I Am Overlord c1-962
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However, he still did not want to expose his Nether Soul Domain yet. Thus, after stopping the turtle and stealing the golden lotuses, he fled. If he really wanted to fight, he would even be able to kill the turtle emperor.
After losing the golden lotuses it was guarding, the turtle emperor started roaring madly in fury. It rushed out of the lake, revealing its dreadful body that was akin to a mountain. Unfortunately, before it could fly away, it was pressed back down into the lake by a certain incorporeal power. Naturally, that was a power originating from Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain. He had no intention to allow the turtle emperor to catch up with Tang Longfei and the others.
"Don't create trouble, or I'll take your life," threatened Xiang Shaoyun before he left toward Tang Longfei and the others.
The turtle head came out of the lake again, and its eyes were filled with confusion. Why would a King Realm human possess such a terrifying pressure? A short while later, Xiang Shaoyun caught up to Tang Longfei and company.
"Are you fine? That fellow sure is scary," said Tang Longfei. Earlier, he had been jolted to the point of coughing blood. Even now, his face was still ghastly and pale.
"I'm fine. It won't be chasing us any longer. Take some time to recover before we continue traveling," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Tang Longfei nodded and consumed some healing king medicines as he started recovering as quickly as possible. He did not want to delay everyone due to his injuries. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he caused others to fail the test. After he sat in meditation for less than an hour, he woke up. His face seemed to have regained some of its colors.
"This place is really laden with dangers. Looks like I can't get too greedy," said Tang Longfei, somewhat dispirited.
After he said that, seven golden lotuses appeared on Xiang Shaoyun's palm as he said, "I have them."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and Xiang Shaoyun's image became even more enigmatic in their hearts. Of course, if he wasn't that powerful, how would he have been able to steal from the turtle emperor?
Joy covered Tang Longfei's face as he said, "Nice one! What are you waiting for? Let's split the loot!"
Since Xiang Shaoyun had taken the lotuses out, it was clear he had no intention of keeping them for himself. He gave each of them one. Ning Wenhuang felt somewhat embarrassed to receive her share, and she said, "Young Master Xiang, th-this is something you've gained alone. H-how can I take it?"
"Just accept it. Since we are taking the test together, we are friends. Each of us are entitled to the loot," said Xiang Shaoyun nonchalantly.
Ning Wenhuang glanced at Tang Longfei, and when she saw that he showed no response, she accepted the lotus. Lady Shura and the Han Clan sisters also received their shares. Lady Shura cultivated the power of gold. Thus, the lotus was extremely beneficial to her.
On the contrary, the lotus wasn't that useful for the Han Clan sisters, but Xiang Shaoyun still insisted they receive their shares. In the future, they could use them to trade for emperor medicines that could aid them in cultivation. And thus, only two of the lotuses were left. Naturally, Xiang Shaoyun kept both for himself.
The group then set off again. Xiang Shaoyun displayed his scouting prowess as usual, allowing them to avoid many formidable demonic beasts. Gradually, they approached the academy. In that manner, they traveled for two days. Now, they were near their destination.
But at this point, they could no longer avoid getting into intensive battles with the powerful demonic beasts nearby. The area was filled with demonic beasts, including a large number of Demon Emperors. Fully avoiding them was no longer possible. This could be considered the final trial of the first round of the test. If they couldn't get through the demonic beasts, they would all be reduced to beast fodder.
Presently, they were facing about a dozen demonic lions. The strongest of the lions was a third-stage Demon Emperor. There were also three first-stage Demon Emperors, with the rest being peak Demon Kings. They surrounded Xiang Shaoyun's group and charged them repeatedly. It seemed like they would not stop before ripping the group apart.
At this point, Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Lady Shura no longer held anything back and fought with all their strength. As for the Han Clan sisters and Money, they were temporarily unable to provide any help. Only now did they realize how generous it was for Xiang Shaoyun to bring them along during the test.
If they had joined the test independently like the other participants, they would have been eliminated when they encountered the swarm of locusts. Currently, Xiang Shaoyun was standing before them, providing them with protection. His saber exuded a sharp aura as he repeatedly slashed and engaged the strongest lion in an intense battle.
"Piss off if you don't want to die. Otherwise, your entire clan will die here," said Xiang Shaoyun as he erupted with his presence of dragon and tiger. His domineering aura swept over his surroundings, and combined with the might of his Overlord Skyslaying Saber, his opponent started having the thoughts of fleeing.
Since Xiang Shaoyun was still under the suppression of the heavy armor, he had yet to unleash his full power. Thus, he hadn't been able to harm this third-stage Demon Emperor lion.
"Roar! Repulsive human, don't even dream of getting through my clan's territory. Obediently become our food!" the lion roared, a sound wave rumbling out.
The lion pounced forward and attacked with sharp claws. His demonic aura spread out, turning everything in his surroundings into fine powder. Xiang Shaoyun had long activated his gift of instincts. Thus, he was aware of the lion's attack trajectory. Even so, due to his slow movement speed, the attack still managed to strike him.
Cling! Clank!
The claws landed, creating a series of sparks on his armor. The attack had failed to deal any damage! One ought to know that this was an attack capable of ripping even emperor armors apart. The broken armor Xiang Shaoyun wore was still completely fine and had suffered zero damage. After landing on the ground, Xiang Shaoyun erupted with the power from his lightning bone and lightning star before swinging his saber, sending out a dreadful lightning ray.
On top of that, 49 silver lightning bolts formed in the sky above and rained down, submerging the lion in a storm of lightning. The silver lightning bolts bombarded the lion emperor relentlessly, causing him to repeatedly roar in pain. However, the attack was not enough to kill him.
Xiang Shaoyun took the chance to jump into the air before using the second stance of the Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique, Changing Weathers, and he slaughtered his opponent.
Although the lion emperor had a tough body, the Overlord Skyslaying Saber had been restored to the level of peak emperor weapon. It didn't have any problem slicing the lion apart.
After killing the third-stage Demon Emperor lion, Xiang Shaoyun had exhausted about 70 percent of his energy. The remaining 30 percent was barely able to sustain his exhaustion while wearing the armor. He landed heavily on the ground to catch his breath. As he rested, Tang Longfei and company assaulted the remaining lions and made them retreat. At this time, a different group of people suddenly charged toward them.
Chapter 550: None of You Can Escape
In the thick forest, seven humans mounted on their respective mounts noiselessly landed near Xiang Shaoyun's group. Each of them exuded a powerful aura. They were all peak Kings, and from the fact that they could reach this far, it meant that they were comparable to War Emperors in terms of combat prowess. The two leaders of the group were Dragon Ascension Realm cultivators. They were respectively Mu Qingyu and Wang Xin.
Mu Qingyu was mounted on an ardent blood tiger and was dressed in green and red armor. He wielded a sword and a saber, while green and red radiance swirled around his body at all times, making him look rather impressive. Cultivators wielding two different weapons were very rare, and Mu Qingyu was one of them.
Wang Xin had a mediocre appearance, with a gold band on his head and gold armor on his body. He wielded a gold hammer, and his sturdy body seemed to be filled w
ith power and explosiveness. As for the others, there were three men and two women. Each of them similarly possessed extraordinary combat prowess. Xiang Shaoyun and company grew tense when they saw the group of newcomers.
"You can even kill a third-stage Demon Emperor lion? What a remarkable talent. If you are allowed to advance by two more stages, you will probably be able to stand up to Boss Feng. Looks like we have no choice but to eliminate you in advance!" said Mu Qingyu with a toying look on his face.
He could sense Xiang Shaoyun's exhaustion, and he could also see that the others weren't in too good of a shape either. This was the perfect opportunity to get rid of them.
Before they could attack, Tang Longfei recognized them and said, "You're Feng Xiaosha's people!"
"It's good that you're aware. At least you won't die clueless," said Mu Qingyu with a sneer. "Finish them off quickly. We still need to get going to the academy."
At his command, the six people behind him attacked.
"Let me have the head of this kid who had actually dared to kill Da Zixuan. I'll avenge him!" Wang Xin's gaze landed on Xiang Shaoyun as he roared and charged towardXiang Shaoyun like a massive bear.
Xiang Shaoyun spoke to Tang Longfei through voice transmission, "Big Brother Tang, bring the others away. I'll deal with these people."
After saying that, he unleashed the power of yin devil wind within his body, causing the pressure his body was suffering from the armor's weight to drop greatly. At the same time, he unleashed the power of the lightning bone, releasing a combination of wind and lightning around him.
Instantly, numerous hurricanes and over 100 silver lightning bolts formed before swarming Wang Xin and company. Xiang Shaoyun was actually intending to take on all seven opponents by himself, not giving anyone the chance to deal with Tang Longfei and the others.
Although Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Lady Shura did not fear a battle with these opponents, Xiang Shaoyun had no intention of letting them waste too much time here. Their priority should be getting through the first round of the test.
In any case, there were two Emperors among their opponents and were most likely Emperors of Emperors capable of punching above their weight. To fight them all head on would waste a lot of time.
Furthermore, they had also exhausted a large amount of energy during the previous battle. A prolonged battle would not benefit them. The best solution was to use the Nether Soul Domain and end the battle as quickly as possible.
For now, Xiang Shaoyun had no intention to reveal his Nether Soul Domain. Thus, he made Tang Longfei and company leave. The storm of wind and lightning kept Mu Qingyu and company busy, but that only lasted a while. However, that was enough time for Tang Longfei and the others to flee.
Tang Longfei did not delay, "Go! Don't disturb Shaoyun's fight!"
He was not worried about Xiang Shaoyun as he knew about the nether prison devil puppet. With the puppet, dealing with these opponents wouldn't be a problem. Xiang Shaoyun had most likely told them to leave so he did not need to divert his attention to take care of them.
Lady Shura and the Han Clan sisters wanted to stay and help, but they also knew that Xiang Shaoyun was a person with numerous means at his disposal. Thus, they did not delay and retreated with Tang Longfei.
At this time, Mu Qingyi's group was finally able to scatter the storm Xiang Shaoyun created. In fact, the impact of their combined attack had even blasted Xiang Shaoyun away, causing him to crash through several trees before he came to a stop. However, Xiang Shaoyun was still alive. His armor had blocked the fatal attack.
"How tenacious. Wang Xin, finish him off. I'll chase after the others," Mu Qingyu commanded. He then prepared to head after Tang Longfei and company.
"None of you can leave," said Xiang Shaoyun as he wiped the blood off the corner of his lips, his voice murderous.
It was at this time that the Nether Soul Domain swept out and enveloped Mu Qingyu, Wang Xin, and their companions. They were trapped within the darkness before they had even realized what was happening.
"This is bad! We need to break free immediately!" Mu Qingyu exclaimed in alarm. He did not know what had happened, but he was clear that this was definitely Xiang Shaoyun's trump card. They started attacking their surroundings, trying to blast a way out.
"It's too late. None of you can escape," Xiang Shaoyun's cold voice rang out. Numerous chains then shot out and wrapped around the seven humans and their mounts.
They resisted with all their might, displaying the strength of War Emperors. Mu Qingyu and Wang Xin performed particularly well, erupting with prowess comparable to third-stage Emperors'. Alas, they were not strong enough to break free of Xiang Shaoyun's chains.
"It's a pity," Xiang Shaoyun sighed as he tightened the chains around them, squeezing them to death.
He initially wanted to subdue all of them to turn them into his servants, but he recalled that they were Feng Xiaosha's followers. If they were allowed to return, some trouble might come of it. Killing them was the safest solution. However, he found that only the five Kings and the mounts were killed. Both Mu Qingyu and Wang Xin were still alive. It seemed like the top-tier armors they wore couldn't be broken so easily.
"Th-this is the Nether Soul Domain! Y-you're a devil from the Imperial Nether Clan!" Mi Qingyu finally recognized the space and cried out in alarm. Fear covered Wang Xin's face as his heart turned cold.
"Hehe, if I'm a devil, why am I joining the Dragon Phoenix Academy? Then again, you're right. This is the Nether Soul Domain. So what other trump cards do you have left? If you don't have anything else, I'll be sending you to the afterlife," said Xiang Shaoyun in an unruffled manner. He was the overlord of this domain. Only those with soul power surpassing his could break free of his prison. Anyone else would die.
"Haha! Sure, open your eyes wide and see if I can escape! Burn!" Mu Qingyu laughed as a thick green flame erupted from his body, igniting the chains around him.
"Huh? A unique flame?" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in astonishment. Only unique flames with the power of extreme yang could ignite the chains in his prison.
Chapter 551: I'm Now Your Master
Mu Qingyu was someone who had reached the Dragon Ascension Realm before 30 years old. This was a showcase of remarkable talent. In the past, he had fought Feng Xiaosha once and had only suffered a slight defeat by a single move. Since then, he had become Feng Xiaosha's follower. In fact, he was also one of the Dragon Phoenix Academy's special-recruit disciples.
He cultivated the powers of wood and flame, possessing an outstanding combat prowess. He also had a powerful unique flame within him, a flame that allowed him to ignite the chains in the Imperial Nether Prison. Xiang Shaoyun was astonished, but he wasn't the least bit anxious.
"Qingyu, save me!" Wang Xin begged for help. Mu Qingyu did not give up on his companion. He shot several flaming beams from his finger and freed Wang Xin from the chains as well.
"Xiang Shaoyun, if you know what's good for you, release us. It will benefit all of us. Otherwise, you will suffer alongside us!" said Mu Qingyu coldly.
When he saw how calm Xiang Shaoyun was, he gave up on his thought to immediately attack. The calmness was proof that his opponent did not fear his flame.
Beside him, Wang Xin was furious. "What's the point of talking to him? Just kill him!"
"Haha, if he is really capable of doing so, he wouldn't have bothered trying to intimidate me," Xiang Shaoyun roared with laughter. "I wanted to kill both of you, but I've changed my mind. Both of you shall submit to me."
He started chanting his curse, sending numerous ancient symbols flying through the air toward the two. At the same time, numerous chains shot out once again and tied Wang Xin up. As for Mu Qingyu, he was already on guard. He reacted immediately and unleashed the green flame within his body, burning everything in his surroundings.
"The Nether Soul Domain might be scary, but it is still something formed of soul power. Therefore, a power of extreme yang like my flame is its nemesis.
I refuse to believe you can resist my flame!" shouted Mu Qingyu confidently.
Sure enough, his green flame destroyed the ancient symbols and chains. At the same time, Mu Qingyu charged Xiang Shaoyun's soul body.
"Perish!" Mu Qingyu shouted as he slashed forward with his flaming saber, creating a tiger-shaped green flame that furiously bit at Xiang Shaoyun's soul body.
There was no mistake in Mu Qingyu's judgment. Unfortunately for him, he was unaware of the ghostrunes that also lived in the Nether Soul Domain. His failure was already predetermined. Before his attack could even reach Xiang Shaoyun, he felt his soul under attack, assaulting him with intense pain.
It was at that instant that the attack he had launched crumbled. He had to prioritize guarding his soul. Otherwise, he would be in deep trouble. Like the heart, one's soul was also vital for survival. The moment it was destroyed, there was no hope of survival.
Alas, he was completely incapable of guarding against the incoming soul attacks. Even though he was a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator whose soul had already taken form, he couldn't resist the attacks. At the same time, Xiang Shaoyun took the chance to chant his curse again. One ancient symbol after another drifted through the air and entered Mu Qingyu's head, branding his soul.
Mu Qingyu was already having a hard time dealing with the attacks from the ghostrunes, and with the invasion of the ancient symbols, his defense nearly crumbled apart. On the brink of collapse, he begged, "Spare me! I am willing to submit!"
He was afraid that his soul would be erased just like that. If he allowed that to happen, he would die a complete death. Xiang Shaoyun ignored him and continued chanting. Not far away, the tied up Wang Xin felt a chill down his spine. He struggled repeatedly, unleashing an unending torrent of gold energy in hope of escaping his predicament. Unfortunately, all his struggles bore no result.
"Damn it! What to do? What to do?" Wang Xin cursed anxiously. Before he could think of anything, Mu Qingyu's defense finally crumbled apart. A brand was etched deep into his soul.