Novel The Godless One

Chapter 172: Finding information.



When Huang Ying made contact with the ground, the sounds of battle immediately stopped, everyone turning a vigilant eye towards him. When they noticed who it was that had arrived, the two people that Huang Ying had locked onto tensed up slightly, but they also revealed excited expressions.”



“Senior Void Sun, please help us! We will reward you handsomely!”



The tall woman with short black hair let out a loud shout directed at Huang Ying. Huang Ying was slightly confused at first, but then quickly remembered that he had been granted the title of Void Sun when he firsts got a spot on the Rising Dragon list. He only glanced at the woman for a short woman, before his eyes landed on the two people he had locked onto.



“I am only interested in those two, as long as the rest of you hand over all your points, I can't be bothered to crush you.”



Huang Ying's words instantly caused the other people present to grimace. His words implied that they were not even worth noticing, that crushing them would only take a short moment, time he could not be bothered to waste. No one liked being insulted like that, even if it was unintentional.



“Are you willing to be treated like that, brothers, like you are not even worth his time? Form the array and let us crush him, show him that we are not people he can just disregard!”



One of the two people that Huang Ying had locked onto spoke out in a loud voice, rousing the other people. He had been wondering how he could enlist the aid of the others in taking down Huang Ying and get the reward, but then Huang Ying had handed him the chance on a platter. No one liked to be treated like they were not worth noticing, so the others in the group quickly let out sounds of agreement.



Huang Ying simply looked at them with a disinterested, almost mocking expression. The three people who had been besieged started slowly sneaking away, but when they noticed Huang Ying glancing at them, they no longer dared move further away. All they could do was grit their teeth and wait, hoping that he would stay true to his words and not crush them if they did not engage in battle.



The remaining 19 people quickly got into a simple formation that would let them share their Qi with each other and empower the attacks of each other. The two people who Huang Ying was targeting were the center of the formation, as their cultivation was the highest there, almost reaching the late stage of the Yin-Yang Formation realm.



“Are you sure you want to do this? As long as you surrender your points now, I can still let you go. But the moment you launch an attack, your fate will be the same as the fate of those two.”



Huang Ying looked at the 17 other people that formed the array, warning them one last time. He simply did not consider any of these 17 people worth his time, even if he killed and devoured them, he would barely gain anything. But his words had the opposite effect, firing them up even more and causing them to put more Qi into the array.



All the Qi of the 19 people gathered together at the center of the array, flowing into the two people who served as the core of the array. The two people drew their weapons, an axe and a saber, and slashed out at Huang Ying. The collected Qi turned into two large slashes that flew towards Huang Ying, gouging out the earth as they approached Huang Ying.



The slash sent out by the youth with the axe was deep purple, showing that his element was poison. The attack of the saber user was light green in color, showing that his element was wind. The attack of the saber user was slightly faster than the one of the axe user, so it was the first to reach Huang Ying.



Yet despite the attack arriving directly in front of him. Huang Ying's eyes were still completely disinterested. He raised his leg, the sound of thunder resounding through the valley as Huang Ying's figure vanished. The saber attack hit empty air, with the axe attack following shortly after. The spot where Huang Ying had previously stood was completely destroyed, the ground turning into a deep crater.



But by the time the attacks hit the spot where Huang Ying had stood, Huang Ying had already arrived in front of the people that formed the array. Wind was one of the faster elements, but there was no way for it to be faster than lightning, the fourth fastest element.



“Since you all are so intent on sharing the same fate as them, then so be it. Vanish from this earth.”



Huang Ying raised his right arm, placing his hand on one of the people in the array, a short female youth. His face was completely disinterested and calm as he channeled his destruction and devouring Qi into the body of the female. Once the Qi entered her body, he pulled back his hand and took a step back. The Qi rapidly spread through her body, her limbs disintegrating and vanishing at an astonishing pace.



But before the other people in the array could react with shock, they were terrified to realize that the Qi that Huang Ying had planted in the girl was spreading to them, using the array they had set up to spread to all of them.



“What the fuck is that?!”



One of the people in the array could not help but call out in a terrified voice. He tried his best to force the Qi out of his body, but the more he tried to force it out, the stronger and more ravenous it grew, his entire body slowly disintegrating.



“Destruction is a plague. It will breed nothing but more destruction, which it will then use to fuel and spread itself, until it has devoured and destroyed all creation.”



Huang Ying looked at the disintegrating people as he spoke. Over the last five months of training, this was what he had realized. Devouring and destruction were very similar like that, the more they destroyed or devoured, the more powerful they would become. Huang Ying was confident that if he became strong enough, he could release his destruction Qi and have it swallow up the entire universe if he gave it enough time.



The three people who chose not to take part in the battle stood at the side, looking at the disintegrating group of people with utter horror. Was this the power of someone ranked 99 on the Rising Dragon List? If he was already this strong, how strong were the ones higher ranked than him? Of course, they failed to realize that it had already been quite some time since Huang Ying last battled someone on the Rising Dragon List, so his true ranking was already unknown.



“Jing clan? I don't believe I have any grudges with them, though? And as expected, nothing about the others.”



Once all 19 people had disintegrated, Huang Ying rummaged through their memories in search of anything useful. From the memories of the two people he had locked onto at first, he learned that the reason they were after him was because they had been promised a handsome reward from an elder in the Jing clan.



But after searching his own memories, Huang Ying could not find a reason as to why the Jing clan elder would want him dead. He also did not manage to find any information about where Fang Shan and the others had ended up, so he was slightly disappointed.



“Now it is your turn.”



Huang Ying turned his head towards the three people that had been besieged. He did not care to find out why they had been besieged, and he could not be bothered to kill them. All he wanted was for them to hand over their points quickly so that he could be on his way.



“Wait! I know where the ones you are looking for are!”



Just as Huang Ying was about to walk towards them, the tall female took a step backwards, raising her arms and hurriedly speaking out in a loud voice. Huang Ying stopped his steps, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the woman.



“You should be looking for Senior Dread Lightning and Senior Storm's Fury, right?”



The woman hurriedly started talking, seemingly afraid that Huang Ying would attack them if she was even the slightest bit slower. Huang Ying's eyebrows perked up slightly when he heard her mention Xin Yang and Fang Shan's titles.

 

Chapter 173: Zhao Rong.


“Go on.”



Huang Ying motioned with his hand, telling the woman to continue talking. If the woman actually had information about where he could find Fang Shan and Xin Yang, he could save plenty of time.



“I am Zhao Rong, I come from the Zhao clan. I cultivate a special technique that lets me create avatars that I can control like puppets, even letting me see through their eyes. I sent out several of them right before we entered this place, causing them all to be sent to different locations. One of them spotted Senior Dread Lightning in the south, past a ruined city, while another one spotted Senior Storm's Fury to the north, in the distant desert. I spotted them shortly after entering, so I don't know their current locations, but I can have my avatars look for them.”



The woman, Zhao Rong, quickly introduced herself and started talking about where she had seen Fang Shan and Xin Yang. While talking, she also took out a square jade plate from her interspatial ring and injected her Qi into it. Once she filled it with her Qi, several images flickered into existence above the jade plate. Each image showed what one of her avatars, clone puppets, could see, showing Huang Ying that she was speaking the truth.



“One to the south and one to the north huh? And no news on the two others. Wouldn't it be better to have them come to me then?”



Huang Ying fondled his chin as he looked at the images, muttering slightly to himself as his mind started moving. The competition would not last for too long, he guessed that it would likely end in only two or three days. After all, there were only around three months left for the actual opening of the Immortal's Garden, they had to give the ones who were going to enter it a bit of time to prepare. Because of that, he wanted to make sure that he could group up with Fang Shan and the others as soon as possible, to prevent any accidents from happening.



“You, come with me. Use your avatars to look for Fang Shan and Xin Yang, at the same time, look for these two. The moment you hear or spot them, let me know.”



Huang Ying looked at Zhao Rong, using his Qi to create images of Zhao Feng and Shi Na. Since she had mentioned her own abilities it was clear that she was willing to aid him. Of course, since she was going to aid him, he would have to keep her safe and not rob her, such were the rules of their unspoken contract.



“Yes, Senior Void Sun!”



Zhao Rong and the two other people quickly nodded their heads and voiced their agreement. By staying with Huang Ying like this, they could at least avoid losing all their points, meaning that they had a better chance at being amongst the group of people that would enter the Immortal's Garden. As for why they only called him by his title, it was a sign of respect for the strong.



Huang Ying nodded his head at the three of them and then started walking, with the three of them quickly following him. Of course, Huang Ying constantly kept his perception stretched out, keeping an eye on the surroundings as well as the three people following him. If they so much as tried to attack him, he would immediately kill them.



“Where are we headed, Senior Void Sun?”



After they walked for a little bit, climbing out of the valley and heading deeper into the mountainous area, Zhao Rong could not help but ask Huang Ying. From the way Huang Ying walked, she could tell that he had a goal in mind, but she was not quite sure exactly what that goal was.



“To the fortress located a bit away from here. Taking over the fortress will let Fang Shan and the others know where I am, making it easier for all of us to meet up.”



Huang Ying pointed towards the distance, from their current location one could just barely see the top of the fortress that was standing in the distance. Since it would take too much time to head to where Fang Shan and the others were, he figured that it would just be easier to let them know where he was and have them come to him. This would also alert those who wanted to kill him to his location, but he had enough confidence in his own strength to at least escape if things got too bad.



“You plan to capture the fortress? With just us?”



Zhao Rong and the two others stopped in their tracks, Zhao Rong's voice trembling slightly as she looked at Huang Ying and asked for confirmation. Capturing a fortress, with just the four of them? Did he not know how difficult it was to capture a fortress?



“No, with just me.”



Huang Ying turned his head slightly as he responded. The way he saw it, Zhao Rong and the two others were too weak to be of use in capturing the fortress, it was more likely that they might die while trying. Huang Ying wanted to keep Zhao Rong alive to keep an eye out for Fang Shan and the others, so he would not allow her to die here.



“Senior Void Sun, taking over the fortress requires you to fight your way through all the puppets and golems that guard it, reaching the throne room and then capturing the throne. People usually form large groups when they want to capture a fortress.”



Zhao Rong spoke in a slightly hushed tone, thinking that Huang Ying really didn't know what it meant to capture a fortress in this competition. If it was so easy to capture a fortress alone, would they really make the fortresses give out so many points?



“Just watch.”



Huang Ying merely gave her another glance before turning back towards the fortress, his voice calm and confident. Others might need to form groups to capture the fortresses, but that did not mean everyone needed to. Would people like Dai Hui need to form groups? No, they would capture the fortresses alone.



Huang Ying continued to lead the group until they arrived at a location not far from the fortress, halfway up a mountain. The fortress ahead of them was in the shape of a building made completely out of metal, the light of the sun reflecting of the walls. A large wall surrounded the inside of the fortress, four cylindrical towers connected to the wall and serving as sentries.



After passing through the wall, one would have to move through the garden that was located right behind the wall, only then would they reach the actual fortress. The fortress itself was rectangular in shape, with only a few windows located along the wall, and with a triangular roof that ended in a sharp point. It was very simple and unadorned, but it looked very sturdy.



Huang Ying put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistling sound. While Zhao Rong and the others were wondering what he was doing, a loud screeching sound reached their ears. A black blur flew over from the distance, stopping right in front of them and revealing itself to be Little Flame.



“Wait here and don't go anywhere. I will let you know when you can enter.”



Huang Ying spoke to Zhao Rong and the others, nodding to Little Flame after he spoke. Little Flame let out a low screech and then landed on the ground, its eyes keeping close watch on Zhao Rong and the two others. They were not fools, Huang Ying had clearly called this strange bird here to keep an eye on them and make sure that they did not escape. They did not know how strong this bird was, but since it was the pet of Huang Ying, it was clearly not weak.



Huang Ying turned away from Zhao Rong and the two others, moving down the mountain and heading towards the fortress. While walking, he stretched out his right arm and opened his palm. A black light flooded out of his arm and grew longer, quickly solidifying and turning into his spear, Longinus.



Huang Ying tightly grasped Longinus and then started dashing towards the fortress. As he got closer, the four towers around the perimeter of the fortress started glowing with a crimson light, causing a faint smile to appear on Huang Ying's face.



“Alright then, show me what you got.”

 

Chapter 174: Storming the fortress.



The four towers lit up with crimson light that grew in intensity as Huang Ying got closer to the walls of the fortress. Once he got within two kilometers of the walls, the crimson light that was gathering in the towers was released, shooting towards Huang Ying like crimson rays of light, bringing with them a screeching sound as they tore through the air.

Huang Ying narrowed his eyes and lowered his body, bringing it closer to the ground as he upped his speed. The four rays of light moved at differing speeds, causing them to arrive with a slight difference. The rays of light were fast, but they had not reached a point where Huang Ying was unable to dodge them.

Huang Ying dodged the first one by ducking, causing it to almost graze his shoulder. The second one came right afterwards, with Huang Ying dodging it by taking half a step to the side. The third and fourth were dodged by Huang Ying jumping up slightly and then stabbing his spear into the ground to push himself sideways. After the towers shot out their first ray of light, they needed one second to recharge themselves and shoot out the next one, causing the second volley to arrive shortly after Huang Ying dodged the last shot from the first volley.

Huang Ying continued to dodge the rays of light, jumping up and using his spear to change his direction mid-air if he felt the need to. With his speed, even while he was being bombarded by attacks, he could cross two kilometers in less than 15 seconds. The attacks grew more frequent when he crossed the first kilometer, but it was still not enough to stop his charge.

Once he reached the wall, which he now realized was almost 50 meters high, the towers stopped firing at him. Huang Ying looked at the tall wall in front of him and placed his hand on it. The wall was cold to the touch, made out of a strange metal that Huang Ying had not seen before. He clenched his fist and noticed that his fingers sank into the wall. Once he removed his hand from the wall, the part where his fingers had sunk in started quickly repairing itself, showing that the metal was capable of restoring itself.

Huang Ying readied Longinus and filled it with lightning and fire Qi, causing arcs of lightning and orbs of fire to spin around the tip. He struck out with Longinus, the tip of the spear sinking into the wall and then exploding. Fragments of the wall flew past Huang Ying at high speed, leaving slight cuts on his skin as they grazed past him. But such slight cuts were nothing to Huang Ying, so they quickly started healing themselves.

A large opening had been torn in the wall, large enough for two people to easily pass through it. But even then, the wall was slowly repairing itself, the pieces that had flown away sliding along the ground as they slowly returned to the wall. Huang Ying stepped through the hole and entered the garden behind the walls. Looking over him from the distance, Zhao Rong and the others could not help but gaze at him with gaping mouths. Were those still the same walls that usually required them to set up an array and work together to break through them?

Now they truly realized the difference between them and Huang Ying, he was not someone they could gauge with the same measures they used for themselves. He belonged in the same category as people like Dai Hui and the others ranked towards the top of the Rising Dragon List. Of course, something that completely slipped their minds was the fact that Huang Ying was still only at the peak of the Xiantian realm, while Dai Hui and the others were at the peak of the Yin-Yang Formation realm.

Once Huang Ying stepped into the garden, he noticed that seemingly everything in this fortress was made out of metal. The trees were twisted and bent, shining with a silver color. The grass was straight and sharp, easily capable of slicing up the feet of weaker people if they were to step on it. The main building of the fortress was located three kilometers away from Huang Ying, slightly further away than the range of the towers had been.

Huang Ying swept the surroundings with his eyes, taking a step forward as he did so. Once he took a step forward, the metallic trees started trembling slightly. The trunk of the trees straightened and then opened up, metallic humanoid puppets with elongated limbs stepping out from within the trees. Huang Ying swept the surroundings once more and counted a little over a hundred puppets in his immediate area.

While normal people might feel a bit apprehensive at this point, his lips simply curved into a smile. If there was one thing Huang Ying did not fear, it was group combat. He grasped Longinus and released his devouring domain, a black dome spreading out from his body and slowly devouring the Qi that was being used to activate and control the puppets.

Huang Ying took another step forward when he suddenly heard a screeching sound coming from behind him. He rapidly jumped to the side, a crimson ray of light brushing past his body and hitting the metallic grass. When the ray of light hit the grass, it was immediately reflected off the grass, shooting into the distance and hitting a tree, which then reflected it away once more.

Huang Ying turned his head and saw that the four towers had lit up with crimson light again, rapidly sending out rays of crimson light. A wry smile spread on Huang Ying's face as he realized why people normally formed group to capture these fortresses. Not only would they have to deal with the puppets and the sharp grass, they would also have to constantly dodge rays of light coming at them from unpredictable angles.

Of course, Huang Ying was not like normal people. With his devouring domain spread out, not only were the dolls turning sluggish from having their Qi drained, even the rays of light that entered his domain were slowly being devoured. After all, they were still only Qi.

Huang Ying crouched slightly, and then shot forward like a blur. Huang Ying did not even bother with using Qi to protect his feet from the sharp grass, he simply stomped down on it. Each stomp would shatter the metallic grass and propel Huang Ying forward. After five months in the Divine Wilderness, his bodily strength had increased greatly, even putting many Demonic beasts at the Yin-Yang Formation realm to shame.

Whenever a puppet managed to position itself in front of him, he would swing out with Longinus, either slicing the puppet in half or sending it flying to the side. But as he continued to move forwards, he noticed that the grass and puppets seemed to be made out of the same material as the outer wall was, as they started slowly repairing themselves.

Huang Ying took his eyes off the slowly repairing puppets and grass, as they would not be able to stop his advance. He focused his gaze on the building ahead of him, looking for an entrance while he continued to dodge the rays of light that were starting to fill up the entire garden. After doing a quick sweep of the building and not finding an entrance, Huang Ying decided to use the most efficient way of entering it, smashing through the wall.

Arcs of lightning and orbs of fire once more started to dance around the tip of Longinus, waiting to burst out with their full might. Huang Ying dodged another ray of light and then shot forward, stabbing out with Longinus. The moment the tip of Longinus hit the wall of the building, a loud explosion rang out as azure arcs of lightning and tongues of crimson flames covered the area. The metallic grass that was not shattered and blown away by the explosion immediately started to melt under the high heat of the lightning and flames.

A large crack opened in the wall of the building, allowing Huang Ying to dash forward and enter the building. Once inside the building, it immediately became quiet, not even the sound of the wind outside present. Huang Ying looked back and saw that the crack in the wall was still there, but sound seemed to be unable to enter the building through the crack.

The inside of the building was rather dark, with only a few spread orbs of light floating around and making sure that it wasn't pitch black. Huang Ying held Longinus ready and walked around the building, inspecting the inside. The building was only two floors tall, and even smaller than the garden outside, so Huang Ying quickly managed to inspect everything inside the building.

The building was filled with rooms that seemed to be set up so that people could sleep in them, containing a single bed, a table, and a single chair. The first floor was filled with rooms like these, while the second floor consisted of a single large room. The room that was the second floor only contained a single piece of furniture, a tall throne that was made out of a different type of metal than the rest of the building, a strange dark golden metal.

Huang Ying walked towards the throne and inspected it for a bit, but found nothing strange or dangerous about it. He tightly grasped Longinus and sat down on the throne, leaning his back against it as he sat in a relaxed position. Even after he sat on the throne, there was no reaction from it. He tried to insert a bit of his Qi, which caused the throne to light up with a golden light, intricate runes appearing on the back and armrests of the throne.

When the intricate runes appeared on the throne, a loud booming sound rang out, drilling into Huang Ying's ears. When the loud booming sound rang out, Huang Ying felt his own mind connect with the throne beneath him, allowing him to see everything going on in and around the fortress. He also felt himself connect with the puppets in the garden, as well as the four towers that were connected to the outer wall.

It did not take a genius to figure out that this meant that Huang Ying could control the puppets and the four towers, making it easier for him to defend the fortress from future attacks. While he was connecting with the fortress, he also noticed writing appearing in the sky, the notification that he had captured the eastern fortress appearing for everyone to see.

“Now then, who will be the one to arrive first, enemy or friend?”

 

Chapter 175: Yi Kaishi, nemesis.


Huang Ying sat on the throne, overlooking the entire fortress. He sent a message to Little Flame, who quickly brought Zhao Rong and the two others to the fortress. Huang Ying used his control over the fortress to open entrances for them, so they did not need to expend any energy to enter. While entering the fortress, the three of them could not help but be shocked. It had not even taken Huang Ying two minutes to capture the fortress, not even two minutes to do something that might take a group of people like them almost an hour or more to do.

“You can rest in any room you want, let me know the moment you spot any signs of Fang Shan or the others.”

When Zhao Rong and the two others entered the second floor, Huang Ying waved his hand and gave them a simple message. He was connected to the entire fortress, so he was not worried about them escaping while he was not paying attention. Zhao Rong and the others simply nodded their heads stiffly, and then quickly found some rooms that they could rest in. If they feared Huang Ying earlier, now their fear of him had reached a completely new level. Zhao Rong did not even dare think about being the slightest slow in informing him if she found signs of Fang Shan and the others.

After sending away Zhao Rong and the two others, Huang Ying proceeded to wait in silence while sitting on the throne, closing his eyes and resting. Little Flame flew forward and perched itself at the top of the throne, keeping a vigilant watch over the room while Huang Ying was keeping his eyes closed.

Huang Ying kept his eyes closed and continued resting, only using his perception and his connection with the fortress to keep an eye on the surroundings. But even after he had waited for an entire day, there had not been a single person or Demonic beast that had gotten close to the fortress, causing him to be somewhat confused.

Huang Ying straightened up and then stretched his body, causing slight popping sounds to ring out from his joints. After resting on the throne for an entire day, his body had gotten somewhat stiff from not moving.

“Ah, are you finally waking up, Jieshu?”

While Huang Ying was stretching, a female voice suddenly rang out from a short distance in front of Huang Ying. Huang Ying instantly opened his eyes wide and jumped off the throne, dodging backwards and tightly grasping Longinus, pointing it towards his front.

A short distance in front of the throne, a table and two chairs had appeared. Huang Ying had checked the entire building earlier, so he was certain that the table and chairs had not been there earlier. What was even more shocking was that there was a woman sitting at the table, holding a porcelain pot of tea in her hands. She had delicate and full features, with rosy red cheeks that looked like they would feel good to the touch. Her eyes were golden in color, a kind expression evident in them. Her head was covered in vibrant green hair that hung down all the way to her buttocks, and she was clad in a pure white robe. When her eyes met Huang Ying's, a pleasant smile spread on her lips.

“Don't act like that, Jieshu. We have not met for so long, come join me for some tea.”

The woman put down the tea pot and used a smooth and seemingly untainted hand to point at the second chair at the table, indicating for Huang Ying to sit there. Huang Ying glanced at Little Flame, who was still perched at the top of the throne. Little Flame looked between Huang Ying and the woman with a confused expression, as if he could not understand why Huang Ying was acting like he did.

“What have you done to Little Flame?”

Huang Ying did not sense an ounce of hostility from the woman, so he stepped forward and sat down at the table, his perception fully focused on the woman in front of him. He could not sense any Qi from her, as if she had not even began cultivation. But she was able to appear in front of him without him noticing, even setting up a table and prepare tea, so how could she possibly be someone without cultivation?

Seeing Little Flame look at Huang Ying as if it could not understand his actions, he was convinced that the woman in front of him had done something to Little Flame. Perhaps she had done something to control Little Flame's mind, or done something to confuse it.

“Done to him? I have done nothing to him. As his mother, how could I possibly harm him?”

The woman raised her arm, beckoning Little Flame over. Little Flame let out a happy screech and flew over, perching on the arm of the woman. The woman let out a smile and raised her other arm. A small piece of raw meat appeared in her palm, as if it had appeared out of thin air, and she fed it to Little Flame.

When the woman caused the meat to appear out of thin air, Huang Ying's expression contorted into a grimace. He had been confused when she said that she was Little Flame's mother, but the moment she brought out the piece of meat, Huang Ying understood who she was. When the meat appeared in her palm, Huang Ying felt the destruction bloodline within his body tremble fiercely, as if it wanted to burst out of his body.

“It seems you have already guess it, but let me introduce myself. I am Yi Kaishi, the one who controls the primordial element of creation. It is good to see you again, Jieshu.”

The woman, Yi Kaishi, turned her eyes away from Little Flame and smiled at Huang Ying. She stood up from the chair and grasped the bottom of the robe, giving Huang Ying a graceful bow as she introduced herself. The holder of the primordial element of creation, Yi Kaishi, the nemesis to Huang Ying, the holder of the primordial element of destruction.

“I am not Jieshu, I am Huang Ying.”

When Yi Kaishi sat down again, a short moment of silence followed as Huang Ying's mind raced to organize his thoughts. Once he managed to calm himself down somewhat, he opened his mouth and spoke. Yi Kaishi had referred to him with the strange name of Jieshu three times already. Huang Ying did not know why, but the name sounded both familiar and unpleasant.

“For now. You will eventually become Jieshu, that is how it always goes, that is how it has gone countless times before.”

Yi Kaishi shook her head slightly as she spoke. When she spoke about Huang Ying becoming Jieshu, her eyes looked conflicted, showing a mixture of sadness and longing. To her, Jieshu was the person she wanted to see the least, as well as the person she wanted to see the most.

“Have you come here to fight me?”

Huang Ying narrowed his eyes as he looked at Yi Kaishi, tightening the grip he had on Longinus. From what Huang Ying knew, the primordial element had sealed away the primordial element of destruction, slowly draining its power. Not the holder of that primordial element had appeared before him, how could he not be expecting it to break out into a fight.

“Fight you? I cannot do that. I am the creator, not the destroyer, I cannot battle. At most I can create beings to battle for me. I simply came because I wanted to see you again, Jieshu. I also came to deliver a proposition.”

Yi Kaishi let out a crystal clear laughter, using one hand to cover her cherry red lips. Huang Ying's eyebrow could not help but prick up slightly after hearing her words. Could not battle? If that was true, did that not mean he could just kill her here and immediately unlock the full power of his destruction element?

“Ah, I should also mention this. Even if you destroy this body, it is merely one of the countless I have created over time. But I only have a few bodies in this higher realm, most of them are located in the lower realms, so it would be a shame if you were to destroy it.”

Yi Kaishi seemed to read Huang Ying's thoughts as she hurriedly spoke out. While speaking, she was also creating more pieces of meat and feeding them to Little Flame, who was perched on the back of her chair and happily eating from her hand.

“Higher realm?”

Huang Ying could not help but raise an eyebrow when he heard her words. Higher realm, lower realm? He had never heard these terms before, so he was unable to understand exactly what they meant.

“You don't know yet? This planet is considered one of the highest realms in this universe, one that countless cultivators strive to reach. Although this particular continent does not hold too many of those cultivators, most of them are gathered on what you call the Gu continent.”

Yi Kaishi seemed happy to be able to explain things to Huang Ying, as she spoke in a cheerful voice, clearly explaining the meaning of her words to Huang Ying. At the same time, she did not find it too surprising that Huang Ying did not know about the lower realms, or that this was a higher realm. After all, most of the ascending or descending cultivators were on the Gu continent.

“So this is one of the higher realms? Are there any higher ones?”

This was the first time Huang Ying had heard about the lower realms, or that this planet was part of the higher realms. But if this planet was a higher realm, did that not mean that there could be even higher realms, where even stronger people resided?

“There are, but only one. And that realm is one that can only be reached by nine individuals, the nine individuals who hold the nine primordial elements. I hope you never manage to reach that realm, Jieshu, for it means that we will stand on opposing sides again.”

Yi Kaishi slightly shook her head as she spoke, her expression and voice showing how much she wished for Huang Ying to never reach the highest realm. After all, if he reached that realm it meant he would once more try to do what was his duty, the destruction of the universe.

“What is the proposition?”

Huang Ying could not help but be slightly shocked at her explanation. An realm for the nine people who held the nine primordial elements. How grand would such a realm be? He quickly calmed down his mind again, opening his mouth and asking about what she had said earlier, her proposition.

“It is very simple actually. I want you to give up the destruction blood flowing within you. If you are willing to give up the destruction blood flowing within you, I will create you a completely new body. The new body can contain any bloodline you want, besides the destruction one, and I will even make sure that the body has the best talent possible, allowing you to rapidly cultivate. You get to cultivate and live in peace, while I will not be forced to stand against my Jieshu again.”

Yi Kaishi clapped her hand, a bright smile on her face as she spoke. The way she saw it, Huang Ying could just give up the destruction blood in his veins and acquire a new body. Like that, both of them could end up happy, neither needing to become enemies with the other.

“I was told you were the brother, so why are you in the form of a woman?”

Huang Ying did not immediately respond, tilting his head at Yi Kaishi. When he first heard the voice of the primordial element of destruction, it called the primordial element of creation its brother. Yet the holder of the primordial element of creation was clearly a woman.

“Because I felt like it. Mother of all life sounds better than Father of all life, isn't that right, Father of all death?”

Yi Kaishi let out another clear laughter, slightly shrugging her shoulders as she spoke. While speaking, she also sent Huang Ying a wink, as if what she said was a joke that he was supposed to understand.

“Why do you want to create a universe that lasts forever?”

Huang Ying changed the subject once more. Yi Kaishi wanted to seal away the primordial element of destruction, clearly to create a universe that would never be destroyed. But Huang Ying could not understand why she would want that, what did she gain from it.

“The destruction of the universe means the death of every life in the universe. Don't you find that unbearably sad? Why must so many lives be snuffed out? Just so they can be created again and forced to go through the same cycle again later? It is pointless and sad, isn't an everlasting universe where people can cultivate to reach infinite lifespans much better?”

Yi Kaishi had a sad smile on her face as she spoke, creating an illusion above her palm that showed the destruction and creation of the universe, of the countless lives that were lost each time. As the creator of all life, seeing it destroyed like that was the worst type of torture.

“I see. Sorry, but I refuse your proposition.”

Huang Ying nodded his head in understanding, and then proceeded to shake it sideways as he rejected her proposition with a calm face.

“But why? Are you that intent on standing against me, Jieshu?”

Yi Kaishi had a pained expression on her face as she looked at Huang Ying, her eyes were even turning moist and red, tears appearing at the corner of her eyes. Her proposition was perfect for both of them, so why would he refuse? Did he simply want to stand against her that much?

“I already told you, I am not Jieshu. I am Huang Ying, I have always and will always be, Huang Ying. My fate and life are mine and mine alone to control, I refuse to leave it in the hands of others, especially yours.”

Huang Ying shook his head as he spoke. He did not care about Yi Kaishi's everlasting universe, nor did he care about the duty of the primordial element of destruction. None of that mattered to him. All that mattered to him was to control his own fate, to keep those that he cared about safe, and to prove that he did not need his parents or so called 'Gods' to succeed in life. For all he cared, everything else could fuck off.

“You can say that now, but one day you will become Jieshu, and at that point, the destruction of this universe will be all that you can think of.”

Yi Kaishi spoke to Huang Ying with tears in her eyes, reaching out to place her hands on his palms in an intimate gesture, even Little Flame was looking at Huang Ying with an imploring expression.

“That is only what you think. I don't care if you have seen it happen several times, I refuse to follow that fate.”

Before Yi Kaishi could place her hands on his cheeks, Huang Ying stabbed out with Longinus, piercing it through Yi Kaishi's chest. Huang Ying did not believe that it was impossible to go against the fate of becoming this 'Jieshu'. So what if she had seen it several times before? He was Huang Ying, he would always be Huang Ying.

“Ah, why must you always go down this road, Jieshu? I didn't want to stand against you once more, to strike you down once more.”

Yi Kaishi's white robe was quickly dyed crimson as blood spurted out from the wound in her chest. She looked at Huang Ying with sorrowful eyes that were quickly growing dimmer. Her entire body turned into small light green leaves that blew away with a non-existent wind, her words and the table the only thing remaining of her.

 

Chapter 176: Fish out rank 62.



With the body of Yi Kaishi dispersing like leaves in the wind, Huang Ying returned to the throne and sat down. Little Flame flew over and perched at the top of the throne, as if it had not just completely ignored Huang Ying in favor of his enemy.



“As if it's completely natural, how frightening.”



Huang Ying glanced at Little Flame and then muttered to himself. Little Flame was acting as if it was completely natural for it to listen to Yi Kaishi, as if the blood flowing in its veins wasn't Huang Ying's own blood. If Yi Kaishi could do that with Little Flame, could she do the same with others as well.



“I refuse to follow your usual pattern. I am Huang Ying.”



Huang Ying once again muttered out, but even he was not sure if he said it aloud to affirm that truth to himself, or if he said it because he feared what Yi Kaishi speaking about becoming the truth. Huang Ying shook his head and put the thought away, there was no merit in wasting time worrying about something like that right now.



Huang Ying used his connection with the fortress to sweep the surroundings, checking for signs of anyone approaching. But once more his search came up empty, the surroundings of the fortress not even containing a single animal. He checked out the letters in the sky, checking who had taken over which of the four other fortresses, but Huang Ying did not see the names of anyone high ranked, so he merely glanced at the names. Just when Huang Ying was wondering if nothing was going to happen for the remainder of the competition, he noticed that Zhao Rong left her room.



She rapidly made her way to the second floor where Huang Ying was, her face somewhat pale and her steps hurried. She quickly arrived at the second floor and stopped in front of the throne, bringing out the same jade plate she had shown when she talked about her avatar technique.



“Senior Void Sun, I have found Senior Storm's Fury!”



Zhao Rong hurriedly activated the jade plate, projecting what her avatars were seeing as quickly as she could. The way she saw it, the only reason she was still alive was because of her avatars and the fact that Huang Ying had a use for her. The moment he found her useless, she feared that he would kill her with a wave of his hand.



“Xin Yang? Where is he?”



Huang Ying raised an eyebrow when he heard her words, scanning the various projected images for any signs of Xin Yang. He quickly located Xin Yang, who was currently standing in a desert, surrounded by an endless expanse of sand and dry rocks. Zhao Rong's avatar seemed to be hiding behind a rock a good distance away, so the image was not perfectly clear.



“He has moved further north, getting closer to the northern fortress. But he is currently embroiled in battle.”



Zhao Rong quickly explained, injecting her Qi into the plate and increasing the size of the image of Xin Yang. Huang Ying looked at the image with a calm gaze and saw that Xin Yang was indeed battling someone right now, it seemed like it was a rather fierce battle, with Xin Yang already bleeding from a few cuts.



“That should be rank 62, Flute of Death Kong Youyan, correct?”



Huang Ying's eyes landed on the person Xin Yang was fighting, a bald male youth who was missing his left eye and had a large scar at the corner of his mouth, as if it had been torn open. The face looked familiar to Huang Ying, so he searched through his memories and pulled up the information he had about the bald youth. Besides the information he read about Kong Youyan from the Rising Dragon List, Huang Ying also recognized him as one of the people that had locked onto him before the competition started.



Kong Youyan was holding a silver flute in his hand, occasionally blowing into it as he jumped around. His element was sound, and he specialized in using vibrations to shatter his opponents organs and bones. It was a technique that was famous for being hard to defend against. Even worse was the fact that Kong Youyan had managed to infuse the vibrations of sound into his own body, allowing him to generate those very same vibrations with his every move, making close quarter combat against him dangerous.



“Indeed. Senior Storm's Fury has landed in a very perilous situation, will you go out and save him?”



Zhao Rong quickly nodded her head, looking at Huang Ying with a gaze that was a mixture of fear and hopefulness. She was fearful because she was worried that Huang Ying would go out to save Xin Yang, and bring them along while doing so. If someone like her were to intrude in a battle like that, there was no way she would come out alive. But she was also hopeful that Huang Ying would go out and save Xin Yang, leaving her here while doing so. If he did that, she could take the chance to flee, reducing the risk of her dying if she became useless.



“No need.”



Huang Ying continued looking at Xin Yang's battle, shrugging his shoulders with a carefree expression. The way Huang Ying saw it, rushing out in an attempt to save Xin Yang was utterly pointless.



“...No need?”



Zhao Rong was caught off guard by Huang Ying's response, slowly repeating his own words in a confused tone. Wasn't Xin Yang supposed to be a friend of Huang Ying? Why would he not rush out to save his friend?



“Xin Yang is quite mysterious, every time I see him he is far stronger than when I last saw him. Even now I don't know just how strong he is, or how he improves so fast. And just look at the state of the battle. Xin Yang is at a disadvantage, but he is not outright losing. If he wants to escape, he can do so at any time he wants. Keep the image up, I want to watch.”



Huang Ying continued to observe Xin Yang's battle with calm eyes as he explained. The first time he met him, Xin Yang had only been at the 9th heaven. The second time they met, Xin Yang had almost reached the Yin-Yang Formation realm. And then the third time they had met, Xin Yang had become so strong that he could rank on the Rising Dragon List. Even Huang Ying could only marvel at such quick growth.



Huang Ying and Zhao Rong continued to watch the battle, Zhao Rong getting more and more shocked as the battle went on. She quickly realized that Huang Ying was correct, Xin Yang was not losing the battle. He used his wind element to great effect, throwing up sand to confuse Kong Youyan, jumping around and floating above the ground, even using his wind to feel where Kong Youyan's sound attacks were coming from.



He suffered a few injuries in the process, the worst one being a shattered wrist from Kong Youyan grabbing onto him. But Xin Yang carved a few wounds into Kong Youyan as well, throwing out dagger after dagger that flew through the air as if they were part of the wind. With Xin Yang's control over wind, the daggers could change directions as much as they wanted, each dagger he threw out becoming another weapon that Kong Youyan had to constantly be aware of.



“See? If he wants to escape, Kong Youyan cannot stop him.”



After the battle went on for a short while, Huang Ying spoke out again. Xin Yang had just created a small tornado, gathering up large amounts of sand that spun around Kong Youyan and prevented him from moving freely. While the tornado was keeping Kong Youyan in place, Xin Yang took the chance to dash away at high speed, even kicking off the ground and flying in the air for a short distance.



“Kong Youyan should have a younger brother, correct? I believe it was rank 85, Fire Tempest Kong Mingxue?”



After Xin Yang fled from Kong Youyan, Huang Ying tilted his head slightly and turned to Zhao Rong. Kong Youyan looked like a bald youth, but he was already almost 40 years old, so having a younger brother was not that strange. Kong Mingxue was also another person that Huang Ying had memorized, as he had joined his older brother in locking onto Huang Ying before entering the competition.



“Yes, he has currently taken over the west fortress, sending Xing Kan fleeing.”



Zhao Rong hurriedly responded to Huang Ying's question. Kong Youyan was an adopted person of the Yong clan, but Kong Mingxue was a student of the Eternal Flame academy, a person who could use both fire and wind to great effect. Since he was ranked 85 on the Rising Dragon List, he had been able to easily send Xing Kan, who was the first person to capture the west fortress, fleeing.



“Good. Keep an eye on them, let me know if there is any new information.”



Huang Ying nodded his head and stood up from the throne, his eyes landing on Little Flame as he spoke. He was now uncertain if he could fully trust Little Flame, but he still chose to put Little Flame in charge of keeping an eye on Zhao Rong. The reason behind this was that he did no longer really care if she fled while he was away. There was only a little over a day remaining of the competition, and since none of the others had come to this fortress, despite knowing that he was there, it seemed unlikely that they would come before the end of the tournament.



“Where are you going?”



Little Flame let out a low screech and locked its gaze onto Zhao Rong. Huang Ying started walking, heading towards the stairs that would bring him down to the first floor. He heard Zhao Rong's question, but he did not stop walking.



“To gather more points.”



Huang Ying shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he spoke. He had watched calmly while Xin Yang was battling, even staying calm while Xin Yang got wounded. But that did not mean that he did not care about Xin Yang getting injured. Kong Youyan had injured Xin Yang, and he was also one of the people that had pointed killing intent at Huang Ying, so Huang Ying decided that he was going to fish him out and kill him.



After leaving the fortress, Huang Ying dashed away at full speed, leaving behind a blur and the sound of rumbling thunder as he moved. The western fortress was a good distance away, so Huang Ying would need around two hours at full speed to reach it. Due to the sheer speed he was moving at, none of the Demonic beasts that Huang Ying encountered along the way were able to stop him or keep up with him, allowing him to advance unhindered.



A little over two hours later, Huang Ying reached the western fortress. The western fortress looked the same as the eastern fortress, but this fortress was located on a small island situated in a large lake. The only way to get to the fortress was to either swim through the lake, or use the narrow bridge that led to the wall of the fortress.



“Let's see how long it will take you to arrive, Kong Youyan.”



Huang Ying had a faint smile on his face as he spoke, Longinus appeared in his right hand and he started to slowly walk towards the bridge that led to the fortress. While walking, tendrils of devouring Qi entered the ground through his feet, each step causing the land around him to wither and die. The more the land withered, the stronger the aura that came from Huang Ying's body became.



This was the greatest benefit he had gotten from the five months of training in the Divine Wilderness, a technique created just for him. When he normally used his devouring Qi, it would add what he devoured onto his own strength, slowly integrating it into himself and allow it to become a permanent part of him.



But this technique was completely different. His devouring Qi would devour the energy and vitality of everything around him, ignoring the limits of his body as it continued to devour and strengthen him. The end result was that he would gain a temporary increase in strength, but the price was that the strength would not become a permanent part of his, and if he kept it active for too long, he risked destroying his own body.



By the time Huang Ying had taken the ten steps required to reach the bridge that led to the wall of the fortress, his body and spear were so filled with strength that the tip of his spear was rapidly vibrating, distorting the space around it. The opening in his spear head that looked like maw started to fill with pitch black Qi that continuously condensed itself, growing stronger and stronger. Huang Ying was going to fish out Kong Youyan and kill him, and the way he would do it was by completely destroying this fortress, as well as everyone inside the fortress.

 

Chapter 177: The demon on the shattered throne.



The sun hung high in the sky, sending down it's scorching rays and causing the sand beneath Kong Youyan's feet to become almost unbearably hot. Kong Youyan held a dim white crystal in his left hand, looking at it with furrowed brows and an uneasy expression.



“Still no response from him?”



While Kong Youyan was looking at the crystal, a voice rang out from behind him. Kong Youyan put away the crystal and turned his head, coming face to face with a male youth with chiseled features, crimson eyes and yellow hair that was tied up into a bun. The youth was Meng Changyu, an old friend who joined the competition alongside Kong Youyan.



“No, nothing yet. It has worked perfectly up until now, so I don't think it should be broken.”



Kong Youyan shook his head as he responded to Meng Changyu. The crystal was something specially made for this competition where most normal forms of long distance communication did not work. Using the crystal, he could chat with whoever held the other part of the crystal. In this case, the one who held the other part was his younger brother.



“He has probably put it aside while he was enjoying himself with Lin Juxie. No one wants to be contacted while they are in the throes of passion, sucks all the joy out of it.”



Meng Changyu pat Kong Youyan on the shoulder and spoke with a chuckle. There had been no notification that anyone else had taken over the western fortress, so he did not believe that there was a need to worry about Kong Mingxue.



“Maybe...”



Kong Youyan gave a slight nod of his head, not completely convinced, but he decided to drop the subject for now. The two of them turned towards the north, in the direction of the northern fortress, and continued to move. Their goal was to take over the northern fortress that was located in this desert.



“Still no response. I am going to go back to the western fortress and check up on him.”



After they had continued moving for a little over an hour, Kong Youyan stopped in his track, checked the crystal once more, and then spoke out, turning his body towards the direction of the western fortress. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he could not get rid of.



“Now? But we are already nearing the northern fortress. If you head back now, you won't have enough time to come back and take over the northern fortress before the end of the competition.”



Meng Changyu furrowed his brows slightly as he moved his gaze between Kong Youyan and the direction of the northern fortress. If they just continued moving for a little less than an hour, they would reach the northern fortress. If they captured it now, they would only need to defend it for a few hours before the competition ended.



“It doesn't matter. I am worried about little Xue, so I am going to make sure that he is fine.”



Kong Youyan shook his head and started moving towards the western fortress as he spoke, his speed even faster than the speed he had used to head towards the northern fortress. The nagging feeling at the back of his mind was only getting stronger and stronger, so he did not want to waste any more time.



“Hah, you really worry too much. Fine, let's go back and check on him.”



Meng Changyu let out a sigh, casting one last look towards the north before dashing after Kong Youyan and following him with a wry smile. Despite Kong Youyan moving at almost full speed, Meng Changyu was able to easily keep up with him.



“You are joining me?”



Kong Youyan raised an eyebrow, glancing at Meng Changyu with his right eye. Meng Changyu was staying on his right side, as he knew that Kong Youyan did not like it when people walked on his left.



“With your sense of direction, who knows where you would end up if I let you wander off alone.”



Meng Changyu shrugged his shoulders as he spoke in a somewhat teasing tone. Kong Youyan nodded his head, but he did not say anything else. After all, they had been friends for quite a while already, there was no need for words of gratitude between them.



The two continued to move towards the western fortress in silence, entering the vast plain covered in lakes after spending three hours on the move. They expected to encounter a few Demonic beasts as they approached the western fortress, but the entire plain seemed to be devoid of life.



“Something doesn't seem quite right.”



Meng Changyu could not help but speak out with a furrowed brow after they reached the shore of the lake that contained the western fortress. The narrow bridge that led to the fortress was fine, but the wall surrounding the fortress were completely shattered and broken, pieces of it sent flying into the lake. Of the four towers that were connected to the wall, only one was still standing, but even that tower was badly damaged.



“Indeed. He never mentioned that he had to crush the fortress like this to take it over. They might have suffered an attack, prepare for battle.”



Kong Youyan's face was serious as he spoke. This was not the first time he had participated in this competition, so he knew that the material that the fortresses were made of could repair itself after being damaged. Yet the wall and towers ahead of them were completely shattered, not showing any signs of repairing themselves. Kong Youyan pulled out his silver flute, while Meng Changyu pulled out a golden bow and prepared an arrow.



“What the hell happened here? Were they besieged by a group of Demonic beasts?”



The two of them quickly crossed the bridge and moved past the shattered wall, entering the area right before the fortress. But upon stepping past the wall and seeing the scenery behind it, Meng Changyu's face contorted as he spoke out.



The area behind the wall was in a worse condition than the wall itself. The metallic trees were either shattered or molten into twisted shapes. A fine layer of ice covered parts of the ground, both the frozen ground and grass turning into fine dust when Kong Youyan or Meng Changyu came into contact with it. There were places where the ground was gouged out or rended, clearly showing that a strong attack had been used there.



But the worst part were the corpses that were scattered around. Kong Mengxiang had easily captured the western fortress with his large group of allies, a little over a hundred people aiding him. And now it seemed like all those people had been slain and thrown about. The corpses that were still intact were the minority, most of them missing several limbs or chunks of flesh. There were even corpses that were scorched beyond recognition, or frozen and then shattered.



“No. Demonic beasts would not leave behind the corpses like this, they would simply eat them. And look here, these wounds came from a spear, not from teeth or claws.”



Kong Youyan's expression was solemn as he spoke, kneeling down next to one of the intact corpses and using his finger to point at a hole that went straight through the chest of the body. The hole was a bit smaller than he was used to, but it was unmistakably made by a spear.



“So it was people that did this? But why would they kill them like this? Just beating them up to get the points is enough.”



Meng Changyu's expression twisted further as he spoke out, his voice full of confusion and disgust. He had taken part in life and death battles before, even killed people during this very competition. But he had never heard or seen about anyone engaging in a slaughter like this.



“I don't know, some people are just a bit twisted. What I am wondering is why there has not been a notification that the western fortress has been taken over. With everyone outside dead like this, they should have already captured the fortress. Little Xue...”



Kong Youyan stood up and shook his head, glancing at the sky as he spoke. What was the point in killing the people in this fortress if it was not to capture the fortress itself? Looking at all the corpses, Kong Youyan also came to the conclusion that Kong Mingxue was most likely already dead, a fact that pained his heart greatly.



The two continued to move towards the actual fortress, only shortly glancing at the corpses that were spread around. The fortress itself was also badly damaged, with several holes blasted into the wall. Some of the holes pointed outwards, while some pointed inwards, so Kong Youyan guessed that the fighting had continued inside the fortress.



After they stepped into the fortress, they only gave the first floor a quick look over, checking the various rooms for any living people. They were not surprised when they didn't find any people, so they quickly made their way up to the second floor.



“Rank 62, Flute of Death Kong Youyan. And you should be rank 71, Sun Child Meng Changyu. I was starting to wonder if you would fail to show up before the end of the competition, but it seems like my luck is quite good.”



When they reached the second floor, a pleasantly surprised voice rang out, causing both of them to tense up and prepare to strike at a moment's notice. Kong Youyan looked towards the place where the voice had come from, his gaze landing on the throne at the center of open second floor.



Not even the throne had been spared from destruction, the top part shattering until only jagged and sharp pieces remained. Sitting leisurely on the shattered throne was a young boy, Kong Youyan guessed that he had not even reached 16 years of age yet. The boy was clad in a sky blue robe, had pitch black eyes that did not show his thoughts, and long hair that was pure white in color.



Leaning against the shoulder of the boy was a long black spear covered in what seemed to be scales, three colorful lightning bolts moving up the handle of the spear, stopping when they reached the silvery white spearhead. At the back of the spearhead was a small oval opening filled with sharp spikes, resembling the open maw of a demon.



“Rank 99, Void Sun Huang Ying. Are you the one who did this?”



Kong Youyan's voice was cold as he looked at the young boy, Huang Ying. A small distance away from the shattered throne he could see the corpses of both Kong Mingxue and Lin Juxie, almost causing his vision to go red. Their bodies were shriveled and dry, as if their vitality and life had been completely drained.



“What a stupid question to ask.”



Huang Ying did not even respond to Kong Youyan's question, looking at him with his almost emotionless gaze as he slightly tilted his head. He was sitting here all alone, was there really a need to ask a question like that?



“Why did you kill them all?”



Kong Youyan narrowed his eye, looking at Huang Ying with an expression as if he wanted to eat him. He wanted to charge at him right now and tear him apart, but he held himself back for the moment. Looking at how calm Huang Ying was as he sat there, Kong Youyan felt a strange unease.



“Did you not listen to what I said earlier? I said that I was waiting for you, so I clearly killed them to drag you out. Well, at least that is part of the reason. Of the people in this fortress, there were actually only about 20 people that I really had to kill. But most of the others decided to get in my way and try to kill me, and I have no mercy to anyone who wants to kill me.”



Huang Ying tilted his head a little bit more, looking at Kong Youyan as if he was an idiot. When he had stormed this fortress to kill Kong Mingxue, he had been pleasantly surprised when he saw that there had been quite a few other people in this fortress, there were even quite a few that had been on his list of people to kill for showing killing intent towards him.



Of course, he did not simply start and indiscriminate slaughter. He properly pointed out who he had to kill and told the others that they could leave. Only the people that showed killing intent towards him after that were slain by him. Those who had chosen to escape early on were allowed to do so.



“Meng Changyu, you are not on the list, so I have no reason to kill you. You can leave.”



Huang Ying turned his head, his gaze landing on Meng Changyu as he spoke. Quite a lot of people had shown killing intent towards Huang Ying before the competition, but Meng Changyu was not one of them, Huang Ying only knew about Meng Changyu because of the Rising Dragon List.



“Leave? How could I leave after seeing what you have done here? I also can't leave this idiot alone. So I will stay here and help him deal with you.”



Meng Changyu glanced at the corpses of Kong Mingxue and Lin Juxie, before he turned his eyes back to Huang Ying and spoke out, readying his bow as he narrowed his eyes. He was not someone so lowly that he would leave behind an old friend.



“I will not show mercy if you decide to fight against me.”



Huang Ying's eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold as he spoke. Meng Changyu felt a slight chill go down his spine, but his eyes remained narrowed and determined as he pulled back the string of his bow, golden flames gathering around the arrow.



“I don't need the mercy of someone like you.”



Meng Changyu nearly spat out the words. Huang Ying was clad in a clean robe, but as he sat on the shattered throne in a fortress surrounded by corpses, with a spear leaning against him, Meng Changyu could not help but feel like he was looking at a demon. To him, the mercy of someone like that was not worth anything.



“Then so be it.”



Huang Ying gave a slight nod of his head and stood up from the throne, tightly grasping Longinus. Since Meng Changyu was so intent on standing against him, then he could only kill him alongside Kong Youyan.

 

Chapter 178: End of the competition.



As Huang Ying stood up from the throne and took a step forward, he immediately entered his strongest state. Silvery white scales sprouted over his skin, his eyes turned amber, a thin and whip like tail sprouted behind him, and two pitch black wings grew out from his back. Huang Ying was not someone who went easy on people, so despite being confident that he could kill Meng Changyu and Kong Youyan without using all his strength, he still chose to not hold anything back.



Tendrils of devouring Qi penetrated the fortress and sank into the earth, Huang Ying's aura steadily rising as more and more energy was devoured and brought to him. Huang Ying raised Longinus, pointing the tip at Kong Youyan, looking at him with cold eyes. Just as Huang Ying took another step forward and was going to charge at Kong Youyan, he heard the sound of something moving through the air at high speed.



Huang Ying quickly tilted his head to the side, a thin golden line flashing past his head and leaving a small cut on his neck. Huang Ying ignored the searing sensation of the cut, narrowing his eyes at Meng Changyu. Meng Changyu was already preparing another arrow, the first one shot so fast that Huang Ying had not even noticed when he released it.



Kong Youyan charged forward the moment he saw Huang Ying look at Meng Changyu. Every step Kong Youyan took shattered the floor beneath him, the air around him vibrating and releasing a low droning sound. The distance between the three of them was not far, so Kong Youyan reached Huang Ying in the blink of an eye, smashing his flute down towards Huang Ying's head.



While Kong Youyan charged forward, Meng Changyu took several steps backwards, shooting out the second arrow and preparing the third. The two of them had fought together several times, so they were very familiar with how to best work together.



Kong Youyan aimed at Huang Ying's head, and Meng Changyu aimed at Huang Ying's abdomen, a thin golden line scorching the air as it shot towards him. Huang Ying's eyes narrowed further as he took half a step backwards, grabbing Longinus with both hands and spinning it slightly. The tip of the spear crashed into the arrow, while the handle of the spear collided with Kong Youyan's flute.



The tip of Longinus was slightly pushed back by the arrow, but the arrow was quickly unable to move further, shattering from the stored up energy that found no release. With the handle of Longinus colliding with the flute, Huang Ying felt a vibrating energy move through the handle and into his right arm, resonating with his bones as if it was trying to shatter them.



Huang Ying paid no heed to the vibrating energy, spinning Longinus and pushing Kong Youyan's flute to the side. In the same movement he used to push the flute aside, he tilted the tip of Longinus upwards, pulling the handle towards himself in an upwards slash. Kong Youyan narrowed his eyes and took half a step backwards, he did not dare hit the spear with his bare hand, so he instead kicked upwards, the tip of his foot hitting the base of the spear-head and distorting its course.



After distorting the path of the spear, he took a few more steps backwards, meeting up with Meng Changyu. He waited for the vibrating energy to shatter Huang Ying's bones, but his eyes narrowed when he saw how nonchalant Huang Ying was acting. His mouth twisted slightly as he thought of a possibility.



“I see. So you have infused your bones with your ice Qi to increase their toughness. No wonder you can resist the vibrations.”



This was the only excuse Kong Youyan could think of, there was no other way for Huang Ying's bones to be able to resist the vibrations that his attacks brought with them. Huang Ying merely shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly.



“Whatever you say.”



There was no way Huang Ying was going to tell Kong Youyan that he had only managed to infuse the bones in his right arm with his ice Qi. The Qi he used to infuse his bones was not normal ice Qi, it was primordial ice Qi. It was far tougher and stronger than normal ice, but it also required more control and Qi to infuse it into his bones.



Huang Ying did not bother to say anything else, charging forward at full speed. Kong Youyan stepped forward, taking up position in front of Meng Changyu and allowing him to focus fully on firing his arrows. The distance between the two of them was crossed in an instance, Huang Ying stabbing out with Longinus, aiming for Kong Youyan's chest.



Kong Youyan put his flute to his mouth and blew into it, a soft tune ringing out. The tune sounded soft, but the air started to distort and vibrate strongly the moment the tune left the flute. When the tip of Longinus hit the distorted air, Huang Ying felt like he had hit a solid wall. Huang Ying stomped down on the ground, putting more force into his right arm, destruction Qi surging into the tip of Longinus.



The distorted air shattered, the sound used to create it vanishing into nothingness, Longinus continuing to pierce towards Kong Youyan. Kong Youyan's face distorted slightly as he struck down with his flute, colliding with the tip of Longinus. When he clashed with Longinus, he felt just how much force was behind that one strike.



He pushed down with his flute, trying to push the tip of Longinus into the ground, but as he begun to push it down, he noticed that his flute was slowly disintegrating. His face rapidly paled as he let go of his flute and jumped backwards. Had it not been for a golden arrow that flashed past his face and struck the tip of Longinus, the spear would have pierced into his leg.



“This...?!”



Kong Youyan could not help but look at the disintegrating flute, his face pale as he wondered, was this the effect of the devouring element? At the same time, he felt a slight pain in his heart, that flute had been with him for many years already, and now it was disintegrating like this. Kong Youyan took a deep breath, glaring at Huang Ying. He could not afford to care about his flute now, he first had to make sure that he could leave here alive.



Huang Ying ignored Kong Youyan's glare and charged forward, the tip of Longinus radiating a pitch black light that distorted the air around it. With Kong Youyan losing his weapon, Meng Changyu took the role of attacker upon himself, rapidly firing arrows. Firing them rapidly let him shoot out more of them, but the force behind each one was lowered drastically.



Kong Youyan did not stand by idly, he could still fight even without his flute after all. He started to let out several low whistles, each whistle turning into sharp vibrations that moved through the air at the speed of sound. Huang Ying narrowed his eyes slightly and stomped the ground, twisting his body as he continued to charge forward.



While Huang Ying could see the golden arrows that flew towards him, the vibrating blades were invisible, so he had to rely on the sound of them moving through the air to locate them. Despite this, Huang Ying was still able to easily dodge the arrows and blades, his gaze completely locked onto Kong Youyan and Meng Changyu, who were rapidly retreating as they threw out more attacks.



As Huang Ying got closer to the two of them, dodging and deflecting their attacks with ease, Kong Youyan noticed something. To dodge their attacks, Huang Ying had to move at speeds faster than sound, yet Kong Youyan could barely feel Huang Ying use any Qi to increase his speed. For a short moment, he could not help but be confused at this, but a realization quickly struck him, causing him to let out a shout as he stared at Huang Ying with disbelieving eyes.



“You madman! Not only have you infused yourself with your ice Qi, but even your lightning Qi! Are you trying to blow yourself up by having the different elements collide!?”



The only way Huang Ying could move that fast and barely use any Qi was if he had infused his own body with lightning Qi. But to do that when he had already infused his bones with ice Qi was the same as trying to kill himself. The lightning Qi would clash with the ice Qi, both vying for supremacy. Until finally, the clash between the two elements caused the body of Huang Ying to explode. Huang Ying merely responded with a faint smile.



“Does it look like I am about to explode?”



Just because others believed that it was impossible, did not mean that it was truly impossible. Huang Ying had indeed infused his body with his lightning Qi, drastically increasing his speed. He had also encountered what Kong Youyan mentioned, the different elements colliding, but that was easily brought under control by using his destruction Qi to destroy any trace of the colliding elements, forcing them into tranquility.



Huang Ying stomped the ground, shooting forward like a blur. He let a few of the golden arrows hit him and scorch his flesh, deciding that it was better to suffer a few injuries and quickly deal with Kong Youyan, rather than dodge the arrows and risk that something might go wrong. He reached Kong Youyan and Meng Changyu in a short instant, sweeping out with Longinus with such a speed that there was no chance for them to dodge.



Meng Changyu looked at the sweeping spear with a solemn expression, placing his bow in front of the incoming spear in hopes of blocking the brunt of the attack. Kong Youyan on the other hand grit his teeth, stepped in front of Meng Changyu, and let out a low whistle that caused the ground beneath him to vibrate. As the whistle rang out, the blood-vessels in his eyes exploded, coloring his eyes blood red. He raised both arms, pointing his palms towards the incoming spear as he continued to whistle.



The sleeves of his robe ruptured and laid his arms bare, showing that they were starting to crack, blood pouring out as the sound of his bones vibrating rang out. Longinus crashed into Kong Youyan's palms, coming to a complete halt as Huang Ying felt the bones in his arms creak. His right arm was still fine, but the bones in his left arm were on the verge of shattering, a terrifying vibration entering his body via Longinus.



Kong Youyan managed to stop the attack, but it clearly cost him quite a bit. Not only were his eyes dyed blood red, his arms were cracked and his entire face pale. Just as Kong Youyan grit his teeth and decided to use the same secret technique again, he felt a strange energy surround him. His face quickly lit up with a wide grin, because he knew what this energy meant, the end of the competition. With the energy surrounding him, he could not help but look at Huang Ying.



“Why are you only rank 99? Your strength has already gone far beyond a mere rank 99, you fucking monster.”



Huang Ying had been able to kill his brother, so he had already guessed that Huang Ying was stronger than his rank said. But to be at a level of strength where both he and Meng Changyu were completely suppressed when joining hands? That he had never expected. Huang Ying sensed the energy surround him, a slight frown on his face as he looked at Kong Youyan.



“I could ask the same of you, according to my calculations, you should be dead already. But you are not, so you have clearly hidden a few moves yourself.”



Huang Ying had no idea what technique Kong Youyan had used to block his attack at the end, and he was confident that he would have been able to slay Kong Youyan had it not been for that technique. Kong Youyan let out a sneer, the energy surrounding him turning into a white screen of light that brought him out of the competition grounds, only his words staying behind.



“This is not over, Huang Ying. There is no way the clans will allow something as ruthless as you to live for much longer, especially with that element you have.”



Huang Ying ignored Kong Youyan's threat, glancing at the spot where Meng Changyu had stood. He too was surrounded by a screen of white energy, his body quickly vanishing from the competition grounds. He looked at his own body, seeing a screen of white energy start to surround his body. He swept the ruined fortress with one last glance, a low mutter escaping his lips, heard by no one but him.



“Don't think that the hunt has ended just because the competition has. I will have your heads. I will have my revenge.

 

Chapter 179: Rampant arrogance.



When the white energy had completely surrounded Huang Ying, he felt a sensation as if his body was rapidly flying through the air. The sensation stopped after a short moment, the energy surrounding Huang Ying vanishing along with it. Once the energy vanished, Huang Ying found himself standing in the same white world they had entered at the very start of the competition, the bridge that connected the separate space with the outside world.



Huang Ying swept the surroundings with his eyes, checking if he could find Fang Shan and the others. He quickly spotted Fang Shan standing together with Shi Na in the distance, but his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a tear in Fang Shan's robe, revealing a fresh scar on her abdomen. He also quickly spotted Xin Yang and Zhao Feng, who were standing at separate places a good distance away from him.



Other than them, he also spotted Meng Changyu and Kong Youyan, both who were looking at Huang Ying with a mixture of fear and anger. Compared to how many they had been when they had entered, they were clearly fewer now. A quick count showed that they were at least 400 people less, so it seemed like Huang Ying had not been the only person who had killed some people during the competition.



A strong pressure descended upon the white world, enveloping all the people within it and preventing them from moving. The pressure enveloped all the people like a cocoon, the world around them quickly blurring. The blurring world was overtaken by a myriad of color, and the pressure enveloping them slowly started to recede. Once all the pressure was gone, they all found themselves standing in the center of the city again, surrounded by a large group of people.



A strange silence covered the area, neither the people who had just finished the competition nor the people surrounding them saying anything. Huang Ying quickly felt that something was off, because he could sense that there were quite a few people in the crowd that were looking at him and Fang Shan. He started to slowly make his way towards Fang Shan, both his eyes narrowed and his hands opening slightly, ready to strike at any moment. Just like Huang Ying worried, while he was making his way towards Fang Shan, a loud shout was heard from the crowd.



“You lowly beast, return my daughter to me!”



Right after the shout sounded, a middle-aged man shot out from the crowd. The middle-aged man held a large axe in his hands and his body was wreathed in crimson flames. His face was currently contorted into a wrathful expression, his eyes red and moist. The man had a cultivation that had reached the late stage of the Yin-Yang Formation realm, but he was far weaker than the people on the Rising Dragon List, so there was no real need for Huang Ying to worry.



But Huang Ying would still not allow anyone to attack his Fang Shan, not while he was around. In a flash of black light, Longinus appeared in Huang Ying's right hand, lightning covering the entire spear. Huang Ying took a step forward, the sound of rumbling thunder ringing out as his body blurred and he shot towards the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man barely even had the time to notice Huang Ying before it was already too late.



Huang Ying stabbed out with Longinus, piercing directly through the man's chest. All it took was a twist of his spear, and the man's entire chest was twisted apart, life vanishing from his eyes. Not even Kong Youyan could properly resist Huang Ying, much less this middle-aged man who was far weaker than Kong Youyan. The only sound present within the area was the sound of the man's body and axe hitting the ground.



Huang Ying pulled Longinus out of the man's chest, cleaning the blood off the tip by swinging the spear once. He stored away Longinus and swept the surrounding crowd with a cold gaze, he could sense several hidden auras at the back of the crowd, so the representatives of the seven overlords were clearly watching and waiting. A slight sneer suffused his lips as he spoke out.



“Anyone else want to step forward? Looking at all of you, you clearly know that I too have killed quite a few people during the competition. I am standing right here, so if you want your revenge, now is your chance.”



Huang Ying could somewhat guess how the people here figured out exactly who it was that killed others during the competition. In the air above them, he could see a large scroll filled with names. Besides each name was a number, showing how many points they had acquired during the competition. But there were several names missing from the scroll, the names of those who had been killed.



Whenever a name disappeared from the list, they could check who it was that had gained points equal to the points that the deceased had as they died. Of course, it was not 100 percent accurate, but it was good enough for these people. After hearing Huang Ying's words, there were several people in the crowd who seemed to tense up, their firsts clenching as they stared at him with expressions dyed in hatred. Other than those who stared at him with hatred, there were others that stared at him with surprised expressions, exclaiming slightly at his actions, which could only be described as rampantly arrogant.



Huang Ying recognized the people who stared at him with hatred, they were the families and friends of the people he had killed during the competition. Thanks to his devouring element, he had devoured the memories of nearly every person he had killed, he knew exactly how many people would grieve after hearing about his kills. Huang Ying had long since come to terms with their hatred and grief, and he had come to a decision about how he would handle it.



The decision he had come to was that their grief and hatred meant nothing to him. Huang Ying had people he wanted to protect and things he wanted to achieve, and he had decided that anyone who tried to stop him or harm those close to him, he would kill them without mercy. He would not care about the grief and hatred of those left behind, they would either try to take revenge, or they would be too scared to do anything against him. If they were too scared to do anything to him, he would not bother with them, but if they were to try and get their revenge, he would kill them too.



After a short moment, it seemed like there was finally someone who could no longer resist. An old woman covered in wrinkles clenched her fists tightly and took half a step forward, but before she could do anything, a loud voice rang out over the entire area.



“Halt! No one is allowed to fight within the city center! The competition has ended, and the Immortal's Garden will open in one month, everyone return to your own homes!”



Huang Ying saw a man fly out from the crowd, soaring in the sky above everyone as his voice reached everyone. Since he could fly, he was either a cultivator who used wind or someone who had reached the Immortal Ascension realm. The old woman who had taken half a step forward grit her teeth, but eventually stepped back. Huang Ying merely glanced at the man flying above them, his lips curling into a sneer.



If fighting was truly forbidden, then they would have stopped the man who attacked earlier. Since they had chosen not to do so, instead waiting and watching, it was clear that they were trying to achieve something, most likely checking how strong Huang Ying and Fang Shan really were. Huang Ying swept the retreating crowd with his eyes one last time, before turning around and nonchalantly stepping over the corpse of the middle-aged man. He quickly reached Fang Shan and the others, a smile appearing on his face as he grasped Fang Shan's hand.



“Shall we return to the academy? We need to prepare for the opening of the Immortal's Garden.”

 

Chapter 180: Plans laid in secret.



With the disciples finishing the competition, silence descend on Heaven's Crossroads City. The people who had gathered enough points to be allowed to enter the Immortal's Garden were quickly informed, relieved sighs and cheers of joy ringing out. Huang Ying also got the confirmation that he had obtained the right to enter the Immortal's Garden, as did Fang Shan, Xin Yang, Shi Na, Zhao Feng.



Huang Ying was a bit surprised that Shi Na was able to acquire enough points, but he guessed that Fang Shan might have helped her. The two were standing very close when they left the competition area, so he guessed that they probably traveled together during the competition. With the results coming out, the atmosphere within Heaven's Crossroads City started to slowly boil, everyone preparing for the opening of the Immortal's Garden.



But not everyone was was filled with excitement and joy, there were some that were filled with rage and anguish. And the main reasons behind this rage and anguish were Huang Ying and Fang Shan. They had killed quite a few people during the competition, far more people had died during this competition than the past ones.



And it was because of this, that there was currently a meeting taking place within one of the restaurants in the city. The entire upper floor of the restaurant had been rented for the day, but there was no food being served, no jolly atmosphere or loud voices. The walls between the rooms were removed, turning the entire upper floor into a single large room. Colorful plants and beautiful works of arts decorated the room, but the atmosphere was grim and solemn.



A large crystal table had been set up in the middle of the room, exquisite wooden chairs surrounding the table. People of all shapes and ages were seated around the table, their cultivation ranging from the Yin-Yang Formation realm all the way to the Deity Heart realm. If Huang Ying was here, he would surely recognize all of these people as close family and teachers of the people he had killed during the competition. For a few moments, there was a sullen silence around the table. The one who broke the silence was the same old woman who had almost stepped up against Huang Ying right after the competition.



“Let's not beat around the bush. We all know why we are here, we want those little monsters dead. Now, who has any ideas?”



The old woman swept the people around the table with her eyes, waiting for anyone to respond. A snort sounded out from a burly man whose body looked like it was made entirely out of muscle, a disdainful sneer hanging on his lips.



“All we have to do is wait for them to leave the academy. Once they do that, I will charge in and kill them both. I will hang their heads on the top of the city walls.”



The man had a confident expression on his face, but the rest of the people around the table looked at him as if he was an idiot. While the man started to feel that something was wrong, the old woman spoke out again, almost spitting the words as she scolded the man.



“Has your anger turned you dumb? Or have you always been this retarded?”



Before the man had the chance to get angry at the old woman's words, the old woman slammed her palm onto the table, the loud sound echoing around the room. A piece of paper had appeared in her hand, and she spoke while pushing it towards the man.



“Not even when Kong Youyan worked together with Meng Changyu were they able to gain the upper hand against Huang Ying, they almost lost their lives even. What do you think you will be able to accomplish?”



The paper contained the full description of the fight between Huang Ying and Kong Youyan, written by Kong Youyan himself. The man read the paper, his face slowly turning pale as he realized what he had almost done. The man was at the late stage of the Yin-Yang Formation realm, but he did not dare say that he was stronger than Kong Youyan. At best, he could reach a draw with Meng Changyu. After a short moment of silence, another woman sitting at the table spoke up, her voice a little low and uncertain.



“What about the Waning Moon? Can we hire them to do it for us?”



The Waning Moon belonged to the Heaven's Secrets Company, and it dealt with the more unsavory and under the table matters, with assassinations being their specialty. Even Sovereigns had fallen at the hands of Waning Moon assassins. The one who responded to the question was not the old woman, but a man who covered his face with a white porcelain mask.



“They are refusing to accept the mission. Not only that, they even killed the man I sent over to commission the task.”



Several people around the table sucked in a breath of cold air after they heard the words of the masked man, their faces sinking as their expressions distorted. The woman who asked the question raised her head slightly, a depressed expression on her face.



“He has ties to the Heaven's Secrets Company?”



That was the only possibility they could think of. The Waning Moon even dared assassinate Sovereigns, so there was no way they feared a child like Huang Ying. The masked man gave a slight nod of his head, giving a short response.



“Most likely.”



The atmosphere around the table turned even grimmer, the sound of grit teeth and clenched fists the only sound that could be heard. After a short moment of silence, the burly man who had spoken up earlier slammed his fist onto the table, cursing out loudly.



“Then what the fuck is the point of this meeting? If he has connections that high up, if we were to do anything against him, wouldn't that mean that we would risk getting killed because of it?”



There were several others around the table who had the same thoughts. They wanted to get revenge, but there was no point in getting revenge if they lost their own lives. After all, few people were so vengeful that they would be fine with losing their own lives to get revenge. But shortly after the burly man spoke out, a slight smile appeared on the masked man's face, a purple glow flashing past his lips.



“There is no need to worry about any of that.”



Everyone around the table turned their attention towards the masked man, waiting for him to continue speaking. The masked man stood up, digging his hand into his violet robe as he seemed to be searching for something. While he searched his robe, he spoke with a confident, almost nonchalant voice.



“In one month, the Immortal's Garden will open. Huang Ying and Fang Shan will both enter it, and once inside, they can only leave when the seven overlords open the passage again. In there, no one can help him.”



The faces of the other people around the table did not show much change upon hearing his words. After all, this information was something that all of them already knew. The old woman who first spoke opened her mouth again, her lips forming a tiny sneer.



“You are implying we get someone else who is entering the garden to kill him? With his connections, would they even dare to touch him?”



But contrary to what the old woman expected, the masked man shook his head. He stopped digging around inside his own robe, taking out a blue crystal and placing it on the table, his voice containing a faint laughter as he spoke.



“We won't have anyone else do it. We will head in ourselves. While it is said that only people below the Immortal Ascension realm can enter the Immortal's Garden, that is not completely true. As long as a Sovereign is willing to help us, we can send in as many people as we want. And I just so happen to know a Sovereign that is willing to help us.”



The other people around the table could not help but gawk slightly. This masked man knew a Sovereign that would help them? Sovereigns stood above everyone else, getting one to help you was far from easy. But they were still not quite convinced, the old woman opening her mouth again.



“What about his possible connection to the Heaven's Secrets Company?”



No one would dare lie about knowing a Sovereign, and even if this masked man was lying, they would quickly find out. The masked man continued to smile faintly, putting a slight amount of Qi into the blue crystal and pushing it forward slightly as he spoke.



“This array will block out any outside interference. Not even a Sovereign will be able to see what is happening within this array. We will surround them with this, and then we will kill them. No one else is allowed to know what we are doing, so we must make sure to kill everyone within the array.”



The blue crystal lit up, an array appearing and covering the crystal. No matter how much the other people around the table tried to, they were unable extend their perception into the array, they were not even able to see into the array. After a short moment of testing the array, the people around the table started laughing slowly.

 

Chapter 181: A relaxed day.



Time continued to slowly pass, the opening of the Immortal's Garden slowly drawing closer and closer. The people who were going to enter the Immortal's Garden were all focusing on increasing their strength, sharpening their trump cards so that they could acquire better resources from the Immortal's Garden. After a few days were passed in quiet cultivation, Huang Ying's cultivation was cut short by a simple demand by Fang Shan.



“Accompany me.”



Huang Ying opened his eyes, standing up from the bed and stretching his body. Ever since the end of the competition, neither he nor Fang Shan had left their cabin. His eyes landed on Fang Shan, who was looking at him with a gaze that told him that he did not have the right to refuse, so he only gave a slight smile and a nod.



“Sure, where to?”



After he spoke, he entered the bathroom, turning on the shower and giving himself a quick clean. As a cultivator, he released far less sweat and waste than others, but he still liked to shower and feel clean. Once he finished his shower, Fang Shan handed him a fresh blue robe and spoke up.



“Into the city, always being stressed and focused on cultivation isn't good for you.”



Huang Ying slightly raised one of his eyebrows after hearing her statement, the slight smile on his face growing slightly. Fang Shan was a Demonic beast, a race which was far more impatient than humans. He put on the fresh blue robe, grabbing onto Fang Shan's hand and heading towards the door as he spoke.



“Alright, I acquired quite a bit of money during the competition, so we can go get something good to eat.”



How could Huang Ying not see what Fang Shan wanted to do? Not only was she impatient, he also knew that she was basically an insatiable glutton. She was clearly just looking for an excuse to drag him into the city so they could have some fun and eat a lot of food. Just like Huang Ying expected, Fang Shan's face bloomed into a smile.



“I knew you'd understand me.”



The two left the cabin hand in hand, locking the door after them. As they walked down the path that would lead them to the exit of the city, quietly chatting about whatever came to mind, a kind voice interrupted them, prompting them to stop walking momentarily.



“Junior Brother Ying, Junior Sister Shan. Are the two of you heading out?”



Huang Ying and Fang Shan turned towards the right, spotting Zhouyun who was walking towards them with a relaxed gait and a calm and warm smile on his face. Huang Ying put on a slight smile of his own, responding with a calm voice.



“Good morning, Senior Brother Zhouyun. We are indeed heading out into town for a bit, just to relax a little.”



Zhouyun put on a somewhat surprised face when he heard Huang Ying's response, but his smile quickly regained its normal calmness. He stepped forward, putting on a slightly nervous and worried face as he looked at Huang Ying and Fang Shan.



“I see, then you must make sure that you are careful. There are quite a few people that are rather angry at you, it would be a shame if anything happened.”



He acted like a senior brother who was truly worried about the safety of his junior brother, even stepping forward and reaching out to pat Fang Shan on the shoulder. But before his hand got to make contact with Fang Shan's shoulder, Huang Ying grabbed onto his wrist and stopped him from moving his hand further. Zhouyun turned towards Huang Ying, a confused look on his face as he spoke.



“Junior Brother Ying, is there anything wrong?”



Huang Ying continued to hold onto Zhouyun's wrist, only letting go when Zhouyun pulled his arm back. He wore a a slight smile, glancing at Zhouyun's fingers with a somewhat sharp gaze as he spoke.



“Oh, it is just that your fingers looked a little purple, so I was worried that you would dirty her clothing. Perhaps you should clean your fingers and make sure that they stay clean in the future.”



Huang Ying had devoured the memories of several people who had fallen under Zhouyun's control, so he was very clear on the effect that Zhouyun's strange element had on people. There was no way he was going to let him touch a single hair on Fang Shan's body. Zhouyun's eyebrow twitched slightly when he heard Huang Ying's remark, his expression sinking for a split second. But he quickly managed to regain his state of mind, a thankful smile appearing on his face as he nodded to Huang Ying.



“Thank you for the warning, I will make sure to keep it in mind.”



Huang Ying bade Zhouyun farewell, walking past him and leaving Zhouyun's eyebrow slightly twitching as he looked at their leaving backs with a slightly dark gaze. After they had walked a good distance away from Zhouyun, Fang Shan spoke out in a low voice.



“Was he really trying to use that strange element of his? At this point in time?”



Fang Shan had heard about Zhouyun's strange element, she was even on guard against it, but she did not expect Zhouyun to try and take control over either her or Huang Ying at this point in time. He hadn't tried to use that element against them earlier, so what was the point in doing it now, when they were hated by quite a few people in the city? Huang Ying gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, nonchalantly responding.



“No idea, I just didn't want him to touch you.”



Huang Ying had no idea how Zhouyun's strange element worked, he only knew that it basically controlled the victim's mind, and that it seemed to require him to touch his victim. But even if it weren't for that strange element, Huang Ying would not want Zhouyun to touch Fang Shan. Fang Shan's lips curled into a smug smirk as she reached out, poking Huang Ying's cheek as she spoke.



“Hah, jealous that someone else is interested in me?”



Huang Ying slightly turned his head, his gaze landing on the smug smirk on Fang Shan's face. His eyes rolled for a short second before his own lips curled into a smug smile.



“Weren't you the same when you thought about Jing He?”



Huang Ying still remembered how Fang Shan acted when the two of them arrived at the Green Willows continent and retraced the path he had taken there. She tried to hide it well, but she had clearly been jealous about the time Jing He had spent with him. Seeing Huang Ying's pleased expression, Fang Shan stopped poking his cheek, clicking her tongue.



“Tch, don't you look so smug. Just watch me make you pay for everything.”



While Fang Shan grumbled slightly, Huang Ying shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. Of course he would pay for everything, he had always been paying for everything.



“Isn't that how it always is when we go out?”



The two continued to chat amongst each other as they left the academy, heading into the city to look for a place to eat. While walking, they would occassionally stop at a street vendor and check out what they were selling, the two thoroughly enjoying themselves. In the end, they settled on a small restaurant that allowed its customers to sit on a porch in front of the restaurant.



Huang Ying and Fang Shan weren't the only customers sitting on the porch and enjoying their meal, there were a few other people, mostly couples and families. Some people looked at Huang Ying and Fang Shan with wary gazes, but most simply paid them no heed. While they were eating and chatting, Huang Ying suddenly spoke out with a slight sigh.



“Please leave, I want to enjoy a nice and peaceful meal.”



Some of the people around them looked a bit surprised when Huang Ying suddenly raised his voice, but Fang Shan simply continued to eat. Huang Ying swept the surroundings, his eyes narrowing and his gaze growing sharper. While he swept the surroundings, the shadows around the porch started to wriggle and extend, Huang Ying's voice turning cold.



“Then so be it.”



After his voice rang out, the sound of muffled thunder rang out, Huang Ying's body blurring. When Huang Ying's body blurred, four people clad in black leather shot out from the shadows. Two people aimed at the place where Huang Ying had sat, while the other two aimed at the place where Fang Shan was sitting. But before they could ever reach their targets, Huang Ying had already grabbed onto the foot of one of the people.



Huang Ying exerted his strength, swinging the person he was grabbing, using him like a club as he repeatedly smashed him into the three other people. Dull sounds rang out whenever Huang Ying hit someone, but the dull sounds quickly turned into cracking and squishing sounds, the bodies of all four people quickly ending up mutilated from the great force. It took Huang Ying less than a minute to kill all four people, their blood splattering the porch, their bodies shattering the surrounding tables and the porch beneath them.



After all four were dead, Huang Ying let go of the now completely limp and mutilated person he had used to smash the other three. While the rest of the customers had backed up and were looking at Huang Ying with clear terror, he walked over to the waiter, handing him and interspatial ring filled with money.



“Forgive me for the disturbance, this should cover the cost of the damages.”



The moment Huang Ying had grabbed onto the leg of the person he used as a club, he had flooded his mind with his devouring Qi, going through all his memories. They were sent by a group known as the Night Rose, an independent assassins guild. The waiter was still shocked and terrified when Huang Ying handed him the interspatial ring, but he quickly shook his head and regained his mind, giving Huang Ying a deep bow as his face paled slightly.



“...Ah! Please don't worry about it, it wasn't a problem.”



The waiter tried to give back the interspatial ring, but Huang Ying forced him to accept it. He then returned to his seat, speaking to the undisturbed and still eating Fang Shan with a slight smile.



“Let's continue the meal, the Immortal's Garden will open soon, so we should enjoy ourselves while we still can.”



The more nonchalant and calmer Huang Ying acted, the more terrified the surrounding customers got. It was as if he had not just used one person to kill three others, but instead simply taken out some trash. They now firmly believed that the name Huang Ying was synonymous for violence.

 

KEEP ON!