Chapter 570: The Appearance of the Ancient Herb Garden
This unknown figure had shot out of the ground and sent Du Lihuang flying with a single punch, but his anger still wasn’t satiated. He was angrily stalking towards the prone Du Lihuang, intent on ending him right there when someone called out in the distance, “Brother Yue! Hold! Stay your hand!”
The person who’d punched Du Lihuang’s lights out looked about 23 years old, but a mane of brown hair around his shoulders currently gave him the appearance of a furious lion. He was the genius heir to the Sacred Lion family of the Great Cathedral—Yue Baize. His strength was on par with Xiang Qin of the Sacred Elephant family, nearing second level sage realm. How was his punch something that Du Lihuang of the ninth level origin realm would be able to take? Although Du Lihuang had been able to bully Ku Zhu, he wouldn’t last a single exchange with Yue Baize.
Yue Baize was in a towering fury, but halted from his mission to kill Du Lihuang as he turned to look sharply in the direction of the shout. Speeding towards the two was the white-robed first disciple of the Sacred Sword Palace, Wang Han, another first level sage realm genius.
Wang Han closed the distance rapidly until he arrived in front of Du Lihuang. He quickly fed him a pill, then tapped several acupuncture points before finally bringing back Du Lihuang to the world of the conscious. Du Lihuang’s mind was in a foggy, confused state until he saw the glowering Yue Baize, who had fury writ plain over his face. He was both incensed and frightened. He’d finally understood that it’d been Yue Baize who’d struck at him so furiously just now.
“Wang Han, get the hell out of the way!” Yue Baize was still deeply enraged, as evidenced by the knuckles that popped as he clenched his fists. It was evident that he was planning on releasing every ounce of his rage on Du Lihuang’s body right up until he’d squeezed the other to death with his bare hands.
Wang Han’s aura turned chilly as he questioned in a low voice, “Brother Yue, just what matter is it that’s caused you to act so?”
Yue Baize couldn’t be bothered to explain. “Are you going to move or not?”
At the end of the day, Wang Han was also a sage realm genius. How could he let himself be overcome by Yue Baize’s aura? Those of the Great Cathedral were always cocky, and Wang Han had put up with this charade for far too long now. When they’d been fighting over the Longevity Pill earlier, Xiang Qin had directly threatened him then. Wang Han hadn’t retorted then due to considerations of sect relationships. But now? Now Yue Baize was freely threatening him!
Wang Han had focused on sword dao for twenty three years and was one to not hide his light to begin with. How would he accept this repeated humiliation? Anger ignited in his heart as Yue Baize spoke with an utter lack of regard for him. He didn’t look at Yue Baize and spoke to the side instead, to Du Lihuang. “Junior brother Du, just what is going on here? Brother Yue has no grudge with you, so why did he hit you? Speak freely; although our Sacred Sword Palace doesn’t willingly provoke others, we’re not people that just anyone can step on.”
As the senior brother of the younger generation in the Sacred Sword Palace, how would he be able to retain his stature if word got out that he didn’t stand up for his peers? Therefore, his words were neither fawning or humble, and in fact carried subtle undertones of anger.
When Du Lihuang saw that Wang Han wanted to step forth on his behalf, he didn’t conceal anything either. “Senior brother Wang, I was pursuing someone but didn’t catch up to them, so I destroyed a random tree. Then, this person emerged from the ground and didn’t bother understanding the situation at all before punching me. How do I know what madness he’s up to?”
Wang Han flicked a glance at the destroyed tree and spoke coldly, “Brother Yue, it’s not like this tree is a particularly rare species. I don’t understand your actions in wanting to kill my junior brother just because he destroyed a tree. That’s simply too overbearing!”
Wang Han’s tone was highly displeased. This tree was only a spirit rank tree, not even worth a second look. If Yue Baize was making a move because of this tree, then Wang Han would have much to say about it.
Yue Baize’s fierce eyes narrowed in a glare. “Wang Han, does that mean you’re going to stick out your neck for this?”
Wang Han snorted coldly. “Well, isn’t that funny? Can’t I ask why you want to kill my junior brother? Me, sticking my neck out? I’d say you’re trying to be a tyrant!”
Du Lihuang’s internal injuries had taken a slow turn for the better after being fed the pill. He was now standing next to Wang Han, his hand on the hilt of his sword and ready to spring into action. As soon as anything happened, he would throw all caution to the wind and team up with Wang Han against Yue Baize. Although there was a large gap between his strength and and Yue Baize’s, if he teamed up with the top genius of the Sacred Sword Palace, they’d definitely be able to fight, and possibly even kill Yue Baize.
Yue Baize looked at the two of them coldly, also sizing up their strength versus his. Although he knew that he was a bit stronger than Wang Han, both sides would still end up heavily injured after the Sacred Sword Palace’s secret arts. When throwing in a Du Lihuang to the mix, he was actually at a disadvantage when outnumbered like this. Not to mention that he was lying here in wait not for fun, but to track down a particular spirit creature. The spirit creature liked to inhabit this particular spirit tree. Yue Baize had sensed this creature’s presence around the tree, which was why he’d hidden beneath the ground to await his prey.
But who’d know that Du Lihuang would lose his mind for no reason when passing by and destroy the tree? This had thrown Yue Baize’s plans into complete disarray. Born of the Great Cathedral, Yue Baize had always been domineering and tyrannical. How would he not be incensed when someone had ruined his plans? No wonder he’d come charging out to kill Du Lihuang without another word. He also wasn’t afraid to see Wang Han brimming with battle intent. He gave a sharp nod, “Wang Han, you want an explanation? I’ll give you an explanation! I entered the mountain yesterday and only have ten days worth of time. Then I happened to run into a Silverlion, and found this Lion Pagoda Tree to be its favorite habitat. I’ve lain in wait for a day now, waiting for the Silverlion to return. Your idiot junior brother really is something. He just passes by here, loses his mind, and then destroys the tree for no reason at all. You want an explanation from me!? Well, tell me, where do I go for mine?!”
The Silverlion was an absolutely sacred spirit creature to the Sacred Lion tribe. Not only could they form a contract with this spirit creature, they could also use its blood to enhance their own bloodlines. The Great Cathedral was particularly adept at using the blood of various spirit creatures to strengthen and temper their bodies to break through the shackles of martial dao. Du Lihuang’s unintentional venting had completely destroyed Yue Baize’s plan.
Wang Han finally understood why Yue Baize had reacted so violently, but he couldn’t back down now with how things had developed. “Even if my junior brother ruined your plan, it’s not punishable to the point of death, is it? It’s just a Silverlion, is that more important than a genius at the peak of the origin realm?”
Yue Baize snorted coldly. “The hell does the peak of the origin realm have to do with me? Can it strengthen my bloodline? Can it help me break through? Can it strengthen my body? I’ll kill Li Duhuang if you don’t give me an explanation today, even if I have to waste all ten days I have here!”
Wang Han’s face darkened. He knew that every single of those Great Cathedral folk were crazies. They would definitely accomplish whatever they’d said. “Brother Yue, it’s said that one has to be lenient whenever it’s possible. Even if junior brother Du has ruined your plans, he didn’t do so purposefully. Is it not enough that your punch made him spit blood?”
“You want to trade a mouthful of blood for my Silverlion? Wang Han, don’t you think you’re much too naive?” Yue Baize’s hackles had gone completely up as killing intent exploded out of him.
Wang Han was at a loss for words, this Yue Baize was employing the logic of a robber! He hadn’t even gotten the Silverlion, but he was talking as if he had and it’d been Du Lihuang who’d let that creature go.
“Brother Yue, you haven’t captured the Silverlion yet, so how is this a fair comparison? If that beast really does like this area, it will certainly return. Brother Yue may yet capture it if you remain here in wait. You might actually be missing the opportunity to capture it as you dither with us.”
Yue Baize broke out in loud curses. “Bullshit! The Silverlion is a highly cautious creature. As if it’ll return when it sees that the Lion Pagoda Tree has been destroyed! Wang Han, I don’t care how glib your words are today, Du Lihuang must die today if you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation!”
Wang Han’s gaze chilled. “What kind of explanation do you want?”
“Compensation, or death!” Ye Baize continued in his domineering fashion.
Wang Han shook his head. “Impossible. Yue Baize, we can do this all day. You’re the one who injured someone and you want compensation? Do you think my Sacred Sword Palace is some random pushover?”
Yue Baize laughed oddly. “So this means you think my Great Cathedral is easy to bully?”
Wang Han snorted derisively. “No one wants to bully your Great Cathedral, but it’s you who’s aggressively overbearing.”
Yue Baize spread out his hands. “Stop putting on that act with me. Wang Han, I know the two of you want to team up against me. Just because I don’t make my move today doesn’t mean I won’t do so tomorrow. You may have helpers, but I’m not here all by my lonesome either!”
Wang Han knew that those of the Great Cathedral were extreme in their style and quite united in their actions. If Yue Baize summoned reinforcements, it would turn into an absolute nightmare for them. There weren’t that many Sacred Sword Palace people entering the mountain to begin with. Yue Baize only needed to meet up with Xiang Qin to be able to trounce all four genius disciples from the Sacred Sword Palace.
Wang Han thought momentarily and said to Du Lihuang, “Junior brother Du, since some people seem quite unreasonable, you should go find a transportation matrix and leave Mt. Rippling Mirage, lest some people chase after you endlessly.”
It wasn’t that Wang Han was afraid, he was just being cautious, and he didn’t think he needed to embroil themselves in a fight with the Great Cathedral right then. When it come to those insane people, pissing off one of them was akin to pissing off the entire lot. He didn’t want to fight a bunch of crazies, so having Du Lihuang depart the premises was the best course of action.
Du Lihuang also recognized the circumstances and became resigned. He nodded with a quick jerk of his head, “Alright.”
Yue Baize’s face darkened as his rage threatened to explode. Just when he was about to blow up, his face flickered, and he flipped his hand over to read a message glyph. At almost the same instant, Wang Han received one as well. Both of their faces turned grave as they read it through.
Wang Han suddenly smiled and spoke to Yue Baize, “Brother Yue, the appearance of a hundred lakes and a rippling mirage is a phenomenon that comes about only once in a millennia here. According to the words left behind by the Myriad Empire, these are the signs of a hidden ruins emerging. It rarely emerges even once in a few millennia, and the spirit herbs there are possible even more precious than that Silverlion by ten, or even a hundred times. Do you still want to stay here and waste time?”
Yue Baize had obviously received the same message, notifying him to meet at a certain place. He weighed the situation and glared ferociously at the two. “Wang Han, this matter isn’t over!”
He left with the force of a yellow tornado after speaking, swiftly vanishing from Wang Han’s sight.
Du Lihuang felt a bit awkward. “Senior brother Wang, then…”
Wang Han thought for a moment. “A rare sight is appearing in Mt. Rippling Mirage. An ancient ruin will certainly reveal itself this time. That hidden herb garden has only appeared once in Myriad Empire history, and that one time was enough to confer more than a thousand years of glory onto the Myriad Domain. Back then, the Myriad Empire obtained several sky rank spirit herbs, resulting in the appearance of four emperor realm cultivators in the next few decades. This was one of the most glorious times of Myriad Domain history. Junior brother Du, don’t leave yet; come with me. Our Sacred Sword Palace must have a slice of the pie no matter what this time!”
