I Am Overlord c1-962

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

  "Tai Dou you scheming bastard. The Dong Clan's two helpers are capable of punching above their weight. It is obvious they come from a powerful background. If we provide too much help, we might end up drawing out their backer.. At that time, things will be even more troublesome for the Illusionary Palm Society," said Xu Duo. "Forget it. We will no longer take part in this. Just pay us two million mid-grade spirit crystals and five stalks of emperor medicines as compensation, and I will leave."

  "What? Lord Xu, how can you act this way?" Xing Yihui cried out in alarm.

  "Lord Xu, if you leave just like this, the Dong Clan will most certainly go after your society for revenge in the future once they recover," said Tai Dou with an ashen expression.

  If Xu Duo and his men left, they would become even weaker. How were they supposed to continue fighting the Dong Clan? After all, the Dong Clan had two ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm experts and outside assistance.

  "Hehe, well, if you are willing to submit to the Illusionary Palm Society, I can beg the society master to send help over and crush the Dong Clan," said Xu Duo, finally revealing his true intention. "Don't worry about whether we would restrict you like the Dong Clan. The Five Denseforest Cities will be under your control, and you only need to pay us 30 percent of what you make each year as tribute."

  "This..." Both Tai Dou and Xing Yihui hesitated, not knowing what to do.

  "Think it over. We will have to spend some time recuperating anyway. But I advise that you don't drag it on too long. The Dong Clan might come for revenge. At that time, not even I can save you," said Xu Duo.

  "Ok. Three days. We will give you an answer in three days," said Tai Dou.

  ...

  Dong City.

  Xiang Shaoyun and Dong Ziwan were taking a stroll. Like old friends who had known each other for many years, they reminisced about their experience back at the Blackhill Town.

  "I did not expect to see you again, and you have even saved me and my clan! I don't even know how I can repay you for that," lamented Dong Ziwan.

  "If you want to repay me, you can be my bed warming maid," said Xiang Shaoyun teasingly.

  "Dream on!" Dong Ziwan glared at Xiang Shaoyun. After a bit, she spoke again, "Although the Tai and Xing Clans have been defeated, they might return. Are you really not leaving for now?"

  "You are my friend, and I want you to be safe. So yes, I will be staying for now," promised Xiang Shaoyun.

  Dong Ziwan was moved, and she replied, "Thank you, Shaoyun."

  "Quit being so polite. I guess we can say that fate has arranged for us to know each other. After our eventual separation, I don't know when we will see each other again. I hope we will at least have a beautiful memory of the time we spent together," said Xiang Shaoyun, a tinge of melancholy in his voice.

  His tone also caused Dong Ziwan to suddenly feel melancholic. Whenever she thought of how Xiang Shaoyun would leave eventually, she was filled with sorrow.

  She couldn't resist asking, "Where are you from, exactly? Won't we meet again after you leave?"

  "I am not from this province. I come from a place very far away, and I have a mission I need to complete. Although I am confident I will succeed, I don't know how long it will take. But you are a friend I will forever remember," said Xiang Shaoyun solemnly.

  Dong Ziwan was unable to restrain her emotions and jumped into his embrace. Sobbing, she said, "I don't want to part with you!"

  Xiang Shaoyun was completely at a loss as to what to do. He had only said all that so Dong Ziwan would give up on him, but it seemed he had instead achieved the opposite result.

  Instantly, a powerful aura suddenly soared from the Dong Clan estate. A massive amount of spiritual energy and astral energy started converging within, pouring into one particular residence.

  Even Xiang Shaoyun, who was currently outside the estate, could sense the surging energy. He exclaimed in excitement, "Big Brother Du is breaking through!"

  Chapter 388: Congratulations, Big Brother Du for Breaking Through

  An imposing aura suddenly surged out of the Dong Clan estate. The aura converged and turned into a massive saber that shot through the ceiling into the sky above. The saber aura was incredibly terrifying, and seven bright flaming stars started shining upon the Dong City below, flooding the city with flame energy.

  Once again, the Dong Clan people were alarmed. They were currently in a state of crisis and thus were constantly nervous.

  "Who's breaking through?" Dong Qinggu flew out from a certain direction and exclaimed in shock.

  Dong Zhongyuan flew out from a different direction and said, "It’s coming from the guest area. Is it Du Xuanhao the Saber Emperor?"

  Just when the Dong Clan people started approaching the place of breakthrough, Devouring Ghost's voice rang out in the air, "Nobody approaches. Any violator will be killed."

  The voice wasn't loud, yet it was firm enough. Some of the Dong Clan people did not feel too good hearing it. After all, it was their own place.

  "Everyone, retreat immediately," Dong Qinggu quickly commanded.

  He knew very well it was a taboo to disturb someone's breakthrough. Thus, he understood where Devouring Ghost was coming from. His current emotions were extremely complicated. He still remembered that just three days ago, a demonic beast had just broken through into the Demon King realm. Now an Emperor was going to break through as well. The back to back breakthroughs had thoroughly shocked him.

  Since when was breaking through so easy? They did not even need special guardians or preparations for their breakthroughs. This had gone beyond his common sense. One ought to know that when an Emperor broke through, a large amount of energy would be required. Apart from that, a large number of guardians would be required as well. All that was to ensure the breakthrough proceeded smoothly without disturbances. People would generally only take the risk to attempt breakthroughs so suddenly for special reasons.

  I need to figure out their origin, said Dong Qinggu inwardly.

  Seven pulsing stars hovered in the sky, proving that Du Xuanhao had a seven-star physique. This would be considered an excellent physique even among large organizations. It was no wonder that Du Xuanhao could rely on himself to reach late-stage Dragon Ascension Realm.

  Du Xuanhao was absorbing a massive amount of energy, nearly emptying the spiritual energy in the Dong Clan’s area. As for the seven flaming stars, their flame energy lingered in the city for over four hours before finally dispersing.

  "What a terrifying aura. I think he has broken through more than once," Dong Zhongyuan cried out in alarm beside Dong Qinggu.

  Dong Qinggu nodded solemnly. "He has actually jumped stages. The young are truly getting more and more talented."

  Both of them were old men who had lived over 800 years before reaching ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. In comparison, Du Xuanhao was much younger yet had already reached a similar height. It was hard for them to not be filled with admiration.

  The more admiration they felt, the more confident they were that Xiang Shaoyun's group had definitely come from a large organization. Their thought of forming a relationship with Xiang Shaoyun was further reaffirmed.

  By the time Du Xuanhao was done breaking through, the building he was in had been reduced to rubble. A saber energy of about a kilometer long stabbed into the sky, radiating a thick flame energy and displaying its might to all.

  Flame energy twirled around Du Xuanhao's body, and his ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm aura filled the Dong Clan while his terrifying saber intent formed numerous sabers that sliced the clouds in the sky into shreds.

  "Ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm! I finally did it!" Du Xuanhao muttered to himself. His fists were balled tightly, and tears were dripping down his cheeks.

  Back then, he had gone through countless difficulties just to reach the seventh-stage. Now, he had only followed Xiang Shaoyun for less than three months but had already advanced two stages in a row, saving decades he would otherwise take just to reach this
level. He finally saw hope in avenging his wife, and his gratefulness toward Xiang Shaoyun grew as a result.

  Devouring Ghost was observing him from a corner as he thought to himself, This kid might be a great help to the young master one day in the future. I need to find a chance to get him a fortuitous encounter.

  Both Dong Qinggu and Dong Zhongyuan congratulated Du Xuanhao, who was hovering high in the sky. "Congratulations, Brother Du for breaking through into the ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm."

  After them, the other Dong Clan Emperors also started offering their congratulations as well. A person with this cultivation level was already at the utmost peak of tier-5 organizations and was definitely worthy of their respect.

  Du Xuanhao landed from the sky and replied, "Many thanks, everyone. But I owe my breakthrough to the young master."

  "Young master?" The Dong Clan people wore odd expressions. They found it hard to believe Xiang Shaoyun would be of help to Du Xuanhao with his cultivation level.

  Perhaps it's the organization behind him, they concluded.

  At this time, Xiang Shaoyun arrived at the Dong Clan with Dong Ziwan.

  "Congratulations, Big Brother Du for the breakthrough," he said, feeling happy for Du Xuanhao.

  Du Xuanhao quickly rushed over and knelt down on one knee. "Many thanks, young master, for allowing me to reach this level."

  His action greatly shocked the Dong Clan people. Emperors had their pride and would never lightly kneel to someone, even if that person was the clan leader and possessed the same cultivation level.

  A simple example would be that Du Xuanhao would never kneel before Dong Zhuoyue, the clan leader, even if he himself was a Dong Clan member. Only Sovereigns would be able to make him kneel. But now, Du Xuanhao was ignoring his pride as an Emperor and was kneeling down before Xiang Shaoyun. It was inconceivable to them.

  They felt like there were only two reasons Du Xuanhao would kneel to Xiang Shaoyun. The first reason was because Xiang Shaoyun was most probably a person of an exalted status, likely a young master of at least a tier-6 organization. The second reason was because he had once shown Du Xuanhao a great favor. The Dong Clan people were of the opinion that the former was more likely to be the case.

  Xiang Shaoyun quickly helped Du Xuanhao up and said, "Don't do that, Big Brother Du. In my heart, you are akin to a brother. I can't accept your kneel."

  Although he had taken in Du Xuanhao as a follower, he still showed him a great deal of respect. After all, he considered Hua Cheng his big sister, and the person she liked was Du Xuanhao. In any case, Du Xuanhao was a decent person worthy of his respect.

  This was one of Xiang Shaoyun's personal charms, a quality any good leader should have—to have respect for the capable.

  Du Xuanhao stood up and said solemnly, "Without your blaze flower, it would have been very hard for me to advance two stages in a row."

  "Haha, helping you is the same as helping myself," Xiang Shaoyun laughed. He then looked at Dong Qinggu and Dong Zhongyuan before asking, "Seniors, have you never thought of going on the offensive and crushing the traitors?"

  Dong Zhongyuan and Dong Qinggu exchanged glances, and finally, Dong Qinggu said, "Young Master Xiang, you are willing to help us?"

  "Big Brother Du has just broken through. I think he needs some target practice to stabilize his cultivation base. Am I right, Big Brother Du?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.

  A raging battle intent surged out as Du Xuanhao said, "Yes, I need to feed my saber."

  Chapter 389: Tai and Xing Clans Erased

  After three days of consideration, Tai Dou, Xing Yihui, and the others finally decided to work with the Illusionary Palm Society.

  "Lord Xu, from now onward, the Illusionary Palm Society will be the leader of our clans. I only hope that you can keep your word and let our clans control the Five Denseforest Cities," said Tai Dou to Xu Duo.

  "That's right. If you break your promise, things will revert back to how they were when we followed the Dong Clan. If that is the case, we might as well pull out of this place entirely and rebuild somewhere else," said Xing Yihui.

  "Hehe, don't worry. The Illusionary Palm Society is quite far away, so it will be quite troublesome for us to personally manage this place anyway. It will be the best for us if your clans are the ones running it. We only need you to pay 30 percent of what you make yearly as tribute," said Xu Duo with a satisfied look. "I will send someone back to the society and get some experts to come over to help you defeat the Dong Clan."

  "We will be troubling you then, lord," said Tai Dou and Xing Yihui with grateful expressions.

  "Lord, I suggest we move fast as I'm afraid the Dong Clan people will...," Xing Yihui said with a worried look.

  The Tai and Xing Cities were located near Dong City. An Emperor would only need about four hours to reach them. They were afraid that the Dong Clan would come for revenge.

  "Don't worry. I have already sent a message with a thousand miles bird. With its speed, it has probably reached the Illusionary Palm Society by now. I believe that in a few more days my fellow apprentices will be here. At that time, we can take the Dong Clan easily," said Xu Duo confidently.

  "Good, good." Tai Dou and Xing Yihui were finally relieved.

  Suddenly, a loud sound rang out from outside the city, and a Tai Clan Emperor came shouting in alarm, "This is bad! The Dong Clan is attacking!"

  "Damn it! Why are they here so fast? Are they planning to die together with us?" Tai Dou cursed before rushing out of the city.

  Xing Yihui also moved without delay. Since the Xing Clan Emperors were here as well, they had to work together in order to survive the Dong Clan's assault. On the other hand, Xu Duo decided to remain inside after a slight hesitation.

  "Traitors from the Tai and Xing Clans, today is the day you all die!" Dong Qinggu's merciless voice rang out in the air. Both he and Dong Zhongyuan attacked with their sovereign weapons, sending numerous terrifying attacks forward, and crushed the Tai City's defensive barrier.

  "Everyone, go! They are not necessarily not our match!" Tai Dou yelled, trying to improve the morale of the people on their side.

  Over 20 Emperors from the two clans moved out together, including the ones who were still recuperating from their injuries. The Dong Clan had only attacked with about 15 Emperors. However, these 15 Emperors appeared incredibly imposing, with three ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm experts among them. Apart from the three, there was also Devouring Ghost who possessed combat prowess comparable to that of a peak Dragon Ascension Realm expert. This was already enough of a force to crush the two clans.

  In fact, the two clans would not be able to put up a fight unless Xu Duo and his two surviving companions helped them. After all, they only had one ninth-stage Emperor among their ranks. They had more Emperors on their side, but the difference in cultivation levels would decide the result of the battle.

  "Come! I shall hone my saber with you!" Du Xuanhao alone charged ahead of everyone. He drew his saber, became one with it, and instantly sent a deluge of saber energy toward the Emperors from the two opposing clans. His slash looked like it was going to cut the sky itself into two. With an imposing might, it instantly reaped the lives of two Emperors.

  Two lives with one slash!

  The two clans started panicking. One of them recognized Du Xuanhao and cried out in alarm, "H-he is one of the Dong Clan's helpers! He has grown even stronger!"

  "It doesn't matter who he is. We have no other option. Fight!" roared Tai Dou. He then charged Dong Qinggu.

  Meanwhile, Xing Yihui stayed where he was and observed the battlefield. When he couldn't find Xu Duo anywhere, he panicked, "Why is Lord Xu not here? Has he..."

  He did not even dare to imagine their fate if Xu Duo decided to not help. Xing Yihui was about to flee when Devouring Ghost appeared beside him like a specter and clawed him. Meanwhile, Dong Qinggu and Dong Zhongyuan were busy fighting the other members of the two clans.

  The battle between Emperors raged on,
terrifying energy explosions filling the air above the Tai Clan. Toward the end of the battle, not much of the Tai City was left intact. The people of the city started fleeing everywhere. Unsurprisingly, the Tai Clan estate had been completely destroyed.

  Far away from the city was Xu Duo, who had fled ahead of time. Inwardly, he rejoiced, They have indeed come prepared. The two clans are idiots. Without sufficient foundations, they are actually trying to uproot the Dong Clan? They have overestimated themselves.

  He then quickly left with his two companions. About half a day later, not a single Tai Clan Emperor was left. The Dong Clan did not spare the surviving Tai Clan members either. They descended from the sky and slaughtered everyone from the Tai Clan, not giving them any chance to rebuild.

  After destroying the Tai Clan, they rushed toward the Xing City and attacked the Xing Clan before they could do anything. The same thing happened to the Xing Clan. With the destruction of the two traitor clans, the Dong Clan's crisis ended.

  Xiang Shaoyun had not participated in either battle. He had remained in the Dong Clan estate and was focused on studying the nine-colored fog in his astral cosmos sea. The horned lightning snake had broken through after absorbing the nine-colored fog. Not much of it was left. Therefore, he had to figure out what it actually did and how it could be of help to him.

  After repeated observations, he was able to conclude that the nine-colored fog was very similar to the most original energy of the universe and that it was probably capable of sustaining life. He had obtained that conclusion after observing the herbs and horned lightning snake currently residing within his astral cosmos sea.

  The nine-colored fog is a sort of origin energy. Apart from sustaining life, it definitely has some other unique functions as well. Let me draw some of them out, Xiang Shaoyun thought inwardly before drawing out all the remaining nine-colored fog.

  When the nine-colored fog converged on his palms, he immediately felt an intense vitality and dreadful destructiveness emanating from it. He also sensed two different attributes, but he couldn't make sense of them for now.