Chapter 179 Chu Nanhuai of the Spiritual Master Realm
Chapter179 Chu Nanhuai of the Spiritual Master Realm
After the light energy dissipated, all eight hundred soldiers including Shangguan Qingcheng, spurted a mouthful of blood.
Yet the Military formation was still neat and intact with only a few dozen falling off their horses.
Though everyone had incurred injuries and those who fell off their horses were holding on for dear life, but that was about the brunt of it.
The Military Formation was still whole and the cavalry was still strong. They still had the power to battle as usual!
Thus was the Military Formation commanded by a genius General!
Even with their powers combined, including two Qi-refining Level 9 masters, the Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe. Plus a Qi-refining Level 8 master, Taoist Yu, was not enough to overpower Li Ye’s side. Albeit Taoist Yu was hurt by Song Jiao. Nonetheless, the Military Formation was not to be underestimated. After all not all Military Formations could defend such a formidable attack. The price that Prince An Manor’s side had paid was small. Such was the power of their Military Formation.
Although the military organization had been loose in recent years, it still had been illustrious for thousands of years. There was a reason that Militarism, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism had been known as the four greats.
Having seeing the Military Formation of Prince An Manor’s side, the Senior Priestess, Zhang Yunhe and others were all shocked. The impact of the formation was so great that they all held their breaths in disbelief.
That was the only opportunity for them to attack.
Because Li Ye and others that had finished off the Pinglu cavalry were already on their way.
Wang Hanshan and Chen Beiwang were both on the ground coughing blood as they were seriously hurt by the attack, albeit not directly. After all, they both had reached Qi-refining Level 6, so protecting themselves wasn’t too hard. As they glanced back and saw that the 800 cavalry formation was still intact, they were frozen there with stiff limbs.
“Impossible! How could this be?” Chen Beiwang looked at the sky and screamed in pain as he gasped a mouth full of blood.
Wang Hanshan’s face was as pale as death. He sat down on the ground as if his soul had left his body and added, “This is too outrageous, even for the Military Formation, and even for the military warrior of Militarism... I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it!”
He started growling.
“The Ping Lu’s have been too far removed from battle. Though the world is far from peaceful, it has been basically stable for many years. It’s been too long since there was real chaos, so people may have forgotten how terrible the existence of Militarism is.”
Then, Wang Hanshan and Chen Beiwang were both taken aback by cold voice. As they looked up, a charming but cold face coupled with a pair of slender legs appeared before their eyes. It was none other than Song Jiao. She was staring coldly at them with those piercing eyes. Her usual sense of enchanting beauty had all but disappeared.
Song Jiao sneered and said, “You call yourselves generals? What a laugh! If it were the Prince An’s army in the old days, you couldn’t even command a horse, much less an army!”
Wang Hanshan and Chen Beiwang’s faces turned red as they were humiliated by Song Jiao. Chen Beiwang was about to argue when he suddenly saw the people behind her as he struggled to get up. Then he froze up and added, “Liu... General Liu?”
It was Liu Dazheng, also known as the First Knife in the Central Plains. He chuckled and said, “I don’t believe it! Someone still knows that I was a military soldier once.”
He glanced at Song Jiao and said disapprovingly, “Shouldn’t I be the one humiliating these two? Who are you to brag about military commands?”
Song Jiao glanced at him and added with disdain, “How dare you talk to me in that tone when you’ve only reached Qi-refining Level 8?”
Liu Dazheng protested angrily, “But I am a military warrior of Militarism!”
Song Jiao stepped away and added, “How dare call yourself a military warrior of Militarism without any soldiers?”
Liu Dazheng already had a dark complexion, after those comments, it seemed his face had turned a tone darker. However, he could not argue. “What kind of General am I without any soldiers? A Military Formation wasn’t just a gathering of a few hundred people. It required years of training, living together, even fighting. Only when true soldiers respected each other and were willing to die for each other could there truly be a strong Military Formation.
Liu Dazheng shouted at the back of Song Jiao disapprovingly, “Shut up, you stupid woman! You just wait when Prince An takes power. I will ask him for an army. I was a military warrior of Militarism in the past, and I will be one again!”
Song Jiao stopped, turned back with a murderous look and added with clenched teeth, “Who are you calling a stupid woman?”
Liu Dazheng avoided making eye contact with Song Jiao’s eyes. He knew that he would be no match against her since she had reached Qi-refining Level 9. He just laughed and quickly slipped away.
He was gasping for breath as he tried catching up to Li Ye. Liu Dazheng felt unfair and there was a sense of concern on his face, “D*mn! How could that stupid woman reach level 9 before me? Alas, I have it coming now.”
Accompanied by Su Emei, Wei Xiaozhuang and Liu Dazheng, Li Ye got to the front of Prince An Manor’s Military Formation. He first nodded to Shangguan Qingcheng, then glanced at Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe and chuckled, “Why are you two still here? Are you waiting for a dinner invitation?”
There was no need to go up to Qingshui Villa now as Chen Beiwang and Wang Hanshan had already been caught. Li Ye just had to finish off the Senior Priestess, Zhang Yunhe and others and the situation should be under control.
The Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe knew that they were no match for the raging Li Ye, but they both glared at Li Ye with anger. Both wanted to swallow him whole.
They were furious because Li Ye that b*stard actually did not forget the Junior Priestess. He was carrying her petite and delicate body on his back. He didn’t want the Junior Priestess to leave his side for even a moment.
Li Ye’s act had successfully brought hatred between the Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe!
“Let her go, coward! If you have the guts, go three hundred rounds to the death with me!” The Senior Priestess almost shattered her teeth from biting so hard with hate.
Li Xiao added with a smile, “Yeah, you wish.”
“Li Ye!” Yelled the Senior Priestess angrily. Her long hair was flowing frantically even without any wind. She saw how he gave the command to Prince An Manor’s cavalry to attack. “You are the Grand Prince, the Pinglu commissioner, how can you act so shamelessly? Do you dare to meet me in battle?”
The Senior Priestess got extremely angry every time she thought about their encounter at the Jimo Villa. It was her best opportunity to seize Li Ye and complete the task. But at that time, she did not know his identity. Now that opportunity had long been gone.
If she and the Junior Priestess had seized Li Ye or killed him on the spot that day at Jimo Villa, none of the ensuing troubles would have happened. Now the Junior Priestess had fallen into the hands of Li Ye, and he was parading her body around.
Truth be told, she was certain that seizing Li Ye was possible had she worked together with the Junior Priestess that day. After all, Su Emei and Wei Xiaozhuang were still passed out, and the two of them had already reached Qi-refining Level 9, so they couldn’t be defeated by Li Ye who was only at Level 7, no matter how powerful he was.
Poor Junior Priestess...
The Senior Priestess got angrier the more she thought about the fact that Li Ye was in fact Prince An. And now, her guts were about to burst from anger.
So hateful...
By contrast, the angrier Senior Priestess got, the more smiles appeared on Li Ye’s face. He said, “Why not just come over and follow me since the Senior Priestess wants so much to reunite with the Junior Priestess? As you said, I am the Grand Prince of the dynasty and Pinglu commissioner, so, isn’t it better to follow me than staying on Penglai Island?”
The Senior Priestess stared fiercely at Li Ye, the fact that white silk was spinning around her arm revealed that she could barely control herself.
It was as though Li Ye hadn’t noticed, he turned to Zhang Yunhe and said, “You possess the grace, mannerism and nobility of a classic gentleman. I do admire those qualities, why don’t you come over with me?”
Zhang Yunhe twitched his mouth and added, “You like me?”
As they spoke, the night sky that had calmed down turned blustery suddenly. Then a voice as old and overbearing as thunder could be heard, “Such a huge appetite you have! Do you have my permission to solicit my Taoist disciples, and in Pinglu?”
Li Ye kept her composure after hearing this voice. He turned his head to look in the direction where the voice came and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t the chief of Penglai. Did you really have to make such a grand appearance?”
By now, the schemes of the Penglai Immortal Taoism Conference had been exposed and they had been totally defeated. Li Ye already knew that Zhang Jiuling would appear, otherwise he would not have had any small talk with the Senior Priestess. He could have easily tied them up upon seeing them.
First, a little starlight illuminated in the night sky. Then, the starlight turned into a long rainbow, which then covered the vicinity instantly. Then the rainbow turned into the shape of a body. It was the baby-faced Zhang Jiuling with white hair wielding his horsetail whisk.
Flying in the air was for Zhang Jiuling, whose cultivation had reached the Spiritual Master Realm. The way Zhang Jiuling appeared was very in accordance with his stature. His appearance also drew everyone’s attention and admiration.
The Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe were awash and quickly paid their respects to Zhang Jiuling. “Master.”
Zhang Jiuling was too haughty to speak to the Senior Priestess and Zhang Yunhe. Staring at Li Ye, he said nonchalantly, “So you are the Prince An Li Ye, the new commissioner of Pinglu?”
Though he asked in a light voice, the strong pressure of the Spiritual Master Realm was already cast on Li Ye silently. Li Ye felt his shoulders sink, he knew Zhang Jiuling was going to put him in his place. It would’ve been best if he were already on his knees ready to welcome the immortal.
Li Ye clenched his teeth and whispered some insults to the old scumbag under his breath.
The Senior Priestess saw the unbearable expression on Li Ye’s face as he had been overpowered. Joy filled her eyes, but she dared not laugh. She thought, “Li Ye, where’s your cockiness now?”
The Junior Priestess had, for a long time, left her life to fate. At this moment though, she saw hope. She struggled to break away from Li Ye’s claws.
Li Ye was already struggling having been overpowered by Zhang Jiuling. Now that the Junior Priestess was moving, he got mad and slapped her petite butt. His hand actually bounced up from the slap, which had surprised Li Ye. Still he was angry, he yelled with clenched teeth, “Stop moving!”
The Junior Priestess suddenly stiffened up as if she were frozen. She turned to face Li Ye, staring him straight in the face. Her bright eyes that were hidden behind a scarf had now turned to sharp swords, metaphorically stabbing Li Ye in the face.
However, for someone as thick skinned as Li Ye, it had no effect on him at all.
The thundering Shock that Li Ye was expecting did not come. Though he did hear a thundering voice, which just happened to be a sigh.
“Ah Zhang Jiuling, I did not picture you as someone who would pick on the young and the weak. If I were you, I’d turn myself into ashes being such a disrespectful elder statesman,” said a lazy voice out of nowhere. In fact, no one knew where the voice had come from.
Zhang Jiuling snorted coldly and added, “If it isn’t my defeated foe from yesteryear. Who are you to talk to me in that tone? First, allow me to teach Prince An the mannerisms of facing an immortal, then...”
As he spoke, the pressure cast on Li Ye was increased. It looked like he wanted to make Li Ye get on his knees.
However, not only did Li Ye’s knees not bend, but he jumped up a few feet.
In fact, Li Ye did not intend to jump up. Just that the pressure on his shoulders had lifted and he did not have time to retract his own power trying to defend it.
However, since he was already airborne, he might as well do something to hide his embarrassment. So he laughed and said to Zhang Jiuling, “You want to suppress me? Don’t be ridiculous. I should teach you the mannerism of facing a Grand Prince!”
Zhang Jiuling’s expression changed. His eyes sank in an instant, he couldn’t believe that the power he had cast on Li Ye was intercepted and offset halfway in an instant and so swiftly too.
The Senior Priestess was raging with anger upon listening to Li Ye’s words. He looked at Li Ye fiercely with those murderous eyes. “How could you disrespect my master, and doing so by jumping up so high in the air?”
She suddenly realized something, and immediately froze. How did master’s pressure disappear? What kind of person could offset my master’s power? After all, master had reached the Spiritual Master Realm! No matter how talented a cultivator was, no one could ascend to that level!
It seemed that others had thought of this as well. Judging by the Zhang Jiuling’s expression, he thought about it too. His turned his sharp eyes towards the Boji Mountain and yelled, “Chu Nanhuai! Show yourself!”
“Come out? The last thing I want to do is to see your face. I’m afraid I’ll vomit my dinner if I saw your face.”
Still, no one could make out where the voice had come from, it sounded lazy yet it pounded the ears like thunder.
Su Emei and Wei Xiaozhuang were surprised with joy upon hearing this voice. Wei Xiaozhuang even jumped up and yelled, “Master!”
“Don’t panic my disciples, as long as I am here, no one can bully you.” The voice instantly became kind and gentle.
Wei Xiaozhuang was as happy as a three hundred pound child.
Zhang Jiuling said in his low voice, “Chu Nanhuai! You have been hiding in Boji Mountain for 30 years. I thought that you were too ashamed to see people. And you dare to appear now”
The voice suddenly sounded angry, “When I received your invitation back in the day, I went up to Penglai alone with just my sword just to battle for the title of being the ‘best in the world’. But you, someone whose 60 years my senior and reached the ninth level, were still afraid to fight me alone even with Penglai’s sword at hand. You ganged up on me with a couple of hundred people, what a scumbag! Yet you still have the nerve to tell others that I lost to you, even hoped that my cultivation could drop a few levels...bah!”
That last “bah” was extra loud, like a thunderous roar, which had almost made Li Ye and others stumble. His anger was hard to withhold.
Zhang Jiuling’s face twitched and he said angrily, “A loss is a loss. Don’t you feel shameful for trying to find excuses?” Zhang Jiuling took in a deep breath after finished these words. “I just want to know one thing, have you really reached the Spiritual Master Realm?”
His exact position was unclear, Chu Nanhuai snorted from somewhere, “I reached Qi-refining Level 9 at the age of 30. Although I have only been alive for 60 years, I’ve remained at Qi-refining Level 9 for half of my life! Even someone like you could build a foundation, why is it surprising that I could ascend to the Spiritual Master Realm?”