I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  "Me? That won’t be optimal. You should summon lightning bolts instead. You can temper your defensive technique at the same time as growing your lightning bone, killing two birds with one stone," suggested Devouring Ghost.

  Xiang Shaoyun's eyes lit up as he slapped his forehead and said, "Yes, why have I not thought of that? Let me give it a try."

  He was already a Skysoar Realm cultivator and already had basic mastery over the energy in his stars. Drawing lightning to him was nothing difficult for him now. He erupted the power of his first star and his lightning bone. Instantly, his body was flooded with lightning energy as a roaring purple dragon soared out of him into the sky above.

  Without any hesitation, Xiang Shaoyun soared to the sky as well. With his own star, he established a connection with a star beyond the sky and roared, "Heed my call, natural lightning. Descend!"

  He mustered all his mental power, his mind becoming one with his body as he formed a connection with the natural world. Wind blew madly around him. During the Transformation Realm, he had once drawn natural lightning from the sky with his saber. Now that he was a third-stage Skysoar Realm cultivator, he could easily repeat the feat. Sure enough, at his shout, the sky darkened as a bolt of lightning came shooting toward him.

  Rumble!

  Before Xiang Shaoyun could even circulate the Six Goldplate Manual's cultivation mantra, he was struck. He dropped from the sky and crashed into the ground, looking rather sorry.

  Fortunately, he was someone who could survive even silver lightning bolts. A regular lightning bolt was not as powerful and could only cause minor injuries and damage his clothes. As a whole, he was still in good condition. The lightning bone within him absorbed all the lightning energy on his body, reducing the harm the lightning could do to him.

  "Shit, that was fast," Xiang Shaoyun spat.

  Once again, he did the same and connected his star with the star beyond the sky, summoning another bolt of lightning. Yet another bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. In a flash, it reached him.

  This time, he was already prepared, yelling, "Six Goldplate Manual!"

  He circulated the Six Goldplate Manual, drawing from the gold energy in his body. Instantly, the gold energy covered his body, forming a protective barrier around him. The defensive barrier was formed through a combination of his gold energy and king aura. Although he could only display a tiny bit of the Six Goldplate Manual's true power at the moment, the barrier still greatly boosted his defense, especially when compared to his defenses from when he was a Transformation Realm cultivator.

  Bang!

  The lightning struck Xiang Shaoyun's body, sending him slamming to the ground again. He stood up shortly after and grumbled, "This defensive technique does not seem to work? Let's give it another try."

  Once again, he activated the Six Goldplate Manual and waited until he reached an optimal state before summoning another bolt of lightning. With a flash, he was struck mercilessly yet again.

  Other ordinary Kings would find it hard to resist natural lightning bolts like this, yet here was Xiang Shaoyun, being struck head on again and again. In some way, this sight of his bitter cultivation was quite sorrowful to look at.

  Not far away, Devouring Ghost stood silently. Inwardly, however, he was alarmed, The young master is summoning natural lightning way too easily! When he grows more and reaches the point when he can summon a large number of lightning bolts, who will be able to face him? That was how the previous master had obtained his freakish combat prowess that rendered him undefeated! Unfortunately, the young master has opted to cultivate nine different powers.

  Xiang Shaoyun was not aware of Devouring Ghost's thoughts. Again and again, he summoned lightning bolts to strike him. And again and again, he activated his Six Goldplate Manual only to be destroyed by a strike of lightning. He was injured repeatedly, but his life was protected by the lightning bone, which was constantly absorbing all the lightning energy. His first star also benefited from the rain of lightning, and a certain mysterious power within his astral cosmos sea was hungrily absorbing the lightning energy.

  Chapter 368: Footwork Intent

  A natural lightning strike was as powerful as a King's attack. After being struck more than 10 times and coughing up quite an amount of blood, Xiang Shaoyun finally sat down cross-legged weakly.

  After facing over 10 lightning strikes, he had finally gained some comprehension of the Six Goldplate Manual, learning more about how to properly utilize it to protect himself. Additionally, his lightning bone, first star, and astral cosmos sea had also benefited from the lightning strikes, and his innate purple lightning had grown even stronger.

  If Xiang Shaoyun only cultivated the power of lightning alone, just cultivating in this manner would let him break through at record speed. However, he had a big ambition, and as a result, he had to either satisfy the requirements of all the powers he cultivated or simply gather a massive amount of astral energy before he could attempt a breakthrough.

  Xiang Shaoyun sat down with wounds all over his body and circulated his cultivation method to recover his exhausted strength. His wounds, however, did look quite bad and did not seem like they could be healed immediately. After resting for about four hours, he stopped meditating and took out a large number of herbs and spirit medicines. He crushed them all before bandaging himself up.

  "Alright, let's move," said Xiang Shaoyun as if nothing had happened.

  "Young master, you are not going to continue?" Devouring Ghost asked curiously.

  "How can I continue in this condition? I'm better off contemplating the defensive technique as I wait for my wounds to heal before facing the natural lightning bolts again. I will only get optimal results by striking a good balance between work and rest," said Xiang Shaoyun.

  "The young master is wise," praised Devouring Ghost with a bright glint in his eyes.

  It was quite a surprise to him that Xiang Shaoyun was able to understand this concept so clearly at such a young age: knowing to strike a balance instead of charging ahead blindly. That kind of mindset was invaluable. The longer he stayed with Xiang Shaoyun, the more merits he could see in him.

  Xiang Shaoyun stepped back onto Jin Wo's back again and said, "How long do we need to reach the Bloodsin City traveling at this speed?"

  "At least half a year. If we can use teleportation formations, we will be able to reach it much quicker," Devouring Ghost replied.

  "But only tier-5 and above organizations will have teleportation formations," Du Xuanhao chimed in.

  "Half a year is not really that long anyway. We’ll keep flying at the same pace," said Xiang Shaoyun after thinking about it for a bit.

  "As your command, young master," answered Devouring Ghost deferentially.

  And thus, Xiang Shaoyun, Devouring Ghost, and Du Xuanhao continued heading toward the Bloodsin City on Jin Wo's back. Why were they heading to the Bloodsin City? It was on Devouring Ghost's suggestion. Apparently, Bloodsin City was a place Xiang Shaoyun would be able to grow his strength quickly.

  As for why Xiang Shaoyun planned to not use the teleportation formations, it was because he wished to cultivate the Six Goldplate Manual to at least a basic mastery while on his way there. During their journey, he only did two things. He either tempered himself with natural lightning bolts or rested on Jin Wo's back.

  Just like that, a month passed. Now, Xiang Shaoyun was already able to summon three natural lightning bolts at the same time and take the strikes head on with his body. He had also successfully formed the first layer of gold defense, allowing him to face a certain amount of lightning bolt bombardment without much trouble.

  Presently, on a certain desolate mountain peak, Xiang Shaoyun was facing three lightning bolts with his upper body bared. A thick layer of golden energy was surrounding him, forming a thick iron wall surrounding several meters around him. The wall actually stood tall against the lightning bolts, and cracks only appeared during the third bolt.

  Xiang Shaoyun had accompl
ished an extremely shocking feat, surviving three lightning strikes without harm. He raised his head and roared with laughter, "Haha, the Six Goldplate Manual is worthy of being a tier-5 battle technique. Just a tiny bit of mastery is already enough to protect me against natural lightning bolts."

  Devouring Ghost appeared before Xiang Shaoyun like a specter and said, "Congratulations, young master, for your gains in cultivating the battle technique."

  "After a bit more cultivation, I will be able to face six lightning bolts at the same time, reaching the second level and completing the defensive technique's first stage. At that time, I believe I will be able to gain some fame for myself even at the Bloodsin City you speak of," said Xiang Shaoyun confidently.

  "Definitely. You are destined to stand at the peak of existence one day, young master," said Devouring Ghost respectfully. He added, "Young master, now that you have some accomplishment in your defensive technique, are you considering improving your other aspects?"

  "Such as?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.

  "Such as footwork intent, increasing the speed of your Overlord's Nine Nether Steps," said Devouring Ghost.

  "Footwork intent!" Xiang Shaoyun cried out in alarm. He had comprehended the saber intent and was well aware of the benefits of comprehending an intent. But he had never thought of cultivating footwork intent.

  It was not that he did not want to, but he had simply never thought of it. With Devouring Ghost's reminder, he suddenly had an urge to cultivate it.

  "Yes. Footwork intent will be able to greatly increase your speed, giving you a massive advantage in combat. Absolute speed will never be defeated," said Devouring Ghost seriously. He pointed at a rock about one kilometer away from them and said, "Young master, look at that rock."

  He had barely spoken those words when he suddenly vanished into thin air. With a flicker, he reappeared before Xiang Shaoyun with a rock in his hand. This was the same rock he was pointing to a moment ago. That was an astonishing movement speed.

  "I had not used much of my strength, only utilizing my footwork intent," explained Devouring Ghost.

  Xiang Shaoyun smiled helplessly. "But you are too fast. I couldn't see anything."

  "Oh, I'll demonstrate it one more time so you can get a better look, young master," said Devouring Ghost awkwardly. He then tossed the rock away and suppressed more of his strength before he started moving one step at a time.

  Xiang Shaoyun concentrated fully on observing Devouring Ghost's movements, not willing to miss even a slight detail. Devouring Ghost seemed to have transformed into a gust of wind. He drifted about, appearing here and there like a drifting leaf with an indeterminate trajectory.

  Each step he took seemed so casual and simple yet easily brought him 100 meters away. He could also switch his direction at ease, leaving afterimages everywhere, confusing his possible enemies. This was his footwork intent, granting him the ability to traverse in all directions as he wished.

  This was an ability Devouring Ghost had finally regained after taking some time perfecting his fusion with Linggu Haonan's body. Xiang Shaoyun stared at Devouring Ghost unblinkingly, imprinting everything he saw in his brain. To the side, Du Xuanhao did not miss out on this rare opportunity and stared at Devouring Ghost's each move with a sharp glint in his eyes.

  After a while, Devouring Ghost stopped and asked, "Did you see that, young master?"

  Xiang Shaoyun recovered from the reverie and said, "Yes."

  "Good. There are three stages to this footwork intent. The first stage is 'moving like the wind', the second stage is 'shrinking space', and the third stage is 'so close yet worlds apart'. I am currently in the second stage, the shrinking space stage," explained Devouring Ghost, not minding that Du Xuanhao was listening in at all.

  Chapter 369: Lending a Helping Hand

  Moving like the wind, shrinking space, and so close yet worlds apart were the three stages of footwork intent. From what Devouring Ghost had said, the first two stages were comparatively easier to comprehend than the final stage, which could only be reached by those cultivating the power of wind.

  For the first two stages, one could reach them through constantly improving one's comprehension of footwork intent, unlike the final stage which required the additional support of the power of wind. It was understandable as speed was the essence of footwork, as was the case for the power of wind.

  "Back then when the previous master created the Overlord's Nine Nether Steps, it was as if he could reach the heavens beyond the skies with one step and reach the hell down below with another step. That was a speed where he had broken his shackles and reached the so close yet worlds apart stage. It was a speed the mind couldn't even begin to comprehend," said Devouring Ghost.

  "One step to reach the heavens beyond the sky; one step to reach the hell down below," Xiang Shaoyun cried out in alarm.

  The more familiar he became with the Overlord's Nine Nether Steps, the more he could sense its extraordinariness. Thus, he agreed with Devouring Ghost's appraisal.

  "Since you have reached a basic mastery in your defensive technique, you can now start cultivating footwork intent without slowing your other aspects of cultivation. If you cultivate footwork intent together with the Overlord's Nine Nether Steps, your comprehension will definitely be faster. I will also be teaching you all I know," said Devouring Ghost.

  He thus started sharing his experience on footwork intent with Xiang Shaoyun and did not hold anything back. He had already acknowledged Xiang Shaoyun as his former master's only successor, and Xiang Shaoyun also looked exactly the same as his previous master when he was young, earning his full devotion.

  Xiang Shaoyun listened attentively, committing everything to memory. After Devouring Ghost finished his explanation, Xiang Shaoyun started using his Nether Soul Domain to visualize Devouring Ghost's earlier demonstration of footwork intent. While visualizing, he started contemplating on the experience Devouring Ghost had shared with him, trying to understand the footwork intent one step at a time as if he was spinning silk from cocoons.

  Xiang Shaoyun focusing on comprehension did not slow the pace of their journey as they continued heading toward their destination. As for Du Xuanhao, he was one who had comprehended saber intent. Just from listening in, he had benefited greatly. What he had learned here would be a great help to him in the future.

  In the blink of an eye, a few days passed. One day, Devouring Ghost suddenly cried out, "Slow down, I sense some emperor auras ahead of us."

  Jin Wo knew that Devouring Ghost was stronger than him and would naturally have far sharper senses as a result. He immediately slowed down and started descending to the ground.

  Xiang Shaoyun opened his eyes and asked, "What's going on?"

  "I don't know. A few emperor auras are heading this way, and it does not seem they are only passing through. There is a possibility of conflict," judged Devouring Ghost. "But they are only some low-leveled Emperors. We don't have to be worried about them."

  "Ok." Xiang Shaoyun nodded, not worried at all.

  Suddenly, sounds of explosions erupted from ahead of them. The sound waves rumbled on, as if the entire world was shaking. Several different energies shot into the sky, scattering the clouds above.

  When everything settled, someone could be seen flying rapidly in the direction of Xiang Shaoyun's group with a youngster in tow. Evidently, these two were the ones being pursued. The elder of the two was an old man with a cultivation level of third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. His aura was extremely unstable, and it was clear he was in very bad shape.

  "Friends, please save us!" the old man cried for help.

  Although Xiang Shaoyun's group had moved out of the way, they had not intentionally hidden themselves. Surprisingly, that person was actually begging for their help.

  "Piss off. Don't create trouble for us," berated Devouring Ghost unhappily.

  However, the third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm old man acted as if he had heard nothing and continued flying toward them. He shout
ed, "Friends, please help us! We will repay you generously in the future!"

  Before Devouring Ghost could say anything, someone else shouted, "This is the business of the Tai Clan. All unrelated individuals, piss off!"

  Following closely behind that voice were three powerful auras. The newcomers were three powerful Dragon Ascension Realm experts. They surrounded the pair and started attacking without saying anything.

  The three were rather strong, and none of them were weaker than the old man. They attacked mercilessly, aiming only for vitals. A barrage of attacks surrounded the pair, not leaving them any chance to escape.

  "Young master, let's leave," Devouring Ghost said.

  Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "Um. Let's go."

  Xiang Shaoyun never saw himself as a hero. There was no point for him to meddle in the affairs of others. After all, he still had his own grudge to avenge. But right as they were about to leave, the Emperor suddenly broke through the siege and flew toward them. He cried out in desperation, "Save us! W-we will repay you generously!"

  "Piss off if you don't want to die." Devouring Ghost was getting irritated.

  He had never been someone with a good temper. If he wasn't still adapting to his new body and trying to hide his identity, he would have killed all of them long ago.

  "Hehe, Dong Wu, nobody can save you today! They're just some useless bugs passing by. You really think they are capable of helping you?" said one of the pursuers with a nasty laugh.

  A few more attacks flew toward the pair.

  "AHHH!"

  The old man blocked all the attacks before pushing away the youth.

  "Grandpa Wu!" came a sorrowful shout as the youth flew away.

  "Little pup, let me get my hands on you first before slaughtering Dong Wu, that old dog," said one of the pursuers with a sneer before dashing toward the youth.

  Just as that person was about to reach the youth, Xiang Shaoyun suddenly said, "Devouring Ghost, Big Brother Du, help them."