by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
This person was none other than Lin Zihan the Playboy, a genius comparable to the likes of Zi Jingyun the Lightning Kid and Han Chen the Blackfrost Spear. He was flanked on both sides by two exceptionally beautiful women—a sight worthy of his title, the Playboy.
"Be at ease, Brother Xiang. The Thousand Forest Academy has always been friendly with the Cloud Pavilion. I, Lin Zihan, will naturally not cross the line I shouldn’t cross," said Lin Zihan with a warm smile.
"Good to hear. Bye," Xiang Shaoyun cupped his hands and excused himself.
"Please wait a moment, Brother Xiang. You are just leaving the ghostrune territory. I wonder if you had found any soul springs? If you have some in your possession, may I propose a trade?" asked Lin Zihan.
"I don't have enough for myself," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
"What is that attitude? Our Junior Brother Lin is speaking politely, yet you do not seem to appreciate it at all," said a woman beside Lin Zihan coldly.
"What makes you think so?" Xiang Shaoyun frowned.
"Since my Junior Brother Lin wants your soul spring, just hand it over," demanded the woman.
Lin Zihan cut her off. "Senior Sister Yan, don't speak nonsense. Since Brother Xiang does not have any extra soul springs, forget it."
"But getting a soul spring is vital for your breakthrough," said the woman with indignation.
"Haha, it's not like I won't be able to enter the Skysoar Realm without a soul spring. With my talent, I, Lin Zihan, won't have any problem entering the Skysoar Realm!" declared Lin Zihan confidently.
"I know, and I trust you. But a soul spring can greatly increase your speed. Let me get it for you!" said the woman.
She then walked toward Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Just offer a price. How many spirit crystals do you want? Or do you want any other treasures for it? Just name your price. I, Yan Yan, will not take no for an answer!"
"Senior Sister Yan, come back!" Lin Zihan called out.
But the other woman beside him smiled and said, "Just let Senior Sister Yan get it for you. You are still too kind."
That caused Lin Zihan to hesitate.
Xiang Shaoyun shot Yan Yan an indifferent gaze and said, "I told you. I don't have any extra soul springs."
"Even if you only have one, that is enough. Take it out. We need it, and I am willing to buy it off you for 10,000 mid-grade spirit crystals. That is a fair price," said Yan Yan with an overbearing tone.
"Hehe, since it's such a fair price, you should buy it somewhere else instead. I have no need for spirit crystals. Alright, I'm leaving. Get out of my way," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sneer.
Yan Yan drew her sword and pointed it at Xiang Shaoyun before bellowing, “Are you really going to force my hand? Do you want me to kill you where you stand?"
But the moment she pointed her sword at Xiang Shaoyun, he flickered and dashed toward her at a speed too fast for her to react.
"Senior Sister Yan, watch out!" Lin Zihan's hairs stood on end as he cried out in alarm.
Unfortunately, his warning came too late. Xiang Shaoyun instantly grabbed Yan Yan's wrist before snatching her sword and pointing it at her neck.
"You want to rob me? I, Xiang Shaoyun, am not afraid of anyone!" said Xiang Shaoyun coldly.
Yan Yan couldn't even react; the sword was already pointed at her neck. Panic and indignation covered her face as she said, "J-just kill me if you dare!"
"You think I don't dare to kill you?" Xiang Shaoyun sneered. As he spoke, he applied some force with the sword. Only a tiny bit more force was required, and Yan Yan would be dead.
"Brother Xiang, please calm down. This is a misunderstanding. Let me apologize to you on behalf of my Senior Sister Yan. Let's forget about this," said Lin Zihan with a sincere tone.
Xiang Shaoyun couldn't really be bothered to hold a grudge against her, so he dropped the sword and walked away, ignoring Lin Zihan's group.
"Brother Xiang, the Myriad Sword Sect and Devil Blood Society are both looking for you. I heard they are waiting for you at the exit. Do watch out for them," Lin Zihan still couldn't help tipping off Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded and continued walking away.
After Xiang Shaoyun left, Yan Yan complained resentfully, "Junior Brother Lin, why did you give up on such a good chance to get a soul spring? If we worked together, we could definitely beat him!"
Lin Zihan waved his hand and said, "No. Even if we all attacked together, we still wouldn't be his match."
"Senior Brother Lin, why are you lowering yourself to praise others? This is not your style," said the other woman beside him.
"That's right. With your strength as a War King, you can definitely match him. With our help, it won't be hard to take him down," said Yan Yan in agreement.
Lin Zihan replied in a grave tone, "I haven’t been able to see through this Xiang Shaoyun at all. Back then, when he defeated Lightning Kid and killed the Four Divinity Swords, I still had some confidence that I could fight him alone. But now, I have no confidence at all."
"Has he grown stronger? Even so, he will still be in the Transformation Realm. It is impossible for a human to become a King here," said the woman doubtfully.
"Yes, he is still in the Transformation Realm, and his cultivation level is still slightly lower than mine. But when he had defeated Lightning Kid and the Four Divinity Swords, he was still at the eighth stage of the Transformation Realm. Now, he is already at the ninth stage, whereas I'm at the peak Transformation Realm. Even with a higher cultivation level, I am definitely not his match, even with your help. We will only make ourselves a powerful enemy for no reason. Just from how easily he had snatched Senior Sister Yan's sword, that much is clear," said Lin Zihan.
The two women blanked out. They had been assuming that Xiang Shaoyun was a peak Transformation Realm cultivator all this while. But it turned out he was only at the eighth stage before this and had just reached the ninth stage.
If he was a War King while at eighth-stage Transformation Realm, he was most likely a Super War King now that he had reached the ninth stage. The three of them were definitely not enough to deal with a Super War King, and there was even a possibility that all of them would perish.
"Junior Brother Lin, let's continue exploring, then. We will definitely get a soul spring for you," said Yan Yan.
Lin Zihan waved his hand and said, "There is no need to keep going. I doubt we can find any. Let's just leave."
He then led the group away. He had decided to leave because he was confident Xiang Shaoyun was the key for him to get a soul spring. He did not believe that Xiang Shaoyun only had one strand of soul spring, and he had a feeling that befriending Xiang Shaoyun would be beneficial to him.
Chapter 303: Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou Attacked
A large number of people were standing in a standoff near the Land of Soul Springs' exit. These people were the members of Cloud Margin Pavilion, Myriad Sword Sect, and Devil Blood Society. Currently, the Myriad Sword Sect and Devil Blood Society were surrounding the people of Cloud Margin Pavilion, not letting them leave. Of course, not all the members of these three organizations were here. Only a portion of them were.
"Bring it on. You people from Myriad Sword Sect and Devil Blood Society are trying to create trouble for my Brother Yun? Over my dead body!" Liang Zhuangmin's loud voice rang out.
Hua Honglou's voice also rang out, "That's right. The only reason you people are stopping us from leaving is to use us to force Shaoyun's hand. Do you think we will sit here and let you do as you wish? Red House members, heed my command. I hereby declare a blood feud against anyone daring to harm any of our people."
After separating from Xiang Shaoyun, Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou had not left. Rather, they had stayed near the exit, waiting to provide any backup Xiang Shaoyun might need. As they waited, they kept hearing about Xiang Shaoyun, such as his victory over Lightning Kid and the Four Divinity Swords. Words of his might spread far and wide, his reputation soaring to a level compara
ble to the likes of the super geniuses such as Devil Fairy, Wu Longfei, and Wu Chi.
While they were rejoicing on his behalf, they were surrounded by the Myriad Sword Sect and Devil Blood Society. The Myriad Sword Sect was using the excuse that they were here to avenge the Four Divinity Swords. Since Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou had a good relationship with Xiang Shaoyun, they became the targets of their revenge as well.
As for the Devil Blood Society, they would naturally not miss out on a chance to act against Xiang Shaoyun. They knew Devil Face had been killed by Xiang Shaoyun, and they also knew about how Xiang Shaoyun had killed three of their overseers at the Moon Gazing Platform.
All that Xiang Shaoyun had done gave them enough reason to act against Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou. However, the Myriad Sword Sect and Devil Blood Society did not have a good relationship with each other either. Thus, apart from surrounding the Cloud Margin Pavilion people, they hadn't done anything yet.
Chu Chunyu opened his eyes wide and demanded, "If you surrender, I can consider sparing you people when Xiang Shaoyun arrives. Otherwise, none of you will leave alive!"
"Those are some big words. Not even Wu Longfei would dare speak like that with me. Who do you think you are?" Liang Zhuangmin said as he stepped forth and sent a majestic yellow aura crushing down on Chu Chunyu.
About a dozen Free Society members were gathered around Liang Zhuangmin, and although their overall strength was not as great as the Red House's, they were still a force to be reckoned with.
"Hmph. Fine, I'll see how strong you bugs are," said Chu Chunyu before drawing his sword and stabbing it at Liang Zhuangmin.
Chu Chunyu's strength was similar to Huo Linfei's, or to be precise, he was slightly stronger. The moment he attacked, he was like a viper that aimed straight for Liang Zhuangmin's vitals.
"Open your eyes wide and see clearly!" Liang Zhuangmin said and lifted his axe before swinging it at Chu Chunyu.
The weapons clashed, creating a series of sparks in the air. The result of the clash was that Chu Chunyu's sword was deformed, and Chu Chunyu was sent flying. As for Liang Zhuangmin, like a barbaric dragon, he pressed on toward his opponent. Even so, Chu Chunyu did not feel any fear. Moving nimbly like a slithering snake, he avoided Liang Zhuangmin's pursuit before countering with more than 10 stabs of his sword.
Cling! Clank!
The stabs hit, but none of them were able to pierce Liang Zhuangmin's energy barrier.
"F*ck off!" Liang Zhuangmin bellowed and channeled more power to his axe. He swung the axe continuously, sending one axe energy after another, each a dreadful strength capable of crushing mountains. He seemed unstoppable.
Chu Chunyu no longer dared to meet Liang Zhuangmin head on and was forced to retreat and shift his combat method to a hit-and-run style instead. He was worthy of being someone who cultivated the power of wind, as he held advantage over Liang Zhuangmin in terms of speed, and he was confident his speed would grant him victory.
However, Liang Zhuangmin's brute strength was too great. Even after numerous hit-and-run attempts, Chu Chunyu was still unable to break through Liang Zhuangmin's defense. Instead, he was forced to retreat again and again, the impact from the axe energies causing blood to drip from his mouth.
While this battle was ongoing, the Myriad Sword Sect people also swarmed those of the Free Society. Chu Chunyu had gathered over 40 Myriad Sword Sect members, and with their number, they held the advantage over the Free Society members.
Liang Zhuangmin, who was winning his fight, was forced to shift his attention away from Chu Chunyu and attack the other Myriad Sword Sect members instead. That was the only way to reduce the pressure on the Free Society members.
Liang Zhuangmin was extremely valiant, capable of fighting 10 people alone. His defensive barrier was impenetrable, and only king weapons would pose a threat to him. Thanks to his mighty defense, he did not need to bother blocking or dodging any attacks. He only attacked again and again, planting fear in the hearts of the Myriad Sword Sect members.
If it wasn't for the Chu Chunyu's continuous hit-and-run attempts distracting Liang Zhuangmin, the Myriad Sword Sect would definitely have suffered great losses under Liang Zhuangmin.
Meanwhile, Hua Honglou had also engaged Mo Sha in a fight. Both of them were peak Transformation Realm experts and War Kings. They were evenly matched, and their fight was becoming intense.
Hua Honglou was extraordinarily skilled with the sword. She sent strands of fiery sword energy flying, creating explosion after explosion in the air. They were like blooming fireworks wreaking destruction. As for Mo Sha, he wielded a saber and swung it repeatedly, creating sandstorms that filled the air and reduced visibility.
Rumble! Rumble!
Sounds of explosion rang out repeatedly as two differing energies splashed everywhere.
Likewise, the Red House people also engaged the Devil Blood Society people in battle. It was a pity that Chen Zilong was not present. Without him, the combat prowess of the Red House was greatly reduced, and they were placed in a disadvantaged position the moment the battle started.
"Brothers of Free Society, break off and leave the Land of Soul Springs!" Liang Zhuangmin commanded as he could no longer continue. The pressure he faced was too great, as he had to fight while protecting his men at the same time.
He had already killed four Myriad Sword Sect members, but he had also sustained some injuries from Chu Chunyu's continuous hit-and-run strikes. If he was forced to continue protecting his men, he would eventually suffer defeat.
Hua Honglou also gave the same order, telling the Red House people to leave. Faced with the prospect of death, some of their members who feared death started fleeing the battlefield. Of course, there were also some who did not fear death and insisted on staying behind.
Hua Honglou was distracted trying to take care of her companions, and she was finally hit by Mo Sha's concealed weapon. She wailed in pain, and Liang Zhuangmin, hearing it, became anxious. He shouted, "Sister-in-law, I'll come help you!"
"You can't even help yourself, let alone her," said Chu Chunyu, who unleashed his trump card and stopped Liang Zhuangmin from leaving.
"Damn you!" Liang Zhuangmin was fuming. With a roar, he channeled even more power to his axe and attacked, vowing to first kill Chu Chunyu before doing anything else.
Meanwhile, Mo Sha seemed to have transformed completely into a sandstorm that slammed down at Hua Honglou. "Die, b*tch!"
Because the concealed weapon had struck Hua Honglou's vitals, she was currently completely helpless. Seeing the incoming attack, she shut her eyes in resignation and muttered, "Farewell, Shaoyun."
It was at this moment that a loud voice rumbled in the air, "Touch even one hair of hers and you will die a horrible death."
Chapter 304: Rescuing the Beauty, Battling Mo Sha
The voice appeared like a sudden thunderclap. It rumbled on, and the suddenness of it stunned Mo Sha for a split second. It was at that moment that a beam of finger energy struck Mo Sha's Mad Sand Saber to the side, saving Hua Honglou from the fate of death. Next, a figure could be seen dashing over at a speed so fast a trail of afterimages followed behind him.
"It's Shaoyun!" Hua Honglou cried out jubilantly as she opened her eyes again.
"Hmph. No one can save you!" Mo Sha snorted coldly as he swung his saber down again. He was not going to give up on this rare chance to kill Hua Honglou. But the newcomer had already arrived behind him, and a golden punch was unleashed straight at Mo Sha's back.
Mo Sha could feel the newcomer's surging momentum; the overbearing force gave him an intense feeling of danger. If he carried through attacking Hua Honglou, that punch would proceed to blast him into mincemeat. He thus decided to instead defend, diving to the side to just barely avoid the punch.
The newcomer did not press on. Rather, he pulled Hua Honglou back onto her feet and dragged her to the side. The strong and reliable arms around Hua Honglou gave her an unprecedented sense of security.
"Can you still hang on?" Xiang Shaoyun asked the pale Hua Honglou.
Hua Honglou had an amazing figure, and her bountiful chest was currently resting against Xiang Shaoyun's chest. The faint fragrance about her caused his heart to thump. She was a woman capable of stirring a man's bestial instinct.
"I-I'm fine," replied Hua Honglou with her arms around Xiang Shaoyun's neck.
A slight blush covered her pale face, making her look even more beautiful and lovable. Xiang Shaoyun was about to say something in reply when Mo Sha came shouting with a brand new attack, "Xiang Shaoyun! You're finally here! Die!"
Billowing Sandstorm!
A massive tsunami of sand appeared and swept forth. Mo Sha's combat prowess was comparable to Devil Face's, or to be precise, he was slightly stronger. He was most likely one of the Devil Blood Society's hidden geniuses. With Hua Honglou in his arms, Xiang Shaoyun dodged the attack.
"You're fast, but how long can you keep this up?" Mo Sha said as he sent a series of saber energies flying toward Xiang Shaoyun.
Mo Sha attacked mercilessly, each of his attacks containing the might of a War King. However, with the Nether Soul Domain, Xiang Shaoyun was able to see all the attacks' trajectories clearly. He dodged repeatedly, causing Mo Sha's attacks to keep hitting nothing.
Hua Honglou said, "Put me down. Ignore me for now."
"Don't worry. Even with you in my arms, I can still defeat him," Xiang Shaoyun replied. He stopped avoiding, drew his Purple Lightning Saber, and swung it at Mo Sha.
He was not holding anything back and utilized his saber intent the moment he attacked. The seemingly casual swing of his saber gave rise to an exceptionally breathtaking saber energy. The saber energy slammed right into the attack's weak point, causing Mo Sha's attack to crumble. The saber energy weakened, but it still continued on toward Mo Sha's abdomen.