Chapter 893: Is that Jun Mo Xie!?
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The three Guardians and the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master had already left long ago to god knew where for their battle… He Zhi Qiu only left a written letter for them, and finally, he sent a letter to each Holy Land…
At the end of the letter addressed to the Elusive World of Immortals, Zhan Mu Bai had added a few more words: "For ten thousand years, the honor of the Holy Lands has never been profaned by anyone. This Zhan shall use his death to defend the name of the Holy Lands! Though some may mingle for a thousand years, there must come a time for farewell. Today, Mu Bai shall bid everyone goodbye in advance!
As the makeshift stretcher rocked to and fro, Zhan Mu Bai closed his eyes lightly, allowing his memory to flow. As the ancient people used to say, all men must die. At the end of one's life, people would see fragments of their life flashing before their eyes. From the looks of it, the next stop would most likely be the final station of his long life…
Zhan Mu Bai was not born from the legitimate wife of the Zhan Family. His real mother was a mere concubine, and he was thus abhorred from a young age. Fortunately, his talent was great, and by concealing himself and meekly enduring the humiliations, he finally shocked the entire family at the age of 18 at the family's martial competition, winning first place among the junior generation.
While the startling genius Zhan Mu Bai managed to gain the attention of the elders in the family, he also attracted the unanimous hostility of the Zhan Family's direct line. The repeated persecution resulted in the death of both his parents and greater humiliation for himself. Grieving and insulted, he escaped from the Zhan Family. By chance, he met a famed teacher, and he cultivated painstakingly from that point on. Twenty years later, after reaching the third level of Spirit Xuan, he once again returned to the Zhan Family to carry out his vengeance. All those who'd ever harmed him or wronged him were killed! Not even a single one was spared!
As his thoughts travelled to this point, Zhan Mu Bai who was suffering immense pain from the Yin-Yang Refining Soul actually revealed a gratified smile on his face.
When he thought back to how those people who'd caused so much death and destruction to his family had trembled under his feet, the blood flowing freely from their bodies… That woman that he had cared so much about, groaning and crying as he pressed her under him… those white, tender skin, the beautiful glistening tears on her face… and that look of disbelief as he sliced his blade across her throat…
Oh, the rush he'd felt back then…
In that moment, Zhan Mu Bai had almost forgotten even the agonizing pain that filled every inch of his body!
Back then, that period of time was the proudest and most satisfying point of his life! The entire Zhan Family was all as tame as cicadas in the winter in his presence. He, Zhan Mu Bai, had used his own strength and cruel methods to obtain the highest authority, becoming the youngest patriarch of the Zhan Family in history!
Under his lead, the Zhan Family battled through the pugilistic world, growing stronger and stronger with rapid speed, turning them into a first rate family. And right after that, he'd received the invitation from the Elusive World of Immortals.
After gaining the backing of the three Holy Lands, the Zhan Family's growth became even faster. In these few hundred years, the Zhan Family had already turned into the hegemon of a large territory! And Zhan Mu Bai himself had progressed from a Spirit Xuan expert to a Venerable, Saint, Saint Emperor… From being a mere cultivator in the Elusive World of Immortals, he'd even reached the heights of becoming a member of the Heaven Saint Palace!
The glory of a lifetime, the brilliance of a lifetime, the self confidence and strong headedness of a lifetime!
Perhaps, he'd indeed done wrongly in some matters. But… so what? This was a world where the weak were prey for the strong! There was really nothing much to say about it! In this life, he'd lost some and gained some. To him, it was sufficient!
Zhan Mu Bai grieved and smiled… He half laid on the stretcher, allowing the soft mattress to support his body. Step by step, taking him to the final stop of his life. He did not bother to think about the upcoming fight. Instead, he simply replayed the events of the past in his mind, over and over again…
Take the most recent incident for example, the annihilation of the Chen Family. How was he wrong? He hadn't done anything wrong! If someone must be blamed, one could only blame the Chen Family for being too weak! For such a weak family, to actually have the gall to witness a Saint Emperor like him being humiliated! If that wasn't seeking death… what was?
The only pity is… the War for Seizing the Heavens ah! The War for Seizing the Heavens that I've looked forward to for hundreds of years! This grand war of the humans, this heroic battle where one can leave their names behind in the annals of history! I, Zhan Mu Bai… will not be able to make it…
Perhaps this is the only, and the greatest, regret of my life…
Eighty li from the southern gate, there was a small hill. Even further beyond that was a large mountain.
At the foot of the mountain stood a lush bamboo grove. Right in front of the bamboo grove, there was a specially cleared out empty space.
A huge stone plaque stood in the middle of the empty field, with the words: "Burial place of the 35 experts of the three Holy Lands! May their illustrious names stand forever in memory of their great deeds!"
Everyone practically stopped their feet at the same time, their eyes blazing with fierce rage!
The number of people who'd come out this time numbered exactly 35. Not a single person more or less!
From the looks of it, the opponent knew everything about them and all their movements, to even know that Zhan Mu Bai had come!
The bamboo grove was silent and lonely, without a single person in sight.
Why wasn't the enemy here!?
He Zhi Qiu scoffed coldly. "This stone plaque is simply too laughable!" Laughing aloud, he jumped out. He didn't touch the words on the front, but on the other side of the stone plaque, he carved the words: Grave of the Evil Monarch!
After thinking about the matter for a moment, he continued writing: "Evil Monarch, shameless beyond compare; does not know his own limits, stupidly audacious, challenging the magnificent Holy Lands; knows only tricks, but has no real strength; ultimately defeated and killed, becoming the laughing stock of the world and mocked for ten thousand years."
After he finished writing, He Zhi Qiu roared and revolved his Xuan Qi. With a great push, the huge stone plaque actually turned around, and the words he'd written became the front side of the plaque!
"HAHA… not bad, laughing stock of the world, mocked for ten thousand years, the legendary Evil Monarch! Brother He, those words you wrote are too satisfying! Only, why didn't you wipe away those original words, instead of wasting your strength to turn the plague around?" Hai Wu Ya laughed aloud. He and other experts of the three Holy Lands also felt their spirits being greatly lifted, and they all clapped and cheered.
He Zhi Qiu chuckled softly. "The battle today is going to be a fierce one of life and death. After the battle ends, there's only one side that will be leaving alive. Me doing that is to declare that the side who wins gets to wipe their name off that plaque! If we wipe our names off the plaque now, it would instead make us look as if we have no confidence… thus, I kept it like that so for now. After we win the battle, it won't be too late to erase our names from it."
"Not bad, not bad! Brother He's words makes sense!" Hai Wu Ya laughed aloud. "We don't have a reason to lose this battle! Let's make this Evil Monarch fellow enjoy the bitter fruits of his own sowing!"
The experts of the three Holy Lands cheered as their morale shot upwards!
The last shred of darkness in the sky finally vanished completely!
In the East, the sky was completely filled with white. The first rays of the sun had completely landed!
Right now was the stipulated time.
This was the timing that the Evil Monarch had set himself. But the experts of the three Holy Lands were also anticipating this moment. After this instant, all their doubts would be resolved!
The mysterious enemy that had all along been hidden would finally reveal themself!
Whether the mysterious enemy's strength was really high enough to shock the world, or whether it was another person, everything would be revealed!
Thus, everyone waited silently. Any of these people were all experts who'd experienced hundreds of bitter battles. All of them were old dough sticks that couldn't be any older! There wasn't any impatience at all, and their faces were calm and casual! As for life and death, these people had already seen through such matters long ago!
Even Zhan Mu Bai who was enduring immense pain turned focused and serene in the instant the sun appeared! Although that look of serenity looked so comical on his half red, half blue face! However, it still displayed his unyielding determination!
35 pairs of hawk-like eyes stared intently at the bamboo grove before them.
As for the other three directions, nobody even bothered to look in that direction.
Because there wasn't a need to!
The sun's rays illuminated the great earth, and the east was finally bright!
Neat footsteps rang out orderly and quick.
On the left and right side, two groups of people came into view at the same time. Their movements were light and fast, like two strands of smoke, passing over the lands and arriving before the bamboo grove in an instant.
Each troop had 36 people, making up 72 in total!
All of them walked over in an orderly manner, their eyes staring straight in front. It was obvious that these troops had extremely strict discipline standards!
Hai Wu Ya and He Zhi Qiu's faces sunk bit by bit as they looked at the 72 soldiers. Even without looking at each other, they could tell the shock in each others' hearts!
It turned out that their opponent was not a single person. But the power of that person's forces was also quite spectacular…
Because every single one of these soldiers was an expert! A top tier expert!
Among these 72 people, even the weakest was at the third level of the Venerable realm! There were 19 fourth level Venerables, 31 first level Saints, and a full 20 second level Saints!
As for the two commanders of each troop, they were actually formidable existences at the third level of the Saint realm!
Just these 72 people alone formed an exceedingly scary force!
To think that in the current mundane world, such a force actually existed! How did they escape the eyes and ears of the three Holy Lands? In fact, they'd even been hidden from the entire world all along!
Such a force was definitely not something that could be made in just a year or two! It would require the accumulation of large amounts of time; at the very least, one would need 200 to 300 years to form such a force!
Just how did they do it?
In that time, all the experts of the three Holy Lands looked at each other, too shocked to say anything. If the opponent was only one person, no matter how great that person's strength, even if it was really superior to even the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master, or if it was that peerless expert who had that break through in the Chrysanthemum City, although they would be scared, they would not have been so shocked!
When did this world suddenly have so many top tier experts? Just which power did these people belong to? Why did it seem like they'd just dropped out of the sky to a point where even the three Holy Lands were completely oblivious?!
How could this be possible? Just what was going on!
As they watched, the 72 experts came closer and closer. At a command, they formed into two neat triangular formations. Then, they stopped and stood there silently. A wide passage was left open between them, as if they were waiting for someone… the position that they'd left open also happened to be the most important spot!
Could it be that the boss still isn't here yet?
Hai Wu Ya and He Zhi Qiu looked at each other, feeling their palms growing more and more clammy with sweat! Their hearts were exceedingly heavy and nervous at this point. Even with their hundreds of years of experience, they still couldn't overcome the anxiety in their hearts!
Far away, the sound of more footsteps rang out. At practically the same instant, eight more troops appeared!
Each troop had roughly 30 people, and they were all hurrying towards the same direction!
Although the eight troops were moving at high speeds, they actually maintained a strangely orderly form, with not a single soldier out of place! They were like eight sharp arrows, shooting towards them!
In a short time, they'd arrived.
The commander at the front raised his voice and called out: "Formation!"
Over 300 people instantly changed their formations in an orderly manner. The original two triangular formations integrated perfectly together, joining with the rest into two large triangular formations! This was actually a winged formation!
Two people stood at the front of each wing, one dressed in robes as black as ink and the other in robes as white as snow.
Eagle God of the Savanna, Solitary Eagle; the Hurricane Swordsman, Feng Juan Yun!
Right now, the both of them had actually reached the peak of the fourth level Saint realm! The distance between them and a Saint Emperor was just a single step!
As for the eight troops that they'd brought with them this time, the cultivation of the soldiers were all comparable to the first two troops that had arrived.
Including the commanders, there were a grand total of 308 people!
Hai Wu Ya and He Zhi Qiu were nearly on the brink of a mental breakdown as they examined each soldier. All of them were Venerable realm and above experts! Among them, there were two peak fourth level Saints, six third level Saints, 90 second level Saints, 170 first level Saints, 33 fourth level Venerables, and seven third level Venerables!
This was a completely inconceivable matter!
Could it be that we're all stuck in the same nightmare together?
Even the three Holy Lands did not have this many experts of such high average strength! The shockingly powerful force before them was already sufficient to sweep through the entire Xuan Xuan Continent unrivalled! In fact… If the Heaven Saint Palace didn't interfere, this power would be great enough to sweep through even the three Holy Lands! A threat of this level had even exceeded the dangers that the strange races posed!
After all, all the Saint Emperor experts belonged to the Heaven Saint Palace!
When did such a force appear in this world?
All the experts of the Holy Lands felt their scalps growing more and more numb…
And these people were actually still waiting for their leader to arrive! In other words, all these people were under the control of a single person! This was the military force of a single person!
Such a realization had caused all the Saint Emperors and Saints of the three Holy Lands to feel incredibly frightened! To think that such a powerful force had been hidden for so long… the three Holy Lands… are in danger!
Just who was it that they were waiting for?!
Regardless of who it was, it would definitely be an unparalleled hero!
A soft laughter suddenly rang out, and two people appeared within the green bamboo grove. One man and one woman. They looked like an immortal couple, clad in robes as white as snow. The man was handsome and elegant, like a clear jade tree in the wind. The woman was peerlessly beautiful, like a fairy descended from the heavens!
These two people walked out smoothly from the serene bamboo grove, approaching the crowd step by step.
Casual and graceful, they stepped onto the path that had been deliberately opened by the menacing troop. The two looked like a pair of a golden boy and jade girl, stepping on clouds.
When the over 300 experts saw the two, they immediately revealed looks of respect and reverence, as if they had seen the gods in their hearts!
All of a sudden, Zhan Mu Bai who was sitting on his stretcher suddenly screeched aloud, as if he'd seen a ghost. "JUN MO XIE! THAT'S JUN MO XIE!…"
Chapter 894: What I Want is to Destroy!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
All the experts of the three Holy Lands were truly stunned this time. Because the two people that had walked out of the bamboo grove so casually had indeed shocked them so much that they couldn't even speak!
Because to the three Holy Lands, this man and woman used to be the greatest thorns in their eyes! They were walking disasters that had to be eradicated, and quickly!
There was also a time when they did not have to worry about these two anymore. Because they had already confirmed the deaths of these two threats!
One of them died after being encircled by a group of Saints, while taking three Saints to the grave with her. The other died inside of Tian Fa Forest, killed personally by the hands of Saint Emperor Zhan Mu Bai, along with Snake King, Green Hunter!
In any case, those two had already died and were just a thing of the past!
Counting time since then, the three Holy Lands had already enjoyed three months of peace!
But at this time, at this very moment, their entire world was completely overturned! The great enemies that they thought had become a thing of the past turned into mere memories, and the grand villains of history actually come to life again! And they were standing in a lively manner right before their eyes!
Furthermore, their cultivations had also improved greatly!
How could Zhan Mu Bai, the main person involved, not be shocked? How could he not be shaken to the core?! Seeing that familiar youngster's face once again looming in front of him, it was as if his head had been ruthlessly smashed with a rod, causing his mind to spin! Even the resolve that he had a moment ago to put on a front had completely disappeared like smoke!
"Zhan Mu Bai, Saint Emperor Zhan, are you very shocked? Look at that red and green face of yours! Although this matter is rather surprising for you, it shouldn't be to that extent, right? You're a Saint Emperor expert, a lofty character high up and above everyone, ah! Your current appearance is truly a bit too out of character!" Jun Mo Xie said with a light smile, his voice carrying a hint of disdain, and his eyes flashing with shocking coldness!
"Jun Mo Xie, could it be that you're that Evil Monarch?" Hai Wu Ya sucked in a deep breath and steadied himself as he stepped in front of Zhan Mu Bai. In that moment, he only wished to say that they'd really miscalculated too much!
Compared to this youngster before them, what was the legendary Free and Natural Physique even worth? If just a youth with the Free and Natural Physique was enough to cause several Saint Emperors fight over him to the point where relationships broke down, this person before them would cause others to die to get him…
"I've incurred Honoured Sir's ridicule." Jun Mo Xie smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow. "You must be from the Illusory Blood Sea? Saint Emperor Hai Wu Ya?"
"Indeed, it's this Hai." Hai Wu Ya looked at him with a light smile. "Jun Mo Xie, this old man shall be bold and ask you a question… right now, are you already at the realm of a Saint Emperor?"
Jun Mo Xie flung his sleeves suavely and smiled. "This Young Master's luck had always been pretty good. Somehow, I just reached this realm without realizing. It's probably just luck. Compared to the bitter cultivation that seniors work hard on everyday, this Young Master can only say that I feel ashamed!"
These words appeared to be courteous and humble; but to attain such a shocking level of cultivation at such a young age, how could it be luck?!
"Ashamed?! The ones who should truly feel ashamed are us old fellows! Compared to the rapid cultivation speed of Young Master Jun, us old men are truly embarrassed."
Hai Wu Ya laughed bitterly and continued. "From what this old man knows, Young Master Jun has just reached 18 years old, right?! An 18 years old Saint Emperor… there's no one else in history with such accomplishments! Before the accomplishments of Young Master Jun, all the countless cultivators from past to present are completely defeated! Such an accomplishment is unprecedented and will likely also be without rival in the future. I trust that even the Nine Nether First Young Master of that year will feel incredibly ashamed!"
Jun Mo Xie fell silent for a moment and nodded lightly. "Saint Emperor Hai has overly praised me. This Young Master's accomplishments might be extraordinary, but compared to the Holy Lands, it's too inferior. The three Holy Lands are really where the great talents reside. Its power is great beyond comparison, ah. This Young Master has been forced to escape from the hands of the Holy Lands many times in the past, almost losing my life many times, and only surviving by luck… The prowess of the three Holy Lands are indeed admirable and unforgettable."
"All the matters before are indeed a miscalculation on the part of our Holy Lands. To end up forming an enmity of death with Young Master is no doubt the greatest mistake that our three Holy Lands have made in these ten thousand years!"
Hai Wu Ya breathed out a long sigh, and his expression seemed to contain endless regret. Shaking his head, he continued. "If there's such a thing as going back in time in this world, given Young Master's amazing talent, this old man would surely try to the best of my ability to avoid becoming enemies with you! In fact, this old man would try to at all costs to form a good relationship with Young Master…"
These words, whether it be his tone, or expression, were truly, completely sincere. Anyone who heard it would definitely be able to tell that these words had come from the bottom of his heart.
Jun Mo Xie looked away with some sadness. "It's a pity… that such thing as 'if only' does not exists in this world! The words 'if only', are simply nothing but useless talk."
"Indeed, Young Master's words are right." Hai Wu Ya raised his head slowly. "This old man has stayed in the Heaven Saint Palace for 300 years, but I've never imagined that such a stellar character like Young Master would actually appear in this world! On the path of cultivation, seniority has always been determined by cultivation. Young Master may be tender in years, but your cultivation has reached the same level as this old man. But this old man can be considered to have lived several hundred years in vain. Today, I shall put my face aside, and ask you an honest question…"
Hai Wu Ya took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then, he opened them again shakily, and as if he were using all his strength to form the words, he asked. "If the three Holy Lands could offer Young Master an apology, and even compensations of an equivalent value to you, would Young Master be willing to come to an understanding with us, turning swords into ploughs and ending this pointless slaughter?!
"Is there still any leeway for turning between our two sides?" Hai Wu Ya asked in a hoarse voice. With his status, for him to say such words was already an extremely humble thing.
"Is there still any leeway…" Jun Mo Xie mumbled softly. All of a sudden, he smiled; this smile, had a faint mockery towards life. Nodding slowly, he replied. "Senior Hai, I believe that you didn't say those words out of a fear of death. Instead, because of those words that you said, you are indeed worthy of my respect! Because I know that you only said those selfless words because of the War for Seizing the Heavens. Although you hadn't said it out loud, I can understand it! And I respect you for it!"
Jun Mo Xie continued sincerely. "However, it's a pity that it's all too late! I trust that Senior Hai understands as well. From the start to the end, I, Jun Mo Xie, never had any intentions of becoming enemies with the three Holy Lands! Truly, I had not even thought of doing that at all… Not mentioning the faraway things; a year ago, I didn't even know about the existence of a three Holy Lands in this world!
"But today, I'm already at a point where I cannot turn back!" Jun Mo Xie sighed heavily and shook his head. "Now, times have changed; it's no longer you guys who are persecuting me. It's me who refuses to let you all off! The battle today is only the beginning!"
"Nothing is absolute in this world. There are no enmities in this world that cannot be resolved," Hai Wu Ya said earnestly. Jun Mo Xie's words had indeed caused this Illusory Blood Sea's Saint Emperor to feel somewhat conflicted and touched. He took one step forward and fervently said, "Our Heaven Saint Palace can be the judge of this. No matter what grievances, we can put them down first. The priority should be on the War for Seizing the Heavens! The lives of the people in this continent!"
"If you guys decided to sue for peace half a year ago, or even three months ago and were willing to come to an understanding with me, there might really be such a thing as a win-win situation for both sides! But unfortunately, it's impossible now. I'll still say the same thing: the circumstances are different now, and times have changed! As for this matter, your Heaven Saint Palace can no longer interfere in it!"
Jun Mo Xie laughed aloud. "Right now, the one who can make the decisions, and the one who holds the initiative, is no longer your three Holy Lands! It's me! Also, Old Hai… If I really listened to your words, I'm afraid that in just a half year's time, the over 300 people here with me today will turn into corpses, with no exception! I'm sure you understand what I mean. What you all want is to destroy. And what I want is exactly the same!"
Hai Wu Ya sighed, as if he still had some words to say. However, a voice sounded out beside him. "Jun Mo Xie, you're simply too unbridled! You're merely holding the advantage for the time being, and you're already speaking so arrogantly? Let me tell you, it doesn't matter what kind of achievements you have right now, or what kind of force you've built up. Before the three Holy Lands, you only have a single path of death! In this wide world, no one can save you!"
The one who spoke was actually Zhan Mu Bai!
"Brother Zhan!" Hai Wu Ya never would have imagined that Zhan Mu Bai would suddenly jump out at this point to foil all the efforts he'd put in thus far. In that moment, he could not stop himself from shouting.
"Brother Zhan's words might be inappropriate, but he's not wrong. Brother Hai, there's already no more leeway between us and Jun Mo Xie. We're already at a point where one side would only gain peace while the other dies."
He Zhi Qiu sighed and said, "The entire Jun Family has already been forced to a dead end because of us, and the Tian Fa Forest was also greatly damaged. Countless lives have been implicated, and the blood debt has to be paid through blood… Even this Jun Mo Xie before us; although he's managed to survive, the process he went through to stand before us was extremely perilous. And that's only the damages on their side… On the side of our Holy Lands, we've already lost thousands of lives. How will this immense debt of blood be wiped clean?!"
He Zhi Qiu shook his head heavily. "Of the over thousand people sacrificed thus far, even the weakest ones were on the level of Superior Supremes! Moreover, there's also the Elusive World of Immortals' Palace Lord, Mo Wu Dao's blood brother, Mo Xiao Yao! I trust that even if the Heaven Saint Palace personally came out to appease both sides, this hatred is still not easy to resolve."
"So today, we can only fight!" Jun Mo Xie smiled, his pearly white teeth gleaming. His face was so sinister it was as if he were a primordial savage beast.
Hai Wu Ya no longer said anything. His expression was filled with desolation and sadness. After a long time, he bit down on his lips with regret. "Pity! What a pity… if an outstanding person like Jun Mo Xie was our friend instead, what difficulties are there in this world that could not be overcome… But having him as an enemy is too dangerous! If he cannot be killed in one fight, then, before long, in just three or five years' time, there might no longer be a three Holy Lands in this world anymore! To this point, this old man is very certain!"
Chapter 895: Could It Be a Scheme?
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Hai Wu Ya laughed bitterly. "Last time in Tian Fa Forest, he was just a third level Venerable. Although it caused us to gasp with surprise, his actual strength hadn't been enough to enter our sights… But now, he already has strength equivalent to us! More shockingly, only two months or so has passed from that time to now! Everyone, do you really not understand what this means?"
He Zhi Qiu shrugged his shoulders expressionlessly. "Even if he's more talented, he's still an enemy! At this point, although we're unwilling, we can only accept it. The more talented the genius is, the more we should get rid of him before he has equal power to us. That is the only way for the calamity to not deepen! Time, fate, life, and even the will of the heavens wishes to toy with men. We can only follow the mandate of the heavens!"
Hai Wu Ya breathed out a long sigh and turned to face Jun Mo Xie. "Young Master Jun, with regards to the results we've arrived at today, this old man feels exceptionally regretful. From the looks of it, there's no avoiding a battle today. This old man has some words on my heart that doesn't feel good if I don't say it, so I wish to say it beforehand…"
"Please speak." Jun Mo Xie uttered lightly. Even though they were enemies, he at least still felt a bit of respect for this old fellow.
"… In this battle, we will be trying at all costs to destroy Young Master. If we left an enemy like you alive in this world, none of us will ever have a peace of mind to eat or sleep! To the three Holy Lands, you are an existence akin to an apocalypse!"
Hai Wu Ya continued bitterly. "To destroy a peerless genius with my own hands… a matter like burning treasured wood for fuel and cooking the crane for meat truly pains this old man's heart."
"Likewise, likewise… Old Hai, your words are exactly what I feel as well." Jun Mo Xie said comfortingly. "Like Senior Hai, this Young Master will also be going all out, using every method to obtain victory. This is a battle to the death anyway, so there's already no need to mention such things. Life and death will be left to fate, and riches and honour depend upon heaven…"
Chuckling lightly, he continued. "Old Hai is frank and forthright, filling this Young Master's heart with delight. The Holy Lands are full of despicable and shameless bastards, but there are still the rare few heroes and upright people. Although we are standing on opposing sides, this Young Master's admiration and respect will not be withheld from you. Iron blooded men with pride and passion can still be found in abundance among the Holy Lands…"
"Oh? To be able to obtain Young Master's admiration and respect, even if this old man is doomed to make a trip to the netherworld today, I still feel gratified in my heart. Only, who are the other 'rare few' whom you speak of?" Hai Wu Ya asked with interest.
"Ning Wu Qing is one, and the Wandering Venerable Mo Xiao Yao is also a respectable opponent…"
A look of reminiscence appeared on Jun Mo Xie's face as he continued. "This Young Master cannot understand; there are countless experts of exceptional ability in the Holy Lands. Why is it that when a person steps into the Holy Lands, most of them will lose their original spirit, turning into another self who for the sake of the Holy Lands would even be willing to invert right and wrong, confusing even themselves?"
Jun Mo Xie's words carried a hint of mockery and some sarcasm. But this same sentence, actually sounded like a clap of thunder in Hai Wu Ya's heart!
Hai Wu Ya's body shook, and his expression changed greatly. He even took several steps backward in shock. This half hearted question of Jun Mo Xie's had caused him to comprehend something. For all these years, the obscure veil that had always clouded his heart was finally shattered!
The Holy Lands gathered all the experts above Spirit Xuan, allowing them to advance continuously; but when these experts arrived at the Holy Lands, they experienced the enormous disparity between themselves and the others. Their bodies, hearts, and mind… all these areas were continuously impacted!
Until all the pride and self confidence they had built up in the outside world was completely worn away, becoming mere memories of the past, or just a joke to laugh about… beginning their life anew with the Holy Land. Such methods were extremely cruel; but it had a nice name to it: nirvana rebirth, broken before success!
Like that, many people "woke up" after the continuous setbacks, once again plunging madly into cultivation to raise their strengths. In that way, the strength of the Holy Lands rose rapidly.
But there were more people whose hearts turned cold because of the mental impacts, directly unleashing the perverseness of their most deeply hidden inner selves. These experts who were heroes of the mundane world ended up losing their self confidence, their pride, and their arrogance, turning into despicable people on the level of common ruffians and hoodlums…
Every year, regardless of at what level, there would always be such people appearing, subsequently being eliminated and relegated to the outer force of the three Holy Lands. From certain angles, such forces were simply equivalent to the three Holy Lands' cannon fodder!
Nirvana rebirth, broken before success. There was indeed a need, and the results were even very effective. Only from this way could one truly touch the realm of a true expert. One could say that this process was very necessary! And because it was like that, nobody had ever questioned it before of thousands of years…
However, this was not the only method! There were countless other gentler methods, which could also achieve the same effects.
Such a method completely destroyed the nature of a person! It was easy for a poor man to become rich. But for a rich man at the height of his success was suddenly thrown back to the lowest levels of society to climb back to the peak again… there were only a scarce few in the world who could achieve something like that!
Even without doing anything, for those people who'd just joined the Holy Lands, which one of them were not shocking geniuses of their generation? Seeing the deep cultivation of those seniors before them, as long as these people had a heart, would they not know how to work hard themselves?
But the greatest benefits of such a method, was not the so-called "nirvana rebirth, broken before success". Rather, it aimed to destroy all the pride, confidence, and individuality in the hearts of these people, leaving only the mark of the three Holy Lands branded in their souls! All these were based on the interests of the Holy Lands!
Moreover, there was still another thing; the greatest pretense under the heaven, and also the moral pillar which was imprinted in the minds of everyone: everything was for the sake of the world, for the future of mankind; the War for Seizing the Heavens! Thus, everyone suffered willingly without grumblings or regrets.
The pride was gone, so was self confidence. It was the equivalent of pulling out the backbone of these people and cutting off their escape path! After that, wouldn't they be easily molded however their Holy Lands wished? Thus, those proud experts of the mundane world, geniuses of their generation, all turned into a pile of walking corpses as soon as they entered the fabled Holy Lands!
As he thought about it, Hai Wu Ya felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising, and fear rose in his heart.
If this was really the true purpose… then, it was surely way too scary!
If… the legendary three Holy Lands, the greatest cultivation ground of Xuan Xuan Continent, is merely a place where people are broken down and destroyed, a place filled with tragedy! The victims are only of benefit to the three Holy Lands.
In that case, what are the interests of the three Holy Lands?
Could there be some huge scheme behind all this? Or…
Hai Wu Ya swayed lightly as he stood there. Beside him, He Zhi Qiu was saying some things, but he couldn't hear anything at all. In that moment, he was completely preoccupied by his thoughts. In that moment, his head was fill with endless fog…
It wasn't clear how much time had passed, but Hai Wu Ya felt someone push him, causing him to lift his head with startlement. He Zhi Qiu was standing in front of him, looking at him in an anxious manner. Confused, he asked, "What is it?"
He Zhi Qiu looked deeply at him, his eyes complicated. "Brother Hai… the deciding battle is about to begin. No matter what matter it is, let's wait till we get home before talking about it… There's still over 30 brothers here. Whether they get to live or die, it all rests on the shoulders of us two."
Hai Wu Ya felt his heart shudder and he woke up instantly, nodding his head lightly. In his heart he was determined. If this old man manages to survive this time, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly when I return!
The legendary three Holy Lands must not be turned into someone's tool!
On the other side, Jun Mo Xie had a bright smile on his face as he tilted his head to Mei Xue Yan, saying something to her. Mei Xue Yan had a serious expression on her face as she nodded continuously.
"Young Master Jun, since it's a grand battle that you've set up, how should we proceed with the battle? Young Master calls himself the Evil Monarch and even brought an army over. My guess is that you already have a plan?" He Zhi Qiu said with a loud voice.
In the time that he was speaking, an unusually bleak atmosphere had already gathered in the area. He Zhi Qiu's expression had also become dreary and desolate. The soft spring breeze that had been ever present in the air suddenly disappeared, becoming stern, cold, and boundless. The entire sky and lands was filled with a vast and lonesome feeling.
Ten Thousand Li Sorrowful Autumn.
This was He Zhi Qiu's famed technique. Before the battle had even started, he'd already unleashed his unique domain ability! Although both sides had not begun fighting yet, he was already fully prepared for battle and could attack with full strength at any time!
Jun Mo Xie and Mei Xue Yan exchanged a glance, and Mei Xue Yan asked in a soft voice. "Do you want a brawl or a rotational battle? Perhaps a quick battle, or…"
Jun Mo Xie smiled lightly and considered for a moment: "The strength of our side far surpasses the opponents, and swarming them with numbers and strength should be the more reasonable choice. Luo Yun and the rest had all raised their strengths by relying on the Spirit Stone Immortal Milk, and their cultivations still are not stable yet. Today's battle can be a great opportunity to sharpen their skills. We'll let these people in front of us be the whetstones for us. Thus, we cannot go for an all out brawl. Even if we must, that will be left for a critical moment at the end. Besides, if we decide to swarm them, those few Saint Emperors would definitely deal devastating damage to our weaker forces in order to protect their own people… That's something that I cannot accept and am unwilling to accept."
"Oh? So you've decided to fight them one on one??" Mei Xue Yan furrowed her brows lightly. "Although the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer troops forcefully raised their cultivations to this level, their experiences of such high level battles are still very lacking. If it's one against one, it would be inevitable for casualties to appear… That way, not only would we fail to achieve the purpose of sharpening the knives, we might even break a few knives in the process… If we set the rule for it to be a gentlemen's fight, stopping when one side is defeated, it wouldn't achieve the purpose of this death battle…"
"I have an idea regarding this." Jun Mo Xie narrowed his eyes and said. "Just watch me."
After saying that, Jun Mo Xie looked at He Zhi Qiu. "Saint Emperor He, our side outnumbers yours greatly for this battle; if we obtained victory because of our great numbers, it wouldn't be an honourable victory! I'm sure you all wouldn't feel appeased in your hearts if you were killed that way. So after some considerations, this Young Master has come up with a suggestion…"
Chapter 896: Condition: I Want the Exquisite Lotus!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"What do you suggest?" A trace of admiration appeared across He Zhi Qiu's face. He'd never met Jun Mo Xie before this, and he didn't know what kind of person the famous youngster was. Now, looking at Jun Mo Xie's graceful manners and words, as well as his elegant and respectful bearings, he felt a genuine appreciation in his heart. This kid was immensely talented, yet was not wildly arrogant or overbearing.
Thus, he did not detest Jun Mo Xie, this outstanding youth. In fact, he praised endlessly in his heart. A youngster like this is truly a dragon among men. Alas, fate toys with the life of men. Both of our sides are standing as enemies, unable to live unless the other side perishes. Shaking his head, he breathed out another long sigh…
If the great Saint Emperor He knew what this fellow was scheming in his heart against him… He Zhi Qiu probably wouldn't even need to fight, directly spitting out a mouthful of blood and fall dead from his anger on the spot…
How could an evil fellow like Jun Mo Xie possibly suggest a battle tactic that was disadvantageous to himself? Moreover, the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer army was something that he'd spent great efforts to raise, and they were also the troops that he felt the most deeply about! They were also the Jun Family's trump card and their main force! He would never allow this troop to suffer any sort of damage!
"There are 35 people on the side of the Holy Lands, from Venerables to Saint Emperors, with experts on each level. This is what this Young Master thinks: if we fight one on one, that would be too time consuming. Why not just let the different levels of experts fight their own battles. On my side, we will send out an equivalent level of forces. Venerables against Venerables, Saints against Saints, and Saint Emperors against Saint Emperors. This would be a fair battle, with life and death lying in the hands of each person, until one side is completely defeated! The battle will be started by the living and ended only by the dead! What does Saint Emperor He think?"
Jun Mo Xie said with a faint smile, but his words were as sharp as swords: 'started by the living, and ended only by the dead!' This was an extremely cruel scenario. But at the same time, it placed a huge amount of pressure on He Zhi Qiu!
Because for the side of the three Holy Lands, they could no longer afford to lose these 30 people! The moment they were lost, it would result in defeat in the War for Seizing the Heavens!
While he was anxious by the implications of this battle, He Zhi Qiu also breathed out a huge sigh of relief in that moment. The battle style that the other side had proposed was exactly tailor-made to the three Holy Lands' benefit. A battle like that was absolutely advantageous for the experts of the three Holy Lands and was basically guaranteed for them to win!
Because the experts from the three Holy Lands, especially those from the same realm and belonging to the same Holy Lands, all had exceptionally refined coordination after having lived, trained, and fought with each other for hundreds of years, to a point where they could intricately sense each other's actions! If they were allowed to attack together, their strengths would increase by at least twofold!
When the Holy Lands had sent their experts to Chrysanthemum City, they had chosen groups of people who were familiar with each other's style.
As for Jun Mo Xie's side, although their strengths were high, their cultivation had obviously been forcefully pushed up using special methods. So while they had strong cultivations, their mental state was obviously unable to match up. With a single look, it was obvious that Jun Mo Xie's choice of battling style was simply akin to seeking death!
"Good! Young Master Jun is straightforward indeed. We'll decide on this then!" He Zhi Qiu did not turn around since he already knew the strengths and cultivation of all the experts on his side. "There's 35 people on our side; 3 fourth level Venerables, 5 first level Saints, 7 second level Saints, 8 third level Saints, 9 fourth level Saints, and 3 Saint Emperors."
He Zhi Qiu smiled lightly and continued. "That means that there'll be 6 different battles. Only, for the last fight between Saint Emperors, this He wishes to have a solo fight against Young Master Jun, properly witnessing Young Master Jun's amazing techniques!"
"It should be like this; there is no issue!" Jun Mo Xie promised without hesitation in a broad hearted manner.
Although everyone on the three Holy Lands' side were listening expressionlessly to the conversation between the two, their eyes were filled with a trace of excitement!
With the few hundred years of coordination between us, our attacks and defense together have already reached a point of being perfect and seamless. Jun Mo Xie, you're simply sending your subordinates to die by our hands! Don't blame us for being merciless later!
Behind Jun Mo Xie, the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer soldiers did not show any signs of emotion at all. They were like a bunch of stubborn rocks, unmoved by anything. However, a heavy sense of battle intent surged into the air and enveloped the entire army.
"One reason for today's decisive battle is because this Young Master had been forced by your three Holy Lands to an unbearable point. Secondly, there should be some stakes for such an exciting battle! Truthfully, that is the main purpose of this Young Master. If we win, what then? And if we lose, what of it?"
He Zhi Qiu furrowed his brows slightly, thinking that those words were truly somewhat shameless. This brat obviously saw that our forces were scattered, and thus took the chance to challenge us to a decisive battle. But when it came out of his mouth, it was that the three Holy Lands had forced him to an unbearable point… Those words are truly a little too lacking in conscience…
However, He Zhi Qiu didn't mind since he also had some confidence in coming out victorious. Besides, even if Jun Mo Xie didn't talk about any conditions, he would mention them himself. Since Jun Mo Xie had already brought the matter up, he would not only be thought of as a cheap person, he would also end up falling into the ditch he'd dug himself!
"Naturally! How can there be no stakes and conditions in a decisive battle? Young Master Jun, please speak." He Zhi Qiu had a sly smile on his face like an old fox as he thought to himself. You little brat still reeking of your mother's milk… you finally fell into my trap! Old gingers are still the spiciest ah…
On the other side, Jun Mo Xie was also smiling evilly as he thought to himself.This old fox finally fell into my trap! Small chilli peppers are still the hottest ah…
Two foxes, one old and one young, both harbored their own schemes against each other. Both of them had great confidence in their chances of victory and were smiling smugly to themselves as they looked at each other.
"If we win, the three Holy Lands must stop interfering in the mundane world and cease their actions against the Blizzard Silver City, Situ Family, Duanmu Family, and the Dongfang Family. From here on out, these forces will no longer be under the control of the Holy Lands, forming a force of their own. This is the first condition." Jun Mo Xie said with a light smile.
"That's only natural. If you all come out victorious here, our three Holy Lands would also not have the face to continue persecuting those mundane families anymore." He Zhi Qiu said with a casual smile as his brows twitched lightly.Little brat, you're still to naive! To think that you've even thought of the conditions already…
"The second condition is that if we win, the three Holy Lands cannot go against us anymore, at least not until the War for Seizing the Heavens is over!" Jun Mo Xie grinned sinisterly. He'd only said that the three Holy Lands could not do anything him, but he never said that he couldn't do anything to them! This was the true trap.
He Zhi Qiu had only been cultivating painstakingly in the Heaven Saint Palace for so many years, so how would he guess that Jun Mo Xie's words would be so full of traps? Without even thinking, he directly agreed. "That is also natural as well. If you win, all of our enmity from before will be written off, and everything, be it debts of gratitude or revenge, shall be greeted with only a smile in the future."
Jun Mo Xie snorted in his heart. Debts of gratitude or revenge shall be greeted with only a smile in the future? Are you high on something? Even if you're willing, this elder brother is still unwilling!
"As for the third condition, from the Heaven Saint Palace's Exquisite Lotus cluster, I want a stalk of Exquisite Lotus with at least three segments from the root of the Nine Segment Exquisite Lotus!" Jun Mo Xie chuckled lightly and brought up the condition he wanted the most.
"That one is impossible!" He Zhi Qiu did not even consider and refused directly.
"The Exquisite Lotus is a palace treasure of our Heaven Saint Palace that we've protected for at least ten thousand years! Not to mention a complete stalk of the Exquisite Lotus; even if it's just a single petal, it's not something that can be exchanged outside. Please change this to another condition."
"If it could be easily exchanged outside, I wouldn't have mentioned it at all." Jun Mo Xie replied cooly. "Saint Emperor He, I trust that you can also tell that my first two conditions are as good as having no conditions, right? In addition, the extremely disadvantageous battle conditions that I proposed earlier is to justify this last condition. If you can't even accept this condition, then there's no point to our battle today! I'll be the one suffering a huge loss entirely… could it be that Saint Emperor He does not even have this much resolution?"
He Zhi Qiu furrowed his brows heavily as he cursed in his heart. This brat is surely too shameless! What is called 'the first two conditions are as good as having no conditions'? This old man has already agreed to both conditions… but you actually treated it as empty words…
Shaking his head helplessly, he said, "The Exquisite Lotus is the sect treasure of the Heaven Saint Palace! Although this old man has already spent hundreds of years in the Heaven Saint Palace, I've only seen it once or twice in total. This is definitely not something that this old man can make the decision on. Young Master Jun, aren't you purposefully making things hard on others?"
"Take it that I'm making things hard on purpose or begging you; it doesn't matter! I don't care if you obtain it by stealing or robbing; in any case, I insist to have it! There's no negotiating this matter!"
Jun Mo Xie demanded rudely and unreasonably. "If Saint Emperor He does not agree, then I might as well make this battle into a full force fight! I trust that Saint Emperor He can also see that there's a huge disparity in strength between our two sides! We have over 10 times the experts on our side. If not for that last condition, did you think that I would opt myself in to such an unfavourable battle format when I have all the advantages? If an all out fight begins, I can guarantee that no matter how amazing the strengths of Saint Emperors are, not a single person from the three Holy Lands shall be able to leave this place alive today!"
He Zhi Qiu's voice grew cold as his eyes flashed menacingly. "Young Master Jun, are you threatening this Seat?"
Laughing coldly, Jun Mo Xie met his eyes. "Threaten? Is there a need for me to threaten you? I was simply mentioning a fact! Saint Emperor He, you brought those people out here, and you have the responsibility to bring them back safely! I've already given you an option and told you the way to assure their safety. Whether or not you want it is entirely up to you to choose. How am I threatening you? If you don't agree, I will simply slaughter all of you, then go to the Heaven Saint Palace to discuss with them directly! No matter what, I, Jun Mo Xie, will definitely get my hands on the Exquisite Lotus!"
He Zhi Qiu stared steadily at him for a long time, then he sighed and exchanged a few words with Hai Wu Ya through their spiritual sense. After that, he turned around and with his face steeled with determination, he opened his mouth to say something. Yet, at this time, a loud voice rang out in the air. "Fine! This old man accepts your condition!"
Chapter 897: First Battle, Battle of the Venerables!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Just at this time, a hu sound rang out, and three figures appeared in the middle of the field, without a single sound. Before this, nobody even noticed their arrival at all.
These were exactly the three Guardians of the Heaven Saint Palace: the All Seeing Rakshesha Qiao Ying, the Heart Seal Sky Sword Cheng Yin Xiao, and the Willful Wild Saber Qu Wu Hui!
Qiao Ying's hair was wild and messy, and her face was pale. Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui's robes were both torn, and faint traces of blood could be seen on the corners of their mouths. Their faces were slightly yellow, and it was clear to see that they'd suffered some internal injuries that weren't light.
The smile on Jun Mo Xie's face froze as he cursed the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master in his heart. That bastard is really useless! To actually let all three of these idiots return like that, not even managing to leave one of them behind? Even if you just delay them, that would have been fine. But great, the three of them are here together now, and this Young Master has been caught by surprise! Even if their battle prowess is not completely there, they are still a major threat ah!
"You've agreed? You mean to say that the three of you Guardians are also participating in this battle?" Jun Mo Xie said with an ugly look on his face.
"No, they're not participating. They don't have the leisure to join your fight. All they're doing here is to act as witnesses! Just like them, this Young Master is also here to witness the fight." An eerie voice rang out, seemingly far and seemingly near…
Another figure flashed, and a black shadow floated to the ground. The figure was clearly standing there, but he didn't seem to have any presence at all, as if he didn't actually exist.
To make such a strange appearance, this was none other than the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!"
This audience lineup is a little too ridiculous! Jun Mo Xie gulped in his heart. He felt a little like a famous football player in the final game of an international tournament, while the entire world waited to watch his performance. To think that this decisive battle would actually be spectated personally by the Heaven Saint Palace's three Guardians and the number one expert of the world, Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!
No matter who the victor of this battle was, it was bound to shock the entire world! If Jun Mo Xie won, he would have shattered the current world order! In addition to the three Holy Lands, another figure would be added to the grand characters of this world… the Evil Monarch!
The Evil Monarch Manor!
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's body was unstained, and his black robes were neat and clean. There wasn't even a single crease or wrinkle to be found. On the other side, the three Guardians looked much more wretched comparatively. There was already no need to inquire about the results of their battle. The winner and loser were obvious.
Jun Mo Xie's heart calmed down, and he smiled. "In that case, I can feel more at ease."
"Brat, you seem quite relaxed ah, if this Young Master hadn't arrived, your over 300 strong force would have been completely eaten up by those three Guardians. Don't think that just because they look rather wretched right now that they don't have the ability. It would still be a piece of cake for them to destroy your entire force. How are you going to thank this Young Master?" The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master said with a light smile.
"I must naturally thank you. As for the method of thanks… how about a gift of the full song [Laughing Proudly in the Pugilistic World]?" Jun Mo Xie said with a light smile.
"Oh? It's you? It's really you!" The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes widened with happiness and excitement as he looked at Jun Mo Xie.
"Who else if not me." Jun Mo Xie smiled lightly and said. Even if you didn't come here, my guys wouldn't necessarily be slaughtered by the three Holy Lands. At the most, this daddy can just take out the Hongjun Pagoda, and magic everyone away before disappearing myself… Even the Nine Nether First Young Master wouldn't be able to find me! If I didn't have at least this amount of ability up my sleeves, would this daddy come out here and risk my neck?
Did you think that this daddy is stupid?
However, since you've come to offer your services for free, I shall use a single song to placate you a bit. This daddy has plenty of modern and cool songs in my head, enough to let you listen to for hundreds of times!
From the moment that Cheng Yin Xiao arrived, he and Qu Wu Hui had been staring at the over 300 soldiers behind Jun Mo Xie with wide eyes. The more they looked, the more shocked they became!
The cultivation of the two of them had already exceeded the peak of this mundane world; their eyesights and their experiences were exceptional. With just a single look, they could already see the value of the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer troops!
Although the battle strengths of the 300 something people in front of them were high, they were not enough to be placed in the sights of these two Guardians. However, there was quite possibly a mystical technique which could raise a person's strength and potential behind the existences of these people! And that was something that nobody could resist!
The two of them exchanged a glance, and their eyes lit up with excitement. If a magical technique could raise a person's strength quickly really existed in this world, it would be a great fortune for the entire human race! One could even form a mighty army, crossing over the Pillar of Heavens Mountains and wipe out the strange races for good!
"Jun Mo Xie, we've already agreed to all your conditions just now. But since it's a bet, the stakes must be fair. You've only mentioned the conditions of our loss, but what happens if you lose…?" Cheng Yin Xiao laughed and said. "It can't be that only you can raise conditions, and we're not allowed to have any requests, right?"
"There's naturally fairness in a bet! If you have any conditions, you can also say it! This Young Master here will wash my ears and listen carefully." Jun Mo Xie smiled faintly and said. From the looks in the eyes of this Sky Sword Wild Saber duo, how could he not know what conditions they wanted to put forth? Was there even a need to think about it?
As expected, Qu Wu Hui immediately replied. "We only have one condition. If our side wins, you and your subordinates will join the Heaven Saint Palace and become part of our strength. What do you say?"
Cheng Yin Xiao chuckled lightly and added. "There's no need to worry about the problem of safety. As long as you become subordinates of the Heaven Saint Palace, no one in the three Holy Lands will dare to do anything to you. Because if they offend you, it means that they're going against the Heaven Saint Palace. Even Mo Wu Dao wouldn't dare to do that! That way, it's also the equivalent of removing the greatest troubling matter in front of you. There will no longer be any more troubles!"
"Fine! I promise!" Jun Mo Xie also answered without any hesitation. In any case, he wasn't going to lose. So what was the harm in making a promise like that?
The swift and direct way in which Jun Mo Xie agreed was so unexpected that even Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui were taken aback. They almost didn't dare to believe their own ears. He… agreed just like that?
Could it be that he was actually so confident?
Even the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master could not help but look at Jun Mo Xie with shock.
With his experience, he could naturally tell that in terms of individual strengths, the experts of the three Holy Lands had a clear advantage. Whether it be the stability of their cultivation, or the strength of their mental states, all of them were well seasoned warriors who'd gone through hundreds of battles.
In contrast, on Jun Mo Xie's side, although their batle intent was also extremely potent, and each of the soldiers had a fearlessness towards death that was extremely shocking, and their startling discipline and intense killing intent was far above the people on the Holy Land's side, but their cultivations were not stable nor pure. There was also a feeling as if they hadn't fully gotten used to their realms after advancing too forcefully…
A lineup like that was likely bound to meet with repeated defeats. Why had Jun Mo Xie agreed so unhesitatingly?
"Good! Young Master Jun is indeed straightforward." Cheng Yin Xiao praised. "Regardless of the result of this battle, this Cheng expresses his sincere admiration towards Young Master Jun's forthrightness! This battle today, whether life, death, victory, or defeat, will be determined by the will of the heavens! With us three Guardians and the publicly acknowledged number one expert under the heavens Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master as witness, both sides cannot go back on their words. Otherwise, that person will be pursued relentlessly and killed by the four of us together!"
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes twitched for a moment, a little unhappy. He'd already admitted that he was no longer the number one expert in the world anymore… Yet, this Cheng Yin Xiao keep saying it, clearly trying to trigger him… Moreover, without having first gaining his approval, he'd declared the the four of them would join hands to pursue and kill… that was taking liberties with his name!
Hmph hmph, since you're not learning from the lessons I gave you, this Young Master will only have to truly give you a harsh lesson that you will remember… After some thought, the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's body flashed, and he walked over to the side of the field. With a swipe of his hand, a large stone rose out of the ground. Planting his butt directly atop it, he sat down and crossed his head, in a matter of one anticipating a great show….
"A decisive battle of life and death. There is only victory and defeat! The winner lives, while the loser dies. No one can say a word of complaint!" Cheng Yin Xiao's face turned cold as he declared: "First battle! The three Holy Lands sends out 3 fourth level Venerables!"
After saying that, Cheng Yin Xiao and the others backed off, leaving a wide space on the battlefield.
"3 fourth level Venerables…" Jun Mo Xie smiled lightly as he turned around. "Old Eagle, please arrange a few people for this battle!"
Solitary Eagle laughed aloud, and his eyes turned sharp and fierce as he shouted. "Who on our side will face the Venerables of the Holy Lands?"
A single organized step rang out, as all the fourth level Venerables stepped out from within the 300 soldiers! The ground echoed with their steps, and a heavy atmosphere descended on the area!
Solitary Eagle locked his eyes on the three frontmost people and nodded. "The three of you then. Go!"
The three who were pointed out instantly chorused their acknowledgement and stepped out.
"No matter who goes out to battle, this old man only has a single request: you're only allowed to win! To win is to live. To lose it to die! If you're defeated, there's no need to come back anymore. Just pay for your sins on the battlefield and commit suicide!"
The three soldiers all had icy expressions on their faces as they chorused. "If we lose, we have no more face to come back to see Young Master! Only death will be accepted!"
The three walked out at the same time as their killing intent surged out like sharp swords! It was just the three people stepping out to battle, but their momentum was like a troop of a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses!
A bloody aura of killing intent merged together and filled the battlefield!
"These 300 people are extraordinary!" Cheng Yin Xiao locked his eyes on a soldier of the Heaven Destroyer Team and sighed.
"Indeed! Where in this world… did so many geniuses come from?" Qu Wu Hui's face was grim as he nodded. "Apart from the two at the most front, none of the others are even over 40 years in age! Brother Cheng, this… If I wasn't seeing this with my own eyes, I would scarcely be able to believe it!"
Cheng Yin Xiao half closed his eyes and looked solemnly at the battlefield. "What's there to not believe? That Jun Mo Xie is not even 20, but he's already reached the level of Saint Emperor. That is much scarier and much more unbelievable! I believe there must be some kind of secret technique in his or his master's hands, which can raise a person's strength very quickly in a short time! Furthermore, there are no side effects… This discovery is not a small matter."
Chapter 898: Heaven, Earth, Man: Three Extremes Killing Formation!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The three Venerables that the three Holy Lands sent out this time all came from the Elusive World of Immortals. The three of them looked at each other and smiled suavely as they stepped out with their robes fluttering lightly in the wind. Although they were about to fight a deathly match, their bearings were casual and easy. Their steps were confident, and although they were facing the fierce auras of the opponent, they did not seem to be worried at all.
One side was dressed in white, with casual attitudes and gleaming swords by their side, while the other side was donned entirely in black, with fierce murderous auras. The contrast was exceedingly stark.
The two were like naturally extremes of each other, and this time, they were standing on opposite sides, preparing to begin a battle of life and death!
"From your point of views, which side do you think has a higher chance in this first battle?" Qiao Ying furrowed her brows lightly and asked. "This is a battle of life and death. Losing means death… it isn't easy for our Holy Lands to nurture experts. Each expert needs several hundred years of bitter training before they can reach their current levels. These people here are all the main forces of the War for Seizing the Heavens. But a single miscalculation by Mo Wu Dao had resulted in such a pointless battle… what a heartbreaking scene."
"Even though our statuses are high, the decisions of the Holy Lands are not something that we have a right to question. The choices made by all the Palace Lords in the past are actually rather similar as well. I can only say that this Mo Wu Dao's luck this time was simply too rotten, to come across a little monster like this that hadn't appeared in even a hundred generations." Qu Wu Hui said with a light sigh. "However, I still feel quite confident that this match will go in our favor."
Cheng Yin Xiao nodded with approval. "The three from their side has huge amounts of killing intent, and their auras and determination is fierce and firm. Against normal enemies, just their fearsome auras will be enough to frighten their enemies and allow them to win with ease. However, this is also because they were unable to control their auras with ease, resulting in their auras overflowing like this. In a battle against high level experts, this kind of killing intent would easily reveal their every move and location…"
Smiling casually, he continued. "One must know that in a battle, there will be many fast changing situations; the movements of experts of such levels are too fast to follow with the naked eye. One can only react using their senses. Although the auras of the opponent seems fearsome, it also reveals their fatal weak points. In contrast, the experts on our side are relaxed and calm right from the start, showing no such weakness. Even before the fight began, they've already won half the battle! There's no longer any need to worry about the results."
At this time, the three experts from the Holy Lands were standing face to face, their auras rising faintly.
"Looks like our guys have already seen through the opponents' weakness. My guess is that the moment the battle begins, they will move to thoroughly disrupt the opponents' pace right from the beginning. That would be the correct way to handle them." Qu Wu Hui nodded with satisfaction. "In this battle, although our side would also suffer some injuries, the damage would not be too serious. As for the three on the other side, I can already announce their death right now!"
Cheng Yin Xiao nodded his agreement. Their expressions were relaxed and casual. Although it was only the first battle, obtaining a great result this early would undoubtedly greatly increase everyone's morale!
Just at this time, the three warriors from the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer side suddenly changed their original formation. The person in the center took two steps forward, the person on the left took two steps backwards, and the person on the right took on step sideway.
With just a few simple steps, the three had already formed into an odd triangular formation!
But this battle formation was not just a simple triangular formation. There was a sense of hidden distance within it. The person at the front raised his head and puffed out his chest. His stalwart body bulged menacingly, as if he could support the heavens and earth! The person behind him was crouching down like a prowling leopard. As for the person on the right, his steps were strange, and the side of his body faced the outside. The killing intent around his body had faded by a huge extent.
This was an exceedingly strange battle formation!
In this world, such a battle formation had never appeared before!
"That formation is truly odd…" Cheng Yin Xiao furrowed his brows and said. However, his expression soon eased. "However, it shouldn't affect the actual battle too much."
Qiao Ying and Qu Wu Hui both also nodded lightly in agreement.
In a battle against high level experts, battle formations were basically worthless. The main focus should be the cultivation and martial techniques of the individual. No matter how ingenious the formation was, in a fight between high level experts where the battle situation was rapidly changing constantly, relying on a formation would only incur the ridicule of the opponent.
Jun Mo Xie and Mei Xue Yan both had a light smile on their faces as they looked disdainfully at the three Guardians trying to analyze the battle formation. "Those three idiots!" Mei Xue Yan smiled brightly, her eyes squinting adorably like summer flowers blooming…
There was nothing absolute in the world. The fact that there hadn't been any formations that could affect a high level battle in the past didn't mean that there wouldn't be any now, or in the future!
What those Guardians didn't know was that this weird triangular battle formation was actually a formidable formation that Jun Mo Xie had retrieved from the Hongjun Pagoda: the Heaven, Earth, Man; Three Extremes Killing Formation!
The moment the formation was unleashed, the strengths of the three people within the formation would overlap perfectly. There would be no distinction between them anymore; the strength of each of them would be the equivalent of the combined strength of the three of them together! In other words, if the three of them attacked together, the combined strength would be nine times greater than normal!
How could this be just a normal battle array?
"Please!"
"Please!"
Two voices rang out as the two sides suddenly clashed together!
The moment the battle began, it immediately exploded with great intensity! In a battle of life and death, every move was a killing technique. There were no space for mercy!
White shadows flashed across the sky as the three Venerables from the Holy Lands attacked at the same time. In an instant, each person had already unleashed at least a dozen skills. After that, they charged in personally, beginning a fierce, close-ranged fight!
As for the other side, the three blacked robed experts did not charge forward to meet them. Instead, they first unleashed a dazzling series of position swapping maneuver, spinning like a windmill. Surprisingly, the places where their feet landed had not changed from the start, and only the people in each position were swapped.
Loud booms rang out continuously, and the battlefield was enveloped in a cloud of sand and dust!
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes lit up as he mumbled to himself. "This formation… is truly strange… but it's really interesting…"
The positions of the three muscular hulks changed continuously, but no matter how it changed, the three's feet never landed outside of their original spots. All the attacks from the three Holy Lands' Venerables were blocked by the foremost man, while the other two took the chance to madly attack the other sides!
The three black men were switching between each other constantly, but there seemed to be a tangible and imperceptible giant net under each of them. This invisible net combined the strengths of the three individuals perfectly and evenly distributed them back to each person. Slowly, the strengths of each person began to grow more and more powerful…
Only a mere instant had passed since the battle began when the initiative turned from the Holy Land's side to the defending black robed side. Following that, as more time passed, the Venerables from the Holy Land's side were even falling into a disadvantage!
The battle was becoming more and more intense!
"Not good!" Cheng Yin Xiao's pupils shrunk and he exclaimed with surprise. "What happened? How did this battle end up like this? Could it be that the strange formation of those three people is really so magical?"
"Strange things would happen every year, but there are especially many strange things this year. A battle that was supposed to be a guaranteed win actually ended up in such a state? As expected of the strongest power of the Xuan Xuan Continent ah… there's truly nothing that capable people cannot do!"
A mocking voice drifted over from the side. Cheng Yin Xiao turned his head and looked at the direction of the voice. Truthfully, he didn't even need to turn around. Apart from the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master, there weren't any other person who could talk that way and use such a tone while saying such mocking words.
As expected, when his eyes swiveled around, the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master was indeed standing several zhang beside him watching the entertaining fight, having arrived soundlessly and without warning.
To experts above the Saint Emperor realm, such a distance was basically non-existent. If Cheng Yin Xiao and the others really wanted to attack in that moment, even the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master would have to take quite a beating. However, that fellow was clearly courageous to approach so closely. This kind of confidence could no longer be described with courage deriving from having great skill!
Jun Mo Xie looked over and scoffed in his heart. Che, what courage deriving from having great skill? That is simple the result of arrogance that reached an extreme level! He did not even put the three experts in his eyes at all, and he probably even hopes that they will attack. This Young Master currently still doesn't have that kind of power. If I had such strength, this Young Master would behave even more exaggerated… yes, more courageous deriving from having great skill!
Cheng Yin Xiao completely ignored the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's mocking words. His gaze returned to the battle, and he mumbled with furrowed brows. "Whether in personal strength, battle ability of the entire group, or the perfect coordination with each other, our side is clearly far superior than the opponent. Even if the few of us went down personally, disregarding our cultivation and personal strength, our coordination is not necessarily stronger than their's! However… such intricate coordinated attacks are actually being suppressed so thoroughly? This matter is completely incomprehensible! It doesn't make sense no matter how we look at it!"
"The Heaven Saint Palace is truly becoming more and more backward with time. How pitiful… To think that Guardians who are so much more superior to Saint Emperors would actually be so lacking in judgement. Looks like the day the Heaven Saint Palace completely falls and disappears is near at hand!" The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master chuckled softly and said in a scalding tone.
"This old man can only see that the positions that those three are stepping on are somewhat strange. As for the rest, I really can't tell what is special about it. Brother Fourteenth has amazing judgement, so why don't you enlighten us about it?" Qu Wu Hui did not get angry, and instead asked humbly.
Modesty and open mindedness were traits of accomplished men.
"The fates of those three from the Holy Lands are already decided. They're surely doomed!"
A dark light flashed in the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes as he continued. "This Young Master said that you guys lack judgement, and I wasn't kidding. You all only saw that the formation was strange, but you couldn't tell where the oddity laid…
"As long as you observe carefully, you'll see that whenever those three black robed men attack, their movements can be said to have unpredictable changes. That is the main reason why it's difficult to see through. Although the battle formation they're using is indeed strange and unpredictable, their actual strengths are far from our level. Even if their movements are exceedingly strange, it cannot escape from our eyes. As long as there is enough time, traces of clues can be found. And that is also how this Young Master saw through the intricacies of this battle formation…"
"What intricacies?"
Chapter 899: Ultimate Killing Trap!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"… No matter how ferociously the Holy Land's side attacks, the burden of defense has only rested on just one person every time. This one person, or rather, this one position, has completely endured all the attacks perfectly—the head of the triangular formation! In normal cases, a triangular formation is used to attack, and the head of the formation is often used as a point to pierce through the enemy's defense. But here, it's actually a point of defense!"
The three looked over with rapt attention. All of them were experts of martial arts. The moment the crucial area was explained by the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master, they instantly managed to understand the changes of this formation.
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master continued in a low voice. "That formation is truly amazing. Each time, only a single person needs to endure the attacks. Although the person blocking will have to expend a lot of energy in that one instance, but by the time the next attack arrives, they would have already changed to another person to block. The person in front will have a chance to catch a breather after the rotation, and in that way, each person will have two moments to catch their breaths, enough for them to recover their energy. Although it cannot be said to be completely without expenditure, the amount of energy one would lose while maintaining this formation is so little that it's basically negligible!
"Indeed, so that's how it is!" Cheng Yin Xiao's face changed as he realized with shock. "The three of them aren't using up much strength, but the guys from our Holy Lands are losing more and more energy at a constant rate…"
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master smiled lightly and continued. "Not only that! While the formation absorbs the oncoming attacks, the other two can also attack at the same time! Furthermore, their targets are the same person. Which means to say, that each time they attack, it's always two against one!
"Against such a strange formation, the side of the Holy Lands is simply unable to fight to their full ability. In every round of attack, at least one of them will fall into a situation where they can't attack or contribute anything. Only one out of the three can truly launch a proper attack! On the other hand, when the other side counterattacks, all three of them can attack at the same time, joining hands against a single target! Even if their overall strength is inferior to the Holy Land's side, they have the power of the initiative, which has also turned into an advantage. When the advantage continues to add up, it will turn into a condition for victory! Once that happens, the situation will become unresolvable, and there's only the choice of stretching their necks out and waiting for death!"
As he said that, Cheng Yin Xiao, Qu Wu Hui, and Qiao Ying's faces instantly changed!
"Don't be shocked yet, the truly scary details are still in the back. From the looks of it, this formation still has some other intricacies that allow them to stack their strengths together, achieving a qualitative improvement in power which I currently still can't see through…" The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes gleamed sharply as he analyzed the situation.
"From what Brother Fourteenth said, the results of this battle has already been determined? Is there truly no way to make a comeback?" Qiao Ying said anxiously.
"Indeed! There's already no hope in obtaining victory anymore. Based on the situation, there's only one move left to end the fight in a draw!" The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's eyes shone coldly as he laughed in a strange manner.
"What move?" Qu Wu Hui thought for a long time, but still couldn't see a way of reversing the situation.
"Self-detonate immediately and drag the opponents to the grave along with you! That's the only way to end this fight in a draw! Although the other side has a huge advantage now, it's still not easy for them to endure the self detonation of three powerful Venerables. It's still possible to perish together with the enemy!"
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's tone carried a hint of cruelty as he scoffed. "It's only a pity that the three Venerables from the Holy Land's side are only in a disadvantageous position at the moment, and they're far from being forced into a crisis. Thus, I trust that they will not be willing to part with their lives so easily and will continue to hold on, hoping for a miracle. But by the time they realize that there is no hope of winning, the opponent's momentum will have become far too fierce. Even if they wanted to self-detonate and die with the enemy, they would no longer have the chance!"
Qu Wu Hui and the others all turned silent in that moment. All of them were peerless experts of their generation so how could they not understand? As long as there was a shred of hope left, who would be willing to throw away their life without trying to find a way out? Humans were all like that; there was nothing to say about it.
"Apart from that, they've also made a huge mistake." The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master laughed coldly and said. "From the beginning of the battle, the three black robed men hadn't used any weapons, seemingly wanting to settle the fight with their bare fists. But the idiots from your three Holy Lands actually also did not use any weapons… If they'd used their weapons right from the start, although it might not have been sufficient to change the results of the battle, the situation now might be different…"
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master laughed aloud. "This Young Master truly has no words for you bunch. Before the battle, all of you kept saying that it's a battle to the death, not resting until one side is dead, and only one side can live. Naturally, everyone should be using the most extreme methods from the get go! Not mentioning weapons; even hidden weapons or poisons are permissible. Look at those three fools. Are the swords hanging on their waists just decorative items? How absolutely retarded!"
The moment the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master's words came out of his mouth, a loud boom rang out, and the battle below instantly changed! Numerous dazzling swordlight burst into the sky, and a sharp keen shrill surged out in all directions as a loud voice shocked the land. "Kill!"
As the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master had anticipated, one side finally took out their weapons. But unexpectedly, it was the three black robed men! The sudden appearance of the swords instantly cut through the final defensive barrier of the three Venerables as though a hot knife through rotten beancurd!
From the moment those three drew their swords, they instantly used the ultimate technique of Man and Sword as One, charging forward with reckless abandon. Even when they were occupying the position of absolute advantage, the technique they used was actually still a mutually harming technique like this!
This kind of "sacrificing 800 of my men to kill 3,000 of the enemy's forces" extreme life pitting methods was only just below self detonation!
The shocking auras instantly blasted through the entire battlefield, leaving all the spectators in shock!
After being stunned for a moment, everyone from the three Holy Lands instantly cursed aloud with rage!
"Despicable!"
"Shameless!"
"How immoral!"
Many of the experts of the three Holy Lands were shaking with rage as they cursed, their eyes all red with anger!
Qiao Ying and the other two Guardians were completely silent. At this time, the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master roared with laughter. "These guys insisted on keeping their useless morals and gentlemanly demeanor in a death match… but when the opponent uses the correct battle tactic to gain victory, they call it shameless! The three great Holy Lands ah… as expected of a righteous sect! What amazing style… It's impossible to not admire them ah!"
On the other side, Jun Mo Xie was not angered by the furious cursings of his enemies. Instead, he was laughing so hard that his entire body shook uncontrollably. "This bunch of braindead Holy Land dumbasses are truly interesting! When they're winning, they were so loud and exuberant. They moment they are in a disadvantage, they scold and curse so passionately… Xue Yan, ah, how did you end up losing so badly to these retards in the past? I'm truly quite curious…"
Mei Xue Yan's face reddened as she rolled her eyes at him. "The people of the Holy Lands might be a bit despicable, but no matter how shameless they are… it's not even 0.001 percent of yours! Look at the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer teams. They were such a bunch of forthright and iron blooded men originally. But what kind of people have they become in your hands? Each one of them is sly and cunning, behaving like common hooligans…
"You are wrong, this is a battle of life and death after all! One naturally needs to seek victory regardless of the method! They want to pretend to be gentlemen, but we can't accompany them in their stupidity… Are their lives more important than being gracious? This Young Master is completely speechless at this display of idiocy. I certainly wasn't the one who taught the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer teams those things. If you don't believe me, you can ask those men yourself. In the battlefield, is seeking their own survival more important, or are those so-called morals, reputation and graciousness more important? Anyone who'd stepped into a true battlefield would understand these things. Do they still need me to teach them?" Jun Mo Xie said with some unhappiness.
In this moment, the situation in the battlefield had already changed greatly. The three Venerables of the Holy Lands had completely fallen to an absolute disadvantage!
Under the crazed hack and slash style attacks of the enemy, all their coordination, battle formations, and such were completely gone. They could only block in panic, hiding and running. They didn't even have the time to draw their own weapons!
It was as the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master had said; it was too late!
Victory and defeat had already been determined long ago!
Three roars rang out as the three black robed figures leaped up with their shiny swords gleaming sharply in their hands. On the ground, three white robed figures wobbled unsteadily, as though they were drunk. Their bodies were riddled with scars, and blood flowed constantly from their wounds…
With another flash of swordlight, the three descended yet again. In that space, the three Venerables from the Holy Lands finally managed to pull out their swords. In an instant, three bright sounds rang out as their long swords were unsheathed. Holding their weapons in their hands, they managed to stabilize their bodies!
Behind them, the experts of the three Holy Lands all heaved a loud sigh of relief at the same time! At long last, they could see a ray of hope. Now that the three had drawn their swords, they should at least be much better than fighting with their bare fists!
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master furrowed his brows lightly and looked at Jun Mo Xie suspiciously. He couldn't understand at all. In a situation where they held the absolute advantage, why would he make such an unnecessary move? To actually allow his opponents to draw their swords? Wasn't this just creating trouble for themselves?
On the other side, a look of pity flashed across Mei Xue Yan's face as she sighed lightly.
Jun Mo Xie chuckled evilly as he proclaimed in a low voice. "The good show is finally about to begin! Haha…" Behind him, the 300 something hulking black robed men all looked up with strangely passionate gazes.
Though it took a long time to describe, everything had happened in a short time.
The three black robed man dropped from the sky, the swords in their hands shining with shocking power, thoroughly sealing all paths of retreat for the Holy Land's Venerables!
The three on the ground instantly lifted their swords at the same time to block as they channeled all their energy into their swords! Their hearts blazed with rage as they thought to themselves: As long as I block this sword, that will be the death day of those three black robed bastards!
Because although the momentum and power of the three black robed men were shocking as they attacked from above, their movements were full of openings in that moment. If they didn't manage to kill their opponent with that strike, they would be in a deathly situation!
Could they really be that confident? The three Guardians looked at the final strike of the battle with rapt attention as doubt arose in their hearts.
Screech…
The light sounds of weapons clashing together rang out, and Qu Wu Hui instantly stomped his feet with anger. "Sh*t! They're using divine weapons! All three of them are using divine weapons! How f*cking despicable!"
The blades in the three black robed man's hands were undoubtedly all legitimate divine weapons!