I Am Overlord c1-962

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

  However, no trace of fear could be seen on his face. Instead, excitement was plastered all over it. He seemed to have come to a certain understanding of this place.

  There is indeed a formation here. Xiang Zixuan had activated the power of the tower, activating about a tenth of the entire formation. The formation's destructiveness is still limited. If that fellow had attacked with an even stronger attack, the entire formation would have activated, and this place would have turned into a land of absolute death, thought Xiang Shaoyun, rejoicing that Xiang Zixuan wasn't any stronger.

  What Xiang Shaoyun needed to do now was to break the formation. Only then would he be able to obtain the tower's secret. He wasn't good with formations. So how was he supposed to solve his current issue? His plan was to use the profundity of earth to solve this crisis.

  When Xiang Zixuan first attacked the tower, Xiang Shaoyun had already gotten the idea. He believed that the markings on the tower should be related to the secret, with the secret itself being something only a cultivator who had comprehended the profundity of earth could grasp.

  That was why he was so confident that Xiang Zixuan wasn't qualified to grasp the tower's secret. Now that Xiang Zixuan had been pushed outside the curtain of light, he could no longer come back to fight for the secret. Thus, a chance had arrived for Xiang Shaoyun.

  He withdrew his aura and started sensing his surroundings. He used the profundity of earth the best he could, blending his body with the land around him. Sure enough, he immediately sensed the strands of energy aboveground that were linked with the towers to envelop the entire area.

  Numerous runes started appearing in his head, allowing him to instantly understand the path of survival within the formation and the complexity of the formation itself. He learned that breaking the formation was not required. He only needed to move in accordance with the path of survival, and he would be able to avoid the formation's dangers. He would then be able to arrive before the stone tower once more.

  Chapter 802: Secret of the Stone Tower

  The profundity of earth allowed Xiang Shaoyun to clearly sense the earth in his surroundings and manipulate the power of earth with better precision and control. This formation was formed from the stone towers, and the sweeping energy bursts were all pure earth energy. This made it easier for Xiang Shaoyun to see through the formation.

  With every aspect of the formation clearly imprinted in his head, Xiang Shaoyun slowly stood up. He reached out and controlled the weak links of the energy around him, gradually pushing the energy away, and started heading in a certain direction.

  The path he was walking was also filled with earth energy, but the earth energy was different—there was some sort of emptiness to it. It had no offensive power and seemed more like it was there only to scare others.

  Using the profundity of earth to slowly erase the empty earth energy, Xiang Shaoyun was able to pass through safely.

  "Huh, I wasn't wrong, after all," muttered Xiang Shaoyun as he wiped his cold sweat.

  Although he could clearly sense his surroundings, the area was still filled with dangers. A single misstep would spell his doom. Thus, it was understandable that he would be under great pressure.

  Using the same method, Xiang Shaoyun moved around repeatedly, approaching the stone tower in the process. In the sky, Xiang Zixuan saw everything that was happening. His eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't believe that Xiang Shaoyun could actually start walking around in the formation.

  "How is this kid doing that?" Xiang Zixuan was alarmed. He was getting anxious, and he charged down, trying to give it a try himself.

  However, the moment he approached the curtain of light, he sensed a terrifyingly destructive force. He stopped midair, afraid that if he went deeper, the formation would kill him.

  He flew backward to pull some distance from the formation. With a ruthless look in his eyes, he said, "If I can't get the secret, you can forget about it!"

  He then swung his purple sword at the formation below. He was planning to trigger more of the formation's power and get Xiang Shaoyun killed.

  Rumble!

  The loud explosion scared Xiang Shaoyun so much he stood frozen where he was, not daring to move at all. Fortunately, although the explosion sounded scary, it had failed to actually affect the formation. He was still unharmed.

  As for Xiang Zixuan, he was once again struck by the backlash. This time, the backlash was even stronger. He was blasted away before he could even do anything. With a miserable wail, he crashed into the ground far away, and a fountain of blood sprayed out of his mouth.

  The first elder appeared. He grabbed Xiang Zixuan and quickly left.

  "No, I have yet to figure out the tower's secret! I can't leave!" Xiang Zixuan struggled with the last bit of consciousness he had.

  "From the moment you were pushed out of the formation, you lost your chance at finding the tower's secret," said the first elder.

  "No! I can return inside the formation! I will unveil the tower's secret! I beg you, first elder. Give me another chance!" Xiang Zixuan was unwilling to admit his defeat, and he started pleading.

  However, the first elder was completely unmoved. He brought Xiang Zixuan outside and tossed him toward the Black and White Guardians. "He failed."

  The expressions of the Black and White Guardians dimmed as they nodded and stepped forward to help Xiang Zixuan. By this point, Xiang Zixuan knew there was nothing else he could do. He did not want to make a spectacle of himself before so many people, so he sat down cross-legged and started recovering.

  "Haha, I knew this kid wouldn't be able to get through the trial, but you guys had refused to believe me," said Old Urchin as he clapped smugly.

  The third and seventh elders had unsightly expressions. Xiang Zixuan was a genius they had their eyes on. They also hoped that the Holy Hall could form an alliance with the Xiang Clan. Such an alliance would benefit them greatly.

  Alas, Xiang Zixuan was eliminated from the trial, and with Old Urchin jeering at them, they felt terrible.

  "Don't get too happy yet. The other kid might not be able to get through the trial either," said a random elder who couldn't stand Old Urchin’s smugness.

  "Hehe, I am also hoping that the kid won't get through the trial," said Old Urchin with a sly look on his face.

  The elders couldn't decide if Old Urchin was speaking the truth. They all assumed that he was only saying those words to irritate them.

  To the side, Tuoba Wan'er heaved a sigh of relief. Good thing he failed. I can now wait peacefully until grandfather leaves seclusion and decides on my marriage.

  In her eyes, Xiang Shaoyun would not be able to get through the trial. After all, his cultivation level was obviously lower. He had only passed the earlier trials through luck. The final trial would not be something he could pass so easily.

  The first elder ignored all the discussions and stepped into the forest of towers once again. By this point, Xiang Shaoyun had already arrived near the main stone tower. The closer he was, the more dangerous he found his surroundings were. It was getting increasingly harder to find a safe path.

  Xiang Shaoyun stood calmly, carefully sensing the energy around him. Finally, he found another spot with empty energy, and he slowly moved toward that spot. After a while, he was standing before the stone tower again.

  He couldn't help but sigh, "We were here so easily earlier, but he did not appreciate it, forcefully turning everything dangerous before knowing how precious it is. What a bastard."

  Xiang Shaoyun was able to see something from the tower. The markings on the tower were glowing, with rays of light shining from the markings connected to the formation. The glowing markings seemed to be projecting numerous humanoid silhouettes, but no matter how he focused, he couldn't see what was so special about the silhouettes.

  "These silhouettes are most definitely the key to unveiling the secret. But how should I go about it?" Xiang Shaoyun rubbed his chin as he sank into thought.

  After
some observation using the Light of Wisdom, he finally grasped something. Using the profundity of earth, he spread his senses toward the tower. He wanted to try communicating with the silhouettes through the tower.

  The moment his energy touched the tower, the remaining portion of the formation became active all at once, scaring him so much he started trembling. If he had somehow triggered the killing desire of the formation, he wouldn't be able to escape death.

  He decided to take out the Radiant Saint Armor to protect himself just in case. But he soon found that no attack had been triggered from the formation. Instead, an odd phenomenon had been triggered, and the silhouettes actually started moving. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the silhouettes.

  Chapter 803: Congratulations, Holy Son-in-law

  The silhouettes started glowing in a certain tempo, their movements akin to the movements of an absolute expert, each move containing an indescribable depth that one could easily get lost in.

  Xiang Shaoyun stared unblinking at the movements, imprinting everything in his mind. The silhouettes moved quickly, and it almost seemed like they had only flickered for a few times before all of them dissipated. It was also at that moment that the tower withdrew all its power.

  The formation vanished, and peace returned, as though all that had happened was a dream. Xiang Shaoyun stood there in a daze, the movements of the silhouettes replaying in his mind repeatedly.

  For anyone else, remembering the movements in such a short period of time would be difficult. But for Xiang Shaoyun, who possessed the Nether Soul Domain, that wasn't an issue.

  Through watching the silhouettes, he instantly understood that their movements were related to the essence of the Phantom Shift technique. It had been completely out of his expectations that a secret technique like that was hidden in the tower. This was quite a large harvest for him.

  The superiority of the Phantom Shift was that it could allow one to instantly shift one's position, avoiding any incoming attacks while giving one an opportunity to counterattack. In a way, this was a misdirection technique.

  Different from regular footwork techniques, it did not provide the practitioner with a method of long-distance movement. It also did not contain any offensive abilities. Its sole function was to shift one's position, and that alone was enough to make it a precious technique.

  Xiang Shaoyun analyzed the movements repeatedly before connecting them with what he saw during his battle with the hall master's clone. Soon, he learned the technique's core points.

  When he opened his eyes once more, excitement was plastered all over his face as he said, "This third trial comes bearing a big gift!"

  The Phantom Shift would allow him to catch his enemies by complete surprise during battle. Still remaining where he was, he started practicing it in accordance to the movements of the silhouettes.

  Initially, his moves were stiff and awkward, but after several repetitions, he became better at it. Finally, he gained the ability to quickly shift between positions, but of course, he was still unable to do it as fast as the hall master's clone.

  Even so, him grasping the technique in such a short period of time was proof of his monstrous talent. After spending some time practicing, he stopped. He had now grasped the Phantom Shift, with the technique deeply imprinted in his head.

  In the future, he only needed to practice hard at it to improve his mastery of the technique. There was no need to continue training here.

  The moment he stopped, a silhouette appeared before the tower. It was yet another clone, this time looking much more solid than any of the hall master's other clones he had seen before. Even the facial features of this clone could be clearly seen.

  The hall master was a handsome and imposing man, and his firm facial features looked like they were sculpted rather than natural. His eyes were as bright as torches, seemingly capable of seeing through everything, as though no secret could stay hidden before his eyes. His noble temperament gave one a sense of shame just facing him. This was the hall master, the supreme leader of the Holy Hall.

  "I greet the hall master," Xiang Shaoyun quickly saluted and offered his greetings.

  "You can be at ease. Since you have grasped the Phantom Shift technique, you have successfully passed the third trial," said the hall master with a faint smile on his face.

  "Good to know, good to know," said Xiang Shaoyun with excitement.

  So long as he completed Old Urchin's mission, he would be able to leave safely.

  "Are you happy and excited that you can finally become the Holy Hall's son-in-law?" asked the hall master.

  The smile faded from Xiang Shaoyun's face as he waved his hand. "No...not at all."

  "What is it, then?" the hall master pressed.

  "I...was feeling happy because I managed to learn a new technique. Thank you, hall master, for imparting that technique upon me," Xiang Shaoyun replied nervously. He was afraid a wrong answer would cost him his life.

  "Is that so?" asked the hall master.

  Xiang Shaoyun quickly nodded. "Yes, of course."

  "Bastard!" the hall master suddenly raged.

  Xiang Shaoyun panicked, not knowing how he had angered the hall master.

  "Do you not care about my granddaughter at all?" the hall master finally voiced his question. His gaze was locked onto Xiang Shaoyun, as though he would attack the moment he got a wrong answer.

  Only then did Xiang Shaoyun realize his mistake. It turned out the hall master cared most for his granddaughter.

  He hurriedly replied, "The young lady is as beautiful as a fairy and is one of the prettiest women I have ever met in my life. Getting her as a wife would be one's greatest fortune. How would I dare disregard her?"

  "At least you're smart. Since you have passed all three trials, you are now qualified to be the Holy Hall's son-in-law. Wait until I leave seclusion, and I will conduct the wedding ceremony for you two," said the hall master somewhat unhappily. He looked in a certain direction and said, "First elder, come."

  Whoosh!

  A figure appeared like a phantom. He was none other than the first elder.

  "Hall master," the first elder greeted respectfully.

  "This is a candidate sent by you guys. He is decent in all aspects, but his cultivation level is a tad bit low. Think of a way to increase his cultivation. After I leave seclusion, I will personally conduct the wedding ceremony for them," commanded the hall master.

  "Your subordinate obeys," said the first elder.

  This time, Xiang Shaoyun was finally anxious for real. However, he did not dare to voice his concerns, afraid that the hall master would tear him apart after finding out the truth.

  Fortunately, he was quick-witted and was able to come up with something. "Lord hall master, I think the current me is still not worthy of the young lady. Why don't we talk about marriage after I catch up with the young lady in my cultivation?"

  His only solution was to drag this out. Things would be much simpler for him after escaping this place.

  "Wan'er has excellent talent, so it won't be easy for you to catch up with her. You can slowly catch up after marriage. Alright, this is all," said the hall master as he vanished into thin air.

  Xiang Shaoyun wasn't given any chance to say anything else.

  The first elder turned around and saluted, "Congratulations, holy son-in-law."

  The salute gave Xiang Shaoyun a shock, and he hurriedly said, "This is too much respect for me!"

  "You have passed the three trials and have received the acknowledgment of the hall master. Thus, you are now the son-in-law of the Holy Hall. After marriage, the relationship will be formalized. Thus, you are more than worthy of receiving my salute," said the first elder. "Come, holy son-in-law. I'll bring you out. The others must be getting anxious now."

  He then led the way out of the forest of towers while Xiang Shaoyun followed, still in a daze.

  Chapter 804: Come and Greet the Holy Son-in-law

  Xiang Shaoyun had most ce
rtainly considered the possibility of passing all three trials, but that was mainly for his self-preservation. His ultimate aim remained smoothly leaving the Holy Earth Hall. He had never considered staying here long term, and he had certainly not considered actually taking Tuoba Wan'er as his wife.

  Naturally, it wasn't that he thought lowly of her. Rather, he personally believed that he was still not worthy of her. In any case, he wasn't the type of man who would lose his mind at the sight of any beautiful woman. He cared more about the feelings, and if he was going to take a wife, his first choice would naturally be Yu Caidie, not a woman he just met. Although the woman had saved his life, he wouldn't offer his body to thank her.

  If any other man knew what he was thinking, he would probably spit at him. A woman so beautiful and talented with a great background to boot was the dream girl of many. And here was Xiang Shaoyun, unwilling to take her as his wife. Anyone would think that he must have been hit on the head.

  Xiang Shaoyun followed the first elder outside. The people there saw his dazed expression.

  Sha Hanbiao couldn't help but laugh, "I knew it. The third trial is not something one can get through easily. Only a genius without equal can get through it."

  "Since that is the case, I propose to pick the best from what we have. Xiang Zixuan's strength is closer to the young lady, and he has a matching background. We should just make him the holy son-in-law," suggested Hu Yanbo.

  Some of them nodded in agreement, while some remained silent, still focused on the first elder. They were evidently waiting for the first elder's decision.

  As for Old Urchin, he objected, "What benefits have you two accepted from them? You're actually working so hard to match the young lady with that kid?"

  "What nonsense are you saying? We are doing this for the young lady's sake, for the good of the Holy Hall!" Sha Hanbiao retorted emotionally.

  "That's right! The young lady is reaching 40 years old! The hall master had commanded that a son-in-law needs to be selected before then. We can't drag this on anymore!" Hu Yanbo said. He looked at Old Urchin and questioned, "Or perhaps you have always disregarded the hall master's command?"