Otherwordly Evil Monarch

Chapters 361~370

Chapter 361: The Snake King Comes Out to Fight!

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Sikong An Ye and the others were walking away when they heard Jun Mo Xie speak. Then, Sikong An Ye turned to Duanmu Chao Fan, and smiled. He then exclaimed, "This brat is extremely shameless. He reminds me of your youth!"

Duanmu Chao Fan got extremely angry at this. So, he grabbed the other party's arm and replied, "Me... how... no... no... no... no..."

Sikong An Ye raised his hands in surrender. He smiled even though he looked like he was going to cry. He spoke to his counterpart, but it seemed as if he was in pain, "My bad, brother. I shouldn't have irritated you. Listening to you speak is very painful. Change it for me! Why won't you? Damn it, I've tried to change this lousy habit of your speech for decades, but it's still the same!"

Dongfang Wen Qing pushed Jun Wu Yi's wheelchair ahead, and came to a stop in front of Jun Mo Xie amidst all that confusion.

Jun Wu Yi raised his eyebrows, and smiled helplessly as he looked at his nephew. Then, he gently asked, "You?"

Jun Mo Xie chuckled and replied, "Third Uncle, you're very brave! You single-handedly dealt with so many Level Nine Xuan beasts. And, they retreated! In fact, they retreated, and you aren't even out of breath after going through all of that! This is miraculous! In fact, you remained seated on your wheelchair the entire time. You didn't even move the entire time! This youngster genuinely admires you!"

"You little devil!" Jun Wu Yi stared at him and snorted. However, he didn't ask anything further. He knew that all of this was somehow related to Jun Mo Xie, but he didn't inquire. This wasn't something that he could ask at that time. One reason behind this was rather obvious... there were many present there who could listen-in. And, the other... he was sure that Jun Mo Xie had organized this, but the method to accomplish that must've been derived out of his secrets. Therefore, the lesser others knew of it... the better it was. After all, it was a secret...

[It is better when one isn't in the knowledge of some things.]

Therefore, Jun Wu Yi chose to let it go.

However, Jun Wu Yi was proud of his nephew. Because, his nephew had made such a miracle happen. In fact, he believed that no one besides his nephew could've pulled something like that off.

It could be said that he was the apex expert of this world from that perspective.

An empty space had been left open on the field at that point of time.

An extremely pretty and delicate woman stood in the center of the open space. She seemed like a magnolia in a valley of flowers as she stood there in a calm and quiet manner. Such a beauty was rare to come by. But, that young lady's temperament was even rarer than her beauty.

A flourishing figure, a round bottom, and a waist so slender that one could almost clench it... In fact, it seemed as if a gentle breeze could break her figure. The first thought any person would get after laying their eyes on such a woman would be - she's a stunner!

However, no one got that feeling by looking at this young woman's body. She simply seemed lovely, warm, pretty, and lively.

Her eyes were as clear as water. Her facial features were extremely exquisite. The light breeze seemed to be gently caressing her long hair. This left one to believe that she was a fairy or an immortal. The more a man would look at her... the more he'd fall for her. He'd feel that this green-clothed maiden with her fresh and pure face wasn't well-versed in the affairs of life, and that she was very innocent. And, this would leave a man to feel a strong desire to protect her.

The Snake King!

[How could such an attractive person... such a world-shaking beauty of a young woman be the legendary King of Poisons? How could something so pure have any relation with the cruel, sinister, and dreadful Xuan Beast Snake King...?! The disparity was akin to that between the heaven and earth!]

However, she was!

This green-clad young woman was one of the twelve Xuan Beast Kings of Tian Fa forest - the Snake King! She was the King of Poisons! And, she was also the most dreadful Beast King of Tian Fa - Snake King!

Green Hunter!

This was extremely unexpected in Jun Mo Xie's eyes. [Venerable Mei hasn't sent the strongest Beast King after them... that is... Long Crane...? They've sent the Snake King instead? Can it be that she's more capable than he is? Or will she use poison to win?] Jun Mo Xie thought about it, but realized that it wasn't very likely to happen.

It was important to know that the Snake King was the King of Poisons. In fact, she was the king of all poisons. However, the person she'd face would be one of the Eight Great Masters of the continent. It couldn't be said that no poison would be able to affect them... perhaps some very evil poison could infiltrate their body. But, a regular poison would have no effect on someone whose cultivation was at the peak of the Spirit Xuan realm.

It could also be said that the Great Masters were astute, and had deep foresight. Moreover, they possessed rich and exquisite battle experience. Their lives would've perhaps been endangered by poisons on many occasions since there would've been no shortage of enemies who would've tried to poison them. Therefore, they must've come up with countermeasures to pre-empt such situations by now.

What would be the use of poisons if such was the case? Even the legendary poison that could kill a person upon coming in contact with their body would have a significantly reduced impact on someone with a Great Master's level of cultivation!

There was an intense discussion amongst the Great Masters who represented humanity. Then, a lone black-clothed figure stepped forward, and stood opposite the Snake King. That person was someone Jun Mo Xie had never expected... the representatives of humanity had sent the Cold-Blooded Master Lei Wu Bei.

The candidate had been selected much faster than Jun Mo Xie had forecasted. However, he didn't think Lei Wu Bei was the best choice. The best choice would've been the Solitary Falcon. One needed someone with nimble movements... someone who'd end the fight quickly whilst dealing with an opponent who would poison as a weapon. Moreover, the humanity required someone who could hit the target from a height, and could avoid its attack by using an aerial advantage plus agility.

The Solitary Falcon had a natural and comprehensive advantage in this situation. Moreover, his martial skills were derived from that of a bird. And, the enemy was the Snake King. Snakes were natural prey for such birds! Falcons eat snakes!

Jun Mo Xie could think of this. So, why didn't the alliance's leaders? Shi Chang Xiao and the others also wanted the Solitary Falcon to fight in this round. However, they couldn't dare to say it. The situation was quite obvious at that point. The alliance was in a losing position in this 'three round' battle since they had already lost the first round. So, there would be no need for the third battle if they lost the second one.

The Solitary Falcon looked at Li Jue Tian and his son with displeasure. His relationship with the Young Master Jun was obvious to everyone. The fact was that the Jun Family had gone into battle with huge disparity in comparative strength with respect to their opponents. But, they had managed to return unscathed. One could say that Tian Fa had been negligent. But, who would believe that reasoning?

[They were lucky? Three-hundred men were that lucky? Did they receive the Heaven's blessings?] Only an idiot would believe that!

No one believed that the Jun Family and the Solitary Falcon would betray the continent for their personal gains. But, what if they did... just in case...? Who would bear the responsibility if that were to happen? Therefore, the alliance decided to choose their second best option, and sent Lei Wu Bei instead.

Anyway, Lei Wu Bei's Xuan cultivation was more profound than that of the Solitary Falcon's.

Both the sides had sent their contenders - the Fifth Great Master from the alliances' side... versus the Snake King!

Suddenly, a bright ray of light flashed from the other side of Tian Fa, and a vigorous silhouette rushed forward. In fact, it only left a few after-images behind. It arrived between Jun Wu Yi and Dongfang Wen Qing like lightning. It grabbed the person who stood between them - Jun Mo Xie. Then, it left with a similarly lightning speed, and only left some after-images behind.

Two blurry after-images had arrived on the left and the right side of the field respectively. They were so densely packed that they looked like two parallel lines. In fact, they resembled two squadrons of soldiers who stood in orderly formations. And then, they disappeared...

"The Immortal Incarnation of a Million Mirages! The World Cage!" Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng cried out in alarm. The two men had been left shocked upon witnessing the endless and profound methods of the Lord of Tian Fa.

[How many hidden tricks does this Venerable Mei have in their treasure chest? Could it be that their strength has caught up with that of the Lord of the Elusive World of the Immortals?]

[But... Tian Fa is... also...] The two men barely managed to swallow their saliva.

Venerable Mei had used her profound technique to capture Jun Mo Xie. It was the same one that she had previously used to deal with Li Jue Tian - The World Cage. Jun Mo Xie had stealthily escaped from her hands a while ago. And, she was somewhat confused about the 'how' of it... But, she was sure that it was a profoundly mysterious technique nonetheless.

However, she had then joined the dots, and had figured that it was quite possible for this Young Master Jun to be that mysterious experts' disciple. This would also explain his mysterious technique. She couldn't understand that technique. Nor could she comprehend the method of dealing with it. However, being on guard against that brat, and being able to restrain her desires were two entire different matters!

Therefore, Venerable Mei used her World Cage technique to capture Jun Mo Xie. She hadn't used this technique in her last attempt because she had sensed that the little brat's power was as good as 'trash'. Therefore, the usage of such a heavenly skill would've been akin to 'overkill'. However, she had confirmed that his evasion skills were unparalleled in the world even though his strength was trash. Therefore, she had employed the entirety of her effort by using that sharp skill in order to capture him. She had then quickly returned to her own side of the field, and threw him buttocks-first to the ground.

"Bang!" Pain surged through Jun Mo Xie's posterior as he hit the ground. Fortunately, there were no stones on the ground... otherwise something would've exploded... ahm...

Jun Wu Yi raised his eyebrows. Dongfang Wen Qing hastily whispered to his ears, "The one who has just taken action was the lord of Tian Fa... the same person who took a fancy to Mo Xie's excellent aptitude... And, we had also heard that this person has taken an interest in taking Mo Xie on as a disciple. In my eyes, this matter is a good fortune rather than a disaster for Mo Xie. So, let's not be reckless." Jun Wu Yi's eyes were full of worry. But, he knew that he couldn't do anything against the powerful Lord of Tian Fa. He could only pray for Jun Mo Xie's safe return to Tian Xiang.

No one had expected Venerable Mei to move into action, or to use that skill. In fact, even Jun Mo Xie hadn't anticipated it. However, he realized that he couldn't move a single part of his body by the time he had thought of doing something in response. The Young Master had then thought of going into the Hong Jun Pagoda to escape from his captor. After all, his spirit was still connected to the pagoda. However, he was shocked to find that his body still couldn't make that movement.

His body was as inanimate as a trophy cup!

Venerable Mei could block all possible types of Qi from functioning inside the World Cage. Jun Mo Xie had reverted to the original stage inside this cage. This is... he had gone back to the first level. His spirit could enter the Hong Jun pagoda, but his body couldn't. Jun Mo Xie hated this... thoroughly! [What does this old man want...? Why is he acting with me like this over and over...?!]

[How did I offend him? Why this merciless treatment?! Could it be that you've become addicted to mistreating me? Are you a sadist?! Why would you mistreat me when there are so many Spirit Xuan peak experts around? They could make you feel much more accomplished. So, why are you targeting me?] Jun Mo Xie remained perplexed despite much thought.

"Behave! Be an obedient brat, and sit still! Else, you won't feel good." Venerable Mei slapped his buttocks. She had positioned Jun Mo Xie's body in a manner that the others couldn't see this action. Jun Mo Xie had nevertheless taken this abuse. The pain pierced his very soul, but he remained motionless. In fact, he actually had a smile on his face.

[A wise man knows not to fight when the odds are against him. Just you wait for me!]

Chapter 362: Lei Wu Bei Fights

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Venerable Mei's World Cage technique was extremely mysterious and couldn't be gauged.

"I want to move. But, they are controlling my movements ah!" Jun Mo Xie rained curses in his heart as he sat in front of Venerable Mei with a smile on his face. He couldn't even control his own facial muscles inside the World Cage's influence.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Her feet flew thrice, and three heavy kicks landed on Jun Mo Xie's buttocks. The Young Master Jun cursed in his heart. In fact, he was ready to explode with anger. [Has kicking me become a habit of yours or what...? You damned old pervert!]

He didn't know this, but Venerable Mei's mouth was silently mumbling the same thing over-and-over again behind their veil, "I'm sure you still wish to spank my buttocks every day! I dare you to knead it again! I dare you to rub my buttocks! I dare you! You repulsive bastard! The tables have turned, and I won't allow you to die that easily!"

She was silently recalling what had happened on one hand. And, she was relentlessly setting her legs loose on the other. In fact, she was milking every bit of satisfaction from kicking him. It seemed that she may even have become addicted to it since she continued to speak those lines in silence as she continued to kick him. The fight between the Snake King and the Fifth Great Master hadn't even begun. But, Jun Mo Xie's posterior had already swollen round. In fact, it had swollen to an unbearable degree, and was almost exploded-open by now.

Dongfang Wen Qing looked-on carefully from the other side. Then, he smiled in relief and said, "You see? Jun Mo Xie has been smiling this entire time! It seems that something good is happening!"

Jun Wu Yi focused as he looked. Then, he also smiled in relief and spoke, "That brat is really blessed with good fortune! Such a high-level expert has favored him. Mo Xie is very lucky. The Jun Family is very lucky!"

"Yes. Just look at him smiling like that! It seems he's doing great! I reckon that Venerable Mei has provided him with a lot of benefits!" Dongfang Wen Qing touched his chin with his hand and laughed.

"You don't say! I too would be very happy if I were him! After all, that person is the most skilled person around!" Dongfang Wen Jian glanced at his three brothers. [Is that something that needs to be mentioned? How could anyone not feel good after being favored by such an expert at such a young age?]

[Why weren't we so lucky when we were young?] The three brothers were very jealous. [Our bloodline is very close to this brat...]

However, they were completely unaware that Jun Mo Xie was indeed "very happy"! In fact, he felt so "very happy" that he had nearly died of it. He was in so much pain that he wanted to die. His posterior had been attacked to no end, while the rest of his body had repeatedly been twisted. His entire body had reddened, and the pain had reached the depths of his very soul. He wanted to cry, but his face couldn't even show any of those feelings...

His uncles wouldn't have been so jealous if they knew what method was being used on their "very happy" nephew...

Jun Mo Xie could clearly feel that his posterior had started to resemble a bulging balloon. It had increased to no less than three-or-four times of its original size. And, it still had the tendency to expand further...

[Is this a fu*king butt? Or is this a hot-air balloon?! I would feel like I'd be sitting on a tall chair even I was to sit on a flat land with this butt... ]

And then, there was a sound of some movement from nearby.

"The Cold-Blooded Master, Lei Wu Bei?" the Snake King's voice was quite clear and melodious. It even had a trace of gentleness to it. She blinked her eyes. In fact, she had sounded naïve and inquisitive as she had asked that question.

Her appearance and demeanor had made it seem as if she was a young girl who was naïve in the ways of the world. It had seemed like she was shy at seeing a stranger, and was too bashful to say hello. Nearly every onlooker felt a strong urge to go pat her head and say, "Little girl is a good little child. Don't be afraid. I will buy you sweets..."

However, her opponent - Lei Wu Bei - would never dare think like that!

The Xuan cultivation of the Xuan Beast Kings were no match for those of the Eight Great Masters; Venerable Mei was the only exception. But, the reason why they were as famed as the Eight Great Masters was the fact that their bodies were extremely tyrannical. In fact, normal attacks were like itches to them.

In fact, these Xuan Beast Kings could keep up with the Eight Great Masters with the help of their tyrannical bodies... even if their cultivation was slightly inferior. Moreover, they could possibly turn the tables on their opponents if they managed to employ some sinister methods.

The girl in front of him would seem sweet, petite and fragile... almost as if she wouldn't be able to stand up against a gentle breeze... as if she was a water bag... and, a very delicate one at that... But, Lei Wu Bei clearly knew that this girl's body was nevertheless that of the Snake King!

Moreover, she was one of the most poisonous individuals in the Tian Fa forest!

[I doubt if her skin would even redden if my fist struck her. However, would I be able to endure if she struck me?]

"You're the Snake King? It's an honor to meet you!" Lei Wu Bei behaved like he was facing a great enemy. He turned his hand, and drew-out a glittering and grotesquely serrated blade. One side was bright and clear. It was so bright that it could bathe a man in bright light. In fact, it seemed similar to a sharp cutlery blade. But, the other side was densely serrated like a saw-tooth. This was clearly the more lethal part of the sharp weapon.

Jun Mo Xie finally understood the reason for Lei Wu Bei's nomination after he saw that weapon. The first reason was obviously the fact that they didn't have a better candidate at the moment. But, his lethal weapon was the most important contributing factor towards his selection. That weapon would bestow great destructive power against the Xuan Beasts even though they had extremely thick skin. Moreover, the saw-tooth serrations would be very destructive against the Snake King's exquisite skin in particular.

The Snake King - Green Hunter - stood there delicately and timidly. In fact, she seemed lovely and somewhat pitiable at that moment. She appeared somewhat shocked as she shouted, "Great Master Lei! Such a horrible weapon! You are indeed very cold-blooded!" she first exclaimed in a shock manner. Then, she moved her hand to cover her tiny mouth. It seemed like she would turn around and flee...

Jun Mo Xie couldn't move any part of his body... except for his eyes. So, he rolled them. And, he obviously made good use of them. He could see that the Snake King's clothing fit very well around her narrow shoulders. But, the same wasn't true for her sleeves. The sides of her sleeves were too wide. In fact, they almost hung down to the ground.

[That's odd. That's very odd.]

As expected, Lei Wu Bei snorted when the Snake King spoke this sentence. Then, he made a sideways cut, and that exceptionally long weapon in his hand swiftly chopped sideways. The blade crisscrossed in the air as a result. It seemed as if two small flashes of lightning had intersected in the air as 'chi''chi' sounds were heard. Two small chop-stick-sized snakes were cut into four small pieces. Then, they fell down to the ground as they withered in pain.

"You are genuinely worthy of your sinister reputation, Snake King!" Lei Wu Bei snorted angrily. His dark face had become somewhat discolored. Those two snakes were extremely venomous. His 'Great Master' status wouldn't have helped him if they had bitten him. He wouldn't have died, but he would've surely been paralyzed for a while.

This paralysis would've only lasted for one or two breaths. But, that would've been enough for someone at the Snake King's level to use hundreds of moves. And, things would've been very different if that had happened...

"You accuse me wrongly! What would people make of it?!" The Snake King gave a lovely smile, "Oh, what's that? It's quite dreadful!" she spoke as she looked at a snake on the ground. Her eyes opened big and wide... as if she was in shock to see those things.

Lei Wu Bei's blade hit the ground with a "Bang!" as it struck another snake. This one was moving more urgently, and had actually attempted to target Lei Wu Bei's throat. And, that would've resulted in a very terrible but silent death. The snake hadn't even left a small shadow in the sunlight. That attack from the Snake King had almost been impossible to guard against. She would engage the opponent by speaking sweetly. And then, she would give them a wordless death by poisoning them.

Jun Mo Xie looked at the scene, and felt his back going cold. It was genuinely the case of 'not being able to judge a person based on their looks'.

One would think she was merely a young and adorable girl who was naive and pure... that she'd be harmless to man and beast alike. Who would've thought that she'd have launched three sinister attacks at Lei Wu Bei in the blink of an eye! It was like sweetly calling a man "elder brother" to his face while quietly stealing things from his pocket. Her conscience had fallen to the ground.

The situation had once again changed on the battlefield.

The Snake King twisted her narrow waist, and her beautiful body quickly spun. And then, her two sleeves suddenly started to waive. After that, their appearance suddenly changed, and it seemed as if two long green dragons had rushed out from them. In fact, they stretched for over twenty-one meters. They reached everywhere... regardless of the distance. A strong gale whistled around them as they turned into something similar to a green ocean, and shrouded Lei Wu Bei thoroughly.

This was the display of the Snake King's true strength.

And, this was just the beginning...

Lei Wu Bei's black silhouette jutted-out in-between that ocean of green like a block of reef. He stood motionless like a stone pillar amidst the turning waves.

Then, a deep roar was heard. The Snake King's offensive had become more intense instead of coming to a stop. A delicate figure then flew into the sky. And, it appeared like this figure had started to dance with grace above the waves of that green ocean. In fact, it seemed as if a fairy of the ninth heaven had descended to sky above the waves.

She then flipped her hand as she raised it. Countless shiny stars flashed about. Then, these stars suddenly flashed again, and sprinkled towards Lei Wu Bei in a watertight form. However, the Snake King's expression was still one of innocence and enjoyment. It seemed as if she was having so much fun playing this game that she'd never wish for it to end.

Lei Wu Bei couldn't remain entrenched in that ocean of green. And, the Cold-Blooded Master was eventually forced to make a move. A dark sound was heard as his long blade crisscrossed, and an extremely majestic and powerful aura emanated from him. It slowly and ceaselessly alighted from the center of the green ocean like the sliver-white sea-spray from the ocean waves...

Blades covered in aura crisscrossed, and flew high into the heavens. The people who were watching the Great Master from the sides used their Xuan Qi to defend themselves in a firm manner. Lei Wu Bei's blades would've scuttled through their defenses if they hadn't done that, and would've fallen upon the group of bystanders like a dragon crossing a river. In fact, his blades would've paved an alley of blood in its path. One must compensate a higher amount from one's own side when they set out to hurt the others...

Lei Wu Bei gained an advantageous position as he rolled-out one counter-attack after another. However, the Snake King tried to regain full control of the situation once again. Her delicate white arms and her white jade-like legs started to move quicker. And, her giggly expression gradually transformed into a serious one. She waved her white arms. All the cold stars joined into a stream piece-by-piece, and transformed into a bright ray of light.

The field of battle which had previously borne witness to a fierce and gruesome fight had unexpectedly become pleasing to the eye at this moment. The silver-white spray continuously alighted from the middle of the green ocean, and the cold bright light continued to shine in the sky. This was a very beautiful scene...

Anyone who saw this scene seemed carefree and relaxed... even though they knew of the great killing intention inside it!

This scenery couldn't be described as one to belong to the lands of the mortals anymore.

Chapter 363: The Third Battle

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Lei Wu Bei suddenly let out a sharp scream. His black silhouette then broke through the green tide like a silver-white knife, and soared high. It seemed as if a fountain had emerged from the green ocean, and had shot towards the heavens. It glowed brilliantly in the sunlight, and shone over a large portion of the surrounding area. He displayed extremely strong and formidable power, and his attitude was one of 'not willing to back down' as he brazenly charged into the sky.

"The true battle starts now," someone spoke-up. The onlookers then quickly became more focused. They didn't even blink as they watched the fight.

Jun Mo Xie's expression became solemn as he looked on. He had even forgotten about the pain for a little while. The Snake King's and the Cold-Blooded Great Master's style continued to change. They moved quickly. They went forward and retreated at a fast pace. And, they dodged and weaved nimbly. Their minds would slowly replay everything that their eyes would see. It was evident that they were modifying their own styles in accordance with their opponent's. They were using the other's strength to make up for one's own weakness.

Long Crane and Big Bear stretched their necks from the Tian Fa's side. Jun Mo Xie could clearly feel Venerable Mei pinch the soft flesh below his waist from behind. They then twisted the meat into a circle. Jun Mo Xie felt the pain reach his very soul. So, he shuddered... [Dammit! Why would you pinch a man like that!? Isn't this done to women?]

Then, Jun Mo Xie suddenly realized something. [Could it be that the Snake King is facing grave danger in this earth-shattering fight with the Great Master? Why else would these three Beast Kings be so anxious?]

[But, I can only see that the Snake King is handling the fight with ease... She should 'get by' with ease...]

Jun Mo Xie was unable to deal with the pain as this thought crossed his mind. So, he opened his eyes wider to see...

The Snake King - Green Hunter - gave a loud screech at this point, and her slender body spun around. The green ocean on the ground disappeared. Then, she shot up high; she was covered in a bright green light.

And then, a silver-white blade-light shot up to the sky. This light was vaguely intertwined with a black silhouette. A sharp whistle was heard as this figure shot into they sky. In fact, this whistle could've ripped the world apart. It seemed like a raging dragon had just escaped from beneath the earth after breaking away from its shackles. This strangely combined form of a man-and-blade shot towards the sky in such a splendid manner that it seemed as if they'd shoot the sun down!

This ensuing light had an immense glare, and the faces of everyone watching from below had become deathly pale.

"The unity of man and blade! Moreover, it's not a usual unity of man and blade!" Jun Mo Xie cried out in shock, "This is the very essence of the purest form of blade technique! I never thought that the Great Master Li possessed such a trump card up his sleeve!"

Then, Jun Mo Xie had second thoughts, and thought-out aloud, "Lei Wu Bei can possess such a trump card, and that's reasonable since he's one of the Eight Great Masters. But, that young woman is also very dangerous..."

The Snake King first raised her face upwards as she soared higher into the sky. And then, she screeched angrily. Her voice tore through the air, and thousands of Xuan Beasts bowed their heads at that. Then, she spun in the air, and transformed into several cold stars as she showered downwards.

It was like two meteors had started from different points, but were about to collide in the sky.

The many people who were watching from below held their breaths as the wind howled above.

A melodious and tender cry was heard at first. Then, an oppressive snarl was heard. After that, the sounds of a huge explosion reverberated as the two rays of light collided.

After that, unceasing crashing sounds arose... like those from a battery of cannons. The earth shook endlessly as a result, while the sky looked like it had been filled with fireworks. And then, everything above thirty meters in height seemingly plunged into darkness for a moment. Only a bright rainbow was present in the sky at that moment...

Jun Mo Xie felt pleased. He felt like he had returned to his previous world, and was witnessing the fireworks at the lantern festival...

"They are evenly matched." There was another collision in the air. But, Lei Bao Yu, Bu Kuang Feng, and Venerable Mei had already come to this conclusion.

A "Bang!" sound echoed as the two crisscrossed. The towering silver-white blade-light continued to rise above like a long-tailed comet. Then, a cold and black light hurriedly charged towards the ground.

Then, there was something of a rain of blood. Countless fragments of several chopstick-sized snakes fell to the ground. And soon, a thick layer of them had been formed on the ground.

What no one could get was... how could the delicate Snake King take all those with her into the sky in order to shower Lei Wu Bei with them?

"Bang!" the Snake king hit the ground spinning. She staggered about a dozen steps backwards before she eventually came to a stand-still. A thick stream of purple blood slowly flowed out of the corner of her mouth. Her complexion was pale, and her green dress had been torn from many places by that sharp blade. Her delicate and white arms had now been exposed to everyone's eyes since her long and wide sleeves had been transformed into green butterfly-like wings.

Then, a soft sound was heard as Lei Wu Bei dropped to the ground. He landed softly on his toes at first. And then, he pressed his legs heavily on the ground to stand up straight. His appearance was even worse. That black gown of his' was muddy and tattered with a myriad of snake bites due to that attack. Moreover, many rips were visible. They had apparently been made by a weapon. His hair was disheveled, and appeared similar to that of a beggar's. Wisps of dark red blood flowed from the corners of his mouth at first. Then, he couldn't control it anymore, and the blood started to flow more freely. His rock-like cold face had become red. It seemed as if he had become drunk. And then, it became snow-white the next instant. After that, it turned red again. It then continued that cycle of changing its complexion from red to white for several iterations.

Both of them were on an equal-footing.

The two stood staring at each other for a while. Then, Lei Wu Bei spoke-up with clenched teeth, "That was good! The Snake King is truly exceptional!"

"The Cold-Blooded Master genuinely deserves to be a Great Master!" Green Hunter smiled tenderly. The blood flowing from the corners of her mouth dropped down as she smiled. However, this didn't diminish her beauty in any way. In fact, it somewhat enhanced her beauty.

"This seems like a draw. What's your opinion about this, Venerable Mei?" Lei Bao Yu took a step forward. and smiled as he asked that question.

"A draw?" Venerable Mei gave a severe kick to Jun Mo Xie's posterior before he looked at Lei Bao Yu. Her voice was meaningful as she smiled, "That's good! It's a draw!"

Lei Bao Yu couldn't help his face from turning red.

That was true. It genuinely seemed like a draw at that point of time. The two of them were on an equal footing. Lei Wu Bei had some advantage at this point, but Lei Bao Yu knew that the Snake King hadn't shown her true power in that matter. In fact, she was yet to play her own trump card. Therefore, he was convinced that Lei Wu Bei wouldn't get-off easy if it were truly turned into a fierce battle of life and death.

But then again, even the Snake King wouldn't have it easy either... even if Lei Wu Bei were to die there. In fact, her strength would suffer a huge blow even if she didn't die instead. So much so that she would probably lose her ability to transform into a human form by the end of it. Moreover, her strength would be reduced to that of a level seven-or-eight Xuan Beast.

That obviously would've led to a case of mutual destruction. In fact, no one could say otherwise.

Lei Wu Bei's body was upright, and he was as expressionless as before. He was still cold and indifferent... like a piece of iron. However, multitudes of cheers echoed from the crowd behind him.

They resonated to the skies!

Lei Wu Bei hadn't won. But, he had succeeded in pulling-off a draw. It meant that the allied forces from the mainland had lost only the first battle up-until this point. This also meant that they could still rise from the dead. They weren't cheering for Lei Wu Bei because he was the Cold-Blooded Master. They were cheering because he had become the hero of the continent at that moment. In fact, he had become the hero of all humanity.

Many tactical errors and despicable conspiracies had taken place in the first battle. And hence, they had suffered defeat - an unsightly and a thorough defeat. However, the second battle had been the exact opposite. Their champion had rushed brazenly with his blade, and had staked everything on the line. No 'phony' fighting had taken place this time.

Therefore, this draw with the Snake Xuan Beast King of Tian Fa had nevertheless given them time to breathe. It had given them some space to look for an opportunity... even if it wasn't a victory.

Many people had believed that the allied forces might've had a chance if they had followed Jun Wu Yi's excellent strategy... and if it weren't for Xue Hun Manor and Silver Blizzard City's rotten plan.

Then, the opposition had sent out the Snake King for this battle. Therefore, sending out the Solitary Falcon to face her would've been the ideal case. However, the allies couldn't dare to count on him. Moreover, they didn't have much knowledge about the various poisons that were available in the Tian Fa. In fact, there wasn't any knowledge regarding the poisons that the Snake King could use. Luckily, Lei Wu Bei had done a lot of study on various poisons. And, that was why he was known as the "Cold-Blooded Master" in society. However, most people hadn't given much thought to all of that here.

Everything depended on the third battle as the matter stood!

Venerable Mei had wished to rely on their own power. In fact, they would battle all the Great Masters at once! However, no one believed that Venerable Mei could be that powerful. After all, their side had four Great Masters.

The two individuals on the field looked at each other, and cupped their hands. Lei Wu Bei spoke-up, "It was a fluke." The Snake king snorted at that, and turned around to leave. The fact that she hadn't attained a thorough victory had hit her hard.

Lei Wu Bei gave a faint smile. Then, he walked back. His arm shuddered slightly. He had realized that the handle of his blade had been bent. Moreover, there were even many tiny cracks on his blade. It would still be able to endure proper use, but it couldn't withstand a 'Great Master Level' battle anymore.

The Snake King was genuinely something. She could conceal lethal weapons all over her body. And, that too in droves! Moreover, her weapons were also extremely toxic! She was a real headache.

These two people had sustained injuries, but it wasn't very serious. In fact, it wasn't even enough to warrant any action. Those two knew what was going on in reality. The two fighters had intentionally decided to stagger after that explosion in order to maintain the status quo. However, they would've ended-up taking each other down, and no clear winner would've emerged if they had continued to fight.

Therefore, the two individuals breathed a sigh of relief... even if they hadn't accepted the result within their hearts.

The ground had been a mix of green grass and stones before the battle, but it had turned black by now. There were holes everywhere on it. In fact, some places were still trying to brave the white smoke that was continuously falling down from the sky above.

Nothing would grow on that site for hundreds of years.

The Snake King's poison was indeed the best in the entire world.

A shadow flitted as Venerable Mei suddenly appeared on the field. They then stated, "It's time for the final battle. All the Great Masters present can come out for this final and deciding battle!"

Lei Bao Yu was about to speak, and the words were about come out of his mouth. But, he suddenly swallowed them, and forced a smile instead.

However, everyone could feel that there was something different about Venerable Mei as they appeared on the field. They were somewhat irritable and unstable a while back, but they were quite calm at this moment... almost like Buddha. No one could see their face, but the aura from their body gave it all away.

Jun Mo Xie was at the sidelines. He felt his posterior and cursed; [this person has transformed my one little buttock into the size of four massive ones... ou...!]

Chapter 364: Four Great Masters Fight Tian Fa

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
The battle was about to begin.

The Solitary Falcon snorted as he took the initiative, and cupped his fists as he said, "Venerable Mei, this Solitary Falcon is happy to seek advice from you." His voice was hard yet endlessly sonorous. The Solitary Falcon came last in the ranking of the Great Masters. But, he had always been belligerent. Moreover, he had encountered that mysteriously skilled person twice before, and he considered that the-said person was even more astonishing and frightening than his present opponent. Venerable Mei's strength must've been around the same mark as that of that mysterious person. And, this fact had genuinely astonished the Solitary Falcon. However, he didn't fear this opponent. In fact, he considered that mysterious master to superior to Venerable Mei when it came to mindset and temperament.

The Master of Life and Death - Shi Chang Xiao - closely followed suit, and gave a warm smile, "Venerable Mei, this one is called Shi Chang Xiao."

Lei Wu Bei had returned only moments ago. He stood quietly for a short period, and then slowly walked forward. His expression was cold as he spoke, "Venerable Mei, I don't think you need this one's introduction, right?"

"Very well! Is it only the three of you?" Venerable Mei snorted. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Her three current-opponents had a combined strength of the Crane King, the Bear King, and Snake King fighting together in their human forms. In fact, these three Great Masters might even have been a bit weaker than these three Beast Kings. [One has to first have qualifications if they wish to fight the enemy!]

"Wait! This old man will also fight!" Li Jue Tian roared out with grief and indignation. The Great Master Li then stood-up with a totter. Li Jue Tian may have suffered serious injuries, but he was still one of the Eight Great Masters. So, he wasn't going to lose his reputation at this juncture... despite the pain; he wasn't going to back down at this moment.

This was the only opportunity Li Jue Tian would get to retrieve his honor in front of Venerable Mei. In fact, it was perhaps the last chance to retrieve his honor. He would be able to wash away his disgrace if he were to defeat Venerable Mei by drawing support from the strength of the other three. In fact, he could even achieve a bit more.

However, Li Jue Tian would waddle in hopelessness if he were to introspect about fighting in public again in case he missed-out on this opportunity today.

He had sustained serious injuries with multiple fractured bones, and severe internal injuries a while ago. But, he had made his right-hand-man set his broken bones back in place while the Snake King and Lei Wu Bei were fighting. Then, he had forcefully initiated a self-mutilating method called "The Against the Heaven's Will Law". This technique would cause wear and tear to his lifespan, but it would heal him to his optimum state of health. Moreover, his exquisite Xuan cultivation was enough to hold his bones in place.

This battle was the most important final battle as far as Li Jue Tian was concerned. Therefore, he had to be the most splendid one. He needed his attacks to inspire awe in order to establish his authority amongst the people.

"Venerable Mei, the so-called fortunes have been reversed! You had bestowed me with that kind of a treatment a while back. Well, I shall bestow the same treatment back to you now!" Li Jue Tian panted with anger as he fiercely glared at Venerable Mei. It seemed like he nurtured a deep hatred. In fact, it appeared that this opponent was the greatest personal enemy he had ever come across.

In fact, the hatred between the two was irreconcilable; it could never be dissolved. It perhaps wasn't so for Venerable Mei since she had won the previous round of their duel. But, that instance had been the greatest un-washable shame and humiliation of his life as far as Li Jue Tian was concerned. And, he felt that his honor wouldn't be remedied unless he had achieved victory over Venerable Mei.

"Are you going to go 'all-out' against me, Li Jue Tian?" Venerable Mei's cultivation was extremely high. So, she could obviously tell how Li Jue Tian had been able to stand up despite his injuries. She couldn't help but pity him as a result. She also knew that Li Jue Tian had been entirely innocent in that context. He had merely been unfortunate-enough to be caught in her moments of extreme rage on those two occasions, and had hence been subjected to those calamities.

However, she had been the gloomiest and the most pained she had ever been in her entire existence during those two moments. Therefore, she had been in an urgent need for someone she could vent-out her resentment upon in those moments of grief and indignation. Li Jue Tian was a second Great Master. And, there was stronger presence present there. Whether it was Xuan cultivation or status - Li Jue Tian had served as the most suitable candidate around!

Therefore, Li Jue Tian had suffered that tragedy.

And, this tragedy had been birthed by her mistake...

Because... a Master could be killed, but shall not be shamed!

Venerable Mei obviously understood this truth. But, she had grabbed him by the throat, and had smacked him under the gaze of everyone present. And, she had destroyed the entirety of the Great Master Li Jue Tian's accumulated respect from the past in the process.

He hadn't resisted her with everything he had in that moment. And, that had been the strangest thing. But, his strength had been hopeless in that scenario... So, how could he have done it? But, all the Great Masters were to join hands in this battle. So, how could he say no to such an excellent opportunity?

"Is it worth it?" Venerable Mei felt somewhat apologetic as she reminded him, "You're using the 'Against the Heaven's Will Law'. You should understand what kind of a price you will have to pay for this, Li Jue Tian. Won't you reconsider before you make such a huge sacrifice? You'll only need to let go if you reconsider this now. And, it will be reinstated in a few months. There's still time."

"No! It's too late! Too late!" it seemed like a fire had been ignited in Li Jue Tian's eyes as he replied in a shrill and mournful voice, "Are you afraid, Venerable Mei? You should've known that it becomes 'too late to turn around' the moment you smack someone in their face! I - Li Jue Tian - have a reputation. I also command respect amongst people. And, this is the only way I can wash away this kind of humiliation. There's no other way!"

"Oh? Afraid...? I'm afraid of you...? So, is killing me the only way to wash away your shame?" Venerable Mei laughed softly as her black robe swayed lightly.

"That's it!" Li Jue Tian replied seriously. "This is a matter of this Li's lifetime worth of reputation and status. So, I request that Venerable Mei doesn't act stingy with her life!"

"Not be... stingy with my life? You're asking me to not be stingy with my life while you're being stingy with your insignificant reputation...? You should know that your reputation is nothing in my eyes. I had advised you a moment ago. It was the mercy of a superior master. It was given in charity and pity. That was a rare act which originated from a good frame of mind of mine. And so, I had been that kind to you. But, you actually took it as fear...? You're genuinely as naïve as the frog in the well!"

Venerable Mei couldn't help but sneer and laugh. She then spoke while she shook her head, "How will you be able to take my life... if that's your skill level, Li Jue Tian? I'm afraid that you'll lose your head instead."

"Venerable Mei has decided too early regarding whose head will fall!" Li Jue Tian snorted heavily, "Venerable Mei has spoken the truth. My reputation is of little value in your eyes. But, it's much more important than my 'head' in my own!"

"I fear that the ranking of the Great Masters will change again after today's battle ends," the black-robed Venerable Mei spoke-up with a faint hint of disappointment in her tone. "I had harbored misgivings for many years regarding the reputed Rainstorm Master's life. Then, Feng Juan Yun's cultivation reached a sufficient level, but he wasn't able to become a Great Master. He he... there will be an empty spot after today. And, I suppose that Feng Juan Yun wouldn't be able to back away from the duty even if he wanted to, right?"

Bu Kuang Feng smiled from a distance, "The title of Master Rainstorm doesn't apply to me anymore. Venerable Mei makes me feel small with those words."

Venerable Mei snorted and smiled before they spoke-up again, "And, there's this Cold-Blooded Master then. He had fought one battle. But, he was still taken up arms against me! He has presumably come as a scapegoat, right? I genuinely don't know what he thought while he was taking this action. Does he think that I won't kill a Great Master?"

Venerable Mei's words could be considered as a ferocious psychological attack. She had first damaged Li Jue Tian's mental state. And then, she had drawn more blood by pointing out the real reason behind Feng Juan Yun's failed attempts to be elevated to the status of a Great Master. She had obviously intended to cripple the fighting spirit of the equally famous Solitary Falcon by doing that.

[He was as strong as me. Neither was able to step ahead of the other. You weren't better than him. In fact, he should've become a Great Master a long time ago. However, you got lucky and became the Great Master!]. It had to be said that the Solitary Falcon was shaken after he heard Venerable Mei Speak.

After that, Venerable Mei had taken aim at Lei Wu Bei, and had pointed that he had stepped-up even though he had received injuries merely a moment ago. She had indicated that he had come to fight, but he was there to add to the numbers. In fact, she had implied that he was merely a sacrificial lamb. Wouldn't he be used by the other Great Masters as a shield, and be sacrificed thereof...?

The effect of these words might not have been very evident in the case of others. But, the heaviness of anxiety and suspicion had always plagued Lei Wu Bei's heart. Lei Wu Bei had always considered every man of the world as an enemy. Hence, those words struck deep into his heart. In fact, they struck the very root of it.

In fact, this was the reason he had been hesitant earlier!

The completion between the various Great Masters had always been very fierce. So, they would be rid of one competitor if they were to sacrifice Lei Wu Bei to save themselves. Moreover, they would also be able to take cheap advantages of the ensuing opportunities, and formulate an explosive counter-attack to increase their fame thereafter...

[Wouldn't that be a great thing for them?]

However, he had no choice since he had obtained the halo of the continent's hero a moment ago. Therefore, he had to come forth even if he knew the risks...

However, these words from Venerable Mei had made Lei Wu Bei's face change color after they had emptied Solitary Falcon's. The halo of the continent's hero seemed quite glorious. But, it was nothing more than a useless decoration for a dead man...

"Venerable Mei's psychological attack is very sharp! This Shi genuinely admires it! However, I fear that the Venerable Mei is aiming at the wrong targets."

Shi Chang Xiao gave a gentle chuckle, "The four of us are veterans of hundreds of battles. One can even say that we are the originators of psychological warfare. Is Venerable Mei looking down on us by using this against us? The fact is that the four of us are the same. But, let's come back to the point. We four shoulder the great trust of millions of people. So, how can Venerable Mei instigate us against each other? Why would Venerable Mei waste their words if they have that much confidence in themselves?"

His words immediately woke the other two up.

Li Jue Tian gave a ferocious shout and said, "There's no need to waste your words! We can see the truth! The four of us wish to seek advice from the so-called frightening Lord of the Tian Fa today!" He laughed and gave a broad smile. And then, he took the lead, and came forward despite the seriousness of his injuries.

Someone always has to strike first in a battle between five people. And, that person suffers the most because he faces a head-on blow. But, taking this 'hit' could nevertheless provide an opportunity for those who remain at his side.

It seemed that Shi Chang Xiao's words had indeed dispelled the effect of Venerable Mei's psychological attacks from the others' hearts. But, they had never been afraid of Venerable Mei's extremely strong and tyrannical methods in all fairness. And, now that things had come to a head - they had no option but to fight.

Moreover, there was another major point one needed to consider... Most of the Great Masters wouldn't suffer much even if they lost this battle... Only Li Jue Tian would suffer in that case.

He had already lost half of the Xue Hun manor's strength in the battle between humans and Xuan Beasts. Then, he was humiliated by Venerable Mei. And then, it was pointed out that he had disregarded the safety of humanity, and had schemed against Jun Wu Yi. This made his reputation hit rock bottom, and had singled him out the man who had betrayed humanity. Therefore, whatever that still remained would also vanish if he wasn't able to prevail over Venerable Mei in this battle.

Therefore, others had a choice... but Li Jue Tian didn't. So, he had no choice but to stake everything in one throw. And hence, he could only dash forward.

Chapter 365: A Majestic Battle

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Shi Chang Xiao, Solitary Falcon, and Lei Wu Bei didn't dare to neglect that dash by Li Jue Tian. They quickly changed positions. They took their respective places in a split second, and prepared to attack in sequence. They hadn't consulted on a 'plan of attack' beforehand. But, weren't these three veterans of innumerable battles? They had previously stationed themselves in a very casual manner at distinct locations. However, each of these had positioned themselves in a manner that would allow them to coordinate with the other two. Moreover, their positioning had been such that they were at a 'best-fit' location with correspondence to Li Jue Tian's position.

Li Jue Tian rushed out, and his figure began to fade. He was at his fastest as he sallied forth to attack. Venerable Mei snorted, and sent out an explosive punch in response.

Li Jue Tian quickly stepped-back from his powerful rush-forward towards Venerable Mei. In fact, he slid away like a slippery fish, and retreated to one side. A figure had previously stationed itself behind Li Jue Tian. Suddenly, two fists shot out towards with Venerable Mei from Li Jue Tian's back. Meanwhile, the Solitary Falcon employed his Eagle-style agility, and soared into the sky at the fast-possible speed as this happened. He had displayed the first method of the 'Nine Claws of the Ghostly Falcon'!

Lei Wu Bei's long and glittering blade was unsheathed once again. It went drilling from besides Shi Chang Xiao's waist, and proceeded straight towards Venerable Mei's chest. In fact, this attack enveloped around five meters of area around her torso. This was the most important battle of his life. He wasn't about to be stingy with his treasured blade.

Li Jue Tian had retreated to the side. But, he quickly spun around as this happened, and returned to the fold with great speed. He took a neutral position with the help of his momentum as he had returned. Then, he unleashed a ferocious attack from the side.

The four men had attacked without prior discussions, but their attacks were flawlessly coordinated. Their attacks had seemingly proceeded towards Venerable Mei to 'greet' her, but their combined 'method' of doing do was rather 'uncanny'.

These attacks looked quite simple at first. But, Venerable Mei was well-aware that they could turn into a torrent of complicated strikes. She would be trapped by one of her opponents within a short period of time. And then, the remaining three would use their respective trump cards to get rid of her while one of them had her trapped.

Venerable Mei had to face the combined attacks of the four Great Masters. But, she didn't dare be careless about it. She roared loudly as her body started to spin. First, she avoided Shi Chang Xiao's fists. Then, her black robe whirled in the air as she missed the thrusting blade-attack from Lei Wu Bei by the smallest of margins. After that, she turned around, and leaned to the side in a simultaneous motion. She seemingly hadn't recovered from the punch. But, she still attacked Li Jue Tian head-on. She also raised her left hand, and launched a 'cannon-ball' strike towards the approaching Solitary Falcon.

Venerable Mei was quite calm in the face of the combined attacks from the four Great Masters. She had negated their attacks in the blink of eye. Moreover, she hadn't taken these attacks 'lying down', and had managed to counter attack instead.

Li Jue Tian gnashed his teeth, and sped up. He knew that one of the four would have to suffer by enduring Venerable Mei's attacks head-on. Only then could it be possible for the other three to complete their encirclement...! The others didn't seem to have that much courage - or courage-enough - to contribute in that sense. In any case, his injury wouldn't give him much time to end this battle. So, he had to do this himself!

It was the immense hatred Li Jue Tian harbored for Venerable Mei which had forced him to make such crazed decisions. An explosive sound was heard as he clenched his fist. A faint green gas had covered his body. It was evident that he was going to give everything he had in that particular punch. It was important that he showed no 'fake efforts' in regards to Venerable Mei this time.

He had figured that Venerable Mei's agility skills would've become a 'spent force' in her attempts to evade the continuous attacks of the other three Great Masters. Therefore, she would have no choice but to face him since she would've been trapped in such a situation! In fact, he knew that this would be the only decision that he would've taken if he were in their place.

Venerable Mei's expression turned cold. She quickly pulled back her fist, and sent them out to attack Li Jue Tian and Solitary Falcon once again. She then roared and kicked-out forty-nine times. Then, her body soared into the sky like a rocket; the three Great Masters who stood below her were still in a daze by the time she had met with the Solitary Falcon in midair, and had already exchanged a handful of strikes. In fact, their collisions had set fireworks in the sky above.

Two shadows flashed in the sky. The Solitary Falcon summersaulted through the sky, while Venerable Mei leaned and forward moved in a graceful trajectory. However, she made an about-turn with her feet while she was dropping down. Her hands extended from her sleeves as she unleashed strikes at Shi Chang Xiao and Lei Wu Bei. After that, she fiercely pounced upon Li Jue Tian!

It was obvious that Venerable Mei were moving with great momentum at the moment. Moreover, it was evident that they intended to take advantage of Li Jue Tian's injuries, and hoped to get rid of the 'toughest and most motivated' opponent early on in the battle.

Li Jue Tian screamed loudly as he drew back like a lightning. He had hoped to face Venerable Mei with resolve. But, this attack was too much. In fact, it would unreasonable to content against Venerable Mei at this moment. The other three had been shaken-off by Venerable Mei's counter. So, it was likely that he would have to fight her alone at this time. Moreover, he had somewhat lost the equilibrium of his strength at the moment. His former strength had been exhausted, but he hadn't yet replaced it with a new burst. This meant that Venerable Mei could easily kill him... even if he were to attack by putting his life on the line. Moreover, Venerable Mei could easily dodge any attack under the sun after she had merrily killed him off.

The Solitary Falcon had been struck high into the sky at the moment. This obviously meant that the 'aerial threat' had been eliminated for the time being.

Therefore, Li Jue Tian could only move back in an attempt to make a blind retreat.

"That's too bad ah!"

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng were at some distance from the fight. They both clapped their thighs with their hands.

Li Jue Tian withdrew, but realized that Venerable Mei hadn't chased after him. In fact, she didn't even display the intention to chase him down; this was rather unexpected. The Lord of Tian Fa was still in the sky. But, she was rapidly proceeding in a beeline towards another target - Shi Chang Xiao. The man hadn't even recovered by the time they had unleashed a storm of kicks at him.

Li Jue Tian had never been Venerable Mei's target. The Master of Life and Death - Shi Chang Xiao- had! He was the man who posed the greatest danger to Venerable Mei since he was the only fighter amongst the three 'land-based' Great Masters who hadn't been injured in any manner.

It was obvious that Venerable Mei wanted to mete-out the same treatment to Shi Chang Xiao that she had previously dished-out to the two now-injured Great Masters.

The color of Shi Chang Xiao's face had turned as grey as the mist. His eyes were petrified, and it seemed that his pupils had turned white. The man gave a loud shout, and hit out with his fists in anger.

However, he stood firm!

Shi Chang Xiao couldn't retreat because he had Lei Wu Bei behind him. The Cold-Blooded Master would have to bear the brunt of this attack if Shi Chang Xiao were to move aside. And, Lei Wu Bei most-likely didn't have enough strength left in him to face this supreme attack since he had already sustained injuries.

Venerable Mei's kicks sent shockwaves through the air. These strikes hadn't rooted from ordinary feet.

The four-man team would've been broken if Lei Wu Bei had been hit. And, the remaining three would've undoubtedly been defeated soon after.

Therefore, Shi Chang Xiao had no choice but to stand firm.

"Bang!"

Venerable Mei's kick struck Shi Chang Xiao's fist. Shi Chang Xiao's body trembled at the impact. He had meant to pull-back his fist. He would then unleash his full power by putting more power in his second punch. However, he hadn't even pulled his fist back by the time Venerable Mei's foot managed to stamp on his fists.

Shi Chang Xiao was alarmed. He quickly sent his left fist forth to buy his recovering body some time. However, Venerable Mei's foot stamped his right fist for the third time with a thunderous sound and great power before his body even got the time to shake properly... It was needless to say that his left fist hadn't reached its desired position either...

Those three continuous kicks barely had any breaks in-between them. It seemed as if Venerable Mei had kicked thrice in one strike! But, each kick's power was greater than the one before. Shi Chang Xiao's body was on the verge of collapse, and he couldn't help but take a step back.

His left fist finally hit out at that moment. However, Venerable Mei was ready and waiting. They quickly kicked out with their left foot. In fact, Venerable Mei's body hadn't reached the ground till that very moment.

"Bang!"

The sound of the left foot meeting the left fist echoed loudly. And then, Venerable Mei repeated what she had one to his right fist - she quickly kicked that fist three times as well.

Venerable Mei's legs resembled parted scissors at the moment. However, each kick was powerful, and seemed to have the weight of a mountain behind it.

Shi Chang Xiao felt sour to his belly. In fact, the pit of his belly and his internal organs had been left to shake very violently. He then jumped, and staggered backwards. His nose itched as a thin wisp of blood flowed out of it.

He had suffered internal injuries!

However, Lei Wu Bei hadn't failed to act at the opportunity that Shi Chang Xiao had provided by risking his body and sustaining injuries. Lei Wu Bei's body seemingly moved in a 'possessed' manner as he dodged and rushed forward. His hand drew his long blade. Then, he waved it, and thrust it through Venerable Mei's black robe.

However, he hadn't even started to rejoice over his successful attack when he suddenly discovered that the stab he had made with his long blade felt 'empty' for some reason. His heart went crazy at this discovery, and he made a crazy horizontal slash with his blade.

However, he suddenly felt sluggish. His attack had been blocked. Venerable Mei had stretched their hands from their robes, and had caught the blade at the sharp edge before it had moved forward.

Her hand held this nearly Divine Weapon at its sharp saw-toothed edge with seemingly no problems.

Li Jue Tian and Solitary Falcon rushed forth from behind at that moment. And, they threw themselves at Venerable Mei in frenzy. Venerable Mei held the sharp edge of the blade in her left hand, while Lei Wu Bei tried to apply a force in the reverse direction to slash her hand open. She then raised one forefinger, and forcefully tapped the blade three times.

Then, Venerable Mei's feet finally touched land after having remained suspended in the air up till that point. Her robes seemed to float around her like a sheet of iron. She then easily pushed-away Li Jue Tian's attack from behind. Then, her palms transformed into countless after-images. The wind whistled as a hundred palms made a white gem-like triangle. This formation held vast power and might. After that, this formation sent the Solitary Falcon flying into the air once again.

Lei Wu Bei's sword was tapped thrice by Venerable Mei's forefinger. However, these three taps felt like three large explosions in the pit of his stomach. It was like someone had taken a large hammer, and had struck his chest three times with it. His eyes felt a burst of pressure, and he suddenly lost focus. The Cold-Blooded Master was forced back. In fact, he trembled as he withdrew. This involuntary backwards motion of his body had happened due to the strong wind which had arisen due to Venerable Mei's attacks. This body then moved to one side, and ended-up causing an obstruction to Shi Chang Xiao's leaping body.

A light tinkling sound was heard as Lei Wu Bei's treasured blade turned into countless pieces of thin iron. These pieces then fell to the ground with a sharp noise. All that was left in Lei Wu Bei's hand was the short handle...

That was the handle of a rare Divine Weapon! However, the weapon had turned to scrap metal with the taps of a finger! Lei Wu Bei was shocked with grief!

The blade had accumulated a few scrapes in his previous battle with the Snake King. Lei Wu Bei knew of this. But, he hadn't worried much about it. [I will hold it together with my Xuan Qi. And then, I will take it for repair after this struggle of the four Great Masters comes to an end.]

[Come to think of it... Venerable Mei has broken my blade with just three taps from their finger...]

Chapter 366: Defeated!

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
It has to be mentioned that the blade wasn't destroyed by Venerable Mei's hand alone. It was the movement of the combined Xuan efficacy of Venerable Mei and Lei Wu Bei which had destroyed it.

This had happened because Venerable Mei had forced the blade towards her right before she had tapped it with her finger. And, Lei Wu Bei had used his strength to turn it to the opposite direction. Both individuals had used the entire extent of their strength at that time. This meant that opposing forces had tried to twist the blade in different directions. And, it was then that Venerable Mei accumulated her Xuan efficacy, and tapped the blade with her finger. Her timing had been very precise!

The forces of Venerable Mei and the Great Master had been exerted on the knife at the same time. What kind of a Devine Weapon would be able to resist such forces?

The answer to that was a straightforward 'none'! At least, such was the case with Lei Wu Bei's treasured blade...

How would the blade not turn into scrap iron when the three different forces had acted upon on it...?

Therefore, it could be said that his treasured blade had been destroyed by his joint action with Venerable Mei.

Venerable Mei clasped her fist, and a thin wisp of blood flowed from it.

Her hand could be considered exceptionally 'tough'... even from the standard of Xuan Beasts! But, she had been in human flesh at that time. And thus, she had received that injury because she had held that blade by its sharp edge. However, her injuries were quite insignificant compared to the price that had been paid by Shi Chang Xiao and Lei Wu Bei. In fact, her injuries were far too insignificant...

Because... this strike had established a narrow victory!

Li Jue Tian had been sent in a dazed state. It was only for a split second... But, Venerable Mei had reached the ground by then. In fact, she had already repulsed Li Jue Tian's attack by then. Moreover, he had initiated this attack after having redoubled his efforts. Therefore, Venerable Mei's body had been pushed into a forward motion towards Lei Wu Bei. She had then kicked his legs at their claves a few times. It could be said that Lei Wu Bei would've come to be called 'Disabled Great Master' instead of the 'Cold-Blooded Master' if those kicks had packed a serious force behind them.

In fact, it wouldn't have been very surprising if his legs had been shattered by those kicks!

Lei Wu Bei became pale with fright. He lifted his right foot. His body spun twice, and he alighted three feet away. But... he instantly regretted that move!

Because... Shi Chang Xiao had appeared behind him by then, and had blocked his path...

Venerable Mei took a turn around Lei Wu Bei over, and appeared before Shi Chang Xiao like a black dragon that had twisted around a pillar. Then, her legs pounded on Shi Chang Xiao like raindrops.

Shi Chang Xiao was very alarmed by that attack since Lei Wu Bei's body had covered everything from his line of sight. He knew that this was an anxious moment in the fight. But, he hadn't noticed that Venerable Mei had come so close to him. Therefore, he was left exposed to Venerable Mei's attack while he tried to avoid Lei Wu Bei's retreating body.

She Chang Xiao tried to resist in a flurry. He steeled his heart and mind despite everything, and prepared to attack. But then, he saw that Venerable Mei was too close to him. Moreover, they were already prepared to pressurize him with their mountain-like palms. He didn't have enough time to congeal enough Xuan Qi as a result. Moreover, he didn't have enough time to retreat... even if had wanted to. Therefore, Shi Chang Xiao could only close his eyes, bite his teeth, and wait for his fate.

A "Bang!" and "Slam!" were heard as Shi Chang Xiao's shoulders were struck. He was then sent rolling-out like a ball.

Then, Venerable Mei retreated at a lightning fast speed, and went back around twenty five meters. This allowed the strike from the air-bound Solitary Falcon to drop onto the space between them. She then faced the red-eyed Li Jue Tian, and struck him hard with her palms again; thrice!

Li Jue Tian had lost all routes of evasion. So, he could only stake his life to endure the three palm-strikes.

This was akin to bullying people!

It could be said that Venerable Mei had suffered close to no harm whatsoever. However, Li Jue Tian's internal injuries had become very grave by this point. The result of those three palms was rather obvious. Li Jue Tian's body left the ground like a ball that had gone on a wild 'bouncing spree', and flew into the sky. His mouth spurted blood in a crazy manner. In fact, it was almost as if a fountain had started to spray blood-colored water...

Li Jue Tian had used his Xuan Qi to keep his bones in place. However, they broke open, and ruptured at this moment. In fact, they had been thoroughly ruptured. And, blood spurted-out from his entire body like spikes from a hedgehog. In fact, one could say that thin arrows of blood had been shot out from every pore in his body.

Then, Venerable Mei's long sleeves wrapped around Li Jue Tian's injured body, and threw him further up into the sky in a lightening fast movement. This was a very sly and timely move! The Solitary Falcon had launched a very aggressive attack in the downward direction at this very moment - the third move of the 'Nine Claws of the Ghostly Falcon'!

This was the most fatal strike in the Solitary Falcon's arsenal. And, this was also the most incisive strike of his'. Moreover, he had drawn his entire Xuan Qi for this attack. However, there was no way that he could've known that an aggrieved Li Jue Tian would be delivered right below his striking hand. Li Jue Tian's mouth opened, and spurted an arrow of blood on his face.

The Solitary Falcon was startled. He quickly decided to retreat. He first evaded that arrow of blood. Then, he caught Li Jue Tian's body with his hands. After that, he quickly moved ten meters away in the horizontal direction to evade Venerable Mei's follow-on attack.

How could Venerable Mei not intend to follow-up with an attack if they had thrown Li Jue Tian up like that? The Solitary Falcon was quick to understand this. And so, he caught-on and evaded as quickly as possible.

The Solitary Falcon's reaction could be considered very fast. However, he couldn't have imagined that it was still a step too late in front of this opponent!

He felt a sudden and incisive pain in his belly. Venerable Mei had attacked with their three palms-strikes. Two of them had failed, but the third one had hit its mark. And, that strike was enough to leave the Solitary Falcon screaming in agony, and made him float away like a 'kite without a string'. His face contorted, and he tried his best to gain control. But, he failed at it. "Argh!" he spat blood, and it spilled over Li Jue Tian's body.

Solitary Falcon's initial movements had been exceedingly fast. In fact, it was even beyond the reach of Venerable Mei. But, the Solitary Falcon had been forced to retreat, and had then caught Li Jue Tian. This had bitten into his Xuan efficacy. Then, he had been forced to evade an extremely strong attack. Moreover, he had been using a lot of Xuan Qi to protect himself all along. And, his Xuan Qi had fallen to a very low level as a result of this. Then again, Xuan Qi had never been Solitary Falcon's forte. It seemed as if he had merely been grazed by this attack. However, the injuries he had received weren't light.

Venerable Mei was a capable warrior. So, how could she let this golden opportunity pass? Her body disappeared, and suddenly reappeared in front of Lei Wu Bei. Then, she began to unleash her hurricane-like attacks on him.

The Solitary Falcon was flying away in a downward slope-like trajectory at that moment. Li Jue Tian was seriously injured. And, Shi Chang Xiao lay over fifteen meters away. Therefore, the next few moments were akin to a one-on-one fight with Lei Wu Bei.

Lei Wu Bei had received a shocking injury a moment ago. His treasured blade had also been destroyed a moment ago. Therefore, his will to fight was at its lowest at that point. He couldn't help but be frightened when he realized that he would have to fight Venerable Mei on his own. But, he tried to resist, and retreated quickly.

"Bang! Bang!" the sounds echoed everywhere. It wasn't clear why... but, dust suddenly covered the entire sky, and made everything dark. Shi Chang Xiao had caught up a moment ago with the intention to help out. But, he could only discern two very vague silhouettes in that thick cloud of dust. And, both of those figures were dressed in black. Therefore, one genuinely couldn't tell which silhouette was Venerable Mei's... and which one was Lei Wu Bei's...!

He hadn't even hesitated for half-a-second when he heard an explosive sound. Lei Wu Bei's painful groan followed soon after. And then, he saw a figure spin and fall. The black clothes clung to this figure this figure rather tightly - it was Lei Wu Bei.

Blood bubbled-out from Lei Wu Bei's mouth with a gurgling sound. His right hand was bent at a strange angle. It was obvious that his right arm had been broken. However, one could say that Venerable Mei had gone easy on him. Lei Wu Bei's arm would've been sheared-off if they hadn't gone easy. In fact, the bones in his hand would've turned into white powder, and would've flown-off to some place unknown.

The outcome of the battle had become rather evident by now.

The Lord of Tian Fa had wiped the floor with the four Great Masters!

It could be said that Venerable Mei's victory was very obvious. The four Great Masters had been defeated. They hadn't even been able to fight back in a proper manner.

The battle would've turned out much differently if the four had genuinely given every drop of their power to destroy everything that stood in their paths. They still wouldn't have been able to defeat Venerable Mei, but the outcome of the battle would've been much more favorable to them in that case...

Venerable Mei could use 'The World Cage' technique on only one person. And, it would put a lot of strain on her if she'd use it on a Great Master. The person she would use this power on wouldn't be able to move. However, Venerable Mei herself would be in great danger at that moment.

Therefore, Venerable Mei couldn't dare to use 'The World Cage' technique in this battle.

However, every one cherishes their lives! Moreover, this was a battle of 'victory and defeat'- not one of 'life and death'. And, the price to be paid upon defeat wasn't very painful. Only the Xue Hun Manor would have to pay a painful price. But, the other Great Masters wouldn't suffer much.

In fact, even Li Jue Tian himself hadn't given everything he had. So, why would the other three?

This result would be 'as expected' if these factors were to be considered...

Venerable Mei waved her long sleeves. They somewhat rolled-up in the wind. Suddenly, it seemed as if that cloud of dust was struck by a hurricane. And, that cloud of disappeared without a trace as a result. Venerable Mei's tall figure was exposed to everyone's eyes thereafter. Her body was covered in that wide black robe. And, she looked-on with arrogance as her black robes floated around her.

Suddenly, a man in the crowd gasped and called-out in alarm, "Look... look at the space in the middle...!" Everyone looked at place he was pointing towards. And, everyone couldn't help but gasp. The place where the fight had begun had comprised of roughened granite. But, it seemed that someone had somehow shoveled-out a layer of earth from that spot; a very deep layer at that! It seemed to be three meters deep. And, this effect had been spread over a radius of 30 meters!

It was quite possible for the Great Masters to cause such a deep indentation in the ground. However, the issue was that... no one had seen even a single stone fall... nor had they heard the slightest of sounds. [So, how did that layer of stone disappear?]

[Did it sprout wings and fly away?]

These people were completely oblivious to the facts. These five apex experts hadn't staked their lives on this battle, but they had still used some of their strongest skills. And, these rocks had been scraped-away when they had used their powerful Xuan efficacies. These rocks had been turned into powder, and had floated away with the wind. In fact, more portions of the rocks had been scraped-away if the fight had been more intense.

However, this was the result of the fact that Venerable Mei had exercised self-restraint. The others would've been forced to use their full power if she had used the entire extent of her Xuan efficacy. And, that small hill would've turned into flat land if that had happened.

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng sighed in unison.

They had already anticipated this result. But, they had never thought that it would happen so quickly.

Even Solitary Falcon, Lei Wu Bei, and Shi Chang Xiao hadn't forecasted this. Lei Wu Bei and Shi Chang Xiao stood in a daze; their expressions seemed to fluctuate.

The Solitary Falcon put Li Jue Tian on the ground, and walked a few steps forward. He wanted to say something, but couldn't open his mouth. Then, his face turned red.

The four Great Masters had suffered a thoroughly crushing defeat.

How could these four boastful top-experts of the world accept such an outcome? The representatives of humanity had suffered a defeat in that battle. Moreover, the prestige of those apex experts had also taken a serious blow!

Their status had lost its meaning...

Chapter 367: Knife Thrower! Knife Thrower Appears Again!

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Who wouldn't know the name of Venerable Mei after these events became public? Her name was known to a very few people on the continent. But, the entire world knew of the four Great Masters.

Could they ever go to a place where someone wouldn't mock them behind their backs? Their reputations had been ruined. People would look down on them and laugh. [These four people joined hands in a battle, but still couldn't beat someone whose name we haven't even heard...]

The three Great Masters who could still stand upright on their feet felt like digging big holes, and hiding in them.

[I can't afford to lose to this person!]

"Our side concedes defeat in today's war. Venerable Mei has thoroughly convinced us of the unrivalled power of their Xuan Cultivation." No one had spoken for a long time. So, Lei Bao Yu sighed and broke that embarrassing silence.

"You're throwing in the towel? Not a problem. I hope you remember my three conditions. Tian Fa is out of bounds for all of you as of this moment!" She pointed at the men of the powerful families on the continent. She then snorted heavily, "I will destroy the families of men to the ninth degree even if one of you enters Tian Fa. I'd like to see which one of you has the guts to enter Tian Fa after I do that!"

"We will obviously agree to the three conditions you had set since we've lost this battle." Lei Bao Yu smiled. Anyone who heard him speak felt that this person from the Elusive World of Immortals didn't care about the outcome. He continued, "The outcome has already been decided, but I still wish to say something to Venerable Mei."

"What is it?" Venerable Mei asked coldly.

"The three Holy Lands have agreed to a battle at the end of the seventh month - three years from now. The Elusive World of Immortals' Empress hopes that Venerable Mei will take part in it."

Lei Bao Yu then chuckled and continued, "Tian Fa forest's name has stood at the end of the rankings for the past five hundred years... the Great Ruler has also been in seclusion for five hundred years... he he... he has presumably left the world. And, now that we speak of this... I have to inform you of another matter. Our Empress has sent these few words to you -"If the Lord of Tian Fa doesn't show up... and if Tian Fa loses - we will revoke Tian Fa's formidable status. And, the writ of the Three Holy lands will run large over the world from that moment onwards. Tian Fa would be considered nothing!"

Venerable Mei trembled. She clenched her teeth and replied, "This was the real purpose for you visit today! Mediation in this war was merely an excuse! Can't that hypocrite Empress of yours wait? Don't forget that The War for Seizing the Heavens is on the advent. Will your Empress be able to bear the responsibility when the time comes and there's no Tian Fa?"

"This has been considered by her Excellency!" Bu Kuang Feng narrowed his eyes, and a cold light flashed in them. "Venerable Mei, do you think that Tian Fa would be able to do anything without the Great Ruler? Do you think that Tian Fa's current power can do anything if it takes part in The War for Seizing the Heavens?"

"No matter how useless we will be... it'll still be better than trash like you two." Venerable Mei was unsteady. She wasn't going to take nonsense anymore. Then, she waved her hand and said, "It's time to pay up!"

A bird-like screech was heard from the sky. Then, a dark shadow dropped down faster than the speed of sound, and shot down amongst the troops of the Xue Hun Manor like lightning.

The positioning of this creature made it rather evident that it had remained hidden in the sky for a long time. It was at this moment that Jun Mo Xie realized why he hadn't seen Long Crane since the start of the war. [So that's how it was!]

Li Teng Yun's face was covered with tears at the time. He welled-up as he crouched in front of his father. He was anxious, and didn't know what to do. He had gotten accustomed to relying on his father's formidable reputation. So, it seemed like the sky was falling down on his head when he saw his father sustain serious injuries. He genuinely didn't know what to do at that time. Li Jue Tian was seriously injured. In fact, he wasn't even able to move. But, his life wasn't in danger. His breath was weak, and his eyes were closed so that he could recuperate. He had already lost his honor. So, the preservation of his life, and the restoration of his strength was his top priority at this moment.

However, that resounding screech echoed through the air at that moment, and a black shadow shot down. The remaining experts of the Xue Hun Manor had been guarding Li Jue Tian. They couldn't help but cry-out in alarm. However, they couldn't avoid that shadow at this moment, and everyone was hit a result. After that, a pair of huge claws grabbed Li Teng Yun. This figure stopped for a second, and then shot upwards once again. He had ascended over thirty meters in the sky in a split second. Then, a few thin but iron-like feathers floated down.

Li Jue Tian's eyes opened wide in anger. He suddenly sat up, and shouted, "My son...!"

Everyone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, "Crane King!"

It was Tian Fa forest's third ranked King - Long Crane!

He was in his original form at that moment, and was floating away with Li Teng Yun clasped firmly in his sharp claws. Li Teng Yun's given name meant 'soaring above clouds.' It was a good name, but he had never done so in his life. However, he was genuinely soaring above the clouds at this moment. He had finally lived up to his name!

He was a pampered kid, and he had always acted like a bully. He had never been in such a thrilling situation. The young man was living up to his name for the first time, but he was so scared that he had started to lose control over both his excretory organs. He could only shout, "Daddy, save me!" He finally lost control, and started to spurt 'things' from front his front and back at the same time.

The stench prevailed in the air. Everyone who stood below held their noses, and scuttled to safety.

Li Jue Tian's heart turned cold. He recalled his wager with the Lord of Tian Fa. His body had sustained very serious injuries. So, he couldn't attend to this matter regarding his reputation on his own. Therefore, the Great Master looked towards Lei Bao Yu and shouted, "Brother, Lei! Look at this Li! This Li has spared no efforts for the Elusive World of Immortals over these past years! I ask you to save my child!"

He had used his status as the Second Great Master to back these words. However, this wasn't any different from kneeling and pleading.

Lei Bao Yu hesitated and looked at Venerable Mei. He had thought that the matter was finally over. Moreover, he had already angered the other party with the words he had spoken. So, how could he face them again at this moment, and intercede on someone else's behalf?

His nose would be whipped-away from his face if he said anything at this juncture. How could Lei Bao Yu support this man in front of the world's apex expert? Moreover, it would be even worse since it would come from a representative of the Elusive World of Immortals...

Li Jue Tian's expression turned into that of a man who had been overcome with despair. In fact, it seemed as if he had aged dozens of years in an instant. This brilliant and world-renowned Second Great Master hadn't put-up such an expression even when he was thoroughly beaten by Venerable Mei. His face had merely displayed his grief and indignation. However, the cruel fact that he was helpless at this time made Li Jue Tian collapse...

"Lei Bao Yu! You've reneged on your word! You had promised me that you will defend my son. You had promised that he would be fine!" Li Jue Tian called out softly. It sounded like he was groaning. Then, he opened his eyes, and stated in a ferocious manner, "I - Li Jue Tian - take a vow that I will destroy everyone present here... and their families to the ninth generation if anything bad happens to my son today!"

This was followed by a screech in the air as Long Crane laughed, "Our dream of three months has finally been realized!" He waved his right wing, and a blood-curdling scream erupted from Li Teng Yun's mouth. The air had been filled with blood in a moment. Li Teng Yun's legs had been snapped-off from the base! They then fell down with a squishing sound.

"My son! My Teng Yun!" Li Jue Tian sobbed. Blood dripped from his gut while he screamed. It was unknown where he got the strength from, but he somehow stood up. "My son, Teng Yun!" Li Jue Tian was in tears. He was in bitter pain at the moment.

However, who could be blamed for all this? How could Li Jue Tian act like a bully and be bossy if it weren't for Li Jue Tian's extreme arrogance? And, what kind of a Young Master from a powerful family would ever try to snatch the wife of someone else? Moreover, Li Jue Tian actually knew about his son's unbearable actions. However, he didn't even try to stop him. In fact, he encouraged this tyrannical behavior of his son's, and even vowed to fulfill his son's desires.

A thorough study would reveal that Li Teng Yun was bound to suffer such a dark and painful fate. And, Li Jue Tian was the man responsible for this. Was the Second Great Master truly that amazing? Could no one ever provoke him?

Li Teng Yun's legs dripped with blood, and this had revealed the greatest error that Li Jue Tian had committed.

Suddenly, matters took a drastic turn...

A golden light flashed between the tents, and two exquisite throwing knives suddenly appeared before Li Jue Tian. One of them struck his throat, and the other pierced through his chest.

Many able people were present there. But, none of them could tell where the knives had come from. Nobody could locate the person who had thrown these knives either. However, everyone was clear about the intentions of the person who had thrown these knives - Li Jue Tian's death!

Another throwing knife appeared. It had reached Li Jue Tian's eyes in the blink of an eye!

Li Jue Tian roared with anger, and raised his hand to obstruct the knife. The knife struck his hand, penetrated deep into the flesh of his hand.

His name could shake the world. He was one of the Great Masters. His skin was almost indestructible, and his bones were like steel. No one in the world could stand up to him. However, he couldn't even evade a small throwing knife with the strength that remained in his body at this moment.

"Who?" Li Jue Tian looked up and roared sharply, "Who wants to kill me? Come out if you have the guts?"

Everyone present also wanted to ask this question. [Who wants to kill Li Jue Tian? Who is throwing these knives?]

It was true that many amongst those present at the scene wanted to take advantage of the opportunity in order to kill Li Jue Tian.

He had made a threat a moment ago, "I - Li Jue Tian - take a vow that I will destroy everyone present here... and their families to the ninth generation if anything bad happens to my son today!" these words had realized into a threat to everyone present. Perhaps everyone wanted to kill him after that. But, they didn't. No one had dared to take action in order to kill Li Jue Tian in front of everyone.

After all, the Xue Hun Manor's remaining strength was still exceptional despite the fact that it had been reduced very considerably. Therefore, not many people would rashly dare to poke the hornet's nest. If they wanted to take action - they would have to do it in secret. But, this person who had openly thrown these knives was rather impatient. Or perhaps, the Second Great Master wasn't much in their eyes.

Then, an extremely powerful pressure started to emanate in the area. This force pressed upon everyone's minds, and left them to tremble.

After that, a person suddenly appeared high above in the sky. This person had seemingly appeared without any prior indication. That person was dressed in black. One could say that this person's dressing style was very similar to that of Venerable Mei's. In fact, most people would've assumed this person to be Venerable Mei if they hadn't seen the Lord of Tian Fa standing apart in the vicinity.

Chapter 368: The Killing Blow! The Aftermath!

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
"Li Jue Tian! I must kill you!" the black-robed person stood still in the air as he spoke these words. Then, he extended his leg, and came down from over thirty meters in the sky. It seemed as if he had descended via a staircase. His hands were behind his back, and his head was tilted slightly upwards as he stepped down.

Everyone was alarmed!

[He frittered in the sky as he stepped down on the ground.]

Even a Beast King of Tian Fa - that too the King of flying Xuan Beasts, Long Crane - had never demonstrated such a wonderful skill. This mysterious person's Xuan skills were obviously at a very profound level.

Li Jue Tian's expression became dark, and he fell to the ground with a plop. He had barely managed to stand-up like the last radiance of a dying sun a moment ago. However, he got to see that incomparably amazing feat soon-after. He may have felt that he had a slim chance against Venerable Mei, but he knew that he was no match for this mysterious newcomer. This person was perhaps more formidable than Tian Fa's Venerable Mei. Much more formidable!

Li Jue Tian had lost every shred of his fighting spirit. He merely lowered his head and asked, "Why?"

"Why? Do you need to ask why? Didn't you always say that 'a clenched fist is the greatest argument'?" the mysterious black-clothed man snorted coldly and continued, "There are some people whom you can't offend... Some people whom you can't afford to offend! And, you will have to pay the corresponding price if you provoke them. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Li Jue Tian raised his head in a desolate manner, and asked in a very gloomy voice, "I don't hope to survive this. But, I wish to know... whom did I offend?"

"Whom did you offend?" the mysterious black-robed man sneered and replied, "Don't tell me that you didn't figure out that Tian Fa's beasts spoilt you plan? They didn't attack the only person whom you had tried to entrap! Don't tell me that you don't think that the occurrence of so many unreasonable things wasn't strange...?"

"It was you! It was you who prevented the Xuan Beasts from attacking Jun Wu Yi!" A light flashed inside Li Jue Tian's mind. He guessed everything. But, he was still at a loss for words owing to the shock of this. So, he moved his mouth, but no words came out, "The Jun Family? You stand for the Jun Family...? How didn't I know this...?"

There was a huge clamor amongst everyone the moment those words came out. And, even Jun Wu Yi was amongst these people! He was gaping wide... just like the others. [Since when did our Jun Family have such a powerful backer? And, how on earth did I not know?]

However, everyone else had only one kind of expression as they looked at Jun Wu Yi - a color of admiration!

They were extremely envious. The originally low-key Jun Family had such a world-shaking person supporting them from the dark. [We absolutely can't provoke the Jun Family... we simply couldn't afford to do it...]

"The Jun Family... he he... isn't so small that people like Li Jue Tian can get away with causing trouble for it. I had vanished from this world twenty years ago. And, many misfortunes have befallen them after that. It has also led to many like you to overestimate your capabilities. And, you've acted with a limited outlook on things from thereon."

The mysterious man in black finished speaking, and inclined his head to look at the people from the Silver Blizzard City. He had a sharp expression in his eyes. Xiao Bu Yu and the others started to feel cold without any reason, and their complexions underwent very drastic transformations.

The black-clad man then gave an ice cold laugh and spoke, "And, as for you... you needn't be alarmed. This old man will have no interest in seeking trouble with you as long as you don't make him unhappy again. 'Someone is responsible for every grievance. And, there is a debtor for every debt. Ha ha..." he gave a long and sorrowful laugh as he looked at Xiao Bu Yu with a meaningful glance. His eyes were clearly shooting warning glances.

Xiao Bu Yu forced a smile and replied, "This Xiao admires the kindness of your distinguished self."

The black-clad man snorted and spoke, "Can gratitude and grudges be distinguished that easily? I don't think so. He he... But, I'll play along from now..."

He stood motionless in the empty space. But, a pitch-black flame suddenly emanated from his body, and engulfed Li Jue Tian inside it.

The man in black laughed and spoke... as if nothing had happened, "Your behavior as a Great Master was abysmal. But, your behavior as a 'Great Master of scums' was quite impressive..."

The scene inside the flame was blurred. But, everyone could hear as the former Second Great Master let out a fearful howl...

Then, the black-clad man waved his hand, and something appeared in it. After that, there was a flash of golden light, and the two throwing knives appeared in his hands. Venerable Mei suddenly let out a loud cry at this moment, "Stop!" She had already seen that the "thing" in is hand was the Xuan Core of the Panther King.

However, she came to herself the moment she had shouted. [Why did that mysterious man choose to extract the Xuan Core from Li Jue Tian's body...? Could it be that this mysterious man's...?]

The black-robed man snorted. But, he had completely ignored her in this moment. Then, he glanced around in a sharp manner. His actions were apparently a sign of warning... perhaps they were meant in farewell... or perhaps there was a deeper meaning behind it...

After that, he turned around and took a step. And then, he suddenly disappeared with that step!

He had vanished... just like that!

It had seemed like an invisible door had been placed in the air in front of him. He had merely stepped in, and had disappeared. After that, he had become invisible to everyone in the world...

[How... can this be possible?]

The many men and beasts lost their voices at the same time. The scene became extremely quiet. In fact, it could only be described as a 'pin-drop' silence...

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng looked at each other, but only saw the terror in the other man's eyes. A long time passed in silence. Then, someone suddenly shouted, "Li Jue Tian! He..."

Everyone was alarmed. They turned around to look, but they saw nothing at the place where Li Jue Tian had stood. He had only left a small pile of ash behind!

The Heavenly Great Master Li Jue Tian had been turned into a very small pile of ash after he had been engulfed by that strange black flame!

[What kind of move was that...?]

Even Venerable Mei stared wide-eyed in shock. In fact, she didn't even notice when the Snake King had arrived in front of her...

"Eldest..." Snake King seemed somewhat embarrassed as she looked at her and spoke, "That person... his posterior was very large..."

Venerable Mei asked in a startled manner, "What?"

[His a*s is big...] Venerable Mei shook her head. She didn't know whether she ought to laugh or cry. So, she spoke in a comical tone, "Snake King... that's a man. Why were you looking at his butt?"

Snake King's face turned red. She turned around to leave in anger. Venerable Mei seemingly smiled. And, she no longer paid any attention to that issue. But, she continued to ponder since she was very bewildered by one fact... [Who's that black-clothed man? What's his origin?]

[No one has ever made such a striking expression in my memory. And, how could that man remain obscure throughout my lifetime if he's capable of such a shocking feat?!] She felt like breaking her head open, but she still couldn't understand it. The Lord of Tian Fa couldn't help but be at a loss as a result.

However, she could never have thought that this mysterious skilled person who had suddenly appeared and over-awed everyone present... was the same person she had violently spanked a little while ago - Jun Mo Xie.

And, the reason why the Snake King had noticed that this person's posterior was different than an average man's... was that Venerable Mei's spanking had ensured that it would swell many times its size. So, how could it not appear abnormal in size?

'The Power of the Universe' and 'The World Cage' had let-go of Jun Mo Xie when Venerable Mei had gone out to fight. Jun Mo Xie's ability to move had returned as a result. He had then taken advantage of the fact that everyone was focusing on the fight between Venerable Mei and the four Great Masters. The Young Master Jun had been impatient to move into action this entire time. So, he quickly escaped into the Hong Jun Pagoda. And, the first thing he did after that... he quickly rub and knead his stinging buttocks...

[It hurts a lot! ...more so because it's this particular part...!]

However, he then witnessed that Li Jue Tian and the other three had been defeated. He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. He could've transferred the Art of Unlocking the Heaven's Fortune to his posterior, but he wouldn't have been able to eliminate that swelling in such a short period of time. Thus, he had no choice but to bind his cumbersome posterior and escape. So, he quickly eliminated Li Jue Tian, and escaped as hurriedly as possible.

However, the Snake King's peculiarly sharp eyesight made the "young woman" notice the anomaly with his posterior...

Jun Mo Xie hadn't thought that his powerful appearance had left a lasting impression on everyone. The Great Masters and the few Spirit Xuan experts only comprised of a few numbers of this crowd. Even the Sky Xuan and Earth Xuan experts were few in number. Most of the people were at the Jade Xuan or the Gold Xuan realm.

And, a person at this level would be considered an expert by the society at large. But, they had sunk to the level of ants after today's events. They were genuinely as good as ants!

Powerful experts had come from around the continent. And, each one of them was a legend in their own merit. In fact, each one of them was a character that one could look up to. They had been left a bit overwhelmed when they had arrived at the Southern Heaven City and had seen these Great Masters. In fact, they had felt that their presence wasn't of much use here.

Then, the four Great Masters had joined hands to fight this battle, but they were still crushed under someone else's hands!

Moreover, the two more Great Masters had also appeared. They were world-shaking swordsmen - the Hurricane and Rainstorm Great Masters. They had such resounding names. Moreover, they had the status of the Chief Provosts of the Elusive World of Immortals...

They had arrived as people of the Elusive World of Immortals. And, that name was something most of those present at this scene had heard for the first time. This legend had never been talked about. Therefore, this had made everyone even more puzzled.

This was a mystery, and it had made everything even foggier for the people present. They hadn't known about it before, but they had soon come to realize that the Elusive World of Immortals was the greatest force in the entire world. And, this fact had been confirmed after they had witnessed Li Jue Tian's behavior. Moreover, the two Great Masters were merely the Elusive World of Immortals' chief provosts. So, what did that entail?

It was only natural that Venerable Mei - the person who had thoroughly defeated the four Great Masters - had been assumed as the world's greatest expert by everyone present.

However, none of them had expected that a mysterious black-robed person would also show-up at this juncture. So, they had obviously never imagined that this person would be more terrifying than Venerable Mei. This person had then gone-on to kill the Great Master Li Jue Tian in an instant!

These things had happened in succession, and in a very short period of time. And, these unforeseen events had repeatedly attacked these people's limits of mental tolerance. It was too much for their eyes to take in!

[One big mountain is replaced by an even bigger one!]

Every man present at this scene had that same thought. They had roamed the society... they had lived in seclusion in wooded mountains... some were perhaps the members of large and powerful families... but, they only felt shock at this moment. These people had been very satisfied with their respective statuses. But, they suddenly felt ashamed of their arrogance and baseless self-satisfaction.

[What would I be considered in front of such people? A 'joke'... right?]

[I'm still a person with a limited outlook and experience!]

In addition, most of those present at this scene had colluded with Xue Hun Manor's Li Jue Tian and Li Teng Yun. And, they had aided that father-son duo in their plot. A few had refrained from doing so, but most were either openly or secretly involved in this plot. In fact, most people had at-best turned a blind eye towards the Xue Hun Manor's plot...

However, the Jun Family's fortunes had reversed. None of their family's character had died. Moreover, that newly-arrived mysterious person had clearly indicated his patronage towards the Jun Family. [What's the meaning of all this?]

Even Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng hadn't dared to prove this character. Venerable Mei had some misgivings in that regard, but even she hadn't moved into action. And, this person was backing the very-same force that almost every powerful family had been consistently plotting to entrap.

And, the thought of this had left everyone somewhat panic-stricken.

[What would we do if the Jun Family retaliates?]

Then, everyone simultaneously came up with the same idea... [We must be friendly with the Jun Family! We will inform our Family of this matter the moment we get back. Then, we'll quickly draw up a charter, and rush to the Tian Xiang City. We shall then strive to win a favorable impression from the Jun Family...]

[Please don't retaliate against us... we won't dare to provoke the kind of strength you possess!]

Naturally, there were many who had thicker skin. These people had already rushed to gain Jun Wu Yi's friendship. They had pondered for a moment, and had then rushed towards the Third Master Jun. They were presently circled around him like flies trying to make a huge swarm.

Every kind of speech was spoken in attempts to fawn in order to win his favor. The succession of these words was rather unbroken. And, every kind of praise and words of fawn were spoken as they bootlicked. These words irrigated Jun Wu Yi's ears like the water from a massive river, and irritated him to no end. Jun Wu Yi was a straightforward man. So, he felt a headache as he listened to all of this. It was a struggle for him. However, he had no choice but to be very careful in dealing with these people.

It had to be said that this astonishing news would cause a huge and widespread shock once it had spread out in the days to come. The Jun Family's position and safety was quite assured thereafter. In fact, it had to be said that even the thunders couldn't shake it anymore!

No one would dare to provoke the anger of that exceedingly strong and terrifying man. Therefore, no one would mess with the Jun Family. And, there would be no exceptions to this!

The people from the Xiao Family of the Silver Blizzard City were obviously the most terrified ones present on the scene. Xiao Bu Yu's face seemed like it had been drowned in water. Well, the pressure on his face left him to feel as such. [Will the Silver Blizzard City's strength be enough to bear that mysterious man's revenge? I genuinely can't say...]

The mysterious man had spoken, "Someone is responsible for every grievance. And, there is a debtor for every debt". Those words had carried a hint of warning and hatred in them. How could Xiao Bu Yu not catch this fact with the decades of experience he possessed? That mysterious man wanted Jun Wu Yi to seek justice for himself... And, everyone present had been able to understand this rather clearly...

However, the main issue was still the same. What could the Xiao Family do if Jun Wu Yi decided to seek revenge? "Someone is responsible for every grievance. And, there is a debtor for every debt". This statement would apply to us if we're not careful while getting rid of Jun Wu Yi. That mysterious man would be moved to personally act if we...]

[However, wouldn't facing Jun Wu Yi's hatred be akin to coaxing a darling baby? We could support the baby with our hands, but the baby might just put our hand into his mouth and chew on it. Wouldn't we need to be very careful?]

[What the hell is this?!]

Xiao Han turned and looked at Jun Wu Yi. He suddenly felt great pressure in his chest. He felt like he was dying. It was an unbearable pain. This man was his mortal enemy. He loathed him to the extreme. This man was someone he had even dreamt of killing! This man had merely been a plaything to him. But, how did this man suddenly become so impressive at this time?

[I may wish to deal with him, but the Family will be bound to reconsider my matter! The Family wouldn't wish to offend that person... even if the Lord of the City's doesn't issue a strict order!]

[So, what should I do? Yao... is mine! Mine!]

There was a hint of hysteria in Xiao Han's eyes. His body suddenly came to the verge of collapse. He let out a cry as he spat a mouthful of blood. And then, he stood up obstinately. He stared at Jun Wu Yi without blinking, and his expression became increasingly cold and crazy.

[Jun Wu Yi! It doesn't matter who's backing you! I wish to kill you! And, I will kill you!]

A scream resounded in the air as Long Crane let go of Li Teng Yun's shattered body. The boy then fell down with a cry of shock. He had dropped from a height of hundreds of meters!

There was an explosive sound as people below scrambled to get out of the way. They effectively left a vast area vacant on the ground.

A thousand people would've rushed forward to catch Li Teng Yun if he had been dropped some time ago. However, he had turned into a 'hot potato' at this time. Who would dare to help him? Who would agree to do it?

"Bang!"

Li Teng Yun's body fell to the ground, and a large pool of watery blood splashed around. His body had been turned into a pile of flesh. Every bone from his body was sent flying. Even his fingers hadn't remained attached to his arms.

That miserable scene made everyone's heart jump and beat loudly.

Venerable Mei waved her sleeves, and turned around to leave. She roared, "You people must remember today's terms! We shall say farewell at this point, but I'm sure that we'll meet again!"

She hadn't specifically mentioned the name of any person. But, Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng understood that she had referred to the two of them. So, they respectfully replied, "Don't worry, Respected Senior! The words of a man of character carry a lot of weight! So, it's important that we adhere to the terms since we've been defeated. We won't go back on our word!"

Venerable Mei chuckled and sneered, "Who will dare to go back on their word?" Those words had been laced with threats.

Lai Bao Yu and his companion looked at each other, and forced a smile.

Venerable Mei shifted her gaze as she turned around. However, she couldn't even detect Jun Mo Xie's shadow at the place he had earlier stood. [It seems that the brat slipped away like a rat after I removed the strength of the World Cage...]

She thought about this for a moment. Then, she suddenly turned around and walked towards Jun Wu Yi. Everyone who had flocked around him saw her fluttering black robes as she made her way. So, they scatter to the distance... as if they had seen a devilish curse approach.

Jun Wu Yi finally relaxed and breathed out. He felt his entire body sweating profusely. He hadn't been fazed in the face of a mountain of blades... or woods of corpses... or even oceans of blood. But, facing a torrent of flattery had made it difficult for him to breathe.

Those people couldn't even look him in the eye for a short of period of time. But, dealing with them had unexpectedly left him to feel even more tired than he would after an arduous battle.

Jun Wu Yi cupped his fist and smiled as Venerable Mei came over, "Venerable Mei has come over. How have I been so fortunate with your presence?"

"Your nephew's moves are quite wonderful. He's quite a talent." Venerable Mei didn't beat around the bush. She spoke in a very straightforward manner, "This senior would like to take-him-on as a disciple. What do you say, Commander Jun?"

Jun Wu Yi was prepared since he had guessed their purpose. However, he still couldn't help his mind going blank when he heard those words. He became extremely happy for a moment. But, he suddenly recalled Jun Mo Xie's bewildering temperament the next moment. He nevertheless smiled and replied, "Venerable Mei, it's a great fortune for that brat that you look upon him. This Jun doesn't have any opinion on this. However, my Jun Family is very open-minded, and Mo Xie had mostly been self-disciplined. So, he's very opinionated. But, my Jun Family will have no problems in case Venerable Mei truly wishes to take him in... if Mo Xie agrees to it."

"Self-disciplined..." Venerable Mei was stunned. She seemingly couldn't comprehend those words. It seemed from her tone that she had heard something 'outlandish'. But, she came to herself soon enough, and replied from behind her clenched teeth while she smiled on the surface, "Not bad, not bad... very good... Ah! Self-disciplined... very good..."

However, she was cursing inside. [That despicable and shameless brat can be considered, "Self-disciplined?" Where's this coming from?!]

"I have my own means if that's the case." Venerable Mei was full of disdain. [This commander can look me in the eye and talk nonsense... he's your nephew! How can you boast and overhype him?]

"But, do you not know where your nephew is?" Venerable Mei asked solemnly. She was literally on the verge of raining curses. However, she stood in the face of a legend of the recent past - the genuinely unwavering Blood General. Therefore, she suppressed her anger. She would've been raining curses at this time under usual circumstances...

"Mo Xie... uh?" Jun Wu Yi was about to say something. But then, he thought and replied, "Wasn't Mo Xie at your side a moment ago?"

"Ah, I had gone to face my opponents a while back. But, your nephew wasn't there by the time I returned." Venerable Mei's spoke in a manner that concealed the redness of her face, and the fact that she was panting, "Your nephew and I had a very joyous conversation..."

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng had arranged for everyone's withdrawal whilst these two people were engaged in a conversation. In fact, everyone had seen Venerable Mei and Jun Wu Yi engage in a 'joyous' conversation. And, everyone else had remained silent out of fear. The Jun Family had added more glory to its name as a result.

No one dared to disturb these two individuals, and they left the place in silence. In fact, more than half the hilltop had been emptied in a very short period of time.

The Xuan Beasts had also retreated into the Tian Fa forest. Only a few Beast Kings had stayed behind to watch over Venerable Mei. They seemed very concerned.

The sounds faded away, and a sense of serenity spread over the wooded valley once again. Lei Bao Yu smiled lightly, and spoke-up while cupping his fist, "Venerable Mei and all the Beast Kings... we're all noble and far-reaching beings. So, I'm sure that we'll meet again. We two brothers have to return to the palace in order to submit our report. So, we must say farewell at this time."

Venerable Mei nodded slightly. She was about to speak when a majestic body suddenly came rushing from behind her. It then shouted loudly, "The provosts of the Elusive World of Immortals are truly awesome! They are leaving before they can eat my punch!"

The sound of the rustling of a celestial wind was heard at the same time. This was followed by a thunderous noise. In fact, it seemed as if a cloud had fallen to the ground. Then, a sharp voice was heard. This voice seemed so angered that it seemed as if it would murder anyone who didn't clear away from it's path, "This one also thinks that the provosts of the Elusive World of Immortals are extremely ferocious!"

It was the Bear King, Big Bear. And, the Crane King, Long Crane!

Everyone was aware that the two Beast Kings didn't wish to obstruct or kill the two former Great Masters. They merely desired to create a dispute for the next time. This would set-up the platform to compare their Xuan strengths at the designated time, and see how much they differed by...

Who could say how the strengths of the Tian Fa's Lord's underlings would fare against the Elusive World of Immortals'?

Lei Bao Yu found their words unfathomable words. In fact, Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng had harbored the same idea. But, how would these beasts get another opportunity once these two had left?

Then, a screech was heard. After that, a graceful and delicate figure started to spin. The Snake King had moved into action!

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng smiled as they looked-on. They had seemingly not even seen those two's moves. The purple-gold swords at their hips didn't even seem to move. But, something dazzling suddenly flash around them, and the sky was instantly filled with a brilliant downpour of starry objects. It appeared like a heavy rainstorm. And then, a bewildering and whimpering echo arose as another storm picked up. It turned everything into a spectacular mess as it flew through the coarse rocks.

The attacks of the three Beast Kings were sharp, but it became difficult for their attacks to make quick progress in this storm.

These two were world-shaking swordsmen - the Rainstorm and Hurricane Masters. They were the Greatest Masters of their generation. Their Xuan cultivations were extremely high, and their co-ordination was flawless. In fact, it nearly doubled their individual might!

A clear sound echoed as Long Crane rose up, and laughed, "You deserve the titles of the Rainstorm and Hurricane Master. You are indeed very admirable!"

A clear whistle was heard as Bu Kuang Feng replied, "Tian Fa also deserves its formidable reputation! We'll meet after three years! Farewell!"

They were already a kilometer away when they had said their farewells.

These five individuals had exchanged a blow. And, they had retreated after that. It seemed that the five people - the two men and the three Beast Kings - were on an equal-footing at the first glance. But, the three Beast Kings had well-realized that the advantage lay in the hands of their counterparts.

[The Elusive World of Immortals is very difficult to deal with!]

The three Beast Kings must've been startled by this. But, Venerable Mei had foreseen the conclusion to that confrontation. Therefore, she had paid no heed to it. She merely frowned and took a step as she strolled forward. Her heart was immersed in an entirely different train of thought... [Jun Mo Xie... where has that little bastard escaped to...? I've even used my Spiritual Sense. So, why can't I find him? What's the reason for all this?]

Chapter 369: Scatter Like The Clouds

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Men of Jun Wu Yi, Dongfang Wen Qing and Sikong An Ye's status came forward to wish farewell. Venerable Mei only nodded in an absent-minded manner. Most of the Spirit Xuan and Sky Xuan experts were nothing in her opinion. There was nothing wrong with the Third Master Jun and the three Dongfang brothers when it came to it. However, Venerable Mei didn't wish to engage with them much since it would be rather embarrassing for someone of her status. In fact, she'd even wish to economize on the 'nodding'...

She hadn't even paid attention to what they had spoken since the worry in her own mind hadn't been settled yet. A long, long while passed in this manner. She then raised her head towards the sky, and saw a river of stars along with a bright moon...

[It's night time already!]

[I didn't pay attention that so much time passed while I was immersed in thoughts. But, what was I thinking about? What had me so entranced? This has never happened to me before? What is happening to me...?]

Then, she turned around, but noticed that only three people remained there. The Tiger and the Lion Beast Kings had already led the Xuan Beasts into the forests in a calm and quiet manner. A faint cloud of dust could be seen in the depths of the sky above the forest. The faint dust that had spread in the air was obviously due to the retreat of the Xuan Beasts...

[This is very unusual. So many Xuan Beasts have retreated. They may have retreated in an orderly and peaceful manner. But, they still must've made a tremendous noise. But, I still didn't notice any of it. I haven't been this absent-minded for nearly a hundred years...]

Venerable Mei didn't care about the human allied forces. They had also retreated in a neat order some time back. Even the dead bodies on the ground had been taken away. The only exceptions were the bodies of the father-and-son duo - Li Jue Tian and Li Teng Yun. One had turned to ash, while the other was a pile of meat. The allied forces had buried them in haste. In fact, they had basically piled-on a mound of earth on top of them. The setting sun had shone upon that mound, and a white plank of wood stood upon it. This plank had obviously been chopped from a nearby tree. It looked rather conspicuous. A barely legible line had been carelessly written on it -"The tomb of the Li father and son."

Not a single word was written apart from that.

He had been one of the Great Masters of his generation. He had been well-regarded in the past. But, he had been very arrogant. And, he had unexpectedly met such a miserable and gloomy fate in the end...

Venerable Mei became clear-headed when she saw that plank of wood. She decided to take a closer look at the plank. Then, she laughed bitterly before she muttered, "The Second Great Master is dead. His reputation is gone too. He's just like a common beggar who's hungry and cold."

She sighed and her eyes flitted around. Only the four of them were left amidst this grand mountainous forest.

Over a month of fighting, blame, and grievances had come to an end. The heroes and experts from around the world had gathered there. But, they had also dispersed like the scattering clouds.

Everything was back to the way it used to be. However, the number of the living had reduced...

There was still a faint scent of blood in the air, and this made this wide expanse of open area seem even more miserable.

"You fought Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng. How do you feel about it? You've measured the four Great Masters who had come here. How do you feel about the strengths of the Eight Great Masters? I wish to know where you place the strength of our Tian Fa against the Elusive World of Immortals..."

Venerable Mei placed her hands behind her back, and looked into the distance for a long time after she had asked this. It seemed that the three individuals who stood beside her had been asked a very dull question. However, the three Xuan Beast Kings felt an immense pressure.

"Those two men... were very fierce... and quite difficult to deal with..." Long Crane had carefully thought about the situation of the battlefield a while ago. So, his flat and long mouth expressed his view, "Their strength was greater than that of the four Great Masters who had arrived today. In fact, they were stronger than Li Jue Tian - the greatest of the Four Great Masters. Moreover, their swords worked in perfect harmony when they joined hands to fight. Their strength was also increased by many-folds when that happened. The chances of victory are lesser than that of defeat if we three fought them... even if we were in our original forms. And, this is merely an assessment based on the strength they had displayed in that one instance..."

"I agree with what the Third Elder Brother has spoken. The Elusive World of Immortals' Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng had only displayed the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the determination of their strength. Their true strength would be somewhat higher than that of our Tian Fa." The Snake Queen stroked the hair in front of her forehead, and the expression on her face became serious.

"'Somewhat higher than us...' Is too conservative an argument! I won't dare to exaggerate our hopes! I feel that their strength superior to ours. In fact, it's much higher than ours!" Venerable Mei slowly turned around, and spoke in a chilling manner, "Your progress has been very slow! I'm very disappointed in all of you!"

The faces of Long Crane and the other two Beast Kings turned red as they lowered their heads.

"The Three Sacred Lands are very fierce... and the Tian Fa forest... has been declining very fast over the past few years... Perhaps we'll end-up losing the title of a Fearsome Place in the near future. What a shame! He he... Big Bear and Long Crane!" Venerable Mei sneered and continued, "The two of you had guaranteed me something when you lost the Sacred Fruit. What would the two of you do if we have no news of it after the three years have passed?"

Venerable Mei's tone had become very sharp.

Long Crane and Big Bear straightened-up their bodies, and replied in a solemn tone, "Rest assured, Eldest. We two brothers will remove our heads if things go south when the time comes!"

"Humph!" Venerable Mei said in a dark tone, "Do you two think that your heads are... that valuable?"

Everyone remained silent for a while.

How could the heads of the two Beast Kings not be valuable? However, what would significance would the removal of their head bear if the things took a turn for the worse? It would only reduce the strength of their side for no reason. One genuinely couldn't understand what these two were thinking...

Venerable Mei looked up and thought in silence. ['Tian Fa won't find what it seeks. The Beast Kings will die. The Tian Fa's million will depend of the success of failure of one person'. What profound meaning was hidden behind these words? 'Tian Fa won't find what it seeks'. This line's meaning has already been cleared out. But, what did the other words mean?]

Venerable Mei figured that they next phrase indicated a major change in the circumstances regarding the Beast Kings' fate. That would explain "the Beast Kings will die" part. It would certainly seem so, but one couldn't be sure. However, the last part regarding "The Tian Fa's million will depend of the success of failure of one person" was still a profound mystery.

[What does this mean at the end of it all?]

"Eldest... since you wanted to receive that kid as a disciple... so why not..." Snake King asked.

"I obviously have other means," Venerable Mei leisurely looked into the distance and spoke slowly, "How can I let him escape so easily from my palms? Wouldn't it be too much if I can't even educate him on his behavior?"

She had become very cold and gloomy by the time she had spoken those last few words. In fact, her teeth had started to gnash with anger within her mouth. The three Beast Kings had known her for many years. So, they trembled as they thought about how she would to take her revenge. They couldn't help as they looked at each other in dismay. [Eldest wants to take him in as a disciple. But, she wants to take revenge? What kind of a sinister and ocean-deep hatred do you possess for this kid?]

"I'm on the verge of a breakthrough. I had a flash of realization during today's battle. The path of non-penance is the better option if one wishes to break through the final barrier. One must travel this world!"

Venerable Mei then laughed a bit and spoke, "Bear King, Crane King... the two of you will guard Tian Fa properly. You won't leave it for the next two years. Meanwhile, Green hunter and I will go and explore the world."

She sighed after she finished speaking. One would see that Venerable Mei's clear and limpid eyes were full of loss and contradiction if they could go beyond her black cloth and see her face.

Big Bear and Long Crane bowed and agreed.

Venerable Mei remained stationed in a calm manner as the curtain of night descended upon the land below. The biting-cold wind started to rise on the top of the mountain. Venerable Mei wasn't using her Xuan Qi to protect her body. There was a fluttering sound on the summit as her black cloak left her body, and fluttered away in the wind. The figure that had been hidden underneath it was surprisingly the exquisite figure of a woman. In fact, this figure could bring a 'rise' within any man even if they saw it vaguely from the side...

That peerless beauty could awaken feelings of first love...

The mere outline of her figure would leave the entire world to mutter, "What a beautiful woman!". The other women would be left to feel inferior. She hadn't revealed her true features, but the manner in which she stood in the wind had already displayed her peerless and refined structure. In fact, the moon in the sky had already lost its luster in front of her beauty.

The sky had turned dark by now.

The most refined and elegant creation still remained gracefully upright on the summit. She didn't move herself, but her elegant body swayed magnificently in the night-wind...

A person had seemingly been sighing softly for a long time. That person's voice seemed low... as if they were talking in their sleep. And, their voice became even fainter as it wafted through the air...

"I... how should... I treat you...?"

The whistling night-winds breezed away, and those words lingered continued to linger within. Then, that magnificent and exquisitely beautiful figure flashed. And, darkness truly descended on the world after that...

The last touch of light had apparently gone out. The sky had become dark a while ago, but the figure on top of the mountain had seemingly emitted the radiance of a green lotus that grew atop a snowy mountain peak. And, that last bit of light had also disappeared after she left...

The greater part of the allied forced had already scattered after the humans had returned to the Southern Heaven City. They had suffered a crushing defeat. And, the strongest faction of the humans - the Xue Hun Manor - had been thoroughly crushed. Even Li Jue Tian - one of the Eight Great Masters - had died. However, the final outcome of the battle was that the Xuan Beasts of Tian Fa had returned to their forest. Moreover, they weren't going to trouble humanity anymore. Thus, the basic aim of the allied forces had been achieved. No one was idle at this time. Each person was moving-about, and was bidding their farewells.

However, the person who had been most in the limelight during that war - Jun Wu Yi - had a worried frown on his face.

Jun Mo Xie had gone missing!

The Young Master had mysteriously disappeared, and hadn't returned since. And, this had frightened everyone! Everyone was very worried. People like the Solitary Falcon and Dongfang Wen Qing searched everywhere, but they couldn't even find a trace of him. So, Jun Wu Yi helplessly decided to postpone the return trip, and planned for everyone to rest in the meanwhile.

However, he was completely unaware of the things that were happening in the world while he was recuperating. The Xuan experts from every powerful family which had participated in this war were wantonly propagandizing the Jun Family's might after they had departed from the Southern Heaven City. Therefore, the Jun Family's reputation had sky-rocketed to the top in the brief time of a few days...

The Jun Family had always been regarded as a famous family. But, that was mainly due to its military prestige. A common family of the society couldn't provoke the Jun Family. However, this didn't mean that the other families couldn't... especially when it came to the families which had Sky Xuan or Spirit Xuan experts to keep watch over them...

The factions that nobody would provoke weren't many in number. The Silver Blizzard City and the Xue Hun Manor were amongst the handful of factions that no one would dare to provoke...

However, the circumstances were different now. In fact, they were entirely different. Who wouldn't know that the Jun Family had a patron in a man who could be regarded as the 'strongest under the heavens'? And, this shocking news had spread like a storm across the entire continent...

Chapter 370: The Devil's Bite of the Flame of Primal Chaos

Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Guan Qing Han was inside the tent. She had her hand on her cheek as she stared at the flickering candle. She then let out a long sigh.

"Elder Sister Qing Han, are you thinking about brother Mo Xie?" Dugu Xiao Yi was sitting quietly at her side. The little girl hadn't seen him for a few days, and had become somewhat thin as a result. Moreover, her eyes and face showed the indescribable and extreme worry that she had on her mind.

She became extremely frightened after she spoke those words. She didn't know whether she wanted the answer from her elder sister Guan to be a 'yes' or a 'no'... Moreover, she felt that calling out Guan Qing Han's name together with that of Jun Mo Xie's in that manner made them faintly seem like a couple. So, she immediately corrected herself, "Could it be... that you're thinking about him?"

Guan Qing Han turned and smiled gently, "Why do you ask this, Xiao Yi? What do you want my answer to be?"

Dugu Xiao Yi pouted before she replied, "Ah... Third Uncle Jun had tried to pair the two of you some time ago. So, who else would you be thinking about? No one thought highly of him earlier. Only I had chosen him! So, why's everyone coming to snatch him away now...?" she felt extremely wronged by the time she finished speaking, and couldn't prevent the rim of her eyes from turning red.

A light flashed in Guan Qing Han's eyes before she replied, "Don't worry, Little Sister Xiao Yi. It's just that he had gone out a while ago, but hasn't returned since. That's the only reason I'm worried about that man. I'm worried over a member of the family member in the capacity of an elder daughter-in-law. There's no other reason to it."

Dugu Xiao Yi pouted even more before she spoke, "You're not his sister-in-law anymore! You're his close relative now! You could use your proximity to him to your advantage... it's only obvious that you needn't think about it... humph! That guy has gone missing in accordance to his whims. But, I must be careful when he comes back, and..."

Then, she suddenly shifted her gaze; the little girl had come-up with an exquisite idea. So, she stopped mid-sentence, and her face became red. Then, Dugu Xiao Yi became very restless, coy, and ill-at-ease for a moment. After that, she hastily stood up, "I have to leave... there's this thing..." she said this and quickly flew out.

Guan Qing Han seemed puzzled as she watched Dugu Xiao Yi leave. She eventually couldn't help herself from smiling lightly. However, she become awash with worry again after she was done smiling. She sighed, and looked at the flickering candlelight in a perplexed manner as she muttered, "What should I do? What... should I do? I'm in such a fix..."

Everyone was very worried about Jun Mo Xie. But, he was also faced with a great crisis at this time...

He had taken a risk, and had used the Flame of Primal Chaos in order to deal with Li Jue Tian. The attack had gone smoothly. In fact, things had proceeded so well that even he couldn't believe it at first. Li Jue Tian had been turned to ash with ease! However, the attack had been too successful! And, he had received a devil's bite from the Flame of Primal Chaos as a result. In fact, things had taken such a dangerous turn that Jun Mo Xie might've gotten himself killed!

Li Jue Tian hadn't been able to strike him back when Jun Mo Xie had attacked him. But, the Young Master Jun was aware that he was in the presence of the three other top-experts. Moreover, they were watching his movements very closely.

Those three experts were namely - Venerable Mei, Lei Bao Yu, and Bu Kuang Feng.

Killing Li Jue Tian wasn't a difficult thing in-itself when he got the opportunity to ambush him. But, the greatest problem was that there was a huge chance of his true identity's exposure in the process of killing Li Jue Tian in such a public manner. Those three experts would've moved into action, and would've exposed his true identity if his method to kill Li Jue Tian didn't keep in accordance with his presumed identity of a mysteriously skilled top-expert...

And, the Jun Family would've genuinely been drowned in calamity if that happened. In fact, there would've been no means to rescue them from that situation.

However, any effective and mysterious method would bring no small amount of danger with it. Therefore, Jun Mo Xie eventually took the risk, and used the Flame of Primal Chaos. Jun Mo Xie went all-out to get rid of the disease named Xue Hun Manor.

He had by-and-large prepared himself to face the devil's bite from the Flame of Primal Chaos. However, he hadn't expected that the devil's bite would take affect so quickly. Moreover, it was extremely intense as well! In fact, even the tough and incomparably steely-nerved Jun Mo Xie was also nearly unable to endure it.

Jun Mo Xie had always boasted of his endurance ability. In fact, he had genuinely believed that no amount of torture could break him. He was confident that he could withstand any kind of torture. He had believed would die before he'd break. Jun Mo Xie had undergone tough anti-torture training in his previous life. Therefore, he had believed that he could endure any kind of a punishment...

Therefore, he had always bragged that any form of torture was nothing more than a life experience in his eyes!

Jun Mo Xie had never given much regard to any sort of physical or mental pain as a result of this firm belief of his'. And, he had always acted without restraint. This was the reason why he had always acted the way he had. This was the reason he had followed an 'author's fantasy' approach to life, and had always treated life as a game. [I'll do what makes me feel happy!]

[Nothing in this world can scare me! So, I have nothing to fear!] This was the reason he could act like a debauchee in the Emperor's presence. And, this was the reason he could dare to abuse a Great Master despite the fact that he was merely at the Jade Xuan realm.

[What can you do to me?]

[What would you do even if you could mess with me?]

[I've endured the most extreme pain in the world. And, I'm not afraid of death. So, why should I be afraid?]

It was similar to the case of being a 'pretentious prick'. But, one needs power to be that as well. One could nurture a strong mental state and could act with arrogance if they had power. However, one would only mock themselves at the thought of acting with arrogance in case they didn't have power.

A country's princelings could act like pretentious pricks in a country's marketplace... or anywhere else in front of the common people. In fact, they could act in any manner they so desired without any misgivings. Even the rich could treat the poor who served them in a horrible manner without worrying about it...

Why?

It was because no one could threaten them. They weren't afraid of anything. Those people wouldn't have to worry about any repercussions even if they did were to shoot their mouths.

However, could a beggar act forcefully in front of a rich businessman? That scenario was unimaginable.

Jun Mo Xie had the strength to back it up. So, he obviously acted like a pretentious prick. [Why should I worry or care? I have the Hong Jun pagoda. The experts of this world can't kill me even if they all were to join hands. So, why shouldn't I act pretentiously when I have such power?]

[I've achieved a level of cultivation that people struggle to attain even after they've spent a dozen years in practice. And, I've only been here for a few months! Why can't I be a pretentious prick when I have such a strong advantage? Who will dare to call himself the first genius of this world if I call myself the second one?]

Therefore, Jun Mo Xie acted in a proud and wildly arrogant manner. He always looked askance at the world and its people. He even thought that heaven and hell were of no threat to his existence. He wasn't scared of anything. So, he harbored no worries.

However, he knew that he had made a mistake this!

And, it was a massive mistake!

There was a kind of pain that even the spirits couldn't bear... let alone a living man!

Jun Mo Xie could smile and wave-off the physical pain that related to the breaking of hands and legs... and even the 'setting right' of the broken bones. But, even a golden immortal would crumble when faced with a pain that could torment the soul of a person.

And, this case was an example of that...

The devil's bite from the Flame of Primal Chaos!

He was inside the Hong Jun Pagoda at this point, and he was covered in thick Aura. He was holding his head, and was rolling-about in pain.

He could've never thought that the devil's bite from the Flame of Primal Chaos would have such a tyrannical effect.

There were some things which no one should ever try... even if they had no choice but to take the risk.

Jun Mo Xie hadn't felt any discomfort or pain when he had used the Flame of Primal Chaos. In fact, he had even felt slightly rejuvenated. But, felt his entire world had toppled by the time he had retrieved the Flame of Primal Chaos into his body after having killed Li Jue Tian.

And, these words entailed for his spiritual and conscious world alike!

The Hong Jun Pagoda could cure any kind of pain or sorrow. However, this was one kind of horrifying pain which even the Hong Jun Pagoda couldn't help with...

And, that's because the Flame of Primal Chaos was the flame everything had originated from...

And, this flame was burning a major part of his soul's core at this moment...

Jun Mo Xie had clenched his teeth tight in pain. And, his face was contorted. He felt every inch of his soul disintegrate and burn. A small flame seemed to be burning inside his heart. That flame burnt neither fast nor slow. The flame was slowly burning his fragile heart, but it still kept him conscious. And, this meant that he would have to live through the most cruel and unbearable torture he had ever known...

The inside of his brain had stopped burning since it had been turned to a pulp at one point. But, it had started to burn again. It was almost as if the ashes had caught fire once more. It had started slowly at first. But, it had then sped-up to such an extent that the inside of his brains had started to boil...

And, he had been fully conscious this entire time...

Moreover, the pain in his nerves had been magnified by ten-million times!

He had rolled-up his black robe, and had stuffed it into his mouth. In fact, he had already chewed it to shreds by now. Jun Mo Xie had thought that he would faint at one point of time, but he couldn't dare to. This was because there was a chance that the devil's bite from the Flame of Primal Chaos would burn him like Li Jue Tian in case he fainted.

And, that would be tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot.

Therefore, he could only support himself with rigidity at this moment! He could only support his spirit! Jun Mo Xie would cease to exist in this world if he were to lose his consciousness during this hardship!

In fact, he would cease to exist in any world that had ever existed!

The pain of being tortured with poisonous bamboo sticks that had been inserted in one's twisted fingers seemed like a rainy day's bliss compared to the devil's bite of the Flame of Primal Chaos.

In fact, the aforementioned example was probably better explained as the difference in pain from a mosquito bite and the kind that entails after one's leg has been smashed. The disparity was huge!

Sweat flowed out of his body like a stream. In fact, it evaporated and turned into mist the moment it flowed out.

"Argh!"

Jun Mo Xie looked up and screeched. He stood straight up, and then his face turned downwards. After that, he turned upside down with his face positioned upwards. He was like a zombie. His body contorted into extreme positions on the ground. In fact, his body had violated all laws of nature with its contortions...

And, that kind of pain continued for a day and a night!

The dark-flamed Flame of Primal Chaos jumped-around in a cheerful manner as if it was boiling noodles in a stove. In fact, it seemed as if Jun Mo Xie's pain and suffering was only adding to its pleasure...

It was just that the Art of Unlocking Heaven's Fortune was flowing through his meridians. Moreover, that thick aura inside the Hong Jun Pagoda was flowing through his meridians as well. It repeatedly washed over them. And, it was far higher than it had ever been before. In fact, it was greater than the sum of the entire amount he had witnessed in his previous life...

The dense milky-white aura in the air resembled a huge suction-whirlpool. And, there was an incessant sound of jeering as it would break into Jun Mo Xie's body. In fact, the aura entered his body in an endless stream... never-ending waves-upon-waves of it...