by <unknown>
But that was not the reason everyone was so shocked.
What appalled them was that the queer 'calamity-level apocalyptic beast', which was a combination of a human and various insects, had a face that was exactly the same as Yan Xibei's.
However, the face was much younger than the old man's face, which had been full of wrinkles and looked like dry rind.
For a moment, many of them seemed to see Yan Xibei when he was the best warrior of Iron Plateau in his prime years!
However, his white hair did not turn black, and bloody brightness was blinking at the end of his white hair!
'Yan Xibei' was wearing a weird expression. There was no telling whether he was sad or sorry. He simply eyed everyone emotionlessly, while he drove his six limbs to crawl over slowly, the greasy scorpion tail glittering.
All the qi-trainers seemed to be stunned by the nightmare-like scene and were utterly quiet.
Suddenly, a man leapt out of the crowd with a broken saber on his back. He charged to the front of 'Yan Xibei' unstoppably and waved his blade, before he bellowed, "What— what the f*ck are you exactly? What did you do to my uncle?"
'Yan Xibei' smiled and said, "Ah Huo, it's me."
His voice came both from his chest and from a certain organ in the insect body. It was mixed with the human voice and hums of insects. Everybody felt goosebumps rising up just listening to him.
Yan Chihuo was about to go crazy. He held his head and shouted, "What— what is going on? Uncle, weren't you killed in the grey mist? How did you end up like this?"
"Don't you see?"
Gazing at Yan Xibei, Li Yao said coldly, "Yan Chihuo, your big brother was a training maniac. Strong as he might have been, he did not have the connections and resources to carry out the scheme of the Temple of Immortals!
"Your big brother was merely a chess piece under someone else's control. Our Master Yan Xibei, the well-respected previous best warrior of Iron Plateau, was the real player of the chess game!"
Chapter 621: Mountain King! |
As if hit by a bolt of lightning, Yan Chihuo was barely able to hold his broken saber. He was so shocked that he stepped back and mumbled, his face pale, "Uncle, is this true? Did you murder my father, your own brother?"
Deep in thought, Yan Xibei glanced at Li Yao casually and sighed. "Ah Huo, believe me, I gave Zhengdong opportunities. If he were less stubborn, the two of us would've worked together for the future of Iron Plateau!
"If possible, I definitely wouldn't let a single drop of Iron Plateau blood be shed for nothing, nor would I show up in front of you in such an appearance!
"I've been restraining myself just now and controlling the apocalyptic beasts to launch as few fatal attacks as possible. They were merely consuming your strength and your spiritual gas.
"If I didn't, do you think that only two hundred people would've been killed?"
Yan Chihuo had always greatly admired his uncle. He had respected his uncle even more than his own father. Right now, when he heard Yan Xibei admitting that Yan Zhengdong had been murdered by him, he was grasped by desperation and shouted, "Why—why are you doing this? What do you want exactly?"
Yan Xibei seemed to suddenly fall into a trance. He replied, "There are many things that I need to do. It is a long road that I'm walking on. Not everyone has the chance to finish the journey with me.
"If everything had gone smoothly, the smallest sacrifice could've earned the best results. Many people, including Ah Feng, wouldn't have died.
"It's a pity that Sand Scorpion was clever enough to see through my plan. But his cleverness is merely a petty trick. In the end, he can't stop me after all. All those lives have been lost for nothing!"
Li Yao sniffed and thought quickly. White steam was popping up from his forehead.
"Sand Scorpion, I didn't know that you noticed Yan Xibei's anomalies long ago!"
Shi Meng patted his shoulder hard and asked hopefully, "You must be waiting patiently for him to reveal his true face before you blow him up with your trump cards, mustn't you?"
Li Yao glanced at him and replied, "You are thinking too much, brother. I only thought through everything a moment ago, and I certainly don't have any trump cards with me!"
"Hehehehe!"
Yan Xibei chuckled, the shell on his insect body shivering slightly. "The three hours of fierce battle have drained most people's spiritual gas. The more capable you are, the more exhausted you will be. Right now, there are less than twenty of you who can still fight, and even those twenty are on the verge of passing out, too. Where are your trump cards?
"Besides, this 'apocalyptic body' that I carefully refined, although still immature, can still wield the combat ability of a calamity-level apocalyptic beast!
"Let's say you still have your trump cards. So what? They will only be torn apart by me easily!"
Yan Xibei paused and smiled weirdly. He then shouted, "Xie Hong, Ye Jun, Wei Honghui, Mu Jianyuan, Zhang Chengfei, you can come out now!"
While talking, five glittering threads suddenly spurted out of Yan Xibei's insect body and darted toward the qi-trainers like sharp arrows. They tied up the thighs of five qi-trainers, before Yan Xibei exerted some strength and pulled them over to him!
Of the five qi-trainers, three were wearing the armor of the Burning Sun Tribe, while battle emblems of the Feathered Snakes Tribe and the Giant Axe Tribe could be found on the other two qi-trainers.
They were all lightheaded because of the sudden movement, and their eyes were all shaking fast, indicating that they had something they would rather other people not know. Looking at each other in bewilderment, they seemed to realize something.
Yan Xibei smiled. "With everything reaching this point, the five of you can stop hiding and declare openly that you belong to the Temple of Immortals now."
The five of them blinked and looked at Yan Xibei unconfidently.
Yan Xibei's throat suddenly trembled, and a completely different voice that was as dull as colliding rocks came out. "I am the Mountain King!"
The five of them gasped and finally shouted ecstatically, "Master Yan, you are the Mountain King? What—what a sur—"
"When we saw you diving into the grey mist, we thought you were dead and the Temple of Immortals' plan had come to an end. We didn't know that everything was within your control. How marvelous!"
"Your—your new body is truly—truly—truly startling!"
The warriors of the six tribes finally realized what was going on. The chief of the Giant Axe Tribe and the chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe looked awful, as they did not expect that somebody in their own tribe had been transformed into the Temple of Immortals' spy.
Yan Xibei smiled and replied casually, "Sorry that I kept it a secret for so long. However, the 'apocalyptic body' is my biggest secret. If I told you about it and you told the Lotus King, your real master, the entire Temple of Immortals would have known that my capability was much higher than their evaluation!
"If so, how could people like the Lotus King take advantage of me without any doubts?"
The five of them were shuddering with pale faces when they heard 'Lotus King', their exultation from a moment ago all gone.
One of them managed a smile and said, "Master Yan. You—you must be joking. We—we have always been the Mountain King's subordinates! You are our leader. What does the Lotus King have to do with anything?"
The legs of another qi-trainer were shaking hard, and he lost control over his tongue. "Mountain King, it's true that we talked to the Lotus King several times, but it is you who we've pledged our loyalty to. We—"
Another two qi-trainers had sensed the subtle killing intent and looked around for a way of escape.
There was pity in Yan Xibei's eyes, as he remarked, "There's no personal grudge between the Lotus King and me. You are all my compatriots, and I find it hard to kill you. However, what I'm about to say is best not heard by you. Do excuse me, everyone!"
Hardly had he concluded his speech when the thr
eads suddenly tightened as if they had become thin blades. Three spies who had joined the Temple of Immortals were minced into multiple parts before they had the chance to scream!
The remaining two spies, on the other hand, had chopped off the threads in advance. They roared and fled in two different directions, one going east and the other going west. In the blink of an eye, they had dashed almost thirty meters away.
Yan Xibei grinned hideously. He extended his arms and opened his palms. Two weird waves immediately appeared in the air and condensed into two translucent hands, which moved forward and snatched the two running qi-trainers.
Yan Xibei clenched his fists, and the two giant translucent hands collapsed toward the center like iron walls. Two clusters of blood exploded in midair, and the muscular men were crushed into two indistinguishable meatballs!
The cruel picture rendered everyone on the spot dumbfounded.
Those familiar with the five qi-trainers all knew that the two who ran away in the end were both experts above the 50th level of the Refinement Stage.
Yet, they did not have the slight chance to counterattack when faced with Yan Xibei!
The apocalyptic body was truly terrifying!
Yan Xibei rubbed his hands and said, "Alright. All the irrelevant people have been cleared, and you've seen my real capability. Now, let's get down to business.
"Sand Scorpion said that the Temple of Immortals has a scheme on Iron Plateau. I don't deny that.
"However, as you have seen just now, I, Yan Xibei, am different from the other people of the Temple of Immortals.
"I am, and always will be, an Iron Plateau native no matter what. How could I jeopardize my own homeland and my compatriots? There are two paths in front of you. You can choose the one that you prefer.
"Firstly, stand on my side and help me become the master of the Temple of Immortals. We will transform the Temple of Immortals with our strength and turn the organization into a tool of Iron Plateau natives that carries out our will!
"Secondly, if you are unwilling to stand on my side, then you can go to hell!
"Don't be hasty. I know warriors of Iron Plateau better than anyone else. I'm aware that you are fearless of death. However, you must think about your family and compatriots in your hometown. Think about your parents, your brothers, your wives, and your children!
"You are all the best warriors on Iron Plateau. What can the rest of Iron Plateau natives do if you are all dead? By then, it is very possible that they will really become the cannon fodder of the Temple of Immortals!"
Yan Xibei's short speech cast the spot into silence. Everyone's face was pale.
"Ah Huo, why don't you make a choice first?"
Yan Xibei looked at his nephew with a smile.
Every muscle on Yan Chihuo's face was twitching violently. He suddenly took a deep breath and spat hard, "Damn you! Old fart, I will choose a third path!
"I will blow you—half-human-half-devil monster—up into pieces!"
Emotionlessly, Yan Xibei formed a spiritual shield in front of him that blocked Yan Chihuo's saliva, while five spider threads pierced through Yan Chihuo's thighs and picked him up shakily.
"Ahhh!"
Yan Chihuo's entire weight was lifted by a few extremely thin threads that were hooked into his flesh. He was screaming in the excruciating pain, "F*ck you, you old fart. You are not my uncle. My uncle died a hero's death! You are a monster! You are a f*cking monster! I will not stand on your side even if I'm to be killed!"
"Ah Huo, you are too rash and useless compared to your brother."
Yan Xibei manipulated another coldly shining thread, which slithered toward Yan Chihuo's neck.
There was still blood on this particular thread. It was the one used to kill one of the spy of the Temple of Immortals just now.
"My own brother has been killed by me. One of my nephews, too. What's wrong with killing the other one? Since you are not willing to stand on my side, Ah Huo, your uncle will grant you a quick death!"
Right then, abrupt changes took place. Yan Xibei's pupils constricted violently, while the mantis forelegs blurred into dozens of shadows and blocked more than ten invisible bullets!
"Who's there?" Yan Xibei narrowed his eyes and glared at the qi-trainers with his sharp eyes.
A tall man in a ragged crystal suit slowly made his way to the front of the crowd. Half of his facial cover had been knocked off, revealing a bristly, unshaven chin. He grinned and said, "My name is Lei Dalu. I am just an ordinary Core Formation Stage Cultivator."
Chapter 622: Best Versus Best! |
"And me, I am Zuo Xiaohu, nominated as the strongest young man of the East Continent Space Zone three times and known as the future star in the Great Horn Exo Society!
"This is Lu Dian, the 'White-haired Gun King' who is the best shooter of the Wild Goose Academy. The previous bullets were gentle only because his hair hasn't turned white yet! When it does in a moment, one shot will be enough to blow up your head!
"To tell you the truth, we saw through your plot at the very beginning, and we reserved our strength a while ago, waiting for the moment to come! Our captain is a legendary Core Formation Stage Cultivator. Together with the two young tigers that are us, we will definitely beat you up to the point that your parents will not recognize you if we are pissed off. So, you'd better stay where you are!"
Lei Dalu, Zuo Xiaohu, and Lu Dian were standing proudly, their spiritual energy soaring into the sky like a torch that was burning through the heavens!
All the qi-trainers were dumbfounded. They looked at the three of them in disbelief.
Yan Xibei was dazed, but then he suddenly burst into laughter. "Interesting. How interesting! Core Formation Stage Cultivator? It's a pity that the Lotus King has already sent your files to me. Are you Lei Dalu? You were in the Core Formation Stage before, but due to the heavy wounds you suffered in the battle in the Iron Plateau Space Zone a few months ago, I'm afraid that you are not even close to your peak state yet.
"As for Lu Dian and Zuo Xiaohu? I've never heard the two names before. Shrimps in the Building Foundation Stage, tops!
"You have used up your spiritual energy in the previous battle. You are merely bluffing!
"Besides—"
Yan Xibei suddenly laughed crazily. "Suppose you are indeed a real Core Formation Stage Cultivator, so what?
"This apocalyptic body of mine boasts combat ability far higher than that of the Core Formation Stage!"
Yan Xibei roared and opened his arms again. His hands changed into various shapes in midair, while three enormous hands appeared and snatched at Lei Dalu and the other two Cultivators!
Zuo Xiaohu suddenly changed his face color. He shouted, "Crap. Captain, he saw through us!"
Lei Dalu cursed. One of his wounds opened up again as he summoned the blood on the tip of his heart that was critical for a Cultivator in order to make use the last bit of his spiritual energy.
A giant axe full of dents whose edge was gone struck forward like a hammer and crashed into the enormous hand heavily!
Zuo Xiaohu crossed his arms. Two streaks of cold brightness blinked on the end of his elbows as he knocked the invisible waves in the air, too.
Lu Dian's body suddenly shook, and he picked two silver pistols from who knew where. Dozens of bullets rushed out and formed a blinking shield in front of him!
Yan Xibei's enormous hands, however, was much faster and more agile than they had thought. Like three mountains that had fallen from the sky, instead of clenching them, they smashed at the three Cultivators like rocks weighing thousands of tons!
Crack! Crack!
Suppressed by the unbelievable force, the crystal suits of the three Cultivators all exploded. Blood was spurting out all over their body!
"I have to go now!"
Li Yao's eyes were blood-red. His spiritual gas surged out again even though his heart was still aching, as he was preparing to release the Apocalyptic Extension, the strengthening plugins, and had the last t
ry!
"Let's go!"
When the qi-trainers saw that the Cultivators who they had always despised were so tough and brave, their fighting will was ignited, too. All of them managed to stand on their feet and unsheathe their broken blades, before they gritted their teeth and moved forward!
Yan Xibei was trying to crush the three Cultivators' crystal suits by brute force with his enormous spiritual gas. He was also doing his best.
His face was so twisted that it barely belonged to a human being. The blood stripes all over his body bulged and expanded like thick veins in which spiritual energy in clusters the size of fists were transmitted!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The three Cultivators had been too weakened because of their heavy wounds and insufficient spiritual energy to fight against Yan Xibei's carefully made 'apocalyptic body'.
More and more cracks appeared on their crystal suits, which gradually overlapped with scaring noises.
It sounded that the three crystal suits would explode in the next second, and the three Cultivators inside would be ground to a pulp!
Yan Xibei roared crazily, "Do you see? This is my strength! The strength of blood stripes! It is too much for you!"
While his roar was still echoing in the sky, an earsplitting fulmination suddenly broke out in the hazy air. Two gold pillars of light slashed open the darkness of night like sabers and paved a brilliant and splendid path over everyone's head.
A monolithic iron beast suddenly dashed out of the mist and crashed at Yan Xibei!
Yan Xibei's face immediately paled. The enormous hands suppressing the three Cultivators were quickly retracted and formed into two new hands in bloody brightness slapping the iron beast, one from the left and one from the right, as if they were trying to flatten it!
BOOM!
The two enormous hands kissed each other like two walls!
The iron beast immediately moaned because of the metal being crushed.
