Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Okay.” Xiao Mu nodded and walked forward with the flame scepter in hand. He could obviously see that the Book of Flames was necessary for his cultivation of the flame. Even though the Virgin Loulan had said that non-ritual implement treasures must be exchanged with the Ancient Loulan, they obviously had other ideas. They could at least cultivate a bit within the relic.
Ye Futian’s group glanced at the flame figure. How many times had it been now? Rather than acting, he watched Xiao Mu walk towards the battle podium. The armored soldiers started beating the battle drums again. In an instant, a terrifying aura burst forth. The drumbeats shook the air. Fire intent seemed to meld into the drum, charging towards Xiao Mu.
Xiao Mu’s intent fused into the scepter and he placed it before him. In a second, terrifying firelight wrapped around him. Shocking intent burst and clashed with the intent within the pounding drumbeats. Xiao Mu charged forward, wanting to take the Book of Flames. No one behind him dared to move recklessly. They could feel the mightiness of the battle drum. It was frightening.
When Xiao Mu took a step, the drum started shaking again. This time was even more frightening than the first time. Xiao Mu furrowed his brows. The noble-level fate burst from his body and activated the power of the scepter. At that moment, he was like someone from the Noble Plane. He was bathed in fire and seemed indomitable. As a leading figure from the Yan City, Xiao Mu had come to the relic after receiving the noble intent. He had terrifying abilities; otherwise, he couldn’t receive the ritual implement’s recognition.
Wild waves of fire tossed on the battle platform. Xiao Mu almost drowned in them but he used the scepter’s power to walk forward steadily. This was a battle of will. He used his noble intent to urge the noble scepter. The intent that burst forth was definitely close to that of the Noble Plane. There was no reason he couldn’t receive the Book of Flames.
As he walked forward, the drumbeats pounded the sky. The people behind him couldn’t stop retreating. Their intent kept shaking, especially those who didn’t have the noble fate. They just felt that they couldn’t withstand this power. They probably wouldn’t be able to receive anything in this relic.
Without a noble fate, they would need a ritual implement to make up for it but most people didn’t have either.
Bathed in endless fire, Xiao Mu walked forward like a noble. The soldiers beat the drums again. The drumbeats connected, seeming to resonate with the entire world. The skies and earth became one and transformed into undefeatable power that swept towards Xiao Mu.
Xiao Mu paused. The terrifying heat wave blew onto him and the hand holding the scepter trembled. He was close to the Book of Flames; he could get it after seven steps. However, he had a feeling that he probably wouldn’t have the chance to take these seven steps.
He forced his feet forward. With a boom, the drumbeats started up again. In an instant, gales of fire swept through. Terrifying intent went alongside the drumbeats, attacking the scepter and Xiao Mu.
Boom! With a loud boom, Xiao Mu was forced back. He frantically urged the power within the scepter. The mark between his eyes burned brightly but the scepter cracked. It almost broke but he held on. The crack healed and he panted heavily, his pallor slightly pale.
He failed. Many people’s eyes flashed. The powerful Xiao Mu had failed, even with the help of the noble ritual implement. This meant that they had no chance.
In the back, the sharp youth besides Loulan Xue said, “It seems difficult for anyone to receive it. I wonder if those in the Barren City would be able to do it.”
For many years, generation after generation of strong cultivators walked into the relic. The ritual implements that could be taken were all taken already. The ones that still remained were extremely difficult to take.
The sharp man had tried for the Book of Flames before but had failed, though he’d gone further than Xiao Mu. Virgin Loulan Xue had obviously tried before too. She’d almost succeeded but failed at the last step.
The flame figure appeared once again where Xiao Mu was. Its expression was not pretty.
“Senior, I tried my best,” Xiao Mu said.
“I know.” The flame figure nodded. “It seems that no one can take it. What a pity.” Were the treasures in the palace so hard to take nowadays? If so, there would probably be no other gains.
People started whispering amongst each other when they heard its words. Could no one take it? Since the noble intent’s physical incarnate said so, it must be so.
But just then, a figure clad in white walked out towards the battle platform, stealing everyone’s attention. Everyone looked at him with some shock. Ye Futian’s talent was unparalleled and was recognized by a ritual implement but his plane was low. He didn’t have the noble fate either. How would he utilize all the power of the ritual implement? Would he try something that even Xiao Mu couldn’t accomplish?
The flame figure was stunned when Ye Futian walked past it. It looked at him in shock and asked coolly, “What are you doing?”
“Trying, of course.” Ye Futian smiled at it.
“Are you stupid?” the flame figure asked coldly. Xiao Mu had failed even with its help but Ye Futian still wanted to try? Was he qualified to try? He totally didn’t know his place.
“Maybe I’m lucky?” Ye Futian smiled.
“You overestimate yourself,” the flame figure said coldly. Ye Futian didn’t reply and continued forward. Drumbeats sounded continuously, shaking in his ears. He could faintly feel the heat.
Placing the guqin before him, Ye Futian carried it with one hand and plucked the strings with the other. Music streamed out. The scene was like a battlefield so the Decree of the General was obviously the most suitable song.
In an instant, everyone was pulled into the artistic conception as if they were truly in a battlefield. Ye Futian really didn’t have a completed noble fate but he had the emperor’s intent. Fusing it into the guqin could influence the Ancient Loulan prince’s intent to the max and activate the guqin’s power.
The music streamed out. A powerful feeling seeped from it and there seemed to be a stampede of horses on the battlefield. On the other side, the drumbeats pounded. They transformed into a terrifying presence as well. The two auras collided and extinguished together.
Ye Futian walked steadily. He had a peculiar pattern and advanced with the music’s rhythm. The music continued strengthening; each time it strengthened, he took a step.
Activating the noble intent and ritual implement with the emperor’s intent caused the Decree of the General to be much more powerful than he’d ever imagined.
The drumbeats and music continued to overlap. The two forces were all terrifying. They went from weak to strong and became scarier and scarier until everyone present felt that they were on a battlefield, watching two armies clash. They seemed to have underestimated Ye Futian again.
With this grandeur, he could most likely catch up to Xiao Mu’s progress. But they couldn’t figure out how Ye Futian accomplished this with his abilities. How could he activate the ritual implement to this degree?
At this time, Ye Futian’s surroundings were all filled with flames. The terrifying flames seemed to bury his body but a music storm wrapped around him. It destroyed everything as if it was made of intent. The flames couldn’t break through.
He continued advancing, nearing where Xiao Mu had been. This made Xiao Mu uncomfortable. The flame figure stared deeply at Ye Futian. It looked down on Ye Futian because the youth’s plane was too low and didn’t have the noble fate. With this ability, he couldn’t do anything in the relic. However, Ye Futian first received a ritual implement and then made the same progress as Xiao Mu. This shocked the flame figure. Had it judged incorrectly?
He can’t go further. It didn’t believe that it could be wrong. It watched as the drumbeats grew stronger and the mightiness multiplied. It tore through everything and that music storm was no match.
Ye Futian’s fingers seemed to transform into shadows. He strummed the strings violently and a music storm swept out. He sent out the decree of the general. Rather than continuing to defend, he started an offensive attack.
“You’re looking to die,” the flame figure said coldly at this. If he continued forward steadily, he might get closer to the Book of Flames but right now, he was going to die. But Ye Futian obviously wouldn’t search for death. He took many steps and the music swept up with the far-reaching intent. It clashed with the drumbeats. The space was in chaos. The abominable intent seemed to want to tear everything apart.
The Decree of the General had arrived. At this moment, beams of emperor’s intent music seemed to bypass the attack and snake into the drums. With another boom, the drums shook the sky and destroyed everything. The music storm before Ye Futian had already disappeared. He’d used up everything in that attack.
“This is suicide,” the flame figure uttered. In its eyes, Ye Futian was already dead. The others saw this as well. That intent attack really could kill Ye Futian.
But at that moment, Ye Futian raised his hand to play the guqin. The drumbeats resonated with the music. Gusts of destructive wind burst from the battle drums, destroying everything. The next moment, under everyone’s shocked scrutiny, the armored soldiers crumbled to dust.
This… Everyone’s pupils contracted at this. What was this? How did Ye Futian do this?
The flame figure trained its eyes on him too. Ye Futian had really succeeded and killed the soldiers. The Book of Flames hovered there without any other obstacles.
Xiao Mu flashed and charged forward, ready to steal it. Ye Futian glanced back and played his guqin again. The music once again resonated with the drumbeats and produced a tumultuous intent. Xiao Mu’s expression changed drastically. When it swept over with the terrifying intent, he grunted and paled. He stopped and blood spewed from his mouth.
The flame figure appeared beside the scepter, its eyes unsettled. Clearly, it had misjudged. Ye Futian was stronger than Xiao Mu.
“The resonance between the musical sorcery and drums was very powerful. You’ve received my recognition. Come take the scepter,” the flame figure said, ready to abandon Xiao Mu!