Chapter 267 - 200: A Sudden Turn, and a Flurry of Arrivals
The Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third were in bad shape, but there were still two of them.
The Black Wind Elder took a breath and let out a strange, sinister laugh.
"I never thought a junior like you would be so troublesome."
"Your power may be great, but it’s a chaotic mess. For such cultivation to be on a gutless old monster like you is simply a waste."
Lu Pei commented lightly.
A vicious look flashed across the Black Wind Elder’s face, gone in an instant.
"So many last words? Go on, keep talking. The more you say, the longer I’ll refine you in my Black Wind, ensuring you never find salvation!"
"Heh, do you really think you’ve already won?"
Lu Pei said with a faint smile.
The Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third instinctively frowned. Lu the Third couldn’t help but say:
"What other tricks do you have? It looks to me like you can’t even swing your sword anymore. Surrender now and save yourself the torture!"
’This Lu Pei is clearly at the end of his rope. Could he really have another card up his sleeve?’
Lu Pei didn’t answer, merely raising his sword slowly.
The motion instantly made the two men opposite him narrow their eyes.
’Is he going to sacrifice himself to his sword for one last, desperate strike?’
The Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third both grew vigilant, instinctively creating a little distance.
Lu Pei lifted his sword, gradually pointing it vertically toward the sky, and brought it close to his face.
Seeing this stance, the two Desert Grandmasters’ expressions changed drastically. They dodged to the left and right, silently praying:
’Take the other guy down with you, not me!’
Each of them used their own techniques, layering defenses, waiting for this final sword strike as if it were the coming of the Grim Reaper, wondering which of them would be the lucky one to be spared.
Lu Pei held the hilt vertically before his eyes. Then, channeling his energy, he spoke calmly:
"Sect Leader, junior brother! Ancient ruins... disciples trapped... I am spent... Come quickly, quickly!"
After saying this, he lowered his Long Sword and stroked his beard with one hand, assuming the serene and detached air of a master.
The Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third both froze, stunned.
The Black Wind Elder said strangely:
"That’s your final sword strike?"
"That’s right. Is there a problem?"
Lu Pei said calmly.
The Black Wind Elder was silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Cloud Mountain is more than a thousand li from here! No matter how powerful Li Xingtuo is, he can’t possibly arrive in an instant, can he? By the time he gets here, you’ll have long been—"
His laughter died abruptly, his eyes instantly filled with disbelief.
In his eyes, a figure was flickering across the eastern horizon. Each flash left an afterimage, and when it reappeared, it was already several li away!
In a mere moment, the figure flashed from the horizon to right before them. The initial afterimages were only now beginning to fade, leaving his entire trajectory visible in the sky at once!
Floating Light and Shadow Sword!
The Black Wind Elder’s face contorted. He stared at the white-haired young man who had just appeared beside Lu Pei, his finger trembling as he pointed at him.
"You... how could you be so fast?"
Before Li Xingtuo could answer, Lu Pei said coolly:
"Our Sect Leader is like a floating light, a fleeting shadow. A thousand li in a single breath. Why should it be impossible?"
The Black Wind Elder’s face turned ashen. With Li Xingtuo, a man of such power, standing right before him, he wouldn’t have been able to escape even at his peak, let alone half-crippled as he was now.
Li Xingtuo gave a helpless smile and shook his head.
"Senior brother, don’t fool them. Who told you I was definitely at Cloud Mountain?"
The Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third were taken aback. Only then did they realize Lu Pei had tricked them. Li Xingtuo had been nearby all along, perhaps waiting at Gourd Pass.
But even if Li Xingtuo couldn’t travel a thousand li in a breath, he was here now. What hope of survival did the two of them have?
The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had always been fond of playing the role of guardians of justice.
Lu the Third’s face paled and flushed. He couldn’t help but say:
"Sect Leader Li, I wish to trade the intelligence from these ancient ruins for my life. What do you say?"
Li Xingtuo’s gaze swept past the two men, and he saw the basin and the phantom of the Slaughter Tower.
The emergence of ancient ruins was a major event, one that always caused a storm of blood. Even if one managed to secure a ticket in, entering blind often resulted in heavy casualties.
If they could obtain intelligence in advance, perhaps many sacrifices could be avoided.
However, Li Xingtuo glanced at Lu the Third and shook his head.
"If I let you go, how many more people will die by your blade?"
Hearing this, Lu the Third’s face instantly went white.
The Black Wind Elder had been gritting his teeth in jealous rage. Hearing this, he paused, then laughed heartily.
"Xiaosanzi, looks like you’re not getting away today either! Let’s die together, let’s die together!"
As he spoke, he raised a palm, signaling for Lu the Third to join him against Li Xingtuo.
Li Xingtuo’s expression was calm. He slowly raised his hand, gripped his sword hilt, and drew his blade to strike.
However, he didn’t strike at the two men before him, but at the sky!
A massive, gleaming golden palm struck down, clashing with the Long Sword with a sharp DING. The two attacks recoiled.
That great palm was actually as hard as Li Xingtuo’s sword!
Lu Pei’s brow furrowed at once, while the Black Wind Elder and Lu the Third also had a change in expression.
"Ming King!"
A tall, fat, bare-chested Lama appeared. His whole body glowed with a faint golden light, like a statue of pure gold. He held one hand up in a palm salute and chanted in a low voice.
"Patron Li, why have you come to my Western Regions to draw your blade?"
"Since when is the West Desert considered your territory in the Western Regions?"
Li Xingtuo frowned upon seeing the Lama.
He hadn’t set foot in the West Desert before, waiting instead at Gourd Pass, precisely because once a cultivator of his level—infinitely close to the Unity Realm—appeared within a certain range, he would attract the attention of other experts of the same caliber.
And this Lama before him, the Ming King of the Western Regions, was an expert of the same realm.
"Naturally, it is."
The Ming King had a kind face, a large head and ears, and a gentle smile, like a middle-aged, enlightened monk. His words, however, were utterly domineering.
Li Xingtuo sneered.
"It’s only because the King of Pingxi is gone that rabble like you dare to rise from the ashes."
"Amitabha. Patron Xue created needless slaughter, devastating the living beings of the Western Regions. It was only fitting that he enter Avici Hell."
The Ming King intoned a Buddhist phrase, his eyes downcast as he turned his prayer beads.
Li Xingtuo’s brow furrowed. Although he did not fear this Ming King, he couldn’t claim certain victory either.
The experts of the Western Regions were not on the Three Rankings, but that didn’t mean their Martial Artists were weak. Grandmasters aside, this Ming King was one of the strongest figures in the nations of the Western Regions. He had few rivals in the entire West, was worshipped by tens of thousands, possessed an undefeated golden body, and was a formidable opponent.
Although Li Xingtuo was eager for a good fight with him, a glance at the Slaughter Tower told him now was not the time.
The emergence of the ancient ruins had caused such a huge commotion. Everyone, whether they should be coming or not, was already on their way.
Sure enough—
After only a moment’s standoff, the figures of many experts began to appear one after another on the horizon.
Watching those rapidly approaching figures, Li Xingtuo chuckled.
"It hasn’t been this lively in a long time."
"It always gets lively whenever you use your Floating Light and Shadow Sword."
Lu Pei said lightly, stroking his beard.
Lu the Third looked at the sky full of masters, none of whom were weaker than him. A bitter expression appeared on his face as he gritted his teeth.
’According to that stone slab, the second opening should have just been a sign of the Treasure Tower’s light. The earthquake wasn’t supposed to happen until the third time. How did this happen?
’It must be that dog Xie Yuan! He must have messed something up and caused this anomaly. I had it hidden so well, and now after one earthquake, the whole fucking world knows!’
’Now the ancient ruins are definitely out of my control. I probably won’t even get the scraps...’
Lu the Third ground his teeth so hard they could have shattered. He had already cursed Xie Yuan eight hundred times in his heart. He had no idea where that guy had disappeared to, but he hoped he was already dead and buried in the yellow sand.