Palace of Empress Wa's last day, top floor.
Zhao Hanyan.
What appeared before her was quite a magnificent scene. A hundred zhang sized mural was the sole imagery on the last floor. This fresco depicted a scroll that could not be described with words. Countless reliefs vividly stood out, emitting a beautiful light.
Among them, the relief of Empress Wa was even more moving. Her face wore compassion and mercy, her countenance full of grief. Dark blue streams flowed from her eyes like tears.
The Tears of Empress Wa!
The air manifested a rare speechlessness.
Zhao Hanyan scanned the surroundings. She turned completely contemplative upon discovering the scene.
The Star Masters and Star Generals of each of the Azure Dragon Territory's Great Sects were present everywhere. Yan Wudao, Xie Zhenyuan, Zhao Heng, Li Xianyan and even a few Star Masters from sects she had never seen nor heard. Looking closely, there were nearly more than a dozen Star Masters here.
With regards to this mere prelude to the Star Duels, this number of people was honestly many.
"Shall we go snatch the Tears of Empress Wa right now? Princess." Dong Junqing hefted the Dragon Phoenix Yin Yang Spears, eager to go.
"There is no rush. The best is still for last." Zhao Hanyan gently smiled.
All the Star Masters and Star Generals stared at each other. Laughing awkwardly, no one made the first move. A rare deathly stillness appeared in the Palace of Empress Wa.
Whoosh.
A figure suddenly shot over.
Finally, someone could not remain patient. It was not just anyone, astonishingly, it was Yan Wudao of Lifeless Hall.
Yan Wudao's hand flipped out a black porcelain bottle to take the Tear of Empress Wa. Yan Wudao's action broke the final crisp silence in the hall.
A storm erupted.
Besides Zhao Hanyan and a few others, the other Star Masters and Star Generals immediately made their moves, not making any more plans.
Yan Wudao's finger pointed. Eighty-eight black as ink crystalline Flying Swords suddenly emerged. The Flying Swords' black light glinted, spiraling around his body.
"Eighty-eight Nine Hells Rebirth Flying Swords?" Zhao Hanyan raised here eyebrows. She gracefully held in a laugh, showing a bit of pleasant surprise. Yan Wudao's Nine Hells Rebirth Flying Swords enjoyed fame in the Azure Dragon Territory. At its peak, it had ninety-nine, and seeing that Yan Wudao already controlled more than eighty Flying Swords, he clearly already was about to break through to the sword change's final summit.
This was a true genius.
Zhao Hanyan regretfully looked at the calm and collected Xie Zhenyuan.
Five or six Star Masters surrounded Yan Wudao.
"Yan Wudao, could it be you are thinking of keeping everything to yourself?" Li Xianyan shouted. His Star General Earthly Harm Star Stalk of Flower Cai Yunzhen held in her hand the Bloodmarked Lethal Flower, letting out a baleful aura.
"After Wudao obtains the Tears of Empress Wa, he will naturally yield to everyone else…" Yan Wudao spoke, handling things without alarm. He looked at these Star Masters and Star Generals with a sort of considerably bit player manner; however, it was no wonder he would. Yan Wudao's cultivation was clearly Supercluster stage. Besides Zhao Hanyan and Xie Zhenyuan, everyone present was Galaxy Stage and above. He basically had no reason to be afraid, even if these Star Masters and Star Generals were Earthly Star grade.
Agile Star Featherless Arrow Zhang Biluo spread open her fingers. Eight jadeite rhomboid sharp stones hovered around her fingers, fluttering with a flowing light.
"Yan Wudao, quickly leave, allow This Highness to take them first." Zhao Heng sneered. "Zhao Heng will not haggle with you."
Yan Wudao disdainfully smiled.
His attitude of contempt undoubtedly ignited the tempers of everyone present. Those Star Maidens each showed killing intent.
"Sisters, let us join forces to destroy the Star Masters of these Great Sects." The one who spoke was the Transforming Life School's1 ranked eighty-first Ji Star Knife Wielding Demon Cao Zheng.2
Knife Wielding Demon was the first to revolt.
"Dark Technique, Demon Cry God Slash!!"3
The Four Star Skilled Butcher's Ox Dismembering Saber broke out a black wind, the saber moving suddenly.
The others simultaneously moved.
"Terrified To The Bone." The Dragon Spring Stream's Complete Star Stream Leaping Tiger Chen Zhanlu raised her Three Star Pouncing Kill Silver Light Spear and swept down an ice-cold light.
"Mercilessness!!" The Bloodmarked Lethal Flower nimbly unfolded, the flower petals shooting blood-light, winding around like knitted silk.
There was also the Blue Waves Palace's Victorious Star Flowery Necked Tiger Gong Wuyuan's Dark Hilt Tiger Devil Saber's "Astral Breaking Slash."4
Their Star Masters were also immediately using every sort of power and defensive ability. They used their Flying Swords to check against Yan Wudao's Nine Hells Rebirth Flying Swords, in order to avoid being cut down by Yan Wudao.
"Yan Wudao, you truly brought about your own end." Zhao Heng sneered.
Suo Qingshuang straddled her Raging Inferno Snow Leopard Horse, launching a charge with her Hundred Thousand Dragon Flame Axe.
The four Star Generals surrounded him and attacked. Anyone would have felt that things were far from good.
"This Princess's little brother truly is stupid." Zhao Hanyan dryly laughed.
She had hardly finished speaking.
Yan Wudao and Zhang Biluo's figures suddenly shattered apart. They were a complete illusion.
"Nine Turns Illusion Scapegoat Chant,5 What Yan Wudao practices is apparently profound." Zhao Hanyan said.
Yan Wudao and Zhang Biluo disappeared.
All of the Star Generals' Dark Techniques grasped nothing.
"Ah."
There was a scream.
Several rays of blue light attacked, and the arm of the Transforming Life School's cultivator was immediately crippled.
"Young Master."
Cao Zheng hastily returned to protect her master.
A hundred zhang away, Zhang Biluo appeared. The Asking Directions to the Underworld Stones spun around, its five stars glimmering and shocking everyone present.
"A Five Star Star Weapon." Zhao Hanyan's tone turned serious.
The girl's short hair flew upward. Her cloak that was blown open lifted dust and then once again hid her.
"Zhang Qing's Innate Skill is Concealed Weapon?" Zhao Hanyan looked pensively.
"Of Maiden Mountain's one hundred eight generals, she has the strongest concealed weapons. These Earthly Star Little Sisters are about to suffer." Dong Junqing sneered.
"Truly pitiful that Su Xing cannot personally witness the might of Zhang Qing. This Princess wonders what he would do." Zhao Hanyan muttered.
However, if Zhao Hanyan were to know that Su Xing at this moment had encountered the Five Star Guan Sheng, she probably would rejoice that she was relatively more lucky.
—
Ten Feet of Blue Hu Niangzi released the These Feelings Are Endless Lasso and bound Guan Ying's wrist. With a pull, her right hand was yanked to her chest.
These Feelings Are Endless Lasso used softness to conquer strength. Even if she was the solid as a boulder Guan Ying, her footsteps were unavoidably tugged over.
Guan Ying waved her great blade.
Hu Niangzi was swift as a swallow. With a somersault, her cloak parted and revealed the spotlessly white skin of her body, glimpsing her erotic appearance. Fortunately, there already were no other males save for Su Xing in the entire Black Turtle Temple. Otherwise, Su Xing would unavoidably kill someone out of jealousy.
Dodging Guan Ying's great blade, Hu Niangzi thrust a saber backwards..
Guan Ying made an elbow strike into Hu Niangzi's chest. The girl spat out blood, and her body flew off, yet the lasso in her left hand did not loosen one bit. She contantly bound Guan Ying, inhibiting the Brave Star's mobility. Due to her Star Master not being here, the current Guan Ying could not easily slip out.
A screaming killing intent once again approached.
Su Xing's hand gripped the Thousand Year Divine Sword and leaned his body forwards, not fearing Guan Ying's imposing aura in the slightest, but how could Guan Ying be trifled with. Instantly, she leaned back and slashed, using her blade to catch Su Xing's Divine Sword, In the next instant, she slashed towards Su Xing three times, the three slashes all landing on Su Xing and spraying blood.
The Meditative Mind Lotus Flower bloomed then closed, closed then bloomd.
Repeating this over and over, he blocked the Five Star great blade.
"…" The Su Xing that had drank Worry-free Without A Care could not feel the pain, and he was also fearless. His left hand punched away that final slash at his shoulder. Not giving Guan Ying the slightest gap in time, his right hand once again thrust out.
Then, Hu Niangzi's Golden Wind slashed.
Then, Ruan Jin'er's Azure Seas Green Duckweed pincer attacked.
And then Shi Jinglun's Yellow Dragon Staff.
The Star Generals pressed in from the front, back, left and right without any interruption, at a speed that was too fast for the eye.
The next continuous forty exchanges were too much for the eyes to take in. Guan Ying, firm as a moment, warded off the majority of the attacks, yet she kept getting obstructed by Hu Niangzi's These Feelings Are Endless Lasso. Although this lasso could not kill or hurt, it was long and not meant to kill. It was specialized in inhibiting movement, making Guan Ying's Unrivalled and blade techniques completely incapable of bursting out.
However, the one out of these Star Generals who made Guan Ying the most surprised was still Su Xing.6
He dares to charge forth?
He has the audacity charge forth!
Guan Ying roared in fury, exploding with her Innate Skill Unrivalled.
The These Feelings Are Endless Lasso was shaken off, and the other surrounding Star Generals were also repelled, "To you, is it strength or weakness?"
The great blade fell, and a hundred practically simultaneous blade qi were formed, like flooding rain. The ground between Su Xing and Guan Ying was ruined, ravaged as if was tofu, scattered and smashed.
Clang-clang.
Su Xing gripped his sword with one hand and blocked with great difficulty her Frost Fair Blade.
Guan Ying's wrist sunk, and the blade directly approached Su Xing's stomach. Her murderous aura ripped apart his blood vessels and flesh. Blood spattered in the sea, turning it a thorough red.
Her question and her great blade were both overbearing.
"Hell if I know." Su Xing turned his hand over and slashed, his left palm sticking to Guan Ying's chest. A Heart Piercing Purple Thunder penetrated Guan Ying, passing through her body.
Guan Ying was just like a boulder, pushed back only half a step. A mere half step.
The great blade returned.
It shattered the earth and sea.
"Is this your answer?" Guan Ying said in disappointment.
"Guan Sheng, there is no need to find an excuse to renounce your awe-inspiring righteousness, just die." Hu Niangzi flew over, coldly interrupting.
The These Feelings Are Endless Lasso suddenly wove a net. The red string shuttled back and forth, glowing in the air.
It wrapped around Guan Ying's pure white neck.
"Yellow Technique – Red String!"7
Guan Ying tugged back and rolled backwards, pulling Hu Niangzi along, her strength powerful enough to make her expression change.
"Worldly things are markless, the marks are born of the heart." Su Xing struck with Purple Thunder.
Making Guan Ying take another step back.
"Strength or weakness, shouldn't you decide for yourself?" Su Xing answered. He formed a hand seal. The twelve Heaven Tearing Flying Swords gathered together in front of him, transforming into a giant sword, a hissing golden dragon.
"…" Guan Ying did not dodge. She lowered her head, concentrating on sensing the true danger. Mulling over Su Xing's hackneyed answer, so hackneyed that Guan Ying already understood yet still had not begun reflecting.
In time that did not reach a second.
Four fronts exploded, Purple Thunder scattered, and Heaven Tearing directly slashed Brave Star Great Blade at the waist.
The Guan Ying with her head lowered slashed back, blocking this strike with her imposing aura that carved the earth.
Unrivalled Azure Dragon Slash's blade qi soared, breaking Heaven Tearing.
Su Xing spat a mouthful of blood.
"Oh!"
Guan Ying's hand split with a cut.
"But treating your object of perseverance as the reason for your defeat, could you still say this sort of big talk?" Guan Ying shouted as she attacked. She seemed to have actually woken up, for she was no longer with her puppet-like gloom from before.
Her expression let out a luster that he had not seen in a long time.
"Guan Ying, in the end, do you treat the object of your perseverance as strength or weakness?" Su Xing shouted, returning the question.
Guan Ying's whol body shook, as if an electric current was passing through.
This shudder made the Purple Brilliant Moon Slashing Blade stagnate along the way, exposing an irrevocably large gap.
Perhaps it could be said that she had never thought of redemption. Guan Ying only stared blankly at Su Xing's firm expression.
Just what the hell do you treat the object of your perseverance as?
These words echoed like a bell in her mind.
The Devil Star on her weapon cried.
Guan Ying suddenly felt her stomach chill. A burning Flaming Fish King Saber pierced through her heart, interrupting Guan Ying's contemplation, but the Brave Star's gaze was more radiant than any time previously.
Was hers strength or weakness?
