At the eighth level of the mysterious cave, Jiu Shen and Xia Xinyue were surrounded by a little more than a hundred skeletal warriors. Each of them was wearing a set of steel-plated armor and they were also holding a huge broadsword in their ghastly bony hands.
Looking at the more than a hundred 7th-rank Emperor realm skeletal warriors, Xia Xinyue’s eyes exhibited a trace of worry, but when she looked at Jiu Shen’s calm and indifferent face, she felt a bit relieved. However, she still put on a vigilant look as she held her sword tightly in her hand. ’No matter how strong Lord Sect Master is, he will still succumb under this many 7th-rank Emperor realm skeletal warriors, but if he can break past their encirclement, he might be able to come out alive.’
After thinking about that, she then stared resolutely at Jiu Shen’s side profile and muttered with a slightly quivering voice. “Lord Sect Master, you don’t need to protect me. Throughout the entire journey, I’ve only been a hindrance to you, so there is no need for you to waste your energy in protecting me. I just hope that you will help Sulan in bringing our Ice Cloud Sword Sect to eternal glory…”
Actually, she didn’t want to die, but facing this kind of circumstance, she would feel guilty even if she managed to survive since she was just a burden to Jiu Shen in this whole exploration.
Jiu Shen lifted his eyebrows in surprise when he heard her determined voice and he could not help but take a clearer look at the beautiful face of this lovely lady. He didn’t think much about her during the entire time and merely treated her as a subordinate, but upon sensing her resolve, his impression of this woman changed considerably.
“Do you think that these puny undeads can stop me, Jiu Shen?” Jiu Shen chuckled in an amused tone.
Xia Xinyue sensed the disdain in Jiu Shen’s voice, and she could not help but become bewildered in her heart. Just where did he get his confidence? Facing this many undeads at the 7th-rank Emperor realm, even Emperor Elyk wouldn’t be able to say such bold words, so how can he still remain calm in this kind of situation?
Roaarr!!
Roaarr!!
The skeletal warriors roared as they pounced towards the pair while lifting their broadswords. Their loud roars shook the entire cave that even the bravest of men would surely be terrified by it.
Xia Xinyue’s legs almost buckled at the stifling aura they produced and the hand she used in holding her sword trembled lightly.
Jiu Shen’s silver eyes flashed and turned golden in color as a pair of inky black wings sprouted behind his back. His calm and indifferent expression suddenly changed as an incredibly cold smile hung on his devilishly handsome visage.
The dragon tattoo in his right arm suddenly turned into a wisp of black smoke before it turned into an ordinary-looking black sword.
Roaarrrrr!!
An ear-piercing draconic cry reverberated like a clap of thunder, stunning the group of undeads that were about to attack Jiu Shen and Xia Xinyue. Their hollow eyes lack a sense of sentience, but strangely, they exhibited a trace of horror when they heard the dragon’s roar of Jiu Shen’s Baleful Dragon Sacred Sword.
The appearance of the ordinary-looking black sword in Jiu Shen’s hand slowly changed, and in not less than a few seconds, it turned into an incomparably threatening and malicious-looking heavy sword that looked even more imposing due to the ancient patterns on its blade and the life-like dragon engraving that intertwined on its hilt.
The lazy and casual aura of Jiu Shen can no longer be sensed, and only an awe-inspiring and peerless air of a top expert can be felt around him.
Xia Xinyue’s eyes widened at this sudden change that she even forgot the situation they were facing. ’Is this his true strength? He looks so cool…’
And without waiting for the undeads to recover, Jiu Shen’s figure flickered as he dashed towards them with his Baleful Dragon Sacred Sword in hand.
He then flapped his wings and brandished his sword with a set of graceful movements. He didn’t look like he was attacking at all, instead, it was as if he was an immortal that painted the scenery with a flawless sword dance.
Bang!
More than a dozen skeletal warriors disintegrated after being hit by Jiu Shen’s sword strike and their weapons were not even spared, breaking into pieces as if a block of brittle glass.
Xia Xinyue who had already willed herself to die suddenly felt that her words earlier were somewhat laughable to Jiu Shen.
’To think that there was someone this strong in the Silver Wing Empire. I wonder how strong he is compared to the Alliance Leaders of the Alliance?’ She thought in her heart as she looked at how Jiu Shen dismembered more than a hundred 7th-rank Emperor realm skeletal warriors as if they were a bunch of hapless chickens. It was truly shocking that her eyes glittered in admiration at the sight of him effortlessly destroying those creatures.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
On the other hand, Jiu Shen didn’t want to waste any more time in this place, so he hurriedly finished off the remaining skeletal warriors. The bunch of them were not even able to get near Jiu Shen before they became a pile of dust under his overwhelming sword strikes.
The Baleful Dragon Sacred Sword in Jiu Shen’s hand turned into a wisp of black smoke as it went back into his right arm.
Jiu Shen retracted his pitch-black wings and his pair of golden eyes reverted to its natural silver color. His lazy and apathetic temperament once again returned, making Xia Xinyue almost believe that everything that happened was but a fleeting mirage.
With a slight turn of his head, he glanced at Xia Xinyue’s face with a calm but milder look. Seeing Jiu Shen’s indifferent gaze fixed on her figure, Xia Xinyue smiled in embarrassment.
“Let’s go. There are still two levels before we can reach the end of this mysterious cave.” Jiu Shen said with a poker face.
Xia Xinyue nodded her head but she could not help but grumble after not even seeing a single treasure around them. “That Origin God Realm expert is so stingy. After going through eight levels of his abode, we didn’t even encounter a single treasure. What a miser!”
Hearing her words, Jiu Shen’s lips curved upwards to form a faint smile, but Xia Xinyue was now looking elsewhere so she didn’t see this.
“Stop complaining. If I’m not wrong, the treasures he left behind should be on the final level of this place. Just that, don’t expect too much since so many years have already passed by. Some of his treasures might have already turned into dust.” Jiu Shen muttered as he walked away, leaving behind the stunned Xia Xinyue who immediately sprinted towards him. She was afraid that there might still be a few skeletal warriors along the way. If she wouldn’t stay near Jiu Shen, then she would only be courting death.
After knowing Jiu Shen’s strength, she was now sure that she would be protected as long as she was near him. Xia Xinyue also became excited at the thought of him suddenly becoming their Sect Master. Only a few days have passed, but she was now wholeheartedly devoted to serving this man. She was certain that their Ice Cloud Sword Sect would be feared throughout the whole of Nuar just because of him.
“Lord Sect Master, you seem to be proficient in array formations. Could it be you are also a high-level Array Formation Maker?” She stared at Jiu Shen with a curious look on her face. Along the way, they encountered a few array formations, but they were easily cracked by Jiu Shen. Her Ice Cloud Sword Sect also had a few Array Formation Maker, but they were only 7th-level Array Formation Makers, and they surely wouldn’t be able to discern the array formation inside this mysterious cave.
Looking at Jiu Shen who was presumably an Alchemy Saint and a top cultivator, she found it hard to believe that he was also a high-level Array Formation Maker. Was there really such an all-around genius? However, the proof was already right in front of her eyes, so she could only ask Jiu Shen to satisfy her curiosity.
Jiu Shen stopped in his tracks and his face became imperceptibly unnatural. High-level Array Formation Maker? Perhaps, only in this world was he qualified to be called as such.
“I merely studied a bit of Array Formation Making, and my attainment in this field is mediocre. I am only a 9th-rank Array Formation Maker…”
