Chapter 1031: Gathering of Masters
Listening to the old man’s words, the eerie Venerable Wen sneered, "It seems you really don’t understand the Netherworld Hall. What about my true self? What about this shell?"
Suddenly, the eerie Venerable Wen’s body shook like a tiger awakening, releasing an extremely terrifying aura.
That aura transformed into a massive field, enveloping the entire Willow Manor, making everyone feel a chill to the bone!
The old man dropped his nonchalant attitude, "Is this the Nether Secret Technique, Nether Realm? Could it be that both of you, father and son, use this one shell?"
"Hmph!"
The eerie Venerable Wen laughed disdainfully, "Merely a shell. In my Nether Secret Technique, I can manifest my true self anywhere, any time!"
Upon hearing this, except for the old man, Liu Zixuan and the others were utterly confused!
True self? Shell?
Could it be that ghosts and deities actually exist?
Seeing Liu Zixuan’s puzzled face, Luo Xi whispered beside him, "I’ll explain once we deal with this matter. The Netherworld Hall isn’t as simple as you think."
"Then can this senior..." Liu Zixuan hesitated to finish his sentence.
"Don’t worry, besides him, others will show up!" Luo Xi said with a firm gaze.
Her serious expression gave Liu Zixuan a start.
Today’s Luo Xi was no longer the little rebel girl from the Celestial Capital. Her personality hadn’t changed much, but she must have gone through experiences beyond Liu Zixuan’s imagination during her absence.
Seeing the old man silent, the eerie Venerable Wen chuckled meaningfully, "Old man, I advise you to get out quickly. If it comes to blows, your meager strength may not benefit you, and you might sacrifice a lifetime of cultivation here!"
"You think I want to be here?"
The old man’s abrupt remark took Jiang Yunxuan and the others by surprise.
Does this mean he’s leaving?
"If you dare leave, old beggar, I won’t ever speak to you again!" Luo Xi snapped angrily.
The old man gave Luo Xi an exasperated look and then cursed at Liu Zixuan, "Keep your wife in check!"
Liu Zixuan became speechless, "Senior, whether to leave or stay is your choice, Luo Xi is just anxious, if..."
"Shut up!"
The old man barked immediately, turning to the eerie Venerable Wen, "I’m not leaving!"
"Heh heh!"
The eerie Venerable Wen grinned sinisterly, swiveling his twig-like wrist, "Then you’re courting death!"
"Wait!"
The old man raised a hand to stop them.
"What? Thinking of leaving again?" Venerable Wen asked.
"I can’t leave, as I’d miss out on some wine, plus young Luo Xi would resent me for life. Your son died here, and the ploy you’ve laid out for so long was ruined by Liu Zixuan, so why don’t we just not fight and strike a deal instead?" the old man suggested with a mischievous smile.
Honestly, Liu Zixuan and the others were baffled by his ploy, even Luo Xi couldn’t figure out what he was aiming for.
However, the eerie Venerable Wen showed a thoughtful expression, "Very well, I love dealing with clever people."
"I’ll act as a mediator. You give up something, then let Liu Zixuan give up something, and then we call it quits. You take your road, he takes his path. How about that?" the old man proposed.
"Sure, let Liu Zixuan destroy his soul to become a shell for my son, and hand over the Relic Pearl, then I’ll let them go," Venerable Wen replied.
"Is that so..."
The old man rubbed his chin and looked at Liu Zixuan, "What do you think?"
What do you think, damn it!
Liu Zixuan felt a strong urge to curse. Is this even a deal? We might as well just have a straightforward fight!
With a bitter smile, he said, "Senior, how about you destroy your own soul and become a shell for his son?"
"Damn..."
"Hahaha, I told you, Zixuan won’t just resign himself to fate!"
Just as the old man was about to curse, a hearty laugh came from the side.
"Who goes there?"
The eerie Venerable Wen yelled at the void.
"It’s me, old fellow!"
In an instant, a spectral figure appeared beside the old man, someone familiar to Liu Zixuan. It was Qing, the elder from the Profound Sword Sect’s Third Heaven!
With a slight smile at Liu Zixuan, he then patted the old man’s shoulder, "Old Five, you lost our bet, remember what you promised me!"
The old man glared at Liu Zixuan in frustration, "Why couldn’t you just agree earlier? Now look at Old Qing’s smug face!"
So, the old man’s previous words were all part of a bet with Old Qing.
Presumably, Old Qing wagered that Liu Zixuan wouldn’t bow to Venerable Wen, while the old man thought Liu Zixuan would!
"Were you two playing me?"
The eerie Venerable Wen realized what was happening: the old man was never sincere about making a deal but was playing him with Old Qing!
Fury ignited, and the chill emanating from him grew even stronger. Everyone present felt a tremendous oppressive force.
"Hmph!"
Old Qing grunted, releasing an invisible force around him, which eased the oppressive feeling considerably.
He then looked at the eerie Venerable Wen, "Haven’t seen you in decades, you’re getting more ghostly!"
"I thought you were dead!"
The eerie Venerable Wen coldly glanced at Old Qing, "Do you think you two can stop me?"
"Perhaps just us two can’t, but what if all our old comrades show up?" Old Qing smiled subtly, and suddenly several figures appeared around the manor, each an elder like Old Qing, whose prowess was unfathomable.
Seeing this, the eerie Venerable Wen paused, "So, all the hidden elites of Star Sea appeared just to take me down, huh!"
"Even that grand battle at the Jiang Family three years ago wasn’t this complete!"
Old Qing smiled slightly, then shifted his tone, "With so many blocking you, it shouldn’t be a problem, right!"
"Barely enough to hold me back," Venerable Wen sneered, "Very well, since everyone is here, let me announce that a hundred days hence, atop Yudu, my Netherworld Hall shall officially issue a death challenge to the World Martial Realm! Everyone must attend, or I will be most displeased!"
"In a hundred days, could it be..." Old Qing was pondering something intently when suddenly, Venerable Wen imploded, transforming into a black mist that charged towards Liu Zixuan.
"Zixuan!" Luo Xi shouted in alarm, a spectrum of light emanating from her hand to shield them, but it was ineffective as the remaining black mist collided with Liu Zixuan.
"My child isn’t someone you can kill at will! Hahaha!" Venerable Wen’s voice faded into the void, and the surrounding chill completely dissipated...