I was just making up techniques… how did all of you become Emperors? Chapter 572: Dao Friend, My Brother Spoke a Bit Loudly Just Now
Previously on I was just making up techniques… how did all of you become Emperors?...
Chapter 572: Dao Friend, My Brother Spoke a Bit Loudly Just Now
"She is someone I knew in the past. Come, let us depart; this situation is of no concern to us."
Shi Xuan remarked as he retrieved a mask from his storage ring and fastened it over his face.
Following his lead, Liang Yi did the same. This master and disciple duo consistently operated behind masks whenever they traversed the Slaughter Lands.
Yet, despite Shi Xuan’s desire to avoid complications, trouble found its way to them regardless.
"Halt!"
A scout from the Black Demon Thieves stepped forward to obstruct their path.
"Dao friend, do you require something?" Shi Xuan inquired with a composed expression.
The thief replied, "Our Black Demon Thieves have a reputation for leaving no witnesses alive. It is simply your misfortune to have crossed our path today."
With a faint smile, Shi Xuan suggested, "We can easily act as though we witnessed nothing at all."
"Hmph!"
The bandit let out a disdainful snort. "In this world, secrets are only safe with the deceased. Die!"
As the shout rang out, he swung a curved blade downward, aiming to cleave Shi Xuan and his companion apart.
"Why must you insist on this?"
Shi Xuan spoke softly. He reached out casually, his hand meeting the blade’s strike and effortlessly neutralizing the force behind it.
With a sharp crack, the energy of the saber shattered into pieces.
The Black Demon Thief was instantly paralyzed with shock. He scrambled to find his voice, shouting, "Big Brother, there is another expert present!"
"Hmm?"
At that cry, the chieftain of the Eighteen Thieves immediately shifted his focus toward Shi Xuan and Liang Yi.
Though their faces were hidden by masks, their voices betrayed their youth.
To be capable of effortlessly parrying a strike from one of his brothers at such an age suggested they were geniuses hailing from a powerful territory.
The Black Demon Eighteen Thieves had thrived in the Xuan Continent for years primarily because they were careful not to offend the major sects.
In particular, they feared the prodigies of the various Sacred Grounds. Such individuals possessed not only formidable backing but also the raw talent to fight those in higher Cultivation realms.
What unsettled the leader most was that he was unable to perceive the depth of the young man’s Cultivation.
"Two Dao friends, my brother spoke a bit loudly just now. It was quite offensive; I hope you two Dao friends can be magnanimous."
Hearing this change in tone, Shi Xuan’s mouth quirked into a small grin. "Are you saying that my disciple and I are free to go?"
"Of course."
The leader of the Eighteen Thieves even stepped aside with a polite gesture. His subordinates watched him in sheer bewilderment; this was a complete departure from their usual ruthless behavior.
"Hmph."
Shi Xuan let out a cold snort. "You block our path at your whim and dismiss us just as easily. Do you truly believe my disciple and I are mere pushovers?"
Under his black mask, the leader’s expression darkened. His eyes narrowed as he asked, "Dao friend, are you seeking a battle to the death with us, the Eighteen Thieves?"
"Hehe."
Shi Xuan gave a light laugh. "A battle to the death? None of you are worthy of such a thing."
He paused briefly before adding, "I shall grant you the chance to strike first, lest anyone claim I am bullying the weak with my superior strength later!"
"Arrogant!"
The leader of the Eighteen Thieves was a man who lived by the blade, a rebellious soul to his core. Being mocked so openly by an anonymous stranger caused a wave of fury to boil within him.
He slowly unsheathed the Round Moon Demon Saber from his hip. This weapon was a Spirit Treasure-level tool of slaughter, well-known throughout the Xuan Continent.
"Demon Slaughter Slash!"
With a roar of rage, the leader brought the saber down with all his might.
The strike manifested as a crimson, waning moon. The resulting blood-red light dyed the very heavens in a gruesome hue.
"Nothing more than a parlor trick!"
Shi Xuan didn't even bother to draw the sword at his side. Instead, he pressed two fingers together to form a sword gesture and pointed directly at the incoming light.
A surge of Sword Qi erupted from his fingertips.
As the Qi surged, a massive sword phantom materialized behind it.
The leader of the Eighteen Thieves stared at the manifesting shadow, his pupils shrinking in terror.
"Sword Intent Manifestation... the Great Perfection of Sword Intent!"
Clang!
Following the sharp ring of a blade, the crimson light vanished from the sky. A streak of Sword Qi tore across the horizon in its place.
With a sickening tear, the energy pierced the leader of the Eighteen Thieves. A moment later, his head was severed from his shoulders, and his corpse plummeted from the air.
The remaining thieves stood frozen, completely horrified by the sight.
"Big Brother is dead! Run for your lives!"
A voice cried out from the pack, and the Eighteen Thieves instantly abandoned their current prey, fleeing in every direction.
Shi Xuan made no move to hunt them down. Instead, he looked at Liang Yi. "Xiao Yi, go and harvest the body. Let us see what treasures this man was carrying."
"Yes, Master."
Liang Yi accepted the task eagerly. To serve his master in any capacity was a reward for the merit he had gathered over many lifetimes.
"Junior Jin Xi offers her thanks to Senior for our rescue."
The young woman in yellow robes approached with her fellow disciples, bowing with deep respect.
"I had no intention of saving you. It was simply that those fools were blind enough to block this seat's path."
Shi Xuan didn't even give Jin Xi a second glance.
His dismissive words sparked anger among the Saint Dao Academy disciples standing behind her. They glared at Shi Xuan with visible resentment.
"Hmph!"
Shi Xuan snorted, and a crushing pressure from the Path Union Realm instantly descended upon the group.
Those who were already wounded found themselves buckled by the weight of his aura, coughing up fresh blood under the strain.
Jin Xi asked urgently, "Senior, what is the meaning of this?"
Shi Xuan replied coldly, "This seat finds the look in their eyes distasteful. If you have no wish to die here, then get out of my sight."
"Yes."
Jin Xi had no idea who this mysterious senior was, but she knew better than to provoke him further. To stay would mean their certain death.
She quickly signaled for her group to retreat from the area.
After a short while, the Saint Dao Academy group realized the masked man wasn't following them and finally let out sighs of relief.
One young cultivator complained, "Senior Sister Jin, that man was far too arrogant. He was disrespectful to you and even struck us while we were down."
Several others nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. If only we knew which sect he belonged to, we could ensure he pays for this insult in the future."
"A man who hides his face like that is likely some evil cultivator."
"Enough!"
Jin Xi cut them off sharply. "Do you all have a death wish? The divine sense of a Path Union expert can span ten thousand miles. If he is still watching us, none of you will survive the day."
At her warning, the group immediately fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
A female disciple whispered, "Senior Sister Jin, are we still heading to that destination?"
"We must go, or this entire struggle will have been for nothing. However, we shall rest here for a moment first." Jin Xi could see that everyone was battered and didn't force them to continue immediately.
Elsewhere, Liang Yi flew back to Shi Xuan with a look of excitement, clutching two storage rings.
"Master, I have secured all of that man's belongings in these two rings."
"Hmm."
Shi Xuan gave a nod of approval. He used his divine sense to wipe away the previous owner's marks and began to scan the contents within...