Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

Hail rained down from the sky.

Now, it wasn't a matter of dodging, but of how long one could endure.

Just as Shen Ye found it almost impossible to move, the giant skeleton suddenly spoke up:

"Put me on your head for protection."

"Aren't you afraid of the hail?" asked Shen Ye.

"I'm not the least bit afraid of this hail formed by the chilling power. I even want to absorb the strength it contains," the giant skeleton said.

"...Alright."

Shen Ye caressed the ring, took out the huge skull, picked it up, and placed it on top of his head.

"How does it feel?" Shen Ye asked.

"Feels good!" the giant skeleton replied.

Shen Ye then felt relieved.

The giant skeleton's body was over four meters long, its head like a large-sized helmet, with even some extra space to spare, protecting even his shoulders.

The sound of hail pounding on the skull was incessantly loud, but hey, it couldn't hurt him, irritating, isn't it?

Shen Ye looked not far away.

Those scions of the noble families were running while taking out various objects, trying to fend off the hail.

Those with armor were faring a bit better.

Those with large shields were also doing okay.

Those wearing leather armor, holding umbrellas, or seeking shelter under trees were utterly bewildered.

In the hailstorm.

Shen Ye walked with light steps, humming a tune while turning back toward the scions of the noble families.

If there was some background music from the Axe Gang right now, that would be perfect.

Unfortunately, there wasn't.

But that's okay, I have this—

Shen Ye drew the Dusk Shortsword and tapped out a rapid melody on the skull, reciting:

"Big head, big head, no worries when it rains;"

"Others have umbrellas, I have a big head!"

The next moment.

His gaze met that of the young man with the bow.

The bow-wielding young man had taken over a tree hollow, and anyone who tried to take it was driven away by him.

"Easy pickings. Now, to kill you and take all the rewards for myself!"

The bow-wielding young man quickly drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

Swish—

The arrow was released.

"This arrow is too weak. For me, it's just like scratching an itch," the giant skeleton suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye slapped his palm, hitting the incoming arrow, casually catching it and knocking it against the skull.

The arrow snapped on impact.

"Damn commoner, do you know how expensive that arrow was? You couldn't afford one even if you sold yourself!" the bow-wielding young man bellowed.

Shen Ye lowered his head.

Damn it...

Are there really such idiots in real life?

You want to kill me and yet I'm not allowed to resist?

He stood in place, suddenly spun around, and launched a kick!

Clusters of hail were struck by his kick, flying out and striking the boy inside the tree hollow.

"Seeking death!"

The bow-wielding young man roared in anger, ready to come out and kill.

But he suddenly found his body somewhat stiff.

Looking down.

The hail had brought more frost, encasing the tree hollow in a layer of ice.

— Frost Bite!

This kicking technique inherently carried the ice element!

Shen Ye's feet kept moving, unleashing a torrent of flying kicks.

Thus, waves of hail were kicked by the "Frost Bite," gathering more frost mid-air and crashing against the tree hollow.

Before long.

The tree hollow was sealed in ice.

Shen Ye straightened up, using the momentum to fling the Dusk Sword.

The shortsword "whooshed" as it pierced the tree trunk, pinning the young man within the tree.

"The second one," Shen Ye declared.

Those clad in armor turned and fled, and those with large shields immediately ran in another direction.

— But after such a long chase, their physical strength was nearly depleted. How could they outrun Shen Ye?

Shen Ye burst forth, slicing the one with the big shield in half, along with the shield, then bounced and hopped back.

He hid in the shadow of a tree, just ahead on the path of the scion in full body armor.

Until the person passed by—

He stuck out his foot, tripping the person.

The short sword fell.

Fell.

Fell.

Fell.

It was over.

Eight people.

Killed one by one.

He walked back, counting as he went.

One was smashed to death by the hail.

The rest were desperately holding on.

At that moment, it seemed like there was nothing but hail in the world.

— Dense, endless, increasingly powerful hail!

Rather than bad weather, it seemed more like a large-scale ice system technique.

A noble family scion suddenly realized what was happening, put on iron gauntlets, and began to dig like mad.

Shen Ye didn't move; he just watched from the side.

Once the pit resembled something decent, looking almost like a cellar, he lifted his shortsword—

But it did not fall.

The scion was killed by the hail.

The hail, as the giant skeleton had said, seemed to carry a certain chilling frost power, directly freezing the body into an icy coffin.

Three left.

Shen Ye's hand moved and the blade fell, severing a head.

Finally—

The youth in white hid under a massive tree, lifting up the body of his companion to shield himself from the hail.

That body also turned into an icy coffin.

"How clever, killing your companion and using his body as a shield, huh?" said Shen Ye.

"Bullshit! He was already dead! It wasn't me who killed him!" the youth in white shouted back in terror.

Shen Ye shook his head, murmuring softly, "I hate you pretentious folks the most…"

Clearly, there were cut marks on the back of the body, obviously made by a sharp weapon.

"Don't come any closer! I've released the snake!"

The boy in the white shirt shouted loudly.

Shen Ye indeed stopped in his tracks.

—But not because of what the other said.

He looked up at the sky.

The hail had actually stopped.

It seemed that this test from the weather had come to an end.

"Hahaha!"

The boy in the white shirt was ecstatic, throwing aside the body, standing up, drawing a long knife, and walking step by step towards Shen Ye.

"This time it's different... I've switched to this blade, and plus the dual strike enhancement, you're as good as dead!"

He shouted loudly, swinging the long knife.

A venomous snake slid off his body, coiling on the ground, rearing up its upper body and hissing at Shen Ye.

Shen Ye walked towards him slowly, pondering, "Out of eight people, you survived till the end. You must have some tricks up your sleeve, but it's a pity that I've always been unaware of your name."

The boy in the white shirt raised his long knife, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and growled:

"I've told you back at the banquet, you're not worthy to know my na—"

A shadow flash arrived in an instant.

The boy in the white shirt hurriedly met it with his knife, using his proudest blade technique.

But.

The opponent was too fast, and his swordplay was too fierce.

—It was a do-or-die approach!

There was no time to change tactics.

No time to defend.

No time to...

Escape.

The shadow figure disregarded the long knife hitting his body, and the sound of the blade slashing twice.

He didn't even pay attention to the venomous snake.

He just drew his sword—

A blinding sword light exploded in the gloomy, dark forest, flickering like lightning, intense like a song, its humming noise reaching the sky and lingering for a long time.

In a blink, the move was over.

Blood.

Dripped.

The sword came to a stop.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this..."

The boy in the white shirt asked.

"Tai Bai," Shen Ye said.

"That's shameless..." the boy in the white shirt said.

"Just reckless, that's all," Shen Ye said.

"So you took my life?"

"Yeah, why aren't you dead yet? Is my sword too fast?"

The boy in the white shirt gave a wretched smile, unable to control his body, taking two steps forward, falling to his knees, and then his body split apart, blood surging to the sky.

The body hit the ground.

—He was truly dead.

Only then did Shen Ye glance towards the empty space beside him.

Tiny flickering letters formed there:

"Your opponent activated 'Dual Strike,' while you activated 'Meat Shield.'"

"Your opponent's Dual Strike couldn't kill you."

"You executed the swordsmanship 'Tai Bai.'"

Tsk.

I am a Meat Shield!

You stand so close to a Meat Shield, and with such arrogance claim I'm not worthy to know your name?

Isn't that courting death?!

Shen Ye turned to look at the venomous snake.

But the snake didn't look at him, just lazily hissing.

"Hey, why didn't you take action this time?"

Shen Ye asked curiously.

The snake gave him a glance, then suddenly spoke in a chilling, dry voice:

"Fighting alongside him is a disgrace to me—"

"He can't even unleash one percent of my power."

"Orochimaru, will you come and work for me?" Shen Ye put on a sincere face.

"What is that?"

"It's a term of respect for snakes."

"Kid, you're not even at the First Layer of the Law Domain, and you don't have a Life-Bound Star shining over you, no Dharma Aspect with you..."

"And besides, your understanding of this world is too superficial."

"How am I superficial?" Shen Ye asked.

The black snake looked at him, then cast a glance at the Mu Tou that always followed by the side, and said softly:

"This is the God Wood of the Under the Moon Series."

"Indeed it is," Shen Ye said.

"Seeing that you're somewhat compatible with me, I've said a bit more—"

"I heard your speech at the banquet, and you seem to have some deep misunderstandings about the noble families."

"Misunderstandings?" Shen Ye shook his head, "No, I don't think I've misunderstood them."

"You have certainly misunderstood them—because humans always like to shelter their descendants from the wind and rain. It's a human trait," the black snake said.

"I understand that, but I can never comprehend slaughtering tens of thousands without batting an eyelid," Shen Ye said.

The black snake remained calm, continuing in a mysterious tone:

"From now on, you must rid your mind of the concept of 'noble families.' It's a false notion held by ordinary humans."

"What?" Shen Ye didn't understand.

"From the perspective of the Law Domain, those 'noble families' you know of are nothing more than lairs of Divine Spirits."

"—Of course, not only Divine Spirits' lairs, but perhaps also burial grounds for other things."

After saying this, the snake's figure flashed, soaring into the sky, and disappeared in an instant.

Shen Ye stood there for a good while.

Only when he was about to leave did he remember there was still something unresolved.

He knelt down and spoke to the body:

"Come."

Whispers of the Dark activated.

The body of the boy in white opened his eyes again.

"What's your name, after all?" Shen Ye asked, curious.

"...You're not worthy," the corpse said.

Shen Ye chuckled, waving his hand towards the void: "Teach him some manners."

Several shadows of Dark Skeletons emerged in the void and vanished in a flash.

The second hand—

Ticked once.

"Can you pronounce your full name now?"

Shen Ye casually wiped the Dusk Sword on the tree.

The body trembled violently, as if suddenly coming to life, and cried out with a sobbing voice:

"My name is Niu Ziqiang!"