Silence.
A dead hush.
From Huang Tian tearing through the air, to Elder Duan being hammered into a headless corpse with a single fist, and then to the purple-dressed woman having her skull burst open with a single slap, the entire sequence had unfolded in the blink of an eye.
Whether it was the members of the Martial Restraint Guard or the few remaining, weaker Demonic Cult followers, all seemed frozen by an immobilization spell, standing stiffly in place as they stared dumbstruck at that tall, heroic figure.
*Thud!*
One Demonic Cult member dropped to his knees in terror, begging for his life, while the others gritted their teeth and attempted to flee into the distance. In an instant, however, Xu Shu rushed up and snuffed out their lives with a palm strike each.
*Whoosh...*
A gust of wind blew past, dispersing much of the stench of blood. Xu Shu walked up beside Huang Tian, his expression filled with astonishment and disbelief.
"That Saint Yin... was truly slain by you?"
"Indeed."
Huang Tian looked into the distance and gestured. "Over there. His head is still lying on the ground."
Visibly shaken, Xu Shu leapt into the air and flew to the spot where Huang Tian and Xiahou Yin had previously clashed.
Looking around, he saw a puddle of red and white mess on the ground, and amidst the gurgling blood lay a severed head.
"It really is Xiahou Yin's head!"
He stared fixedly at the hideous, contorted visage, shock rippling uncontrollably through his heart.
*Huang Tian's strength is actually this formidable! When I previously learned he had killed Niu Kuanyu and the Three Elders of Qin Province, I merely thought his power approached rank one. But looking at it now, he doesn't just approach it—he has reached it!*
*Not only can he clash with rank-one Grandmasters, but even among rank one, he is by no means a weak hand!*
*After unleashing his secret technique, Xiahou Yin unquestionably possessed genuine rank-one combat power!*
*Huang Tian, who was able to kill him, must be even stronger!*
*Why is he so strong?! A secret treasure? What tier of secret treasure could it be...*
His gaze flickered, but in the next instant, he regained his calm.
*Whatever it is, I won't harbor any designs on him. It comes back to that same saying—life is what matters most! Life is what matters most!*
Back then, Niu Kuanyu had grown covetous and moved against Huang Tian. To ensure success, he had even deliberately enlisted the Three Elders of Qin Province to act together.
And what was the result?
Every last one of them died!
And now, the esteemed Saint Yin of the Demonic Cult had fallen by Huang Tian's hand as well!
*With his current strength, even if Huang Tian possesses some secret treasure, he is barely capable of defending it. After all, apart from supreme Celestial Beings, few in this world dare say for certain they could take down Huang Tian!*
*Once an attempt to seize the treasure fails, it will end in mutual slaughter until death. Anyone will carefully weigh the gains and losses before making a move—the risk is simply too immense!*
Of course, if a Celestial Being truly moved against Huang Tian, there would be nothing anyone could do about that.
As countless thoughts raced through Xu Shu's mind, Xie Zheng and Long Zhang walked over.
"Vice Commander Xu!" The two bowed in greeting.
"Fellow Daoist Xie, Fellow Daoist Long!"
Xu Shu recognized them and politely returned the courtesy. Then, noticing Xie Zheng's injuries, he seemed to realize something and praised, "So Fellow Daoist Xie was helping Assistant Commissioner Huang deal with the Demonic Cult's Saint Yin earlier! Truly warm-hearted and chivalrous to the core!"
Long Zhang said in surprise, "So that person was Saint Yin of the Demonic Cult, Xiahou Yin! No wonder his strength was so formidable!"
Among the Demonic Cult's few Holy Sons, Xiahou Yin was actually not exceptionally strong, yet his fame was far from small because his elder brother was Saint Yang, Xiahou Yang!
Compared to the younger brother, Xiahou Yang was truly endowed with extraordinary talent. He had achieved the rank-one realm early on, his saber techniques demonic as he held absolute sway over the martial world of the State of Lan!
It was said that Xiahou Yang was currently sweeping across the State of Lan, using numerous masters to temper his blade, seeking to cleave an invincible path and forge an invincible heart, thereby breaking through the divide to the Celestial Being realm in one fell swoop!
Hearing Xu Shu's praise, Xie Zheng's face flushed slightly, and he spoke the truth: "I wasn't much help. With just a single strike, Xiahou Yin sent me flying..."
Xu Shu paused, then said, "To face a strike from Xiahou Yin without suffering grave injury is already exceedingly impressive!"
Knowing this was mere consolation, Xie Zheng gave a strained chuckle and did not pursue the topic.
*Step, step...*
By then, Huang Tian, Nie Kun, and the others had walked over. Some were carrying the severed heads of cult members, while others were carrying their corpses.
Standing beside Xiahou Yin's head, Huang Tian chuckled softly. "Earlier, the heads of the Three Elders of Qin Province were hung on the east, south, and north city gates. Now, we finally have a fitting head to hang on the west gate."
"Mighty is the Assistant Commissioner!!"
Apart from Xu Shu, Xie Zheng, and Long Zhang, everyone roared in unison, their eyes filled with fanatical reverence as they looked at Huang Tian.
"Nie Kun, collect the head. When we head back shortly, hang it up."
"Yes, Assistant Commissioner!"
With that, Huang Tian turned to Xie Zheng and Long Zhang. "Going by the time, our agreed spar should be due soon. The two of you..."
"No, no!"
Long Zhang shook his head hastily, while Xie Zheng spoke with equal shame, "We were far too arrogant. How could we possibly exchange blows with Assistant Commissioner Huang..."
Huang Tian felt a bit of regret. He had actually wanted to see what kind of martial arts the disciples of great Celestial Being sects cultivated.
"How about this? Once Brother Xie recovers from his injuries, we can sit down and discuss the martial Dao. What do you say?" Huang Tian proposed.
Xie Zheng and Long Zhang exchanged a glance, their interest piqued. "Splendid! Splendid!"
While a spar was out of the question, discussing martial arts together was perfectly fine.
Cultivation was not something where one could become a powerhouse simply by burying one's head and training ceaselessly. Only by exchanging pointers and discussing the Dao with others, absorbing all sorts of novel concepts, could one grow stronger step by step and ultimately forge one's own path.
Having tidied up the battlefield, Huang Tian waved his hand. The dragon horse neighed softly and trotted over with brisk steps. Leaping onto the saddle, he commanded, "Return to the city."
"Yes!"
The group responded in unison. With the dragon horse leading the way, they followed closely behind.
Before they had gone far, they saw hundreds of martial artists peering curiously ahead along the wide official road.
"Who won? Who won?!"
"With such massive commotion just now, could it have been rank-one Grandmasters locked in battle? Even several hundred paces away, the shockwaves of their clash churned my vital blood, nearly causing a qi deviation!"
"I've never seen rank-one masters fight, but rank-two experts shouldn't be capable of such power. For hundreds of paces around, the land was devastated and wild winds howled—we couldn't even get close."
"Look! It's the Martial Restraint Guard! Huang Tian! Xu Shu! They're unharmed, so it seems they were victorious!"
"Whose head is hanging from that horse? Has anyone recognized it?"
"Can't see clearly, it's too far away, and there are spots of blood covering the face."
"It's definitely a Demonic Cult scoundrel! Earlier, I heard Vice Commander Xu cursing the Demonic Cult fiends!"
"I guessed it was Demonic Cult people all along. They must have come for Huang Tian. Who told Huang Tian to kill Pei Guan outside Kunyun Commandery City? They wanted revenge."
"Ha! What a fine revenge! They ended up throwing their own lives in as well!"
"..."
The crowd chattered incessantly. Huang Tian and his men paid them no mind, riding straight through the throng and entering the city.
Meanwhile, outside the west city gate, Nie Kun leapt into the air and hung the severed head atop the gate.
"Battalion Commander, may I ask who this person was?" a bold martial artist asked curiously, looking up at the head hanging above.
Nie Kun lightly dusted his hands and said indifferently, "Saint Yin of the Demonic Cult, Xiahou Yin."
At those words, the surrounding crowd erupted into an uproar.
"It was actually a Holy Son of the Demonic Cult! No wonder his aura was so overwhelming and ferocious."
"No matter how strong he was, he's dead now!"
"Saint Yin? Word has it he broke through to rank two long ago and cultivated a secret technique, holding his own even against rank-one powerhouses. Who killed him? Who could have killed him?"
"Could it be Vice Commander Xu Shu? Did he break through to rank one?"
Another swordsman asked, "Battalion Commander, may I ask who killed Saint Yin?"
Nie Kun climbed back onto his horse. "Assistant Commissioner Huang, of course!"
*Crack!*
With the crack of a whip, the horse broke into an easy trot, pulling away from the crowd.
Yet his words were like a boulder hurled into a lake, churning up rolling waves.
"It was actually Huang Tian who killed him?! How can that be? Isn't he only at rank four? Having rank-two combat power was already shocking enough—on what basis, on what basis can he fight rank one?!"
"On the contrary, I feel it must be him."
"It's not that I'm unwilling to believe it, but throughout history, how many people at rank four could battle rank one?"
"Yet the truth lies right before your eyes. What good is refusing to believe it?"
"Huang Tian must possess a great secret! Someone who has only practiced martial arts for a few months can match a rank-one fighter? Call that natural talent? I don't buy it for a second—whose talent could possibly be that absurd?!"
"A secret? Haha, never mind whether there is one, let me ask you: even if there is, what are you going to use to seize it? Your head?"
"You! You!"
"You what? Idiot!"
"Argh, take my saber!"
"Fool, if you want to fight, take it outside the city! I'll keep you company to the end!"
Uproar, clamor, brawls—from the moment Xiahou Yin's head was hung upon the west city gate, the martial artists throughout the city were thoroughly shaken.
Flocks of carrier pigeons and messenger eagles soared across the skies above Funing, flying into the distance to broadcast this shocking news across all directions...
In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed.
Over this month and more, order within Funing County had nearly returned to normal. Whether lower three ranks, middle three ranks, or Grandmaster-level powerhouses, all behaved themselves and dared not stir up trouble.
If true tempers flared, they would mutually agree to duel outside the city in deserted spots, so as to avoid harming commoners and provoking ruthless suppression from the Martial Restraint Guard.
Since they were not causing trouble, Huang Tian naturally had plenty of leisure. He stayed at his residence, quietly immersing himself in cultivation, occasionally sitting down to discuss the martial Dao with Xu Shu, Xie Zheng, and Long Zhang, and watching them drill techniques.
When the mood struck, he would also test a few moves in simple exchanges, gaining exposure to the martial arts of grand Celestial Being sects, which yielded no small harvest.
Yet while Huang Tian enjoyed his quiet days, the outside world grew increasingly clamorous on his account.
First, the fact that Niu Kuanyu had coveted his secrets and ended up killed could no longer be covered up. The matter spread like wildfire throughout all of Kunyun and even Qin Province, causing the Qin Province Martial Restraint Guard to lose no small amount of face.
Second, the feat of him defeating and slaying Saint Yin of the Demonic Cult caused an immense sensation. Across Kunyun, Qin Province, and Great Gan, countless martial artists marvelled at the miracle he had forged while simultaneously coveting his secret.
Almost everyone believed he harbored an exceptionally precious secret treasure; otherwise, there was no explaining why he cultivated so rapidly and possessed such astonishing strength!
Yet even though many were curious and green with envy, for the moment, no one made a move.
There was no helping it: Huang Tian stood near the very peak of an entire province, and he was an official of the imperial court to boot. Anyone wishing to deal with him had to weigh the matter over and over again, lest they fail to seize the treasure, end up killed instead, and follow in Niu Kuanyu's footsteps—that would be too laughable...
In a serene valley, uneven trees stood tall, lush grasses grew wild, and flowers bloomed in vivid beauty. Whenever a gentle breeze drifted past, it carried an elegant, refreshing fragrance that gladdened the heart and mind.
Holding a scroll, a white-bearded elder full of vitality walked among the thick grass. With each casual stride, he covered over ten paces, making his way unhurriedly toward a low wooden cabin beside a stream in the valley.
After a moment, he arrived beside the cabin. A blue-robed elder was reclining on a lounge chair, eyes closed as he bathed in the warm sunlight, letting out contented sighs.
"Brother Kong!" The white-bearded elder stopped beside the lounge chair and called out.
The blue-robed elder addressed as Brother Kong opened one eye. "Old Man Yun, what brings you here?"
Old Man Yun grunted in annoyance, "Am I not allowed to come?"
"Heh, as if I don't know you. You never enter my valley unless something major happens." Elder Kong narrowed his eyes and said leisurely, "Speak. What brings you to me this time?"
Old Man Yun huffed twice, seemingly displeased, but nevertheless handed over the scroll in his hand.
"Take a look at this first!" he said.
Elder Kong glanced at it. "The Grandmaster Roll? Right, a new issue of the Grandmaster Roll has come out. What, has someone new made the list, or has someone on it died?"
Old Man Yun said, "A rising star has entered the roll."
He flipped the scroll to a certain page. "Look at this person!"
Elder Kong sat up slightly, took it, and looked. "Huang Tian? Also a martial artist of our Qin Province? How come I haven't heard this person's name before?"
Old Man Yun was speechless. "You stay in this valley year-round without stepping outside. It'd be strange if you had heard of him."
Elder Kong continued reading downward. The more he read, the more astounded he became, sharp intakes of breath escaping his lips every now and then.
"He has only cultivated for a few months to this day, yet he broke through to rank four and rivaled rank-one Grandmasters—how is that possible?!"
He bolted upright, reading it again from beginning to end. After finishing, he shook his head repeatedly. "Inconceivable. Truly inconceivable!"
Old Man Yun nodded. "I find it inconceivable as well. In this world, no matter how gifted a person is, it's impossible to possess such cultivation speed.
"Furthermore, I've heard his comprehension is extraordinarily high; he can grasp ordinary martial arts with just a few glances.
"All these bizarre qualities lead me to one conclusion: he possesses an extremely peculiar secret treasure, one that accelerates cultivation speed and enhances a person's comprehension!"
Elder Kong said thoughtfully, "You came this time to invite me to deal with him together and seize the treasure?"
"What do you think?"
"Not much. Even when the legendary Void Realm divine armament emerged, I wasn't willing to fight over it, much less some mere secret treasure."
"I didn't go to Yong Province to vie for the divine armament either, but that's because the armament will most likely end up belonging to a Celestial Being powerhouse. The chances for rank-one martial artists like us are simply too slim.
"However, Celestial Beings might not necessarily compete with us for the secret treasure on Huang Tian! Why not give it a try? If we can obtain it, there's hope of seeing through the barrier to become a Celestial Being!"
Elder Kong looked at Old Man Yun and sighed softly. "My mind is made up. I will not go! And I advise you not to go either, or you will surely die!"
Old Man Yun started. "Why say such a thing?"
Elder Kong lamented, "The emergence of a Void Realm divine armament heralds an age of great contention. And in an age of great contention, supreme talents will inevitably rise. I advise you not to become a stepping stone for such people..."
The words were plain and direct, leaving Old Man Yun dazed for a long, long time...
Chapter 123