487 Cruel Warfare
Those were the first three wandering martial artists that he had killed after announcing the rules. After hearing what was said, all the people who had successfully killed a wandering martial artist took out their own plates and allowed them to be checked.
As for the people who did not manage to kill any wandering martial artists, they were unwilling to leave just like that. They observed the situation with cold eyes.
The checking was done quickly. Only about 30 people had completed the task. After all, there were people who had killed more than one wandering martial artist. There were still about 40 people who yet had to complete the task. In order words, among them, there were still 20 people who had the chance to fight for the remaining 20 slots to be transported.
However, Chou Zeming swept his cold eyes past them. "Those who did not accomplish the task can leave now! Since you are unable to kill even one wandering martial artist, with your abilities, all of you will be sending yourselves to your deaths if you go to the Mysterious Heavenly Palace. Hence, all of you had better stay at the seventh level of the Divine Pavilion obediently."
His speech had no doubt angered the remaining 40 people. He had declared unreasonably that he would rather leave 20 slots empty than allow the people who did not complete the task to get them.
An unlucky first-rate Half God who had not managed to kill a wandering martial artist scolded furiously, "Chou Zeming, it was fine even when you requested us to pursue wandering martial artists. However, you are now wasting 20 openings. Hence, what did you take us for?"
The cultivator who had spoken up had abilities that were minimally at the level of Xue Ling.
The remaining people were also filled with indignation, but in the face of this furious audience, Chou Zeming only laughed sardonically. His laughter was filled with disdain. "What did I take the whole lot of you for? Of course. A bunch of good-for-nothings! Since all of you are unable to kill even a single wandering martial artist, you have wasted the great efforts that your factions have taken to nurture you. What else could you be but a bunch of good-for-nothings?"
His sharp eyes then swept past the area coldly. "If any of you is dissatisfied, go ahead and come up. After entering the Mysterious Heavenly Divine Pavilion, I have been held up due to some matters, and I have not killed people for a long time!"
Dozens of them grew furious at this.
Just as they were about to leave, Chou Zeming's eyes brightened up abruptly, and he laughed strangely. "Those 20 slots are, indeed, not open to you. However, I did not say that the first 30 slots are closed! If all of you are able to snatch the slots from the people who have claimed them already, you will prove your abilities as a result."
When his words came out, Yu Chan was shocked. Her face became filled with anger. "This Chou Zeming is intentionally making us kill one another!"
Su Yu nodded calmly. He retreated a few steps and looked in all directions. In particular, he observed Sheng Xuelian of the White Lotus Faction, as her abilities were particularly fearsome.
At once, the eyes of the 40 people brightened, and ferocious light appeared and disappeared continuously. Their gazes scanned across the group, quickly trying to find a target to attack.
Apart from the Human Kings of the Four Great Ancient Clans, who were under the control of Sheng Ge, the remaining people who managed to come to the stone forest and still survive after going through ten days of warfare were Half Gods. Su Yu was the only Human King remaining. Hence, within the crowd, he was a natural choice.
After just a few breaths' time, Su Yu realized that there were at least ten gazes locked onto him!
They were, however, ten hesitant gazes, as Su Yu supposedly represented the Returning Principal Palace. Yang Yidao, who was a Half God, was in the Mysterious Heavenly Divine Pavilion as well. As a result, they were fearful of laying their hands on Su Yu.
As for the remaining 20 gazes, few were fixed on Su Yu. The strong martial artist of a similar level to Xue Ling—the one who had opened his mouth first—realized immediately that Su Yu was not normal, and he dropped the idea of attacking him directly. The rest chose to give up, mostly because Su Yu had Yu Chan, a first-rate Half God, by his side. Normal Half Gods were unworthy of standing before them.
An unknown person then gave a low roar.
"Kill!"
All at once, hell broke loose.
Whiz, whiz, whiz—
Chaotic battles broke out. In no time, various kinds of cultivation techniques and magical treasures emitting many colors of divine lights erupted. When the various colors mingled together, it was extremely gorgeous.
Two groups of people roared furiously into the sky and attacked one another violently. As soon as the battles started, people began to die. Horrible shrieks could be heard.
In the first wave, four Half Gods were heavily injured and sent flying. In particular, one Half God was beaten to a pulp, and a plate fell down. Three Half Gods made a mad rush for them, and the three fought one another for the plate. Even after the other three heavily injured Half Gods were sent flying back into their own groups, the fight did not end there. Instead, their own people took advantage of the opportunity to kill them!
In no time, blood and flesh were flying all over. Everyone killed until their eyes turned red! A Half God finally managed to snatch the plate. However, in the next moment, he was attacked by five persons at the same time and was reduced to pieces on the spot! It seemed there were no winners in this tragic fight.
As for Su Yu's side, many Half Gods who had been marked gritted their teeth and threw the plate in their chests away. "I give up!" they said. With that, they soared and flew away without looking back.
An increasing number of people began to make the same choice. They threw their plates down and hurried to escape. Those who remained would give their all, as they had planned to enter the eighth level of the Divine Pavilion.
Su Yu, the subject of close attention, did not throw his plate away!
Whiz—
Suddenly, piercingly cold sounds could be heard from below Su Yu's feet. It was a spinning top which had strangely emerged from the soil! The top was of the size of a head and inlaid with a row of sharp blades.
As top spun, it became like a gear wheel, moving upward to cut Su Yu in half.
Su Yu laughed grimly and moved his shoulders, dodging ten feet away horizontally, avoiding the attack easily. After that, his palm glowed with a golden light, and a golden dagger appeared in his hand. He slashed with one hand. The spinning top, which was a middle-grade divine artifact, was sliced in half by the Golden Scale Dagger!
A groan was heard from the crowd. It was a short man with a pockmarked face., hiding at the back of the crowd and controlling the spinning top secretly! As his divine artifact was destroyed, he gave a groan of despair and was discovered by Su Yu immediately.
Having realized that he was in danger since he was exposed, the short martial artist's expression changed slightly. He then exerted force from the tip of his toes and was about to escape.
However, why would Su Yu allow the other party to leave?
With a sneer, he shouted, "Quick!"
A steel needle was shot out from below the short martial artist's body without warning. It pierced through his heart from the side, killing him on the spot! However, the crowd was fighting messy battles, and no one realized the strange scene that had occurred in front of them.
"Kill that little kid!" someone roared.
At once, four figures flew toward Su Yu, eager to remove him from the world. One was a first-rate Half God.
Yu Chan's jade face turned cold. "Humph! All of you are courting death!" Attempting to kill Su Yu in front of her was as good as underestimating her. However, before she moved, her sweet-smelling shoulder was tapped lightly.
"No need," said Su Yu. "I will do it myself."
As soon as the words left his mouth, four steel needles shot out from under the legs of the four figures without any warning, and every needle pierced through their hearts. As the appearance of the steel needles was sudden, they were unable to guard against them!
The three Half Gods died on the spot with ghastly shrieks and collapsed onto the ground. As for the first-rate Half God, his sense of perception was sharp. He shifted his body to the side narrowly, and the steel needle brushed past him.
However, before he could even heave a sigh of relief, his chest grew cold. The three steel needles—the ones that had killed the other Half Gods—pierced through him from behind even as he was still trying to avoid the first one!
In an instant, four Half Gods were killed. This attracted the attention of everyone present. People on both sides of the fighting could not help but be shocked. Which divine being had killed four Half Gods at the same time? Among them had been a first-rate Half God with quite a good reputation!
When Su Yu passed through the crowd to plunder the items within the chests of the four bodies, everyone was astonished. Could it really be that the person who killed the four of them was this little kid in front of them? Their hearts pounded in their chests.
"If you want my slot, I welcome you to come for me anytime!" Su Yu looked once around the area, lifted his hands, and grabbed. The remaining steel needles then flew back to his palm from underground.
At this stage, the people who had marked Su Yu finally wore a fearful expression. His actions had terrorized all quarters. No one had their eyes on him again.
Su Yu stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Seeing that no one attacked him again, he lifted his feet and left. However, suddenly, he raised his eyebrows. He looked at the bodies subconsciously and realized sharply that their blood did not completely seep into the soil. Instead, a portion of their blood had disappeared, and its whereabouts were unknown.
Su Yu revolved his Soul Eyes. He then realized that atop the four bodies, there was one black chain each that could not be seen with a naked eye. The blood that had disappeared was swallowed by the black chains! Had that only happened to the four of them? Atop the other corpses, there were also black chains which were swallowing their blood.
"What is this?" Su Yu's eyes were glowing brilliantly. He reacted and shot out a blood-red colored fog from the bottom of his feet inconspicuously. The fog entered the blood and was absorbed by the black chains.
The fights were like raging, white-hot fires. Both sides fought fiercely, giving no quarter. Blood flew everywhere. However, no one had their eyes on Su Yu again. He passed through the crowd and headed toward Yu Chan.
A lotus flower created from cold energy shot out from the crowd! It was revolving rapidly. Its petals were like the edges of a knife, slicing the air to the extent that black lines appeared! Those were signs of space being cut open!
Ah—
A Half God was forced to retreat due to his opponent's attack and just happened to step directly in front of Su Yu. With a shrill wail, his body was sliced in half like a piece of paper. Moreover, the lotus flower did not stop in the slightest bit. It kept moving toward Su Yu!
In an instant, Su Yu moved 30 feet to the side. However, when his figure landed, his back felt chilly! Although he was shocked in his heart, his expression was unusually calm. Automatically, his body took a step forward. That Icy Cold Snow Lotus, which had clearly been shaken off, had actually changed its direction and was headed toward Su Yu to harm him again!
Su Yu retreated continuously to try to distance himself from the dangerous Icy Cold Snow Lotus. However, at that moment, a second Icy Cold Snow Lotus appeared behind him abruptly and penetrated Su Yu's figure without any warning!
Feeling that the air current behind him was unusual, Su Yu's figure moved to the side and managed to avoid the Icy Cold Snow Lotus by a hair's breadth. The Icy Cold Snow Lotus which attacked by surprise brushed past Su Yu's shoulders and left!
However, another Icy Cold Snow Lotus, which had been lying, descended from above his head before he had time to so much as breathe a sigh of relief! The other two Icy Cold Snow Lotuses flew over simultaneously, and there were now a total of three lotuses attacking him from three different directions!
The attacks were cunning, coming from directions that Su Yu could not dodge. Such precise calculation had instantly plunged Su Yu into a hopeless situation. He was surrounded!
Yu Chan's expression changed greatly. But it was too late for her to do anything about it!
The people who were paying close attention were terrified as well. Which strong person was attacking to the point that Su Yu was forced into such a situation? Seeing that Su Yu was about to be torn apart by the three Icy Cold Snow Lotuses, Su Yu's whole body glowed with lightning.
The three snow lotuses flew across and minced Su Yu on the spot. However, no bloody scene transpired. Instead, the light of thunderbolts erupted! Among the crowd, a blue-gowned young lady was weaving signs with her hands. Her fingertips were moving about skillfully.
As the scene unfolded, shock flashed in her eyes. After that, she realized something. Hence, her expression changed, and her delicate body moved to the side immediately!
Whoosh—
A steel needle brushed past her arm! The strong air current caused her sleeves to tear open, and her clear skin was revealed. Atop her snow-white arm, there was a shallow bloodstain.
However, even though the young lady had just dodged the attack, a lightning bolt appeared behind her abruptly, and a golden dagger sliced through the nape of her neck quietly.
The blue-gowned young lady's eyes went wide. Suddenly, a lump of vital energy burst forth from within her body and changed into a layer of protective vital energy that protected her body. At once, the golden dagger in Su Yu's palm felt as if it had sunk into deep mire; it moved almost in slow motion. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the blue-gowned young lady leaped horizontally and avoided the sure-kill attack successfully.
However, when she extended her hand to touch the nape of her neck, her fingers were coated with blood. Although she had managed to block the Golden Scale Dagger previously, a wound was still cut open by the sharp air current that came along with the dagger! This caused the blue-gowned young lady to be both appalled and furious. She turned her head over and glared at him.
Within the lightning, Su Yu's figure came out. He had an apathetic expression. "I was wondering who it was. So, it was actually you!"
The person who had launched a surprise attack was not just anyone; it was none other than Sheng Xuelian of the White Lotus Faction—a strong martial artist of Half God who could match Yang Yidao!