Chapter 248: Place of the second altar [I]
There will be one more extra chapter today. Thanks to webnovel433 for the support.
Enjoy!
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Evening.
Wang Dongyang narrowed his eyes. After a long investigation, he concluded that the one who killed his fellow disciples was in the city, but their exact location was hard to determine.
"What audacity. He killed the disciples of the Sect of Shadowed Blades and doesn't even worry about being pursued," Wang Dongyang marveled, smiling for the first time in a long while, feeling a slight excitement. "I like this! Boldness, recklessness, whatever! It's a shame that as an assassin, I can never understand these emotions…"
The Sect of Shadowed Blades. For as long as the sect had existed, they had acted as hired assassins. If one were to make a comparison, they were the least known among the wider circle of people.
They were feared by all—be it their own or outsiders. Dwelling in the darkness, they were beasts ready to tear the throat of their prey. Simultaneously reliable and terrifying individuals.
However, over time, their activities became less active. Currently, they only serve as the special forces of the Hao Shen Dynasty, doing dirty work and eliminating unwanted individuals.
That's how their days passed. But today, Wang Dongyang felt a strong curiosity.
"This is a first for me. Few have escaped my senses…" he thought, licking his lips, his eyes gleaming. "If he turns out to be boring, I'll kill him. If not, we might even become friends."
***
Xie Qing was walking through the city when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his gaze towards a tree, or more precisely, towards its shadow. His eyes flashed.
"Come out. I've noticed you for a while now," Xie Qing said, coldly snorting.
"…"
There was no response. From the outside, it looked as if the young man was crazy—which is exactly what the passersby thought.
However, Xie Qing was not deterred. He furrowed his brows and released his aura. Even those who had shown contempt for him a moment ago were forced to kneel, trembling all over.
In response to Xie Qing's released aura, the person hiding in the shadows laughed. A few seconds after the laughter, a glow appeared from the shadow, and a man dressed in a black cloak emerged in front of the young man.
"Don't think badly of me, I was just curious about someone with such power who doesn't mind walking among the lowly," the man said with a loud laugh.
Although Xie Qing couldn't see his face, he could sense that the man was smiling at him. This made him narrow his eyes.
"Come on, I was just following you out of curiosity," the man waved his hands and smirked, dropping a verbal bomb on Xie Qing. "After all, it's rare to see the killer of my fellow disciples acting so carefree."
Xie Qing showed no reaction and only thought, "As expected."
In truth, a sensible person would have hurried to leave the city after such a confrontation. However, he wasn't in a rush because he specifically wanted to see the person who came after him.
"My name is Wang Dongyang. And yours, brave one?"
"Qu An," Xie Qing replied with a faint smile.
"Qu… An…" Wang Dongyang repeated with a strange voice. But he soon regained his composure. "Strange name. But anyway…"
Xie Qing blinked. In the next second, he and Wang Dongyang were teleported outside the city.
"Teleportation formation? Not bad," he thought, shaking his head.
Although he had sensed hints of Qi fluctuations in the air, they were so minor that he hadn't paid attention. And that's how it happened.
"Don't misunderstand me," Wang Dongyang suddenly said and disappeared from his spot.
S-swoosh!
A gust of wind hit Xie Qing in the face, followed by a bright metallic gleam.
The young man tilted his head to the side and struck the blade with his fist.
Clang!
"I don't want to kill you at all. And I hold no grudge," Wang Dongyang continued, appearing ten meters away, swinging his sword and flicking off a few drops of human blood. His eyes gleamed. "I just want to fight. To test your strength. If I can defeat you…"
Wang Dongyang cracked his neck and laughed.
"You will become my subordinate."
"…"
Xie Qing remained silent. He squinted and asked.
"And if I win?"
"You?" Wang Dongyang smiled faintly and said, "Then I will fulfill one request of yours."
"Deal."
Xie Qing nodded indifferently. He didn't even notice the bloodied fist that had blocked the sword. His wounds healed very quickly.
Then, his ring glowed, and a sword emerged from it—a very ordinary-looking one.
"Time to fight again, comrade," Xie Qing murmured and sighed.
This was a battle, but not a duel. However, Wang Dongyang was surprisingly polite and did not attack. Xie Qing smiled.
"I will show you respect," the young man said and wiped the smile off his face. Then he gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the sword vertically. His eyes gleamed as he murmured, "Lord of the Nine Realms and Heavens - Sword God Strike."
The Nameless Sword was not large, nor was it a two-handed sword. Its blade was about a meter long. From the outside, it didn't seem supernatural.
However…
At the moment Xie Qing raised his sword into the air, Qi began to swirl around him. This Qi was so overwhelming that Wang Dongyang trembled. This feeling greatly surprised him.
"This… is fear? Amazing! Amazing!" the man's eyes gleamed with madness. Despite the danger, he did not move from his spot. "Good. I will take your strike!"
Xie Qing closed his eyes. And then… he swiftly lowered his sword.
There were no bright flashes, no loud sounds. There wasn't even an overwhelming Sword Aura. Silence.
Xie Qing's sword was pointed down, its tip touching the ground. Wang Dongyang was puzzled. Had his opponent deceived him, and was this all a bluff?
"You…"
Wang Dongyang wanted to say something but stopped dead in his tracks. His body began to tremble, and then…
Pffsh!
"Aaaaagh!"
Countless wounds appeared on his body, and blood began to gush out like a fountain.
"Aaaa!"
Wang Dongyang's loud scream was the only sound. Xie Qing showed no emotion.
"I-it hurts!" the man gritted his teeth.
From the tips of his toes to his head—his entire body was covered in blood. From a distance, it looked as if he had been painted with red paint.
Moreover, his Demonic Qi in his dantian was exhausted, and his internal organs were severely shocked. Wang Dongyang didn't know how to react to this situation.
Even he, at such a high level of cultivation, couldn't resist such a powerful strike.
Soon, Wang Dongyang's legs could no longer support him. To be honest, he even began to regret giving his opponent the chance to attack first.
But, as they say, there is no medicine for regret. Wang Dongyang gritted his teeth.
"You're ruthless, kid…" he finally said, feeling shocked. "My body is like a frozen oak tree. I can't even move my little finger. I have to admit, you've impressed me. Following our agreement… ah, I surrender."
Xie Qing smiled. He approached Wang Dongyang and squatted down, then looked into his opponent's eyes.
"The altar. I want to know its location."
"O-oh, where did you…"
Wang Dongyang was shocked. There shouldn't be much information about this thing, as the two sects had hidden its existence. Unless it was the disciples of the sect…
"A-ah, right. You must have read the memories of those guys. No wonder their brains were blown out," Wang Dongyang suddenly remembered and laughed. He looked into Xie Qing's eyes and was surprised. "But… you look desperate. Do you need the altar that badly?"
"…" The young man did not answer and only looked at Wang Dongyang with an indifferent expression.
"Fine," the man grimaced. He knew he wouldn't get an answer.
Despite his carefree appearance, Wang Dongyang was very afraid. His current condition was so dire that he couldn't even hope for survival. Therefore, without hesitation, he revealed the information.
"The altar is not in this city," he said, and seeing the puzzlement in Xie Qing's eyes, he added, "It is in the capital of the Hao Shen Dynasty, under the control of the imperial family. If you need the baptism, you will have to obtain the approval of the ruling family."
***
Xie Qing looked towards the walls of Modu City. His gaze turned cold.
"Hm. So I came here for nothing. I checked that guy, and he definitely shouldn't be lying," the young man thought.
Of course, his confidence came from the fact that he had simply killed Wang Dongyang.
Keeping him alive was dangerous. Naturally, Xie Qing was certain that after this, he would attract a lot of attention. At the moment of death, an eye appeared on the forehead of the man from the Sect of Shadowed Blades, which looked at Xie Qing and then disappeared.
"They know my appearance and aura. Under normal circumstances, I would panic," Xie Qing thought, then popped a pill into his mouth. In the next second, his appearance and aura changed. "But I'm not particularly worried about it. Because I have this."
The young man smiled and looked to the west. There lay the capital.
"The altar…"