Chapter 201 - Among The Four
The gap between our strengths is just too big.
Zhong Yue put up a serious expression as under such situation, he had no chance of winning at all. He had used up every trick up his sleeves and even revealed all his trump cards. But the result was still as such. After all, the Xiao Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner’s level was twice as high as Zhong Yue’s. This was simply an absolute differential in strength that cannot be overcome by some trick.
“Someone’s coming!” in Zhong Yue’s psyche ocean, Xin Huo suddenly exclaimed.
Zhong Yue had a shock and he almost got grabbed by the huge hand before he asked, “Someone? Someone as in humans?”
Xin Huo nodded and replied, “The one heading towards here is indeed a human.”
Zhong Yue frowned as that fact gave an even more portentous feeling. Feng Shouzhu, Tian Yanzong and the others should have returned back to the Swords Gate by now so who could this person be?
The one that could only appear at this hour and in this situation could only be the Swords Gate’s celestial messenger that sold Shui Zian out!
This guy must have come here to retrieve the tokens of Elder Shui. He must have thought that the tokens are with me and he showed up because he thinks that I am dead for sure.
As soon as he thought of this, a loud draconic roar could be heard, trembling the mountains and instigating avalanches. Then, a huge monster could be seen moving with difficulty, leaving huge footprints on the ground as it advanced.
It was a gigantic old turtle and on top of the turtle’s back was a shining sword ray while a man in white robes stood on the head of that gigantic turtle, unperturbed by the heavy snow and strong gales.
Fang Jiange….
Zhong Yue’s eyes twicthed as he thought, the person was one of the four young aces of Swords Gate – Fang Jiange, the Golden Innate Spirit Body!
Fang Jiange stood on the turtle's head with his hands at his back and he put up a blank expression as he looked towards Zhong Yue and the Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner. Then, his gaze landed on Zhong Yue who immediately felt that his stare was like sharp Golden Sword Qi that shot towards him. This chilling sensation caused Zhong Yue to have goosebumps.
Is it really him?
Zhong Yue felt an acute disappointment and frustration mounting within him but suddenly, the Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner retracted his psyche hand and the hand returned to his inner core while the Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner swallowed his inner core back.
“Swords Gate’s Fang Jiange?”
The Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner’s face turned serious and he looked around as he asked, “How did you get here? Where is the Xiao Guzhen, our race’s senior?”
“Are you talking about him?”
Three heads were then thrown onto the ground as he said smilingly, “I’ve killed this whatever Xiao Guzhen you are talking about.”
The three heads belonged to Xiao Guzhen, a Heavenly Dharma level Qi Practitioner of the Xiang Mang Celestial Race and also the Qi Practitioner that was guarding the final exit out of the West Barren!
“Senior Xiao Guzhen!”
The Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner’s face changed rapidly and another man could be seen walking towards them in the heavy storm. He appeared to be tall and muscular, just like a bear and there was a huge thunder dragon formed with a type of thunder totem carvings that wound all over his body.
This man’s face was covered with a beard and he stood up high and straight. The Shan Shen and Zhu Jian Celestial Race’s members were all little giants that appeared to be big and muscular. But this bearded man was no smaller than them, even being slightly larger than them!
“You are Lei Hong, one of the four young aces of Swords Gate?”
The Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner turned pale while Zhong Yue felt relieved immediately. Originally, he thought that it was the Swords Gate’s celestial messenger and thus, he suspected Fang Jiange as the traitor hidden of the Swords Gate. But he did not expect Lei Hong would be following behind Fang Jiange and he even killed the Heavenly Dharma Qi Practitioner from the Xiao Mang Celestial Race.
“Junior Martial Brother Zhong, come here.” said Fang Jiange camly.
Lei Hong laughed and said in a thunderous voice, “In order to search for you, Young Master Feng, Elder Sister Jun and the two of us searched in all directions. Young Master Feng went to the North while Elder Sister Jun went to the South and the two of us went to the East and West. Just now, I felt that there was someone fighting in this direction and so I planned on taking a look here after I killed the old hag. But unexpectedly, that Brat Fang managed to reach here faster than me.”
Zhong Yue felt relieved and he started walking towards Fang Jiange and Lei Hong while the eyes of the Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner twitched as he was internally debating whether or not he should act to capture Zhong Yue. Just as he was still considering his next course of action, Fang Jiange suddenly turned back and a Sword Qi in the size of a hair shot towards the Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner.
Zhe——
The Xiang Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioner then got sliced in half by this hair-like Sword Qi!
“Get up and let’s go.” said Fang Jiange.
Zhong Yue then jumped up the back of the old turtle along with Lei Hong while Lei Hong measured Zhong Yue curiously and asked suddenly, “Where is Elder Shui?”
Zhong Yue’s face turned dark and he relied, “Elder Shui was ambushed by Xiao Yin, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Qing, he’s already….”
Lei Hong and Fang Jiange both then remained silent for quite a while.
Then, after a moment, Lei Hong exhaled a long breath and he sighed as he said, “Along with Tian Yanzong and the others, Elder Feng has returned to Swords Gate but they all suffered heavy injuries. As soon as Elder Feng touched down at Swords Gate, he immediately ordered us to move at once to escort you guys in the Lian Yun Ridges. Who would have thought that we would not be able to arrive in time. Junior Martial Brother Zhong, is Elder Shui really dead?”
Zhong Yue put up a sad expression and he nodded silently before he said in a sore voice, “I single handedly buried him in the Divine Battlefield and I’m afraid that we will not even be able to see the burial site anymore.”
Fang Jiange and Lei Hong remained silent and after a moment, Lei Hong forcefully laughed and said, “It’s ok as long as you are fine.”
Fang Jiange then said, “Elder Shui possessed a huge number of tokens and they are all very important. Are they with you now, Junior Martial Brother Zhong?”
Lei Hong’s face turned serious and he too, said, “Those tokens are very important and nothing must happen to them. He definitely would have passed the tokens down to another before he died and you were the only one present at the time of his death and also the one who buried him. These tokens….”
Before Lei Hong could finish talking, Zhong Yue shook his head and said, “These tokens are not with me. When I saw Elder Shui, he no longer had any energy and stamina. He probably had destroyed the tokens before he died to prevent them falling onto the hands of the Xiang Mang Celestial Race.”
Fang Jiange and Lei Hong looked at each other and they both shook their heads.
“Among the many tokens owned by Elder Shui, there was one that was given to him by me.”
Lei Hong sighed and said, “And this old man died just like that. He once saved my life and asked for a token from me, saying that he would need me to do something for him in the future. He is a man with great foresight. Each and every person acknowledged by him would always grow into an incredible person someday….”
Fu Shan, the old turtle continued to move and although it moved its legs slowly, their speed of advance was not slow at all. In no time, they had passed one huge ice mountain after another . The snow stopped snowing as they got over the Lian Yun Mountain Ridges and entered the Great Wilderness.
The old turtle continued to move for a few hundred miles before Fang Jiange raised up his hand and the shiny sword ray on the back of the huge turtle flew into his hand. Fang Jiange then raised his fingers and pointed to the sky, launching that shining sword ray into the skies to light up the surroundings.
Lei Hong flipped his palms as he pointed his palms towards the sky, calling upon thunder that cracked open the sky.
Then, they both stopped their actions and waited quietly.
“Brat Yue, you do not believe them, do you?”
In Zhong Yue’s psyche ocean, Xin Huo asked quietly, “That’s why you told them Elder Shui is dead and you did not obtain the tokens belonged to him.”
“Yeah, I don't believe them.”
Zhong Yue replied, “The fact that Jun Sixie was ambushed suggests that the spy of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race is among the four of them. Since I have no idea which one of them is the spy and there would also have to be a reason for Elder Shui to play dead. Therefore, I fed them fake information and as long as I insist that the tokens were destroyed by Elder Shui before his death, no one would be able to find out his location.”
Xin Huo nodded and said, “Now, the Swords Gate and Xiao Mang Celestial Race is at the cusp of war. At the very beginning, Swords Gate did not have a high winning chance against the Xiao Mang Celestial Race and if these tokens were to fall into the hands of the celestial race, the Swords Gate can only accept its doom.”
After a few moments, a fragrant scent could be smelled and when Zhong Yue looked up, he saw Jun Sixie walking towards them while she carried a guqin behind her back. She appeared to be as elegant and as graceful as ever. Upon seeing Zhong Yue, the girl immediately smiled happily and said, “I’m relieved to see that you are well.”
Zhong Yue bowed towards her and she immediately reciprocated. Then, the two looked at each other as they both recalled the events back in the Savanna Wasteland.
Jun Sixie was good at keeping secrets and she knew deeply that the incident where Zhong Yue saved her was greatly tied to his identity in the monsters. Thus, she did not mention anything about this at all.
“The Swords Gate has Zhong Yue and the monsters have Long Yue but now, the “Yue” of our Swords Gate has surpassed the “Yue” of the monsters.”
Said Jun Sixie jokingly as she was aware of Zhong Yue’s alter ego. After all, Zhong Yue had left behind many traces and even used many of the unique techniques that supposedly belonged to “Long Yue”. She was a clever lady; how could she not realize that Zhong Yue and Long Yue were the same person through these clues?
Whereas for Fang Jiange and Lei Hong, she seemed to be slightly unwilling to talk to them at all as she obviously suspected that the one who sold her out was among the other three other aces – she was understandably very upset at this fact.
“Now that you are so famous and even more famous than that Long Yue, you make our Swords Gate proud!” said Jun Sixie with a smile.
Zhong Yue quickly replied, “Please don't make fun of me, senior martial sister. I managed to cultivate into Awakening level through luck and I dare not say that I am better than Long Yue. After all, Long Yue would not be slacking while I’m painstakingly cultivating. His strength must have improved greatly to be on the same level as I am on right now.”
Jun Sixie laughed and said, “Next time, the both of you should have a fight to decide who the superior one truly is.”
Zhong Yue replied with strong battle intent, “That is a matter of course provided we have the time and the opportunity!”
A few moments later, a voice could be heard saying, “So you have saved Junior Martial Brother Zhong? Such good luck, I have been walking on the wrong path and you guys robbed me my work.”
Zhong Yue looked towards that direction and he saw a young and handsome man walking towards them. He appeared to be very graceful and he gave off a very unique aura.
He was Feng Wuji of the Swords Gate, one of the four young aces and also the heir of the Feng Clan.
Zhong Yue greeted him and Feng Wuji quickly returned the gesture as he smiled and said, “I am glad to hear that you are safe. I’ve traveled for three thousands miles to the north and fought with the many Xiao Mang Celestial Race’s Qi Practitioners along my journey. But I failed to locate Junior Martial Brother Zhong. Who would have thought that you had been rescued by Junior Martial Brother Fang and Junior Martial Brother Lei. Elder Feng told us when he got back to Swords Gate with heavy injuries and he said that you and Elder Shui might be the target of our enemies. With that, he asked us to quickly come to help. Where’s Elder Shui?”
Zhong Yue immediately feigned a morose expression while Lei Hong shook his head and said, “Elder Shui has passed away….”
Feng Wuji was stunned and his expression stiffened up while Jun Sixue couldn't control herself and she shouted, “That old man is dead? How is that possible? How could someone as wise and cunning as him die just like that….”
Zhong Yue looked at the four aces and observed the changes in their expressions as he said calmly, “Elder Shui was ambushed in the Divine Battlefield when we were walking on the safe passage in the Divine Battlefield. Only the Swords Gate has the safe passage out of the Divine Battlefield but on that day, the Xiao Mang Celestial Race somehow obtained the map as well. Someone in the Swords Gate had sold us out and is directly responsible for Elder Shui’s death.”
This news must be able to cause the celestial spy to expose something I guess? Zhong Yue thought this quietly within his heart.