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Chapter 657: Despicable Means
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
An evil aura immediately enveloped the entire plaza!
With the instinct of an expert, Shui WuBo immediately felt that something was wrong. With a loud roar, the lotus that he formed with his sword qi exploded prematurely. The boundless sword qi in the atmosphere gathered together and heartlessly shot towards Yu ManLou!
At the same time, Shui WuBo's figure spun around quickly and his sword let out a sharp cry. He did not hope to harm Yu ManLou and only wished to protect himself. He set up a dense net of sword qi around him and with his inner qi imbued within his left palm, he sent out a few palm strikes to create a powerful whirlwind around him. This whirlwind was extremely destructive and it looked as though it was getting more and more ferocious by the moment.
In that instant, it was as though Shui WuBo's body was surrounded by a mini twister. Everyone could visibly see that the twister had already been transformed into an azure flood dragon!
Shui WuBo did not know what sort of move Yu ManLou was about to unleash but he could clearly feel that while it seemed like he would be able to block it, it was impossible for him to block it! These extremely contradictory thoughts had appeared in Shui WuBo's heart and so he used all of his strength without any hesitation!
Shui WuBo's instinct was truly accurate. If he was a moment later, he would have definitely suffered a huge loss! However, despite his quick reactions, he was still a little bit late!
Yu ManLou had already penetrated into the endless sword net!
Everyone took in a deep breath and held their breath!
This was Yu ManLou's life-saving trump card! As an ambitious character, how could his final trump card be something simple? Thus, even if Ling Tian had the confidence to win against Yu ManLou, he was still extremely wary of Yu ManLou's final lifesaving trump card! Currently, it was time for Yu ManLou to reveal his cards!
Yu ManLou did not know that Ling Tian was also present in Heavenly Wind. If he knew, he would probably choose to tangle with Shui WuBo for three days and night without a victor emerging rather then taking out his trump card! In the world today, the person who deserved Yu ManLou using his trump card the most was none other than Ling Tian!
Currently, with a few thousand people being present in the plaza, the only person who was capable of seeing all of Yu ManLou's moves clearly was probably Ling Tian! Even Ling Jian wouldn't be capable! As for the rest, there wasn't a need to even mention them.
A loud clanging sound could be heard and a series of fists clashing could be heard. With a loud bang, two low grunts could be heard from the two individuals.
Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo clashed in mid-air before their figures separated.
However, while they both took a few steps back, there was a difference between the two. Yu ManLou's retreat was casual and his movement technique was completely under his control. However, Shui WuBo was like a kite with its string snapped!
Ling Tian could clearly see that the moment Yu ManLou's sword came into contact with Shui WuBo's sword net, his left hand suddenly moved away from his sword's hilt. Following that, his left hand transformed into a pitch black color, a black even darker than black! His left palm then clashed together with Shui WuBo's left palm!
The battle was originally in a stalemate but after Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo's palms collided, Ling Tian was dumbfounded!
After this palm strike, Shui WuBo's left hand turned black rapidly and looked as though it was swelling up. After that, his palm returned back to its original color quickly. However, a black line rapidly traveled up Shui WuBo's arm!
Right at that moment, Shui WuBo's originally nimble figure collapsed like a heavy rock!
Venom!
An extremely sharp venom!
Ling Tian's expression changed drastically!
He wasn't shocked at the fact Yu ManLou used venom but astounded by the ferocity of the venom!
Shui WuBo's inner qi had already reached the peak of the XianTian realm and his pure XianTian inner qi was sufficient to purge any venom in the world. Regardless of how ferocious the venom, as long as Shui WuBo had sufficient time, he would be able to force it out of his body!
However, Shui WuBo was obviously unable to reject the venom on Yu ManLou's palm strike! Furthermore, the venom rapidly infiltrated his body and assaulted his heart! Shui WuBo's pure XianTian qi was completely unable to defend against it! It could not even delay the venom for the slightest bit of time!
Just what kind of venom was this? How could it be so tyrannical?!
If he was struck by such a palm strike, what would happen? Would he be able to protect himself from the venom?! Ling Tian's hair stood up on edge as he thought about this!
If Shui WuBo was able to defend against the venom for a short moment, even if he fell prey to the venom in the end, Ling Tian would be confident of protecting himself against the venom. After all, his cultivation was far superior to Shui WuBo! Even if Shui WuBo wasn't able to defend against the venom, it didn't mean that he wouldn't be able to defend against it!
However, Ling Tian could clearly see that Shui WuBo's XianTian qi was infiltrated without the slightest resistance. Furthermore, the venom disappeared in an instant without the slightest trace!
Even with Ling Tian's experience of two lifetimes, he was actually unable to recognize this venom! It was far too frightening!
Ling Tian burst out in a cold sweat. He knew that Yu ManLou's next target would definitely be him! In the world today, apart from Shui WuBo, there were only two others worthy for Yu ManLou to use such a venomous martial art! The first was the Martial Order Medallion owner, Justice, and the second was Ling Tian himself!
Thinking about the last time he exchanged palm strikes with Yu ManLou, Ling Tian's head was filled with cold sweat. Thankfully, Yu ManLou's venomous martial art wasn't yet accomplished at that time! Otherwise, he would have probably been reduced to ashes already!
At that time, he was truly too careless! It was truly too dangerous!
Shui WuBo's face was filled with anger as he retreated pathetically with blood shooting out from his thighs and shoulder. His eyes were fixed on Yu ManLou and his face was flushed red. It looked as though he wanted to say something to Yu ManLou or curse at him!
Blood also shot out from Yu ManLou's left chest and his originally black complexion returned to normal. He regained his scholarly elegance with a tinge of paleness on his face. Retreating with a somersault, the tip of his sword touched the ground and with the body of his sword curving, he used the sword as a spring and shot towards Shui WuBo like a brilliant rainbow!
His sharp sword qi had immediately blocked the words that were about to come out from Shui WuBo's mouth! How could Yu ManLou allow Shui WuBo to voice his secret in public? This was his final trump card! Furthermore, it was one that could not be made public!
Shui WuBo wanted to circulate his inner qi but the moment he tried circulating his inner qi, his face would turn black immediately before turning completely pale. He suddenly had a strange look in his eyes, with a look of mockery as though he was laughing at something. However, it looked as though it was also filled with emptiness.
But at this moment, Shui WuBo's face glowed with the radiance of a glowing sun!
His sword then jumped up like an agile snake as though it was a spiritual being. A dense qi then exploded forth from his sword qi. However, this time, the sword qi was not dispersed like before but was only locked onto Yu ManLou's chest!
That's right, after suffering from such a fatal venom and in the face of the sword that could take his life, Shui WuBo had finally achieved a breakthrough! He finally achieved the realm of his sword qi being reserved and finally made an accomplishment in the way of the sword which he had been pursuing his entire life!
The breakthrough of his martial arts realm signified the many-fold increase in his strength! If he had achieved a breakthrough a moment earlier, even if there was another Yu ManLou, Shui WuBo would still be able to destroy them under his sword!
It was a pity that his breakthrough was far too late and far too coincidental!
While he could achieve a breakthrough in his realm, he was only able to unleash less than 1% of his newly found strength!
With Yu ManLou's martial arts accomplishment, he would naturally be able to recognize Shui WuBo's breakthrough. He looked at Shui WuBo in the eyes and said softly, "It's too late!"
Yu ManLou burst out into cold sweat. To think that Shui WuBo would make a breakthrough at this moment!
Thankfully Shui WuBo only made a breakthrough at this moment!
The goddess of luck was still on Yu ManLou's side!
His longsword pierced straight into Shui WuBo's chest before Yu ManLou retreated quickly. Shui WuBo's final sword also brushed past his chest and left a deep scar on his chest!
"Don't kill him!" A loud roar sounded the instant Yu ManLou's sword penetrated Shui WuBo's chest. However, it was too late!
The space of the entire Mount Vacant seemed to have contorted slightly and a dream-like figure appeared in the plaza. He held onto Yu ManLou's sword with his hand but the sharp sword was unable to harm his palm at all!
Justice!
However, everything was too late.
Yu ManLou maintained his scholarly appearance, let go of his sword and retreated with a smile.
He allowed his sword to remain impaled into Shui WuBo's chest and heart!
Shui WuBo's dying gaze suddenly began burning as he looked at Justice. He should not have been able to say a single word and his final life force had been taken away by Yu ManLou's final sword. But for some reason, his face suddenly turned red.
He let out a weak cough and said softly, "Martial … Order … Medallion … owner?" While his voice was soft, it was filled with peace. He did not have any grievance in regards to Yu ManLou's despicable means but only had peace in his heart.
"It's me," Justice replied calmly.
"…ah…" Shui WuBo's eyes lit up brightly before instantly turning dim. His eyes were then shut with a gentle smile on his face filled with peace and satisfaction!
Shui WuBo was a martial arts fanatic all his life and his only entertainment in life was practicing his sword and martial arts. The only target in his life was the peak of the sword way! His only wish was to meet the biggest opponent in his heart who was also his biggest idol, Justice!
Before his death, he was able to accomplish the two biggest desires of his life!
He achieved a breakthrough in his sword way and saw Justice before his last breath. Furthermore, he also saw Justice using his unparalleled movement technique which was a realm that he could only dream of but never attain!
His sword way had already attained the peak which he had dreamed of! While he had only captured a glimpse of that sword realm, he was already satisfied. Despite being defeated in battle by despicable means, Shui WuBo did not have any grievances!
This was the final choice which he made as a warrior! Even if he died from a sneak attack, it was better than being alive but paralyzed on a bed!
A martial arts fanatic, the First Elder of the Shui Family, Shui WuBo, dead!
Justice placed Shui WuBo's body on to the ground and pulled Yu ManLou's sword out from Shui WuBo's chest. After taking a close look, he had already realized something odd about Shui WuBo's death. While Yu ManLou would be able to fool the entire world with his means, how would he be able to fool this martial arts and medicinal grandmaster? All of a sudden, he raised his head and glared at Yu ManLou with cold killing intent, "Family Head Yu, don't you think that you are a little despicable?" It was as though he was interrogating a criminal!
Yu ManLou let out a casual smile and placed his hands behind his back as he replied calmly, "This is the generational battle between the Shui and Yu Family! For the past thousand years, this had always been the rule; the victor lives and the defeated shall perish! The battle shall only end in death! This rule was set by your Beyond Heavens! Does Mister Justice have any qualms?!"
Justice's eyes erupted with anger, "Does this rule include the use of despicable means?"
"Despicable means?" Yu ManLou let out a scholarly chuckle and replied without a tinge of anger, "I wonder what Sir is referring to as despicable means? Is it this Yu's swordplay, palm arts or movement techniques? I would need Sir to give me some pointers!"
At this moment, Justice regained his cool and glared at Yu ManLou with his eagle eyes. With a powerful oppression, he said slowly, "This battle should not have ended in such an outcome. While Family Head Yu's final move is extremely powerful and can be said to be the peak of the sword way, it lacks the strength to finish Shui WuBo off in a single strike! But why did Shui WuBo lose all ability to retaliate after that attack? There must definitely be a reason behind this! This reason is definitely on you! This battle definitely wasn't fair! This result definitely wasn't fair either!"
Yu ManLou chuckled and a look of mockery could be seen on his face, "Does Sir think that it would only be fair if this Yu dies under Shui WuBo's sword?" He ignored everything else that Justice had said and purposely emphasized the words 'this wasn't fair'. However, the more he did so, the more suspicious Justice was.
Justice snorted coldly, "The generational battle has been going on for a thousand years and if the battle was a fair one, it wouldn't matter if Shui WuBo dies. However, if he dies under treacherous means, no one would be able to accept such an outcome of a powerhouse dying such a pitiful death. Especially when fighting an opponent of the same level! Family Head Yu, your methods are truly disappointing!"
Yu ManLou sneered, "We are having a life or death battle and not a casual spar! Shui WuBo has already died and the victor has been decided. The thousands present can be my witness! I wonder what does Sir mean by your words?"
Justice glared at Yu ManLou for a moment expressionlessly before saying, "Yu ManLou, I will definitely investigate this matter to the end!"
A look of grievance could be seen on Yu ManLou's scholarly appearance and he retorted with anger, "Sir can do whatever you wish! If there aren't any other instructions, it is time to announce the results!"
Right at this moment, a buzz like a mosquito could be heard by Justice's ears, "Old brother, I want Shui WuBo's corpse. There will definitely be traces left behind and I may need your help later!"
Justice's face twitched slightly and he picked up Shui WuBo's body, "Life and death have already been determined, what is the point of announcing the victor?" He then carried Shui WuBo's body and walked away slowly.
The members of the Shui Family were still in a state of shock and had yet to recover from it. Not a single one of them had actually attempted to stop Justice and request that Shui WuBo be buried in his own hometown. Shui WuBo was already at the peak of the entire Heavenly Wind and not to mention his death, not a single one of them had even imagined that he would lose! Even if his opponent was Yu ManLou!
However, not only did he lose, he had lost in a completely unknown manner and died on the spot! This news was like thunder on a sunny day!
Justice had actually arrived some time ago. With regards to this generational battle, his level of interest was no less than Ling Tian. He had hidden for a long time in the vicinity and commented on the battle from time to time as he watched with interest. However, it was a pity that no one had the fortune to hear his comments.
He had long realized that something was wrong with the battle between Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo but he still didn't intend to take action. This was a life or death battle and even if Yu ManLou used poison or hidden weapons, there wasn't anything wrong with it! It wouldn't be much even if Shui WuBo died! In the battle between the two families, according to the records of Beyond Heavens, there were others who had used even more despicable and sinister means! This wasn't considered much.
It was only when Shui WuBo achieved his final breakthrough that Justice was stirred! To someone like Justice who had yearned to find an opponent for all his life, Shui WuBo's breakthrough was extremely precious to him! With this breakthrough, Shui WuBo was already extremely near to Justice's realm!
Shui WuBo who achieved a breakthrough already had the right to fight Justice!
However, it was already too late. Justice was unable to stop Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo had died under Yu ManLou's sword! He had lost a rare opponent just like that! Thus, Justice was enraged!
Seeing Justice carry Shui WuBo out, Ling Tian lost his interest in the following mixed battle. Currently, he was the most interested in Yu ManLou's venomous martial art which was already accomplished! This was something that could threaten his life!
Perhaps only Shui WuBo's corpse would be able to provide him with an answer. Furthermore, Justice was the doctor with the greatest authority! Thus, he gave Ling Feng and the others an eye signal before secretly leaving to chase after Justice.
Ling Tian's arrangement for Ling Feng and the others was: After this battle was over, Yu BingYan shall be left behind in the Shui Family! She must not follow the Yu Family back! If not, who knows what kind of a sinister plot Yu ManLou would have. At this point, Ling Tian would not take any risks!
Yu BingYan had already fulfilled her final responsibility as a member of the Yu Family! Since the Yu Family was heartless, then she would only have a single status! The woman of Ling Tian!
I, Ling Tian, will never allow anyone to harm my woman! I will not even allow there to be any hidden threats!
Chapter 658: Peerless Evil Art
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian knew that Justice would definitely wait for him!
Yu ManLou's strange martial art was something that even Justice felt greatly threatened by!
If even their pure XianTian inner qi was completely useless, this was something that the two of them could not help but fear!
With regards to the departure of the two, not many people noticed it. All of them were shocked by the outcome of the battle before them and looked forward to the 100 man battle after this. Thus, the departure of the two individuals did not alert anyone.
Under a large tree far away, Justice's hands were placed behind his back with Shui WuBo's body leaning against the tree. His appearance and bearing were just like when he was alive. Even if he left his life without any regrets, the current scene was extremely desolate.
Seeing the arrival of Ling Tian and Ling Jian, Justice's eyes glowed with excitement as he sized up Ling Tian from head to toe. However, he did not say anything but picked up Shui WuBo's body instead. "This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."
Their three figures sped away without saying another word. The movement techniques of these three individuals were truly spectacular. In just a short instant, the three of them had easily traversed past a few mountains and entered a mysterious valley. Justice placed Shui WuBo's body down and allowed Shui WuBo's body to be positioned in a cross-legged manner. He wasn't willing to let the corpse of this martial arts powerhouse lie down on the ground.
Just from this point alone, it could be seen how much Justice respected the martial arts fanatic Shui WuBo!
Ling Tian looked at Shui WuBo's corpse with respect in his eyes. Of course, he didn't respect Shui WuBo's martial arts or character but Shui WuBo's stubbornness towards martial arts and the way he treated death with complete ease!
This was not something that any individual would be able to do!
Justice looked at Ling Tian calmly and smiled, "I truly never imagined that you would make such a shocking breakthrough in just a few days! The sheer speed of your advancement truly leaves me in shock!"
While he said that he was filled with shock, not a tinge of shock could even be seen on his face. He was only rubbing his palms in excitement. The faster Ling Tian raised his strength the better. He could not be bothered with how Ling Tian raised his strength! The only important thing was for Ling Tian to grow stronger!
However, he was also truly filled with surprise. After all, Justice had never seen or heard of anyone achieving such rapid growth in strength. Since he understood that such an advancement speed was unheard of, he did not want to find out the truth behind it. He knew that finding out the truth would only affect the calmness of his heart and wasn't anything beneficial to him!
At his level, what he cultivated wasn't martial arts but mental state and his realm!
Ling Tian smiled slightly. "However, this isn't the time for us to fight. At least, this isn't the best time for us to fight."
Justice burst out laughing, "That's right, this isn't the best time for our battle indeed. However, this seat is no longer lonely from now on. With you as my companion, it would be a difficult thing for me to feel lonely even if I wanted to!" As he spoke, his eyes burned with passion and excitement. "I am truly looking forward to the battle between us! I have been looking forward to such a battle for a full ten years! The loneliness that I felt for the past ten years was truly torture! Thankfully I still have you! It was only a wish in the past but this wish of mine has finally come true! I am truly overjoyed!"
Ling Tian was speechless. To a peerless grandmaster like Justice who had been alone at the peak of the martial arts realm for a couple of decades, after finding an expert capable of being a match for him, that joy was something that could not be described.
Ling Tian could understand Justice's feelings and so he waited silently.
After the trace of joy flashed past his face, Justice quickly regained his cool. Looking at Shui WuBo's corpse, he said, "I cannot tell."
"Even you cannot tell?" Ling Tian was truly surprised! At this moment, Ling Tian truly understood just how frightening the poison truly was! Furthermore, it was extremely odd and rare!
Apart from being a peerless martial arts grandmaster, Justice was also a grandmaster in the art of the medicine. Even after living for two lifetimes, he had only seen two or three individuals who were a match for Justice. Furthermore, these individuals were the medicinal deities from his previous life and it was impossible for anyone in this world to be a match for them. With regards to the different poisons in this world, there would probably be no one more familiar than Justice. Especially such venomous martial arts which combined such a poison with one's inner qi! However, Justice was unable to see through the origins of Yu ManLou's martial arts! With Justice being unable to see through the origins of such venomous martial arts, it was all the more baffling!
Just which kind of poison would be so sharp and frightening?
Ling Tian's face became solemn. After a long while, he asked, "If we cannot tell from the surface, we may be able to tell if we open up his body…"
Justice immediately interrupted with displeasure, "Shui WuBo was a rare expert in the world today and had already seen through the essence of the sword way. Now that such an expert has died, how can we tarnish his body? Such an action would be no different from being a beast! I do not agree!"
Ling Tian let out a bitter laugh. Justice's thoughts were something that he had already expected. If he had another choice, he wouldn't want to do so either!
Ling Tian knew that his words would definitely result in such an outcome. This wasn't the Earth from his previous life where an autopsy would be conducted on the corpse. In this world, the corpse of the dead was sacred, not to mention the corpse of a powerhouse.
Even if one tortured the living, regardless of how cruel the means, he would be labeled as vicious or brutal at the very most. But if an individual defiles the dead, unless there was a sea of enmity between the two, no one would agree with such an action! Even though Justice wasn't trapped within the secular affairs of the world, he was also trapped in the traditions of the world!
Ling Tian pondered for a moment as he carefully crafted his words, "Senior Justice, for such an odd situation to occur on the battlefield, it is obvious that Yu ManLou had already unleashed his vicious means! With senior's medicinal skills, it should be obvious that Shui WuBo's palms are completely unharmed without any signs of it being pierced by weapons or hidden weapons. When Yu ManLou and Shui WuBo's palms contacted each other, I could obviously see Shui WuBo's palm bulging up for a moment before a thin black line quickly shot up his meridians. In that instant, Shui WuBo lost the ability to fight back. If not for him achieving a breakthrough in that instant, he definitely wouldn't be able to unleash that final sword strike of his. The sharpness and viciousness of Yu ManLou's venomous martial art are truly difficult to defend against!"
Justice listened by the side quietly. He was opposite Shui WuBo during the fight and he could not see these little details.
"Now that Shui WuBo had died such an odd death, it can be said that Shui WuBo did not die a knowing death! The origin of this is Yu ManLou's venomous martial art! I am certain that this venom of his would render any martial artist helpless, regardless of how profound his cultivation was! The moment one suffers from such a venom, he would definitely be at the mercy of Yu ManLou. Both you and I wouldn't be an exception!"
"If we can find such a venom, it would also be considered giving Shui WuBo an answer! Even if he is dead, we have to let him die a knowing death. Furthermore, if we do not understand Yu ManLou's means, Justice, let me ask you, in the world today, who else will be worthy of Yu ManLou using such means to deal with?" Ling Tian let out a smile and pointed at Justice and himself, "Apart from you, it would be me!"
"Do you want to be like Shui WuBo? Dying a mysterious death in the hands of Yu ManLou?" Ling Tian asked.
Justice's frowned slightly and said, "If he is still alive, we would be able to investigate the venom. But since he is dead already, how can we investigate anything? Even if we cut him apart, what can we find? We would only be able to tell that he was poisoned to death."
"I know how to perform an autopsy. Let me cut him open, I believe that I will be able to find out his cause of death. I believe that this would be Senior Shui WuBo's wish as well!" Ling Tian said with confidence.
Justice paused for a moment as he looked at Ling Tian. With a sigh, he placed his arms behind his back and gave his tacit approval.
Ling Tian bowed down thrice in front of Shui WuBo's corpse. Raising his head up, he saw Justice's hand behind his back looking as though he wasn't willing to take part in the dissection process and could not help but glance at Justice with disdain. Justice obviously wanted to know what was going on but was feigning his demeanor. However, he did not delay matters and pulled out his sword to get to work.
All of a sudden, Ling Tian let out a roar. Following that, he quickly took a step back and pulled Justice and Ling Jian back to retreat a hundred feet away!
Before Justice and Ling Jian realized what was going on, an unbelievable scene unfolded before their eyes.
In Shui WuBo's body, a soft bang could be heard as though something had burst. Following that, a black ball of mist could be seen rising from Shui WuBo's chest. The black mist rapidly expanded and covered Shui WuBo's body before disappearing without a trace.
This was not the most frightening thing. As the black mist disappeared, Shui WuBo's body could be seen melting down. In just a short few moments, Shui WuBo's body was reduced to a puddle of black water that seeped into the ground. The floral and fauna in the surrounding fifty feet had withered to death in that short instant.
Fifty feet around Shui WuBo's body had been transformed into a complete domain of death! The three of them could not help but feel a chill run down their spine and their heads being filled with cold sweat!
When Ling Tian was cutting open Shui WuBo's chest, Ling Tian realized that Shui WuBo's heart was abnormally swollen. The moment the heart was exposed to air, it expanded rapidly like a balloon. Knowing that something was wrong, Ling Tian immediately pulled Justice and Ling Jian back rapidly and escaped from the calamity!
If Ling Tian had been slightly slower and was tainted by the black gas…
Justice's face was also extremely ugly. Thinking about how he had held Shui WuBo's body for such a long journey, if Shui WuBo's body were to explode when he was carrying it, then… this Martial Order Medallion owner would probably become one with the mountains.
Ling Tian's face was ashen and his face was filled with cold sweat, "How tyrannical! How vicious! How evil!"
Justice was thoroughly enraged as he gnashed his teeth, "Yu ManLou actually dares to cultivate such a demonic martial art?! His actions truly go against the heavens and earth! This seat here shall chase after him immediately to put him down with my sword! I will not allow him to remain living in the world to harm anyone else!"
"Wait!" Ling Tian hurriedly stopped Justice, "If my estimates are right, it would be too late for Senior to go over now. Yu ManLou would not remain there waiting for you. You were the one who brought Shui WuBo's body away and as an individual who cultivates an evil martial art, how would he not understand the risks involved? I believe that it would be pointless for you to go over at this moment. He may already be on the way back to Heavenly Star."
Justice was truly filled with hatred.
Ling Tian asked, "It seems like you already know the origins of this martial art?"
Justice nodded his head with an ashen face, "That's right, after seeing the changes in Shui WuBo's body, I remembered something. According to the records of my Beyond Heavens, an extremely evil demon once appeared a thousand years ago. Anyone who suffered a blow from him would be reduced to a puddle of blood water in a few moments. Regardless of how high one's martial arts was or how profound one's cultivation was, it was impossible to escape such a fate! At that time, everyone lived in absolute fear and trepidation. In the end, the entire martial world gathered together to wipe out the demon together. The third generation Martial Order Medallion owner from my sect had also participated in the expedition to wipe out the demon before finally executing the demon."
"After his death, that evil martial art of his had never appeared again and I thought that this evil martial art was already lost. I never imagined that it would be in the hands of the Yu Family! Furthermore, it appeared again in Yu ManLou's hands!"
Ling Tian asked with curiosity, "Then, what kind of a venomous martial art is this? How is it cultivated?"
Talking about this, Justice's face turned even uglier, "It is truly difficult to fully describe in words how venomous this martial art is. This venom has no antidote and it can be called 'death qi'. As for the cultivation method, it is extremely brutal! It would be to raise a thousand children less than ten years of age and feed them venom from young. Every month, the amount of venom fed to them would be increased. Every 500 children would form a batch and after ten years, the first batch of children would be drowned. Their blood must not be leaked and the death qi on the corpses would be absorbed with a special incantation. After this batch of 500 children was absorbed, it would be a small accomplishment for the venomous martial arts. However, it was still insufficient to harm anyone and another ten years would be required for the venom to be assimilated within one's body. After that, it would be time for the second batch of 500 children to be absorbed!"
"It would require a full 20 years of effort for this venomous art to achieve accomplishment! Ling Tian, as long as one cultivates this venomous martial art, even if he has never practiced any form of martial arts, he would be able to kill experts at our level without us even knowing!"
Justice truly gnashed his teeth in anger and hatred. No matter what, Yu ManLou was the Family Head of a prestigious aristocratic family in the world and Justice never imagined that Yu ManLou would secretly cultivate such an evil martial art!
"If that's the case, is there any way to guard against this martial art?" Ling Tian frowned and felt his stomach churning with the urge to vomit!
He never imagined that the elegant looking Yu ManLou with a scholarly disposition would actually cultivate such a disgusting martial art! This was a vicious martial art that would enrage the heavens! Ling Tian could not help but be overwhelmed with killing intent!
"There isn't an antidote for this venomous martial art! There is no way to save an individual from this venom! There isn't a way to defend against it! However, the way to deal with him is also extremely simple. The third generation Martial Order Medallion owner of my sect used this method to kill the demon with a single blow…"
A trace of joy could be seen on Ling Tian's face, "Since there is a way, can Senior Justice enlighten me?!"
Justice let out a bitter laugh. "While the method is extremely simple, it is also extremely difficult: It would be to kill Yu ManLou before he can unleash this evil art of his! Kill him so swiftly that he would not have the chance to unleash his demonic art. This would be the most effective method. No spiritual elixir or divine art would be able to deal with this demonic art!" Justice said calmly.
Ling Tian could not help but be dumbfounded.
Justice's method could be easily summarized: one hit KO!
Ling Tian also let out a bitter laugh in response. This method was truly simple and effective but as the Family Head of the Yu Family, he held authority in his hands and was the commander of a million soldiers with countless experts by his side. With Yu ManLou's martial arts attainment, it was extremely difficult to even approach him without him noticing! Who would be able to kill him before he is able to even react? Who would be capable of such a feat?
This was a task that was impossible to accomplish! Could Justice accomplish such a task? Could he do it?!
Unless they could mimic the method in the past and entrap Yu ManLou in a situation where he was alone. If they sacrificed five or six experts to surround Justice, either he or Justice could hide by the side to deal the killing blow to Yu ManLou when he was flustered. That was the only way to kill Yu ManLou with a single blow!
However, the experts surrounding Yu ManLou would face certain death!
If they fought in a head-on battle, Yu ManLou definitely wouldn't be a match for Justice. However, the moment he unleashes his demonic martial art, regardless of whether he was facing Justice or Ling Tian, the outcome would definitely be both parties ending in mutual death!
"Let us head to the pier!" Ling Tian immediately made his decision!
"To the pier?" Ling Jian and Justice were both puzzled. Didn't Ling Tian just say that Yu ManLou may already be on the boat back to Heavenly Star?!
"Yes!" Ling Tian said anxiously, "I didn't recognize the seriousness of this affair previously and was afraid that Senior would unleash a massacre. At that time, too many people would end up dead. However, it seems like even if we have to wipe out all of the Yu Family members in Heavenly Wind, we will have to stop Yu ManLou from returning to Heavenly Star. It won't be easy for us to find Yu ManLou's whereabouts but there is a path that he must definitely pass if he wants to return to Heavenly Star. He must definitely go to the pier if he wants to take a boat back to Heavenly Star. As long as he has not departed from Heavenly Wind, we would be able to block him! Now that he unleashed his venomous art on Shui WuBo, I dare gamble that he would not be able to use it again in the short term. In any case, this may be our last chance! The last chance for us to kill him without paying a huge price!"
"That's right!" Ling Jian and Justice agreed in unison and the three of them shot towards the pier.
Three strong gusts of wind sped towards the pier only to helplessly realize that a large boat had already transformed into a little black dot out at sea…
Chapter 659: Arrival at the Shui Family
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Only after asking did they find out what actually happened. Right after Justice carried Shui WuBo's body away, Yu ManLou had collapsed onto the ground unconscious. After the experts under Yu ManLou took him away to take a rest, they left without witnessing the final mixed battle.
They estimated that Yu ManLou had probably escaped to the pier at that moment, leaving on the boat immediately…
He left without the slightest bit of hesitation!
Yu ManLou's judgment was truly admirable.
He did not consider whether or not Justice had spotted anything and did not dream that Justice would die from the venom in Shui WuBo's body. He made plans for the worst possible scenario and left immediately. He could not even be bothered about what would happen to his Yu Family in Heavenly Wind…
There was another possibility: Yu ManLou decided to leave the moment he saw Justice! Because Justice was one of the few in the world who had the strength to threaten Yu ManLou! The moment he realized something was wrong, he left without any hesitation and refused to take the slightest bit of risk!
Resolute! This was the demeanor of an ambitious character!
Ling Tian and Justice stood by the pier with worry on their faces.
With this sudden change in the war for hegemony, the two of them felt their hearts turn heavy. With Yu ManLou leaving today, it would be difficult to find another chance to deal with him!
"With things turning out this way, the only option available would be for us to defeat all of Yu ManLou's forces and force him into a corner before killing him with a single blow!" Ling Tian said with a low tone, "This is probably the only way left."
"No, we can also assassinate him!" Ling Jian said with a serious expression, "If the few of us brothers join hands, I believe that we will be able to get rid of Yu ManLou!"
"You must not!" Justice and Ling Tian shouted together. Ling Tian looked at Ling Jian with a deep gaze. "Ah Jian, my previous judgment of Yu ManLou was insufficient. If I really allow you to try to assassinate him, I believe that even if all of you are able to successfully assassinate him, not a single one of you would be able to return alive! If the price of me ruling over the world is the lives of my brothers, then I rather allow Yu ManLou to rule over the world! Unless… I take action personally!"
"Young noble, no!" The rims of Ling Jian's eyes turned red and he quickly turned around to prevent the two others from seeing the tears in his eyes.
"If the price of me ruling over the world is the lives of my brothers, then I would rather allow Yu ManLou to rule over the world." Justice repeated those words and lamented, "Ling Tian, from the beginning to the end, I always thought that you were no different from Yu ManLou with your ambitious character and vicious means. In that case, regardless of who gains the world, it wouldn't be anything good for the commoners of the world. But after hearing the words 'unless I take action personally' from you, I finally understand that I have underestimated you!"
"Yu ManLou wants to gain the world under his command even if he has to sacrifice his parents and family members. Anyone who blocks his way will be killed without mercy. In order to achieve his goals, apart from sacrificing his life, he is willing to sacrifice anything else! However, you, Ling Tian, are different. You have so many things that you aren't willing to give up. I am beginning to believe in you."
Ling Tian let out a desolate smile. "I never wanted to be a hero or become an ambitious individual. After all, it is too tiring to be a hero and there are far too many restrictions. An ambitious individual is too lonely and it is difficult for an ambitious individual to have family and trusted aides! There are far too many people in the world that I cannot abandon. Like my brothers, my family, and my women!"
Ling Tian sighed as he lamented, "I have far too many weaknesses for my enemies to target and so I cannot allow them to find out my weaknesses. Currently, everyone including you thinks that I, Ling Tian, am an ambitious character! When dealing with an ambitious character like Ling Tian, it would be useless to threaten him with his kin. As long as he is alive, there would definitely be endless troubles! I must attract all of their attention to myself. This is also something that I wanted!"
"It seems like your acting skills are truly fantastic." Justice could not help but laugh, "It is truly a good idea for you to act like an ambitious character."
"This isn't an act!" Ling Tian said with a serious expression, "It is truly more comfortable to be an ambitious character as compared to being a hero. I can do whatever I wish to and that is the most delightful way to live! Justice, do you think that a hero does not wish to do as they wish?" Ling Tian burst out laughing, "They also wish to do so but they are entrapped by their title of being a 'hero'! They have to suppress their desires and are unable to do as they wish. Can that still be considered a hero? They are just pitiful bugs!"
"A hero should be rated on whether or not his deeds benefited the entire world and not his means!"
"A false gentleman will never be a hero! If they cannot even do as they wish freely, how can they be considered a hero?" Ling Tian burst out laughing, "I am numb to killing and my methods are sinister. I will not treat my enemies with mercy and will wipe them out by the roots! When fighting for hegemony, I will resort to any means possible and scheme against the various aristocratic families! However, I have never harmed the commoners of the world! I have only killed those who deserved to die!"
"Even if I am an ambitious character, when I unite the world and bring peace to the commoners, who would not say that I am a hero? Of all the monarchs in history, which one of them would be heroes to the very end? Not a single one! Not even half a monarch! If they continue leading a 'heroic' life, not a single one of them would be able to survive to the very end, not to mention ascending to the throne!" Ling Tian turned around to look at Justice, "Determining who the hero is from one's actions? Only your Beyond Heavens would make such casual judgments!"
For the first time, Justice was rendered speechless. He never imagined that a casual joke of his would incite such a long speech from Ling Tian. But as he thought about it carefully, Ling Tian's words did indeed make sense.
"Hero? Ambitious character?" Justice muttered under his breath as he looked up at the sky.
Perhaps it is time for Beyond Heavens to be disbanded, Justice thought to himself in his heart.
The generational battle between the Shui and Yu Families was over but the storm in Heavenly Wind had only started to brew. The flags of the Sky Alliance were already fluttering proudly all around the continent. At the same time, the war for authority in the Shui Family had also begun!
Shui WuBo's death had greatly affected the strength of the already dwindling side branch of the Shui Family. Just when the conflict between the two factions was extremely intense, Ling Tian appeared in the great hall of the Shui Family with his men!
After witnessing Justice's departure like a free swallow, Ling Tian made his way to the Shui Family together with Ling Jian. With the generational battle over, the members of the Yu Family were packing up and getting ready to leave. Yu BingYan was naturally not part of this group.
Ling Tian had pondered about whether he should inform Yu ManTang and Yu ManTian about Yu ManLou cultivating an evil martial art. But after long consideration, Ling Tian decided to remain silent about it. With Yu ManTian's character, he would definitely interrogate Yu ManLou the moment he learned of this. At the same time, Yu ManTian would probably be the first to die in Yu ManLou's hands as well. At that time, Ling Tian would only be harming Yu ManTian.
As for Yu ManTang, Ling Tian had only briefly mentioned it to him. Ling Tian only briefly mentioned that Yu ManLou's martial art was extremely evil with a heavy sigh of anger. After that, he did not say another word.
With Yu ManTang's wisdom, it wouldn't be difficult for him to guess why Ling Tian was beating about the bush. However, Yu ManTang hid everything in his heart and pretended that he did not hear or understand anything. After all, their Yu Family still has to survive from now on. Before the world was united as one, large aristocratic families such as the Yu and Shui Families would not disappear.
However, Ling Tian had already made a decision in his heart. The moment peace is restored to the world and there are no longer wars, Ling Tian would not allow families like the Yu, Shui, and Xiao to continue being the local tyrants of their region!
Before that day arrives, everything was just empty words.
With regards to the authority of the Shui Family, Ling Tian had a long conversation with Shui ManKong. Ling Tian felt that since they intended to cleanse the Shui Family out of all oppositions, they should do it thoroughly.
Ling Tian had openly proclaimed his intention to unleash a massacre in the Shui Family. If the cleansing only happened with water, it would only be a matter of time before a relapse happens. The moment a relapse happened, it would be a tragedy for the Shui Family! Only by using the sharpest and reddest blood to cleanse the Shui Family would they be able to ensure that no relapse would occur!
Being overly merciful would never allow one to accomplish anything!
The only reason why the Shui Family ended up in its miserable straits was because of Shui ManKong's mercy! Even if he hated his enemy to the bone, he could not bear to uproot his enemies from the root.
With regards to his character, Ling Tian was completely speechless. No wonder his daughter and son would think of going to Heavenly Star in an attempt to save their family.
Helpless, Ling Tian could only agree to Shui ManKong's request. As long as Shui ManShu was wise enough, Ling Tian would only kill a few individuals to scare him. Upon hearing that, Shui ManKong felt a burden being lifted off his shoulders and quickly agreed.
A pity Shui ManKong was wrong.
Ling Tian had already predicted that Shui ManShu and his gang would definitely not be wise. They wouldn't shed tears if they didn't see the coffin!
Ling Tian had already decided that regardless of Shui ManKong's choice, all of them would have to die!
Indeed, Shui ManShu, Shui ManPing, and the others were even more foolish than Ling Tian had expected! Their words and actions went completely overboard and they were like beasts struggling in a cage!
In Ling Jian's words, "Even if a coffin is in front of these people, they won't be able to stop themselves from jumping into the coffin to test it out!"
The intense argument from within the Shui Family's hall was one that could be heard from even a mile away. This made Ling Tian who was seated in the side hall extremely impatient. This was originally a problem that could be easily solved with a simple massacre but Shui ManKong and Shui QianRou were both vehemently against that idea. However, these two individuals were people who Ling Tian had no choice but to show some face to.
Both father and daughter felt that after Shui WuBo's and Shui ManCheng's death, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to wrestle back the authority within the family. However, they never expected Shui ManShu and Shui ManPing would gather all of the Elders to question and provoke their authority.
The 'incompetence' of the Shui Family had always been Shui ManKong's biggest flaw and Shui ManKong was also blamed for the internal mess within the Shui Family. In their mouths, everything that went wrong in the Shui Family was a result of their Family Head's incompetence and their family head should give up his seat!
As such, emotions flared up and all the Elders of the Shui Family demanded that Shui ManKong fulfill the promise he made before the generational battle and give up all authority in the family before receiving the punishment of the family! The Elders in Shui ManKong's faction naturally refused to back down but were inferior in number. With the argument growing more and more intense, all of their faces flushed red and it seemed as though a chaotic battle was about to break out.
"Ah? Is this the thousand-year-old Shui Family or is this a market?" Why does it seem like I came to the wrong place?" A young voice sounded with disdain in his voice. While the voice wasn't loud, everyone in the hall could hear his voice despite the commotion. Furthermore, every one of them felt as though that young voice was directed at them.
Just what kind of cultivation would be required? Just what kind of means did this individual have? After losing their number one expert, how could the Shui Family not be shocked!
The entire hall immediately fell silent and everyone turned to look at the door.
The door was opened and a young white-robed teen was standing outside the door with a smile on his face. At the same time, his eyes were filled with unconcealed disdain. Behind him, there were a couple of white-robed men standing upright in an orderly fashion. However, right at this moment, everyone in the hall could only see Ling Tian and not anyone else.
Just like on a night with a full moon, regardless of how many stars there are in the sky, everyone's attention would immediately be captured by the moon the moment they look up at the sky! The brightest moon!
This foreign white-robed teen was like the full moon in the sky!
He was like a gigantic magnet attracting all of their gazes.
By Shui ManKong's side, the eyes of the originally enraged Shui QianRou lit up immediately and she was overjoyed. With regards to the stunning effect that he created, Shui QianRou only felt pride! This is my beloved man! My beloved man who loves me!
"Who are you? Why do you dare to barge into my Shui Family's residence! Do you want to become enemies with my Shui Family?" A middle-aged man asked with a solemn expression. He was Shui ManShu.
"Ling Tian! He is Ling Tian from the Ling Family!" A young man cried out with a flustered expression. The one who cried out was Shui QianHai who saw Ling Tian back in Heavenly Star.
Everyone was startled!
Ling Tian, one of the two hegemons in Heavenly Star capable of being a match for Yu ManLou. He was also the widely known number one demon of killing who brought five individuals to fight his way through a million soldiers. To think that such a character would appear before their eyes!
Of course, Ling Tian was also widely known for something else that everyone had already forgotten: He was the number one profligate son in Sky Bearing…
"So it is the arrival of young noble Ling. Please forgive this Shui for not receiving you." Shui ManYun cupped his hands and said with a smile. At the same time, he grumbled in his heart, One hegemon has just left and another is here again. For these two opponents of Heavenly Star to appear in Heavenly Wind at the same time, could it be a coincidence? Furthermore, what is Ling Tian's purpose for visiting Heavenly Wind?
"Ah'Jian, was the one who spoke to this young noble Family Head Shui ManKong?" Ling Tian raised his head up slightly pretending as though he could not hear Shui ManYun's words. Since he was here to seek trouble with them, how would he treat them politely?
"Reporting to young noble, I heard that Family Head Shui is a heroic figure with an imposing disposition. A figure like him with a cunning pair of eyes would never be the family head of the Shui Family. At the very most, he can only belong to someone from the side branch. Someone like him will never have the rights to be a direct descendant of the family. Young noble, I am truly sorry! We would not have any information on such a figure. May young noble forgive me." Ling Jian rubbed his head and replied respectfully. Ling Jian naturally knew how to work together with his young noble to blow things up. After all, if he didn't blow things up and a fight didn't break out, wouldn't he have nothing to do?
"A figure like you dares to talk instead of the Shui family head? Is this the way a thousand-year-old family treats its guests?" Ling Tian bellowed in anger before looking at Ling Jian, "Are you becoming stupid? Why are you not chasing trash like him away? You made this young noble waste my saliva for no good reason!"
"This subordinate is in the wrong. This subordinate will do so immediately." Ling Jian acted like a flustered subordinate.
As Shui ManYun heard the conversation of the two individuals, he was almost angered to death! His body trembled from head to toe with his previously fair face turning ashen from anger.
"That who… I am sorry, I don't know your name," Ling Jian said apologetically but not a tinge of apology could be seen on his face. "My young noble wants to talk to your family head. Please step aside. Even if you are from the side branch, you are still a disciple of an aristocratic family. Why don't you know the basic rules? If this happened in the Ling Family, you would definitely be beaten to death for your crimes!"
Shui ManYun finally exploded! This wasn't the way to bully someone! His lips were trembling and even his tone changed, "Ling Tian! You actually dare to act in such an arrogant manner?! Even a slave of yours dares to humiliate an important member of my Shui Family? So what if you are a hegemon in Heavenly Star? We are now in Heavenly Wind and in the premises of the Shui Family! My status would only be higher than your Ling Family! What right do you have to say such words? What right do you have to humiliate me as such? If you do not give me a reason, my Shui Family will not let you off!"
Ling Tian lowered his head and snapped his fingers. With a frown, he did not even lift his head up to look at Shui ManYun, "Reason? Not letting me off? Even a character like you can be considered an important member of the Shui Family? You can actually represent the Shui Family? What a fool! If the Shui Family is filled with characters like you, you are truly tarnishing the name of a thousand-year-old family!"
From Shui ManYun's faction, seven to eight elders stormed out angrily. "Little junior! Do you know the price of humiliating my Shui Family?! You are going to pay a price for your arrogance today!"
Chapter 660: Massacre
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Oh? Are you guys the family head of the Shui Family?" Ling Tian began crying out, "Strange, before the family head said anything, so many of you are so eager to jump out. Old fogies, do all of you think that you are superior to your family head? This is the bearing of a thousand-year-old family? This is truly rare. It is truly better to witness all of your bearings rather than hearing about it in the rumors!" Ling Tian's words were laced with sarcasm.
These words made the elders who were already dissatisfied with Shui ManKong stir with anger. Their cold eyes were fixed on Ling Tian and they all looked as though they were itching to give Ling Tian a beating. For you to act in such an unbridled fashion in our Shui Family territory, regardless of your background, you are truly going too far!
Shui ManKong flicked his sleeves and stopped the elders from his faction who were about to charge forward to defend Ling Tian. With a smile on his face, he shook his head.
As such, the scenario in the hall became one of Ling Tian facing Shui ManPing, Shui ManYun, and the others from their faction.
Despite suffering from the miserable losses of the generational battle, there were still a full 200 experts from their faction! Such a force was one that couldn't be underestimated regardless of where one was. On the contrary, the number of warriors under Shui ManKong's command who had the right to join the battle was no more than a hundred! With the huge disparity in their forces, it was obvious that the side branch of the Shui Family had the upper hand. It was no wonder they dared to act in such an unbridled manner when facing their family head! You have to know, the number one expert of the Shui Family was also on their side before his death. Ling Tian could not help but lament in his heart, With the huge disparity between their strengths, it would be a wonder if nothing went wrong!
"Audacious! Why? Could it be that the few of you dare to surround this young noble?" Ling Tian face was calm as he hollered. Not a trace of fear or anxiousness could be heard in his voice and he sounded like an emperor facing an army of rebel soldiers. His voice was filled with the authority of a powerhouse, as though anyone who defied him would be killed.
"Who do you think you are? Ling Tian, don't think that you can flaunt your might in Heavenly Wind just because you are a hegemon in Heavenly Star!" An elder sneered as he looked at Ling Tian, "Today, this old man will teach you a lesson. Even if you are a ferocious tiger, you cannot cross the river!"
The elder glared at Ling Tian with a menacing gaze and emphasized every word clearly, "Those who attempt to cross the river shall die!"
"Those who dare to humiliate the Shui Family, die!" Close to 200 hollered in unison and their killing intent exploded forth.
"Do all of you really intend to kill me? All of you aren't joking?" Ling Tian suddenly lifted his head up and smiled gently. Despite his warm and sunny smile, the 200 warriors of the Shui Family felt as though a gust of cold wind blew past them.
"Do you think that you will be able to leave this place alive after humiliating our Shui Family members in the Shui Family?" Shui ManYun laughed sinisterly, "For the past thousand years, there has never been a single person!"
Ling Tian let out a heavy sigh before shaking his head with a tinge of frustration. Shutting his eyes, he said with dissatisfaction, "Even talking with all of you takes so much effort. In the past thousand years, there has never been anyone?!" As he said that, he raised his eyebrows at Ling Jian, "Ling Jian, it seems like they truly want to kill us and aren't kidding. What do you think we should do?"
"Then we should kill them all first!" A fierce glow could be seen in Ling Jian's eyes, "Those who dare to harm young noble should have their nine clans executed!"
"Err… nine clans executed…" Ling Tian could not help but let out a bitter laugh. Didn't that mean that he should also be executed? "There isn't a need to be so cruel. I am in a good mood today. I shall just kill them all and spare their nine clans."
"Roger!" Ling Jian turned around while hugging his sword. Stretching out his right hand, five swords were unsheathed in unison but only a single sound could be heard!
They were the most powerful assassin combination: Feng, Yun, Lei, Dian, and the First Pavilion Head, Ling Jian!
Right at this moment, killing intent erupted forth in the large hall!
Despite the presence of 200 Shui Family experts, they were actually unable to suppress the incoming killing intent!
"Do not let them have the chance to take action! Charge forward to kill them all! Dismember their bodies into a thousand pieces!" Shui QianHai who had witnessed Ling Jian's strength before roared out anxiously. However, not a single person listened to his orders. Who would bother about a junior?
Ling Jian's lips curled up in a cold sneer, "Kill!"
The five assassins launched their attacks together!
The one who takes action first shall have the advantage! This was the first principle of assassination that Ling Tian constantly reminded them. Especially when noticing that the other party has the intention to attack, they should seize the initiative without the need for seeking permission.
The first to suffer was naturally the furious Shui ManYun who was standing at the very front.
Shui ManYun would never believe… even when he had the absolute numerical advantage, he would actually…
He saw a sword light flash past his eyes as though there was an expert launching an attack. Just when he was about to unsheathe his sword to block the attack, he felt a cold wind blow past his face. Retreating a few steps back, he felt a sharp pain at his back. Attempting to take a few steps forward to avoid the pain, he felt his whole body being engulfed in pain. Following which, Shui ManYun was horrified to realize that he no longer had his legs. His knees were on the ground and a large bloody hole could be seen in his back.
Furthermore, all of this was what he felt and not what he saw. As for why he couldn't see, the reason was extremely simple: his eyes were already reduced to two slits of blood! He was long blind!
Shui ManYun was completely frightened. While he had the heart to cry out in misery, he realized that he could no longer let out a single sound. His figure collapsed heavily onto the ground as though he was a rotten wooden pole.
This series of changes was truly too terrifying and swift. He didn't even have the chance to react!
Shui ManYun from the Shui Family: Dead!
With Shui ManYun's martial arts, even if he wasn't a match for Yu ManTian, he wouldn't be too far off. If he was facing Ling Jian head-on in a calm battle, even if he wasn't a match for Ling Jian, he wouldn't have lost so quickly and miserably!
However, when facing the ferocious attack of the First Pavilion Head, he did not even have his sword drawn and his emotions were extremely agitated. He was only thinking about how he could rely on his numbers to take down Ling Tian and his gang. Thus, it wasn't that surprising for the battle to end in such an outcome.
At the same time, seven to eight miserable groans could be heard. The group of warriors standing at the very front had also collapsed onto the ground together with Shui ManYun. Not a single one of them was just wounded, because they were all dead!
The four white-robed individuals who killed these eight individuals did not stop there. They charged straight into the crowd with their swords gleaming. At the same time, four crisp voices sounded, "Those who dare to disrespect young noble shall die!"
"Spread out! All of you spread out! Gathering together will only cause all of you to commit fratricide!" a bearded elder roared.
Shui QianHai's face was completely pale as he looked around with a horror. With his father killed before his very eyes, the first reaction of this aristocratic young noble wasn't to take revenge for his father but to pee his pants in fear. However, this was truly a life-saving talisman. Ling Jian, Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian were utterly disgusted at a coward like him and disdained to kill a coward like him.
The five of them were like five ferocious tigers roaming freely in a herd of sheep. Wherever they went, clouds of blood would explode and they would only leave behind fatalities without any casualties!
By the side, Shui ManKong ordered those in his faction to remain calm and watch by the side. If they couldn't tell that Ling Tian was here to aid Shui ManKong, they truly deserved to have their eyes plucked out.
Despite them being aware of that, they wouldn't be so foolish to open their mouths about it. At the same time, while they understood that there was a need for such a cleansing, upon hearing the miserable cries of their fellow family members and witnessing all of their bodies collapsing onto the ground, they could not help but feel their hearts ache.
At the same time, the exquisite swordplay and profound cultivation of the five assassins shocked every one of them present! The most frightening thing was how the five of them could slaughter their enemies as though they were having a casual meal. In the eyes of these five experts, human life was like cabbages for them to harvest as they wished. All of them had calm expressions on their faces as though it was just an ordinary affair.
The way these five individuals treated life like ants truly made all of their hair stand up on edge!
They weren't just natural born assassins! They were cold-blooded butchers!
"Rou'er, are these five individuals the most powerful subordinates under Ling Tian?" Shui ManKong whispered to his daughter, "Their martial arts are truly exceptional and they are truly top-notch experts. No wonder Ling Tian was able to weave through a million soldier army with the five of them! They are powerful indeed!"
"They can't be considered the best. While they are top-notch experts in the Ling Family Courtyard, they are not the best. There are still a few more powerful than them. With Ling Tian coming to Heavenly Wind, he would still have to leave a few experts behind to protect the Ling Family Courtyard." Shui QianRou answered honestly. However, her honest reply had made the eyeballs of the elders by her side almost pop out!
Any one of these five experts before them would probably have the right to lead a sect and reign over a region of the continent! However, they still weren't the most powerful experts in the Ling Family Courtyard?! Then just how frightening would the best experts of the Ling Family Courtyard be?
"Besides that, there are still plenty of experts in the Ling Family Courtyard capable of being a match to these five. The strength that you are witnessing before you isn't considered much." Shui QianRou's words made everyone present take in a deep breath of cold air. These experts still aren't considered much? There are still plenty of them?? Just how powerful was the Ling Family?!
Including Shui ManKong, all the Elders of the Shui Family felt short of breath.
"There are still plenty…?! How many of them are there?" It would be sufficiently frightening even if there were another three or four of such experts.
Shui QianRou frowned and said, "I am not sure exactly how many of such experts there are in the Ling Family. However, I estimate that there should be 14 or 15 of them at least."
"Fourteen or fifteen?! Wouldn't that be a force that is a couple of times more powerful than these individuals?!" The tone of the bearded elder had gotten a pitch higher and he took in a deep breath of cold air.
This was far too shocking!
Even in the Shui Family, experts of such caliber stood at the very peak of the family! Before the generational battle, there were only three to five such experts in the whole Shui Family! Furthermore, the frosty teen in the lead was definitely at the level of Shui WuBo! Just what kind of strength was that?
However, there was another 14 or 15 of such experts in Ling Tian's camp?! Just what kind of strength was the Ling Family hiding?!
Wasn't such strength too unfathomable and frightening?
After the chaos and massacre at the start, the Shui Family was gradually regaining their ground and the battle was no longer as one-sided as before.
The Shui Family was a thousand-year-old family after all. While they were caught off guard initially and fell into a mess, they quickly stabilized the situation and Ling Jian could no longer massacre his opponents like before. It could be seen from the results of the battle since some who were only wounded were beginning to appear in the Shui Family!
The five of them fought individually and each of them had already taken the lives of 5 to 6 individuals. However, after the Shui Family stabilized the situation, they gradually began to get into formation.
"Shui ManKong! As the Family Head of the Shui Family, you actually colluded with outsiders to destroy my Shui Family's foundations! Even the heavens will not be able to tolerate your actions! Even in your death, how will you be able to face your ancestors in death!" Shui ManPing waved his sword and cursed.
From beginning to the end, Ling Tian's men had only targeted his faction. As for the experts in Shui ManKong's faction, not to mention helping them, they did not even let out a single sound. If Shui ManPing still couldn't tell that something was wrong, he should just bang his dead and die.
For Shui ManPing to speak up at this moment, it was sufficient to show his confidence. The incoming enemies were already surrounded and regardless of how powerful they were, his faction had already gained the upper hand. At the very most, they would be like beasts trapped in a cage. Now that he saw through Shui ManKong's scheme, he would be able to seize the position of the family head after settling the chaos!
Shui ManYun and Shui ManCheng had already died and there wouldn't be anyone else to fight with him for the position of family head. As long as he could quell the chaos before him, the entire Shui Family would be his to command. Thinking about that, Shui ManPing grew extremely excited.
"Look at how excited he is. It is truly a wonder for him to be so excited before his death!" Ling Tian shook his head and let out a sigh. All of a sudden, his white robes fluttered and he shot into the battlefield. With a wave of his arms, the seven experts surrounding Ling Feng collapsed onto the ground with blood flowing out of their seven orifices.
Stretching out his hands, he caught another two individuals before smashing them together in the middle. His figure the drifted back and he appeared beside Ling Yun. Two longswords and one battle saber cleaved down towards him, but with a graceful slide, he easily avoided the danger. Following that, the three individuals who slashed at him were cleaved into six pieces.
At the same time, the two individuals who were caught by Ling Tian were smashed together and their brains exploded like two watermelons.
Without turning back, Ling Tian casually crushed an individual's throat with a casual pinch with his left hand. As for his right hand, his right hand smashed towards the chest, back, and abdomen of the eight experts surrounding Ling Lei.
With the eight experts collapsing onto the ground, Ling Lei's sword could only stab into the air because there weren't any targets left.
With a brilliant flash, the Heaven Splitter was unsheathed!
At the place where the members of the Shui Family was the densest, Ling Tian's figure drifted over and a majestic sword qi enveloped the crowd. With a clanging sound, the Heaven Splitter returned to its sheath. Ling Tian's body did not touch the ground and spun around in mid-air. Flying out of the crowd, he roared, "Kill them all!"
With this roar of his, pillars of blood shot towards the sky and more than 40 individuals had either their heads chopped off or waist cleaved into two.
In that single instant, while the others could only see a single flash, Ling Tian unleashed a full forty sword strikes! Not a single sword missed its target and not a single target was attacked twice!
In just a couple of breaths, there were already more than seventy individuals who had died in his hands! Any one of these individuals were rare experts in the continent but they were actually squashed so easily by Ling Tian like a pile of clay without the slightest ability to fight back!
The originally crowded hall was almost half emptied in this short few moments!
Seeing Ling Tian unleash his might, Ling Jian was also energized. With a cold demeanor, his longsword was as graceful as the wind and as vicious as a venomous snake. With every sword strike, there would definitely be someone dying under his sword. Ling Feng and the other three assassins immediately felt greatly relieved and they worked together with Ling Jian to unleash their final charge!
From this moment on, the side branch of the Shui Family no longer had the chance to turn things around!
Ling Tian's figure flashed out of the battlefield and drifted to Shui QianRou's side. Looking at her eyes filled with sweetness and love, Ling Tian chuckled, "Little beauty, I didn't scare you, did I?! Is your husband powerful enough?"
Shui QianRou's face immediately turned red and she turned around quickly, "How shameless, you only know how to praise yourself!"
Shui ManKong burst out laughing and said, "Hahaha, young noble Ling's martial arts are naturally unparalleled and he definitely isn't bragging. The way I see it, even the late First Elder of our Shui Family, Elder Shui WuBo, wouldn't be a match for him."
As these words were said, the few elders by the side nodded in agreement.
Ling Tian smiled slightly and looked at them, "I only know a few tricks for self-defense. How do I deserve such praises from Elders?" He then looked towards Ling Jian and the others in battle with a mysterious smile.
The faces of everyone present turned red together!
Chapter 661: I Want Heavenly Wind
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Currently, Ling Tian was helping their Shui Family cleanse any opposition from within their family. However, they were all sitting down by the side allowing Ling Tian to massacre their family members as he wished. These two things did not feel good at all.
It was one thing for them to not have the strength to cleanse the opposition out of their family. However, it was truly a little too much for them to be watching by the side when their reinforcements are here.
After letting out two dry coughs, Shui ManKong let out a bitter laugh and said, "Young noble may not know but…"
Ling Tian smiled and said, "I understand." After taking in a deep breath, he repeated himself with a solemn expression, "I really understand."
"Regardless of how outrageous their actions or how much they forced you, they are still your family members. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, it will not feel good for you to kill your brothers. I have felt this once before. Thus, let me be the bad guy. I am most suitable."
Ling Tian let out a sigh.
Shui QianRou walked over to Ling Tian's side and held onto his arm with a comforting gaze. "With Tian'ge taking action, he not only prevented us from killing our own brethren, he even helped us to thoroughly cleanse our Shui Family. His actions allowed us to prevent the downfall of the Shui Family and our Shui Family must always remember this favor."
Ling Tian felt a weird feeling in his heart as he heard those words. What is this lass trying to hint by saying those words? These words of hers would be completely proper if they were said by Shui ManKong, but for these words to come out from Shui QianRou's mouth, it seems as though Shui QianRou was overestimating her status. When lowering his head to look at Shui QianRou, he noticed that Shui QianRou's expression was solemn but her eyes were rolling about quickly. Ling Tian immediately understood her intentions.
He never imagined that before the battle even ended, Shui QianRou was already trying to seek benefits for him. She was obviously afraid that he might be too embarrassed to open his mouth and thus decided to take the initiative.
Ling Tian could not help but laugh in his heart. For me to spend such a great deal of effort and not receive anything in return, wouldn't I be suffering a huge loss? When it is time for me to open my mouth, my heart definitely wouldn't turn soft regardless of who I am facing. As for being embarrassed, just what is that? I have never heard of it before…
Despite thinking about that, Ling Tian was truly extremely moved by Shui QianRou's thoughts and affection.
At the very start, the two of them were enemies and Shui QianRou's heart was completely aligned with the interests of her family. But now, when choosing between her family and him, Shui QianRou had chosen him without any hesitation. For her to have such a drastic change in character, just how much did she have to go through?
Ling Tian was extremely satisfied, happy, and gratified.
Shui ManKong let out a loud laugh, "Rou'er, since things have already developed to such a point, what are you still worried about? Besides, with young noble Ling's strength, even if I want to renege on my words, do you think I will be able to do so? Do you think that he will care if I renege on my words? Do you think there is any meaning?!"
Shui QianRou giggled and her face flushed red.
Ling Tian chuckled, "Rou'er, you are looking down on your father too much. Didn't you realize something extremely strange?"
"What?" Shui QianRou was a little puzzled. Following which, she stomped her feet in anger, "Only my father?"
Ling Tian chuckled and rubbed his nose, "Did you realize that despite the countless miserable shrieks from the beginning of the battle, not a single Shui Family member has appeared to check on what is going on? Your father has already made sufficient preparations." As he said that, he looked towards Shui ManKong with a smile that didn't seem like a smile. "He was only waiting for a sharp weapon. This time, I will willingly allow someone to make use of me for the first time in my life!"
Shui ManKong began coughing awkwardly, "Young noble Ling is wise indeed. Ah ah, you are wise indeed."
Shui QianRou never imagined that her father already had some tricks up his sleeves and had even hidden it from her. She could not help but turn around in anger from him with two cold snorts. However, with regards to Ling Tian saying that he willingly allowed someone to make use of him, she immediately jumped to the conclusion that Ling Tian was only willing to be made use of because of his love for her.
However, she was truly thinking too highly of Ling Tian. Ling Tian was only thinking of how he could make the Shui Family owe him as much as possible. He was only thinking about how he could seize authority in the Shui Family to command their forces. The more they owed him the merrier!
Right at this moment, a series of miserable groans could be heard in the hall. Ling Jian and the four assassins kept their weapons and walked over to Ling Tian's side with their faces and bodies entirely covered with blood!
In the hall behind them, there wasn't a single living person left behind! Originally, there could have been someone left, Shui QianHai who had soiled himself from fear. A pity this brat's guts were truly too cowardly. Not only did he soil his pants in fear, he was even frightened to death!
"Young noble, a couple of them escaped. Should we give chase?" Ling Jian asked respectfully.
"There's no need. Senior Family Head Shui will naturally take care of the loose ends. Have you guys gotten addicted to killing?" Ling Tian laughed as he looked at his top subordinate.
"That's right. Little brother Ling had already given so much for my Shui Family. How can we let little brother Ling expend so much effort for such small things?" Shui ManKong looked at Ling Jian and said with sincerity. While Shui ManKong's strength wasn't a match for Ling Jian, his eyesight was still keen. Facing an expert who was a match for Shui WuBo, Shui ManKong would naturally speak carefully.
"That's the best." Ling Jian coughed dryly and stood by Ling Tian's side silently.
All five of them were injured and the strongest Ling Jian was actually the one who had the most injuries. In order to prevent his brothers from suffering injuries, he had single-handedly fought off the majority of the top-notch experts. He had more than ten open wounds all over his body and he had also suffered from severe internal injuries.
The other four assassins were also riddled with injuries all over but not a single one of them let out a single groan of weakness.
However, being able to face the simultaneous attack of almost 200 experts and achieve such a stunning victory, Shui ManKong and the others were already dumbfounded!
"Men! Quickly treat the injuries of our five brothers." Shui ManKong roared.
The subordinates of the Shui Family members flooded into the hall from all directions. All of them were immediately startled the moment they entered and there were some others who could not help but run out to puke shortly after.
The whole hall was littered with dismembered limbs and fresh blood painted the walls. The puddles of blood in the hall had formed a small pond which was gradually expanding.
This was no different from a living hell!
Shui ManKong looked towards Ling Tian and said, "Let them clean up this place and we can talk in the inner hall." With his gaze sweeping past the other Shui Family members, he said, "The six elders, please follow me. As for the rest, all of you are dismissed. Remember to keep your lips sealed about the matters today."
All of them acknowledged Shui ManKong's words in unison.
In a place not too far away from the great hall, five black-robed experts hiding in the dark glanced at each other and whispered, "The killing is over. It seems like there isn't a need for us to take action."
"Shut up!" another person bellowed, "Only when we see young noble and brother Jian walk out safely can we be sure that everything is fine! Before that, anything can happen. Don't say a thing and wait quietly."
They were Ling One and his four helpers.
For Ling Tian to bring Ling Jian, Feng, Yun, Lei and Dian with him to the Shui Family, their strength was already sufficient. However, Ling Tian still left a trump card behind as contingency. If everything went smoothly and the direct descendants of the Shui Family did not play any tricks, there wouldn't be a need for them to appear. However, if the Shui Family wanted to take advantage of Ling Jian's fatigue and go back on their word, there would be another five of them hidden in the dark to ensure that nothing would go wrong!
This wasn't because of his distrust in Shui ManKong but the fact that they were currently in Heavenly Wind! With his status and position, even if Ling Tian had the heart to take a risk, he no longer had any right to take the risk!
Ling Jian and the others insisted on rejecting the Shui Family members from treating their injuries and helped each other to wrap up their injuries instead. They then stood behind Ling Tian without saying a single word. Even if they were in the safest place, as long as there were outsiders present, they would never leave Ling Tian's side!
"The cleansing is already over and there will no longer be internal strive within the Shui Family from now on. Family Head can take full control of the Shui Family and this is truly a joyous event." Ling Tian regained his usual elegance and cupped his fists with a smile.
"For us to pacify the internal struggle within the family, it is all thanks to the aid of young noble Ling. If not, our Shui Family would already be destroyed by this time." Shui ManKong hurriedly cupped his fists in response. The more he looked at Ling Tian, the more satisfied he was. He was like a father-in-law sizing up his son-in-law. Even with Ling Tian's thick skin, he could not help but be a little embarrassed.
"We aren't outsiders and it is only right for Ling Tian to give aid." What Ling Tian meant was that since we already have an alliance, how can we be outsiders?
"That's right! Hahaha…" Shui ManKong burst out laughing, "That's right, that's right! We are going to be a true family very soon. This old man shall not stand on ceremony."
He was obviously already treating himself as Ling Tian's father-in-law.
Ling Tian was speechless.
Shui QianRou's face flushed red and she dove into her father's embrace.
Both father and daughter had the same thoughts.
Ling Tian blinked his eyes and realized that his words were truly too easily misunderstood. While that wasn't his intention, he couldn't control what Shui ManKong and Shui QianRou thought and thus couldn't blame them from having strange thoughts.
The few elders from the Shui Family looked at each other with an enlightened expression of, I finally understand what is going on, Family Head is truly amazing.
Ling Tian looked at the few of them while sighing in his heart and decided not to make any explanations. With yellow mud staining his shorts, even if it wasn't sh*t, he wouldn't be able to explain otherwise.
"Since things have developed to such an extent, young brother Ling can speak openly. The individuals seated in here are the core of my family and I have absolute trust in them! We can put in some effort for any big or small event in Heavenly Wind!" Shui ManKong looked at Ling Tian with a warm smile.
His attitude was completely transformed. He still addressed Ling Tian as 'young noble Ling' previously but his address had changed to 'young brother Ling' so quickly.
When talking about his plans, Ling Tian naturally would not stand on ceremony. With his body bent slightly forward, he smiled, "After putting in so much effort, I naturally want to have some benefits."
"Little brother Ling can talk about all of your plans. As long as this old man is able to help you, I will definitely not hold anything back!" Shui ManKong's expression became solemn and made a solemn promise!
"If that's the case, I shall be straightforward. The members of the Sky Alliance are my men. From now on, the Shui Family has to work together with my Sky Alliance! My condition is: I want…" Ling Tian grit his teeth and his eyes flashed, "… the whole Heavenly Wind Continent!"
When it was time for him to raise his conditions, Ling Tian naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony!
The whole hall was shocked!
While Ling Tian did expend a great deal of energy to cleanse the Shui Family and it can be said that he was the key factor which allowed them to turn the situation around, his condition was truly too much. After all, the entire Heavenly Wind Continent contained a huge number of various powers and the number of grievances and hatred truly couldn't be explained clearly. If Shui ManKong agreed to Ling Tian's condition, he would be giving up his superior status and pushing the Shui Family to the heart of the troubles!
The Shui Family would definitely suffer huge losses as a result and they may end up suffering even more losses than cleansing their Shui Family. After all, even if the side branch of the Shui Family had emerged victorious in their internal battle, the Shui Family was still the Shui Family. But according to Ling Tian's conditions, the Shui Family might disappear completely!
Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the Shui Family was around after the continent was united, their vitality would definitely be greatly harmed. However, the world would still belong to the Ling Family at that time and they wouldn't be able to predict how Ling Tian would treat their Shui Family!
However, beyond all of their expectations…
Shui ManKong stood up and paced around with his hands behind his back. After a short while, his eyes gleamed and he clenched his teeth. Looking at Ling Tian, a single word escaped his mouth, "…Alright!"
"Alright!" This word had also stunned Ling Tian. He originally intended to raise an exorbitant condition and wait for Shui ManKong to bargain with him. Who would have thought that Shui ManKong did not even bother bargaining with him…
"Family Head!" The various Elders cried out together.
Shui ManKong raised his arm to stop them from saying anything else. Returning to his seat, Shui ManKong said with a mellow tone, "I have come to a decision. There isn't a need to say anything else."
Shui ManKong was both sighing and filled with excitement in his heart. With his son gone, it could be said that his Shui Family no longer had any descendants to carry on its legacy. The only person left was his daughter. This was the first time that Ling Tian was raising conditions with him and for his daughter, so he had to accept Ling Tian's conditions regardless of what they were!
Furthermore, it would be much better for the world to land in his son-in-law's hands rather than Yu ManLou's hands, right?
Thus, Shui ManKong agreed without negotiating.
Ling Jian and the others followed behind from afar while Ling Tian and Shui ManKong walked side by side by side at the front. Shui QianRou lowered her head and followed behind them silently, not knowing what she was thinking about. As for Shui ManKong and Ling Tian, they intentionally suppressed their volume.
"…the Sky Alliance is situated in Heavenly Wind Continent. On top of the strength of the Sky Alliance, it can be said that Sky Alliance is already deeply rooted in the continent and has far exceeded any powerhouse in Heavenly Wind. With the HuangFu and Song Families annihilated, the only powerhouse capable of fighting against the Sky Alliance would be my Shui Family. With my Shui Family forming an alliance with the Sky Alliance, there wouldn't be any power in the continent capable of stopping us. While there may be some powers overestimating their abilities and attempting to stop us, it wouldn't affect the overall situation. I can assure you about this." This was Shui ManKong's voice.
"First, I will give a strict order to all the organizations affiliated with my Shui Family to assist the Sky Alliance. At the same time, I will order my Shui Family members to avoid participating in military or political affairs. For me to put my words in such a manner, does little brother Ling understand?" Shui ManKong walked forward slowly and said softly.
"I understand a bit." Ling Tian blinked his eyes and said, "However, why wouldn't you allow the Shui Family to participate in political and military affairs? Even if the continent is united, while the Sky Alliance may be competent in battle, they aren't proficient in management. With the thousand years of foundation of the Shui Family, even if your vitality is harmed from this cleansing event, I believe that your Shui Family would be able to recover quickly. It would be best if the Shui Family could provide a large amount of management staff and I will not find it inappropriate."
Shui ManKong looked at Ling Tian with a smile. "Everyone understands that the greatest backing one can have is absolute strength! It isn't convenient for the Shui Family to do so now. Even if we want to send out large numbers of talented managers, we will only do that after the continent is united. Besides, if our Shui Family is going to interfere in political matters, there is only a single possibility: the Shui Family is no longer around. At that time, we have to wait until the continent is united as well. If our Shui Family participates in political affairs right now, it would be inevitable for them to form factions and grow arrogant from their deeds. Regardless of whether or not it is intentional, they would definitely end up having needless ambitions and cause unnecessary misunderstandings. I wouldn't be surprised if our Shui Family ends up being destroyed because of this."
Shui ManKong's eyes glowed with wisdom, "The backing of an aristocratic family would indicate endless support from the family. At that time, if an individual is able to grasp the authority of life and death, there wouldn't be many in the world capable of maintaining their rationality and cool! After you unite the entire continent, you would never allow the existence of an aristocratic family with such a large influence. At that time, it would be the calamity of the Shui Family. You are the person who I have handed Rou'er's lifetime of happiness to and as her father, I would naturally wish for both your happiness! However, I am still the family head of the Shui Family and even if I know that the Shui Family can no longer regain its former glory, I still wish for the Shui Family to continue existing. At the very least, I hope that the world still knows of our Shui Family before I close my eyes for the last time!"
Ling Tian truly praised Shui ManKong's accurate sights and plans for the future. The direct descendants of a thousand-year-old family truly have their charisma. Shui ManKong was like this as well as Yu ManLou!
Shui ManKong looked at Shui QianRou and chuckled, "Ling Tian, you are a talent capable of establishing a new empire. While I am confident that the authority of the Shui Family would not have any changes during mine or Rou'er's lifetime, I cannot allow my family's survival to be dependent on an emperor's temper. This is extremely risky and unwise. If I allow my Shui Family to be in such a passive state, the future of my Shui Family would definitely be filled with uncertainties and troubles. The moment we lose, the Shui Family would vanish forever! Thus, when you truly unite the entire continent, I will find an appropriate time to disperse our entire family. While Water of Heavenly Wind would still be around, the aristocratic Shui Family would no longer exist. Only at that time would the Shui Family be able to build a foundation in the military or political field!"