Chapter 610: There’s Always Someone Stronger
Cao Jin was greatly astonished. He hadn’t detected this mysterious person before they’d popped out, and he also inwardly sucked in a breath. “Who are you?”
The cloaked person responded noncommittally, “Don’t ask me who I am. Take three of my hits. If you can take them, I’ll let you go. I won’t make things difficult for you if you can’t, just don’t let me see you in the Myriad Domain anymore.”
These words were spoken so nonchalantly as if this all made complete sense, like Cao Jin was just a clay doll in the cloaked person’s eyes, completely harmless. This person’s sudden appearance had caused the scene to take another turn, and the situation that had been extremely disadvantageous towards the Regal Pill Palace had changed greatly. It seemed that… this cloaked individual was on the Regal Pill Palace’s side?
Cao Jin’s eyebrow was arching slightly as he looked at this black cloaked person, arrogance no longer to be found in his eyes. He wanted to look straight through the cloak and see just who was within it! But no matter how he probed, it was as if his consciousness had sunk into the vast seas like a rock. The newcomer had a strong restrictive ability that barred all probes into them, and seemed to be ignoring Cao Jin’s attempts as well. They only hovered nonchalantly in midair. Only a pair of eyes that was as deep as the endless starry skies apparent from beneath the cloak.
The atmosphere at the scene grew a bit odd. Cao Jin had been overweeningly arrogant just now and sent two Regal Pill Palace elders flying, and had then made an agreement of three moves with Palace Head Dan Chi. The palace head had just barely managed to withstand the first blow with all his strength, and now this mysterious cloaked person had appeared, wanting Cao Jin to take three hits instead!
Those of the Regal Pill Palace couldn’t quite react in time to this new development. Everyone, including the palace head, was quite curious about the newcomer. Not only was this person mysterious, but they’d revealed Cao Jin’s background with one word. This greatly shocked everyone a.s.sembled as the entire sect became on high alert when they learned that a supreme genius of the Ninesuns Sky Sect had come knocking.
Cao Jin was even more so as he hadn"t told anyone of his background since arriving, but this person had seen through everything instantly. This kind of observation skills made Cao Jin suspect that he had no secrets at all in front of the other. Even incredibly confident as he was, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncertain at the moment. He felt that he was mysterious enough in the eyes of the Regal Pill Palace, but this newcomer was even more so.
Should he take the three hits?
As resolute as Cao Jin was, he began to hesitate. This person had appeared so suddenly and without forewarning, completely ignoring the probe from his consciousness. All signs pointed to that this person was only stronger than Cao Jin, and not weaker. The strength of their single word penetrating his defenses and consciousness made Cao Jin apprehensive. The other possessed the arts to attack the consciousness!
As one of the ten grand disciples of the Sky Sect, it would simply be too embarra.s.sing if he was unable to take even three hits from the other. His reputation would be ruined if word got out. Thus, he waffled for quite a while and decided to not do anything that he wasn’t completely certain of. He could return to the Regal Pill Palace at any time. The thing to do was to take care of this cloaked person first.
Cao Jin laughed heartily when his thoughts travelled here. “You must not be from the Regal Pill Palace. This is a private grudge between me and them. It doesn’t seem that appropriate, does it now?”
The cloaked person smiled faintly. “You have the right to ask me questions if you can take three of my hits.”
This had been what Cao Jin had said to Palace Head Dan Chi previously, and now the cloaked person had returned them verbatim. The Regal Pill Palace felt greatly vindicated, and Palace Head Dan Chi in particular felt such a great flow of warmth in him. Although he didn’t know where this mysterious person had come from, he could be certain at this moment that this mysterious person was very kindly predisposed towards the Regal Pill Palace. The elders behind him all looked curiously at the palace head. It was obvious that they were very curious where this cloaked person had come from.
Dan Chi smiled faintly and didn’t say anything. He didn’t know where this person had come from either, but it was necessary sometimes to maintain a bit of a mysterious air as the palace head. Making it so that his men couldn’t see straight through him was also a management method. When he heard this person’s words and how they were in obvious support of the Regal Pill Palace, Dan Chi was even more certain that the newcomer bore no ill will towards the sect.
Cao Jin was quite infuriated at the moment. Karma had certainly arrived quickly. He’d put on such airs with Dan Chi before because he’d wanted to take down the morale of the Regal Pill Palace and shave away at their face. Now that these words had been returned exactly to him, he felt even worse than if he’d eaten s.h.i.+t! A ball of rage built in his chest as blood surged to his brain. He almost wanted to throw caution to the wind and agree.
However, Cao Jin was a calculating person after all and he smiled slightly, affecting a das.h.i.+ng air. “I can let things go this time since you have jumped out to defend them. We’ll meet again next time. We shall meet again in the future.”
Cao Jin was someone who could set things aside when needed to. He wanted to leave now that things weren’t going his way. He could come back at his leisure when this cloaked individual left. With the Regal Pill Palace, he could come and go anytime he wished and do whatever he wanted. In Cao Jin’s eyes, this person was at most a visitor in the Regal Pill Palace. This kind of person wouldn’t spend a long time in a place like this, and could even just be pa.s.sing by.
However, Cao Jin had obviously underestimated the cloaked person. He was about to dash away when he realized that the cloaked person had landed in front of him with a flash.
“In a hurry to leave?”
Cao Jin frowned. “I gave you face. Are you pus.h.i.+ng your luck?”
The cloaked person shook their head slightly. “Then don’t give me face.”
Cao Jin was instantly at a loss for words. He’d seen his fair share of difficult people to deal with, but this one did things completely out of the ordinary. He’d shown them face, but they didn’t want it? He struggled to keep his head. “Then what do you want to do?”
“Speak. What did you come to the Regal Pill Palace for, and with such an overbearing manner?” The cloaked person seemed to be completely removed from the world as there was no hint of emotion in their detached tone at all.
Cao Jin asked angrily, “Are you part of the Regal Pill Palace?”
“The Regal Pill Palace has a deep relations.h.i.+p with me. Out with it. You still have the freedom to speak now. It will be too late to do so when we exchange moves later.”
It’d only ever been Cao Jin threatening others, so it was quite a novel feeling that one of the ten great disciples of the Sky Sect would be threatened in a mere Myriad Domain! But he actually felt a bit guilty beneath the pressure from the cloaked figure. However, the other plainly didn’t plan on giving him time to hesitate. A stunning aura suddenly rose around the cloaked figure and formed a pale-green vortex!
When this vortex formed, it seemed to create an independent zone in the air, becoming an intangible cage!
“Emperor realm sphere of influence!” Cao Jin trembled all over. He’d be a waste of his life if he still didn’t recognize what was staring at him in the face. This was the sphere of influence unique to emperor realm cultivators!
What was meant by this sphere of influence was a cultivator using their own aura to create an area of s.p.a.ce that was completely under their control. They were the rulers of this zone! Only emperor realm cultivators could do this. Although there was the occasional peak of the sage realm cultivator who could do so, those were one in a million and usually not a human cultivator.
For human cultivators, only those in the emperor realm had the ability to create their own sphere, and this mysterious person in front of him had extended their own sphere with no forewarning and sealed Cao Jin in.
He was absolutely scared witless.
“This is your last chance. Speak.” The cloaked person’s tone was as measured as always.
Large beads of sweat dripped down continuously from his forehead. He didn’t want to accept how the situation had developed. “Just who might you be, must we really deny face to this extent?”
“Do you have any face left?” The cloaked person asked faintly.
Cao Jin was backed into a tight corner as this was how the person responded, no matter what he said. He couldn’t get a rise out of them at all. “Fine. Fine!! You’re something alright.” Cao Jin spat out. “I heard that the Regal Pill Palace had come into the possession of some sky rank spirit herbs and earth rank herbs, as well as a Longevity Pill recipe. I came hunting for treasure.”
The cloaked figure looked at Cao Jin with a remote look and nodded slightly. “Very smart. You didn’t lie.” The person then looked at Palace Head Dan Chi. “Palace Head Dan Chi, this person has come in an unbridled manner to your territory. How would you like to handle him?”
The palace head looked at Elder Yun Nie. Both were extremely taken aback. How did this person know about the sky and earth rank spirit herbs? Everyone had sworn a heavenly oath in Mt. Rippling Mirage, but someone had gone back on it and revealed the matter of the ancient herb garden? Their spirits were exceedingly heavy. They knew that there would be no peace in the Myriad Domain now that this secret had been revealed.
Palace Head Dan Chi called out, “I only ask one question, from whence did you come by this news?”
Cao Jin smirked dismissively and ignored the palace head. He was wary of the cloaked person, not Dan Chi. How did a mere Regal Pill Palace palace head have the right to interrogate him? The cloaked person looked at Cao Jin and didn’t take down their sphere of influence.
Cao Jin seemed to know that the cloaked person wanted to interrogate him and smirked proudly. “I’ve already explained my intentions, is it important where my information is from? Since you are able to deploy a sphere of influence, you also have at least seventy to eighty percent guarantee of killing me. However, I still have my trump cards. If you force me too hard, I might throw all caution to the wind and take you all down with me. Even if you can ensure that you’ll leave with your life, you still might be injured…”
The cloaked person didn’t seem to want to trade verbal spars with Cao Jin either. “You think too highly of yourself.” They didn’t make a single move, but Cao Jin felt a cool breeze whisk by the back of his head. His neatly tied hair suddenly loosened as they were all cut off.
“Get out of the Myriad Domain. What comes off the next time I see you isn’t your hair, but your head.”
Cao Jin felt his body relax as an enormous surge of power pushed him several thousand meters outwards.