Chapter 1003 Subduing the Three Grand Masters
There were many people watching the battle on the scene. And some who lived nearby were also drawn here by the racket. Seeing this, they were all petrified. Some disciples of the Wind Snow Temple even spread the news out. Soon, the entire East Domain was aghast.
“Zhang Mu is back. He has brought Zhang Hanyang here and taken his Deep Valley back. Li Qingyan and 70 percent of his disciples have died. The Green Flame Sect has been destroyed.”
“The hall of Nan Feng, the Third Prince, has been ruined. And hundreds of his subordinates in the hall were killed. The mountain range there has been reduced into a giant crater with a depth of a kilometer and a diameter of three kilometers. What kind of attack was it that had caused such damages?”
“Oh no, I just got the news that the Wind Snow Temple has been annihilated. The entire sect is now in a mess. More than 10,000 disciples have been killed!”
“Zhang Mu and his men are engaged in a fierce battle with Grand Master Nan Qinghai. The energy waves released from the battlefield are quite distinct and have spread for more than 5 km. It’s mind-boggling.”
The pieces of news that came in one after another stunned many people.
“What? Zhang Mu can fight against Grand Master Nan?”
“The Wind Snow Temple has been destroyed? How is that possible?”
“Let’s go and have a look. The fight may not be over yet.”
The disciples of various sects rushed to the Wind Snow Temple one after another.
“Zhang Hanyang is here, too?”
Ye Longyuan, who was halfway through his cultivation, suddenly stood up.
“He is confronting Grand Master Nan? Is he crazy? No, I gotta go and have a look as well. If he dies, I will have no way to pay him back.”
“Is there a fight over there?” As soon as he got the news, Ding Jiuming’s expression changed and he dashed over without a word.
“Zhang Hanyang…” Yan Chen took a deep breath and quickly flew in that direction as well. He thought to himself, “I’ve just reached the Elixir Realm Last-Stage. Zhang Hanyang, what realm are you in now? Alas, what does it matter? You rivaled Li Qingyan as soon as you entered the Kunlun Immortal World. I’m now at the Last-Stage, but I’m still not strong enough to do that. Is it that you’re not subject to the strength system at all?”
Many of the secular talents, who were famous in the secular martial arts world a few years ago and had made it to the top of the Divine List, hurtled to the Wind Snow Temple when they heard the news.
Many people also sighed with emotion in their minds. “It has only been about six years. But Zhang Hanyang is already powerful enough to turn the Kunlun Immortal World upside down, isn’t he?”
In truth, many people, such as Yan Chen, initially thought that Zhang Hanyang’s starting point was much lower than theirs because he chose not to come to the Kunlun Immortal World with the others at that time. Yet, to their astonishment, when he reappeared, he made such an uproar in this world.
He had killed hundreds of people in the Kunlun Mountain Range. And he smoothly entered the Kunlun Immortal World like the champion of a compet.i.tive examination. Because of that, the whole Kunlun Immortal World was in turmoil. All kinds of riots broke out. And nearly 30 sects joined forces to take on him. That was something that had never happened before. And just a few days after that, Zhang Han and his team had wrecked the base of the Wind Snow Temple. How could that be? It was utterly inconceivable.
“Older Martial Brother Yan, are you gonna go and take a look as well?”
On the way to the Wind Snow Temple, Ye Longyuan ran into Yan Chen.
“Yes. If the news about the battle is true, this battle will definitely shock the world. I would feel restless if I didn’t go take a look,” Yan Chen replied, nodding.
“It’s pointless even if you go there. Because you can just stand by and watch,” Ye Longyuan said casually.
Yan Chen’s expression stiffened slightly when he heard his words.
On second thought, Yan Chen found that Ye Longyuan was actually being very polite to him, for he was always haughty and rude.
“Then why did you choose to go?” Yan Chen could not help but ask.
“Of course I have to go. This battle is of my concern.”
Speaking of this, Ye Longyuan put on a serious look and muttered, “I must go there.”
“What does that battle have to do with you? You’re only at the Elixir Realm Middle-Stage. If you’re not careful, you may get hurt by the energy waves,” Yan Chen said coolly. He could not help but sting him with words.
“Hahaha? Me? Middle-Stage? Are you kidding?” Ye Longyuan roared with laughter.
“Huh?”
Yan Chen was slightly stunned. “Could it be that he has made a breakthrough?”
As it turned out, Ye Longyuan raised a finger with confidence and said slowly, “In less than a month, I will definitely reach the Elixir Realm Last-Stage!”
Yan Chen was rendered speechless.
He didn’t know how to comment on that. He merely moved his lips but said nothing. Then, he continued to fly forward without looking back at Ye Longyuan.
Ye Longyuan’s speed was not fast. He knew he could not catch up with Yan Chen, so he just concentrated on flying on his own.
When he was about to arrive at the Wind Snow Temple—
“Eh? Su Beimu? What are you doing here?”
Ye Longyuan arched one brow and said, “I didn’t beat you last time. You wait for another month. I will beat you until you cry.”
“With your little power? Don’t make a fool of yourself.” Su Beimu glanced at him in contempt.
Su Beimu ranked among the top four in the Divine List. He was indeed mighty. Lately, he had also reached the Elixir Realm Last-Stage. That was attributable to the good training his sect had given him. It was also thanks to the resources given him by his former sect before he came here. Well, of course, what mattered most was his effort and the opportunities he had seized for himself.
“Haha.”
Ye Longyuan sneered. “Do you wanna try my power now?”
He was the kind of person who preferred to take action without delay. Anyway, the only person in his generation who could intimidate him was Zhang Han.
Seeing him like this, Su Beimu felt that a headache was on the way. “If we get into a fight, I will win for sure, but I can’t get him killed anyway. He is like the sticky candy I cannot shake off. If I beat him up again, he will probably bear grudge against me.”
“I don’t have time to fight you, nor do I want to waste time doing that. I gotta go to the Wind Snow Temple to watch the battle,” Su Beimu replied, looking much calmer.
“What a coward!”
Ye Longyuan let out a jeering laugh and said, “No matter what kind of battle it is, it’s meaningless for you.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Su Beimu frowned.
“I’m in Zhang Hanyang’s debt. Of course, I have to come and take a look at him,” Ye Longyuan answered flatly.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a debtor being so proud,” Su Beimu mocked. He didn’t want to continue the talk anymore. Thus, with more than 50 subordinates behind him, he sped up and overtook Ye Longyuan.
“Junior Martial Brother Ye!”
With an earnest expression on his face, Yan Chen remarked, “Given your temperament, I’m really surprised to see that you are in your element in the Kunlun Immortal World. Why can’t you just be a little low-key?”
“Aren’t I already low-key enough?” Ye Longyuan asked in reply.
When Yan Chen heard that, his face darkened with embarra.s.sment. Not wanting to argue with him anymore, he went on with his quiet flight.
More than 10 minutes later, they arrived at the location of the Wind Snow Temple.
“Holy… sh*t!”
Seeing the ruined Wind Snow Temple, these people who just hurried over turned pale with fright.
By far, more than 1,000 people had gathered around the Wind Snow Temple. And some were flying further west.
“What’s happened here?”
“The news is all true!”
“How could the Wind Snow Temple be damaged like this? Gosh, don’t forget that the Wind Snow Temple has a Grand Master in the Yuan Ying Realm!”
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a mighty Wind Snow Temple is on the verge of being destroyed! Is it really Zhang Mu who did this? He first took down the Green Flame Sect, then the Third Prince’s hall, and finally came to attack the Wind Snow Temple. Is he really unstoppable?”
“Look over there. They are going west. Maybe we can manage to have a look at the fight.”
Everyone on the scene began to proceed to the west, hoping to watch the battle with their own eyes.
At this time, Deep Flame was also at the back of the crowd. Looking at the sight here, his mood swing had kind of… gone to the extreme.
“I thought that the Deep Valley was doomed to destruction. But unexpectedly, it was unscathed. Instead, the Green Flame Sect has been wiped out. Zhang Mu, what on earth did you do? Zhang Hanyang is your offspring. Is he really going to overthrow the rulers of the Kunlun Immortal World?”
“Swoos.h.!.+”
He zoomed fast toward the west.
If he was quick enough, he might be able to see the end of the battle.
In fact, the end of the battle was more like a white-hot confrontation.
Five thousand kilometers to the west of the Wind Snow Temple, the energy waves produced by the battle were getting more and more intense.
After the initial shock, the spectators were then aggrieved. As the battle proceeded, they felt scandalized again. Eventually, their minds became numb.
Everyone, including s.h.i.+ Fenghou, followed the fighters subconsciously as they began to move to the west. No one spoke. They just silently watched the battle going on before their eyes.
“They’re still not done fighting us?”
Nan Qinghai was livid. His injury was even more serious. Even though he had taken very advanced medicinal pellets, the energy in his body was still rapidly diminis.h.i.+ng. The consumption way overtook the replenishment.
A large amount of Grand Master Zong’s hair was burnt. His breathing was not smooth.
He complained snappishly, “How many attacks can she launch at a stretch? Why are her strikes endless? She is really a tough woman!”
The three Grand Masters in the Yuan Ying Realm had been pummeled the whole time without a chance to fight back. At this time, they no longer cared about how to save face. There was only one thing in their minds.
“If we continue to fight like this, will we all die?”
A little voice in their heads mumbled the answer to them.
“Yes, you will!”
But they refused to admit it. Nor did they dare to admit it. Thus, they had to brace themselves to tackle the endless huge fans coming at them.
Zhang Han was also a little surprised. His right hand, which was placed on Zi Yan’s waist, had been constantly feeling her dantian. If he sensed anything unusual, he would ask her to stop at once.
But after fighting for such a long time, there were still no energy fluctuations in her dantian.
Zhang Han felt as if Zi Yan were a child holding a gun loaded with endless bullets who could keep shooting forever.
“We can’t let things go on like this!”
Grand Master An said through clenched teeth, “We shouldn’t have interfered in Nan Qinghai’s business!”
“Well, you can leave if you want,” Nan Qinghai responded coldly.
He also knew that the two didn’t take part in the battle in a tribute to their friends.h.i.+p with Nan Qinghai, but because they didn’t want Zhang Hanyang to grow into an overlord in the Kunlun Immortal World. They had always been at the top of the pyramid. Other than allowing a talented man to evolve into someone that could kill them, they would surely nib the potential threat in the bud.
The two thought that they could suppress the other party once they took action. But to their dismay, Zhang Han not only didn’t give them a chance to fight back but also denied their prospect of escaping!
“Zhang Hanyang!”
Under the impact of the remaining energy waves after the attack was dissolved, Grand Master An once again swiftly retreated hundreds of meters. His breathing became more and more disordered. He couldn’t help but shout in alarm, “Stop striking! Can we talk this out?”
“It’s too late,” Zhang Han replied calmly.
“Why didn’t you come around early?”
If the two didn’t interfere, Zhang Han wouldn’t target them at all. However, they hopped onto the battlefield of their own accord. And it was not until the moment they realized they couldn’t defeat him that they proposed to talk it out. How ridiculous!
“Buzz!”
The Sea Moon Fan emerged again.
Grand Master An couldn’t stand it any longer.
He roared, “I’ll get out of your hair, okay? Please let me leave. What’s more, I’ll also give you a valuable treasure. We hold no grudge against each other. This is a matter between you and the Wind Snow Temple. I’ll leave it to you!”
“Well, well, well.” Mu Xue laughed coldly and said, “If you could beat us, would you agree to talk this out? Stop daydreaming. You’re a dead man!”
“Zhang Hanyang, you might as well live and let live.”
Grand Master Zong also said, “If you let the two of us go, we’ll owe you a big favor. We can even help you kill Nan Qinghai if you want. We can also make your sect the top one in the Kunlun Immortal World and gain a firm foothold in the East Domain. Both the Deep Valley and Zhang Mu can get this privilege. Besides, the location of the Wind Snow Temple is very good. We can let you have it. What do you think?”
As soon as he said that…
“Pfft…”
Blood squirted out of Nan Qinghai’s mouth.
He was so angry that he was s.h.i.+vering all over. But there was nothing he could do. If it were him, he would have made the same choice.
That astounded the more than 10,000 disciples of the Wind Snow Temple.
“Grand Master An and Grand Master Zong already caved in? They’re gonna turn against their master? How preposterous this is!”
Zhang Mu remained silent, leaving Zhang Han to make the decision.
After all, Zhang Han was the central figure of his group. Even these two Grand Masters only talked to Zhang Hanyang. They both knew that Zhang Hanyang was the one in charge on the other side.
But could Zhang Han’s will waver because of their words?
“What’s the point of being a top sect?”
Zhang Han laughed softly and said in a somewhat emotional tone, “No matter how powerful a sect is, once it encounters an irresistible force, it will perish. But what exactly is a sect? It’s just a group’s gathering place. In this life, I have no intention to fight for the throne or seek the ethereal pinnacle of power. I just want to protect my family. Anyone or anything that may jeopardize my family shall be taken out of the picture. As for you… though you are not a threat to us, you bother us like flies. Also, my wife happens to be good at swatting flies.”
“Huh?”
Hearing the first half of his remark, Zi Yan was so moved and gratified that she even forgot to conjure more Sea Moon Fans for a second.
But the latter half of his remark made her pretty face darken.
“I’m good at swatting flies?
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
In this strike-free second—
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoos.h.!.+”
The three Grand Masters knew that they had to seize this opportunity to run. Their eyes lit up as they unleashed their various supernatural powers, poised to flee.
“The Star Map and the Thunder Sea coupled with the Air-shattering Hand!”
By casting that move, Zhang Han held them up for another two seconds.
“Sea Moon Fan!”
It was true that this couple could cut through the hardest metal if they were united.
The three Grand Masters were sucked into the center of the vortex again.
“Master is both romantic and powerful. He is simply a perfect man.”
Mu Xue looked at Zhang Han in a daze. She had never thought that a man could be so charming.
She was not having feelings for Zhang Han. With Zi Yan being his wife, she could not let herself have that kind of improper thought anyway. But she still yearned for that kind of love.
Inadvertently, the scenes she had seen when she peeked into Zhang Han’s memory flashed back again.
There were mountains of corpses lying in front of him.
He was a demon through and through.
“It turns out that he has this state of mind because he’s had that kind of experience.”
Even Zhang Mu looked slightly stunned after hearing Zhang Han’s remark.
He was very gratified with his decision.
Years ago, Zhang Mu had spent quite some time with this grandson of his. In those days, he felt that although Zhang Han was very naughty and a little arrogant, he was very kind deep down. Filial piety was the foundation of all virtues. He had done a good job in that regard. Now, after hearing Zhang Han’s words, he felt he was inspired.
“What should I do with the rest of my life?
“In addition to being with my family, I’ll also explore the unknown mysteries in the vast universe.”
Zhang Han’s words seemed to have announced the death penalty of the three Grand Masters in the Yuan Ying Realm.
A wisp of despair flashed across their faces.
The more than 10,000 disciples of the Wind Snow Temple in the surroundings began to feel mournful.
“Since when have the prestigious Grand Masters in the Yuan Ying Realm started to be held at other people’s mercy?”
Sea Moon Fan!
Sea Moon Fan!
Sea Moon Fan!
The attacks kept coming at them.
Wistfulness also stole over the three Grand Masters.
“Stop striking! You won, okay? From now on, I’ll be under your command! What do you say?”
“Zhang Hanyang, stop it!”
“We’ve already arrived in the Northernmost Sea. If you keep chasing us, you’ll attract the overlords in the Northernmost Sea here. Then, we’ll all die.”
Grand Master An and Grand Master Zong pleaded repeatedly, but Zhang Han still showed no sympathy.
He forcibly drove them into the Northernmost Sea Area.
“Hahaha.”
Nan Qinghai suddenly laughed wildly.
“Come on, go after us! If you dare, just keep chasing us. If we go deep into the Northernmost Sea, we’ll all die! Do you dare to hunt us now?”
“There’s no need to chase after you.”
Zhang Han suddenly showed a wicked smile.
“Hiss!”
“D*mn!”
This time, the Sea Moon Fan was formed in the void 100 meters above their heads.
During the whole battle, the Sea Moon Fan had always struck horizontally, forcing them to retreat to the west and eventually reach the Northernmost Sea. There was an unfathomable whirlpool in the sea below. For thousands of years, no one knew what was beneath that whirlpool. But now, the Sea Moon Fan suddenly took shape from above.
“So this is what he’s been planning to do—to swat us into the whirlpool!”
This was equivalent to sentencing them to death.
“Zhang Hanyang!”
“Ahhh!”
“Rumble!”
They exerted themselves to escape. But the two seconds they were held up by the Star Map and the Thunder Sea decided their fates.
“Bang, bang, bang, bang…”
A series of m.u.f.fled noises were heard as the huge fan knocked them into the center of the whirlpool in the sea.
Even if without the push of the Sea Moon Fan, they would not have fought off the suction force of the whirlpool.
“Zhang Hanyang, Zhang Hanyang…” Nan Qinghai yelled. All the blood had drained from his face. The moment when he was swept into the depth of the whirlpool, he roared angrily for the last time, “Zhang—Han—Yang!”
His voice was full of aggrievement, yet… that was of no help.
“If one day I come back, I will…”
Grand Master An’s voice suddenly vanished.
Grand Master Zong did not say anything before he was engulfed by the whirlpool.
“This…”
Zhang Guangyou looked at the huge whirlpool under his feet and asked in a trembling voice, “What’s down there? h.e.l.l?”
“Yeah, something like that.” Zhang Han sighed and said, “I reckoned it’s a relatively horrible place. Let’s head back.”
“Eh? Master, master!” Mu Xue’s voice suddenly sounded nervous. “I remember that we didn’t go far into the sea. But why do we seem to be very far away from the coast?”
Turning around, Zhang Han abruptly realized that there was a hazy mist in front of him, making this place somewhat surreal. A long distance away, a great number of people were flying in the air over the coast. But as he recalled it, he should not have gone so far away from the coast.
“That’s why the Northernmost Sea is a forbidden place. People may easily get lost here.”
Zhang Han slightly pulled his brows together and added, “This illusion is quite advanced. Logically, it shouldn’t have appeared here. It seems that I’ve underestimated the Northernmost Sea.”
Seeing that Zhang Han had become so serious, Dong Chen and the others were alerted.
“Are we lost here?”
“Not really. We’re just in the area near the coast. It’ll be fine even if we go two times further into the sea. But our perception, sight, and soul sense have all turned vague. Look at the sh.o.r.e. We happen to be standing with our backs facing it.”
Zhang Han abruptly spun around and pointed in the direction of the seemingly deep sea.
“Are, are you sure it’s there?”
The conclusion he had drawn was startling.
But since everyone trusted Zhang Han profusely, they followed him and flew toward the deep sea in their sight.
They changed direction every once in a while. After traveling like that for a while, all of a sudden, the thick mist in front of them thinned.
What came into view was the real coast of the Northernmost Sea, which was only about three kilometers away.
“The Northernmost Sea does live up to its reputation.”
Zhang Guangyou said in an amazed tone, “We were only a short distance away from the coast, but we already encountered such a strange situation. If we went deep into the Northernmost Sea, we would really be lost. How creepy it is!”
“The illusions in the Northernmost Sea are not the scariest things. The most horrible part is the fierce overlords in the sea. Many of them are at the Peak of the Elixir Realm. Some are even Grand Masters in the Yuan Ying Realm. The key is that there are ma.s.ses of them,” Zhang Mu said slowly. “In terms of illusory environment, the Boundless Sea is even more terrifying. You will get lost once you enter it. I’m seriously telling you that once several Grand Masters in the Yuan Ying Realm went to explore the Boundless Sea, yet they never returned.”