Legend Management Bureau Chapter 275

[ … words ]

As soon as Xing Tian’s voice fell, the surrounding sand, trees, and buildings crumbled into dust. The debris morphed into countless dust-forged blades, swirling menacingly in the air before surging toward the three generals.

The three generals were instantly dumbfounded.

“To think it’s Houtu’s Myriad Things Kill!” Feng Hou shouted. “Nameless actually unleashed a power that even Houtu herself couldn’t master!”

Xing Tian gave a slight wave of his hand. Millions of small blades in the sky shot toward the trio like a razor-sharp locust plague.

Deafening explosions filled the air, sounding as if sharp blades were slicing the heavens apart.

The howling winds roared, like flashing lightning accompanied by rolling thunder.

Even before the blades struck, their suffocating aura arrived.

The three generals were forced to squeeze their eyes shut by the overwhelming momentum. In just that brief moment, tens of thousands of small blades swarmed right in front of them.

After a deafening barrage of crackling impacts, the aftermath was a Complete Silence.

After a long time, Feng Hou slowly opened his eyes, only to involuntarily gasp in horror.

Hovering less than an inch from every major acupoint on his body was a Sharp Knife.

Meanwhile, the remaining thousands of blades circled the area, locked onto his vital spots like birds of prey.

He turned his head to look at the other generals, realizing they shared the exact same Circumstance. If Nameless had not held back, the three of them would have already perished.

Da Hong and Chang Xian also opened their eyes one after the other, only to stumble back in sheer terror.

This was perhaps the closest they had ever been to death since they began their cultivation journey.

“Pardon the offense,” Xing Tian smiled faintly. The sky full of Sharp Knives transformed back into dust and cascaded to the ground.

Because the number of Sharp Knives was so vast, it took a full ten minutes for the dust to settle completely, forming countless little mounds of sand on the ground.

Stunned for a long time, Feng Hou finally stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, “Thank you for the lesson.”

Da Hong and Chang Xian also cupped their fists together. “Thank you for the lesson!”

In unison, the three men retreated to the sides and sat down cross-legged. Although they hadn’t suffered any physical injuries, their vital energy had been severely shaken.

Upon closer inspection, the group had actually cleared a direct path for Xing Tian.

Xing Tian hesitated no longer. He picked up his Giant Axe from the ground and slowly walked forward.

Du Yu and the others quickly followed, arriving in front of the four generals in the blink of an eye.

The four generals and Cangjie looked at this small group that had suddenly appeared before them with puzzled expressions.

“Uh… we’re just here to watch the battle…” Du Yu explained.

“I sensed you earlier,” Feng Hou said slowly, his eyes half-closed. “Seeing as you didn’t step in to help during such a fierce clash, are you also subordinates of the Yan Emperor?”

“Yes and no,” Du Yu replied. “We won’t get involved in this fight, but we must accompany Xing Tian.”

“Xing Tian?” Feng Hou pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Whether the landscape of this world will change entirely depends on Xing Tian’s battle today.”

“Big Brother Feng Hou,” Chang Xian, who was charred black all over, chimed in. “Don’t forget there’s still one more person.”

“You mean…” Feng Hou thought for a second, then burst into laughter. “Hahahaha! Indeed. If he makes a move, all will be well. But if he doesn’t…”

“Then we might have to seek out a new wise ruler to serve,” Da Hong interjected.

Du Yu’s group gave a slight nod of respect to the four generals and Cangjie before hurriedly catching up to Xing Tian.

“They’re so strange, Senior Du Yu,” Shiranui Asuka whispered. “It feels like they don’t actually want to lay their lives on the line for the Yellow Emperor…”

“Different companies have different systems,” Du Yu replied. “If the Yellow Emperor’s management style was the same as the Yan Emperor’s, the two would have merged a long time ago. How else could they still be governing the north and the south separately to this day?”

“Is that so?”

After walking for a while, the group noticed Xing Tian stopping outside a massive building. They hastily concealed their presence and hid to the side.

Standing outside the building was a Middle-Aged Man holding a giant animal-skin waterskin.

Upon seeing Xing Tian, he smiled faintly. He sat down right where he was, uncorked the skin pouch, and took a hearty gulp.

Xing Tian studied him for a moment and asked, “Could you be… Du Kang?”

“That I am.” Du Kang wiped his mouth and tossed the leather pouch to Xing Tian.

Xing Tian caught it effortlessly, let out a hearty laugh, and also sat down on the spot to take a swig of the fine wine.

“Hah! Refreshing!”

Xing Tian threw the pouch back and asked, “How do you plan to fight me?”

“I thought about it for a long time, and I honestly don’t know how to defeat you,” Du Kang said after taking another drink. “In the end, I decided to challenge you to a drinking contest.”

“A drinking contest? Hahahaha!” Xing Tian threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Excellent! I have experienced countless bloody battles, but this is my first time facing off in a drinking contest!”

Du Kang smiled and nodded. “We will take turns drinking. I will ask, and you will answer. If this wine pouch is empty by the end, you win. If it is not empty, I win.”

With that, Du Kang threw the pouch back to Xing Tian.

Xing Tian didn’t hesitate. He took the pouch, tilted his head back to chug, and let out a long breath. “Ask away!”

“Why do you want to assassinate the Yellow Emperor?”

“Revenge!” Xing Tian hurled the pouch back.

Du Kang took a swig and tossed it back. “What kind of revenge? For whom?”

“A deep-seated blood feud. Vengeance for the murder of my brother, Chiyou.” Xing Tian glared at the ground with a hint of hatred, then shook his head and took a drink.

“Chiyou…?” Du Kang paused, then drank. “Chiyou was eradicated by the combined forces of both the Yan Emperor’s and the Yellow Emperor’s tribes. Why not kill the Yan Emperor? Why insist on killing the Yellow Emperor for revenge?”

“The Yellow Emperor wanted to wage war. If the Yan Emperor hadn’t followed suit, their alliance would have shattered. To calm the hearts of his people, the Yan Emperor had no choice but to agree. During that war, I met with the Yellow Emperor several times, begging him to spare Chiyou’s life, but he refused.” Xing Tian finished speaking, lifted the pouch, and took another heavy gulp.

“You know the Yellow Emperor wasn’t wrong,” Du Kang said gently. “Chiyou was a brutal tyrant who deserved to be executed.”

Saying that, he took a sip. The wine in the pouch was already running drastically low.

“Of course!” Xing Tian nodded. “The fault lies not with the Yellow Emperor, nor with the Yan Emperor. The fault lies with my status and bloodline. Therefore, I don’t represent any faction; I only represent myself. I know I am in the wrong, which is why I came here alone. I won’t kill anyone else—I only intend to kill the Yellow Emperor. Whether the outcome is my death or his, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Yan Emperor.”

Xing Tian threw his head back and downed a massive mouthful of wine, leaving only the very last sip before tossing it back to Du Kang.

If Du Kang drank it, the pouch would be empty, and Du Kang would win.

If Du Kang did not drink it, wine would remain, and Xing Tian would win.

Du Kang pondered for a long time before slowly setting the pouch down. There was still wine inside.

“How strange. I actually can’t drink another drop today,” Du Kang said, shaking his head.

Xing Tian gave a slight nod and bowed to Du Kang. “Thank you for yielding. If I survive this, I will definitely repay your kindness.”

With that, he stood up and walked straight ahead.

As he passed by, Du Kang spoke up again. “Nameless, do you have any attachments tying you down?”

“I do,” Xing Tian nodded. “There is a girl waiting for me to return.”

“That is good.” Du Kang half-closed his eyes and said slowly, “Never stake it on an All or Nothing gamble. Although I don’t want the Yellow Emperor to die, I also wish to see you return alive.”

Xing Tian smiled faintly. “Then… do you have any attachments?”

“Who in this world doesn’t?” Du Kang let out a slow sigh. “I recently had a new grandson. Both of his parents possess immortal bodies, yet he was born a mere Mortal.”

Xing Tian also sighed. “The Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth grows thinner by the day. Sooner or later, the world will be filled entirely with Mortals.”

“Since fate has brought us together, why don’t you bestow a name upon my grandson?”

“Me?” Xing Tian was taken aback before offering a bitter smile. “I don’t even know my own name. How could I possibly name anyone else?”

“It’s no matter. Having the greatest warrior in the world name him would bring my heart some peace.”

Xing Tian pondered for a moment, looking up to see a verdant green mountain.

“Although this mountain stands tall, it is neither too high nor too low; although its vegetation is lush, it bears neither flowers nor fruit. It breeds no venomous insects, nor does it spawn any Spirit Beasts. Since your grandson is a Mortal, let’s name him ‘Nanshan’ after the Southern Mountain. I hope he can live a peaceful, ordinary life.”

“Hahahahaha!” Du Kang tipped his head back and laughed heartily. “Du Nanshan! A wonderful name!”

Hearing this name, Du Yu shuddered in realization.

Noticing his strange reaction, Shiranui Asuka asked in a low whisper, “Senior Du Yu, have you heard this name before?”

“No…” Du Yu muttered, visibly confused. “It’s my first time hearing this name, but for some reason, it feels incredibly familiar.”

Xing Tian gazed at the green mountain for a moment longer, then walked straight into the building without looking back.

The Yellow Emperor had already dismissed everyone, sitting alone in the grand hall.

Their eyes met, and for a long time, neither spoke.

Eventually, Xing Tian couldn’t hold back and broke the silence. “Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

The Yellow Emperor shook his head slightly. “The fact that Du Kang allowed you to walk through that door means you have ample reason to kill me.”

“Although I feel ashamed, I ultimately must do what I came here to do.” Xing Tian silently raised his Giant Axe. “You are a wise ruler, and I will likely bear eternal infamy for this. I’m just curious—as such a revered sovereign, why are you completely alone at the threshold of life and death?”

“Hahaha.” The Yellow Emperor chuckled. “In my faction, no one is my subordinate. They are all Friends who sit as equals with me. They have their own thoughts and make their own decisions. I, as their emperor, absolutely will not interfere.”

“I see,” Xing Tian nodded. “In that case, I have no more lingering concerns. I only ask for a battle with you.”

Upon hearing this, the Yellow Emperor said no more. He drew from his waist a Precious Sword, also forged of bronze. One side of the blade was engraved with the sun, moon, and stars, while the other depicted mountains, rivers, and flora. The hilt was inscribed with the techniques of agriculture and animal husbandry on one side, and the grand strategy for unifying the four seas on the other.

This was the clan-pacifying Magical Treasure personally forged by the Yellow Emperor for the Xuanyuan Clan—the Xuanyuan Sword!

Knowing that he was now facing the strongest opponent in history, Xing Tian naturally did not dare to be careless. He drew a round shield with his left hand, raised his Giant Axe with his right, and assumed a combat stance.

Before the two men even moved, the air in the room had already become incredibly suffocating.

An epic battle was on the verge of erupting.

Hiding in the shadows, Du Yu observed the two men inside, a sudden question forming in his mind.

Legends said that the Yellow Emperor used “schemes” to sever Xing Tian’s head, but judging by the current situation, the Yellow Emperor didn’t seem like that kind of shameless scoundrel.