Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates
Chapter 267 - 265 Sword Drawn and Crossbow Bent

Chapter 267: Chapter 265 Sword Drawn and Crossbow Bent

Time flows like water and in the blink of an eye, a large number of Xuanwu Realm Martial Artists gather from all directions of the Xingyun Kingdom. This can be described as a grand event for Martial Artists of the Xuanwu Realm, involving both the young talents and the older generation.

Xiao Ye did not conceal his presence. Two hours later, he arrived at a bustling plain filled with dense crowds.

"So many people!" Even though Xiao Ye was prepared, he was still shocked by the enormous crowd.

He could see almost ten thousand Xuanwu Realm Martial Artists within his sight alone.

Xiao Ye felt a hint of pressure in his heart; with so many competitors, the struggle to grab the treasures would be even tougher.

"What is that?"

Xiao Ye shifted his gaze and at the very front of the crowd, a huge stele engraved with the character "Martial" stood tall on the ground, exuding an ancient aura as if it had withstood hundreds of years yet remained unyielding.

On the massive stele, a layer of dark glow wriggled, stirring the surrounding void, causing small space rifts to crackle occasionally.

All the Martial Artists on the plain were quietly waiting, occasionally casting glances at the huge stele.

"It seems this stele connects to the lair of a Void Martial Realm expert," Xiao Ye murmured to himself, descending to the back of the crowd.

Boom!

At that moment, a cold killing intent soared into the sky, streaking through the void and locking onto Xiao Ye, causing a stir among the surrounding Martial Artists.

Xiao Ye’s body tensed up as he instinctively looked up.

He saw a young man at the forefront near the huge stele, his eyes fierce and filled with vengeance, glaring intensely at him.

"You brat, you killed an external Elder of the Yan Family and opposed me at Heavenly Mist Peak. I’ve waited long for you, and you really did come," Yan Zhen said coldly.

Xiao Ye’s mind went blank as if struck by lightning.

"How did Yan Zhen know that I was the murderer?" Xiao Ye worried inwardly.

His identity had been exposed, so what about Xiao Teng?

"What? He is the guy from the Endless Sea who killed the Yan Family’s external Elder?" The surrounding Martial Artists gasped in shock, staring at Xiao Ye.

The Martial Artists from the Endless Sea had always been regarded as having low talents and cultivation levels by those on the True Spirit Continent.

Thus, when news spread that an Elder from the Endless Sea had been slain by a Martial Artist, it caused a huge sensation and the Yan Family became the subject of ridicule for a while.

"Not only that, this young man set a new record at Heavenly Mist Peak, and his potential even rivals that of a true Heavenly Son!" a Martial Artist who had witnessed Xiao Ye’s performance at the peak spoke up leisurely, once again astounding everyone.

For a moment, Xiao Ye became the center of attention as discreet glances were cast his way.

"Are they going to make a move on me?" Xiao Ye forced himself to remain calm, his sharp gaze sweeping around.

He saw dozens of figures moving discreetly among the crowd, their expressions unfriendly as they quietly surrounded him, ready to rush forward at Yan Zhen’s command.

Xiao Ye was somewhat astonished; were all these people Martial Artists of the Yan Family?

"Fools, back off!" Yan Zhen roared in his heart and telepathically ordered those Martial Artists.

Now that people from the Eighteen Great Families were present, wouldn’t exposing these Martial Artists reveal the Yan Family’s arrangements?

Upon receiving Yan Zhen’s command, those Martial Artists quickly retreated, blending into the crowd.

However, it was obvious that the remaining members of the Eighteen Great Families had noticed, their expressions mocking.

"Hmph!" Yan Zhen once again cast a resentful glance at Xiao Ye and then averted his gaze.

Xiao Ye’s strength was, after all, formidable. If a conflict arose now, it would drain the Yan Family’s strength, which would be disadvantageous for entering the lair and competing for treasures, so he could only hold back for now.

Seeing that Yan Zhen actually gave up confronting him, Xiao Ye’s face was filled with confusion, feeling somewhat incredulous.

Suddenly, something caught Xiao Ye’s attention and he looked in another direction.

At the edge of his vision, a young man wearing a golden robe with a small golden sword embroidered on the cuff, his radiant gaze sharp as a sword and demeanor like a peerless divine sword, his aura soaring to the skies, unmatched.

"It’s someone from the Jian Family!"

Xiao Ye thought to himself; having spent some time in the Xingyun Kingdom, he naturally recognized the insignia of the Jian Family.

And the young man’s cultivation level was absolutely terrifying.

"I am Jian Wuchen, the Young Master of the Jian Family. I do not care who is right or wrong between you and the Great Elder of my Jian Family. Once we enter the lair, I will not show mercy. If you retreat now, I’ll spare you," Jian Wuchen transmitted his power in a message.

Xiao Ye narrowed his eyes slightly: "So it’s the Young Master of the Jian Family."

"Thank you for the concern, Young Master Jian, but I will not give up. Entering the lair, let destiny decide between life and death; the victor reigns as king," Xiao Ye calmly transmitted his power in response.

Jian Wuchen’s lips curled into a cold smile: "Very well, ’the victor reigns as king.’ I look forward to your performance in the lair."

After speaking, Jian Wuchen withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at Xiao Ye.

"Troubles really do abound." Xiao Ye chuckled bitterly in his heart. His gaze swept over to the people from the Eighteen Great Families who were standing at the forefront of the stele, where he noticed Feng Wulie, the Young Master of the Feng Family.

He hadn’t even entered the cave dwelling, yet he had already offended both the Yan Family and the Jian Family.

The descendants of these Eighteen Great Families, each one was not easy to provoke, and though he could win in a fight by himself with his current strength, the opponents, after all, had the advantage in numbers.

"Why is it that the Yan Family, despite having so many people, haven’t made a move against me?" Xiao Ye’s gaze trembled as he pondered.

"Could it be that within this cave dwelling, there is a treasure that attracts them, so they don’t want to make a move now and sustain too many losses?" Xiao Ye had a moment of realization.

Indeed, in the following few days, although Yan Zhen occasionally looked at him with malice, he still endured and did not take action.

Meanwhile, more and more Martial Artists from the Xuanwu Realm arrived, and the number had already surpassed ten thousand. Apart from the Young Talents, there were no lack of older generation Martial Artists, each of them very powerful.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. The dark light on the massive stele became weaker and weaker, and a boundless aura that could no longer be suppressed formed a huge column of light that rushed into the sky, stirring the space rifts to widen.

Everyone was excited, their eyes fixed on the stele, just waiting for the dark light to completely disappear before rushing in.

Through the rift, Xiao Ye could vaguely see a vast world awaiting his exploration.

Boom!

Suddenly, the void trembled, and the ancient aura on the stele grew stronger and enveloped miles of the land around it.

Under everyone’s gaze, a massive space rift appeared before everyone’s eyes, floating above the stele.

Through the huge space rift, a hazy white light filtered through, sending waves of heart-palpitating fluctuations sweeping out, carrying tremendous energy that spread in all directions.

Everyone felt the ground violently shaking beneath them, dust filling the sky.

"Another self-contained space? Are Void Martial Realm Experts really so terrifying?" Xiao Ye inhaled sharply, realizing once again the gap between himself and that Realm.

"The energy prohibition has completely disappeared, charge!"

"Charge!"

Seeing this scene, numerous Martial Artists from the Xuanwu Realm roared excitedly, their figures bursting forth, eager to rush towards the space rift above the stele.

"Hmph, all of you get out of my way!" A youth enveloped in a powerful aura suddenly erupted, taking a step forward, and all the Martial Artists in his path were flung away as he became the first to rush into the space rift, exhibiting extreme dominance.

A cave dwelling left by a Void Martial Realm Expert would surely contain many treasures. The earlier one enters, the higher the chances of reaping benefits.

Xiao Ye’s pupils slightly contracted: "Seventh Transition Xuanwu Middle Stage Cultivation!"

It looks like this trip to the cave dwelling will be a fierce struggle. Apart from the descendants of the Eighteen Great Families, there were also hidden experts among the crowd.

Boom!

At that moment, Xiao Ye felt a massive aura rising, filled with a sharp force, transforming into a Peerless Divine Sword. Emitting incomparable Sword Light, it crossed the void and flew into the space rift, unobstructed by anyone.

Besides these two, others like Feng Wulie and Yan Zhen were not to be outdone, each bursting with aura as they rushed into the space rift.

Without even entering the cave dwelling, these Young Talents had already begun their competition.

"It begins. I, Xiao Ye, must succeed in refining the First Level of the Ten Thousand Refining Golden Body!" Xiao Ye did not immediately unleash all his strength, but rather roared in a low voice. His figure soared, following the crowd into the space rift.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Over ten thousand Martial Artists from the Xuanwu Realm charging toward the space rift at the same time was an astounding sight.

After everyone had entered, the sky above suddenly shifted. A majestic figure hidden within the clouds appeared, surrounded by countless lightning, causing the void to tremble and space rifts to form.

It seemed that at any moment, this majestic figure could tear through the void.

"Hehe, Your Majesty, you have really gone through a lot of trouble to create such a world." At that moment, two figures, one old and one young, dressed in the Eight Diagrams Robe, appeared, looking very mysterious.

If Xiao Ye were here, he would definitely recognize these two, it was Tong Xuanzi and Tian Jizi.

"This cave dwelling has existed for a long time. I merely gave it a slight push to bring it back to the light of day." A voice, filled with authority, echoed as if fused with heaven and earth, creating a strange resonance, with the Great Tao thundering.

In the Kingdom of Xingyun, only one person could refer to themselves this way—it was unmistakably the only King Martial Realm Expert of the current era, the King.

"Tong Xuanzi, the young man you mentioned, can he be compared to a true Heavenly Son in the future?" The King’s eyes emitted two astonishing beams.

Tong Xuanzi stroked his beard and shook his head: "His future is unpredictable, full of danger, and no one can clarify it."

The King fell silent for a moment, and nobody knew what he was thinking.

"It’s a pity to have waited for one with the potential close to that of a Heavenly Son." A sigh echoed across the skies.