by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
"Very well. Seize him. If he resists, kill!" commanded the leader.
"Yes!" the four guards around him answered and surrounded Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun clenched his fists and said, "Don't force me to kill even more people."
"Impudent! Surrender yourself!" berated one of the guards as he grabbed at Xiang Shaoyun.
The guard was a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. Thus, his attack arrived quickly. However, his movement was as slow as a snail in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes. Xiang Shaoyun grabbed the guard's hand and slammed the guard into a different guard.
Bang!
The two guards collided before collapsing onto the ground. When the other two guards saw how ferocious Xiang Shaoyun was, they drew their weapons without hesitation.
They were respectively a second-stage and a third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. They possessed impressive combat strength, and they could also see that Xiang Shaoyun was only a third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. They were confident they could defeat him two against one.
Alas, they were not his match. Before their attacks could reach, Xiang Shaoyun attacked their openings, sending them flying and coughing blood.
"How brazen!" The leader was surprised by Xiang Shaoyun's strength. He drew his saber and prepared to attack as well.
He was a fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. He believed he would be able to defeat Xiang Shaoyun. But he had only drawn his saber halfway when Xiang Shaoyun appeared before him like a specter, causing him to jump. His first reaction was to pull back, but Xiang Shaoyun's attack arrived at his abdomen.
Bang!
A heavy fist slammed right into his abdomen, sending him flying with his body curved like a shrimp. Instead of pushing on, Xiang Shaoyun stepped back and grabbed Liang Zhuangmin, preparing to flee.
"B...Bastard, you...you won't be able to escape!" said the leader weakly, as if a tsunami was breaking out inside his stomach.
Xiang Shaoyun ignored the leader and was about to leave speedily with Liang Zhuangmin. To his surprise, Liang Zhuangmin suddenly said, "Brother Yun, bring your sister-in-law along as well!"
Xiang Shaoyun turned back and saw that Liang Zhuangmin was pointing at a female slave. Xiang Shaoyun could not see the woman's looks clearly. But since it was Liang Zhuangmin's request, he definitely wouldn't abandon her. With Liang Zhuangmin in tow, he dashed toward the woman and left with her as well.
As for the other slaves, he couldn't be bothered about them. This was as much as he could do. After all, he wasn't sure if he could even protect himself now, so he couldn't spare any attention for others.
He brought Liang Zhuangmin and his sister-in-law to the house given to him by Old Urchin. There, he handed some emperor-grade spring water and healing medicine to his sister-in-law. Only then did he get a clear look at her appearance. She was gentle and beautiful, tall and slim. After cleaning herself, she would definitely be a rare beauty.
"Thank you," said the woman as she consumed the spring water and medicine without any hesitation.
Xiang Shaoyun said to Liang Zhuangmin, "Big brother, let me take a look at you and see if I can remove the seal on you."
"Don't force it, Brother Yun. This is a seal placed by a peak Emperor. It doesn't matter if I'm injured, but I'm afraid to drag you down as well," said Liang Zhuangmin with a sigh.
"A peak Emperor is nothing in my eyes," declared Xiang Shaoyun confidently.
He held Liang Zhuangmin's wrist and started sending his energy into Liang Zhuangmin's body. Soon, he sensed an obstructive force in Liang Zhuangmin's body.
It was the seal placed by a peak Emperor. A regular Emperor would not be able to break the seal and might even trigger a backlash that would harm both Liang Zhuangmin and the person attempting to lift it.
However, Xiang Shaoyun had no fear. He was able to drive the seal out of Liang Zhuangmin's body. Muffled sounds erupted within Liang Zhuangmin's body repeatedly, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. He looked pale, as though he had been gravely injured.
However, the seal had truly been broken. He could now circulate his energy again, and he could now quickly recover his body.
"Sit down and focus on healing. I'll help sister-in-law remove the seal on her as well," said Xiang Shaoyun.
He then did the same for the woman. He allowed the two to heal inside as he left the house. Since he had killed in public and had even injured the guards, there would probably be people coming after him soon. He had to prepare himself.
I wonder if Senior Urchin will protect me this time, thought Xiang Shaoyun as he sat down in front of the door.
He did not regret being brought to this place. After all, he was happy being able to help Liang Zhuangmin. Anyone coming after them would be met with Xiang Shaoyun's merciless counterattack. Even if he had to create a big ruckus, he would still do his best to open a path with blood and bring Liang Zhuangmin and his sister-in-law away from this place.
While Xiang Shaoyun was preparing himself, a group of people surrounded the area. He was a foreigner. It was easy to locate his whereabouts. In any case, the traffickers had quite a large organization in the city.
"Kid, after killing the men of us, the Coiling Snake, you still dare to stay? Die!" shouted a fierce voice as the newcomers arrived.
Along with the shout, a massive hammer was slammed down toward Xiang Shaoyun.
Chapter 787: Understanding the Holy Earth Hall
The attacker was no pushover; he was a sixth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. The might of the falling hammer was enough to destroy the entire mud house. Liang Zhuangmin and the woman within would most likely suffer as well.
Xiang Shaoyun bolted from the ground without hesitation and stopped the hammer with one hand. His other hand assumed a blade stance and chopped at the opponent.
Devil Severing Edge!
Xiang Shaoyun's attack was fast and violent, instantly aiming for his opponent's opening. The sixth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm expert had his chest split by the chop before being sent flying away. At this time, three other Dragon Ascension Realm cultivators arrived with their attacks.
These three were using ranged attacks, deciding to punish Xiang Shaoyun for what he had just done.
As for Xiang Shaoyun, he was forced to protect the mud house behind him. Thus, he unleashed a flurry of attacks in all directions, sending out numerous Devil Severing Edges and breaking through the incoming attacks. The three attackers were struck and killed on the spot.
With Xiang Shaoyun's combat prowess, which was at the level of a peak Emperor, these regular Emperors were not his match. The other Coiling Snake members no longer dared to act rashly.
"I haven't gone looking for you, yet you're here for me? How audacious!" Xiang Shaoyun roared.
"You're the audacious one! Do you know that the Coiling Snake has businesses spread throughout the Holy Hall? You dare kill our men? We won't spare you!" shouted the leader. "If you are willing to surrender, you will suffer less."
"What can trash like you do to me? You're too naive," Xiang Shaoyun sneered as he strode toward them, preparing to kill all of them.
"You really think you can defeat us? Time for you to taste the suffering of 10,000 snake bites!" said the leader coldly. He took out a short flute and blew it.
Wuuu—
The instant he blew the flute, numerous pythons emerged from all directions and surrounded Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun did not know where these pythons came from, but there were a lot of them. Furthermore, none of them were below the Demon King realm, and there were even a few Demon Emperors among them. It would be hard for him to stop all of them at once.
He took out the Overlord Skyslaying Saber, and as his killing intent leaked out, he slashed at the pythons. Python blood sprayed everywhere as the pythons died one after another.
"You think you can defeat me with just some snakes? Naive!" Xiang Shaoyun roared as he charged the Coiling Snake members.
These
pythons couldn't pose a threat to him. The Coiling Snake members did not flee. Rather, they separated into different positions to form a formation before attacking as well.
Coiling Snake's Sword Formation!
The five unleashed attacks of different intensities, creating numerous energy snakes that surrounded Xiang Shaoyun. The attacks worked together, combining to unleash a might comparable to a peak Emperor's attack.
"If you can break even the Coiling Snake's Sword Formation, I'll consider myself unlucky," said the leader of the group.
Xiang Shaoyun had not expected that the python swarm was merely for the sake of delaying him so they could prepare their formation.
"You think a mere sword formation can stop me?" Xiang Shaoyun sneered and finally started to turn serious.
Lightning Slash From the Clear Sky!
With his saber raised, he unleashed the Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique's first stance. Numerous lightning bolts rained down alongside numerous saber energies, unleashing an incredibly destructive attack.
Rumble! Rumble!
By the time the explosions ended, the Coiling Snake members were already completely battered. Two were killed, while three were badly injured. They finally lost their courage and fled without hesitation.
They were even fleeing in different directions, afraid that Xiang Shaoyun would get all of them together. Alas, they weren't even able to leave far before they found themselves trapped inside the Nether Soul Domain.
Using the Domain, Xiang Shaoyun killed two of them, sparing one. He then used the Nether Dragon Soul Curse to put that final survivor under his control. He was a captain in the Coiling Snake, his name Yang Dongling. He was a seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator.
From him, Xiang Shaoyun learned more about the Coiling Snake. It turned out the Coiling Snake was one of the 18 subsidiary organizations under the Holy Hall. They were rather influential in the Holy Earth Hall and were under the Holy Hall's direct command.
The Coiling Snake was a sinister organization specialized in slave trafficking and smuggling numerous items of dubious origins. They were spread throughout the Holy Earth Hall and had more than 20,000 members.
This city was the Holy City of the Holy Earth Hall, containing numerous organizations. The strongest organization here was the Holy Hall, something equivalent to the imperial palace of an imperial dynasty. The Holy Hall had an unimaginable might in the Holy Earth Hall. There was also a saying depicting their power: The Holy Hall commands, the world dares not disobey.
Xiang Shaoyun was also able to learn some general information about the Holy Earth Hall. This was indeed a lost civilization of the desert. The Holy Hall's first-generation master had used a heaven-defying method to transform this place into an independent space capable of supporting life. There were five regions here, each region as large as three legions of the outside world. All of them were under the Holy Hall's administration.
As this place was buried deeply under the desert, it was isolated from the world. Due to its location, it was named the Holy Earth Hall. Although the Holy Earth Hall was isolated, many organizations had access to this place.
To enter, one needed to possess a Holy Hall Token. Otherwise, one would have no way of entering. As for how Liang Zhuangmin had become a slave, it was a long story.
Based on Yang Dongling's explanation, the Coiling Snake also had some relationships with the organizations of the outside world. Each year, those organizations would supply them with slaves and items of dubious origins to be fenced in the Holy Earth Hall. In this manner, Liang Zhuangmin and the other slaves were sent here.
As for the organization responsible, it was actually the Rat Assassins, an organization Xiang Shaoyun was familiar with. When he heard the name, a thick killing intent rose within him. "Enemies truly meet on a narrow road. Just wait until I leave this place. I will make them pay!"
The Rat Assassins had moved against him many times, and Huo Xudong was one of their potential successors. Xiang Shaoyun himself had nearly fallen under their hands, and with the additional grudge of what they had done to Liang Zhuangmin, he would definitely settle the score with them.
At this time, the Holy Hall's people arrived.
Chapter 788: Turbid Origin Gas Technique
This time, a considerable number of the Holy Hall had arrived. There were 50 of them, even more than the Coiling Snake members that had come. They were dressed uniformly in guard armors, looking rather imposing.
The leader was the same Ning Pengcheng who was previously there to escort the young lady back. Ning Pengcheng was most definitely a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to become the leader of these Emperor Realm guards.
Looking at them, Xiang Shaoyun thought, Looks like I won't be able to escape anymore.
Perhaps he could use the Nether Soul Domain to kill all of them, but by doing so, he would get himself into even bigger trouble. At that time, not even Old Urchin would be able to protect him anymore.
His brain raced, trying to think of a dependable solution for his current crisis. He did not wish to die for nothing at a place like this.
Ning Pengcheng took wide strides as he approached Xiang Shaoyun. He was tall and sturdy and was half a head taller than Xiang Shaoyun. Looking down at him, he asked flatly, "So, are you going to come with us, or do you want us to drag you with us."
His eyes were filled with contempt, completely looking down on Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun frowned and said, "What if I refuse both options?"
"That is not up to you," Ning Pengcheng replied.
"Hehe, are you not afraid that your young lady might find out that you abused your power just to deal with me? I was brought here by Senior Urchin. Can you withstand his fury?" asked Xiang Shaoyun with a chuckle.
Ning Pengcheng sneered, "I know you were brought here by Senior Urchin, but you had committed murder in the Hall and had disturbed the peace. With those two offenses, I have the right to kill you. Nobody can protect you."
"That may be the case, but you definitely won't have a good time after I'm dead. I am but a nobody, while you're a commander. Who will make a bigger loss here?" Xiang Shaoyun asked calmly.
He was certain this person had a grudge toward him. Perhaps there was a conspiracy at play, and he had to make things extremely clear so as to plant some fear and cause some confusion.
At his words, Ning Pengcheng's gaze turned sharp as his killing intent leaked out. He had a justifiable reason to kill Xiang Shaoyun, but as Xiang Shaoyun had said, if Ning Pengcheng did it, he himself would not have a good time afterward. Xiang Shaoyun was someone brought in by Senior Urchin. That was undeniable.
"You have a glib tongue. You wish to scare me off just with this? You're far from qualified," said Ning Pengcheng with a tone of disdain. He waved his hand at the people behind him and said, "Arrest him and take him to the Coiling Snake. Let them deal with him."
Xiang Shaoyun's expression changed. This person was trying to kill him with a borrowed knife.
"Come, then. At most, I'll fight to the death," Xiang Shaoyun braced himself for a struggle.
It was at this moment that Old Urchin's voice rang out, "Guards, you're actually creating trouble at my old house? Have I perhaps been stripped of my position of elder by the hall master?"
Ning Pengcheng blanked out when he heard that, and even his face paled.
Old Urchin had always been an eccentric who was never serious. Not many people cared about him, but it was undeniable that he was an elder with high status in the Hall. It was rumored that he was the hall master's junior brother. A person with his status was not someone the guards could offend.
Ning Pengcheng turned and saluted Old Urchin. "Greetings, Senior Urchin. We are merely here to capture a murderer."
Old Urchin ignored him and rubbed the old donkey's neck. "Partner, these annoying fellows are blocking our house. Kick them away!"
"That's exactly what I have in mind!" answered the old
donkey as he started running at an incredible speed. By the time one caught sight of him, he was already among the guards.
He raised his rear hoofs and kicked the guards before they could react, sending them flying one after another.
None of the 50 guards were weaker than the Dragon Ascension Realm, and some were even peak Emperors. And yet, they were all kicked flying like puppets, not even realizing they had been struck until they were already flying in the sky.
Miserable wails rang out one after another, and even Ning Pengcheng was starting to get nervous. He was a commander of the guards, and his cultivation level was at the Soul Foundation Realm. But he was too weak facing someone like Old Urchin.
The old donkey had evidently reached an incredible realm as well, with strength far beyond him. If the donkey was to give him a kick as well, he would lose all his prestige.
"Senior Urchin, you can't—" Ning Pengcheng quickly protested.
He was trying to make Old Urchin stop the old donkey before he was kicked. However, Old Urchin ignored him. Appearing before Ning Pengcheng, the old donkey aimed his backside at Ning Pengcheng and farted.
A powerful clump of turbid gas exploded right in Ning Pengcheng's face with a deafening sound, instantly knocking him out. Xiang Shaoyun was quite far away, but even he suffered from the smell. He quickly pinched his nose and held his breath, yet his vision still blurred.
This donkey's fart is too powerful, Xiang Shaoyun cursed inwardly.
"Kid, don't you think that my fart smells heavenly?" asked the old donkey smugly.
Still pinching his nose, Xiang Shaoyun braced himself and answered, "Lord donkey's fart is capable of shaking the heavens, causing gods and demons alike to cry, possessing a might that can spread far and wide. This kid is filled with admiration."
"Hehe, of course, of course. I'll teach you my Great Fart Technique—uhm, I need a more refined name—the Turbid Origin Gas Technique. I guarantee you can defeat your enemy with a single move once you learn it," said the old donkey with a smug laugh.