I Am Overlord c1-962

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

  Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun and the Scarlet Flame Monarch were having a good time in the basement. Even after spending a day and a night in conversation, they still hadn't run out of topics.

  "To be able to see the Overlord again, I no longer have any regrets in life. Don't waste any more time here. Leave. Only return to save me if there is an opportunity to do so," said the Scarlet Flame Monarch, who did not wish to waste more of Xiang Shaoyun's time.

  "Ok. I will definitely think of a way to free you. It won't be long!" Xiang Shaoyun promised.

  He then gave Scarlet Flame Monarch some emperor-grade spring liquid, soul spring liquid, and emperor medicines. These items might not be anything special for someone like the Scarlet Flame Monarch, but they were extremely beneficial tonics for him with his body's current condition. The Scarlet Flame Monarch did not stand on ceremony and swallowed everything offered to him.

  "Thank you, Overlord. With these, I will be able to last longer. After leaving, don't tell Devouring Ghost about me. Otherwise, that fellow will definitely charge here. With his current condition, he is not capable of that. There is no point in making him anxious now," said the Scarlet Flame Monarch. "Let me send you out of the castle."

  He then condensed a clump of power that sent Xiang Shaoyun out of the basement and the central keep. The only thing Xiang Shaoyun felt was his body turning weightless, and he was already outside the castle. As soon as he appeared outside, the dark bats noticed him. Sounds of screeches filled the air.

  Their eyes turned red with fury as they all pounced on him. There was no lack of experts among the dark bats, with a considerable number having higher cultivation levels than Xiang Shaoyun. Instantly, they caught up to him, giving him a fright.

  It hadn't been easy for him to escape the space of endless darkness, and the Scarlet Flame Monarch had subsequently injured him. After surviving the encounter, Xiang Shaoyun was now met with so many dark bats. He started lamenting his bad luck.

  He quickly mustered all his strength and fled. He pushed his wind star to its limit, used the Overlord's Nine Nether Steps with all his power, and even used his footwork intent. His figure instantly streaked away like a gust of wind, moving at an unbelievable speed.

  Even so, the dark bats did not give up on chasing after him. A few late-stage Emperor dark bats persisted in the pursuit. One of them was a peak Emperor dark bat, and it appeared above Xiang Shaoyun and clawed at his head. Its sharp claws were comparable to the sharpest of weapons. If struck, Xiang Shaoyun's head would be crushed even if it was made of steel.

  Xiang Shaoyun was already a second-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, and he had reached mid second-stage. Even so, he still felt threatened by that dark bat. During the moment of crisis, he released his Nether Soul Domain and enveloped the dark bat.

  Xiang Shaoyun sneered and said, "I didn't want to provoke you guys, but you guys actually have the guts to provoke me? Seems to me you have a death wish."

  Instantly, numerous chains shot out and shackled the dark bat. The bat sensed that things weren't looking good for it, and it tried escaping. Unfortunately, its attempt was to no avail. The chains pulled and ripped the dark bat into pieces.

  Next, Xiang Shaoyun released the ghostrunes, feeding the remains of the bat to them. As for the other dark bats that were hot on his tail, they all charged right into the Nether Soul Domain as well. One by one, they were all killed.

  One ought to know that Xiang Shaoyun's soul had reached the level of a Sovereign. Hence, his Nether Soul Domain was capable of dealing even with Sovereigns. Although these bats were powerful, they were not strong enough to pose a threat to him.

  After dealing with the bats pursuing him, he left, not willing to get tangled in any other trouble. However, he was able to sense that he had caught someone's attention. That person gave him a sense of danger that seemed no weaker than the danger he felt from the dark bats.

  When Xiang Shaoyun looked in a certain direction, he saw a person and a mount gazing at him. He met the person's eyes, and illusory sparks seemed to appear between their gazes. It was as if he had met a potential rival that he had long waited to meet, causing a thirst for battle to rise within him.

  The person and the mount were none other than Xiao Xie and his black qilin. From Xiao Xie's characteristics, Xiang Shaoyun recognized him. "Demonic Blade Xiao Xie!"

  "Since you know me, you are definitely a disciple of the academy. Who are you?" Xiao Xie asked in a calm and unruffled manner.

  Xiang Shaoyun's name had long spread throughout the academy due to his nine-star physique. However, the freaks who had entered the academy earlier had not met him before. Xiao Xie was one of these freaks. Thus, it was understandable that he did not recognize Xiang Shaoyun.

  As Xiang Shaoyun walked over, he answered, "I am Xiang Shaoyun."

  A look of astonishment flashed past Xiao Xie's face. "You're the Xiang Shaoyun residing at 1 Dragon Villa?"

  "Yes," Xiang Shaoyun answered honestly.

  "Haha, splendid. Knowing someone by his reputation really can't compare to meeting him in person," Xiao Xie roared with laughter. His eyes gleamed as he said, "Xiang Shaoyun, I challenge you to a duel!"

  Xiao Xie could see that Xiang Shaoyun was only a second-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, but whatever Xiang Shaoyun had done to the dark bats was incredibly odd. Xiao Xie couldn't make any sense of what he had seen.

  Those dark bats had been late-stage Emperors, but they had all vanished mysteriously just by approaching Xiang Shaoyun. It was unheard of. Thus, Xiao Xie did not dare to underestimate Xiang Shaoyun.

  "Reason?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.

  "Why do you need a reason to fight? But if you insist, it is due to my curiosity of the capability of someone who had left the central keep safely," said Xiao Xie as he attacked.

  Chapter 672: Battling Xiao Xie

  Every single freak among the Dragon Phoenix Academy's top 10 disciples possessed a combat prowess that defied logic. They were also extremely fortuitous in their path of cultivation, progressing far faster than their peers.

  As one of the top 10 disciples, Xiao Xie had trained himself numerous ways since young. He was only 28 years old this year, yet he was already a fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, which was a terrifying cultivation level for his age.

  After entering the Dragon Ascension Realm, each stage of advancement required a massive accumulation of energy. Hence, growth usually slowed to a crawl at that point. But for freaks like Xiao Xie, that issue was nonexistent. They were still able to grow at a rapid speed.

  Xiang Shaoyun had not expected Xiao Xie to attack so suddenly. After all, with Xiao Xie's fame in the academy, he would be the one receiving challenges, not the other way around. Furthermore, the gap between him and Xiang Shaoyun was rather large. He wasn't behaving like an expert at all.

  Xiao Xie moved rapidly, and he had instantaneously arrived before Xiang Shaoyun the moment he left his black qilin. Using his hand as a blade, he chopped at Xiang Shaoyun. The attack carried a massive oppressive force that gave Xiang Shaoyun a sense of suppression similar to what he felt when facing peak Emperors.

  How powerful, thought Xiang Shaoyun as he immediately activated his gift of instincts to scan the incoming attack. He then barely avoided the attack with his footwork technique.

  As he dodged, a massive explosion erupted where he stood previously. The explosion's shockwave reached hundreds of meters and left a deep depression in the ground.

  If that attack had struck, Xiang Shaoyun would have been split into two. Xiao Xie did not seem affected by missing. Instead, he pressed on with more attacks. Using both hands as blades, he slashed everywhere, sending sharp saber energies that threatened to grind Xiang Shaoyun into mincemeat.

  When Xiang Shaoyun sensed the powerful pressure, he knew he couldn't avoid the fight. He roared, "You're pushing it too far!"

  And he counterattacked. He did not dare to hold anything back as he attacked with his power of darkness. In their
current environment, only the power of darkness would be amplified. Since his source of dark energy was actually dark origin energy, he could unleash dark elemental attacks comparable in strength with his lightning elemental attacks.

  Although he had not practiced dark elemental techniques, he did the same as Xiao Xie and used his hands as blades, sending numerous saber energies forth.

  Saber intent!

  He attacked with full power, using his hand and body as a saber, using the saber intent, fighting for the saber.

  Rumble! Rumble!

  Two groups of powerful saber energies clashed, creating a massive explosion. Clouds of dust rose up, and cut marks were left everywhere. The gap in cultivation level between the two was too large. Although Xiang Shaoyun was able to fight those four or even five stages above him, Xiao Xie was no weaker than him.

  In fact, his opponent hadn't even displayed his full strength yet could already push him into repeated retreats. Xiang Shaoyun's clothing was slashed into strips, while he himself received a slash right across his chest, sending him flying away.

  Xiao Xie did not press on. Rather, he looked at Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Your cultivation level is too low. Show your trump card, or you stand no chance."

  Xiang Shaoyun knew that not one disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy would be a pushover, especially those in the top 10 of the Dragon Phoenix List. His exchange with Xiao Xie taught him a lesson in the weakness of cultivating nine different powers.

  If he had cultivated only one power, his defeat wouldn't have been as swift. In fact, he even stood a chance at winning. However, this was a path he had selected for himself, and he would not regret it. In any case, he was already capable of using all nine of his stars at once. Thus, the path he had chosen had already been proven to not be a mistake.

  "I have plenty of trump cards. Since you want to see them, open your eyes wide," said Xiang Shaoyun, whose competitiveness was triggered. After a roar, he unleashed his nine-colored fog.

  Using saber intent alongside the nine-colored fog, the saber energy he sent out underwent a transformation as its prowess skyrocketed.

  Xiao Xie could finally feel a sense of pressure from his opponent. Instead of showing fear, he was overjoyed. "Is this the fusion of nine powers? Splendid. Let me witness just how strong this power is!"

  He finally got serious as the stars within him pulsed, shrouding his body with dense dark energy. At the same time, a certain power swept out of him, and his entire person seemed to have transformed into a majestic saber. Two sabers, one nine-colored while the other pure black, collided.

  An intense radiance flared, attracting the attention of many people in the Castle of Darkness. Numerous figures flew toward the battlefield. They wanted to see just who it was who had created such intense shockwaves during combat. When they arrived, none dared to approach the battlefield. The shockwaves undulating out were too terrifying. None wished to be accidentally hit by a stray pulse.

  "That seems to be Xiao Xie. Who is he fighting? That nine-colored energy feels very odd. This is my first time seeing something like that."

  "That's Xiang Shaoyun, owner of the high-grade nine-star physique. Has he fused his nine astral energies? This is unbelievable!"

  "Amazing. Both these fellows are amazing. They are both using saber intent, and although they are using their hands in place of sabers, their attacks are comparable to weapon attacks."

  "That Xiang Shaoyun is quite brave. He is only a second-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, yet he dares to challenge Xiao Xie. His defeat is certain."

  "He is full of confidence after fusing the nine powers. Perhaps he really can create a miracle."

  ...

  The dark cultivators sank into numerous discussions. They had all noticed Xiang Shaoyun's fusion of nine powers, and their hearts were filled with shock. Most of them came from large organizations and were clear on how cultivating nine powers was akin to a dead end.

  And now, Xiang Shaoyun had found a way to utilize nine powers in unison. It was unprecedented. Was that a sign that Xiang Shaoyun was the pioneer of a path nobody had stepped on before?

  Meanwhile, the fear in Xiao Xie's heart intensified as the battle dragged on. With his cultivation level at the fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm, he could normally battle ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivators with no issues. When using his trump cards, he could even defeat peak Emperors.

  Xiang Shaoyun was only a second-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator but could withstand his attacks and make him feel threatened. It made Xiao Xie wonder if the fusion of nine powers would create a new path surpassing all other paths.

  Chapter 673: For This Battle, I Concede

  Everyone saw Xiang Shaoyun as a pioneer, and only he himself knew the hardships of his path. Sure, the nine-colored fog could display a formidable power, but the amount of nine-colored fog he had in the astral cosmos sea was finite. The amount was much lower than his nine astral energies, and he couldn't even replenish it quickly during battle.

  In comparison, he could quickly replenish any used astral energy by refining some spirit crystals. The fog required a convergence of his nine astral energies in his astral cosmos sea. It was as if he had an additional procedure to go through in his path of power, and the same procedure made speedy recovery impossible.

  Currently, Xiang Shaoyun did not have much nine-colored fog remaining. The two times he had activated the chakram recently had exhausted a large amount of nine-colored fog. After being forced to use some for his fight with Xiao Xie, he was near complete exhaustion. Upon complete exhaustion, he would become weak again.

  More importantly, even after using the nine-colored fog, he could only achieve a tie with Xiao Xie, not defeat him. Xiao Xie's saber techniques were flawless. It was hard to find his weak point, and his comprehension in saber intent was no less than Xiang Shaoyun's, either. Thus, Xiang Shaoyun was unable to gain any advantage over him.

  "Very good. Very strong. Fighting you is not disappointing at all. Come, take another move from me," said Xiao Xie as he roared with laughter and joined his palms to release an even stronger attack.

  The joining of palms was akin to the fusion of two sabers. A several-hundred-meter-long saber formed and slashed down at Xiang Shaoyun.

  Slash of Emptiness.

  The slash seemed capable of splitting even the sky, and it emanated a terrifyingly overbearing aura. Furthermore, the dark energy powering the slash brought with it an intense corrosiveness. If the slash struck someone, one would not be able to get rid of the corrosion.

  The disciples in their surroundings gasped in alarm before quickly distancing themselves from the battlefield. The Slash of Emptiness was too scary, entirely capable of frightening regular peak Emperors. That was how fearsome a freak disciple of the academy was.

  Xiang Shaoyun's face turned incomparably solemn. He had stumbled upon a truly formidable opponent. If he used his Nether Soul Domain, it wouldn't be hard to block Xiao Xie's attack. However, he wanted to face the attack head on without resorting to tricks. He wished to prove that he was comparable to the top 10 disciples on the Dragon Phoenix List, and he also wanted to prove that he had the strength worthy of Yu Caidie.

  "I'll go all out!" Xiang Shaoyun clenched his teeth and decided to throw all caution to the wind.

  Cosmos Dao Destroying Fist!

  Instantly, nine crude stars appeared around him. Next, his fist energy surged forth, destroying everything in its path. It exhibited dreadful prowess, as if a river of stars had arrived to crush his foe.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The massive black saber energy repeatedly clashed with the starry fist energy, creating numerous explosions in the air, spreading shockwaves around them. The observers of the battle were stunned.

  A collision like that had completely surpassed their imagination. They couldn't even imagine going against such power. After a series of explosions, the energies finally dispersed as the two combatants separated from each other.
r />   Xiang Shaoyun's clothes had been reduced to rags, revealing the broken armor he wore. A strand of his hair had been cut, drifting about in the air. Evidently, he would have been defeated if it wasn't for the broken armor.

  Xiao Xie did not look any better. His clothes had also turned into rags, revealing a black armor. One of his eyes was swollen, evidently a newly inflicted wound. The two had actually fought to a draw.

  "Haha, that was delightful. The strongest high-grade nine-star physique lives up to its reputation after all," said Xiao Xie, roaring with laughter. He then drew his weapon, preparing to end the battle and decide on a victor once and for all.

  Xiang Shaoyun clenched his fists before the look in his eyes turned lax. He said, "For this battle, I concede."

  His words stunned Xiao Xie, and the observers reacted similarly. They all believed that Xiang Shaoyun could contend with Xiao Xie with his nine stars, but why was he suddenly conceding?

  Before any of them could react, Xiang Shaoyun turned and left. Everyone stared at Xiang Shaoyun's departing figure in a daze.

  Xiao Xie was unwilling to accept the surrender. He chased after Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Why did you concede? I refuse to believe that was your limit."

  He could sense the dense power within Xiang Shaoyun. Hence, his opponent should still be capable of combat. The admission of defeat gave him an impression that Xiang Shaoyun was still holding back, and it displeased him.

  "A defeat is a defeat. Do you think I enjoy defeat?" Xiang Shaoyun said.

  This was the very first defeat he had suffered among his peers. In terms of pure battle prowess, he had indeed been defeated. Without a way to continually use all nine of his powers, he wouldn't be able to maintain his combat prowess for long. And that made it hard for him to contend against these freaks.

  It made him realize the imperfections of his path. More improvements were required.

  Xiao Xie was left speechless. Geniuses like them were all arrogant individuals. None would easily admit defeat.