Chapter 1258: Battle Against the Guardians
This martial arts contest was primarily intended to select two individuals to fill the vacant Guardian positions. Coincidentally, only two Emissaries of Death remained under Wen Hexuan and his two allies, a number that was certainly no mere coincidence.
According to Wen Hexuan and his two allies' intentions, they wished to eliminate all other participants first, keeping as many Emissaries of Death under their command as possible. This way, the two Guardian positions would be filled by their own people, ensuring that whoever became a Guardian would be loyal to their faction.
However, events unfolded completely contrary to their expectations. The onslaught from a large number of participants inflicted injuries of varying severity upon the three of them. While they swiftly eliminated many contenders, their own Emissaries of Death were likewise rapidly disqualified under the participants' attacks.
The three of them tried to protect their Emissaries of Death, but the other participants gave them no such opportunity. In the end, out of helplessness, they could only do their best to preserve two individuals, and these two were precisely the ones who remained on the stage now.
There was no need to guess Wen Hexuan and his two allies' intention in keeping these two; it was clearly for those two Guardian positions.
Thanks to the protection of Wen Hexuan and his two allies, the two remaining individuals were not severely injured. On the contrary, Wen Hexuan and his two allies, who had protected them, suffered much heavier injuries.
Most of the participants in this contest were at the early Earth Soul realm, followed by mid Earth Soul, with late Earth Soul practitioners being exceedingly rare. Among these rare few, Wen Hexuan, Long Yan, and Ye Xianglan occupied three of those spots. As for Wen Hexuan, strictly speaking, he wasn't merely late Earth Soul, but at the pinnacle of the Earth Soul realm.
Precisely because of their formidable strength, even when facing a mob of a hundred participants, they weren't completely suppressed. Instead, they personally eliminated a large number of contenders. If they had only possessed mid Earth Soul strength, they would have been overthrown and carried off long ago. Even the most powerful mid Earth Soul cultivator could never have withstood the siege of a hundred participants; a single wave of attacks would likely have sent them packing.
Apart from Wen Hexuan and his two allies, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing also held two late Earth Soul positions. However, neither of them had fully unleashed their true strength yet, so others were unaware that their power had actually broken through to the late Earth Soul realm.
Apart from this individual, there were two more participants on this side. The realms of these two were not significantly different from Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's suppressed power levels. Their ability to remain on the arena relied not solely on their own strength, but also on external aid, as well as extensive combat experience and sharp minds.
As for the two Emissaries of Death under Wen Hexuan and his two allies, while their strength had also reached the mid Earth Soul realm, it was significantly inferior in comparison. Had it not been for the three of them doing everything they could to protect these two, they would very likely have been eliminated by now. Even if they hadn't been eliminated, it would have been impossible for them to remain on the arena in such a relatively good condition.
The five participants on this side were not gathered together like Wen Hexuan's five. In fact, all five of them were wary of each other. Apart from Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, who stood together, the other three were positioned in three different areas, maintaining a safe distance from one another.
"Hehe, your five's strength is quite good, I admire it. However, the five of you are certainly no match for the five of us. Therefore, I advise you to surrender voluntarily. Continuing to fight will only cause you more harm, and the final outcome will not change."
Wen Hexuan stood leaning on his crutch, positioned in front of the other four. His gaze first swept over Yang Haoran and the others, then lingered on the late Earth Soul participant, before he finally smiled faintly.
These words seemed to be addressed to Yang Haoran's group of five, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Wen Hexuan was actually advising the late Earth Soul participant to retreat while they still could.
Above the dark clouds, Luo Yao's expression had already been rather grim. Now, hearing that Wen Hexuan actually intended to intimidate the remaining five participants into retreating, his face naturally darkened even further. However, he did not intervene to stop Wen Hexuan's tactic, for he believed that as long as Yang Haoran and his four allies aren't fools, they wouldn't be persuaded to withdraw. At this moment, his concern was whether the five could truly defeat Wen Hexuan's group of five.
Regarding Wen Hexuan's attempt to persuade them to withdraw, Yang Haoran remained silent, and Xu Meijing was too lazy to speak. Although battle hadn't broken out yet, it was only a matter of time. In any case, neither of them would ever be persuaded to retreat by Wen Hexuan, as they were determined to secure the Guardian positions. Seizing the opportunity afforded by this lull, both quickly refined the Dānyào within their bodies, attempting to heal their injuries as much as possible.
Moreover, both knew that Wen Hexuan's words, while seemingly addressed to their group of five, were actually aimed at the late Earth Soul participant. If they didn't respond, someone else would.
"Hehehehe, Guardian Wen, we've fought to this extent, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to say that now?"
The one who spoke was a handsome man who appeared to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, fanning himself with a black folding fan. A dense Yin Qi swirled above the fan. Although his body was covered in bloodstains, there weren't many visible wounds on him, indicating that most of the blood clearly didn't belong to him.
As he spoke, a brilliant smile bloomed on his face. This smile was different from the one perpetually plastered on Yang Haoran's face. Yang Haoran's smile, to some, felt kind and approachable, while to others, it felt fake, terrifying, and deeply cunning. The handsome man's smile, however, was purely sunny and open, giving off a feeling of carefree elegance.
"Yongle, we've known each other for quite some time. With your strength, you should definitely have a spot among the nine Guardians. Even if the Emperor were to directly appoint you as a Guardian, I would have no objections. But the Emperor has his rules. Since he has decided to choose the Guardians in this manner today, we must all abide by them. As things stand, you have actually already lost. I believe you understand this clearly in your heart. If that's the case, why persist?"
Wen Hexuan, a smile on his face, continued to persuade the handsome man named Yongle. However, his words were not merely simple persuasion. Some, including Emperor Luo Yao, naturally understood the deeper meaning within his speech.
Yongle was a very famous Emissary of Death in the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, and also a veteran Emissary of Death. He was even hailed as the strongest Emissary of Death in the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, as his late Earth Soul realm strength was no secret.
However, Yongle seemed to have no desire for power, which was precisely why he had remained an Emissary of Death all this time.
Many who knew Yongle believed he wouldn't participate in this Guardian selection contest, but to their surprise, Yongle actually did.
Wen Hexuan naturally knew Yongle as well; this was evident from his previous words. The reason he was now trying to persuade Yongle to withdraw was ultimately because he didn't want to fight him. After all, in his eyes, Yongle was a capable individual.
If he were in his peak condition, Yongle, despite being at the late Earth Soul realm, would naturally be no match for him; of this, he was absolutely convinced. But his current state was far from his peak. Long Yan and Ye Xianglan's injuries were even more severe. If they truly ended up fighting Yongle, he wasn't worried about being unable to defeat him. On the contrary, he had absolute confidence in overcoming Yongle, but by then, the injuries of the three of them would certainly become even more grievous.
If he could persuade Yongle to withdraw through words, that would naturally be ideal. At the very least, it would make things easier for their side.
As for Yang Haoran and his four allies, he didn't pay them much mind. He had observed their previous battles. While their strength was indeed considerable, and they were certainly rarely matched within the mid Earth Soul realm, that was still merely the mid Earth Soul. As someone at the Earth Soul pinnacle, he naturally didn't believe the four of them posed much of a threat to him. After all, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.
Moreover, he wasn't alone on his side. Besides the two mid Earth Soul Emissaries of Death, there were also two late Earth Soul Guardians. As long as Yongle voluntarily withdrew and didn't participate, he felt that Yang Haoran and his four allies would be easy to deal with.
However, Yongle seemed to pay no mind whatsoever to his words.
"Hehehehe, whether we can win or not, only a fight will tell, Guardian Wen. Although your strength is greater than mine, my current condition seems to be better than yours. As for Guardian Long and Guardian Ye, their conditions are even worse. If we truly fight, it's hard to say who will emerge victorious."
Yongle fanned himself, smiling as he replied. His smile was carefree and entirely unfeigned. From his words and expression, it was clear that he had no intention of giving up.
In truth, Wen Hexuan, Long Yan, and Ye Xianglan all felt somewhat aggrieved at this moment. In the previous battles, constrained by the rules, they couldn't deliver killing blows, which prevented them from unleashing their full power. If it had been a true life-or-death struggle, facing the same situation, they would definitely not have been injured so severely.
Crushing an ant is easy, but merely injuring an ant is far more difficult than crushing it to death.
In the eyes of the three of them, those Emissaries of Death at the early Earth Soul realm were practically no different from ants. Even the mid Earth Soul Emissaries of Death were, in their view, just slightly larger ants.
Now that Yongle brought up their injuries, it instantly intensified the resentment in the three's hearts.
"Heh, fine. Since you've put it that way, let's stop wasting words. Neither side should think about recovering further. We'll just see who emerges victorious in the end."
Wen Hexuan had originally intended to ask Yang Haoran and his four allies if they had any intention of forfeiting, but the frustration in his heart made him abandon the idea. He didn't want to waste any more time. Besides, he felt that Yang Haoran and his four allies surely thought the same way as Yongle. If he himself had reached this point, he certainly wouldn't want to give up either, so he bothered to ask no further.
"Hahahahaha, alright! Then forgive my offense. First, let me send some snowflakes your way to liven things up!"
Yongle burst into laughter, then waved the folding fan in his hand. A fierce Yin wind suddenly swept across the arena, and the temperature sharply plummeted at that instant. In the area where Wen Hexuan and his four allies stood, black snowflakes, each radiating dense Yin Qi, abruptly descended from the sky.
"Hmph!"
Wen Hexuan let out a cold snort, stomping his crutch onto the ground. Above the heads of the five, a protective barrier formed from Spirit Power suddenly appeared, catching the falling snowflakes.
Crackle! Crackle crackle!
The black snowflakes landed on the barrier, each one instantly freezing a palm-sized black ice chunk onto the shield. As the dense snowflakes fell, a rapid cracking sound of ice forming resonated. In the blink of an eye, the entire barrier transformed into solid ice.
Wen Hexuan's expression subtly shifted. Though he had only stomped his crutch a moment ago, he knew clearly that this barrier had consumed a considerable amount of his Spirit Power to form. For it to be frozen so easily demonstrated the formidable power of Yongle's move.
However, the truly impressive part was yet to come. Just as Wen Hexuan's expression changed, the barrier suddenly let out another crisp cracking sound.
CRACK! ! !
The frozen barrier shattered, black ice shards of various sizes plummeting from the air. With nothing to impede them, the black snowflakes also drifted down from above.
"I'll handle Yongle. You all pick your own opponents and finish this quickly!"
Wen Hexuan spoke to the other four. The two Emissaries of Death respectfully affirmed, while Long Yan and Ye Xianglan, though not responding to Wen Hexuan, immediately moved. Their figures flashed, vanishing from their spots, and reappeared in the area where Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were located.
The reason the two chose Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing as opponents was not because they were the weakest of the five. On the contrary, both felt that Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were far more formidable than the other two participants, which was why they made them their targets.
This move was naturally to prevent their two Emissaries of Death from being eliminated. By leaving the two weaker participants to their own Emissaries of Death, those two would have a much greater chance of becoming the ultimate victors.
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing had originally intended to target the two Emissaries of Death under Wen Hexuan and his two allies, as they had never forgotten their objective for today. If they eliminated those two Emissaries of Death, their own chances of becoming Guardians would significantly increase, making it the safest approach.
However, since Long Yan and Ye Xianglan had appeared in their area, clearly intending to target them, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing naturally wouldn't ignore them and attack others instead.
In Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's eyes, Long Yan and Ye Xianglan were now at the end of their flight. If the two had been in peak condition, Yang Haoran believed that he and Xu Meijing would very likely not be their match. After all, they had only recently broken through to the late Earth Soul realm, at best having just stabilized in this domain. Long Yan and Ye Xianglan, on the other hand, were seasoned veterans of this realm. Although they hadn't yet broken through to the Earth Soul pinnacle, the sheer power of the Spirit Power within their bodies was certainly beyond what Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing could compare to.
However, Long Yan and Ye Xianglan were currently gravely injured, and their Spirit Power had been heavily depleted. Their condition was vastly inferior compared to their peak. In such a state, Yang Haoran found no reason to be wary. He furthermore did not believe the two would be a match for him and Xu Meijing; actively seeking them out was purely an act of offering themselves up.
"Heh, greetings, two Guardians!"
Yang Haoran, a smile on his face, looked at Long Yan and Ye Xianglan before him, not forgetting to bow to them.
Yang Haoran's reaction left Long Yan confused about what he was up to. His brows furrowed slightly, and his grim face didn't brighten because of Yang Haoran's bow. However, a hint of a smile appeared on Ye Xianglan's face.
"Heh, you two look quite unfamiliar. May I know your names?"
Ye Xianglan asked with a smile. From her demeanor, she didn't seem to be in a hurry to attack.
"You'll know our names soon enough, not just you, but everyone present will. However, now is not the time for introductions, nor for pleasantries."
Xu Meijing's aloof voice came from beneath her Earth Soul Armor. As her words fell, she charged forward, wielding Life Ender. Her target was none other than the smiling Ye Xianglan.
The reason she chose Ye Xianglan as her primary target was that Ye Xianglan's power fluctuation was slightly weaker than Long Yan's at the moment. Ye Xianglan's lack of haste in attacking was likely an attempt to buy more time for herself to recover.
Since Xu Meijing understood this, she naturally wouldn't let Ye Xianglan have her way. With a flash of black, Xu Meijing appeared before Ye Xianglan, her Life Ender slashing down towards Ye Xianglan's face.
Most people facing such a situation would find it difficult to maintain a smile, but Ye Xianglan was different. Not only did the smile on her face not vanish, it even intensified slightly, and she showed no intention of dodging.
Just as Xu Meijing's blade was about to descend, a long sword, entirely black, suddenly appeared, blocking her strike.
The owner of this sword was none other than Long Yan, standing beside Ye Xianglan. Long Yan's body remained completely still as he single-handedly blocked Xu Meijing's strike with his sword. The moment blade and sword collided, a surge of wild Spirit Power diffused outwards. Ye Xianglan, with a flick of her hand, floated backward as if weightless, putting a slight distance between herself, Long Yan, and Xu Meijing.
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