Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Fang Zhengzhi had seen Yan Xiu wield the Dao of Asura before. He still remembered the faint red and the sharp killing power.
However, it was clearly different from how Yan Xiu was now.
Nangong Hao had seen Yan Xiu’s Dao of Asura before. He witnessed it together with Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and the other candidates during the release of the Theory Examination results.
That time, Yan Xiu’s actions had shocked all of the officials present.
However…
He was suppressed by the Emperor’s words. But today, who could suppress Yan Xiu?
All of the candidates wanted to stop Yan Xiu, but Yan Xiu was too fast. Furthermore, the aura that Yan Xiu was exuding struck fear in their hearts.
Of course…
Bai Xing did not know fear.
That being said, it would be impossible if Bai Xing wasn’t shocked when he saw the red glow enveloping Yan Xiu.
After the battle on Cang Ling Mountain, he had spent most of his time in the Southern Mountain Range. His entire focus was put here, so he naturally ignored the intelligence coming from the Great Xia Dynasty.
Yan Xiu had shown the Dao of Asura at the preliminary court examinations.
As such, Bai Xing had no idea.
“The Dao… of Asura?!” Bai Xing was in the Rebirth State. Naturally, he knew what the Dao of Asura entailed.
However, Bai Xing was not afraid of the Dao of Asura.
However, for a 16-year-old teenager to be able to wield the Dao of Asura? 16?! That would mean that he already had one foot in the Rebirth State at 16. Such a talent would only appear once every few centuries.
“But he seems a little unstable!” Bai Xing smirked as he looked at the red glow surrounding Yan Xiu and staining Yan Xiu’s eyes.
The Dao of Asura was a virtuous one.
However, it was a unique one amongst the virtuous Daos. The Dao of Asura originated from anger and fury. Bai Xing did not know how long Yan Xiu had been training in the Dao of Asura.
However, he knew that Yan Xiu’s fury originated from…
Fang Zhengzhi!
Bai Xing, who was the leader of all ten demonic domains, guessed this easily. He could see it in Yan Xiu’s expression.
He was determined to make Yan Xiu even angrier.
It was not difficult for Bai Xing to do this. As someone who has spent more than a decade in the Rebirth State, he was much more powerful than Yan Xiu.
A silver ray of light shot skyward and Bai Xing disappeared from where he stood, becoming one with the silver ray of light.
Fang Zhengzhi had seen the battle between Bai Xing and Xing Yuanguo.
At that time, the purple light had crossed with the silver one. He could not see if it was human or light, but he could see that the purple light had the advantage.
He remembered it well, but he did not really understand how terrifying it was.
However, when Bai Xing disappeared once again, Fang Zhengzhi felt it for himself.
What else could unsettle one’s opponent more than disappearing into a ray of light?
“Watch out!” Fang Zhengzhi heard a sound from his side.
Fang Zhengzhi knew that this came from Nangong Hao, but he didn’t know if it was directed at him or Yan Xiu.
Of course…
He realized in a moment.
Yan Xiu’s Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was in front of him in an instant, the red crystals glowing in all their ferocity.
The stench of blood was thick in the air.
Fang Zhengzhi did not know why Yan Xiu’s Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan would be coming towards him, but he knew he could not dodge.
After all, he had been concentrating on Bai Xing. He never thought that he would need to defend against Yan Xiu.
“Boom!”
He felt a sharp pain that shot right through his brain. It was an icy, sharp pain, almost as if he had just been thrown into the depths of hell.
Fang Zhengzhi had already been injured by the strike from Bai Xing. However, before he could recover, he was hit by yet another powerful attack.
He blacked out.
A stream of blood spewed from his mouth as his legs turned to jelly.
The bright red blood danced in the air and dropped onto the blade of the Traceless Sword. The strange purple glow continued to expand as it became brighter and brighter.
…
Silence, pin drop silence.
All of the soldiers looked on in shock as they saw Fang Zhengzhi collapsed.
Bai Xing’s appearance, Yan Xiu’s attack, and Fang Zhengzhi’s subsequent collapse had all happened too quickly.
Bai Xing’s ability and identity were a given.
The red demonic eye on his forehead said it all.
The soldiers were all shocked to see Bai Xing appear. Then, Fang Zhengzhi’s ability to block his attack was even more awe-inducing. After all, that was an attack from a Rebirth State cultivator.
They all began to celebrate.
At least Fang Zhengzhi was still alive. That was the best result they could have hoped for. However, who would expect tragedy to strike so quickly.
Furthermore…
It had happened so quickly and in the most unexpected way. None of the soldiers would expect that Fang Zhengzhi would fall to Yan Xiu’s Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.
Even Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and all the other candidates could not predict such an ending.
Even Yan Xiu and Nangong Hao could not react in time. Nangong Hao had seen Bai Xing attack, but he could not stop it.
The reason was simple.
There were three people facing Bai Xing, himself, the injured Fang Zhengzhi, and the Dao of Asura wielding Yan Xiu.
The choice was simple.
He had to stop Bai Xing from attacking Fang Zhengzhi. However, he did not expect that Bai Xing would use Yan Xiu…
As such, when Yan Xiu attacked Fang Zhengzhi with his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, Nangong Hao was unable to stop it.
“Fang Zhengzhi!” Nangong Hao’s expression changed as a ray of golden light instantly enveloped himself and Fang Zhengzhi.
Yan Xiu’s expression was significantly more pained. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
“I… I killed Fang Zhengzhi?!” Yan Xiu shut his eyes as he looked at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi. He knew how powerful that attack was.
If he had hit home…
Even he himself would be seriously injured and bedridden for a year and a half. Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had already been seriously injured by Bai Xing’s attack.
Pain and rage consumed him in that instant.
In fact, when he had seen Bai Xing attack Fang Zhengzhi, he was already furious.
He was not angry with Bai Xing.
He was angry with himself.
He blamed himself for not insisting on fighting with Fang Zhengzhi. He blamed himself for spectating the battle and not expecting a sneak attack.
Where were they?!
The Southern Mountain Range!
Danger was everywhere.
Yet, under such circumstances, he had been engrossed by the battle between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi. He had completely ignored the possibility of a sneak attack.
He had been too complacent!
The demons had hidden amongst the candidates, yet he had missed it out? He was furious.
And now?
Just as he was raging, his attack had hit the seriously injured Fang Zhengzhi.
Blood…
Bright red blood stained the ground and Yan Xiu’s eyes. His eye was completely red. One could not see the whites nor the pupils.
Bai Xing appeared some distance away, his starry eyes looking at Yan Xiu, who was completely consumed by red.
“Not bad, what a beautiful strike!” Bai Xing pointed at Fang Zhengzhi and smirked.
…
“It’s the demons! Rebirth State demon! Charge, don’t let him run!”
“Kill!”
“Send the order to surround him!”
All of the generals sprang into action. When faced with demons, they only had one mission. Kill any demon that they saw.
Ass to who will kill him?
It wasn’t for them to decide. Regardless, they would surround the demon first.
Xing Qingsui glanced at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, then back at the smirking Bai Xing.
“It is the leader of the 10 demonic domains, Bai Xing!” Xing Qingsui was not like the other generals. He knew what the plan was.
Furthermore, he knew for a fact that Bai Xing’s appearance…
Was no coincidence!
Could it be that the demons had laid an ambush in the Icy Monkey Settlement?
Xing Qingsui looked towards the Icy Monkey Settlement. Then, his gaze froze. He saw a group of soldiers in rattan standing on the walls of the Icy Monkey Settlement.
It wasn’t just the soldiers on the wall, there were regiments marching out of the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement.
“The Southern Mountain Range… good on them! They actually placed so many soldiers here to ambush us?” Xing Qingsui gripped his fists.
He could recognize that these were the soldiers from the Southern Mountain Range. He could also guess why they were here.
Then, he heard similar noises from his back.
“Not good, the soldiers from Feng Su are also wrapping around!”
“There are soldiers from the Southern Mountain Range on both sides, we are surrounded!”
“Silence!”
All of the soldiers fell silent, the generals looking to Xing Qingsui for direction.
Xing Qingsui was the successor to the Stabilization Constabulary. Furthermore, he had the Emperor’s token in hand. They would follow him to hell and back.
“Hold your ground!” Xing Qingsui ordered without much thought. He knew that every moment of hesitation could cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers.
“Yes, sir!” The voices replied in unison.
…
Yun Qingwu watched all of these unfold from the top of the cliff. However, her gaze never left Fang Zhengzhi’s body.
Her lips parted and closed but never made any sound. She looked on quietly before she touched the veil covering her face, her expression conflicted.
One could not discern if it was hurt, joy, reminiscence, or contemplation.
Then, she retrieved a dark green Guqin.
The men at the back were all slightly taken aback when they saw Yun Qingwu take out her Guqin. However, they reacted quickly.
With the movement of his finger, one of the men commanded the rocks on the cliff. The rocks all came together to form a stool and a table.
Yun Qingwu did not speak as she took her seat. Then, she placed the Guqin on the table and looked up at the clear blue sky.
No one knew what Yun Qingwu was thinking.
Then, Yun Qingwu’s voice became clearer. It sounded like a dialogue, but it was between Yun Qingwu and herself.
“What would you like to listen to?”
“Haha…”
“Young Master Fang is a great person, but this piece, “Guang Ling Verse” has many parts. Which part would Young Master Fang like to listen to first?”
Then, Yun Qingwu pursed her lips.
The melodious sound of the Guqin rang out and reverberated through the mountains. It sounded as though it was recounting a memory whose existence was a mystery.
…
“Why is there music?!”
“It sounds like Guang Ling Verse? Who is playing such beautiful music?”
“Look, there is someone on top of the cliff. My… my god, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is… is that Yun Qingwu?!”
All of the candidates looked at the lady in the white dress on top of the cliff. What the could not understand was…
Why would Yun Qingwu show herself here?!