I Am Overlord c1-962
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"Shaoyun, you are probably worrying over it so much because you already have someone else in your heart," said Wu Zhijun with a smile.
Xiang Shaoyun scratched his head and gave a hollow laugh, "Yes, that is one of the reasons."
"Shaoyun is truly a loyal person," praised Wu Zhijun.
As a woman, the mere sight of Tuoba Wan'er gave her a sense of inferiority. She couldn't imagine any man who could reject the temptation. Xiang Shaoyun's attitude had proved that he was not a man who would be blinded by lust.
"Stop praising me, sister-in-law. My big brother is the true man here," Xiang Shaoyun did not forget to speak on Liang Zhuangmin's behalf.
Liang Zhuangmin laughed and said, "Haha, us brothers should really stop praising each other. It's getting embarrassing. So what should we do now? Do we stay or what?"
Xiang Shaoyun sank into contemplation before saying, "I've thought of it. After the engagement, I will have her send you away."
"How about you?" Liang Zhuangmin asked.
Wu Zhijun replied on his behalf, "After becoming the holy son-in-law, he won't be able to leave easily."
"Don't worry. After sending you away, I will be able to escape by myself. But if you stay, it will be much harder for me to escape," said Xiang Shaoyun seriously.
"Fine. Do you need us to do anything after our departure?" Liang Zhuangmin agreed readily as Xiang Shaoyun's argument was convincing.
"If possible, please help me send a message to the Bloodsin City," said Xiang Shaoyun after giving it some thought.
"Bloodsin City!" Liang Zhuangmin's expression visibly changed when he heard that.
He had long heard of the infamous Bloodsin City. However, he had never dared step foot there. After all, he was still too weak.
"Say it. We'll help," said Wu Zhijun.
"I'll thank you in advance, then," said Xiang Shaoyun. "After reaching the Bloodsin City, look for the Ghostface Sect. Look for someone called Devouring Ghost with this token in hand and tell him to come wait for me at the Dragon Phoenix City."
He then handed over the token Devouring Ghost had given him. He reminded them about the things they needed to take note of to avoid unnecessary trouble at the Bloodsin City.
Liang Zhuangmin slapped his chest solemnly and said, "Don't worry. Unless I die, I will definitely complete this task!"
"You don't have to be so serious. Just remember to be careful," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Chapter 810: Public Assassination
The fifteenth day of the month was an auspicious day. That was the day the Holy Hall's holy maiden would be engaged. The holy son-in-law would be parading through the city with the holy maiden to celebrate the occasion.
The entire city was fully decorated in lanterns and colored banners. Joy and laughter were everywhere, and the atmosphere was jovial. The people of the city were all excitedly talking about the engagement.
"I wonder which clan's son has won the holy maiden's favor. How enviable."
"The holy maiden is the prettiest woman in the Holy Earth Hall. She was born favored by the heavens, and his man is most certainly a genius blessed by the heavens as well."
"This news is too sudden. Why had they not opened the son-in-law recruitment to the public? I have been preparing myself all this while, but now, my goddess has landed in someone else's embrace. I can't accept this!"
"I shall see just what kind of a man is worthy of the holy maiden. He better not be disappointing."
...
Drumrolls erupted from the palace, flooding the air with a festive mood. The residents of the city started gathering around the palace.
From the palace, a group of people emerged. There were hundreds of them, each dressed in a festive outfit. They formed two rows as they marched forward. Those at the front were in charge of playing the music instruments, while those behind them were mostly guards and a few beautiful servants.
At the very end of the procession were a group of servants carrying numerous gifts for the happy occasion, gifts that would be handed out to the people of the city during the parade.
At the very middle of the procession was a luxurious carriage being pulled by eight dragonblood horses. The red satin walls of the carriage drifted about gently. The vague silhouette of a beauty could be seen within. A servant was scattering flowers in the air as the carriage moved forward.
Right before the carriage was a handsome steed with a heroic youth mounted on it. His eyes were as bright as the sun and the moon, and his aura was akin to the blazing sun. He looked like he had descended from the heavens, looking incredibly noble and majestic. This was the holy son-in-law.
A cacophony of voices broke out when the son-in-law appeared. There were praises, there were jeers, and there were also envious words. Seated high atop his steed, Xiang Shaoyun looked down at the cheering crowd, and he couldn't help but form a prideful smile on his face.
Tuoba Wan'er was loved and respected by everyone in the city. It was understandable why he would feel proud at having such a woman as his fiancée.
When the parade started handing out gifts to the crowd, the excitement in the air grew. Sounds of cheers broke out again and again, well-wishes resounding throughout the city.
Seated on the carriage, Tuoba Wan'er had a slight blush on her face. Her emotions were mixed, with traces of joy among them. She had long known that a day like this would come, but when it finally arrived, it felt unreal.
Looking at Xiang Shaoyun's straight posture, gentleness surfaced in her eyes. After spending half a month together, she found herself getting used to his presence. Her feelings toward him had grown as well, and now, she felt that this marriage was perhaps something good after all.
The procession moved slowly and would take an entire day to tour the main streets of the city and share the joy with everyone.
Just as they reached a fork in the street, a shrill cry rang out, "Ahhh, snakes! A lot of snakes!"
The shrill cry failed to overcome the sheer noise of the bustling environment, but it soon caused a small disturbance. More and more people started shouting, and chaos spread. Numerous snakes emerged from the ground, and the crowd started fleeing in panic. Chaos and confusion erupted among the crowd.
As for the guards in charge of protecting the procession, they were on full alert. One of them shouted, "Stop moving! All of you, stop moving!"
Unfortunately, with their lives on the line, the disorderly crowd was not very keen on obeying. Many of them even charged into the midst of the procession in their search for safety.
At this time, Xiang Shaoyun commanded, "Protect the holy maiden and speed up."
He could sense that something was odd. Perhaps someone was coming after him again. Numerous snakes shot over, bombarding Xiang Shaoyun's mount with attacks. The horse trampled around furiously, stomping numerous snakes to death. However, there were too many snakes for the horse to kill, and it was eventually struck.
Xiang Shaoyun was forced to kill all the snakes around him. The streets sank into complete chaos. The guards were all surrounding Tuoba Wan'er to protect her, with a much smaller number of them around Xiang Shaoyun.
At that moment, several people broke through the defensive perimeter before they abruptly hurled attacks toward Xiang Shaoyun.
The attackers disguised themselves very well, hiding their aura completely. Thus, nobody had been able to sense their strength. But the moment they attacked, it was revealed that they were actually late-stage Emperors. In fact, there were even peak Emperors among them.
Powerful attacks shot out from their weapons and surrounded Xiang Shaoyun. Their cooperation was exquisite, and this barrage of attacks was enough to easily kill a peak Emperor.
Xiang Shaoyun had been on guard, so golden light immediately erupted from his body. Six layers of golden plates appeared around him, and he soared into the sky.
Rumble! Rumble!
Accompanied by a deafening rumble, the horse was turned into mincemeat. As for Xiang Shaoyun, he was sent flying.
Where he crashed, a person was waiting. That person lifted his saber and brought it down right at Xiang Shaoyun's head.
It was unknown if the guards were really that useless, but none of them had arrived in time to help Xiang Shaoyun, watching on helplessly as he was attacked.
"Damn it! Protect the young master!" Tuoba Wan'er roared furiously. She flew out of the carriage and sent a powerful chain flying toward the attacker.
But she was too far away, and there were too many people in her way. Thus, her advance was obstructed. Just as the saber was about to land, Xiang Shaoyun vanished.
Phantom Shift!
Using the Holy Hall's secret technique, he avoided the attack and appeared beside the attacker. He erupted with full strength and launched a storm of palm attacks at the man.
Major Slab Palm!
Since the attacker had tried to kill him, Xiang Shaoyun wouldn't hold back. The person before him was a ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm expert but was still helplessly turned into mincemeat. Unfortunately, the true danger only revealed itself now. A powerful soul foundation energy suddenly wrapped around Xiang Shaoyun, causing his hairs to stand on end.
Chapter 811: Tragedy of the Dwarf
The assassin was not a regular Sovereign. Rather, he was a third-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. Someone with that strength could easily kill Xiang Shaoyun.
However, there was no lack of experts among the procession. Even so, not many of them were Sovereigns, as nobody had expected someone to try to assassinate a Holy Hall member on their turf. This was most definitely an assassination without precedent.
The commander of this group of guards, Ning Pengcheng, was standing guard beside Tuoba Wan'er. With his strength, saving Xiang Shaoyun wouldn't be hard. Alas, he had also been aware of this assassination and would naturally not help.
As for the other guards, they were too busy dealing with the snakes and the chaotic crowd, with the majority of them standing guard around Tuoba Wan'er. Not many could spare any help for Xiang Shaoyun. He only had himself to rely on.
The Phantom Shift would allow him to avoid regular attacks, but it was useless against a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator's suppression. During this moment of crisis, he released his Nether Soul Domain.
The Sovereign assassin was trapped in the Nether Soul Domain, his strength forcefully suppressed. His expression shifted in shock.
Imperial Nether Prison.
Hundreds of chains lashed out from all directions, raining down attacks at the assassin's soul foundation, pushing it to the brink of collapse. It greatly shocked the Sovereign, and he quickly put away his soul foundation. He erupted with full strength and slashed at the incoming chains, foiling their attempts at tying him down.
It wouldn't be easy for Xiang Shaoyun to defeat the Sovereign quickly. More importantly, there were still other experts around. His Nether Soul Domain wouldn't be able to hide from them and perhaps they had already surrounded his Nether Soul Domain. Without any hesitation, he used his talent of invisibility and concealed himself completely.
Experts emerged without end, blocking Tuoba Wan'er and Ning Pengcheng's people even as a mid-stage Sovereign arrived near Xiang Shaoyun to finish him off. To his dismay, Xiang Shaoyun was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" the Sovereign asked in confusion.
"You dare assassinate the holy son-in-law in public? All of you deserve death!" The top experts of the Hall finally arrived.
Their dreadful auras surrounded the chaotic crowd, forcing everyone to fall on their knees. As for the assassins, they started fleeing in a disorderly fashion, knowing that their mission had failed. Some took the chance to hide among the crowd, pretending to be one of the innocent bystanders.
The newcomers chased after the assassins, who were hardly their match. In a few seconds, most of the assassins were killed.
Tuoba Wan'er shouted unhappily, "You worthless guards, stop surrounding me. Go look for the holy son-in-law."
At her command, the guards started searching for Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun had planned to show himself after seeing the newcomers, but he could sense that a massive danger was still waiting for him. He looked toward where he felt the sense of danger.
There, an ugly dwarf could be seen squatting at a random corner. His triangle eyes were gleaming with a sinister light, with his aura completely withdrawn to the point nobody noticed him.
Xiang Shaoyun had only noticed the dwarf because all the escaping snakes had vanished after reaching the dwarf. He was certain the dwarf was the one keeping all the snakes away, although he had no idea how that person was doing it.
It doesn't matter if the dwarf is really the culprit, but he definitely hasn't come bearing kind intentions. I need to arrest him, thought Xiang Shaoyun.
Just as the dwarf was about to leave alongside the chaotic commoners, Xiang Shaoyun shouted, "The dwarf is the assassin! Men, take him down!"
That sank the dwarf into panic as he quickly ran off from the crowd. The experts of the Hall finally noticed him, and someone gave chase. However, the dwarf was too fast. Not even the expert could catch up with him. Just as the dwarf was about to escape successfully, a donkey appeared before him, blocking his path.
"Where did this stupid donkey came from? Piss off!" the dwarf shouted as he swatted at the donkey.
When he attacked, it was finally revealed that he was a late-stage Sovereign. His attack was incredibly powerful. Instead of dodging, the donkey suddenly turned around and faced the dwarf with his back before kicking out with his rear hoofs.
The kick was even stronger, blasting the dwarf's attack away before continuing toward his body. The dwarf was caught by complete surprise as the kick struck his chest. He smashed into a random building, slamming through the walls he crashed into.
The dwarf's chest was in intense pain, and his organs were all displaced. He endlessly coughed up blood and could hardly move. However, the dwarf wasn't entirely useless either. He released a demonic snake and allowed the snake to carry him away.
Unfortunately, the snake wasn't able to go far before the donkey suddenly appeared before them again. Opening his mouth, the donkey said, "Take my Turbid Origin Gas Technique!"
Once again, he faced them with his back. A cloud of turbid air burst forth.
The cloud of air had an awful stench, as if it was some unrivaled poison. Both the dwarf and the snake directly fainted from the smell. And just like that, the dwarf expert was captured.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was too busy to pay the dwarf any attention. He wasn't able to kill the Sovereign fast enough and was afraid that the Sovereign would be forced to self-destruct in his Nether Domain. That would make things very troublesome for him.
Without any hesitation, he withdrew the Nether Soul Domain and revealed the Sovereign before the Holy Hall experts. The Sovereign thought that he was still trapped within the Nether Soul Domain, and he did not stop madly swinging his weapon around.
"Audacious! You dare assassinate the Hall's son-in-law? Die!" Ning Pengcheng roared and attacked.
He was not interested in being accused of failing his task of protecting his master. Therefore, he needed to gain some merit for himself, or things would get troublesome for him aftward.
When the Sovereign heard Ning Pengcheng's shout, he finally realized how bad his current situation was. He immediately tried escaping, but he was much weaker than Ning Pengcheng. With a stab, he was impaled on the ground.
"Where is the holy son-in-law? Has anyone found him?" Tuoba Wan'er asked.
The guards looked around blankly. None of them could find Xiang Shaoyun.
Chapter 812: First Elder Stabilizes the Situation
Xiang Shaoyun was still in concealment, and nobody could find him. Hence, they started panicking. If something really happened to this holy son-in-law, they would most likely be buried together with him as punishment for failing their task.
Tuoba Wan'er was filled with anxiousness. She searched and searched, but s
he couldn't find any trace of Xiang Shaoyun. Her search fruitless, she started raging, "Investigate! Who is it that has assassinated the holy son-in-law! I won't spare any of them!"
During the half a month she had spent with Xiang Shaoyun, she had slowly accepted his presence in her life. But now, she had lost him right before her eyes. He might not even be alive anymore. She was filled with sorrow and was utterly disappointed with their guards.
The guards started investigating the escaping crowd, while the experts that had arrived as backup were in charge of detaining anyone they found suspicious. They tried their best to not let any of the culprits escape.
A crowd of more than 10,000 people had gathered for this grand parade. Thus, the Holy Hall wouldn't kill all of them. Therefore, it was inevitable that some of the assassins would be able to escape by mixing with the crowd.
Xiang Shaoyun remained in concealment as he was waiting for the assassins to either escape or be killed off. That way, things would be less dangerous for him.
At this time, the first elder and a few other elders appeared before Tuoba Wan'er. The first elder apologized, "Sorry, young lady. We were late."
They were all elders that, instead of partaking in the parade, were praying in the Holy Hall. In any case, nobody had expected that someone would actually make a move against one of them right in their city. Today, a new precedent had actually been set.
"This is not your fault. The holy son-in-law was captured!" Tuoba Wan'er said anxiously.
Right this moment, Xiang Shaoyun's voice rang out, "Wan'er, don't worry. I'm fine."
As he said that, he walked out of a random corner.
The moment Tuoba Wan'er saw him, she shot toward him with joy on her face. "Are you fine? I was so worried!"
Looking at Tuoba Wan'er, whose feelings were completely exposed, Xiang Shaoyun gently stroked her face and smiled. "I can't be killed so easily. Sorry for making you worried, wife."
Tuoba Wan'er could sense Xiang Shaoyun's gentleness, and her face flushed red. She jumped into his embrace, not daring to look at anyone else.