Chapter 445 - 243: Hero 2
Chapter 445: Chapter 243: Hero 2
From the moment Song Wenxuan was slain by the Wushan Four Fiends, it was a fight to the death between him and the Song Family.
If he hadn’t had a few tricks up his sleeve, he would have been dead long ago.
"Song Wenxuan has doomed the Song Family!" Song Shixian’s face was ashen.
’I just hope that after I’m gone, the Clan Head will finally be on high alert. He must have Ancestor Song Yushao kill Xu Yang at all costs before he breaks through to the Celestial Essence Realm. With Xu Yang’s monstrous talent, once he reaches that realm, Ancestor Song Yushao won’t be able to stop him.’
In truth, the ones who had doomed the Song Family were not Song Wenxuan, but he and Song Shirong.
If the Song Family hadn’t sent people to kill Xu Yang after Song Wenxuan’s death, Xu Yang would not have gone after them.
The feud was truly sealed when Song Wenshan and his men went to the mine to kill Xu Yang, pushing the situation beyond the point of no return.
THUD!
Xu Yang stepped forward and stomped down. Song Shixian’s last breath left him, his face frozen in resentment as he became a corpse.
He bent down to search the body and found thousands of taels in silver banknotes and a bottle of Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pills.
He unleashed another wave of Sword Qi, obliterating Song Shixian’s body, before picking up the fallen scabbard and sheathing his Jade Water Saber.
’Next, I’ll have to watch out for the Song Family’s Celestial Essence expert.’ Xu Yang’s expression was grave.
’The Song Family’s Grand Elder couldn’t kill me even when wielding a Spiritual Soldier. Their next move will definitely be to send a Celestial Essence expert.’
’A Celestial Essence Martial Artist... that’s a truly transcendent realm. They say Martial Artists at that level have a lifespan of at least two hundred years. No matter how powerful I am against others at my level, I can’t possibly fight a Celestial Essence expert from a higher realm.’
Celestial Essence!
’A truly transcendent realm, wielding the Power of Heaven and Earth with peerless might.’
’My strongest Martial Dao Imagery is just a fundamental skill for a Celestial Essence expert. My physical body, Gang Qi, and Martial Techniques are nothing in comparison.’
’Against a Celestial Essence expert, I have no advantages whatsoever. They know everything I know, and they know things I don’t.’
When he returned to where he’d left him, he found Gao Lin still waiting anxiously.
"Senior Brother Gao!" Xu Yang called out with a smile, striding over.
"Junior Brother Xu, it’s great to see you’re okay."
Gao Lin was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but in the next instant, his eyes locked onto the Jade Water Saber in Xu Yang’s hand.
"Th-that... that’s the Spiritual Soldier! You killed him?" Gao Lin’s scalp went numb and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. His mind was in turmoil.
He had assumed Xu Yang had used his Peak Body Technique to escape from his pursuer, not that he had actually killed the man.
Although he looked somewhat injured, it was nothing compared to the incredible feat of killing a Martial Artist who was wielding a Spiritual Soldier.
’A Marrow Cleansing Great Success expert, armed with a Spiritual Soldier, killed by Xu Yang just like that? How did he manage it?’
"The guy wasn’t too bright. He thought he was invincible just because he had a Spiritual Soldier and kept burning through his Gang Qi until I turned the tables on him," Xu Yang said with a smile.
Gao Lin didn’t doubt him. He couldn’t imagine any other way Xu Yang could have possibly killed a Marrow Cleansing Great Success Martial Artist who was armed with a Spiritual Soldier.
Of course, that didn’t mean it was simple. Without considerable skill of his own, he wouldn’t have been able to last long enough for his opponent’s Gang Qi to run out.
"It seemed like that man was after you. Did you find out who he was?" Gao Lin asked, his face filled with killing intent.
If Xu Yang hadn’t intervened in time, he would be dead now. This matter wasn’t over.
Not just anyone could kill a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, especially not one of the ten great talents. If they knew the culprit’s identity, the Sect would surely hold them accountable.
"It was the Song Family’s Grand Elder, Song Shixian," Xu Yang said in a low voice.
It dawned on Gao Lin, and he said coldly, "So it was the Song Family. How tyrannical! Just because you didn’t save their spoiled scion, they try to kill you with a Spiritual Soldier. How arrogant of them. How utterly bloodthirsty."
"I will report this to Master and make the Song Family answer for this."
Even though the Song Family had tried to kill Xu Yang, one of the ten great talents, Gao Lin also knew that the relationship between the Song Family and the Purple Sun Sect was complicated.
The Song Family’s original ancestor was a Peak Master of Beast King Peak. Rumor had it that he hadn’t died of old age, but fell in battle for the Purple Sun Sect. Furthermore, the Song Family had always sent its disciples to serve in the Sect and maintained good relations with the current upper echelons.
Given the circumstances, the Purple Sun Sect might hold the Song Family accountable, but they wouldn’t go so far as to annihilate them.
Even if Li Fire Peak wanted to, Tianquan Peak and Beast King Peak would protect the Song Family. This wasn’t just due to old loyalties; they would also be afraid of alienating the other vassal families.
Most importantly, the current upper echelons of the Purple Sun Sect had families of their own. They wouldn’t want their own families to be wiped out by the Sect one day after their deaths. It was a precedent they couldn’t afford to set.
That was why he only said he would make the Song Family answer for their actions, not that the Purple Sun Sect should annihilate them.
"An explanation?"
Xu Yang shook his head. "I don’t need an explanation. Senior Brother, please keep this a secret for me."
Gao Lin was stunned for a moment, then he understood. "Junior Brother Xu, are you worried the Song Family’s Celestial Essence expert will retaliate?"
He was no fool; he quickly figured out why Xu Yang wanted to keep it a secret.
Xu Yang had already reached Marrow Cleansing Great Success and had even managed to kill the Song Family’s Grand Elder while he was wielding a Spiritual Soldier. As long as the Song Family’s Celestial Essence expert had half a brain, they would never give Xu Yang the chance to grow strong enough to take revenge.
So, as long as the Purple Sun Sect didn’t annihilate the Song Family outright, reporting the matter would actually bring Xu Yang more harm than good.
Because another important figure was involved in this matter—Elder Liu Qingyuan of Tianquan Peak.
The Song Family might not have the means to get to Xu Yang, but as an Elder of Tianquan Peak, Liu Qingyuan would have plenty of opportunities to lure Xu Yang out of the Purple Sun Sect and into the hands of the Song Family’s assassins.
Even with Elder Huoyun’s guarantee, Xu Yang clearly didn’t trust him much. Otherwise, he would have told the elder about reaching Marrow Cleansing Great Success a long time ago.
"But this isn’t a viable solution either. Why don’t we just report it to Master? It will make him realize how important you are," Gao Lin said with a frown.
Choosing not to report was a gamble that the Song Family wouldn’t suspect Xu Yang was the one who killed Song Shixian. While that was likely, it wasn’t a certainty.
If they harbored even a sliver of suspicion, Xu Yang would be in grave danger.
If they reported it directly, the matter would become public, but it would also increase Xu Yang’s importance in the eyes of Elder Huoyun and Li Fire Peak. He would be safer. Liu Qingyuan and the Song Family would have to consider the consequences before making a move.
"Just help me keep it a secret, Senior Brother," Xu Yang said, shaking his head.
’I won’t entrust my life to others. Revealing my strength would certainly make Elder Huoyun and Li Fire Peak take me more seriously, but what good would that do? A dead genius is no genius at all.’
’If the Song Family killed me at all costs and then simply paid some compensation, with Liu Qingyuan and the others acting as mediators, who would annihilate the descendants of a former Peak Master over a dead man?’
’If I wipe out someone else’s lineage today, someone might wipe out mine tomorrow. No one wants to start that kind of cycle.’
Seeing Xu Yang’s insistence, Gao Lin could only nod in agreement. He then added a warning, "Junior Brother Xu, be careful. The Song Family’s younger generation doesn’t have any astonishing talents, but three years ago, they successfully recruited a genius who achieved Secondary Dragon Ascension. They married their primary heiress to him and helped him enter the Celestial Strategy Academy."
"When you enter the Celestial Strategy Academy in the future, you must be on guard against him."
Xu Yang’s brow furrowed slightly. "How talented is he?"
’To achieve Secondary Dragon Ascension, his talent can’t be weak. With a three-year head start, by the time I enter the Celestial Strategy Academy, his Cultivation will be far above mine.’
"His name is Han Yingjie. He was number one among the previous generation’s ten great talents and the only disciple from the Purple Sun Sect to enter the Celestial Strategy Academy three years ago. His talent is terrifying. His performance after joining the Sect was even more astounding than that of Jiang Fan or Li Chuyang."
"Thank you for the information, Senior Brother Gao."
Han Yingjie!
Xu Yang committed the name to memory.
One day later, carrying the cloth-wrapped Spiritual Soldier, he returned to the Purple Sun Sect with Gao Lin.
The two of them went straight to the Task Hall to report the events of their journey, omitting any mention of Song Shixian’s ambush.
The news quickly caused a commotion in the Task Hall. After all, eight people had set out for Camel Peak, six of whom had a Great Achievement in Bone Marrow Cleansing Cultivation, yet only Xu Yang and Gao Lin had returned.
Including the Zhang Brothers, the disciples escorting the ore, and the disciples who had been assigned to garrison the Camel Peak Mine, the Purple Sun Sect had lost more than ten disciples at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success level in this incident alone. Even for a great and powerful sect like the Purple Sun Sect, this was a devastating loss.