novellaaa Chapter 55 Rebirth
Chapter 55 Rebirth
The shadows in the forest were stretched long and narrow. Wang Dao casually twirled the longsword he had taken from the black-clad assassin between his fingers, and the blood droplets remaining on the blade were instantly flicked away, splashing onto the withered leaves with a soft hissing sound.
He placed the newly captured silver mask, engraved with intricate cloud patterns, on his face. The cool touch against his skin concealed all his expressions.
He strode forward, his steps unhurried, intending to leave this place of trouble.
Just then, a deliberately loud footstep came from the woods to the side.
Three figures strolled out unhurriedly; they were the same group of people he had asked for directions earlier.
They didn't block his path directly, but instead formed a loose encirclement, keeping a distance from him, their eyes fixed on him like vultures, and on the longsword on his shoulder that was clearly extraordinary.
The muscular man at the head of the group slammed his heavy axe into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His gaze passed over the king's path and glanced into the depths of the dense forest behind him, where the battle had just ended.
"Friend," the burly man spoke, his voice carrying a false warmth, "we brothers have been eyeing this opportunity for a long time."
"You arrived late, yet you succeeded first. Isn't that against the rules?"
The two cultivators behind him remained silent, but their magical power was already quietly circulating, and the light of their incantations flickered in and out of their sleeves, clearly ready to make a move at any moment.
Wang Dao stopped, turned to the side, and calmly swept his gaze across the three people from behind his mask.
Seeing him stop, the burly man's greed intensified. He took a step forward, pointed his axe at Wang Dao, and his tone became increasingly domineering:
"The Hundred Thousand Mountains hold endless opportunities, so why must you block our path and try to monopolize all the benefits?"
They were the ones who provoked us, but now they're turning around and blaming us.
Upon hearing this, Wang Dao let out a soft laugh from beneath his mask. The laugh wasn't loud, but it was full of undisguised mockery, causing the expressions on the three people's faces to freeze instantly.
"Blocking your path? Stealing your profits?" Wang Dao removed his longsword from his shoulder, the tip lightly grazing the ground, leaving a deep mark. "When has the Hall of Rebirth ever needed to explain itself to ants?"
He extended two fingers and gently tapped the cold silver mask, producing a crisp "clanging" sound.
"My mission is to send the three of you to the afterlife."
"As for why... you can go down and ask King Yama if he sent me."
"The Hall of Rebirth!"
These three words struck the three of them like a thunderbolt from the heavens.
The arrogance and greed on the leader's face instantly crumbled, replaced by extreme fear, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints.
His two companions behind him were even more pale, their newly gathered spiritual energy instantly dissipated, and their calves were trembling uncontrollably.
Within the Great Zhou territory, who doesn't know this mysterious and terrifying assassin organization? No one who has been targeted by them has ever survived.
"Walk!"
The burly man roared, his blood and qi exploding outwards without reservation, the ground beneath his feet cracked, and he transformed into a blur as he frantically fled to the side and rear.
The other two, like startled birds, scattered like birds and beasts.
They had no intention of resisting whatsoever.
Wang Dao's lips curled into a smile beneath the mask, his body remaining completely still.
"The Flowing Light and Illusory Dust Sword!"
A faint light shone from the tip of the sword in his hand, splitting into three streams of light that were almost invisible to the naked eye, which swept across the void in an instant.
The sword light was not dazzling; instead, it carried a dreamlike haziness, like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror.
The three fleeing cultivators suddenly froze, their escape posture frozen in place.
The burly man at the head of the group made a hoarse sound, his eyes filled with endless regret and pleading: "I...have no grudge against the Hall of Rebirth..."
Before he could finish speaking...
Three thin lines of blood appeared simultaneously on their necks.
Immediately afterwards, the three heads slid down together, accompanied by a fountain of blood shooting into the sky.
The headless corpse, propelled forward a few more steps by inertia, before crashing to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Wang Dao casually wiped the sword on the clothes of one of the corpses, put the sword into his storage space, and then continued walking, leisurely disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
……
Meanwhile, deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains, towering peaks rise straight into the clouds.
On the dozens of steep mountain peaks, banners fluttered and figures moved about.
The forces of various holy lands, dynasties, and ancient families were clearly separated, each occupying a peak and confronting each other from afar.
All their eyes were fixed on the central basin surrounded by mountains.
There, a thick, pillar-like beam of seven-colored light shot into the sky, stirring up the wind and clouds, and dyeing the entire sky a magnificent glazed color.
The intense, precious light almost solidified into a liquid, flowing through the void. With each pulsation, it caused visible ripples in the space.
The most imposing atmosphere is found atop the mountains belonging to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The eldest prince, Ji Xuankong, was dressed in a black dragon-patterned robe. His posture was as straight as a spear. He stood with his hands behind his back on the edge of the cliff, his presence as imposing as a mountain. Just by standing there, he exuded an aura that suppressed all directions.
He turned his head, his deep, abyss-like eyes looking at the peerless, independent figure beside him, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"My sister and the seventh young master of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion have been getting quite close lately. I thought you would bring him along to this grand event to broaden his horizons."
Beside him was Princess Ji Mingyue.
She wore a moon-white palace dress woven with dark gold black bird patterns, the hem of which fluttered in the mountain wind like flowing moonlight.
Her skin was as white as snow, and a white jade hairpin with nine phoenixes facing the sun loosely held her cascading black hair. On her face, which was meticulously sculpted by the gods, a pair of phoenix eyes were as cold as stars, naturally exuding an aura of majesty that looked down upon all living beings.
Many of the royal attendants and generals standing around him showed amused expressions upon hearing Ji Xuankong's words.
"Seventh Young Master? Is that the one from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion who claims to have broken the curse of the crippled body?"
"Heh, I heard he had a conflict with Brother Wu from Jixia Academy not long ago. In this situation, he probably doesn't even have the right to stand here."
"Your Highness is joking. If he were to come here, I'm afraid his heart meridian would be shattered by even a wisp of aura emanating from that secret treasure."
The whispers were filled with undisguised contempt and mockery.
Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyue's beautiful face remained completely calm. She didn't even glance at Ji Xuankong, but instead gazed indifferently at the towering, earth-shattering light in the distance.
"Your Majesty is overthinking it."
"I am only here on the orders of my father to come and see the Seventh Young Master. His strength is still too shallow, and he is not qualified to participate in such a lively event."
Ji Xuankong did not dwell on this issue, but instead looked at the dozens of enormous figures in the distance, each exuding an incomparably domineering aura.
"If you want to catch a glimpse of the true face of the secret treasure, you'll probably have to fight against the ferocious beast overlords of these Hundred Thousand Mountains. These beings are all ancient remnants."
"Even the top human cultivators might not dare to confront its sharp edge."
A smile appeared on Ji Mingyue's face, and her voice was clear and melodious as she said, "Then we'll see what my brother's abilities are. I'll be cheering him on from behind!"
Ji Xuankong's face darkened. If he were asked to snatch something from the ferocious beast overlord, he probably wouldn't even know how he died. Even if the Human Emperor came, he would have to avoid his sharp edge.
"My dear sister thinks too highly of me!"
"Such a treasure is enough for us to catch a glimpse of its splendor; how dare we covet it further?"