Chapter 542 — The Heavenly Realm's Number One Jinx
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Above Huang Yue's head the cloud vapor steamed and billowed—the very phenomenon born of his primordial spirit drawing in and giving out vital essence. Now his gaze came to rest upon the figure at the mountain's summit, and the vapor above him swelled monstrously huge, spanning half a mu in breadth. Within that vapor the vital essence seemed to congeal into droplets; faintly visible, drop after perfect drop of rain came tinkling down, and landing upon the crown of his head, steamed up once more into cloud, cycling without end.
Huang Yue climbed the mountain. It was not tall—after all, it had been shaped from the essence-runes of the Woodcutter Sage and Vajra, no true creation—and in a few strides he reached the summit. When he was still more than forty zhang from Zhe Huali, he halted.
"In the battlefield, I met you and nearly died by your hand. " Huang Yue's aura surged, his will to fight flooding the heavens. Though he had once been defeated by this opponent, he felt not the slightest fear; rather it kindled within him an inexhaustible fighting spirit.
He was a martial fanatic, untouched by fear.
"I have been searching for you all this time, waiting for my chance to wash away the shame. " Elated, Huang Yue said, "I beg you, Senior Brother, grant me that chance!
" Zhe Huali turned, his gaze settling upon him.
The demon eye set in the hilt of the demon blade at his back did not open; it remained shut.
Suddenly his right foot shifted, the toe angling, his stance neither this nor that.
His left foot pointed at Huang Yue, and in the direction his right toe indicated, a woman was climbing the mountain, just then coming into view before them. Huang Yue's face darkened.
"Chanyuan," he said coldly, "do not meddle in my affairs, or I will kill you along with him! " The woman, Chanyuan, was likewise a power of the Taihuang Heaven, and had entered the sandbox world together with Huang Yue and the rest. They had first made straight for the Place Where Axe and Spear Crossed, but since everyone was rushing there, that ground lost its meaning as a contested prize, and so they had all gone into hiding.
Yet the only one who did not hide was Shen Mu. Shen Mu raced through midair; so swift was he that he left cloud trails behind him, streaking smoke the whole way to the very edge of the sandbox world, and thus showed everyone their direction.
Nor did Shen Mu then settle down: he began forging iron at his hiding place, drawing many demon elites to hunt him there. For the masters of the Taihuang Heaven, the demon elites' hunt for Shen Mu was a rare opportunity, and so they hunted the demon elites along the way. Chanyuan had realized this as well, and so she guarded the road that must be taken to reach Shen Mu. Discovering Zhe Huali standing upon the mountain summit, and then catching sight of Huang Yue, she was overjoyed and climbed the mountain, meaning to join forces with Huang Yue—third among their ranks—to rid themselves of Zhe Huali.
"Senior Brother Huang Yue, you and Senior Sister Yuhe are both disciples of the True God Pang Yu.
You should know that the greater cause comes first. " Staring fixedly at Zhe Huali, her face grave, Chanyuan said in a low voice, "This duel is not about your personal grudge, nor is it your chance to chase the pinnacle of Dao arts and divine powers. It concerns the ownership of Licheng, the fate of our Taihuang Heaven.
Neither you nor I can stand against this man alone, but together we can bring him down! " "I will not join hands with you.
Withdraw. " Huang Yue's expression was resolute as he shook his head.
"Out of regard for the fact that we are both powers of the Taihuang Heaven, I will not kill you. But if you seize the moment of my duel with Senior Brother Zhe Huali to strike him down, do not blame me for showing no mercy. " His gaze was firm, fixed upon Zhe Huali, his heart burning with an intense desire to seek the Dao. He chuckled.