391 A Great Calamity Lasting through the Ages
The Void World King? What was that?
And what was the first-generation nature-defying man? Was the old man an ancient corpse from 10,000 years ago? If that were the case, then it was beyond frightening!
"Ninth Saint Master… Ninth Saint Master!" The eyes and mouth of the ancient body, the first-generation nature-defying man were sealed. However, an overwhelming voice could be heard.
Su Yu was shocked. That was the voice of the soul!
The Ninth Saint Master turned his body and faced the Void World King. "Given that you are already dead, is there a need for you to come back to the world again? Becoming a lump of dust to spend eternity in peace is your final resting place!"
When the two of them faced each other, a terrifying destructive aura engulfed the area. Lord Shen Ying and his group of people were like ordinary human beings in a tsunami.
"Leave quickly!" Lord Shen Ying roared in a low voice. Two divine beings fighting was not something that they could involve themselves in.
Whiz, whiz—
The Ninth Saint Master had no time to concern himself with them. He stared at the body of the Void World King.
Rumble—
Lord Shen Ying and his group of people had escaped tens of thousands of miles away, but a destructive blast could be heard from behind them. As it spread toward them, the land was destroyed, and all living creatures were killed.
Everywhere was reduced to a state of devastation such that it became ruins charred black.
Whoosh—
The two Inspectors were sent flying and ashes were annihilated. Ling Xiaotian spit out blood and was also sent flying. Lord Shen Ying gave a groan. Blood streamed down from the corners of his mouth, and he had a ghastly pale expression.
The aftermath of the battle from tens of thousands of miles away had such destructive powers. How frightening was the core—where both of them were fighting?
"Welcome, Lord Shen Ying!"
Suddenly, a group of red-clothed guards flew out of the forest. They rushed over, astonished and bewildered. After seeing that the group of them was escorting Ling Xiaotian, they kneeled down on the floor to welcome them.
Lord Shen Ying's expression turned serious. As expected, they had been discovered. They could no longer kill Ling Xiaotian!
Forcefully suppressing his murderous intents, Lord Shen Ying looked behind him and said hurriedly, "Enter quickly!"
******
Half a day later, within charred-black ruins.
The Void World King, the first-generation nature-defying man, stood at the center of the ruins quietly. The Ninth Saint Master was nowhere to be found.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Suddenly, a large object appeared from a state of nothingness. It was an ancient warship 100,000 miles long! What was strange was that this warship floated in the sky.
It was pitch black, as though it could blot out the sun and sky. The universe was covered in darkness. That giant structure was like an island on the ocean.
Whiz—
With a glow at the bottom of the warship, a number of figures descended: Zi Donglai, Lin Yunhe, and a yellow-faced middle-aged man. Behind them, there were a few young people: Zhong Luan, Jiang Mufei, as well as… Zi Yunxiang!
"Thank you, Boundary King, for taking action. Boundary King, please return to your position."
Everyone rushed toward that ancient corpse and paid their courtesies with a bow.
Whiz—
The body disappeared and entered the warship.
The yellow-faced middle-aged man sighed with regret. "The Boundary King has returned to guard the Sky Divine Warship and protect all the living creatures on the continent. The continent is really fortunate."
Lin Yunhe's eyes were filled with concern. "The Zhenlong continent has experienced disasters many times. However, the Boundary King never showed himself before. Why did he only show himself during the disaster this time around? I am worried that this disaster could be one that would last through the ages."
His speech caused the atmosphere to become serious. For the Boundary King to come back to the world again, even though he had died, definitely meant that a great calamity that would last through the ages was about to descend. 10,000 years ago, the Boundary King had died in a fight during the disaster. Now, 10,000 years later, how could a dead body with only a fragment of his soul protect the continent?
Considering their opinions on the disaster, Zi Yunxiang wore an anxious expression. "Father, where is Yin Yu?" Her anxiousness was plaintive yet lovely.
Zhong Luan was ashamed. "The Phoenix Cabinet has met with a disaster. As my abilities were too low, I was unable to save him, and I allowed him to be taken away without doing anything. Regarding this, I am responsible."
If Su Yu had been present, he would have understood why Zhong Luan and Jiang Mufei would show themselves at the Phoenix Meet to fight for the glory of the Shentian Manor, which had changed beyond recognition even though they had been imprisoned. Because they had come to the Phoenix Cabinet to look for Zi Donglai!
As for Zi Yunxiang, as per what she had wished, she managed to find Zi Donglai.
"We were late," Zi Donglai sighed. "The Phoenix Cabinet has met with a calamity, and the Sky Divine Warship came too late."
"Given the scale of the fight just now, Lord Shen Ying had already taken Ling Xiaotian away. However, we never saw Su Yu's figure…" Zi Donglai did not finish his speech. He turned around, patted Zi Yunxiang's shoulders, and sighed for a long time. "Always remember his kindness for the rest of your life."
At the Phoenix Cabinet, Su Yu already suffered untreatable injuries. Half a month had passed; his life may have been extinguished even prior to this fight.
"No!" Zi Yunxiang was filled with deep sorrow. Her heart and lungs felt like they were being torn apart.
They had bid the last farewell in the Phoenix Fort. How could she have known that the smile they shared as they looked at each other would actually be their final parting? She still had many things that she wanted to say, many debts that she had to repay, as well as many friendly feelings that she had yet to tell him about…
Unable to accept the reality that Su Yu had died, Zi Yunxiang's eyes turned black, and she fainted on the spot. Zi Donglai was shocked but managed to support Zi Yunxiang with his arm.
Lin Yunhe recalled Su Yu and sighed with regret: "Even though the farewell this time around will be for several years, we are already separated between the living world and the underworld… I still wish I could have gotten him to reconsider becoming a craftsman…" A bit of loneliness and sadness appeared on his old face.
The yellow-faced middle-aged man sympathized with them as well. "It is indeed a pity. A generation of nature-defying man has fallen, just like that. It is sad and regrettable." Suddenly, the yellow-faced middle-aged man said surprisingly, "However, his background was really intriguing. Shenyue Island is the place where the Zhenlong continent's Nine Great Dragon Roots are at. To think that a nature-defying man was actually born there! It is really unimaginable."
Su Yu's background had been thoroughly investigated by the Heavenly Law Alliance.
Zi Donglai became absent-minded as well. "That's right. Who could have expected that Yin Yu was a disciple of a small, unknown faction of the Hundred Territories Alliance?"
Zhong Luan was filled with admiration. "I have been taught by Housemaster since childhood. However, I am still inferior to the disciple of a land somewhere in the ocean which could not even produce Holy Kings. I have strong qualms that I have neglected Housemaster's education."
Against that, Zi Donglai shook his head: "This is God's will. We cannot expect too much. Yin Yu—no, Su Yu—has died. Let's announce it to the world. Even though the north continent's legendary king has died, he should not vanish into the dust."
Even if he had died, he should still obtain the fame and position he deserved.
******
At the center of the middle continent.
A magnanimous and magnificent building extended uninterruptedly for 10,000 miles. Hundreds of millions of martial artists gathered within the building.
Outstanding people of the world, as well as an infinite number of strong martial artists, gathered within the building. A giant mountain stretched all the way to the sky and passed through the clouds. Countless magnanimous buildings surrounded the giant peak like a myriad of stars surrounding a moon.
Everyone who saw the place was filled with great respect. It was the Empire of Darkness' mark—the continent's number one peak! The divine peak that was the closest to the vast sky! By standing on top, one could look down on the Zhenlong continent and survey the vast ocean. It was the Empire of Darkness's headquarters and the strongest place on the Zhenlong continent.
The Eight Great Ancient Clans did not dare to even remotely go against this place. Outside the mountain peak, the number of strong martial artists was comparable to the number of clouds in the sky. There were as many as ten Heaven Masters observing suspicious people secretly.
The imperial guards were so strict that no similar security could be found in the rest of the continent! They then stepped into the mountain peak.
The light and spacious passage spanned 100 miles deep inside. Along the way, over 10,000 Immortal Realm martial artists stood guard on both sides of the passage.
"Welcome, Lord Shen Ying!"
"Welcome, Lord Shen Ying!"
Everywhere that they passed by, 10,000 people paid them courtesy and welcomed them.
In the Empire of Darkness, the Lords enjoyed infinite special honors. They were the most respected people after the King of Darkness.
They entered deep into the passage. At a magnificent palace, four black-robed youths and a red-robed youth sat within the palace quietly. They occupied a commanding position, and they looked imposing and forceful.
All four were men, and the youngest was younger than 20 years old. The oldest of them was 25 years old. However, every single one was an Immortal Level Five! Three Heaven Masters and a Human King!
If such frightening talents had been placed anywhere on the continent, they would be oppressive, rare talents that could absolutely suppress the current generation! At the current location, four of them gathered as one.
Lastly, a red-robed female youth stood on the right. She wore a phoenix coronet on her head, and her magnificent red cloak stretched all the way to the ground. She wore a daffodil-colored glaze. It looked simple, natural, and elegant, showing off a fine, curved figure. Her jade-like face was covered by a thin layer of water vapor. However, the water vapor was dense, making it difficult to see through it.
The four black-robed men had their own temperament. As for the woman, she held a book of obscure scripture and she was reading it silently. She was absorbed in reading the scripture. She looked innocent and was extremely elegant.
"I have brought Ling Xiaotian here," Lord Shen Ying announced. "We can begin the trial now."
The Six Great Lords interrogated Ling Xiaotian together.
Eh? Lord Shen Ying frowned and shot a glance toward the red-cloaked woman who was absorbed in reading her book. "Yi Yu, although you like to read, the matter at hand concerns a person who has rebelled against the Empire. Please put down your book."
To Yi Yu, Lord Shen Ying was still polite. After all, she was the only one who could converse with the King of Darkness. Hence, it was natural for her to be given the respect she deserved.
"Haha! Shen Ying, is there a need to make things difficult for Yi Yu? She made an oath to see all the beautiful things as well as the ups and downs of the world. Books are the fastest and most convenient way to do it. Let her continue reading. It is fine for the group of us to discuss. We will fill her in on the results later on."
Although Lord Shen Ying was a bit dissatisfied, he could not do anything. They were all clear of Yi Yu's oath. She was a wonderful woman. Her wish was to see all the beautiful things in the world as well as the colors of the continent. Moreover, she had actually made an oath to do so, which was rather peculiar.
"All right," said Lord Shen Ying. "We shall start the trial now. Ling Xiaotian has disobeyed authority and also fatally injured an inspector. After which, he competed with the north continent's forces. Hence, his intentions of rebelling against the Empire are true and verified!"
Lord Shen Ying justified Ling Xiaotian's crimes as such. A few of the Lords exchanged looks with one another.
"Shen Ying," one of them said, "regarding the matter regarding the inspector, we have sent people to conduct an investigation. As an inspector, Bai He bent the rules for his own benefits and launched an attack against the Deputy Palace Masters. For such actions, he ought to be punished. For this point, Ling Xiaotian is not at fault. We have many eyewitnesses and material evidence."
The person who spoke was another Human King. He was Lord Qing Zhu, and he was ranked number three. He looked scholarly and refined. His eyes were glowing with a divine light of wisdom.
As for Lord Shen Ying, his lovely face turned serious. Silently and secretly, he seethed furiously. What a crafty man Lord Qing Zhu was. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Lord Shen Ying went to capture Ling Xiaotian. They had simultaneously made their moves secretly to protect Ling Xiaotian.
They understood that Ling Xiaotian could not be killed by Lord Bai Luo. If not, he would dominate everyone, and the remaining Lords would definitely not have a good life.
"As for the matter of competing among the north continent's forces that you have mentioned, do you have eyewitnesses and material evidence?" Lord Qing Zhu asked again.
Lord Shen Ying stopped talking. When the Ninth Saint Master descended, the Phoenix Cabinet's Master disappeared and the palace garrison divine artifact was destroyed by the Ninth Saint Master.
"With no evidence other than what you yourself firmly believed to be fact, this case is a bit biased. This is really disappointing to the rest of us." Palace Master Qing Zhu advanced gradually and with caution. "Hence, I think that there is still room for consideration as to whether Palace Master Ling has turned against us and became our enemy. As such, we cannot come to a decision recklessly." Lord Qing Zhu turned to the remaining Lords. "What do the rest of you think?"
Naturally, the few of them followed Lord Qing Zhu and opposed Bai Luo together.
"I second the motion!"
"I second the motion!"
Finally, it was Yi Yu's turn. She regained her senses from being absorbed in the book. After she glanced at Ling Xiaotian, she nodded her chin and said, "I second the motion."
Everyone was in consensus that Ling Xiaotian was not guilty of any crimes.
"According to the rules of how the Seven Lords deal with matters, the minority will obey the majority." Lord Qing Zhu revealed a victorious smile.
Lord Shen Ying's expression soured. This group of people!
All of a sudden, an apathetic voice could be heard from the big palace.
"Is that so?" it said.
"It's Bai Luo! Isn't he training in seclusion?" Everyone was surprised and bewildered.
Lord Qing Zhu then said seriously, "You have already overcome that major obstacle? And achieved the level where you can feel the universe?"