I Am Overlord c1-962
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A lot of them became anxious, but there was nothing they could do. There were only nine fruits, and with that disciple advancing toward the tree, at least one of the fruits would be his. If they didn't get to work, the fruits would all fall into the hands of others.
A different disciple from the True Martial Academy took out a saint shield. He raised the shield above his head, not giving the saint soul tree any chance to attack him. Like the person before him, he slowly advanced toward the tree.
A Nine Palace Academy disciple took out a circular slab and raised it above his head before he advanced toward the tree as well. The other disciples in the area also took out their respective treasures and started approaching the tree.
From the Dragon Phoenix Academy's side, Gui Mochou took out two puppets and sent them toward the tree. They weren't life puppets, so they did not fear the tree's soul pressure. And even if the tree could somehow destroy them, Gui Mochou would still be safe.
When the others saw his actions, more people took out their puppets and sent them toward the tree. And just like that, claims were laid on all nine of the saint soul fruits. But, of course, it was still unclear who would be the one to ultimately get them.
As for the disciples without any means to approach the tree, they were unwilling to leave. They stayed around and waited for someone to leave with the saint soul fruit since that would be their last chance at getting the fruit for themselves.
Disciples were heading toward the tree from nine different directions. When they neared the tree, the pressure became stronger. In turn, their march became increasingly difficult. Any carelessness would cause one to die from the destruction of one's soul. On the contrary, the puppets were completely unaffected, and the fruits were soon within their reach.
Feng Xiaosha smiled at Gui Mochou and said, "Senior brother is impressive as always. But we need to be careful and not allow others to steal from us."
"Anyone daring to provoke me will regret it," said Gui Mochou with a snort. Eight emperor-grade puppets appeared around him. They were enough to frighten the disciples near him.
"Haha, I'll congratulate you in advance for reaching the Heaven Battling Realm, senior brother," said Feng Xiaosha.
"It's only a matter of time before I reach that realm," said Gui Mochou with a calm smile. "Don't you worry, junior brother. One of these fruits will be yours."
"Thank you very much, senior brother!" said Feng Xiaosha, overjoyed.
The saint soul fruit was practically a ticket to the Soul Foundation Realm. How could Feng Xiaosha not be happy? At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed toward the tree in the direction of Gui Mochou's puppet.
"Audacious!" Gui Mochou roared.
"Who is that? Are you trying to die?" Feng Xiaosha snapped as well.
But when they saw who the newcomer was, their eyes widened in shock and indignation.
"I'll be taking these fruits," said the newcomer. He was walking beneath the saint soul fruit like he was taking a stroll in a park. He was completely unaffected by the soul pressure. Standing there with his head turned to face them, he had a provocative look on his face as he spoke to Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha.
The disciples in the area were astonished. One ought to know that even those with saint-grade items couldn't walk toward the tree as casually as this person. For him to completely disregard the pressure, was he using some kind of ultimate treasure, or was he simply insanely talented?
The newcomer was none other than Xiang Shaoyun, who had just come from the altar. Xiang Shaoyun had the Nether Soul Dragon Headband, one of the most valuable treasures of the Imperial Nether Clan. Its grade was above the saint grade, and naturally, it could easily withstand the saint soul tree's pressure.
Xiang Shaoyun was quite surprised to see a saint soul tree here. The saint soul tree was a top-tier tree that would only bloom once every 5,000 years and bear fruit after 50,000 years. Even a Saint would benefit greatly from consuming a saint soul fruit. Xiang Shaoyun would naturally not miss the chance to pocket some of its fruits.
As he happened to have a grudge against Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha, he could both profit and infuriate them by stealing the fruits from them. It was an excellent way for him to get a little revenge on them.
"Xiang Shaoyun, if you dare to lay your hands on my saint soul fruit, I will tear you apart," said Gui Mochou as he gnashed his teeth.
Feng Xiaosha also threatened, "Xiang Shaoyun, you should be aware that the two elders coming with us on this expedition are my uncle and martial uncle. With them, you won't be able to escape. You better make the right choice, and we might consider sparing you. Else, you will die, and your Overlord Legion members will all be expelled from the academy. Or they might even die alongside you."
Feng Xiaosha was sinister, threatening even the others for being related to Xiang Shaoyun. It was clear he wasn't about to let Xiang Shaoyun get away with the saint soul fruit. But Xiang Shaoyun did not say anything. His reply came in the form of his action. He pulled both his arms back before throwing his fists out to blast the two puppets apart. He then easily plucked two saint soul fruits for himself.
He smelled the fruits, and a bewitching expression covered his face. He said, "Worthy of being saint fruits. Their sweet scent went straight to the bottom of my heart, and I feel like my very soul is floating."
Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha were enraged.
"Xiang Shaoyun, I will not let this go!" Gui Mochou roared.
Feng Xiaosha also shouted murderously, "Bastard, if you don't hand the fruits over, you will regret being born. All 18 generations of your family will suffer alongside you."
“Hehe, you sure are loud. Since it has come to this, all of you might as well go on to the afterlife,” said Xiang Shaoyun with his eyes narrowed. Then, he charged at them.
Chapter 943: Get Lost
There were nine saint soul fruits in total. Xiang Shaoyun wanted all of them, but he knew he couldn't be too greedy. Otherwise, he would turn into a public enemy. Obviously, he wasn't afraid of offending everyone, but it was always better to exercise moderation. He was not interested in also offending the organizations backing all these disciples since it would be unwise.
At the same time, he also wanted to get rid of both Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha as these two were the ones that would give him more trouble in the future.
"Let's go," said Gui Mochou. He did not dare to wait even a second longer when he noticed Xiang Shaoyun heading toward him. He quickly grabbed Feng Xiaosha and withdrew at top speed.
Gui Mochou was someone who had witnessed the might of Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain. Although they wanted to kill Xiang Shaoyun, they also knew they weren't capable enough right now. They would think of ways to deal with him after leaving the area. As the two retreated, the eight puppets charged Xiang Shaoyun, trying to buy time for the two to escape.
The eight emperor-grade puppets swarmed Xiang Shaoyun. Anyone else would have a hard time getting tangled with these puppets. But Xiang Shaoyun had an unrivaled speed and could completely disregard them. Like a slippery eel, he swam through the puppets before continuing after Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha.
"Don't even dream of escaping today," said Xiang Shaoyun.
He threw out two punches, sending two lightning fists flying toward Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha.
"Junior brother, use your Wind Boots," Gui Mochou shouted in alarm.
Feng Xiaosha did not hesitate, and a pair of extraordinary-looking boots appeared around his feet. His speed instantly multiplied, and the same happened to Gui Mochou. Both of them were wind cultivators, so speed had always been their strong suit. With the addition of the Wind Boots, they were far faster than regular Sovereigns.
With Xiang Shaoyun's speed, he could catch them easily if he wanted, but he stopped after some hesitation. Looking at their swiftly departing backs, he smiled and said, "Perhaps it's even better to make you two flee like rats whenever you see me. I'll kill you when it's almost time to leave this space."
Of course, they were not the ultimate owners of the fruits. The moment they attempted to leave, other disciples started trying to snatch the fruits from them. Naturally, some of them had their eyes set on Xiang Shaoyun. After all, he had two fruits on him. It wasn't surprising that he would attract some envious eyes.
"Brother, I'm Gu Feng from the True Martial Academy. I hope to trade for one of your saint soul fruits. I am willing to pay any price," offered a woman with bright red hair and a seductive outfit.
Not only was she dressed seductively, she also had a voluptuous figure that could infatuate anyone. Her enchanting face could charm any heart. Anyone seeing her would be inclined to agree that she was basically a walking temptation.
Gu Feng had great strength, and she was one of the top 18 disciples of the True Martial Academy. She was ranked seventh and was a late ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. She came from the main branch of an ancient clan.
Two men were following her around. They had similarly impressive strengths as well. One was a ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, while the other was a peak eighth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. They were respectively known as Ling Zhiyan and Li Zhensheng.
They had their auras locked on Xiang Shaoyun. The moment he rejected the offer, they would attack.
Xiang Shaoyun glanced at Gu Feng and smiled before answering, "Sure. If you can offer a saint-grade item of similar value, I don't mind trading."
Saint-grade items were incredibly rare, and Xiang Shaoyun was interested in seeing a wider variety of them. If the other party really had some, he wouldn't mind trading. If not, he wouldn't waste any time on them.
"I don't have any saint-grade items on me for now, but I have a top-quality sovereign armor. If you want some sovereign techniques or materials, I can offer those up as well," said Gu Feng. Her tone might be polite, but her eyes contained an arrogance that would cause someone to feel uncomfortable.
"Kid, what are you waiting for? Take out the saint soul fruit. Oh, I'm buying your second saint soul fruit," demanded the ninth-stage Emperor beside Gu Feng.
As far as they were concerned, Xiang Shaoyun was only a peak seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. He was nothing, even if he was the disciple of the so-called lord guardian.
Each person capable of entering the True Martial Academy was someone with a powerful backer. They naturally wouldn't fear anyone. It was undeniable that Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation level was practically a big scam. If they knew his true combat strength, they wouldn't act so unbridled before him.
"Hehe, so this is your so-called trade," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sneer. His entire bearing underwent a complete change as he roared, "Get lost!"
As he roared, his soul unleashed the pressure of a sixth-stage Sovereign. Gu Feng and her two attendants immediately felt as though they were facing a super expert, and they stepped back instinctively. An unnatural expression covered their faces.
Xiang Shaoyun then ignored them and charged toward a different direction. He was heading toward where a Sacred Deer Academy had just been forced to hand over a saint soul fruit. The disciple was an eighth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator and had plucked the fruit using a puppet.
However, the strength of him and his companions wasn't enough to keep the fruit, and they were forced to hand it over. Between their lives and the fruit, they naturally chose the former. The saint soul fruit was tossed out in no specific direction.
Chaos ensued as True Martial Academy and Nine Palace Academy disciples started fighting over it. Numerous energies tossed the fruit up and down in the air, like a game of volleyball.
The disciples did not dare to use too much strength with their energies as they were afraid to accidentally damage the fruit. Finally, a True Martial Academy disciple famed for his speed appeared before the saint soul fruit like a gust of wind and reached for it.
Right that moment, a figure moving at an even faster speed came and snatched the fruit. Attacks flooded in from all directions toward that person. Each attack was as powerful as the attack of a peak Emperor. There were even a few attacks as powerful as a Sovereign's.
Chapter 944: Alone Against the Heroes of the World
The person who had snatched the saint soul fruit was none other than Xiang Shaoyun. His speed was unrivaled, and he was confident nobody here could match him in speed. The moment he obtained the fruit, he was attacked from all directions.
Their bombardment was not something he could resolve with speed alone; he could only erect his defenses. Six layers of Goldplates wrapped around his body, turning him into a bright golden statue that forcefully withstood the barrage. More than 10 Emperors attacked him at the same time. The combination of their attacks was powerful enough to kill even a Sovereign.
And yet Xiang Shaoyun was able to forcefully resist the attack. All six layers of his Goldplates were shattered, and his actual body suffered many attacks. However, his body had been tempered by flame and lightning and was incredibly tough. Thus, he did not suffer any heavy injuries. Without wasting any time, he used the Overlord's Nine Nether Steps to quickly move away after the attacks landed.
There were still many interesting locations to visit in the secret space. He had already gotten three saint soul fruits, so there was no need to try getting more. It was better to search other locations to see if he could get anything elsewhere. But before he could flee, a figure appeared before him like a gust of wind and attacked mercilessly.
Splitting the Heaven and Earth!
The ambusher attacked with all his might immediately, sending numerous blades of wind forward. The profundity of wind powered his technique, giving it a might seemingly capable of splitting the heaven and earth. In fact, his attack was as powerful as an attack from a third-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator.
This attacker was one of the True Martial Academy prodigies, Liu Yuanhao. He was someone with excellent wind manipulation skills, and he was also the person Xiang Shaoyun had stolen the fruit from. He was obviously not willing to let Xiang Shaoyun go and wanted to get the fruit back.
Apart from him, a few others rushed over and attacked as well. One of them attacked with an axe, sending domineering axe energies forward that blocked all possible escape routes. Another person stabbed with his sword repeatedly, sealing the space surrounding Xiang Shaoyun and getting ready to stab him the moment he attempted to escape.
They were each a giant among men and among the strongest in their generation. How would Xiang Shaoyun deal with them?
"All who get in my way will die!" Xiang Shaoyun unleashed the might of his Tiger's Roar. His voice resounded in the vicinity, and as his battle intent surged, he threw his fists out. A fearsome golden radiance shot out and transformed into a charging white tiger.
A large amount of vicious gold energy flooded out as numerous golden fists rained down like meteors, blasting the incoming attacks apart. Instead of fleeing, Xiang Shaoyun unleashed more attacks toward the person blocking his path. Each of his punches contained a supreme fist intent, and their torrential fist energies crashed forth and forced the person before him to retreat repeatedly.
The person blocking his path was fast, but Xiang Shaoyun was faster. The blocker didn't even have the chance to counterattack and could only focus on protecting himself. Luckily for him, Xiang Shaoyun was only utilizing a single star. Otherwise, he would have died by now.
But since Xiang Shaoyun was only using one star, the others quickly found the chance to form a new encirclement around him. They attacked with
sovereign weapons, and if Xiang Shaoyun failed to avoid their attacks, he might be sliced into pieces.
As they ganged up on him, Xiang Shaoyun smirked. He unleashed his wind and lightning stars, instantly creating a storm around him.
Wind and Lightning!
A ferocious tornado lashed out like a mighty dragon, tearing the very air apart. The incoming attacks were all ripped apart, and numerous silver lightning bolts as thick as water buckets formed in the sky above them. Over 100 lightning bolts rained down, creating a terrifying sea of lightning. A calamity causing despair had descended upon them.
This terrifying attack had surpassed all their imaginations and was as strong as an attack from a fourth-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. Even in this place where genius among geniuses gathered, few could gain such combat prowess.
With only two stars, Xiang Shaoyun was able to unleash such power. Instantly, three of his attackers were blasted away. Without their defensive armors, they would have been instantly killed by the storm.
The others weren't able to last long either. They fled the storm one after another. The attack was too terrifying, and it had a long duration. Not even these geniuses could stay too long inside the storm.
"Thank you for your time. I'll be taking my leave," said Xiang Shaoyun before leaving like a gust of wind, leaving behind nothing but a series of afterimages.
"Holy shit, that guy is so strong. Is he really only a seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator? If someone tells me he's a peak Emperor, I would believe them," said someone.
"He lives up to his identity as the disciple of the lord guardian who even the elders need to respect. He is already this strong as a seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. He is probably comparable with that reckless kid from our academy," lamented someone.
"I really don't understand why the Dragon Phoenix Academy would expel a prodigy like him. They don't even want a disciple with such a high chance to become the ultimate winner of this competition? Have the Dragon Phoenix Academy elders gone blind?"