"Xu Shang." The City Lord of White Cloud City's eyes shone with cold light seeing Xu Shang around. According to the Holy Zhi Palace, Xu Shang's son, Xu Que, was among the ones who fled the Holy Zhi Palace. As such, Xu Que would have possibly been one of those who assassinated Bai Ze.
Bai Gu never expected to find Xu Shang on Taihang Mountain. He determined the day to be the one where he would bury the one who ranked ninth on the Barren Sky Ranking.
The Eye of Devastation was unleashed and a pair of terrifying eyes appeared in the sky, covering the entire space they were in. A wisp of sword aura warped around the bodies of Ye Futian and everyone there, resounding with metallic noises as it spirited all of them away. Xu Shang took one step forward, and that one step filled the air with a killer aura, permeating every nook and cranny it could find. Bai Gu's eyes turned serious. Despite being ranked fourth on the Barren Sky Ranking, he deemed it absolutely unwise to underestimate Xu Shang, who ranked ninth.
Of the four major swordsmen in the Barren State, Xu Shang ranked first.
It was for a very simple reason. That reason was his art of the killing sword. Anyone who dared underestimate Xu Shang would pay the price with their life. Any chance he managed to cling to could turn into a chance of landing the killing blow.
At the very instant, Bai Gu felt as if he was being put under lockdown by the boundless killing aura in the air. The killing aura spread everywhere, and even the Eye of Devastation had problems controlling and dispelling the aura. He saw flashes of grey mirages as if he was being surrounded by Xu Shang's shadows.
"Go kill the others," Bai Gu ordered the ones he took with him, yet there was hardly anyone who moved. In actuality, the pressure that they were being put under was way higher than the one on Bai Gu. The killing aura locked them where they stood as if to say that they would have been torn to shreds and die a horrible death if they dared to move a muscle.
Bai Gu's expression went extremely cold at the scene. He never expected the men he brought to be hindered by what Xu Shang was doing.
Bai Gu took one step forward, sending a frightening grey hand at Xu Shang. Xu Shang flashed about, appearing in yet another corner when one of his mirages was destroyed. His spiritual will was utterly incapable of locking Xu Shang in place.
Soon, Bai Gu felt as if Xu Shang's body had completely melded with the boundless killing aura around him. He was unable to sense any living aura in the mirages flashing about, giving off the illusion that Xu Shang had simply vanished into thin air. He knew, however, that it was where the truly terrifying part of Xu Shang lied. The swordsman felt as if he was nowhere, yet he was actually everywhere.
Xu Shang, House Master of Tingxue House was the king of killers in the Barren State. Even those who ranked higher than Xu Shang on the Barren Sky Ranking deemed it necessary to give it their all when fighting Xu Shang, or they would have definitely ended up dead. Xu Shang was one such extremely dangerous figure.
The fact was, however, other than Bai Luli who was made one of the top ten due to his potential for sainthood, all the other nine were dangerous figures in one way or another.
"Beware!" the City Lord of White Cloud City shouted. He felt as if a black sword current appeared before one of the mighty ones from White Cloud City behind him. The blade was almost formless, making it seem undetectable. Bai Gu unleashed terrifying spiritual will powers in an attempt to stop the blade from going his way. However, the sword current was capable of tearing spiritual will defenses apart. That mighty one was seen with a frightened expression on his face, feeling as if death itself was near.
Voop! Their throat was pierced from behind. Sword aura was unleashed as blood burst from the wound. They held onto their throat as they fell into boundless fear. Such was the power of the one ranked ninth on the Barren Sky Ranking; the power of the king of killers.
Bai Gu burst with an even wilder raging aura, filling the air with his murderous intent. Xu Shang had just killed his men right in front of him, who ranked fourth on the Barren Sky Ranking.
In yet another corner, Ye Futian moved forward riding on Xu Shang's sword, zipping through the air. The sword will dropped exponentially, and he knew Xu Shang simply was unable to afford to spare any of his spiritual power to control the sword; he needed to focus on the fight with the City Lord of White Cloud City.
It was anyone's guess how many who ranked on the Barren Sky Ranking were caught in that war. Ye Futian felt rather guilty for it. He earnestly hoped Xu Shang would emerge fine from that battle.
Gu Dongliu and Ye Futian kept moving forward. Gu Dongliu's eyes turned as sharp as the sharpest sword to be found, seeing the bodies of golden great apes strewn about the mountain. The very reason he had followed Xu Shang and Ye Futian to the battlefield was so that he could end things once and for all with Zhan Xiao.
Ye Futian clenched his fist and found himself shivering slightly. He prayed earnestly that nothing happened to Jieyu, Yu Sheng, and the rest of them. They followed the aura of battles and moved across Taihang Mountain.
Somewhere far away from where they were, another appalling battle was taking place. A demonized body stood in the air as demonic might filled the space they were in. The huge armor body was unleashed and the Seven Star acupoints were activated. The being was further clad with another layer of armor. There were three sage level figures standing before him: Zhan Xiao and two other sages. However, the two sages did not have much training. One of them was a lower-level magi while the other was a mid-level magi. All the other mighty ones were being held back by the demonic beasts of Taihang Mountain. Although they were only magi, Yu Sheng simply had no way of stopping them.
Blood spouted from Yu Sheng's mouth. Hua Jieyu and Yi Qingxuan stood behind him. Yi Qingxuan was all tears at the moment.
Zhan Xiao gazed at Yu Sheng and looked incredibly disgusted. He had never expected a noble to dare stand before him, and worse still, a noble whose combat capacity was frightening enough to scare him. However, the fact that Yu Sheng was still a noble remained. Despite being armed with compensation provided by the secret arts of the demonic ways and ritual implements, it was still inadequate to make up for the difference in planes.
It was as if an ant was trying to shake a tree.
"If death is what you seek, I'd be happy to oblige," Zhan Xiao said while glaring at Yu Sheng. They never intended to toy with Yu Sheng, yet he rampaged like a devil. Zhan Xiao was forced to admit that if the man before him was allowed to grow, the man would have, in time, became an extremely terrifying figure practicing demonic arts.
"Kill him and just take the girls," Zhan Xiao said coldly. Ye Futian dared mess with him before and he told Ye Futian that he would make the young man pay.
A shadow stepped forward and terrifying lightning coursed through its body. Yu Sheng howled and stood in their way. A terrifying halberd was brought to bear like it was wielded by a devil. However, when the lightning fell onto the halberd, Yu Sheng felt his entire body going numb. Despite his overwhelming force, he was rendered utterly helpless when the lightning struck him. It was some special rules of lightning employed by his opponent.
"Die," that magi figure said coldly as he brought a lightning bird straight for Yu Sheng. That strike sent Yu Sheng flying and then landing hard on the ground, spewing more blood.
"The ritual implement he has on him allows him to dissolve most of the attack's power. Just go blast him with sheer power," Zhan Xiao said coldly. Both magi walked up to Yu Sheng, whose eyes looked like they belonged to someone dead. They were nonetheless rather impressed with Yu Sheng. If this guy had managed to become a sage, he would have been very terrifying. But the fact remains, we have to kill him.
Wild, unruly rule-based attacks were unleashed. Yu Sheng stood where he was without any intention of flinching. Despite the demonic might he packed with him, he was still blasted until he kept spewing blood. His steps faltered and he fell onto the ground, yet he got up once again only for the cycle to repeat itself. However, he remained adamant against retreating.
"What an idiot," Zhan Xiao said coldly. He ceased paying any more attention to Yu Sheng and had instead walked up to Hua Jieyu and the two other girls. All three of them were very pretty. Ye Futian sure knows how to enjoy himself. I wonder if Ye Futian will come to regret ruining my plans.
"Ladies, would you be willing to come with me? Or do I need to make you come with me?" Zhan Xiao smirked as he said. Yu Sheng charged at him, but Zhan Xiao simply dismissed him with a heavy attack. Yu Sheng was at the end of his might and there was no way he would have been able to stop Zhan Xiao.
"Zhan Xiao." A voice shaking the air was heard from afar. Zhan Xiao tensed up right there and then. His eyes turned incredibly sharp as he turned his eyes at the air, seeing two silhouettes coming his way in great speed.
Gu Dongliu and Ye Futian.
He glanced around and found that it was just the two of them in the air. He felt rather relieved about that. Good thing for both Gu Dongliu and Ye Futian to show up here right now. No better time to have both of them dead once and for all.
"Kill them," Zhan Xiao said coldly. The two magi went straight for the two silhouettes in the air.
Gu Dongliu's expression went cold as he felt the plane of the two figures coming at him, unleashing his Celestial Shadow-like terrifying spiritual will with his Life Spirit. The two felt as if they were looking at a god within mere moments.
A bolt of lightning streaked through the air and Gu Dongliu charged at the two in his way.
Ye Futian kept going downward, coming near Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng was practically covered in blood at the moment. Even his eyes were thoroughly bloodshot.
"You're here," Yu Sheng uttered, seeing Ye Futian arrive. His eyes were closed as he fell into a coma. All that tension he had been holding throughout his body was all released. He felt relieved at the very moment Ye Futian showed up.
Ye Futian carried Yu Sheng's stout body on his back and walked towards Hua Jieyu. Zhan Xiao did not stop him as he looked on in a toying manner. To him, Ye Futian was as good as dead the moment he showed up. His arrival saved Zhan Xiao a lot of trouble. It was convenient for Zhan Xiao in the sense that he was able to kill both of his enemies at the same time.
"Sorry for being late," Ye Futian walked towards Hua Jieyu and said to her softly.
"I've been waiting for you," Hua Jieyu said with a smile. Having been through all those hurdles made her considerably calmer than she had once been. Ye Futian was there, and it was all that mattered.
"Great couple, you two." A chuckle was heard alongside the line, "Too bad, this is your last."
Ye Futian did not turn around. He said to Yi Qingxuan instead. "Qingxuan, help me look after Yu Sheng."
"Yeah." Yi Qingxuan nodded in tears.
Ye Futian turned around and glanced at his Third Brother in the air. Both of the magi had his Third Brother surrounded, but they were too held back by him. As such, he was the only one available to take Zhan Xiao on.
Zhan Xiao, who was the same level as his Third Brother, upper-level sage, and a Son of Zhisheng Cliffs.
Zhan Xiao looked at Ye Futian and said, "Ye Futian, you are but a noble, yet you overstretched yourself meddling with the affairs of Zhisheng Cliffs. With so many dead because of you now, I wonder, do you feel guilty? Do you feel any regret?"
"I only have one thought in mind now," Ye Futian said as he glared at Zhan Xiao, "and that is to kill you."
Zhan Xiao smirked sarcastically at him. Kill me? Zhan Xiao burst out in sarcastic laughter as he glanced at Hua Jieyu and the rest of them. Zhan Xiao then said, "I'm thinking now, after I kill you, should I kill these few pretty girls here as well?"