Chapter 540: There’s A Surprise Waiting For You
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Lin Feng laughed to himself as he watched Shi Tianyi sweep the entire field in spectacular fashion and saunter towards the black stone.
His laughter was a little bit unscrupulous. "There’s a surprise waiting for you, young man."
Lin Feng’s eyes sparkled as he noticed something else out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, it’s getting crowded here. What is this guy doing here?" He cast his vision to the other side of the void. A crack appeared in the void, and a young man wearing posh golden clothes, a shiny golden crown on his head and a golden belt walked out from within.
The ratio of this man’s features was impeccable. He had a head of hair that was only one inch long, and had a handsome face. There were two golden spheres that resembled real Suns circulating around his temples.
This was the most outstanding prodigy of the Great Zhou Empire’s younger generation, the Marquis of Jinghuan.
His hands were behind his back and his posture was casual and laid-back. He stared at Shi Tianyi as he said, "Tsk tsk, the power of the polycorian eyes – quite impressive."
Shi Tianyi turned around and shot a cold look at the Marquis of Jinghuan. His polycorian eyes were like the intersections of the Sun and the Moon, and represented the changes of Yin and Yang.
The Marquis of Jinghuan laughed and continued, "The more I look at it, the more I feel I should be the one in possession of something like this."
"I know you. You are Liang An, the Marquis of Jinghuan. Your surname was originally something else, but because of your glorious efforts and the various successful exploits for the Great Zhou Empire, the emperor rewarded you with the royal surname," Shi Tianyi replied plainly, "All those are but masks for the truth. You are the bastard son of Liang An. You have managed to obtain so many benefits from Liang Pan, and you are able to walk the earth with your original name – but that’s it."
"The throne of the Great Zhou Empire will never be passed down to you."
The Marquis of Jinghuan scoffed at his remarks. "I have never coveted that throne. If there is something of the Great Zhou Empire that indeed attracts me, it’s the Imperial Palace."
He watched Shi Tianyi with a complicated expression as he said, "Have you also detached yourself from the throne of the Great Qin Empire?"
Shi Tianyi answered casually, "Men are meant to achieve greater things."
The Marquis of Jinghuan clasped his hands together and laughed in approval. "That is correct! However, there can only be one person on this seat. You want it, I also want it, and there are so many other people who want it as well. Whatever shall we do?"
"Someone who tries to take something that is mine shall die." Shi Tianyi’s voice was calm as his polycorian eyes radiated with life. The intimidation aura emanating from within was getting stronger.
The Marquis of Jinghuan chuckled at Shi Tianyi’s statement. "What a pity – because this thing’s not yours."
He raised his eyes towards the black stone not far from where Shi Tianyi was standing and continued, "Not this thing here, not the things everywhere else."
He suddenly raised his palms as he spoke and placed his left fingertips on his right.
This movement was explosive and violent. The space around him trembled with his actions. The raising of his palms was like the forceful uprooting of five mountains from the ground.
In the next moment, the Marquis of Jinghuan pressed his palm towards Shi Tianyi. "Spell of the Emperor, Five Mountains of Heavenly Domination!"
Violent physical power made that side of the world twist and turn with just one palm!
He was a pure Martial Way cultivator that focused on the powers of physical martial arts. His physical body was at the peak, the highest level that a nascent soul stage cultivator could possibly reach. Even if Shi Tianyi channeled the power of the Unmovable Nagaraja Buddha to protect himself, he could not simply repel this attack without being injured himself.
If Shi Tianyi was also in the nascent soul advanced stage himself, then perhaps he could use the protective powers of the Unmovable Nagaraja Buddha to physically ward off the assault. However, he had to respond with offense as a form of defense. The Marquis of Jinghuan’s palm strike was far more ferocious than the cosmic form of the golden roc that came before him.
Pure cultivators of the Martial Way like the Marquis of Jinghuan were able to merge their cosmic forms with their physical body. He was able to channel the most powerful force in his body with every single move he made.
Shi Tianyi’s eyes revolved in their sockets like the Sun and Moon, and the interchanging of day and night. He placed his palms together and formed the Acalanatha Vajra Fist Print and clashed with the Marquis of JInghuan.
This time, he was unable to obtain any conceivable advantage. On the contrary, it seemed as if Shi Tianyi was on the losing end this time. Even though his polycorian eyes could spot out the weaknesses and loopholes in the Marquis of Jinghuan’s martial arts, his opponent’s power was simply too strong. Even the weakest parts of his technique were still relatively formidable.
He did not cast a single spell and simply relied on physical martial arts to challenge his adversary’s strongest characteristic. In the end, Shi Tianyi lost out due to his inferior level of mastery.
Still, he was extremely powerful. The vision of his polycorian eyes almost materialized into matter and enveloped the Marquis of Jinghuan. The Marquis of Jinghuan suddenly began to feel his actions and movement slowing down.
Within this single moment, Shi Tianyi’s body abruptly changed direction and subsequently dodged the area of effect of the Marquis of Jinghuan’s attack.
The onlookers all watched in utter amazement. The two most outstanding prodigies of the younger generation of the Great Zhou Empire and the Great Qin Empire were putting their skills and immense power on full display. To call them precocious was an understatement as they had already far exceeded normative points of comparison and typical standards for their age.
The audience found the battle spectacular, but Lin Feng was not so happy as he pouted a little. "The two of you are really getting it on. That’s not very appropriate, is it? Young men, are the two of you reading the wrong script?"
He looked the two of them up and down just like watching a drama. "Oh, one is intelligent and adaptable with strong techniques. The other is reliant on items and preparation – this guy had better start flashing his accessories and items. If not, you might be overcome by someone of a level of mastery far lower than you."
The Marquis of Jinghuan watched Shi Tianyi as a plain smile appeared on his face. "Those two eyes of yours – can they really slow down my movement, or do they affect the flow of time?"
Shi Tianyi said nothing in response. He clapped his hands together and voluminous amounts of light condensed together. He was preparing to retaliate.
The Marquis of Jinghuan did not seem bothered at all. He was just about to continue the battle when his expression suddenly changed. He cast a slightly dejected look at Shi Tianyi and the black rock before shaking his head. "We will have to stop here today. I have something more important to take care of."
Shi Tianyi glanced at the giant black stone beside him and answered without much expression, "Farewell."
The Marquis of Jinghuan stared at him for a while longer and suddenly erupted in laughter. "You are not the youngest nascent soul stage cultivator."
Shi Tianyi replied plainly, "I know that. The youngest nascent soul stage cultivator in the history of the human world of cultivation is my eldest Senior, Lin Daohan. He formed the nascent soul at the age of fifteen."
"However, I will surpass him in the end. He will reach the immortal soul stage before the age of one hundred, but I will be even faster," the light in Shi Tianyi’s eyes flickered with self-confidence. "As for you, you’re nothing at all."
The Marquis of Jinghuan laughed out loud again. "No need to be a keyboard warrior, my friend. All questions shall be answered by observing the outcome. I don’t have time to grind my lips with you right now. I won’t be long, however. If you dally too long, then this treasure will end up in my possession."
"And if that happens, then that eyes of yours and the other treasures all around will have to remain here."
The Marquis of Jinghuan slashed open the void and departed as he spoke.
Lin Feng released his consciousness and perceived in silence. A strange smile broke out on his face as he detected that the Marquis of Jinghuan was heading towards the direction of Xiao Yan and the others.
The prevalence of the Void Lightning Tribulations at that location caused the entire area to become something of a patch of dead land. At the center of the lightning tribulations, there was a ray of golden light flickering weakly, much like a single spark of flame in the center of a violent hurricane and a brutal thunderstorm.
A handsome youth stood at the edge of the lightning tribulations. He wore a tight white suit and had prickly inch-long hair. He looked just like the Marquis of Jinghuan – but it was just one of his avatars.
The avatar of the Marquis of Jinghuan was watching the far ends of the horizon. Black light flickered over there, and it was within the space opened by the Immortal Royal Flag. Inside the cave created by the flag, flowing water crashed all around, much like the rolling tides of the vast oceans.
A white-cloaked cultivator under the command of the Marquis of Jinghuan, who was in the nascent soul advanced stage, was directing this giant magic formation. With the help of the Immortal Royal Flag, the two of them were holding down an elderly man.
The old man looked furious. He had a momentary lapse of concentration and did not realize that his adversary had a magic treasure of the Metaplasia level, and ended up trapped inside this cave.
In the end, he was an immortal soul stage powerhouse after all. His opponent was not at the immortal soul stage yet, and was thus unable to channel the maximum power of the Immortal Royal Flag. Even if they had the help of a powerful magic formation, they could only slightly hinder his advances.
The elderly man was just about channel his power and break through the formation when the Marquis of Jinghuan suddenly spoke. "Even if you can break through, all I have to do is disturb the little beauty going through the Void Lightning Tribulations a little bit and she will become ash and dust in an instant."
"Don’t’ you dare. I will destroy you." The elderly man’s eyes were ice-cold. He was already in the immortal soul stage, and his willpower was extremely strong. How could he be someone so easily threatened and blackmailed? Even though he was worried about the young lady going through the Void Lightning Tribulations, he could not simply stop because of this.
The Marquis of Jinghuan smiled faintly. "Therefore, just calm down and don’t be hasty. I don’t harbor any evil intentions. My intentions here is actually to ask for her hand."
The elderly man stared into his eyes. "The magic treasure that has be trapped is the Immortal Royal Flag, am I right? So, you are Liang An of the Great Zhou Empire?" He recognized the Immortal Royal Flag, and a simple deduction brought him to the identity of the Marquis of Jinghuan.
The Marquis of Jinghuan placed his palms together and laughed. "The descendants of the Emperor of the Ancients are indeed impressive and knowledgeable. If that’s the case, then you must recognize this magic item as well."
He flipped his palm around and the Ancient Royal Sword appeared in his hands.
"The Ancient Royal Sword?" The old man glimpsed the sword and said, "It may be named the Ancient Royal Sword, but it has nothing to do with the Emperor of the Ancients. It was forged after the end of the Antiquity Age by cultivators who drew upon some concepts of power from the remains of the Emperor of the Ancients."
"However, you have two magic treasures?"
The Marquis of Jinghuan replied, "I know that as well, of course. This blade is not directly passed down from the Emperor of the Ancients. However, it does contain the meanings of his mantras, and is of the same descent as the Tao legacy of the Emperor of the Ancients. With this magic item, the little beauty’s lightning tribulations will be a lot smoother. She will benefit greatly from it even after she has formed the nascent soul."
"I am sincere about my intentions here today."
The elderly man responded coldly. "If you are sincere, then you will not be taking advantage of others who are preoccupied or in trouble inside the Void Battleground. You won’t have me imprisoned here."
The Marquis of Jinghuan was unfettered by his accusation and smiled. "If I hadn’t done that, then how can we have a calm and peaceful conversation like we are having now? In actual fact, as you must have already seen it by now, this is but an avatar of mine. If my original body was here, even though you may be an immortal soul stage cultivator, you won’t be able to do anything to me."
"My attachment to the descendants of the Emperor of the Ancients by marriage is a good thing for everyone. The Tao lineage and legacy of the Emperor of the Ancients may be powerful, but I am not weak, and my potential is also limitless. I am an appropriate suitor for her, I will greet her like a proper wife when we meet, as long as you guys are willing to cooperate."
"If you disagree, I will still take her away anyway," the Marquis of Jinghuan chuckled and continued, "It’s the same statement again. All I have to do is bring my original body here and you won’t be able to do anything to me."
As he spoke, his expression changed suddenly and he turned his head towards the far corner of the void on the other side.
A single spark of flame flashed forward from the far end of the void and three figures appeared from within. The first person taking point was in a purple tight suit and wore a black outer layer – it was Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan glanced towards the center of the Void Lightning Tribulations and turned back towards the Marquis of Jinghuan. He muttered coldly, "It doesn’t matter who’s here and who’s not. You’re not taking anybody away, and if you don’t leave now – you never will."