by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
They were all rare treasures. For example, the root essence was something that only grew out of a spiritual tree that had existed for several thousand years. The top-quality earthstone heart contained the essence of the power of earth, something ordinary soil would never be able to form. The 1,000-year-old congealed liquid ball was also extremely rare, and like Yun Flame, it had only formed after undergoing numerous transformations.
The radiant meteorite was something from outside this world. It had a peculiar structure and contained the purest power of light. The dark heart was something that could only come into existence in a space of boundless darkness. It was also the rarest of the five.
Any of them was comparable to an emperor-grade treasure in terms of value. They were priced higher than the other emperor-grade treasures in the catalog, and devil cores were also required in addition to contribution points. The depth in the old man's eyes when looking at Xiang Shaoyun grew when he saw what Xiang Shaoyun was trading for.
Xiang Shaoyun spent a few hundred million contribution points and a few hundred devil cores to get all the items he had selected. Instead of feeling distressed for having spent that much, he instead seemed to be filled with excitement.
After all, he had obtained all those contribution points through selling devil materials. And although devil materials were valuable, they weren't really that useful to him. As for the devil cores, they were of course useful for him. But how had he obtained all those devil cores?
Apart from those he had extorted from the old nether prison devil, most of them had been found in the chakram left behind by the imperial nether soul that had tried to take over his body. The chakram was named Darknight Ring, a weapon the soul had used when it was still alive.
Xiang Shaoyun had initially thought that it was just a weapon, but during his time in seclusion in the castle, he had discovered that it also acted as a storage device. Within it was a large amount of devil materials and devil cores.
Xiang Shaoyun wouldn't have so many devil cores in his possession otherwise. In fact, not even the old nether prison devil had that many sovereign-grade devil cores. Of course, only Xiang Shaoyun knew about that. The old nether prison devil was completely oblivious to it. In any case, even if he did know, he wouldn't have had the courage to destroy the statue to retrieve the Darknight Ring from within it.
One could say that rather than taking over Xiang Shaoyun's body, the soul had instead lost everything it had to Xiang Shaoyun. As for the items of different elements, Xiang Shaoyun had naturally purchased them in order to start cultivating all nine of his stars. He was going to join the Dragon Phoenix Academy, a place filled with geniuses. He had no choice but to further improve his stars. Doing so would grant him greater prospects in his future cultivation.
Chapter 517: Skeleton Gang's Crisis
After putting all his purchases away, Xiang Shaoyun prepared to head back to Bloodsin City. However, the old man from the contribution exchange platform suddenly asked, "Are you a descendant of the Xiang Clan?"
Xiang Shaoyun blanked out slightly before he smiled and answered, "This kid's surname is indeed Xiang, but I am unclear as to which Xiang Clan you're referring to, lord. There are many Xiang Clans in the world..."
The old man stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Alright. There's no need for further explanations. You may leave."
Xiang Shaoyun bowed and left. But prior to leaving, he still gave the name on the Contribution Stele one last look. Complicated emotions raged in his mind.
Xiang Dingtian, the indomitable hero whose might rippled across the entire dominion, the unrivaled overlord, muttered Xiang Shaoyun inwardly with a sigh.
During his comprehension session with the Contribution Stele, he had witnessed a considerable amount of Xiang Dingtian's accomplishments. He had a feeling he was related to this Xiang Dingtian, and perhaps that was due to the Xiang Clan's lightning bone in his body.
That was most likely the same Xiang Clan the old man was referring to as well, but Xiang Shaoyun had never intended to admit that he was a descendant of that clan. He tossed all those thoughts to the back of his mind before telling Du Xuanhao, "Big Brother Du, let's go back to the city."
Du Xuanhao nodded before saying to Han Pojun, "Old Han, let's go together."
"Sure," Han Pojun agreed cheerfully.
And thus, the group headed back to Bloodsin City.
...
Skeleton Gang, Bloodsin City.
The Skeleton Gang of today was no longer the Skeleton Gang of the past. They had changed their ways and had stopped committing the various shady crimes they used to commit in the past. Their change confused many people in the city.
Some claimed that Celestial Skeleton was trying to break through into the Soul Foundation Realm, so he had his subordinates maintain a low profile so as to not attract trouble while he worked on his cultivation.
Some claimed that an internal struggle was going on in the Skeleton Gang. They were no longer united and were too busy fighting among themselves to commit any crimes. Whatever the rumors said, it was undeniable that the Skeleton Gang had been inactive recently. Currently, the three leaders of the Skeleton Gang were gathered at the gang's main hall, probably in an important meeting.
"Boss, the Noxious Blood Gang demands that we hand over the young master today or they will purge us. But the young master has yet to return from the Devil Domain. What are we to do?" asked Human Skeleton with a sigh.
Although the three leaders were under Xiang Shaoyun's control, they still maintained their freedom of thought. In fact, the only thing that changed was that Xiang Shaoyun would immediately know when they harbored evil designs on him, and he would punish them by torturing them with the headband curse.
"We can’t decide when the young master returns. All of us need to take precautions. Even if Noxious Blood has really become a first-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator, all three of us working together is still enough to give him a hard time," said Celestial Skeleton with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"The boss is right. The young master is merely an excuse. The Noxious Blood Gang had long wanted to snatch our turf from us. Finally, they have found a proper excuse they can act on," said Earth Skeleton.
"It's a pity I failed to take that step forward. Otherwise, how could Noxious Blood be so arrogant when facing us?" said Celestial Skeleton with indignation.
He still remembered Xiang Shaoyun's promise to help him take that step forward. He could only hope that Xiang Shaoyun would keep his promise after returning from the Devil Domain. Suddenly, the three sensed numerous powerful auras arriving outside. Miserable wails of Skeleton Gang members also started resounding in the air. The three's expressions shifted as they quickly dashed out of the main hall.
"Who dares challenge the Skeleton Gang?" Celestian Skeleton's voice rumbled out.
When the three left the main hall, they noticed that a different group was beating their subordinates into retreat.
"Bastards from the Noxious Blood Gang, how dare you!" Earth Skeleton and Human Skeleton yelled at the same time as they charged into the battlefield.
But right as the two moved, a thick power enveloped the area as two clumps of energies blasted both of them. The two defended themselves in shock, but they were still sent crashing into the ground, coughing blood.
Celestial Skeleton quickly dashed forth to protect the two. Staring at the newcomer, he cried out in alarm, "Noxious Blood!"
The newcomer was the great monarch of the Noxious Blood Gang, Noxious Blood. He was slightly chubby and not tall. His pair of rat-like eyes exuded a constant bloodlust as he walked on air with an imposing aura. He was akin to a ruler out on a patrol.
By his side was the third monarch of the Noxious Blood Gang, Scorching Blood. Behind them were a group of Emperors. They all exuded ruthlessness, clearly a group of criminals with no fear of death. The people on the Skeleton Gang's side weren't exactly weak, but a single Sovereign among their opponents caused them to be completely hel
pless.
"People of the Skeleton Gang, listen. It is still not too late for you to surrender now. Otherwise, die," said Scorching Blood.
"Hmph. You want us to surrender? Dream on. Murderous Skeleton Formation!" commanded Celestial Skeleton.
At his command, strands of energy rippled out of the buildings around him, and numerous skeleton puppets charged out from different directions. These were all emperor-grade puppets, and when working in a formation, they were no weaker than actual Emperors.
"Everyone, kill!" Celestial Skeleton gave another command before looking at his two brothers. He said, "Second brother, third brother, face Noxious Blood together with our formation!"
Earth Skeleton and Human Skeleton tried to get back on their feet, but they were having a hard time exerting any strength.
"Don't bother with your pointless struggles. Die," said Noxious Blood. As he said that, he clawed forward, creating a massive palm of energy that raked at the skeleton puppets, turning them into fine powder. This was the strength of a Sovereign, a strength unimaginable to many.
Celestial Skeleton realized that today would be the day he died, and the only thing he could do was fight with his life on the line. He took out a damaged sovereign weapon and started madly attacking Noxious Blood with it.
Although Celestial Skeleton had been stuck at the peak Emperor Realm for many years, he still had decent combat prowess. Unfortunately, the gap between him and Noxious Blood, who was only a step ahead of him, was akin to a wide chasm that could not be surmounted.
Facing the attacks, Noxious Blood remained rooted on the spot while his palms clawed out repeatedly, sending out numerous domineering attacks and flooding his surroundings with a red radiance as an eerie sound akin to the wail of ghosts rang in the air without stop.
Celestial Skeleton's damaged sovereign weapon was unable to do anything before the claw attacks inflicted him with heavy injuries. He was getting weaker and weaker, reaching a point he could no longer fight. It filled the Skeleton Gang members with fear, and they no longer had any fight in them.
"Those who refuse to submit will die," said Noxious Blood as he killed two random Skeleton Gang members as a warning.
The Skeleton Gang members realized that defeat was imminent, and some got on their knees to beg for mercy.
Noxious Blood looked at the three Skeleton Gang leaders coldly and said, "I will give you one chance as well. Submit and live. I will even assign you important positions under me. Otherwise...die."
Right this moment, a voice rumbled on from far away, "A trash like you wishes to poach this young master's men?"
Chapter 518: Sovereign's Wrath
The newcomer was none other than Xiang Shaoyun, who had just returned from the Devil Domain. The moment he left the Devil Domain, he sensed that the three Skeletons were in bad shape. Thus, he rushed back to their headquarters.
Although the three Skeletons weren't exactly upstanding citizens, they were now under his control and were now his subordinates. How could he allow others to eliminate his subordinates? Thus, he rushed back as quickly as possible the moment he sensed what was happening. Fortunately, he had arrived just in time to prevent the full destruction of the Skeleton Gang.
Noxious Blood had not entered the Sovereign Realm for long. He had been waiting on dealing with the Skeleton Gang, as he needed some time to stabilize his cultivation base. On top of that, the rumors spread by the Ghostface Sect that they were protecting the Skeleton Gang had caused him to not dare to make any reckless moves.
In fact, even the attack today was primarily done with the intention to probe the Ghostface Sect's reaction. If the Ghostface Sect really did show themselves, he would retreat. And if they didn't, he would absorb the Skeleton Gang into his own gang. The Ghostface Sect had not appeared, but a group led by a young man had appeared instead. One of the members in the group was Meng Gansu, an elder of the Noxious Blood Gang.
Scorching Blood was able to recognize Xiang Shaoyun with one look, and he immediately pointed at him and shouted, "You still dare to show yourself, you little bastard? Today, I will take your life to avenge my son!"
After saying that, Scorching Blood personally attacked Xiang Shaoyun. He cultivated the power of flame, and as he attacked, a clump of fire shot out of his weapon and flew toward Xiang Shaoyun.
"You want to harm my young master? Dream on!" Du Xuanhao roared and drew his saber. With a simple swing of the saber, the fireball was dispersed.
Moving like the wind, he charged Scorching Blood. Like Xiang Shaoyun, Du Xuanhao had also cultivated footwork intent. After over a year of training in the Devil Domain, he had finally entered the moving like the wind stage, and his speed had more than doubled.
The combination of saber intent and footwork intent was too much for Scorching Blood to deal with, and he was forced to request help from Noxious Blood. "Great monarch, save me!"
As Scorching Blood begged for help, Noxious Blood sent a claw attack toward Du Xuanhao. It was a casual attack, and Noxious Blood believed that it was enough to kill Du Xuanhao. Alas, he was mistaken. Not only did Du Xuanhao determine the trajectory of the attack, he even destroyed the attack with a swing of his saber. The only thing the attack accomplished was forcing Du Xuanhao to take several steps backward. He was still completely unharmed.
"Is this the strength of a Sovereign? Nothing special at all," said Du Xuanhao. He was akin to an exceptional saber, and it was time to display his outstanding combat prowess.
Noxious Blood frowned and said, "Saber Emperor Du Xuanhao?"
"Haha, the great monarch of the Noxious Blood Gang actually knows my name? Today, allow me to have a taste at the combat prowess of a Sovereign!" said Du Xuanhao as he howled with laughter. With the human saber unity active, he charged Noxious Blood.
"You are overestimating yourself," said Noxious Blood with a snort as he finally erupted with the true strength of a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator.
The eruption placed a massive pressure on the very souls of the people present, causing them all to shiver in fear. Due to the suppression of their souls, they couldn't even move their physical bodies anymore. This was why Soul Foundation Realm cultivators were scary. Whether it be Kings or Emperors, they could rely on their presence to suppress and prevail over those with lower cultivation levels than them.
But a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator was capable of forming spiritual pressure to affect someone, suppressing their opponent's soul to plant fear in their mind before killing them with a single strike. The two were entirely different methods of suppression, with the latter being truly capable of suppressing even tens of thousands of people.
There was a saying that the wrath of a Sovereign would result in fields of corpses. That much was proof of a Sovereign's might. Apart from the Noxious Blood Gang members, everyone there seemed to have been struck by some invisible attacks, and many started coughing blood.
Du Xuanhao was also a target of this suppression, but his will remained firm as he continued his attack. This was the benefit of having cleansed himself with the blood cocoon stone. He now possessed a much stronger physique.
Noxious Blood was displeased with the fact that he couldn't defeat Du Xuanhao through suppression alone. Thus, he said, "Today, I will use you to establish my dominance!"
He erupted with power, sending a massive power crashing forth toward Du Xuanhao. And thus, a battle erupted between a Sovereign and an Emperor high in the sky. Scorching Blood took the chance to command his men to kill the Skeleton Gang members who refused to submit, with the leaders as their priority targets. If they were allowed to recover, things would get troublesome. As for himself, he wanted to personally kill Xiang Shaoyun to take revenge for his dead son.
But before Scorching Blood could arrive before Xiang Shaoyun, Han Pojun stepped forth and said, "Young Master Xiang, let me deal with this fellow."
He then charged Scorching Blood. Now, only Meng Gansu and the Han Clan sisters were left around Xiang Shaoyun.
&nb
sp; "Old Meng, go say hi to your ex-brothers. Don't worry about me," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
Meng Gansu nodded and charged toward the Noxious Blood Gang members. The Noxious Blood Gang members knew who Meng Gansu was, but they were unaware that he was already under Xiang Shaoyun's control. The moment he arrived in their midst, he killed a few of them.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun brought the Han Clan sisters with him and headed toward the three Skeletons. Naturally, someone from the Noxious Blood Gang tried to stop them.
"A tiny King dares to disregard our Noxious Blood Gang? Die!" said an Emperor. But before he could even do anything, a tall and slim figure appeared before him. With a punch, his chest exploded.
"Kill them all," commanded Xiang Shaoyun, showing no mercy whatsoever.
At his command, the nether prison devil puppet started slaughtering the Noxious Blood Gang members. This was a puppet with the combat prowess of a late-stage Sovereign. Thus, under its assault, the Noxious Blood Gang members were akin to vegetables on a chopping board. They were utterly defeated, their corpses creating rivers of blood.
Noxious Blood also noticed the existence of the nether prison devil puppet, and he started getting nervous. He could see just how terrifying that puppet was. In fact, that puppet wasn't weaker than him at all.
Furthermore, Du Xuanhao actually had the strength to put up a fight against him. Although he still had the advantage in the fight, he wasn't able to immediately kill Du Xuanhao. If this continued, the entire Noxious Blood Gang would be slaughtered before he could kill Du Xuanhao.
Noxious Blood’s gaze landed on Xiang Shaoyun, coming to a realization that this young man was the one controlling the puppet. So long as he could take this young man down, the crisis would be over. At that thought, he blasted Du Xuanhao away before quickly flying toward Xiang Shaoyun.
"Die, kid!" shouted Noxious Blood as he churned his soul foundation and sent a boundless soul power crashing down upon Xiang Shaoyun before following up with a casual slap. He believed this would be enough to reduce Xiang Shaoyun into a pile of mincemeat. Unfortunately for him, the nether prison devil puppet appeared in front of him before his palm could hit Xiang Shaoyun.