses, and combined with the prowess of the golden energy, the punch directly smashed the crane apart. That was only the first of Qin Yu's attacks. In the blink of an eye, nearly 100 sword energies shot down from the sky. Numerous flaming cranes surrounded Xiang Shaoyun, trying to tear him apart.
One ought to admit that the height advantage gave Qin Yu a great superiority in the fight, forcing Xiang Shaoyun into a defensive position. Defeat was only a matter of time if one stayed on the defensive. A few more new wounds had already appeared on Xiang Shaoyun's body. He was already doing very well just staying alive.
"Hahaha, I will slice your flesh off one piece at a time, making you die in pain!" said Qin Yu with a cocky smile. Xiang Shaoyun did not reply. He started running around the courtyard, avoiding Qin Yu's attacks. By this point, the courtyard had been completely ravaged by Qin Yu's flame attacks.
Suddenly, Xiang Shaoyun leaped on the roof before he propelled himself toward Qin Yu. At the same instant, he unleashed all his power. Even the innate purple lightning in his lightning bone was ready to attack. He seemed to have turned into a lightning bolt that shot toward Qin Yu at an extremely fast speed.
Qin Yu had not expected such a sudden change and couldn't fly higher in time. The only thing he could do was meet the incoming attack with a slash of his sword.
Raging Crane Forest!
It was an attack Qin Yu had unleashed with all his power. The wrath of a King should never be underestimated. Even a mountain could be flattened if one wanted. Right this moment, the energy around Xiang Shaoyun changed. It wa
s as if a pair of wings had grown out of his back, instantly changing his trajectory midair.
It completely caught Qin Yu by surprise. His attack completely missed. On top of that, he was once again flanked by Xiang Shaoyun.
Lightning Bolt Fist!
Both of Xiang Shaoyun's fists shot out. Powered by his innate purple lightning, his fists turned into lightning bolts that shot toward his opponent. He attacked with full power, releasing an offensive power comparable to second-stage Skysoar Realm experts.
Rumble!
The unprepared Qin Yu was struck. His defense instantly crumbled, and he started dropping from the sky. Xiang Shaoyun continued attacking, blasting his opponent repeatedly with his fists. As for Qin Yu, he was reduced into a punching bag that could only take the attacks helplessly.
Lightning energy was the most offensive power in the world, and not even a Skysoar Realm expert like Qin Yu could last long under its attack. Fortunately for Qin Yu, Xiang Shaoyun did not intend to kill him. Qin Yu was only badly beaten up, and after Xiang Shaoyun was done venting his anger, he stopped.
By the time the beating ended, Qin Yu's entire body was scorched black. His aura was extremely chaotic, and his body was badly ridden with wounds. He had to struggle just to stand back up.
"Y-you..." Qin Yu's eyes were opened wide as he tried to speak. But he kept coughing up blood, so he couldn't even form complete sentences.
"I will spare your life out of respect for Elder Long. If you dare provoke this young master in the future, you won't be let off so easily," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
Qin Yu did not know what to say at that. Thus, he directly gave up and fainted. It was simply too embarrassing to be defeated by a Transformation Realm kid. At a different corner of the courtyard, the followers and servants had witnessed the entirety of the battle. All of them were extremely shocked.
It was only now that they realized this young man was actually a War King. When they looked at Xiang Shaoyun again, they looked at him with revering eyes. Xiang Shaoyun glanced at them and said nonchalantly, "Carry Elder Qin away and begin treating him. Also, clean up the mess in the courtyard. Otherwise, you will be the ones to suffer when Elder Long returns."
The trembling followers quickly did as told.
Chapter 237: I Am Xiang Shaoyun
There were some other elder estates neighboring Long Hui's estate. The large battle between Qin Yu and Xiang Shaoyun had naturally attracted the attention of some elders. But of course, they did not actually approach the estate to see what was going on. Approaching was a taboo among the elders, but it did not prevent them from clearly seeing everything that had happened.
"Who's the one fighting Qin Yu? He was actually able to defeat Qin Yu?"
"That kid is still so young, and he's not even at the Skysoar Realm yet! He's already able to defeat Qin Yu? Is he a War King?"
"Looks like we need to ask Long Hui about this. Perhaps yet another freak is going to appear in the pavilion."
...
Xiang Shaoyun had naturally noticed the prying eyes as well, but he did not care. Why? Because he was soon going to be a famous person in the Cloud Margin Pavilion anyway. Him defeating Qin Yu wouldn't even be the reason for that.
Rather, it would be due to the favor the Zither Empress was suddenly showing him. People would most likely be trying to figure out what was going on when they noticed that. At that time, he wouldn't be able to stay low profile even if he wanted.
Xiang Shaoyun returned to his own room and started replaying his battle with Qin Yu with his Nether Soul Domain. He entered a meditative trance, and it was as if he was experiencing the battle all over again.
He was able to see his weaknesses clearly, and he was also able to see the holes in Qin Yu's defenses. One could say that he had gained even more from that one battle through meditation.
Long Hui had also returned. He arrived before Xiang Shaoyun and knelt down on one knee as he apologized, "Sorry, young master for disturbing your peace again."
This time, he had zero hesitation when kneeling. It was obvious he was starting to gain actual respect for Xiang Shaoyun as well. It was not a respect he had obtained purely because of the Nether Dragon Soul Headband. Rather, it was due to Xiang Shaoyun's feat of defeating his eldest disciple, Qin Yu.
That feat was a proof of how mighty Xiang Shaoyun's combat prowess was. Although Xiang Shaoyun still wasn't comparable to a late-stage King Realm expert, he was still so young. He simply had boundless prospects.
On top of that, Xiang Shaoyun was also receiving the care of Granny Mei. Everyone knew Granny Mei was a follower of the Zither Empress. Did that not mean that Xiang Shaoyun had managed to establish some sort of connection with the Zither Empress? All these factors combined caused Long Hui to start sincerely wanting to submit to Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun waved his hand and said, "That is not your fault." He continued, "So are my weapons ready?"
Long Hui handed over the weapons respectfully and said, "Please take a look, young master."
Xiang Shaoyun took a step forward and accepted the saber and the pair of gloves from Long Hui.
He gently stroked the remarkable-looking purple saber. He could sense that the saber definitely had an excellent quality.
He looked at the "Purple Lightning Saber" carved on the blade and praised, "Although the shape of the saber looks rather bland, it is at least a tier-5 king-grade weapon. You have been thoughtful when selecting this weapon."
"It is only natural that I be thoughtful when serving the young master," said Long Hui.
Xiang Shaoyun then looked at the pair of gloves. The gloves had a lower quality in comparison, but they held the advantage of flexibility, as they could be used with all elements. They were one of those weapons that would not be restricted by any particular element.
Xiang Shaoyun was very satisfied with the two weapons. He hung the saber on his back and put the gloves on. After dealing with the injuries he had sustained during the battle, he walked out of Long Hui's estate.
"Long Hui, in the future, stay by my side. I doubt anyone will dare say anything now," said Xiang Shaoyun when he reached the gate of the estate. As he said that, he showed Long Hui the jade plate he got from the Zither Empress.
Long Hui was naturally able to recognize that it was an exclusive jade plate of the Zither Empress. He immediately knelt down and said, "Yes, young master! Long Hui hereby pledges his life to the young master!"
If Xiang Shaoyun wanted to live in the Cloud Margin Pavilion, it would be inconvenient to not have anyone he could use. Long Hui would be the perfect person for the task. In the past, he did not want to expose the fact that he had Long Hui under his control. Now that he had a jade plate given by the Zither Empress, he could openly order Long Hui around.
"Alright, just go to my estate and get everything in order. Just let the people there know that you're there on my order," said Xiang Shaoyun before heading off.
Not long after Xiang Shaoyun left, a burly young man carrying a massive axe appeared before him. The young man looked to be around 25 years old and was a peak seventh-stage Transformation Realm cultivator. It wasn't a particularly outstanding feat, but it was enough to qualify this man as an inner disciple.
"So you are Xiang Shaoyun?" asked the young man with an axe.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "Yes, I am Xiang Shaoyun."
"Good. Surrender immediately and spare yourself the pain," said the young man with a toying look on his face.
"Hehe, is that so?" Xiang Shaoyun smiled faintly, not even bothering to stop walking.
"What a stupidly stubborn person," said the young man with a fierce gleam in his eyes. He then swung his axe at Xiang Shaoyun.
It was a rather impressive swing. Too bad it was nothing for Xiang Shaoyun. He met the axe with his fist, sending a golden spiraling fist energy toward the axe.
Bang!
The axe was directly sent flying from the young man's hand. As for the young man, the intense impact also
caused blood to spray out of his torn hand. Just one exchange was enough to cause the young man to lose his weapon and suffer an injury. He was greatly shaken by the result, and he resentfully decided to leave. But how could Xiang Shaoyun allow that?
Xiang Shaoyun approached him, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him.
"Wuu...wuuu..." The young man's face instantly flushed red. A terrifying presence was suppressing him so much he was completely powerless. Fear covered his eyes as he was afraid that Xiang Shaoyun would kill him off just like that.
Naturally, Xiang Shaoyun wasn't brash enough to kill so easily. He controlled his strength carefully and said, "At times, spirit crystals won't be something you can easily earn. Are you not aware of that?"
He then tossed the young man away before sauntering off without even sparing him another glance. Xiang Shaoyun was not heading toward the estate the Zither Empress had given him. Rather, he was heading toward Qiu Chonglei's estate. Qiu Chonglei was the one who had issued the bounty on him, and he was also one of the four great guardians of the Lightning Alliance.
Xiang Shaoyun was planning to strike back against the Lightning Alliance in the most direct manner. And the way to do that was to show Qiu Chonglei his strength. At this point, he no longer intended to keep a low profile. Otherwise, trouble would only keep coming for him. It was best to solve everything at once.
Before long, Xiang Shaoyun could sense a large number of people around him. Some of them were there for him, and others were spies sent by the numerous factions within the pavilion.
"Xiang Shaoyun, man with a bounty, die!" a shout suddenly rang out in the air. Next, two young men mounted on demonic lions rushed toward Xiang Shaoyun.
Chapter 238: I Want to Go With You
The two attackers were known as the Twin Stars. They were twins and had a similar cultivation level with the young man Xiang Shaoyun had just defeated. But when they joined hands, they were able to defeat even eighth-stage Transformation Realm cultivators.