Stranger Danger

“I am—”

Xuanyuan Kun opened his mouth as soon as he appeared.

“Noisy.”

But before he could say more than two words, Ancestor Black Robe interrupted him coldly and swung their sleeve.

The sleeve was so big it rivaled the sky. As such, it was named the “Sky Covering Sleeve”.

Xuanyuan Kun was sent flying in one strike. He slammed against the Cyan Mountain so hard that it shook, and the sound of the impact deafened all ears within fifty kilometers.

The instant Xuanyuan Kun was sent flying, a gigantic arm made from Nine Nethers Demonic Qi reached out from within the crack and made a grab for him.

Seeing this, Ancestor Black Robe blurred and split into two, three, infinite copies of themselves. In just the blink of an eye, the entire sky was covered in their doppelgangers.

What truly shocked Xianhou Zun and the other Sages were the fact that every single doppelganger boasted the same appearance and immense energy as Ancestor Black Robe. Even they were unable to tell who was real and who was fake.

The light of a saber came and went like water, and the giant arm reaching out from the gap exploded like it had been cut by a million sabers.

The thick layers of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi disappeared into nothing, leaving behind only a flawless arm. Then, the countless saber energies combined into a hiltless crescent blade.

The crescent blade was flowing like water and pure like time. Its form was uncertain and everchanging as well. It looked as if it existed in the past, present, and the future all at the same time.

It was the sacred artifact of the Demonic Mountain, the Ancient-class Strange Artifact and fifth-place Strange Artifact in the Strange Artifact Register known as the Saber of Time.

The Saber of Time was a weapon that killed time itself. So, when the Saber of Time struck the flawless arm, it began aging and withering at a visible rate. In the end, it dissolved into a pile of ash.

“Ahhhhh!!!”

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the sky when the arm dissolved into ash.

“I’ll deal with the one in Kunlun Ruins. The rest of you will deal with him.”

Ancestor Black Robe paid it no attention, however. He looked in the four Sages’ direction and ordered, “Kill him, or I’ll kill you.”

After that, the sky of Ancestor Black Robe flew into the giant crack in the sky. The crack mended itself after they were all gone.

“Kill us? Hmph… what a braggart.”

Xiahou Zun scoffed after Ancestor Black Robe was gone.

“Oh? Why didn’t you say it to their face earlier?” Wan Lingxiao took a sip of wine before asking with a deadpan expression.

“Ahem… I forgot,” Xiahou Zun replied lamely.

“Did you really forget, or are you really just afraid?” Wang Lingxiao sneered.

“Tsk. Tell them to come back then. See if I dare!” Xiahou Zun refused to back down.

“Haha…” Wan Lingxiao let out a deadpan chuckle.

“Why are you laughing like that, lass? You don’t believe me?” Xiahou Zun complained before swinging his saber.

He wasn’t attacking Wan Lingxiao, of course. He was attacking the celestial who sneakily tried to escape into space while they were talking, Xuanyuan Kun.

Shred!

Space split open like ripped fabric, and Xuanyuan Kun was knocked right out of the sky.

“You really think you can escape?”

Before Xuanyuan Kun could react, Xiahou Zun abruptly closed the distance between them and slashed him on his forehead.

Rumble!

Xuanyuan Kun hit the ground like a meteor, ripping apart the earth like it was paper.

Xiahou Zun descended right after and brought down his saber.

He might be one man, but he was accompanied by a thousand sabers that could melt the sun and moon and consume even the nine heavens.

Boom boom boom boom boom…

Everything within several kilometers collapsed earnestly.

“How dare you!”

A few breaths later, an angry roar sent Xiahou Zun and his saber flying away. When he landed, he cut a hundred meter long scar on the ground before he managed to arrest himself.

“Cough! Cough… Is his zodiac sign tortoise? He’s stupidly tough.”

Xiahou Zun’s saber arm was shaking slightly, and the thenar space[1] of his hand was split in half and bleeding profusely. The blade of his saber was folded in several places as well.

On the other hand, Xuanyuan Kun was perfectly fine besides a few saber marks on his body and a bit of peeled skin on his forehead.

“Audacious, foolish mortal! You dare lay your filthy hands on this Imperial Lord?!”

Xuanyuan Kun looked down on Xiahou Zun like a supreme god. “That said, I am a benevolent Imperial Lord. If you swear your loyalty to me, I can overlook this transgression and forgive you.”

“The rest of you may have the same offer.”

Xuanyuan Kun then looked at Wan Lingxiao, Ghost Taisui and Long-browed Divine Monk. “I am the ruler of the Kunlun Ruins and the direct descendant of the Queen Mother of the West. serve me, and I will bestow you infinite glory, teach you the ways of longevity…”

“What on earth is wrong with this guy?”

It was at this moment Wan Lingxiao dug her ear and complained impatiently. “Why is he talking when he should be fighting for his life? Is he secretly a woman?”

“Ignore him. A dog will bark whether you like it or not.”

Ghost Taisui chuckled. “By the way, I want his body. You may have everything else.”

“I knew you wouldn’t act unless you had something to gain from it.” Wan Lingxiao shot Ghost Taisui a look. “I really don’t care about his smelly body, so do what you will. Just give me a few drops of his heart’s blood. I heard the blood of a celestial makes for fine wine.”

Even Long-browed Divine Monk spoke up. “My Buddha is merciful. Lanke Temple knows a secret art that can trace a soul’s origin. Remember to leave me a wisp of his soul.”

“I had no idea you’re such a monk! You should’ve revealed your real self sooner!” Wan Lingxiao teased him after taking another sip of wine.

“You… You dare!” The trio hadn’t bothered to hide their dialogue at all, so Xuanyuan Kun was pissed off beyond words.

“Are you guys seriously discussing the spoils while I’m doing all the hard work here?”

Xiahou Zun yelled, “Help me already! If Ancestor Black Robe returns before we are finished, then no one is getting even a sip of soup!”

As Xiahou Zun charged Xuanyuan Kun once more, Wang Lingxiao, Ghost Taisui and Long-browed Divine Monk surrounded the celestial from all sides and sealed off the area. After that, they attacked Xuanyuan Kun.

“How much can you curs underestimate a celestial?” Xuanyuan Kun raged. “The pride of a celestial must not be sullied! You will all die here!”

The next moment, Xuanyuan Kun rose to full height and turned his palms around. The stars shifted, and the world flipped upside down instantly.

The four Sages found themselves flipped upside down as well. Before they could react, Xuanyuan Kun sent them all flying in one slap.

“Hmph! As if the likes of you can kill me!” Wan Lingxiao pulled out the bamboo staff behind her back and thrust forward.

She was armed lighter than a rider because she only needed one sword.

It was as if distance as a concept did not exist. The bamboo staff instantly appeared in front of Xuanyuan Kun and struck him on the forehead.

“Ants and moths. You think you can put even a single wound on my person?”

Xuanyuan Kun wore a disdainful expression when the bamboo staff struck him on the forehead and elicited a crisp sound of impact.

“My sword can pierce even the tallest and oldest firmament, much less a mere celestial!”

Wang Lingxiao declared as a thin, long, and lightless sword broke out of the bamboo staff. “My sword is called Celestial Piercer. It takes but one for it to pierce a celestial and break the firmament!”

Wan Lingxiao pushed the sword forward half an inch, and sword intent sharp enough to pierce the firmament sank three inches into Xuanyuan Kun’s brow.

“Argh!”

Xuanyuan Kun let out a cry of pain that was like a tsunami. It blew Wan Lingxiao away before she could do anything else.

As Celestial Slayer ripped out of Xuanyuan Kun’s forehead, beads of translucent blood spurted out of the wound.

Before they could hit the ground though, a ghastly figure suddenly appeared underneath them and swallowed them all.

“Keke… so this is the blood of a celestial. Delicious!” The ghastly figure wore a look of ecstasy on his face.

The next moment, the ghastly figure spat a stream of vile ghosts from his mouth. They charged straight toward Xuanyuan Kun.

The ghosts’ aura was scary, and the vile, corruptive qi they carried themselves with even more so.

They kicked up a sea of blood and yin qi as they crawled toward Xuanyuan Kun. It looked as if a corner of the Yellow Spring had manifested in reality.

1. The web between your thumb and index finger. ☜