Handsome, dashing. Ying Hongyue was still the same as he was all those years ago. Yuan Shuo broke through the air to take a close look at him. Ying Hongyue wore a smile on his face, Green and Orange Moon standing by his side. The man seemed particularly jaunty as he waved his fan, like those around him were nothing.
Yao Si and Sky Sword were premier heavyweights, but he didnât fear them. Ying Hongyue simply looked at the city and sighed, âBlood runs hot in the veins of the young, alright. They snap their locks without further thought. I have to say, that makes them much stronger than we were back in the day.
âStop watching, everyone,â he laughed. âItâs not good to have everyone die as you watch, is it?â
âAre you always this flamboyant, Ying Hongyue?â An incredibly muscular man appeared upon laughter in the wind. He forced the old inspector general back with a punch. âOld Chen, do you want to match fists with me?â
âYama!â
âWeâre all the same, Old Chen, stop pretending and step aside!â the muscular man roared with laughter. âI wonât take you to task for killing Chu River. His condition was poor and unstable, but only an old thing like you had it within you to attack him!â
The old inspector general raised an eyebrow; his son swiftly rushed to the scene. Father and son stood together to block Yamaâs path.
Yama didnât mind. He looked around with some regret. âChu River is dead, your second elder is dead as well... Dark Godless is alive, so havenât they lost one less than us?â
âPrecisely!â Ying Hongyue laughed. The two of them suddenly acted together!
BOOM!
The void was shattered after a loud boom. A longsword flew out of the air, jointly forced out by the two. It was aimed straight at Hou Xiaochen, but the two men had knocked it out of the sky. Hou Xiaochen stabbed forward with his spear and ran Dark Godless through!
He turned back to regard the two with an arctic look. âCelestial Sword Immortal seeks to stop me with a stray stroke? You two are entirely superfluous.â
âWe just wanted to make sure!â Yama roared with laughter. âItâs only fair if all three of us lose one, isnât it?â
The void broke as a woman with preeminent grace stepped forth. Celestial Sword Immortal was a woman!
The flying sword returned to her hand with a casual grab. She swept a glance over Yama and Ying Hongyue, then at Hou Xiaochen. Finally, her glance returned to the city. She wholly ignored the dead Dark Godless. All three parties had lost an Arcanus. Sheâd wanted to save her own, but these two had thrown a wrench into the works.
Celestial Sword Immortal assessed the situation instead of engaging in conversation. Her gaze settled on the raging Yuan Shuo. Her voice was calm and coolly collected. âHand over the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, Yuan Shuo. We are not here for Li Hao. That matter is settled since heâs become supernatural. Yours will be as soon as you hand over the breathing method. Otherwise... all of you probably wonât have time to seek him out and recover your locks!
âHou Xiaochen and the others have all unsealed their strength and wonât endure for long. Think it over yourself, we wonât force you. We will leave after you hand over the Breathing Method of the Five Styles. If not... all of us can continue to dawdle and waste time!â
âHahaha!â Yama roared with laughter. âThatâs right, losing an Arcanus doesnât mean anything! Weâll leave once you hand it over, Yuan Shuo! How long do you think Li Hao can hold out? How long do you think any of the others can hold out?â
So the three of them were here not for Li Hao, but for Yuan Shuoâs breathing method!
Many expressions shifted when people heard these words. Indeed, their battle strength was unsealed, but they couldnât maintain their condition for long. If the leaders of the three great organizations werenât on the scene, then everyone could swiftly defeat their foes, converge upon Li Haoâs location, break the blockade posed by the five old ministers, and leisurely retreat at ease.
But with the three leaders on the scene, the situation turned inscrutable. Not only that, but laughter ran in the air as a gentle breeze brushed past the premises.
âThis seat is very much interested as well, Yuan Shuo! Count me in for a copy of the Breathing Method of the Five Styles! There are some martial masters in the City of Supernaturals too!â
A person walked out after the void shook, their eyes as bright as torches. A Heavenâs Eye! This was a Heavenâs Eye whoâd trained to the utmost of their craft! Someone from the City of Supernaturals!
And all of these people had come for Yuan Shuo! As fine as Li Haoâs sword was, that was just an external object. For these premier powerhouses, the Breathing Method of the Five Styles might be the key to breaking through to the next cultivation level.
Yuan Shuo looked around gravely, not saying a word.
The Arcanus still alive swiftly gathered where the premier heavyweights were. The Steppe Prince, two elders, and lord of Buddha Mountain quickly departed the battlefield. Of the nine Arcanus in the outer battlefield, the three great organizations had each lost one. The North Sea King and old duke had also fallen. Five Arcanus were dead over the sea and five dead inside.
Ten of these eminent beings had died in the blink of an eye. But with the arrival of the leaders of the three great organizations and a Heavenâs Eye from the City of Supernaturals, their side was reinforced rather than weakened.
Soon enough, Sky Sword and the others also congregated together. Huang Yu, Sky Sword, Hou Xiaochen, Yao Si, and two generations of inspector generals were all equipped with the battle strength of Arcanus. The others, including Earthturner Sword, were slightly weaker. He hadnât occupied the upper hand when fighting the Steppe Prince.
The group came together with unpleasant expressions and stepped in front of Yuan Shuo. Ying Hongyue and the others were in no hurryâthey were the ones with all the time in the world.
âBig brother Yuan,â chuckled Ying Hongyue as he waved his fan. âMartial dao is for people to cultivate and pass down. You are not the progenitor of the Breathing Method of the Five Stylesâit is the cultivation of knowledge from the ancient civilization. Big brother destroyed countless ancient tomes to create it. It would be propelling martial dao to new peaks if you shared it with us!â
âThatâs right, Ole Yuan, weâre all old friends here!â Yama roared with laughter. âAnd itâs not just usâthe situation will become even more complicated if you drag things out. Yonder seems to be coming.â
The void split open again, displaying a man with extraordinary bearing and long locks flowing in the wind. He wore a faint smile on his face. âBrother Yama is of one heart with me. You knew it as soon as I arrived.â
The lord of Yonder Mountain!
Three lords of the seven divine mountains were present today. Buddha, Yonder, and Sky Sword Mountains were all represented. Apart from the two monster spirit mountains, the other remaining two mountains didnât care about such matters. They busied themselves with their own cultivation and there was no sight to be seen of them.
The number of powerhouses opposing Li Hao grew with the appearance of the Yonder lord. Just their presence alone was making it difficult for He Yong and the others to breathe. They were too strong, and all of them were stable Arcanus!
Not only that, but Ying Hongyue was likely to be stronger than he showcased. Heâd easily brushed aside Sky Swordâs stroke.
Muffled explosions sounded within the city as Li Hao still battled in a circle of five heavyweights. He could sense all of the developments outside, but there was nothing he could do. There were too many powerhouses opposing him!
So many beyond expectation, and more key figures than anticipated. The leaders of the three great organizations were mysterious individuals that stayed out of the public eye, as was the lord of Yonder Mountain. The City of Supernaturals may have named the Arcanus realm, but theyâd never showed evidence of possessing one.
Yet, here they all were today.
Their only goal seemed to be the Breathing Method of the Five Styles. This was the best opportunity for them to procure it. If Yuan Shuo didnât give it up, his disciple would be in danger, as would all Silver Moon martial masters present. They would be the only ones on the losing side if battle dragged on.
Valiantly storming the battlefield just moments ago, Yao Si and his colleagues were livid. Sky Sword showed his true features at this momentâhe bore an exceedingly solemn expression and a piercing look shot out of his eyes. He looked at their opponents and swung his broadsword through the air.
âSilver Moon martial masters only fall in battle!â he declared frostily.
âDonât say that, weâre Silver Moon martial masters too!â Ying Hongyue laughed. âI am one, and while Yama, Celestial Sword, and Yonder arenât fully, they count. They grew up in Silver Moon too and wouldâve been part of the Record if it didnât reject non-local candidates.
âSee how well theyâre doing for themselves! Itâs all thanks to Silver Moon for that. Weâre full of yearning and enthusiasm for martial dao. In that case, why must big brother Yuan keep every last scrap of knowledge to himself?â
Yuan Shuo regarded them with an icy look.
Ying Hongyue fanned himself and smiled to see Yuan Shuo look at him thus. âDonât yell at me, thereâs also no use calling me flamboyant. Iâm used to it and as such, itâs become a part of me. Does big brother Yuan still not know me after all these years?
âLook at my little martial nephew being forced to become supernatural! Would we have permitted this to happen if big brother had given us the breathing method earlier? The nine ministries may be strong, but weâre no pushovers either. Itâs one big family when it comes to Silver Moon and we naturally wouldâve helped with a thing or two...â
The old inspector general looked around, not saying anything. Yao Siâs expression was deeply unpleasant, heâd ended up on the wrong side today. Sky Sword seemed ready to erupt in all out slaughter.
Yuan Shuo took a deep breath and looked at them calmly. âWill you retreat if I give it to you?â
âOf course!â Ying Hongyue smiled. âWeâll all leave, donât worry! You know how martial masters are, we are people of our word! Granted, Iâm none too familiar with the one from the City of Supernaturals. Itâs a difficult feat for a Heavenâs Eye to cultivate to this step, but sheâll be dead all the same if sheâs the only one who stays after we leave. You canât possibly be afraid of her.â
The Heavenâs Eye was a female cultivator; there werenât many female cultivators on the scene. Celestial Sword Immortal was one, while Light Sword shone dimly compared to the two.
âI will also leave after obtaining the secret art, there is no need to worry!â the Heavenâs Eye said softly.
Since she, a supernatural, also wanted the breathing method, that meant these people more or less knew the particulars of the Breathing Method of the Five Styles. This was because Yuan Shuo had utilized it when he fought Xu Qing in conjunction with Li Hao. This would be a hard method to obtain normally even if one killed Li Hao. Today was a perfect opportunity!