Chapter 184: Sky-Stepping Sect’s Zhu Xuan
Chapter 184: Sky-Stepping Sect’s Zhu Xuan
Immediately, Yang Xiaotian summoned Wu Qi, Luo Qing, and all others, gave them their instructions, and after bidding farewell to his parents, he tore through the sky and left.
Originally, Wu Qi and Luo Qing wanted to accompany Yang Xiaotian on his journey, but Yang Xiaotian asked everyone to focus on cultivating and wait for his return.
After leaving Tiandou Imperial City, Yang Xiaotian called forth the Azure Thunder Python and directly rode on its back as it flew.
The Azure Thunder Python, being a Divine Spirit, had fully recovered from its injuries, and at full speed, it could blink across a hundred li, displaying divine swiftness.
Sitting atop it, Yang Xiaotian was virtually riding the wind and cleaving the waves.
Watching the white clouds constantly receding around him, Yang Xiaotian was filled with many emotions.
Once upon a time, he dreamt of soaring above the Nine Heavens, and now, he supposed, he was indeed soaring through them.
It must be said, having an Azure Thunder Python, a Divine Spirit Realm Mount Beast like this, was excellent; one day later, Yang Xiaotian had already arrived at Withered Stone Ridge in the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom.
If he had to execute Skywalking Thousand Swords himself, heaven knows when he would have reached the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom.
However, upon his arrival at Withered Stone Ridge, he saw the sky and earth filled with powerful beings from all directions.
Some flew through the air, some rode Mount Beasts, while others passed by in carriages.
Yang Xiaotian’s heart sank, realizing that the news of the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion’s emergence in the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom had leaked, and forces from surrounding kingdoms had already converged here.
To avoid drawing too much attention, Yang Xiaotian switched to riding the Black Flood Dragon King, and he had the dragon conceal its Emperor Realm Peak aura.
Even so, the colossal size of the Black Flood Dragon King still attracted the sideways glances of the strong beings passing by.
“Who is this kid, to have tamed such a massive flood dragon?”
“Could he be from the Beast God Clan?”
Some powerful beings speculated in surprise.
The Beast God Clan, whose family disciples practiced the Beast Taming Secret Art and were mostly Beast Tamers, was the first family of the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom and also one of the strongest families among the surrounding kingdoms.
“It shouldn’t be someone from the Beast God Clan, I have not heard of anyone in the younger generation taming a flood dragon.”
Amidst the attention of the crowd, Yang Xiaotian continued his unceasing journey towards the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion.
Before long, he caught sight of the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion that had emerged this time.
Withered Stone Ridge, where not even grass would grow, was full of strangely shaped, massive stones.
The Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion was nestled among the countless large stones.
The Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion was even more vast than Yang Xiaotian had imagined, consisting of a complex of palaces that could have numbered in the thousands; it resembled a super sect.
No wonder the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom couldn’t keep the news under wraps.
Such a large complex of palaces, even a supreme sect of an empire could not keep it contained.
By the time Yang Xiaotian arrived, the area around the palace was already surrounded by powerful beings from all sides.
Many people were frantically bombarding the palace’s prohibitions.
“No need to attack any longer, the cave mansion has a Grand Array Prohibition; only those below the Martial Ancestor level can enter, those above the Martial Ancestor simply cannot get in,” one person declared.
Yang Xiaotian’s heart stirred.
Only those below the Martial Ancestor level could enter?
He recalled the Hong Feng Cave Mansion from long ago, which also had a prohibition that only those with the Supreme Martial Spirit could enter.
Thus, Yang Xiaotian asked the Black Flood Dragon King and the Azure Thunder Python to wait outside while he entered the cave mansion alone.
After entering the cave mansion, Yang Xiaotian discovered that the space inside was even more vast than it appeared from the outside, with a series of palaces resembling a labyrinth. Moreover, he could not use divine consciousness here, and even flying was impossible.
When he tried to execute the Skywalking Thousand Swords to fly with his sword, the gravity in the space suddenly pressed down on him like a massive mountain, making flight utterly unfeasible.
Fortunately, aside from flying and divine consciousness, all other abilities were not affected.
Yang Xiaotian looked at the neat rows of palaces before him and, after pondering for a moment, began to walk toward the central area.
Generally speaking, the central palace of a cave mansion is the most important, and if there were to be any Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Water, it would likely be in the central palace.
While Yang Xiaotian was making his way to the central palace, a group of uninvited guests appeared outside the cave mansion.
The powerful figures from all sides turned pale with surprise upon seeing these uninvited guests.
“Sky-Stepping Sect!”
No one had expected that the Sky-Stepping Sect’s experts would be attracted to the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion of the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom.
The leader among them was none other than Zhu Xuan, a core disciple of the Sky-Stepping Sect.
Zhu Xuan was a direct disciple of a Sect Elder and one of the most uncanny geniuses of the younger generation within the Sky-Stepping Sect.
The Sky-Stepping Sect had Six Swords, referring to the six sword Dao geniuses with the highest swordsmanship among the younger generation of the sect; Zhu Xuan was one of them, known as the Evil Sword.
Behind Zhu Xuan was a large group of experts he had nurtured, numbering two to three dozen, all of them at the Martial King tenfold peak.
Clearly, he had learned that only those below the Martial Ancestor Realm could enter the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion, which was why he had brought along a whole slew of experts from the Martial King Realm this time.
Upon arrival, Zhu Xuan swept a cold gaze over the experts present and declared, “From now on, everything within this Ancient Thunder God Cave belongs to the Sky-Stepping Sect!”
“Should anyone dare to take even a single thing from the Ancient Thunder God Cave, even a mere blade of grass, they will be considered an enemy of the Sky-Stepping Sect!”
The expressions of the powerful figures present all changed drastically, filled with fury.
“Your Sky-Stepping Sect is too domineering. The emergence of this Ancient Thunder God Cave is an ownerless artifact,” protested a disciple from a great family of the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom, unable to contain his indignation, “By what right do you claim it is yours!”
Zhu Xuan suddenly swung his sword, and in an instant, a flash of blood appeared. The head of the great family disciple from the Unparalleled Emperor Kingdom was seen flying off, rolling on the ground.
“By what right?” Zhu Xuan sneered coldly, “The Sky-Stepping Sect never needs a reason for its actions.” He then swept his glance over the crowd, “If you don’t wish to end up like the Mad Blade Sect, then get out of here now!”
Hearing Zhu Xuan mention the Mad Blade Sect, everyone felt a chill to their marrow.
Some days ago, for some unknown reason, the Mad Blade Sect offended the Sky-Stepping Sect and was wiped out completely. The Mad Blade Sect Leader suffered the worst fate, having his limbs cut off and being hung in front of the sect’s mountain gate, where he was left to die a slow death.
Zhu Xuan took out an Ancient Rune and tore it open, instantly infusing its power into him. The crowd noticed that Zhu Xuan, who was at the peak of the Emperor Realm, suddenly had his realm suppressed to the peak of the King Realm.
“That’s an Ancient Rune, capable of temporarily suppressing one’s realm,” exclaimed a Sect Elder in astonishment.
Ancient Runes were refined by the ancient deities who surpassed the Divine Spirits and were extremely rare. Now that they were used up, there was one less left, and unexpectedly, Zhu Xuan possessed one.
After using the Ancient Rune to suppress his realm, Zhu Xuan, along with his group of underlings, entered the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion. He also left ten people outside with orders, “If anyone comes out, make them leave behind all their possessions before they can go!”
“Otherwise, kill without mercy!”
The people on the scene, hearing Zhu Xuan’s orders, were again filled with rage. Didn’t that mean those who had gone in earlier would now have to leave behind their own treasures if they wanted to come out?
This was an outrageous demand.
Yet, the crowd dared not speak their anger aloud.
As they watched Zhu Xuan enter the Ancient Thunder God Cave Mansion, those who originally held onto the hope of entering to try their luck now dared not step forward anymore.