by Shian Jeen
It was just that the Southern Cliff Marsh was a little far away from the Luo Tong Royal City.
The Southern Cliff Marsh was in the most southern tip of Luo Tong Kingdom. Not far from the marshes and just across the Luo Tong Kingdom’s border was the Baolong Kingdom’s land where the headquarters of Big Sword Sect was located.
, Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu highlighted some things Huwang Xiao needed to pay attention to.
Not long after, Huwang Xiao left the Principal’s room, returning to Tianxuan Mansion to inform his parents that he needed to perform a task at the Southern Cliff Marsh. He left on the same day.
This time when going to the Southern Cliff Marsh, Huwang Xiao did not bring any guards or Fei Hou with him, only the little violet monkey.
Almost five years had passed, yet there weren’t many changes to the Spirit Devourer Violet Monkey from the first day it followed Huwang Xiao home. Only its hair was much shinier, and its eyes were a piercing shade of ice blue. Overall, only its cute factor had risen.
If a person didn’t know its origin, the little violet monkey would very likely be treated as a normal pet.
The little violet monkey’s cultivation level also increased at an amazing speed, comparable to Huwang Xiao’s.
Three months ago, Huwang Xiao was peak late-Ninth Order and the little violet monkey was at peak late-Stage Nine. However, Huwang Xiao had recently broken through to the Tenth Order.
Still, according to Huwang Xiao’s estimation, within two months’ time, the little violet monkey would catch up to him.
Experiencing the little violet monkey’s terrifying cultivation speed, even Huwang Xiao had a trace of envy in his heart. One must know that he could only breakthrough to the Tenth Order so fast because he had superb talent martial spirits, and he was able to refine two Heavenly Treasures: The Linglong Treasure Pagoda along with the more recent acquisition, the God Binding Ring.
But what about the little violet monkey?!
From Huwang Xiao’s observation, it seemed as if when its strength increased, it would also trigger a reaction from the energy within its body. By swallowing a beast core, the speed in which it absorbed the demonic energy inside of its body became increasingly faster.
After leaving the Luo Tong Royal City, Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey, one man and one monkey, headed straight towards the Southern Cliff Marsh.
Although Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu did not place a time limit on the assessment, Huwang Xiao wanted to complete the Third Year class promotion as soon as possible and was unwilling to waste any more time on this than necessary.
Initially, Huwang Xiao did not plan to advance to the Third Year Class, but he had no choice in the matter because only Third Years were eligible to compete in the overall Academy championship.
Huwang Xiao and the violet little monkey made their way while practicing.
With the little violet monkey as a companion, Huwang Xiao didn’t feel bored.
Two months later, Huwang Xiao came to the top of a mountain cliff. Looking out in front him, dry sand danced in the air and he was surrounded by huge mountain cliffs, some reaching more than three hundred meters tall.
This was the most southern location of Luo Tong Kingdom’s cliffy peaks, and it was called Southern Cliffs.
Huwang Xiao hid his breath and moved forward with the little violet monkey. A while later, they came before a marsh area that stretched endlessly: Huwang Xiao’s destination this time was this place, the Southern Cliffs Marsh.
Standing at the edge of the endless marsh, he could feel the dampness in the air, and there were aquatic plants mixing together to create the moldy odor that assailed his nose. Hiding their aura, Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey continued to move forward into the marshes.
Although Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey were quite strong, within the marsh, there was always the possibility of some peak late Stage Ten existences. If there was only one or two of them, Huwang Xiao wouldn’t be afraid, but a swarm of them would be troublesome.
As the two of them moved deeper into the marsh, their vigilance towards the surrounding area increased.
Any movements within the scope of three hundred fifty meters didn’t escape Huwang Xiao’s eyes.
However, after more than an hour, they still hadn’t come across a single Iron Crocodile.
The marsh was enveloped in silence. Apart from the random sounds of insects and some unknown beast roars in the distance, there was nothing else.
Two hours later, Huwang Xiao stopped with a deep frown on his forehead. Continuing like this wasn’t a good idea. Iron Crocodiles would normally lurk at the bottom of the marsh and rarely come close to the edge or come up to the land, giving no chance for Huwang Xiao to kill one.
Must I go down into the swamp? Huwang Xiao thought to himself before shaking his head, abandoning the idea.
This swamp wasn’t normal water. It was thick and sticky, and once he entered the swamp, his strength would be greatly reduced. Moreover, at the bottom, Iron Crocodiles rest in groups. If he ran into some bad luck and was besieged by a group of crocodiles, it would take a herculean effort to escape.
In the end, Huwang Xiao waited by the shore with the little violet monkey.
They decided to wait for the Iron Crocodile to swim up or come ashore.
One day passed.
The sky gradually grew dark.
Huwang Xiao looked at the sky and went in search of a place to spend the night with the little violet monkey, ultimately deciding to settle for a nearby cave in the cliff wall.
The cave was spacious, extending several square meters. Huwang Xiao put the fresh kill near the campfire to roast, with the little monkey excitedly drooling as it waited for its meal.
The beast meat tasted quite good, and with the Snow Moon Wind and Fiery Wine from the Asura Ring, one man and one monkey gobbled their food till their stomachs bulged.
Night slowly gave way to the day.
The next morning, Huwang Xiao and the little monkey walked along the swamp banks in search of their prey.
Time flowed and several hours passed, bringing the day closer to noon.
Up above, the radiant sun shone clearly but there wasn’t a trace of warmth on Huwang Xiao’s body. In the marsh, the moist dampness actually increased at noon.
As Huwang Xiao continued to walk along the banks, suddenly, his eyes caught sight of something. In the center of the swamp, a muddy black object about fifty to sixty meters long could be seen, similar to a crocodile gliding across the surface of the swamp.
An Iron Crocodile!
Huwang Xiao’s eyes lit up.
But, that Iron Crocodile was two hundred meters away from the shore. Wanting to kill an Iron Crocodile that was two hundred meters away and then return safely to the banks presented quite a challenge.
By that point in time, Huwang Xiao could not take so many things into consideration. In an instant, the Blades of Asura appeared in his hand as the Wings of Demon erupted from his back. With a flash, he was already half way across the swamp, right above the Iron Crocodile.
In the same instant Huwang Xiao appeared above it, the Iron Crocodile seemed to have sensed him and its big head snapped out of the waters with its jaws stretched wide open. It did not bite into Huwang Xiao, instead, it spurted out a green-colored poisonous liquid.
Beneath the brilliant horizon, the fountain of poison liquid sparkled in the sunlight, releasing a horrid smell.
Seeing this, Huwang Xiao’s body quickly flipped, avoiding the poisonous liquid. Streaks of lightning flashed in the air and the Blades of Asura in his hands slashed out onto the Iron Crocodile’s eyes. It screamed in agony.
In the next moment, Huwang Xiao’s body plummeted down, stopping a dozen meters from its head and swinging out the Blades of Asura. Both blades stabbed down from above. With a horizontal drag across the head, green blood came spurting out.
The top of an Iron Crocodile’s head was its fatal weakness, and in less than a breath’s
time, Huwang Xiao ended the life of that Iron Crocodile.
However, after the Iron Crocodile died, before Huwang Xiao could take out the beast core, the scent of blood had spread. Hearing the miserable scream of their companion, a countless number of Iron Crocodiles rushed out above the surface of the swamp.
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There was an ugly expression on Huwang Xiao’s face as he sensed the numerous Iron Crocodiles swimming his way from all directions.
Amongst these Iron Crocodiles, there were some who exuded a powerful aura that was exceedingly close to advancing into the Xiantian realm.
Before Huwang Xiao made the next move, an abrupt whistling sound pierced through the air, and the little violet monkey reached Huwang Xiao’s side in a flash. Its monkey paws swatted out in four directions.
Striking down, swamp water whirled up from all four directions, spinning endlessly as it transformed into a wall of wind. At the same time, a strong suction force swept out, lifting the Iron Crocodiles high above the air, and then crashing them down. In that moment, the swamp was a huge mess and it was chaos.
Huwang Xiao was delighted, and quickly slashed his Blades of Asura across the Iron Crocodile’s body. A sucking force gushed from his palm and an emerald beast core fell into his hand.
“Let’s go!” Huwang Xiao grabbed the little violet monkey and flapped his wings towards the banks.
Just as Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey were about to land, all of a sudden, from the swamp beneath, a huge Iron Crocodile flew out of the water. This particular Iron Crocodile actually grew over two hundred meters in length, akin to a small hill.
Four short, tyrannical claws sprung forward, lunging onto Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey.
A powerful force instantly impacted Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey from behind.
Given the nature of the capricious attack, Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey still had enough time to dodge. Suddenly, the two silhouettes disappeared.
Hence, the Iron Crocodile pounced onto empty space, splashing into the swamp below, muddy swamp water splattered everywhere.
While the Iron Crocodile was still in confusion, Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey appeared on the banks.
Seeing this, the Iron Crocodile let out a furious roar. Its body twisted around, and once again lunged towards the two on the banks. As if they received a command, all the nearby Iron Crocodiles also swarmed towards the shore.
Both Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey’s silhouette flashed, and avoiding these Iron Crocodiles, they reappeared more than a hundred meters away in one breath’s time. However, they did not stop. Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey continued to flash away, leaving the swamp.
Watching as the two got further and further away, the Iron Crocodiles’ angry roars echoed throughout the swamp area.
Not long after, all the Iron Crocodiles returned to the water.
Watching the swarm of Iron Crocodiles retreat, Huwang Xiao let out a sigh of relief.
Only now did Huwang Xiao put the emerald beast core into the Asura Ring.
He acquired the Iron Crocodile’s beast core, so the Academy’s assessment test could be considered as a success.
Thus, Huwang Xiao and the little violet monkey traveled back the way they came. But, not long after they left the swamp, sounds of fighting emerged in front of them. Angry voices and complacent snickers traveled with the wind.
“Your Big Sword Sect disciples are all rotten people! Heartless and cruel, you even killed a three-year-old child!”
“We’ll fight you!”
Then, miserable cries ensued.
Big Sword Sect? Huwang Xiao’s pupils turned cold. He and the little violet monkey headed towards where the sounds of fighting came from, and they arrived at the fighting place.
When Huwang Xiao saw the scene before him, the anger in his heart erupted.
Not far from him, corpses laid in pools of blood and many of them were those of the elderly or little children. Most of these elderly people were in their seventies and eighties, whereas the children were only two to three years of age. There were also the bodies of infants.
More than a dozen Big Sword Sect disciples were in a mad frenzy, slashing their swords on a group of people. These people are probably tribes that live around the Southern Cliffs Marsh.
Watching those Big Sword Sect disciples still immersed in slaughter, a sharp light glinted in his eyes. In a blink, he disappeared from the spot he was at before reappearing almost instantly next to a Big Sword Sect disciple that was slashing his sword down on a pregnant woman. The pregnant woman closed her eyes, screaming in fear and despair.
However in the next moment, the pregnant woman heard a scream from the Big Sword Sect disciple instead. Surprised, the pregnant woman opened her eyes cautiously and saw the Big Sword Sect disciple thrown away, and standing in front of her was a young man about sixteen to seventeen years old.
The people around were caught by surprise by the scream of the Big Sword Sect disciple and turned around to look.
At this point, the frenzied Big Sword Sect disciples stopped their actions and looked over as well.
“Punk, are you tired of living?! Not only do you dare to nose into our Big Sword Sect’s affair, you even killed our disciple!” Spat a pinched-face Big Sword Sect disciple coldly as he glared at Huwang Xiao.
Just as the pinched-face disciple said that, another Big Sword Sect disciple appeared behind him, and his voice shook as he said: “Senior Brother Zhu, he, he is Huwang, Huwang Xiao!”
Obviously, that Senior Brother Zhu had yet to connect the meaning behind the reminder, blurting out: “What yellow dragon or white dragon[1], I couldn’t care less what dragon he is!” But, as his words fell, he suddenly paused, and then, his eyes widened in shock looking at Huwang Xiao, and he was filled with fear.
“Huwang, Huwang Xiao!”
“He is Huwang Xiao?!”
The rest of the Big Sword Sect disciples exclaimed aloud and quickly retreated a safe distance away from Huwang Xiao.
Ever since the Enlightenment Lake’s incident, every time Huwang Xiao’s name was mentioned in Big Sword Sect its disciples' faces would change for the worse.
“Run!!”
Suddenly, all the Big Sword Sect disciples flew off, fleeing without a fight.
Watching the Big Sword Sect disciples flee like a flock of birds, Huwang Xiao sneered. The Blades of Asura in his hands swung out, and two wind tempests spun out, catching the disciples in no time.
The little violet monkey wasn't idle either, and its little body flickered away. Two small paws clawed out, and the Big Sword Sect disciples fell down one by one, screaming tragically.
Less than twenty breaths later, these Seventh and Eighth Orders Big Sword Sect disciples laid lifeless on the ground.
Huwang Xiao looked around, and the expression on his face was extremely cold. Within two years time of when he breaks through to the Xiantian realm, he absolutely will destroy Big Sword Sect!
At this time, the tribe survivors came to Huwang Xiao, kowtowing in gratitude.
Huwang Xiao told them to stand up before asking them why the Big Sword Sect disciples were hunting them. An old man in his eighties with a face full of wrinkles, choked with tears as he said: “This area is close to the Big Sword Sect’s headquarters, and these Big Sword Sect disciples often come over here to kill a type of demonic beast called the Wind Wolf. I heard it was used in a cultivation technique, thus they needed the Wind Wolf’s beast core. Every time these disciples come here to hunt for Wind Wolves, when passing by our villages they would kill innocent people for fun!”
“They even make a competition out of it... who killed more, who killed faster!” A young man in the group couldn’t resist and added.
“Then, the Southern Cliffs Army Patrol doesn’t care?” Huwang Xiao asked solemnly.
“Southern Cliffs Army Patrol?” That old man in his eighties said: “The eldest son of Southern Cliffs Cas
tellan is Big Sword Sect’s disciple. When our Village Head went to report the matter to the Southern Cliffs Castellan, he turned the tables around and accused us of antagonizing the peace, even crippling one of our Village Head’s legs as punishment. He warned us that if we dare to provoke any more trouble, he will cripple our Village Head’s remaining leg. Even our tribe people can’t escape punishment!”
Everyone opened up, denouncing the Southern Cliffs Castellan to be the Big Sword Sect’s lackey.
“Southern Cliffs Castellan.” Huwang Xiao repeated once as a light glinted in his eyes.
“This Young Master, I heard them say the Southern Cliffs Castellan is the Royal City Duke Wei Bi’s little brother.” The same old man cautioned:
“They are too powerful. I think it is better if you don’t get involved in this matter, it may bring troubles to your family too.”
Note:
[1] A pun on Huwang Xiao’s name – Huwang (Yellow) Xiao (Little dragon)
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Huwang Xiao understood that this old man in his eighties said this out of kindness. Therefore, he didn’t mind and simply nodded his head: “Very well, I understand.”
A short while later, the village tribesmen cleaned up the scene and disposed of the Big Sword Sect disciples’ corpses.
Huwang Xiao separated from the tribesmen. After leaving them, Huwang Xiao did not return to the Luo Tong Kingdom immediately.
He and the little violet monkey made a detour to Southern Cliffs City.
The Southern Cliffs City was located at the most southern point of the Luo Tong Kingdom territory.
Compared to the Luo Tong Royal City, the Southern Cliffs City was significantly smaller. Perhaps due to the frequent abrasions from the sand storms, the tall city walls seemed thin and they were mottled with obvious holes and cracks.
After entering the city, Huwang Xiao inquired about the location of the Castellan Manor and headed towards its direction.
Instead of paying a visit and making his presence known, Huwang Xiao chose a small restaurant nearby and ordered some dishes and wine, then started eating with the little violet monkey.
