Chapter 1082: Showdown
Proofreader: Papatonks
Baili Yutian flicked his fingers. The sky turned purple from the lightning and a savage sword energy flew straight for Zhuo Fan.
The pressure they felt spiked from that one strike, stalling everyone’s breath and making them shiver. It even made their skin crack, scarlet blood seeping from their wounds, like they were ready to pop.
Ouyang Lingtian and the other two had bloody faces, unable to resist. Not even wielding divine swords proved enough to defend against this casual swipe from Baili Yutian.
[Invincible Sword, unstoppable and decimating!]
He held the greatest power in the world, relentless and crushing. Below this sword wave, all felt death breathing down their necks, turning icier and icier.
“Ha-ha-ha, Sir Zhuo, I just came from having tried your child’s toy. Quite impressive, I might add, but far from enough to threaten me. Sir Zhuo, a father shouldn’t be using the same method like your daughter in desperate times. You’d only disappoint me.”
Baili Yutian laughed with disdain. The three Sword Kings looked smug seeing their boss smug, cackling on the inside.
[Mess with Patriarch and this is what you get. None can stand up to the Patriarch. Devil Mountain’s Dragon Breath Pill might deal with a Sword King, but it’s only a crude toy against Patriarch, ha-ha-ha…]
Zhuo Fan squinted, facing the fierce winds and looked at the obnoxious four above with a cold smile, “Invincible Sword, don’t get too happy. You’re far from becoming unbeatable. I might not have such toys on me, though I’m partial to having pets. Since sir is gracious enough to show us how it’s done, I would very much appreciate your input on this little beastie.”
Zhuo Fan flicked his hand and the storage ring opened a portal.
A fierce gale blew and the ground shook. The sword energy was right on top of the group, about to take their heads, when a huge-sharp claw lashed out at it. The explosion rumbled out and the Invincible Sword’s energy remnants faded off into nothing.
A chilling wind passed as a wind shadowed the sun and the skies in its entirety. A single flap crushed stone and broke mountains. The endless purple lightning around got snuffed out as well under the biting gale.
The Invincible Sword’s dominance over the sky had been cut down to half its size as a three-headed humongous bird with an azure flame on its forehead presented its glorious size to the world.
It shrieked, the piercing sound deafening and reverberating in all directions. All spiritual beasts within a thousand miles cowered in fear, prostrating before their king.
“T-that’s…”
All gaped in shock and terror, including even Invincible Sword, “Could this be the legendary imperial spiritual beast of the 9th level, the Three-headed Crow?”
The Sword Kings were dumbstruck, face twitching and shaking hard, “Patriarch, that’s indeed the strongest spiritual beast, the 9th grade imperial Three-headed Crow. Hardly anyone has seen it. To think it would make its appearance today!”
“The Devil Mountain is a monster to even rear something of this caliber!”
Baili Yuyun grew grave as he stared in disbelief, “9th level spiritual beasts are the strongest, said to be an emperor anywhere it went to all creatures. There has never been any man in the five lands’ history capable of surpassing such a legend. It was in fact human empires that caved under its claw and wingspan by the dozens. I just can’t fathom how such an emperor of beasts would be willing to listen to some human. Patriarch, Devil Mountain…”
Baili Yuyun shook in anxiety, his regret mounting. This expert could not be trifled with, having the might to subdue even the mightiest of beasts, a 9th level spiritual beast.
The real issue here was that they got on this mystical hidden sect’s bad side now.
[How are we supposed to survive it? When the real experts feel like coming for retribution, not even the Patriarch might hold.]
Baili Yuyun grew panicked, looking at Baili Yutian in fear.
Baili Yutian knew what he wanted to say and hold his hand out to stop him, his smirk obvious as he stared in excitement at the huge beast, “For thousands of years I’ve been in constant search for a worthy opponent, yet was disappointed every time. Provoking Devil Mountain might not have been wise, but to see a living legend, a 9th level spiritual beast, is filling this old heart with glee, ha-ha-ha…”
“Patriarch, that’s not the problem here, it’s the person who subdued it…”
“I know that.”
Invincible Sword waved him off with impatience, “Only a true expert can make a 9th level spiritual beast bow. We’ve really stirred the hornet’s nest this time and even I might feel it’s sting. But what of it? Do you three know how the Sword Star Empire came to be? In my prime, I’ve faced countless hardships and challenges that led to what you see today. Isn’t it just another strong adversary that showed up? Just in time too, to curb this solitude I’ve endured for years and years. I can now feel young again. No matter how tough Devil Mountain is or how many experts come at me, I’ll meet them head on down to my last breath. Just like how I did back in the day and challenged the five lands. Ha-ha-ha, Devil Mountain, this is great. It’s so good that you exist. Now I’m no longer alone, ha-ha-ha…”
An uninhibited mad laughter came from Invincible Sword as he stared at the Three-headed Crow, brimming with glee.
The Sundering Sword appeared in his hand. As he felt the streaks of purple lightning flaring, his thirst for battle raged as his aura burst forth.
In a blink, the skies changed. Lightning crackled, purple fighting to wrest control of the skies from the black winds.
The Sword Kings fell back as Patriarch grew more and more excited, having never seen him so wild and violent.
Now that the 9th level spiritual beast appeared, it could handle all his power and he could finally let loose.
For a man so crazed about being at the very top, it was the greatest stimulant.
The Three-headed Crow started, hardly believing what he was seeing.
Not even it had faced such a strong human, surprised one even appeared in this mortal domain.
Invincible Sword was a man that even an imperial spiritual beast would respect.
Ouyang Lingtian and the others watched the Three-headed Crow with gaping mouths, “Uh, Sir Zhuo, t-the Devil Mountain even has something this outrageous?”
“Well, they’re good for errands and holding the door.” Zhuo Fan spoke heavily, staring at the beast and man about to duke it out. Even he began to feel some respect.
Wisdom came with age, it was what everyone was saying. And the more one went on in years the more they gained and the more they feared losing any of it. Invincible Sword was the exception, age was just a number to him, while always going around challenging his limits with no fear of what it might do to his clan.
[No wonder he’s the Invincible Sword, ha-ha.]
He was at least leagues above all the other four so-called strongest in their lands.
The three old timers gawking from the sidelines earned Zhuo Fan’s displeasure.
He was on the four lands’ side, facing off against the Invincible Sword. Yet when it came to respect, he found the enemy far more worthy of it.
It was all due to these ‘mighty’ experts cowering in the face of their enemy, while the Invincible Sword relished the challenge. [That’s what separates the strong from the weak!]
“Propping doors? Sir Zhuo, just what the hell is Devil Mountain even?” Ouyang Lingtian cried in shock.
Zhuo Fan smiled, his focus never leaving the fight that was to commence.
He noticed the Three-headed Crow was shaking, looking just as thrilled.
[The 9th level spiritual beast`wants to put the Invincible Sword’s title to a real test, ha-ha-ha…]
[How foolish.]
Zhuo Fan shook his head and continued to watch.
He shouldn’t be belittling the three, not when they were heroes of their own areas. But now, when life was on the line, in the face of this showdown, they only cared about self-preservation, although quite a logical action too.
While he had no worry since it was all going as planned, the rest were on a razor’s edge, from one situation into another. How could they handle that?
He always emphasized on their toughness and bravery, but he was asking too much from them.
Zhuo Fan emptied his mind then, finding a new world view then and there, opening his eyes.
All were just too focused to notice his changed gaze, with even Zhuo Fan unable to understand what realization he came to…