Chapter Five Hundred and Three – Tian Huan
Elder Shen’s expression was dark.
He naturally recognized the two people in front of him. The one in the Supreme Polarity robes was called Ge Hai and name of the one holding the bamboo staff was unknown to Elder Shen so he called him the Old Bamboo Staff Man. Both had yuanying cultivation. Their individually their power was not comparable to his but if the two worked together, he wasn’t sure what the result could be.
One of them stood on the right and the other on the left, their positions forming triangle. Their intentions to work together was evident.
“What do you two mean? Do you want to be enemies with my Tian Huan?” Elder Shen said faintly. Within his tone, a proudness could not be disguised.
“Tian Huan?”
The two’s expression changed slightly. The Old Bamboo Staff Man snorted coldly. “Tian Huan? When did Xu Ling Sect become Tian Huan? Does Sire feel we are easy to fool?”
His words were hard but his tone had unconsciously softened.
Zuo Mo also gaped on hearing this. He naturally knew what Tian Huan was. The reason that the territories of the xiuzhe were called Four Realms was because of Kun Lun, Xuan Kong, Tian Huan, and Xi Xuan. The names of the four realms represented the biggest sects of each region.
Sword xiu of Kun Lun, dhyana xiu of Xuan Kong Temple, seal xiu of Tian Huan, and roaming xiu of the Xi Xuan Alliance.
So when the other two heard Elder Shen call himself one of Tian Huan, their presences instantly weakened and intentions of retreat rose. The four great sects were the largest sects of the xiuzhe world. They were titans that could not be touched. The two of them might be yuanying and could be ranked first and second in Cloud Sea Jie but in front of Tian Huan, they were as minuscule as ants.
However, they did not leave despite the reservations they had. It still needed to be proven if the other was really one of Tian Huan. They would not believe it so easily.
Li Shu snorted coldly and opened his hand. An ring of light make from unique seal scripts floated on his palm.
“You should recognize this.”
Even though he was facing a yuanying xiuzhe, Li Shu was not courteous at all. He was also extremely furious. Things kept on happening on this mission and he was already full of rage. The sect leader had told him to not expose their identities this time. He hadn’t thought that they would end up being forced to reveal their identities in the end.
When the two saw the ring of light, their expressions changed greatly.
The ring of light slowly spun in Li Shu’s palm. The seal scripts seemed to be connected like chains and formed a ring of light.
This was the sky ring that shook all of Four Realm Heavens!
Every inner sect disciple of Tian Huan would have a sky ring that belonged to them. The sky ring was the proof of their identity and also their understanding of seal formations. The sky ring was a scripture unique to Tian Huan and outsiders were unable to forge it.
Just as Li Shu thought the two would retreat, Ge Hai suddenly said ambiguously, “I had really not expected to see people from Tian Huan. This old man is very fortunate. However, this Cloud Sea Jie is really far, it shouldn’t be under Tian Huan’s control.”
The thought of retreat decreased in the Old Bamboo Staff Man. So what if it was Tian Huan? No matter how big Tian Huan was, they could not control everything. If they took the secret treasure and then found a hidden place to seclude themselves and cultivate, how could Tian Huan find them?
Elder Shen’s expression changed slightly. His first reaction was, did they know of that treasure?
Li Shu also felt this situation was terrible. He also had not expected that the name of Tian Huan would not intimidate these people. This was the first time it had happened to him. Even when he had been interacting with Ning Yi and the others, if he exposed even a bit of his identity, they all fawned warmly over him. Even a person as proud as Ning Yi did as well!
Before he could think of a solution, other people had arrived.
The incomer was Cao Bei, the expert famed in Cloud Sea Jie. Seeing everyone’s position, he instantly understood. He respectfully bowed towards Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man. “Greetings to Elder Ge, Elder Zhu!”
“Little Cao Bei has also come!” Ge Hai said with a smile.
The Old Bamboo Staff Man also exchanged greetings with Cao Bei.
Cloud Sea Jie was not large and there were just the few that could be called experts. Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man were also the only yuanying xiuzhe in Cloud Sea Jie. Their reputation and status were naturally high.
Without a second word, Cao Bei stood on the side of these two people.
Very quickly, the number of xiuzhe that arrived increased.
Those that could enter the shen temple were the top experts of Cloud Sea Jie. None of them were stupid. Looking at the situation, they instantly understood.
Everyone started exchanging greetings and conversing with friendliness.
Elder Shen and Li Shu had black faces. More and more people were joining Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man’s side. The situation was becoming increasingly disadvantageous to them. Elder Shen started to regret that he had not brought more people along. If one more yuanying had come, he would dare to attack the other side.
If it was one-on-one, these yuanying from little sects would not be a problem.
Right now, the numbers on the other side was increasing and their courage would grow as well.
Gradually, the situation changed.
There were three camps. Elder Shen’s side, Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man, and some xiuzhe of unknown origins that were scattered about.
Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man had the most power. They were all local xiuzhe of Cloud Sea Jie and knew of each other. With Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man as the two yuanying at the front, they were the most united.
The three sides faced off. Zuo Mo was encircled at the center, unable to escape even if he had wings.
Seeing the present situation, Zuo Mo felt it was interesting and the majority of his nervousness disappeared.
Elder Shen said amusedly, “Cloud Sea Jie is really a good place. Everyone is very courageous. However, this old man will put the words down. We will settle the debts of however becomes enemies with my Tian Huan today.”
“Tian Huan … …”
The crowd shifted and many people showed expressions of terror. Those that had sects and groups instantly showed hesitation. They could escape and hide but their sect could not. If they became enemies of Tian Huan, they would bring extinction to their sect.
“Is there proof?”
A voice suddenly sounded in the crowd.
Li Shu’s face as cold as he showed his sky ring again.
A xiuzhe came of the group and bowed with folded hands towards the crowd. “This one has a family and will not enter into this affair, farewell!”
Finishing, he left without looking back.
With him as the example, other people started to leave. These people all had sects or families. They did not want to bring calamity to their family or sect due to a search for treasure.
The number of people on Ge Hai’s side which had originally been the strongest instantly decreased. Less than a third remained. The name of Tian Huan was enough to scare the great majority of people. However, the remainder were all lawless brutes. They did not feel terror and showed an excited desire for battle.
Zuo Mo looked with interest at this scene. It wasn’t possible to see a big battle like this normally.
Hmm!
His heart suddenly jumped and his body instinctively tensed.
An almost indiscernible ripple came from the deeps of the shen temple like a heartbeat.
It was from the direction of the sacrificial altar.
Zuo Mo became alert. He suppressed his joy and gathered his attention. He was like the hunter in the snow waiting patiently for his prey. After about ten breaths, another ripple passed across his mind.
It was the sacrificial altar!
Zuo Mo’s heart beat uncontrollably!
Fortunately, he was wearing a bronze mask on his face so no one detected his face change. He forced himself to calm down. He carefully raised his head and glanced at the people around him before he rapidly averted his gaze.
No one else had noticed this ripple!
Zuo Mo thought about how he was recognized by the shen temple. Was it because of this that he could detect this ripple?
What was the meaning in this ripple? Was something changing on the sacrificial altar?
Extremely sensitive to opportunity, Zuo Mo instantly realized that this may be his only chance!
Any change for him who was in a state of certain death was beneficial!
A thread of hope appearing in a situation of certain death made Zuo Mo feel as though his heart was raised up at his throat. At this time, Zuo Mo showed exceptional mental strength. He quickly calmed down and felt that ripple that was disappearing!
Calm! He had to be calm!
Another ten breaths and he once again felt the ripple!
The shen power inside his body suddenly flowed of its own accord.
Was it … …
Zuo Mo’s mind moved. He did not stop it, and followed the ripple coming from the sacrificial altar to allow the shen power to flow slowly.
The flow of shen power was very slow. Zuo Mo did not focus on anything else and memorized the pathways the shen power flowed.
He was motionless like a puppet.
The faceoff was suddenly interrupted by a suddenly attack. Someone suddenly shot out an arrow. That arrow was like a spark thrown into a barrel of gunpowder. The three sides that had been tense acted almost at the same moment.
The situation instantly became extremely chaotic.
Worried that they would cause the collapse of the ruins, the three yuanying were restrained in their attacks. Li Shu, Cao Bei, and the others did not have compunctions and attacked at full power.
Having held back his anger for a long time, Li Shu used a major killing move the moment he attacked.
The skyring in his palm spun. Seal scripts suddenly lit up under everyone’s feet. During the time he had presented the skyring, he had stealthily set up formations on the ground.
His move was an extremely beautiful and famed killing move of Tian Huan. It was called “Skyring Shadow.” Even Ge Hai and the Old Bamboo Staff Man who were yuanying did not detect it. It was possible to see from this how powerful the attack was.
The light of the seal scripts filled everyone’s visions. Two xiuzhe of Cloud Sea Jie only managed to wail before they were dismembered into multiple pieces by the light.
Ge Hai was furious, “Child has such a vicious heart!”
A black and white yinyang symbol shot at Li Shu.
Shen Wu Hai said coldly, “A minuscule one dares to call glory to themselves!”
A fire pillar stopped the yinyang symbol. Among the fire light, it was possible to see sea scripts flowing. This ball of flame suddenly grew as though it was alive and had opened its mouth to swallow the yinyang symbol.
The bamboo staff in the Old Bamboo Staff Man’s hand suddenly turned from green into an inky black that reflected no light at all. Yet the leaves on the end of the bamboo staff were deathly grey and was extremely eerie.
Shen Wu Hai’s expression changed as he yelled, “Corpse Sea Bamboo! You dare to forge Corpse Sea Bamboo!”
Hearing the three words “Corpse Sea Bamboo,” the expressions of the surrounding xiuzhe changed.
The Old Bamboo Staff Man smiled. He waved the corpse sea bamboo and a ball of black energy flew at Shen Wu Hai.
The black energy was roiling. It was possible to see twisted and blurry faces moving within it and it was frightening to see.
Shen Wu Hai did not dare to underestimate it and shot out a fire light.
The fire and the black energy collided and were mutually destroyed.
Shen Wu Hai’s expression became grave. He hadn’t expected the other to have a wondrous object like the Corpse Sea Bamboo. This caused his attack to lose out slightly.
The Old Bamboo Staff Man did not dare to be careless. However, he did not feel surprise .How could people that came from Tian Huan be simple?
No matter how fiercely the people fought, Zuo Mo who was at the very center seemed to be at the eye of the storm and it was unusually silent.
The three yuanying stopped all the attacks that targeted Zuo Mo. They all knew that the crux of this battle was between the three of them.
Motionless like a puppet, Zuo Mo did not show any suspicious qualities that would attract their attention.
No one noticed that the pair of eyes on that lowered mask was flashing at this time with an unusual light.
Translator Ramblings: Zuo Mo: I’m invisible, I’m invisible, don’t look at ge, don’t look at ge.