Chapter 0319: Shen Xingyao
Chapter 0319: Shen Xingyao
The crowd of Huang sword rank disciples continued to grow. Wu Yu stood on the arena for three days and nights.
There were no other duels going on at the other arenas of the Immortal Battleground. Over 10,000 Huang sword rank disciples had gathered all around the arena. Some of them stood on the ground, whereas others loitered around in midair on their flying swords.
The news of Wu Yu's appearance on the Immortal Battleground's arena spread far and wide throughout the Huang sword domain. Other than the disciples who were cultivating in isolation, basically everyone else had come to watch.
It went without saying that there were quite a few who were itching to give it a try.
Not many people had witnessed Wu Yu's prowess first-hand after all. Some of them were still unsure of what to believe.
Despite this, 2,000 Golden Essence Pills was no small amount. Most Huang sword rank disciples were unable to fork out such a huge sum. Over the last three days, there were over 100 people who had the impulse of challenging Wu Yu. However, they all hesitated at the last second. 2,000 Golden Essence Pills was really not a small amount.
Wu Yu had decided that if nobody challenged him within 10 days, he had no choice but to leave. Staying on any longer would just be a waste of time.
In fact, quite a huge amount of pressure was put on the 10 top ranked disciples on the Huang Sword Domain. After all, they had to uphold their reputation of being the 10 strongest disciples in the Huang sword domain. As such, after three days had passed, just when Wu Yu was feeling rather hopeless, someone suddenly appeared at the battlefield. Without a single word, the challenger tossed a Sumeru Pouch into the wager area.
Wu Yu raised his head to discover a herculean man before him. His eyes shone with vigor and he was only a few years older than Wu Yu. He seemed to possess the same amount of talent as He Taiyao, and was probably once a part of the top 10 on the Leaderboard of Swords and Immortals.
Sikong Wusheng cupped his hands in deference towards Wu Yu as he respectfully explained, "I am Sikong Wusheng, the current rank one on the Leaderboard of Huang Sword Immortals. I've heard the news of you setting up camp on this arena. I have made my way over to learn from you."
Wu Yu sized this man up. His counterpart was a seventh tier Jindan Dao cultivator and was close to the eighth tier. Once he reached the eighth tier, he would be promoted to a Xuan sword rank disciple. However, his Jindan essence was full of vigor and possessed the unique quality of the fourth type. He was probably able to barely rival an eight tier Jindan Dao cultivator if he really tried.
Wu Yu asked, "You've heard about me defeating Chen Fuyou. You clearly know that you are no match for me, so why do you want to just give away 2,000 Golden Essence Pills for free?"
These three days had allowed him to gain a good understanding of his perceived standing among the other Huang sword rank disciples.
Sikong Wusheng laughed. "Spending 2,000 golden pills to get an opportunity to fight with such a renowned talent known throughout Shushan is a small price to pay."
How bold!
Wu Yu liked opponents who had such ambition and willpower. If Wu Yu was in their place, he probably would have done the same as well.
In this moment, the crowd watched with bated breath.
Whoosh!
Sikong Wusheng had surprisingly equipped a sword in both hands. What surprised Wu Yu was the fact that a third sword was also under his control. It revolved around Sikong Wusheng's body and danced in the air. The three swords were identical to one another. Like azure stars, they gave off a dim fluorescent light.
"Triple Star Swords," Sikong Wusheng said.
"I'll only use my fists." Wu Yu turned to face his opponent. His footsteps accelerated at an alarming pace and his body looked like a fearsome beast. With every move, the whole Immortal Battleground seemed to quake. With a resounding weng, Wu Yu arrived before Sikong Wusheng.
"Watch my fist." Wu Yu warned as he threw out an impossibly quick punch. Sikong Wusheng was stunned as he watched the fist approach. He realized that his own speed was no match for Wu Yu's. At an absolutely crushing pace, Wu Yu's fist rushed towards him even before he could make a move. With just one punch, Sikong Wusheng was knocked off the arena.
Wah!
An uproar rose through the crowd. With the most basic attack of the martial way, Wu Yu had eliminated the number one on the Leaderboard of Huang Sword Immortals. Such skill clearly demonstrated Wu Yu's exceptional talent.
Sikong Wusheng tumbled a few times on the ground before he managed to stabilize himself. He was in a state of stupor. Wu Yu's punch was something that he would never forget. In that moment, he had felt completely crushed.
"I'll take my leave for now!" Sikong Wusheng left in a hurry.
He probably retreated back to this cave abode.
"Did he learn something?" Wu Yu did not expect that. The truth was that Sikong Wusheng was on the verge of a breakthrough. He probably wanted a moment of inspiration that would allow him to transcend his limits. On this very day, Wu Yu's simple attack had unintentionally given him the inspiration he needed. He now had a good chance of advancing.
"Using 2,000 Golden Essence Pills to trade for an advancement to the eighth tier and the Xuan sword rank seems like a good deal." Wu Yu felt happy for Sikong Wusheng as well.
The Xuan sword rank in charge of the event announced, "The victor is Wu Yu. He shall be rewarded with Sikong Wusheng's 2,000 Golden Essence Pills."
The crowd cheered and looked at Wu Yu with gazes of adoration and respect.
"Wu Yu, you've completely exceeded every disciple at the Huang sword rank and below."
"That's right, I think that the Huang sword domain is no longer appropriate for you. With your current strength, I feel like the old rules of Shushan no longer apply. I feel like the elders should make an exception and let you advance straight to the Xuan sword rank. To be honest, everything in the Huang sword domain is no longer of use to you."
Even the Xuan sword rank disciple added, "That's right. With your achievements, I'm sure that even the vast majority of Xuan sword rank disciples are no match for you. It would be a waste for a phenomenon like you to remain in the Huang sword domain. If I were you, I would bring this up to the Galaxy Sword Sage. Maybe he'll let you go to the Xuan sword domain early. After all, don't you feel uneasy being in a place as small as the Huang sword domain? You couldn't even find a worthy opponent on the Immortal Battleground."
More members of the crowd chimed in with good intentions.
To tell the truth, Wu Yu had not even considered such a possibility before the crowd had brought it up.
These words seemed to make some sense to him. He was way stronger than all the other Huang sword rank disciples. With his current results, he should head to the Xuan sword domain. That place had more resources, such as better immortal treasures, immortal essences, and dao techniques! Over there, he would also have a better chance of obtaining more valuables.
Staying in the Huang sword domain was indeed a waste.
However, the stringent rules of the Shushan Immortal Sect clearly stated that only eighth tier Jindan Dao cultivators could progress to the Xuan sword domain. Without the backing of someone as powerful as a Sword Sage, who would allow him to break these rules?
As he was considering this matter, a voice suddenly spoke to him.
"Wu Yu, come to the Domain Master Palace."
Wu Yu was stunned for a second. He looked around and found that there was absolutely no one speaking to him. The voice was exceptionally clear. This charming voice from nowhere was so loud that even the deaf could hear it.
"The Galaxy Sword Sage, Shen Xingyao." Wu Yu guessed the source of the voice and could barely hide his sudden excitement. He quickly bid his fellow Huang sword rank disciples farewell and set off on his flying sword in the direction of the Domain Master Palace.
"He probably wants to talk to me about the curse insignia of the Blood Dragon of Mount Wu." As Wu Yu rode his sword, he looked at the back of his hand. The insignia had vanished without a trace for now, but he could still feel its lingering presence.
Not long after, Wu Yu arrived at the Domain Master Palace. There was already an attendant waiting to bring him directly to Shen Xingyao.
The Domain Master Palace was enormous. Only after passing through levels of passageways did they finally arrived at the deepest part of the Domain Master Palace. The surrounding walls astonishingly looked like a starry sky. When Wu Yu entered the great hall, he felt like there was nothing beneath his feet. He felt like he had entered a galaxy of stars. In the vast emptiness of his surroundings, he had to ride on his sword for balance. In the distance, all he could see was the glimmering lights of stars.
This vast river of stars was glorious and infinite.
In the depths of this starry sky, there was a lone figure waiting for him. Wu Yu approached him quickly. As he got closer, he noticed that faint starlight was shining from the figure's body. It was difficult to determine what the figure's face looked like. All that could be seen was a pair of gleaming eyes that were as blue as the stars. The light from these eyes shone deep into Wu Yu's soul.
"Wu Yu pays respects to the Galaxy Sword Sage." Upon reaching the figure, Wu Yu respectfully bowed. In fact, the Galaxy Sword Sage had affected Wu Yu's life a great deal.
Shen Xingyao's voice was gentle. "Let me take a look at your hand."
Wu Yu immediately stretched his hand out.
After a few looks and some consideration, Shen Xingyao continued, "It has not disappeared. It has blended in with you and is hiding in the corner. I have to be honest with you. The Blood Dragon of Mount Wu is a foreign demon. There are no records of him on the divine continent. As such, no one really knows what his mystique is, so there is no easy solution to this. I have even consulted my master, and he has no knowledge about it either."
He truly was direct. Without any hesitation, he delivered the bad news to Wu Yu even though they had just met.
Despite this, Wu Yu was thankful for his help. After all, a person of his stature was willing to go as far as to consult one of the Seven Immortals of Shushan for his sake. He had indeed tried his best for him.
"What should I do?" Wu Yu asked.
Shen Xingyao replied, "I will try to look up some ancient texts for now in search of answers. On your end, you should continue to work on it as well. Perhaps you will be able to expel it on your own. If there are no other alternatives, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait it out.
“Please tell me about your experiences in the Supreme Hunting Ground. Especially your encounters with Jiu Ying and the Blood Dragon of Mount Wu."
Wu Yu felt like he could trust Shen Xingyao after interacting with him. He gave a detailed recount of the events he experienced. At the end, Shen Xingyao took a moment to think about it before replying, "If I were to guess, I think Jiu Ying is involved as well. I don't think he has anything against you. He wants to deal with Jiu Ying."
"Jiu Ying?" Wu Yu had not considered this at all, but this was actually a possibility. He was not related to the Blood Dragon of Mount Wu in any other way after all…
"Ying Huang and Zhu Huang's conflict is a natural reason for the Blood Dragon of Mount Wu to want Jiu Ying dead. I can't tell what he's planning though. If you ever happen to chance upon Jiu Ying again, you should pay close attention. However, Wu Yu, I suggest that you avoid meeting Jiu Ying altogether. This is unlikely to be beneficial for the two of you. Do you understand what I mean?"
Wu Yu fully understood that demons were the biggest taboo on Shushan. Shen Xingyao only gave him such advice for his own sake after all.
"I understand. Not to worry, I don't think there will be any more opportunities for us to cross paths." Wu Yu laughed. For now, he could only patiently await for Shen Xingyao's further findings.
"There's just one last thing," Shen Xingyao said.
"Please go ahead."
"The Huang sword domain is no longer of any use to you. I have made preparations to send you to the Xuan sword domain. I have already discussed this with the Xuan sword domain's domain master. This would be breaking the rules after all, so he has laid out some conditions for this. He has found a Xuan sword rank disciple who is ranked nine on the Leaderboard of Xuan Sword Immortals. If you are able to defeat him, then he will bend the rules to allow you to become a Xuan sword rank disciple earlier than expected. This is the first time that something like this has happened in the Shushan Immortal Sect."
Wu Yu immediately started to get fired up.