Chapter 513: The Southern Wasteland Spear Demon, Foolish Moves and the Snake That Won’t Die |
Whoosh…………
Yang Zun, who had struck out in furious rage, thrust his blood-colored spear tip through the air, moving even faster than when he had ambushed Xia Chuan earlier. The distance of over two hundred meters was covered in almost less than two breaths.
As the spear tip thrust forward, a thousand-foot skeletal phantom of azure jade color abruptly materialized behind Yang Zun. The phantom had two horns on its forehead and three arms growing from each shoulder. A pair of crimson pupils brimming with killing intent were fixed intently on Xia Hong. Its nostrils were even continuously heaving with heavy breaths, resembling a blue-faced asura that had walked out of purgatory—inexplicably sinister and exerting an extremely strong sense of oppression.
"Jade Bones aptitude, and at the limit level at that!"
Clang…………
Just as this thought flashed through Xia Hong's mind after his successful ambush, the blood-colored spear tip thrust toward his face. Although the momentum of Yang Zun's furious strike was astonishing, Xia Hong did not take it too seriously. He merely raised the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand to parry it mid-air.
Carelessness often leads to suffering, and no one is an exception!
At this very moment, Xia Hong tasted the bitter fruit of underestimating his enemy.
Crack…………
"62 Jun…"
"So strong!"
Yet, despite his weapon breaking, the expression on Xia Hong's face remained calm. He merely raised an eyebrow slightly, silently noting Yang Zun's strength in his mind.
In contrast, Yang Zun, who had struck out in furious rage, felt a sudden flash of clarity cross his originally enraged face the moment the first exchange with Xia Hong ended, as he sensed the terrifying power hidden within the other's physical body.
"No matter how strong you are, you will die today!"
With an angry roar, Yang Zun suddenly raised his hands, using brute force to toss Xia Hong dozens of meters upward. Then, a crimson hue abruptly surfaced in his eyes, his shoulders bulged, and two additional arms suddenly sprouted from each of his armpits.
Thus, Yang Zun's current form became identical to the azure jade skeletal phantom behind him—a six-armed form.
As his shoulders transformed into the six-armed form, two long, sharp horns also violently shot out from Yang Zun's forehead. His face instantly turned pure cyan, and both pupils rapidly filled with blood, turning crimson red.
"So this is what 'Southern Wildlands Spear Demon' means…………"
Xia Hong, high in the air, looked down and saw Yang Zun's transformation. A look of shock immediately flashed across his face.
Having been in the Ice Abyss for so many years, Xia Hong had seen many Abominations. If it were merely this terrifying form alone, it certainly wouldn't intimidate him. The shock on his face stemmed from the aura Yang Zun was emitting at this moment.
After manifesting six arms, Yang Zun's movements showed not the slightest delay. His six arms fiercely gripped the spear shaft, then he raised the long spear vertically and violently kicked off the ground with both legs.
Boom…………
The tremendous recoil launched Yang Zun into the air like a projectile. He seemed to merge with the long spear in his hand, shooting straight from the ground into the clouds. A blood-colored spear tip stretching three to four li long almost instantly pierced Xia Hong's body.
Thud!
Saying 'pierced' isn't accurate; it should be 'impaled'...
Xia Hong, mid-air, was directly impaled by the blood-colored spear tip.
However, exactly like the situation during the first exchange, Yang Zun's face still showed no trace of joy at this moment. Instead, it grew even more solemn, and even a clearly discernible flicker of fear appeared in his pupils.
"It only pierced through flesh and blood, not the bones. His speed…"
"Tripled, over 180 Jun. With strength like yours, reaching the top of the Heaven Ranking wouldn't be a problem either. You've hidden yourself deeply indeed!"
Xia Hong's voice now lacked its previous flippancy.
Yang Zun's spear thrust was already sufficient to command his serious attention.
As soon as the words fell, Xia Hong ignored his impaled shoulder and, at an extremely slow speed, pulled back the Star Shattering Sword that was parrying the long spear, then abruptly thrust it forward.
Whoosh…………
The moment Yang Zun's long spear thrust toward him, he had already activated the Sacred Mark and drawn the Star Shattering Sword. After leaving the Yang Market, his strength had increased to 78 Jun. With the Sacred Mark's fifty percent amplification, that became 117 Jun.
His original thought was that with 117 Jun strength, blocking Yang Zun's spear thrust shouldn't be too difficult. But the moment they made contact with reality, he realized how gravely mistaken he was.
Who could have imagined that the Heaven Ranking could be so utterly wrong!
According to its description, in the 295th year of the Caiqiu calendar, which was four years ago, Yang Zun's strength was only 41 Jun. Four years had passed, and now he could unleash strength exceeding 180 Jun?
How was that possible!
A Jade Bones aptitude couldn't possibly have such a terrifying cultivation speed. The only explanation was that Yang Zun had been concealing his abilities all along. He had never revealed his full strength in front of others.
At the critical moment, Xia Hong could only unleash his ultimate speed. Relying on the Long Fist's parrying stance, he used his shoulder to forcefully take the blow.
Pull back, thrust forward!
The Great Xia's Yin-Yang Reverse Blade Technique.
Yang Zun naturally didn't recognize it, but Xia Hong's sudden thrust still made his eyebrows twitch violently. The fury in his chest instantly subsided, his mind clearing in a flash. He immediately retreated backward, attempting to evade.
Unfortunately, Xia Hong gave him no chance at all.
A short-distance thrust, the Star Shattering Sword didn't create a massive display. The forward thrusting momentum didn't extend, only leaving behind a singularity at the original spot.
That phenomenon was caused by the sword tip being too fast and the force being too concentrated.
The singularity abruptly drained the airflow from all directions, instantly silencing the entire battlefield. The fighting among the soldiers below also abruptly ceased at this moment. Everyone on the battlefield, including those at the Sun Manifestation Level, had their gazes involuntarily drawn to this singularity.
Ssss…………
"Ah!"
The singularity abruptly exploded, plunging straight into Yang Zun's face.
Sacred Mark fifty percent, martial arts fifty percent—Xia Hong's execution of this Yin-Yang Reverse Blade Technique had already reached a strength of 156 Jun. Logically, there was still a considerable gap compared to Yang Zun's 180 Jun. But the moment he thrust the sword forward and saw Yang Zun's reaction, Xia Hong immediately smiled.
Yang Zun didn't attempt to parry; instead, he directly chose to retreat and flee.
He lacked the confidence to withstand this sword strike, which meant his earlier display of over 180 Jun strength was merely a flash in the pan. Most likely, Yang Zun had fused with an Abomination related to the skeletal phantom. That strength exceeding 180 Jun was only achievable thanks to the Abomination within his body.
"Then this makes things easier!"
Crack…………
The Star Shattering Sword pierced through from the throat under the jaw. Yang Zun threw his head back and let out a scream, then violently exerted force to lower his head. At the critical moment, he forcibly altered the Star Shattering Sword's thrusting trajectory. The sword, which was originally angled upward toward the skull, now pierced deep through the throat and emerged from the back of the neck.
"Quite a bit of ruthlessness there, but a pity…"
Xia Hong let out a cold laugh. Piercing the throat indeed wasn't fatal, but once the sword tip had passed through the throat, the next strike would naturally be decapitation.
While he appreciated Yang Zun's ruthlessness, he had come today to kill. A single Yang Jian couldn't satisfy his appetite.
Crunch…………
Xia Hong's hands gripping the sword suddenly exerted force to the left and right, attempting to decapitate Yang Zun with one slash. But just as he severed the throat bone on Yang Zun's left side, several powerful attacks shot toward him from below.
"Eldest Brother, you go first!"
"Lord Leader, run quickly! We'll hold him off…"
"As long as the town stands and the Lord Leader lives, Beishuo still exists. We haven't lost yet!"
"Lord Leader, go quickly!"
………………
Several panicked shouts rang out. It was Yang Fa and the five Sun Manifestation Level experts from Beishuo.
Xia Hong had long sensed the six of them attacking him simultaneously. He paid them no mind, merely releasing his aura, then continued relentlessly trying to kill Yang Zun before him.
If you strike a snake but fail to kill it, you'll get bitten. Moreover, judging by Yang Zun's conduct and methods, this man was definitely not just any ordinary snake.
If he wasn't killed today, there would surely be future trouble!
Furthermore, there would be someone to block Yang Fa and the other five.
Whoosh…………
"Get back!"
Xia Chuan roared furiously. The sharp, sweeping force unleashed by his Black Knife stretched for a hundred meters, directly striking toward the faces of Yang Fa and the other five.
Although Xia Hong hadn't revealed his true appearance, the earlier burst of intense light had already exposed his identity. How could Xia Chuan fail to recognize his own eldest brother?
The battle between Xia Hong and Yang Zun was too terrifying; they simply weren't qualified to intervene. Helpless, they could only watch from mid-air. But watching didn't mean they hadn't made any preparations.
Seeing Yang Zun defeated and about to be killed, with Yang Fa and the other five trying to save their lord, how could Xia Chuan possibly remain idle?
Of course, it wasn't just him. Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, Yue Feng, Zhouyuan, Meng Yi, Zhao Long, and Hou Tong—all seven of Great Xia's Sun Manifestation Level experts present—also moved simultaneously.
The Scarlet-Silver Blade Puppet didn't possess the ability to fly through the air, so Xia Chuan flew up holding the Black Knife. The remaining seven, Xu Ning and the others, were at the same position as him, instantly blocking the path of Yang Fa and the other five.
Crack…………
Just as the six were blocked, Xia Hong's hand gripping the sword also began slicing horizontally to the right. He only needed to break the throat bone on the right, and Yang Zun would lose his head.
Xia Hong could even already hear the sound of Yang Zun's skull being sliced open.
"Kui'er!"
But precisely at this point, the sound stopped.
Boom…………
Yang Fa below suddenly roared furiously. Immediately afterward, a tremendous force slammed into Xia Hong from behind. Xia Hong, mid-air, was violently jolted, causing his arm to shift forward a few centimeters.
It was this difference of a few centimeters that gave Yang Zun a sudden glimpse of hope. Making a heroic, desperate move, he violently turned his head sideways, allowing the throat bone on the left—still connected by flesh, skin, and membrane, not completely severed—to be dragged across the sword tip. Then, his body frantically retreated, swiftly fleeing toward the southeast direction of Baimu City.
Watching Yang Zun fleeing at high speed, although Xia Hong's expression turned extremely grim, his movements showed no delay. Raising his sword, he first decapitated a middle-aged man behind him who bore a thirty percent resemblance to Yang Zun. Then, using both fists and feet, in less than ten breaths, he smashed Yang Fa and the remaining four into the ground. Two of them were even directly pulverized into mush—forget surviving, it was probably impossible to even piece together a complete corpse.
After doing all this, Xia Hong turned his head with a somber expression and directly berated Xia Chuan and the other seven: "Abomination technique fluctuations! Where are the Yellow Candles you're supposed to have?"
Hearing this, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the other seven stiffened abruptly. They then stood frozen in place, hemming and hawing for a long time, with not a single one daring to speak.
Although Xia Hong hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, based on his extraordinary perception, he could roughly guess what had just happened.
These six Sun Manifestation Level experts from Beishuo must have all fused with Abominations. Among them, that Yang Kui whom he had just decapitated likely possessed an ability similar to short-range teleportation. Just now, he had directly vanished, bypassed Xia Chuan and the other seven, and suddenly appeared behind him.
This Yang Kui, with only 4 Jun strength, naturally posed no threat to him. But the other party wasn't foolish either. Knowing he couldn't threaten Xia Hong, he had targeted the hand holding the sword.
Yang Zun had actually been rescued in such a muddled, chaotic manner!
"If you strike a snake but fail to kill it, you bring harm upon yourself. This Yang Zun is no simple man. Failing to kill him this time, who knows what trouble he'll stir up later…"
Seeing Xia Hong's gloomy expression, Xia Chuan and the other seven instantly dared not speak.
Yellow Candles—of course they all had them on their persons. Some had even used them earlier on the battlefield when fighting Beishuo's Sun Manifestation Level experts.
But the situation just now was, firstly, too sudden; they hadn't anticipated it. Secondly, this Yang Kui's short-range teleportation ability had never been exposed from start to finish. In the panic of the moment, they had actually forgotten to use the Yellow Candles to restrict him…
Just as Xia Hong said, given the terrifying strength Yang Zun had just displayed, failing to kill him this time meant that if he specifically hid in the shadows from now on, the threat he could pose to Great Xia would be far too great.
Realizing this, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the other seven not only turned grim but also gained a touch of gravity. Even their joy over the great victory achieved at Baimu City today diminished somewhat.
"I'll go keep an eye on Beishuo City. Xia Chuan, lead the army and quickly wrap things up. Rest and reorganize in Baimu City for half the night. At midnight, swiftly march south and surround Beishuo City. Not a single one of the three Yang brothers can be spared!"
Xia Hong only glanced down at the battlefield below. After speaking, he directly headed toward the direction of Beishuo City, not saying another word to Xia Chuan and the other seven.
"We respectfully see off the Lord Leader!"
Having made a mistake, Xia Chuan and the other seven didn't even dare to breathe heavily. They bowed respectfully and saw Xia Hong off. Only after Xia Hong's figure disappeared from sight did the eight of them turn to look at each other, their faces full of unease.
Among the eight, only Xia Chuan's expression was relatively normal. Seeing this, the other seven could only turn their gazes toward him.
"Department Chancellor, we made a mistake…"
"The Lord Leader has been away for three years. He returns and immediately sees us acting foolishly. No wonder he's angry. With Yang Zun escaping back to Beishuo City, killing him again will be difficult…"
"How could I be so stupid? I clearly had Yellow Candles tucked in my robe. I should have guarded against this move earlier…"
"The Lord Leader is so angry, later he won't possibly…"
………………
"Enough. A mistake is a mistake. Just don't repeat it next time. Don't worry. Since the Lord Leader didn't say anything just now, he won't bring it up again later. However, when we reach the foot of Beishuo City later, we must apologize to the Lord Leader. And you all had better pray that Yang Zun doesn't cause any major disasters later. Otherwise, all eight of us will bear responsibility!"
Hearing the first part, the seven's expressions eased slightly, gradually returning to normal. But as soon as Xia Chuan uttered his last sentence, their hearts immediately sank. Their previously calm mood once again became filled with unease.
"No, no, we must wrap things up quickly! Surround Beishuo City. We absolutely cannot let Yang Zun escape. If he really causes some major disaster, even if the Lord Leader doesn't blame us, I wouldn't be able to live with myself!"
"Right, right, right! Quickly let the soldiers rest and reorganize. We march on Beishuo City immediately!"
"Yang Zun's strength is too terrifying. If the Lord Leader hadn't been here today, the Department Chancellor's safety, and even the outcome of the battle, would likely be uncertain!"
………………
"Hurry down and notify each army to wrap things up. Secure the prisoners of war. Notify the garrison at the Dongchuan Camp to send half their men over to take control of Baimu City. Hurry and let the soldiers rest and reorganize. We march south at midnight."
Following Xia Chuan's order, the six generals, Liu Yuan and the others, immediately went down to make arrangements. Only Xu Ning remained behind him.
"Yang Zun's strength is so terrifying, yet he still wasn't the Lord Leader's match. Department Chancellor, what cultivation level do you think the Lord Leader has reached now?"
The unease in Xu Ning's heart gradually dissipated. Recalling the scene of the earlier exchange between Xia Hong and Yang Zun, while his face showed astonishment, his expression couldn't help but become excited.
Hearing this question, a flicker of excitement also immediately appeared in Xia Chuan's pupils.
"Tribulation Body… it should be the Tribulation Body Realm, right…………"
If he possesses Tribulation Body Realm strength, then Great Xia unifying the Southern Foothills will be absolutely without doubt!
Xu Ning clenched his fists tightly, his cheeks suddenly flushing crimson. He wished he could go find Xia Hong right now and ask for a clear answer.