by Shian Jeen
No one really wanted to die.
In the end, under Huwang Xiao’s chilling gaze, Zhou Yao took out a small-sized sword from his spatial ring.
The surface was this small sword was densely inscribed with ancient talisman symbols. These talisman symbols were all Divine World script and Huwang Xiao couldn't understand what they meant, but he understood that this small sword was probably crucial in activating the formation.
Zhou Yao literally threw the small sword at Huwang Xiao, indignation and unwillingness clung to his heart.
“Huwang Xiao, I will remember this.” Zhou Yao gave Huwang Xiao a look filled with hatred before flying away, leaving the hall.
Huwang Xiao still allowed Zhou Yao to leave despite the obvious threat in his words. The Zhou Clan behind Zhou Yao was still a giant to the current Huwang Xiao, so unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't kill Zhou Yao and provoke the entire Zhou Clan.
As for Yelu Tianfeng and Beitang Wuji, a deep grudge between Huwang Xiao and the Yelu Family had already existed before the tournament, hence, killing them was only a matter of fact.
Of course, the biggest reason was the fact that he was confident in being able to deal with both Yelu and Beitang Families. Although both families were the hegemons of their native galaxies, they were far from the giant Zhou Clan.
After Zhou Yao left, Huwang Xiao looked at Wangu Yanhui and Mu Qi, “Since activating the central formation requires five keys, only when all five have been gathered will they be effective. Let’s wait for the remaining two people, what do you two think?”
Wangu Yanhui and Mu Qi nodded quickly, seemingly apprehensive, “Sure.”
Having witnessed Huwang Xiao’s terrifying strength, neither of them felt like objecting.
What if Huwang Xiao suddenly changed his mind and became interested in the keys in their hands? They would only end up like Zhou Yao, handing over the key and leaving empty-handed in a sorry state.
Seeing that Huwang Xiao wasn't planning on making a move on their keys, Wangu Yanhui and Mu Qi were secretly grateful.
At the same time, a bitter feeling rose in Wangu Yanhui’s heart, thinking of the ranking list. From the start of the tournament until this moment, he had been proud and confident of the fact that no one amongst the participating disciples was his match, the first place was his without a doubt.
But now...
After he had seen Huwang Xiao’s strength, he had no hope of taking the first place. Based on Huwang Xiao’s current strength, before the tournament ended, it would be easy for him to surpass Wangu Yanhui’s points.
If Wangu Yanhui could think of this, Mu Qi naturally could too. Mu Qi’s head was filled with the scene of Huwang Xiao defeating Zhou Yao in one move, repeatedly.
If defeating Zhou Yao only required a single move, what about himself?
The hall was so silent that a pin drop would sound like a thunderclap.
Everyone in the hall waited patiently, sitting in meditation. Huwang Xiao did not speak, and the other three dared not speak.
Half an hour later, those in the hall could hear the sound of whistling wind.
Both Wangu Yanhui and Mu Qi breathed heavily in relief.
The four people in the hall turned to look, seeing two figures appearing in their line of sight. When they could clearly see their faces, Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, and You Wuye were surprised.
“Fang Chu!”
“Lu Dongwei!”
The two figures were none other than Fang Chu of Fortune Gate, ranked second on the list, and Lu Dongwei who was forced out of the top ten by Huwang Xiao, currently at the 11th place.
When Fang Chu and Lu Dongwei arrived at the hall, the two of them were also surprised seeing the four people present.
Fang Chu and Lu Dongwei took a quick glance around the hall, finally stopping on Huwang Xiao. Each of them showed a different reaction.
Lu Dongwei was mainly surprised, whereas Huwang Xiao detected a fleeting but strong killing intent from Fang Chu. Even though Fang Chu concealed it almost immediately, it did not escape Huwang Xiao’s senses.
Huwang Xiao’s brows furrowed slightly, he and this Fortune Gate’s Fang Chu had never met before and had no opportunity to form any feuds, so to speak. Then why did the other party reveal such strong killing intent toward him?
On the surface, Huwang Xiao remained calm.
“Since we're all here, shall we take out our keys and activate the formation?” Wangu Yanhui spoke but his eyes seemed to seek consent from Huwang Xiao.
Ch.875
At Wangu Yanhui’s question, Mu Qi and You Wuye also turned to look in Huwang Xiao’s direction, waiting for his decision.
In the beginning, when Lu Dongwei saw Huwang Xiao’s late-Second Order Highgod Realm cultivation, he had the same idea as Zhou Yao. He was about to command the black-haired young man to hand over his key, but he immediately noticed Wangu Yanhui and the others’ attitude toward him and felt a cold air down his neck. He quickly scrapped his earlier intention of snatching the black-haired young man’s key.
Looking at Wangu Yanhui’s questioning gaze, Huwang Xiao nodded nonchalantly, agreeing without spoken words.
Fang Chu also noticed this, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes, no one knew what he was thinking.
Since no one objected to Wangu Yanhui’s proposal, each of them took out their key, pouring godforce into the small sword to activate the ancient symbols on its surface. The five small swords emitted a bright light and flew up to the center of the hall.
The five keys rotated rapidly in the air and slowly merged into one, releasing an even more dazzling light. Then, a mysterious power emerged from them, bringing an even more dazzling light rippling out like waves to all four directions, lighting up the entire hall.
Right at the center of the hall, below the five merging keys, a round-shaped pattern emerged from the floor surface.
In the center of this round-shaped pattern was carved the image of a Lightning God standing on the great earth, holding a lightning hammer in one hand as if aiming to shatter the earth in one strike.
Although it was only an image, it contained a majestic divine might that caused the six people to subconsciously retreat to the edge of the hall.
As the dazzling light expanded in size, a bright light also burst out from the pattern on the floor.
About half an hour later, the scenery before them changed. Looking around, Huwang Xiao and the rest discovered they were now in a different hall.
This hall was about three thousand square meters large, in the middle of which was a five-footed divine cauldron made from materials unknown to them, shining with an amazing golden-purple color.
Each of the four walls was lined with drawers standing side to side, above which were rows of jade bottles labeled with pill names that the six of them had never heard of before. Even without knowing what kind of pills those were, they were undoubtedly refined by that ancient Lightning God.
It goes without saying that everyone knew how precious pills refined by a Heavenly God master were! However, no one made any moves to snatch the pills, instead, their focus was on the giant of a man sitting in a meditative pose.
Although this giant man was in a sitting position, his height was close to two meters tall. He had intertwining lightning streaks running over his muscles, while on his arms were mysterious Divine World symbols.
Corpse of the Lightning God!
Beside the Lightning God’s corpse was a giant lightning hammer, thin ribbons of lightning sizzling around it. Even after tens of thousands of years had passed, its destructive power was still terrifying.
Desire gleamed in the six people's eyes, Huwang Xiao was no exception.
If Huwang Xiao could refine a Heavenly God’s corpse, he could most likely be able to breakthrough to Third Order Highgod Realm and above!
Moreover, after opening his Eye of Hell, Huwang Xiao could immediately see that above this corpse’s soul sea was a godhead! Only, for some unknown reason, this Heavenly Go
d master’s soul that used to reside within his godhead was already destroyed.
All of a sudden, someone moved. In a flicker, that person appeared right beside the Heavenly God’s corpse. This person was none other than Lu Dongwei.
Watching this, Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, and You Wuye were enraged, however, just as they were about to make their moves, there was someone even faster than the three of them. Lu Dongwei’s hand barely reached out to grab the corpse when a white shadow struck a palm on his back. Lu Dongwei was sent flying to a corner of the hall from the force of that palm strike.
The others halted in surprise watching this.
Lu Dongwei vomited blood the moment he opened his mouth to speak. He could clearly feel that his backbone was shattered and his internal organs all jumbled up into a mess.
“You, Fang Chu!” When Lu Dongwei saw the face of his attacker to be the person he cooperated with and accompanied him all the way here, he was shocked and furious. On the way here, they had discussed and agreed to cooperate. They could be considered allies.
Who knew that the first one to attack him would be Fang Chu.
Not to mention, Fang Chu’s movement was too fast! So fast that he failed to react.
“Why?!” Lu Dongwei glared fiercely at Fang Chu.
Fang Chu snickered, showing obvious disdain toward Lu Dongwei’s question. He turned around, looking at Wangu Yanhui and other three, “Today, all five of you have to die here. That includes you, Wangu Yanhui.” Fang Chu pointed at Wangu Yanhui, his gaze sharp and merciless.
The several of them were taken aback.
Wangu Yanhui’s face sank, sneering in retort, “Fang Chu, are you sure you’re of sound mind right now? You, an early Fourth Order Highgod Realm, want to kill me?”
Mu Qi, You Wuye, even Lu Dongwei’s gazes turned strange looking at Fang Chu. This Fang Chu’s bluffing was a bit over the top, right? Based on the ranking list, Fang Chu was ranked second, right below Wangu Yanhui, which meant that Fang Chu was weaker than Wangu Yanhui by only a small margin, but still weaker.
Hearing Wangu Yanhui’s retort, Fang Chu wasn't angered. Instead, he was laughing out loud, laughing wantonly, “You will know very soon if I’m of sound mind.” In the next second, a vast, whelming pressure rushed out from Fang Chu’s body.
Feeling his rising momentum and aura, Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, You Wuye, and Lu Dongwei paled.
Before this pressure, the four of them were forced to retreat all the way to the edge of the hall.
Affected by Fang Chu’s momentum, the airflow in the large hall completely froze. Before Fang Chu, Wangu Yanhui and others felt like they were as weak and insignificant as an ant.
“You’re a Fifth Order Highgod Realm!” Wangu Yanhui was a shade paler, his eyes wide with disbelief staring at Fang Chu.
Releasing his full aura, Fang Chu stood there resembling a mighty ancient god that descended to this hall, exuding a mysterious and ancient aura.
Mu Qi, You Wuye, and Lu Dongwei were now deathly pale, shaken to their soul. Fang Chu’s strength had actually reached Fifth Order Highgod Realm! All this time, Fang Chu had been concealing his true strength!
He had been concealing it this whole time, waiting for this moment to expose it!
Enjoying the shock and fear on Wangu Yanhui and the others’ faces, Fang Chu nodded with satisfaction, clasping his hands at his back and saying, “Correct, I’ve advanced to Fifth Order Highgod Realm for a long time and have been concealing my strength, not even the Fortune Gate’s Chief and Grand Elders know of my true strength.”
Huwang Xiao’s brows creased slightly listening to Fang Chu. Not only was this Fang Chu was a Fifth Order, but he was a peak early Fifth Order Highgod Realm master!
To have hidden so deeply...!
“But, how did you escape the assessment mirror during the registration?” Wangu Yanhui asked.
Mu Qi and the others were also looking at Fang Chu, they too wanted to know the answer to this.
“Assessment mirror?” Fang Chu laughed, “It’s just a mere assessment mirror, it will show whatever strength I want it to show. Our Fortune Gate’s cultivation technique is not something you can fathom.”
“Alright, any more words are a waste of time.” Fang Chu then teased, “Now, which of you wants to die first?” His gaze swept over Huwang Xiao, Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, and Lu Dongwei.
In the end, Fang Chu’s gaze stopped on Huwang Xiao.
Ch.876
Fang Chu looked at Huwang Xiao, saying, “Huwang Xiao, your talent and cultivation speed are really beyond my expectations, you are the most gifted genius I’ve ever seen from countless galaxies in so many years. During the registration, your bone-age was only two hundred and fifty-eight! Tsk tsk, two hundred and fifty-eight years old ah, and now you’ve already reached late-Second Order Highgod Realm, even I can’t help but be amazed!
“What?! Bone-age of two hundred and fifty-eight!” Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, You Wuye, and Lu Dongwei, these four people turned their heads so fast that they nearly twisted their necks. Their eyes widened incredulously with a trace of denial.
They did not know about Huwang Xiao’s bone-age prior to this. Listening to Fang Chu, only now did the four of them come to know about Huwang Xiao age!
And he was already a late-Second Order Highgod Realm!
Most of all, Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, and You Wuye had witnessed Huwang Xiao’s terrifying strength, which was much higher than merely late-Second Order Highgod Realm. So high, in fact, that the ranked third Zhou Yao, an early Fourth Order Highgod Realm, was easily defeated in one move!
‘This…!’
Lu Dongwei remembered that he wanted to snatch Huwang Xiao’s key in the beginning and now felt cold sweat dampening his robe.
This kind of a freak genius, if offended, one could imagine the consequences once he grew up. If possible, even a hegemon such as the Wangu Clan would try not to get on the wrong foot with Huwang Xiao.
Based on his alarming cultivation speed, one couldn't imagine to what extent he would rise given another two years or so!
All of a sudden, Lu Dongwei felt like his throat was exceptionally dry and itchy.
Fang Chu looked past these people’s astounded expressions, his eyes never leaving Huwang Xiao, “During the registration, you were still a perfection stage late-Tenth Order God Realm, right? This means that you only broke through to Second Order Highgod Realm after entering this Overflowing Lightning World!”
Hearing this, the four people at the side were stunned agape, their eyes protruding from their sockets staring at Huwang Xiao.
From perfection stage late-Tenth Order God Realm to late-Second Order Highgod Realm, this was unprecedented in countless galaxies, in countless millennia!!
Furthermore, it had been less than two years since the tournament started, which meant that Huwang Xiao was still a perfection stage late-Tenth Order God Realm a year and a half ago. But now, Huwang Xiao was a late-Second Order Highgod Realm!
As this timeline flashed in the minds of Wangu Yanhui, Mu Qi, You Wuye, and Lu Dongwei, the four felt their palms clammy with sweat.
Huwang Xiao watched Fang Chu with a calm expression, allowing him to continue.
Supposedly, before the tournament began, he was merely a small character from the four galaxies. A perfection stage late-Tenth Order Highgod Realm thrown in a sea of genius Highgod Realm disciples would barely raise a small splash in the water, most likely not even a small splash.
But this Fang Chu actually knew so much about him?
Adding the intense killing intent that Huwang Xiao sensed from Fang Chu when they first met, he already thought of a possibility, only that he wasn’t sure yet.
“You killed the Azure Dragon Institute’s Xiang Mingzhi, hence, the Azure Dragon Divine Fire must be in your possession.” Fang Chu seemingly tried to confirm his deductions, in no hurry to kill Huwang Xiao.
“Correct, I have the Azure Dragon Divine Fire.” Huwang Xiao indifferently affirmed.
Fang Chu’s
face bloomed into a smile, “That’s good! This way, there’s some worth to killing you. Otherwise, killing you just for the sake of killing takes out the joy out of it.”
Huwang Xiao’s curiosity was stoked, did this Fang Chu know about the Azure Dragon Divine Fire’s background? Although Huwang Xiao had obtained the complete four great divine fires, he only knew that they were born of the four galaxies, that was all.
“Are you so confident that you can kill me?” Huwang Xiao asked calmly.
Fang Chu let out a burst of hearty laughter, “‘I know you killed Yelu Tianfeng and Beitang Wuji. Moreover, the fact that you were able to make Wangu Yanhui act so respectful towards you means that your true strength is definitely not weaker than a mid-Fourth Order Highgod Realm, perhaps even comparable to a late-Fourth Order Highgod Realm. But so what? Even if you were a peak late-Fourth Order Highgod Realm, the result would be the same, you’d be dead!”
“This here is an independent space. One can only leave after they get all the keys and re-activate the central formation, therefore, don’t harbor any hope of luck in escaping this place!” Fang Chu snickered with ridicule.
The five keys, after activating the formation, had flown back to their owners. Therefore, in order to collect the five keys again, Huwang Xiao had to kill Fang Chu to get his key.
Huwang Xiao suddenly spoke, more like a statement than a question. “You’re that mysterious Great Lord behind old witch Wang Na, right?”
Fang Chu was dazed for a second, then the smile on his face deepened, “That’s right, but even if you know now, what can you do? Regardless of how monstrous your talent is, or how heaven-defying your luck is, you are destined to die here today.”
“If that is so, then I’m assured.” Huwang Xiao said as if a heavy burden was lifted off his chest.
His main headache was that the mysterious Great Lord backing Wang Na had always been in the shadows, he had no clue about his identity before this. But now that he had confirmed that Fang Chu was the Great Lord, things were going to proceed smoothly.
